It has become known that Eidos Montreal is losing many employees, including studio veteran David Anfossi, who headed it for 13 years. The decision was not accidental: part of the staff was dismissed due to the termination of work on the game, which had been in development for seven years.
The Insider Gaming portal reports that the wave of layoffs was a consequence of the cancellation of the Wildlands project, which had been in development since 2019. It was supposed to be a third-person action game about River, a member of a group of teenagers capable of warding off evil spirits with magic staffs and riding mythical creatures. The editors have materials demonstrating a huge animal named Redheart, similar to a moose, for quick movement around the map.
Wildlands was the studio's 11th project and had long faced difficulties. The game changed four engines, and disputes about the narrative and budget led to costs exceeding a nine-figure sum. It was because of the growing costs of Wildlands that the studio canceled several projects in recent years, including a new installment of the Deus Ex franchise, which was supposed to be released in January 2024.
At the time of cancellation, Wildlands was in the final stage of polishing and was supposed to be released in late 2026 on PC and consoles. However, the project was finally closed by the decision of the publisher Embracer Group.
