M2 has officially canceled Ubusuna, the long-awaited shoot ’em up project associated with Hiroshi Iuchi, the creator best known for Ikaruga. The game was first announced in 2014 and had remained one of the most quietly anticipated titles among fans of classic arcade-style shooting games.
For years, Ubusuna carried a sense of mystery. After its original reveal, updates were rare, with one of the last notable glimpses arriving in 2022, when new artwork and related material gave fans hope that development was still moving forward. Now, after more than a decade of waiting, M2 has confirmed that the project will no longer continue under the company.
According to M2, development had been led by Hiroshi Iuchi within the studio. However, due to various circumstances, Iuchi submitted his resignation, and both sides reached a mutual agreement regarding his departure. M2 explained that it explored possible ways to keep Ubusuna alive after he left, but ultimately determined that completing the game without him would be extremely difficult.
Because of the unique creative nature of Ubusuna, M2 concluded that it could not finish the title in its current form. As a result, the company made the difficult decision to discontinue development.
M2 offered a sincere apology to everyone who supported the project over the years, including fans in Japan and around the world, external creators who contributed to the game, and others who helped promote or follow its progress. The company acknowledged that many people had waited patiently since the announcement and expressed regret for being unable to deliver the finished game.
Following the cancellation decision, M2 also made the “UBUSUNA SOUNDTRACK-EP-” video private on its official YouTube channel. The company apologized to those who had enjoyed the video and expressed its regret once again.
However, there may still be a small measure of hope for fans. M2 clarified that Hiroshi Iuchi has not necessarily given up on completing Ubusuna. While the game will not continue development at M2, the company suggested that if the right opportunity appears in the future, the project could possibly return in a different form outside the studio.
M2 also asked fans and online communities to avoid spreading speculation, insults, or defamatory comments related to the cancellation. The company noted that the situation has already caused emotional and physical stress for people involved with Ubusuna, as well as M2 employees. It urged the public to respect the privacy and well-being of everyone connected to the project.
The cancellation of Ubusuna marks the end of a long and uncertain chapter for one of the most intriguing unreleased shoot ’em up games of the past decade. While its future remains unclear, the possibility that Hiroshi Iuchi may one day revive the concept gives fans at least a small reason to keep watching.
