In a significant development in the gaming industry, Tencent has reportedly canceled the ambitious open-world cyberpunk game, Last Sentinel, which was being developed by Lightspeed LA. This project, which had been in the works for over six years, was expected to rival the popular Grand Theft Auto (GTA) series and had amassed an investment exceeding USD 300 million.
Cancellation of Last Sentinel
While Tencent initially denied rumors about the cancellation, Bloomberg's reports indicate that the project is indeed halted. This decision has resulted in around 80 developers losing their jobs this week due to layoffs.
Reasons Behind the Cancellation
Lightspeed LA confirmed the layoffs, attributing them to a shift in creative direction and development strategy following an internal evaluation and play-testing. The news of Last Sentinel's cancellation is somewhat unsurprising, as the game had not showcased any gameplay footage to the public despite generating interest with a teaser video at The Game Awards 2023.
Issues During Development
Internal sources revealed that the game faced several challenges from the outset, including leadership styles that led to polarization within the studio and a limited team size. With just a few hundred members, the team was deemed too small to create a large-scale game capable of competing with established titles like GTA.
Future Prospects for Lightspeed LA
Despite the cancellation of Last Sentinel, Lightspeed LA, based in Los Angeles, will continue its operations. The remaining staff will be redirected to a new, undisclosed open-world project, under the guidance of creative director Todd Papy. Additionally, some elements and code from Last Sentinel are expected to be repurposed for this upcoming project and other Tencent titles.
Established in 2020 under LightSpeed Studios, Lightspeed LA is led by Steve Martin, a former executive at Rockstar San Diego. This studio is among several Tencent initiatives aimed at penetrating the Western AAA gaming market.
The failure of Last Sentinel adds to the growing list of Tencent's troubled studios in North America, following the closure of TiMi Montreal earlier this year and the dissolution of Team Kaiju in 2023.
Source: https://inet.detik.com/games-news/d-8604986/game-pesaing-gta-batal-dibikin-pengembangnya-kena-phk
