Major ‘Transformers’ Project Canceled

Just as the first gameplay footage leaked online, developer Splash Damage has pulled the plug on their long-awaited Transformers online shooter, leading to potential job losses at the studio. Transformers: Reactivate’s cancellation was announced on Jan. 8 after years of development and prolonged silence about the project.

The game made a memorable debut at The Game Awards 2022, featuring a bold reimagining of Bon Jovi‘s “Dead or Alive” and showcasing a narrative where humans discovered and reactivated dormant Autobot bodies to combat a Decepticon invasion. Originally planned as a 1-4 player online action game with a closed beta scheduled for 2023, the project never reached that milestone.

The studio, known for Gears Tactics and Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory, will be “scaling down to refocus our efforts on other projects,” with numerous positions “potentially at risk of redundancy.” The developer described Hasbro as “an incredible and supportive partner” while acknowledging the difficult nature of the decision.

The game promised a darker take on the Transformers universe, with the Autobots battling an alien force known as the “Legion.” Early development materials leaked in 2018 suggested players could control various characters from both Autobot and Decepticon factions, including Starscream, Hotrod, Soundwave, and others.

The newly leaked footage, shared by Twitter account DpzLuna, reveals the game had transitioned to Unreal Engine 5 and featured an open-world structure. VG247 notes that players could freely explore and tackle objectives, with transformation serving as the primary means of map traversal. The combat system appeared robust, featuring “chunky sound effects and meaty recoil.”

The cancellation comes amid a challenging period for live service games. The year 2024 had already seen notable struggles, including the troubled launch of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and Sony’s brief release of Concord.

The studio’s parent company, Tencent, has recently faced rumors of significant organizational restructuring. The company previously implemented layoffs at Sumo Group in June and Sharkmob London in November of last year.

The project’s cancellation particularly affects Bulkhead, a Derby-based developer acquired by Splash Damage alongside the game’s 2022 announcement. The studio had been collaborating on both Transformers: Reactivate and Wardogs, a combined-arms FPS with strategy elements.

Former Bulkhead game designer Idreece Hadi, now at Cloud Imperium, expressed sympathy for affected developers: “I enjoyed my time working on this, my heart goes out to all the talented Devs at splash & bulkhead working on this. I hope you all get something in this troubling time, hopefully soon the industry gets some positive news this is terrible.”

Despite this setback, Splash Damage continues development on Project Astrid, an open-world survival shooter set in an original universe, created in collaboration with streamers Sacriel and shroud. The cancellation represents another challenging moment for the gaming industry, which has seen numerous projects abandoned and studios downsized in recent months. While the leaked footage suggests promising elements within Transformers: Reactivate, the current market climate for live service games appears to have influenced its fate.