Polish game company 11 bit studios, known for games like This War of Mine, Frostpunk, and support for Ukraine, has canceled the game Project 8. 37 developers worked on it, some of whom are awaiting dismissal.
Polish game company 11 bit studios, known for games like This War of Mine, Frostpunk, and support for Ukraine, has canceled the game Project 8. 37 developers worked on it, some of whom are awaiting dismissal.
President of 11 bit studios Przemysław Marshal named several reasons why the company had to make such a decision.
«With Project 8, we experienced both breakthroughs and setbacks. Stabilizing the development team was particularly challenging during the COVID-19 pandemic, but progress continued. While we achieved noticeable quality improvements in certain areas, several critical aspects of the game and its development process remained problematic, despite numerous iterations. Over time, delays accumulated, and with each stage, the project budget grew,» he said, according to Insider Gaming.
According to him, the turning point came during the final stage of the game.
«Unfortunately, in this case, our findings revealed unresolved issues and problems that require further extension of production timelines and a corresponding increase in budget to address them. This, combined with revised sales forecasts, which largely reflect changing market conditions, has raised significant doubts about the overall profitability of the project,» said Przemysław Marshal.
Project 8 has been in development since 2018 and was supposed to be the first 11-bit game «designed specifically for console gamers.» As of September 30, it had 37 people working on it, more than half of whom will have the opportunity to move on to other projects in development, including The Alters, which is scheduled for release in 2025.
The layoffs will be phased in, meaning the total cost and layoffs associated with Project 8's cancellation won’t be known until 11 bits' 2024 annual report is released. The company estimates that at the time of the cancellation, it had spent $11.8 million on the game’s development. An 11 bit representative told PC Gamer that approximately 15 people will be laid off, and confirmed that the layoffs are exclusive to the Project 8 team.
About 15,000 known jobs were lost in the gaming industry in 2024. The real figure is likely closer to 17,000, if unconfirmed figures are taken into account, notes Insider Gaming.
It is known that the Polish company has repeatedly helped Ukraine. A week after February 24, 2022, it announced that it would transfer UAH 21 million in aid. 11 bit studios has repeatedly released charity bundles with games in support of Ukraine, and not so long ago financed a trip to Poland for 20 Ukrainian children whose parents died defending Ukraine.
The company has also added Ukrainian localization to its games and projects it publishes, including Frostpunk 2, The Invincible, and the upcoming The Alters. However, 11 bit studios disappointed Ukrainian players when it announced that it would be publishing the Russian arthouse game INDIKA.
