Summary
According to insider sources, a newRed Factiongame was in development at Fishlabs, but the continued cutbacks, layoffs, and cancelations by parent company Embracer Group have resulted in the game and most of its development team getting canned. The originalRed Factionwas released back in 2001 to massive success, standing out from other FPS games due to its destructible environment. Unfortunately, it seems fans of the series will have to rely on the existing lineup of titles in the franchise, as a potential sequel has reportedly been canceled.
The video game industry saw an onslaught of studio shutdowns and game cancelations in 2023, and those unfortunate trends have continued to bombard companies in 2024. Audiences have remained particularly skeptical and critical of the almost never-endinglayoffs by Embracer Group, and this latest insight into the inner workings of the terminations has once again sparked conversation among consumers.
As reported byRPS, multiple team members under Embracer Group’s Fishlabs have discussed the cancelation of aRed Factionsequel, along with giving details on the conglomerate’s “Project Phoenix.” Followingthe shutdown of Volition, the original studio behind theRed Factionseries, creatives at Fishlabs hesitated to pitch a new entry in the franchise but felt the title was safe from cancelation, thanks to its existing fandom and prominent name. TheRed Factionsequel had a “visual prototype” prepared, though it would seem the title was doomed from the start. According to employees, “Project Phoenix,” the name given to Embracer Group’s “restructuring,” resulted in the termination of half the Fishlabs workforce by November 2023 and the subsequent cancelation of theRed Factionsequel project. Though the game never reached the development stage, fans have been heartbroken to hear of the loss of a promising sequel in a classic series.
Embracer Group Continues To Cancel Games And Shutter Studios
Audiences have continued to question the repeated announcements of studio closures by Embracer Group, with many questioning the necessity and logic of the so-called Project Phoenix. Embracer Group CEO Lars Wingefors has drawn ire from fans with statements about potential price increases to video games, as well as eyebrow-raising remarks about the priority of shareholders over employees. The Swedish conglomerate has spent the past decade buying up studio after studio, only to later lay off thousands of staff and shutter entire developers. With the recent announcement ofEmbracer Group splitting into multiple companies, some have become hopeful that the division of power and finances will result in more sustainable business structures and thus an end to Project Phoenix.
Themajor layoffs in the gaming industryremain a key concern for studios and audiences alike. As more announcements similar to the revelation of a canceledRed Factionsequel continue to reverberate throughout the industry, many are simply holding out in the hope that the rough waters will eventually settle.
Red Faction
WHERE TO PLAY
Lured to Mars by the Ultor Corporation’s promise of a better life, thousands have come to seek their fortune and work for the massive mining company. But all is not as it seems. A deadly plague is sweeping through the barracks, and miners suffer daily abuse at the hands of the Ultor guards. Is a revolution on the horizon?Red Faction revolutionizes gaming with Geo-Mod technology, the ability to completely alter and destroy the environment in real-time. Featuring 5 controllable vehicles, 15 weapons of mass destruction, unparalleled multiplayer action, and a setting on Mars in the midst of a deadly plague and rebellion, Red Faction sets the gold standard in gaming!
