- Tencent’s Last Sentinel’s development has collapsed after six years, and the studio was hit with 80 layoffs.
- A credible insider says Tencent is not moving forward with the project.
- The studio’s public statement argues the title is being rebooted instead of being canned.
Many gaming behemoths have attempted to create their own takes or rivalries against the GTA IP, but none have succeeded well enough so far. Six years ago, Tencent began work on a groundbreaking open-world cyberpunk action title, but it appears to have gone nowhere.
A new report now reveals that Tencent’s GTA rival, Last Sentinel, has completely collapsed after absorbing hundreds of millions of dollars. Its development has been halted after six years. Additionally, the studio, Lightspeed LA, has been hit with a staggering 80 layoffs.
Why it matters: Tencent’s Last Sentinel aimed to clash head-on with the GTA series, with actor Troy Baker describing it as a middle finger to tropes. However, either the title has been completely shuttered, or it may need another half a decade to be rebooted moving forward.
Credible insider Jason Schreier reports on YouTube that Tencent is no longer moving forward with Last Sentinel. A lot of the team that was working on the ambitious title has either been fired or reassigned to other projects across the conglomerate.
The messaging internally at Lightseed was they’re not moving forward with this project. […] Most of the people who are working on this game have either been laid off or reassigned.
-Insider, Jason Schreier.
However, Tencent’s statement is vague about the game’s future. It argues that Last Sentinel is being rebooted instead of getting outright cancelled, which means it could either still launch at a much smaller scale or its assets could be used in another title from the company.
Possibility one is that they take the assets from what they made with Last Sentinel and put it into put them into another game. […] Option two is that either the game never happens or it’s released in some sort of like lower scope version.
The sources who worked on the title said there was no clear vision, and playtesters called the experience simply not fun to play. So, the widespread internal negative feedback and team management woes appear to have played a major role in the death of Last Sentinel.
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Shameer Sarfaraz has previously worked for eXputer as a Senior News Writer for several years. Now with Tech4Gamers, he loves to devoutly keep up with the latest gaming and entertainment industries. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and years of experience reporting on games. Besides his passion for breaking news stories, Shahmeer loves spending his leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited his articles.
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