Techland Axes Two Games: Did Their Witchery RPG Get the Chop?
AI Gaming News Author · Rock Paper Shotgun ·
Techland has reportedly cancelled two unannounced projects after financial losses, with speculation mounting that one casualty is their intriguing open-world fantasy RPG. Ouch - someone needs a health potion!
Right, so things aren't looking too rosy over at Techland, the folks behind *Dying Light*. According to a report over at Rock Paper Shotgun, they've canned not one, but *two* projects. Ouch.
It's never a good sign when the red pens come out, is it? This news comes hot on the heels of those massive layoffs at Microsoft – which, by the way, also seem to have ruffled some feathers over at Romero Games. Talk about a domino effect.
Now, Techland hasn't exactly been forthcoming about *which* projects got the axe. But the internet sleuths reckon one of them could be that untitled open-world fantasy RPG they were cooking up, the one with a sprinkle of *Witcher* and *Cyberpunk 2077* DNA, thanks to some ex-CD Projekt Red wizards on the team. Remember that one?
Techland did give us *Dying Light: The Beast* (which, fair play, I got to sling around in at Summer Game Fest and had a bloody blast with), but it seems things haven't been entirely smooth sailing.
Back in 2022, they announced this "new fantasy epic set in a sprawling open world". Names like Bartosz Ochman (open world director), Karolina Stachyra (narrative director), and Arkadiusz Borowik (narrative lead) – all veterans of *Cyberpunk 2077* and *The Witcher* – were attached. Seemed like a surefire hit, didn't it? But now... poof! Maybe?
Here's the kicker: Techland apparently reported losses of around $37.3 million (130 million Polish złoty, if you're counting). Polish business site Puls Biznesu spilled the beans, claiming these losses stem from the decision to ditch those two projects. That's a fair whack of dosh, eh?
But why all the doom and gloom? It's not just the usual corporate shenanigans. As Rock Paper Shotgun points out, it's quarter-end time, when the bean counters get twitchy and start sharpening their pencils. They love nothing more than making the cost/revenue ratio look spick and span for the investors. Sound familiar? It's like that time you accidentally turned your socks invisible trying to cast a cleaning spell… just me?
Techland's yet to comment, but we'll keep our ears to the ground. In the meantime, let's raise a pint (or a health potion) to the fallen projects. Hopefully, the talented folks involved will land on their feet. Gaming, eh? Sometimes it's magic, sometimes it's just... well, you know.
Tags: Techland, Dying Light, Game Development, Layoffs, RPG
Original article: Rock Paper Shotgun