Splash Damage cancels Transformers: Reactivate, layoffs likely to follow

London-based studio Splash Damage has announced that it is canceling the development of co-op action game Transformers: Reactivate, with a number of roles “potentially at risk of redundancy” as it plans to downsize.

The details:

• Transformers: Reactivate was announced at The Game Awards in late 2022 as a four-player co-op title available on consoles and PC, with a beta scheduled for 2023. However, little was heard about the project after the initial announcement, leading fans to believe it had been internally delayed indefinitely.

• Just two years after the announcement, Splash Damage has issued a statement on X confirming that the project has been canceled and that layoffs are likely as a result. "Today, we have some very difficult news to share, the decision has been made to end development of Transformers: Reactivate.” the developer wrote. “This means we will be scaling down to refocus our efforts on other projects. Unfortunately, despite every effort, a number of roles across the studio are now potentially at risk of redundancy. This decision did not come lightly, and it is a difficult time for the studio and our people. We want to take a moment to thank the team who worked on Transformers for their dedication and passion."

• The studio has not provided a specific reason for the project's cancellation, and it is unclear how many employees may be affected by the potential job cuts. However, Splash Damage has stated that it plans to assist those affected in finding new roles elsewhere.

• Outside of Transformers: Reactivate, Splash Damage has been working on a new unnamed sci-fi IP, which was announced in 2021 following Tencent's acquisition of the studio the year before. The project has been kept under wraps since the initial announcement, and it is unknown whether it will be affected by the layoffs.

More gaming news:

• Jar of Sparks, a AAA studio founded by Halo Infinite's head of design, Jerry Hook, under NetEase, has announced it is pausing development on its first project as it seeks a new publishing partner.

• Sony has confirmed that films based on Horizon Zero Dawn and Helldivers 2 are now in the works.