In-development MMOs are not having a good time. Following Microsoft’s cancellation of Elder Scrolls Online’s successor Project Blackbird and the end of development for Amazon’s Lord of the Rings MMO, NetEase’s unannounced Warhammer MMO has been kicked to the curb.

Previously in development at Jackalyptic Games, a first-party studio under Chinese gaming giant NetEase, the game was helmed by legendary MMO designer Jack Emmert, who worked on City of Heroes, City of Villains, Star Trek Online and DC Universe Online.

Last week, NetEase shut down the entirety of Jackalytic Games, cancelling its unannounced Warhammer MMO that was in development since May 2022. Very little was known about the unfinished game, with Jackalytpic not even confirming whether it was a 40K title or a Warhammer Fantasy game, but those who worked on the title believed it to be something special.

“The last 2 1/2 years have easily been the most informative of my entire career, and it’s in no small part because of the insane talent every one of my colleagues exhibited,” posted senior UI engineer Joseph Sierejko. “I’m going to miss working with the team, and my only real regret is that no one will get to see the amazing work everyone’s done over the course of the project.”

Ben Dahl, the game’s in-house composer, explained that the game’s “two-person audio team” spent years working on the game’s sound design, cinematics music composition and more, saying: “Honestly, devastated doesn’t even begin to cover it.”

Art director Nick Barone, who previously worked on Amazon’s beloved-but-now-shutting MMO New World, said the team at Jackalyptic Games was “easily the most talented group” that ever worked with. Jonathan Rucker, the game’s engine and systems engineer, told followers that the studio was “a great team working on a great game, one of the best I’ve worked with”.

As with any game that’s killed before it’s time, lead UI artist Will Austin explains that the Warhammer MMO is still under a strict NDA despite NetEase’s decision to pull the plug. With Warhammer games now bigger than ever—to the point where Games Workshop is actively looking for more video games based on the property—it’s a crying shame that the team’s hard work won’t ever see the light of day.

Jackalyptic Games isn’t the only studio that’s been razed by NetEase’s recent business decisions. In the past year, the gaming giant has closed five Western studios, including former Halo lead Jerry Hook’s Jar of Sparks, ex-BioWare veteran Mark Walters’ Worlds Untold, and former Watch Dog lead Sean Crooks’ Bad Brain Studios.

NetEase is also the company behind the free-to-play game Marvel Rivals, which has lost over 85% of its PC playerbase since the game’s launch last year. The company also owns games such as Diablo Immortal, Eve Echoes and more.