Marvel has been expanding its presence in the gaming space significantly over the last few years, and partnerships with multiple studios across the industry for a variety of different licensed games has been the primary driver for that. Last year, one such partnership was revealed to be EnaD Global 7, which confirmed that it had a AAA Marvel-based MMORPG in the works, with Daybreak Games staff of DC Universe Online fame working on it.
That project is not going to see the light of day, as it turns out. EG7 recent published an update in which it confirmed that it has cancelled its Marvel MMO, after having evaluated “the development risk profile, size of investment, and the long-term product portfolio strategy for the group.”
The project was going to see an investment of SEK 500 million (which is a little over $50 million) over the course of three years. EG7 will now use that money to further invest in existing games like The Lord of the Rings Online and DC Universe Online, as well as self-owned IPs.
“EG7 today announced it will be discontinuing the development of the Marvel project at Daybreak Games,” the company wrote. “Based on the re-evaluation of the development risk profile, size of investment, and the long-term product portfolio strategy for the group, the board has decided to change the development priorities and reallocate resources within the group to focus on alternative long-term projects. The company had planned to invest more than SEK 500 million in the Marvel project over the next three years. The company will now diversify this investment across multiple, smaller size projects within the group, including the previously announced major upgrades to The Lord of the Rings Online and DC Universe Online, and new game opportunities with our first party, original IPs.”
There are plenty of other Marvel projects in the works at a number of other studios, including Firaxis Games’ turn-based tactical RPG Marvel’s Midnight Suns, Second Dinner’s collectible card game Marvel Snap, and Insomniac Games’ action-adventure duo Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Marvel’s Wolverine.
Skydance New Media is also developing a story-driven single player action-adventure Marvel project, with its development team being led by Uncharted creator Amy Hennig. According to report, the project is either an Ant-Man game or a Fantastic Four title.