Eidos Montreal has reportedly gone through another round of layoffs, citing “changing project needs,” with 124 employees impacted. New reporting suggests these cuts are tied to the cancellation of a major, long-running game project that had been in the works for years and had already accumulated a budget in the nine-figure range.
According to a report citing sources familiar with the situation, the cancelled project—said to have been known internally as “Wildlands”—had been in development since 2019. Over that time, the game reportedly shifted direction repeatedly, including moving through four different game engines. Sources claim the team struggled to lock down a clear narrative vision, and costs continued to climb as development progressed.
The spending reportedly passed $100 million, with ripple effects across the studio. The report claims the ballooning budget contributed to other projects being shelved as well, including a new entry in the Deus Ex franchise—frustrating news for fans who have been waiting years to see what comes next for the series.
What makes the situation even more surprising is how far along the cancelled game allegedly was. Sources say it was nearing completion and was even targeting a release later this year. At the time it was shut down, it was reportedly in the debugging phase—typically one of the final stretches of development, when studios focus on fixing issues, improving performance, and polishing content for launch.
Details about “Wildlands” paint a picture of a large-scale open-world third-person action-adventure. Reportedly, footage showed a game with visual and structural similarities to another previously cancelled project, WiLD (from Wild Sheep Studio). The story was said to follow a character named River, part of a teenage group called the Spiritbounds. The group allegedly could use magic and ride mythical creatures, suggesting a fantasy-driven world built around exploration, traversal, and supernatural abilities.
The report notes that the footage cannot be shared publicly because the source wants to keep it from circulating. For now, that leaves audiences with only these described details—and the broader impact of the cancellation on the team and the studio’s future direction.
With big-budget games taking longer and costing more to build, the reported cancellation of a nearly finished, $100 million-plus title highlights the harsh reality of modern game development: even projects deep into production can be stopped if priorities shift, costs spike, or creative direction fails to solidify in time. As Eidos Montreal recalibrates after another round of layoffs, many will be watching closely to see what projects remain—and whether any beloved franchises return after these setbacks.
