Support NeoGAF

[LectureMaster]

EXCLUSIVE - Sniper Elite's Battle Royale Game Has Been Canceled as Tencent Pulls Funding

Just a few months after its announcement, Rebellion has canceled its Sniper Elite Battle Royale game, Archipelago.

insider-gaming.com

---

Just a few months after its announcement, Rebellion has canceled its Sniper Elite Battle Royale game, Archipelago.

First announced in August 2024, Project Archipelago, internally known as Sniper Island, was a team-based multiplayer Battle Royale in which teams of three battled it out to be the last to survive. The game had its last Alpha playtests in mid-August 2024.

Insider Gaming understands that the game was canceled because Tencent decided not to continue funding the project. While we’ve not been able to pinpoint the exact reason, Rebellion higher-ups implied in meetings with staff that funding was pulled due to the disastrous launch of Firewalk Studios’ Concord, which caused Tencent to get skittish about some of its projects.

Archipelago’s announcement didn’t necessarily go down well with Sniper Elite fans, either. Its reveal was criticized on the official Rebellion YouTube channel, with fans confused over Rebellion’s decision to move from single-player games to a Battle Royale.

It’s understood that despite the game’s cancellation, no one’s employment was affected, with staff being moved to other projects, including Sniper Elite: Resistance, its next mainline Sniper Elite game.

Insider Gaming asked Rebellion to comment before publication, but they declined to comment.

---

 

[LectureMaster]

Nobody got laid off, they move back to singlen player games. Probably the best legacy Concord has ever left to the world.

 

[realcool]

 

[Dirk Benedict]

Concord has publishers shook AF, LOL.

 

[Varteras]

LMFAO Game failed so bad other games are getting canceled! My god this is like getting a blowjob while eating cake. Fucking magical

 

[March Climber]

If Concord's death could save other studios from the meat grinder of live service > loss of money > game death > layoffs... then what Sony did in the end was worth it.

 

[Generic]

Sad, a battle-royale game focused on snipers could've been great.

 

[March Climber]

Sad, a battle-royale game focused on snipers could've been great.

No need to spend millions when you can make a mode like this in Fortnite.

 

[bender]

Someone call in a wellness check for Men_in_Boxes .

 

[FunkMiller]

God bless Concord and everyone who worked on it.

 

[pasterpl]

Concord effect? Less shit GaaS is better.

 

[ArtHands]

Goes to show how influential Concord is.

 

[adamsapple]

Hopefully the upcoming single player Sniper Elite game in January wasn't shortchanged in terms of content or dev-time in favor of this, before this cancellation announcement.

I love these games.

 

[wipeout364]

I think there is an interesting idea there but battle royale is too hard to break into. I think there may be a multiplayer head to head game that could be developed similar to enemy territory. The sniper elite universe would be a good theme for that type of game.

 

[Winkle]

Why not put the game mode into the release of SE resistance and see how well it goes there?

 

[Roman Empire]

Holy hell Concord became a cautionary tale on live service games HAHAHA

 

[Majukun]

I don't play battle royales but a battle between snipers sounded interesting and different enough....also very nigtmarish to design well though

 

[Gojiira]

Not gonna mock Concord, theres been plenty of worse games with even worse messaging and gameplay that deserved the cancellation way more, like Dustborn. BUT its good to see that its become a cautionary tale

 

[TheKratos]

Concord was a heroic sacrifice.

 

[GHG]

This is the greatest possible outcome.

Hopefully all the trend chasing GAAS slop that was in development has been halted and we can get back to normal.

 

[Men_in_Boxes]

Someone call in a wellness check for Men_in_Boxes .

 

[Big Baller]

What could go wrong with Nazi battle royale

 

[cormack12]

The invasion game mode was actually not bad but that's not why people play these games. Rebellion have a good solid audience for ZA ans SE and they're launching a new IP in March.

This would be a stupid risk in the current climate, and potentially destroy the part of their core business.

 

[Mayar]

Awesome game, gone now, but still revitalizing the industry. And they said Concorde was useless

 

[winjer]

The world is healing.

 

[Gen.Grievous]

You just need one live service hit and you make a concord in profits every quarter. Still worth it for a lot of businesses.

 

[lockdown2222]

It’s the gift that keeps on giving.

 

[Barakov]

 

[Radical_3d]

Nature is healing.

 

[MayauMiao]

What has Tencent and this game has to do anything with Concord?

 

[TheGodfather07]

Can't wait until the industry move away from this garbage and go back to real gaming of the past. Sick of this casual multiplayer live service garbage. Go back to what this industry is built on.

 

[Bernardougf]

Another GAAS bite the dust....

 

[TommyCronin6969]

What has Tencent and this game has to do anything with Concord?

 

[Hookshot]

How can you have a Sniper battle royale? Whoever lands in the center and doesn't need to move would win each match.

 

[BlackTron]

Mr. Boxes was just too before his time. He'll have to count on Mr. Boxes Jr. to keep the dream alive and witness the outcome of his vision.

 

[BlackTron]

How can you have a Sniper battle royale? Whoever lands in the center and doesn't need to move would win each match.

You sure about that? If you land in the center, you're 1v1ing the guy you're aiming at for a second, with a dozen other guys in your blind spots who only need one second.

