World of Darkness, an MMO title based on the classic tabletop role-playing game Vampire: The Masquerade, that has been in development ever since 2006, has now been cancelled by developers CCP, and as a result of the booting of this long running project, 56 people at the development team have lost their job.

All 56 people, CCP suggests, have been given severance packages and job placement assistance, but the long running project has finally come to an end and will have definitely hurt the people who had been working closely on it for so long.

“The decision to end the World of Darkness MMO project is one of the hardest I’ve ever had to make,” said the company’s chief executive Hilmar Pétursson.

“I have always loved and valued the idea of a sandbox experience set in that universe, and over the years I’ve watched the team passionately strive to make that possible.

“I would like to give special thanks to everyone who worked so hard to make the World of Darkness MMO a reality, especially the team members affected by this decision. Their considerable contribution to CCP will not be forgotten, and we wish them well.

“To our current and former employees and fans of World of Darkness, I am truly sorry that we could not deliver the experience that we aspired to make.

“We dreamed of a game that would transport you completely into the sweeping fantasy of World of Darkness, but had to admit that our efforts were falling regretfully short. One day I hope we will make it up to you.”

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CCP, the company behind EVE Online and its companion shooter DUST 514, has instituted a series of layouts specifically around the World of Darkness project, GamesIndustry.biz reports.

Speaking to the website, CCP spokesman Ned Coker said, “CCP today made strategic adjustments to the staffing on the team working on the World of Darkness project in Atlanta that resulted in the elimination of approximately 15 positions at the company. The change was due to our evaluation of the game’s design and ongoing development needs. While this was a difficult decision, CCP remains committed to the franchise and our promise to make a compelling, rich, and deep World of Darkness experience.”

The careful wording of that makes it clear that the EVE team was not affected by this round of layouts; EVE Online remains one of the most profitable, rich, deep, complex, and popular subscription based MMORPGs currently on the market. World of Darkness is CCP’s next major project, so it will be interesting to see how it all comes out. CCP, however, remains confident in the game.

As Richardsson states, “Trion is an incredibly dynamic company and is already leading a revolution in the online gaming space. Defiance is the future of entertainment, and the collaboration between Trion and Syfy means you have two powerhouses blazing a trail that will fundamentally change the way both gamers and viewers consume entertainment. It’s amazingly ambitious and exactly the kind of immense challenge that I’ve been looking for.”

His responsibilities entail collaborating between the Trion development team and SyFy, guiding the overall creative direction of the game through launch. With more than a decade of experience, he’ll be sure to lead Defiance on the right path.