Visceral Games, the studio behind Dead Space and Dante's Inferno, has officially been shut down, EA has announced. The publisher added that people from the Visceral Games team will be integrated into other EA projects.
Notably, the Star Wars game being developed at the now-defunct studio is being delayed.
"In its current form, it was shaping up to be a story-based, linear adventure game," explained EA's Patrick Söderlund. "Throughout the development process, we have been testing the game concept with players, listening to the feedback about what and how they want to play, and closely tracking fundamental shifts in the marketplace."
Söderlund goes on to concede that the publisher wants to take the game in a different direction, one that "players will want to come back to and enjoy for a long time to come."
The fact that EA didn't like the linear nature of the Star Wars game is a pretty big admission from Söderlund because of who was directing the game: Amy Hennig. Hennig had joined Visceral Games after working on the Uncharted series with Naughty Dog. It's unclear if she will have any input on the game as it pivots toward a new direction.
"We will maintain the stunning visual authenticity in the Star Wars universe, and focus on bringing a Star Wars story to life," Söderlund said. "Importantly, we are shifting the game to be a broader experience that allows for more variety and player agency, leaning into the capabilities of our Frostbite engine and reimagining central elements of the game to give players a Star Wars adventure of greater depth and breadth to explore."
The untitled Star Wars game was originally expected to launch in EA's late fiscal year 2019, but the publisher is now looking at a "new timeframe."
