Cost-Cutting Continues: Ubisoft Cancels Three-Year Project "Alterra"
According to gaming industry media InsiderGaming, Ubisoft has officially cancelled the development of "Alterra," a heartwarming and healing-style game that had not yet been publicly announced. The news was leaked by an Ubisoft insider, with the team receiving notice of the project's cancellation on the morning of April 21st and subsequently being reassigned. This cancellation did not result in layoffs, as original "Alterra" team members will be reassigned to other development projects.
Following the announcement, IGN published a statement from an Ubisoft official spokesperson.
The statement said that as part of the company's project portfolio management strategy and creative studio-led development model, Ubisoft will continuously assess projects at various stages of development to ensure they align with strategic priorities, quality expectations, and long-term market potential.
Projects that no longer meet these expectations may be terminated.
This project cancellation is one of a series of cost-cutting and efficiency-enhancing decisions made by Ubisoft. In March of this year, Ubisoft conducted a round of layoffs, resulting in 105 employees losing their jobs.
"Alterra" drew inspiration from "Animal Crossing" and "Minecraft," focusing on social, building, and gathering gameplay. Players could explore different ecological areas, collect resources and creatures.
The creative director was Patrick Redding, who previously worked on the "Splinter Cell: Blacklist" and "Far Cry" series. The project is said to have been in development for approximately three years.