 

[Hookshot]

You sure about that? If you land in the center, you're 1v1ing the guy you're aiming at for a second, with a dozen other guys in your blind spots who only need one second.

I assumed snipers would have the sense to hide. But everyone else would be forced to move from their hiding places at some stage and get sniped as the zone got smaller. Eventually the last person would have to come looking for them and get shot.

 

[BlackTron]

I assumed snipers would have the sense to hide. But everyone else would be forced to move from their hiding places at some stage and get sniped as the zone got smaller. Eventually the last person would have to come looking for them and get shot.

This is true, but yeah better hide quick. Having 360 degrees of liability in a sniper situation is quite frosty.

 

[cormack12]

I assumed snipers would have the sense to hide. But everyone else would be forced to move from their hiding places at some stage and get sniped as the zone got smaller. Eventually the last person would have to come looking for them and get shot.

They would probably implement some ideas from the invasion mode, the phones for sure:

Invasion Mode will enable some unique skills for both players. The Axis invader can use of the AI Axis forces to help locate the Allied player. Tagging an Axis soldier will enable ‘Eagle Eyes’ which means that if that soldier spots the Allied Sniper then their last known location will be displayed on the map. The Axis Sniper can also instruct nearby soldiers to ‘Stay Sharp’, increasing their awareness. For the Allied Sniper, each level has invasion phones scattered around the map which the player can use to discover the last known location of their opponent. But beware, as not only can these phones be booby trapped, but overuse will raise suspicions and reveal the player’s location.

 

[Fake]

No way this wasn't the biggest fail of gaming history.

 

[Saber]

And people still want to not talk about Concord anymore lol
This game left a mark in the gaming industry. Its gonna be talked through ages, may you like it or not.

 

[Holammer]

What has Tencent and this game has to do anything with Concord?

Games don't exist in a vacuum. Publishers keep tabs on current trends and try to cash in on them.
Just like Vampire Survivors or Suika got super popular and spawned 100s of clones.

Battle Royale is likely trending downwards and considered to be in a slump with too much competition. If FairGame$ and Marathon fail we might see similar cancellation in the Extraction genre.
IMO, Sony should save themselves the trouble and shitcan FairGame$ now.

 

[StereoVsn]

EXCLUSIVE - Sniper Elite's Battle Royale Game Has Been Canceled as Tencent Pulls Funding

Just a few months after its announcement, Rebellion has canceled its Sniper Elite Battle Royale game, Archipelago.

insider-gaming.com

---

Just a few months after its announcement, Rebellion has canceled its Sniper Elite Battle Royale game, Archipelago.

First announced in August 2024, Project Archipelago, internally known as Sniper Island, was a team-based multiplayer Battle Royale in which teams of three battled it out to be the last to survive. The game had its last Alpha playtests in mid-August 2024.

Insider Gaming understands that the game was canceled because Tencent decided not to continue funding the project. While we’ve not been able to pinpoint the exact reason, Rebellion higher-ups implied in meetings with staff that funding was pulled due to the disastrous launch of Firewalk Studios’ Concord, which caused Tencent to get skittish about some of its projects.

Archipelago’s announcement didn’t necessarily go down well with Sniper Elite fans, either. Its reveal was criticized on the official Rebellion YouTube channel, with fans confused over Rebellion’s decision to move from single-player games to a Battle Royale.

It’s understood that despite the game’s cancellation, no one’s employment was affected, with staff being moved to other projects, including Sniper Elite: Resistance, its next mainline Sniper Elite game.

Insider Gaming asked Rebellion to comment before publication, but they declined to comment.

---

“It’s understood that despite the game’s cancellation, no one’s employment was affected, with staff being moved to other projects, including Sniper Elite: Resistance, its next mainline Sniper Elite game.”

This is a good way to approach this situation. Keep the team members and get them working on next games vs during the entire studio.

Even with Concord, Sony could have fired the managers, writers and some of the designers while keeping actual programmers and technical staff.

 

[Rudius]

Nobody got laid

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

men in boxes

 

[intbal]

Sad, a battle-royale game focused on snipers could've been great.

Hello, friend.
I see you've never played PUBG...

 

[Men_in_Boxes]

BTW, this story is almost certainly bogus.

An expensive arena shooter failing isn't the cause a low budget, sniping based, Battle Royale got cancelled. Those two game types are too different. It likely just wasn't testing well. Project cancellations happen all the time.

However, that wouldn't make headlines. Attach "bEcAuSe CoNcOrD dErP" to the story and it gets 10x the clickrate. Chumming the waters is too easy.

 

[Grildon Tundy]

With Multiplayer GaaS, your target audience is already entrenched in whatever GaaS they're already playing. Inertia and peer pressure is strong, and it's tough to get people to migrate. Seems like a fool's errand to try, especially now that we've seen example after example fail.

I'd rather companies take chances in other ways, like doing big-budget versions of unique indie games. There isn't a AAA Noita, Teardown, or Vampire Survivors, for example, and those seem like mass-market niches ready to be filled.

 

[Calverz]

Concord, the gift that keeps on giving.

 

[Hawk The Slayer]

Good.