Transformers Multiplayer Game Shelved Amid Exciting New Ventures by Developers

Transformers: Reactivate was announced as part of the Game Awards 2022, but the developers at Splash Damage chose to remain silent for nearly two years following that reveal. The positive news is that this silence has now been lifted. The unfortunate reality is that it’s because the game has been canceled, and the developers are facing potential job reductions.

“Today, we have some extremely tough news to communicate; the decision has been made to cease development of Transformers: Reactivate,” Splash Damage stated in a tweet. “This implies we will be reducing our workforce to concentrate our efforts on different projects. Sadly, despite all endeavors, several positions within the studio are now at risk of redundancy.”

Reactivate was promoted as a “1-4 player online action game,” and that encapsulates the entirety of the official information we were given regarding what to expect. The first reveal trailer was purely cinematic, and the only update from the developers came in December 2023, announcing the game would transition to Unreal Engine 5.

Splash Damage is perhaps best recognized for its work on early 2000s FPS titles like Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory and Enemy Territory: Quake Wars. However, projects like Brink and Dirty Bomb came and went without much acclaim. More recently, Splash Damage has provided support for Xbox on titles like Gears and Halo and is currently developing a AAA open-world survival game with notable creators such as Sacriel and Shroud featuring the provisional title Project Astrid.

“While not being able to see the game through to its launch is painful,” the studio expresses in the announcement confirming the cancellation of Transformers: Reactivate, “saying farewell to friends and colleagues is even more painful. We are now committed to doing everything possible to assist them during this challenging period, just as we are dedicated to supporting those who will remain with us as we forge a stronger Splash Damage for the future.”

Additional layoffs have reportedly impacted Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League developer Rocksteady, including another reduction in QA.