Eidos Montreal Allegedly Cancels Nearly Complete Game Costing Hundreds of Millions

Key Takeaways

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The cancellation of Eidos Montreals open-world action-adventure game Wildlands, also known as P11, resulted in mass layoffs affecting 124 employees.
Development hurdles for Wildlands included frequent changes in creative direction and the use of multiple graphics engines, which inflated costs and affected other studio projects.
The growing budget for Wildlands is believed to have contributed to the cancellation of a new Deus Ex game scheduled for 2024 and impacted overall team structure.
Despite being in advanced stages, Wildlands was reportedly in debugging with a planned release for late 2026, raising questions about its cancellation. This incident underscores the instability and high-budget title cancellations within the gaming industry, potentially causing uncertainty for Eidos Montreals future.

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Mass layoffs at Eidos Montreal today affected 124 employees following the cancellation of “Wildlands” (internally known as P11), an ambitious project in production since 2019. Insider Gaming reports that the game faced numerous development hurdles, including frequent changes in creative direction and the use of up to four different graphics engines, inflating costs and impacting other studio projects. Sources claim the growing budget for “Wildlands” contributed to the cancellation of a new Deus Ex game in January 2024 and affected overall team structure. Despite these challenges, the action-adventure title was reportedly in advanced stages, already in debugging, with a planned release for late 2026. This raises questions about the cancellation, leading to speculation that Embracer Group, the studio’s parent company, may have lost confidence in the project. “Wildlands” featured an open-world environment and centered on River, a member of the Spiritbounds, a team of teenagers who use magical staffs to fight evil spirits and ride mythical creatures. Redheart, a large, moose-like creature, would have assisted River in navigating the open world.

Insider Gaming first reported on “Wildlands” in December 2025, having received confidential footage, under condition of anonymity, revealing its open-world, third-person perspective. Players would have assumed the role of River, potentially evoking comparisons to the cancelled survival game “WiLD” from Wild Sheet Studio. In January 2026, the website reported Eidos Montreal had scrapped “Wildlands” after seven years and an expenditure of hundreds of millions of dollars. Narrative disagreements and a budget exceeding $100 million reportedly contributed to the cancellation, as well as the subsequent shelving of other projects, such as the new Deus Ex title. Around the same time, Insider Gaming also reported that the layoffs were linked to a secretive AAAA title being developed using Unreal Engine 5. User Timur222 on X allegedly leaked this information. The website claimed to have viewed a video of “Wildlands” under the condition of non-disclosure, describing the game as one where players control River, a member of a group of magically-empowered teenagers who ride fantastic creatures. In Tuesday’s layoff announcement, Eidos Montreal cited changes in project needs, without officially acknowledging “Wildlands” or its fate.

Uncertain Future for Eidos Montreal amid Industry Restructuring and High-Budget Title Cancellations

This situation highlights the instability within the gaming industry, characterized by restructuring and high-budget title cancellations. With another significant disruption to its development pipeline, the future of Eidos Montreal, the studio behind series like Deus Ex and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, remains uncertain.

In Case You Missed It

In our ongoing exploration of the gaming industry’s ups and downs, we invite you to dive into Jonathan Dubinski’s latest piece, “Eidos Montreal Dismisses 124 Employees, Loses Studio Director”, where he delves into the recent organizational restructuring at Eidos Montreal. With 124 employees affected by layoffs and the departure of long-serving studio head David Anfossi, this insightful article explores the reasons behind these changes and the company’s commitment to supporting its impacted employees during this transition Eidos Montreal Dismisses 124 Employees, Loses Studio Director. However, it’s not just one article painting a sobering picture for the gaming industry. Ahmed Hassan’s latest post, “Eidos Montreal Announces Layoff of 124 Employees, Including Studio Head”, also explores this wave of job cuts at the studio behind Tomb Raider and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, providing insights into its impact on employees and the industry as a whole Eidos Montreal Announces Layoff of 124 Employees, Including Studio Head. If you’re eager for more insight into this significant development, Ahmed’s previous piece, “Eidos-Montreal Announces Layoff of Over 100 Employees”, offers a compelling exploration of the studio’s adaptation to market realities and its impact on over 100 employees Eidos-Montreal Announces Layoff of Over 100 Employees.