Bandai Namco Has Canceled 5 Games
Bandai Namco has revealed that the mega-popular developer has canceled five of its in-development games, reportedly making changes to the company's development structure. As one of gaming's biggest and most iconic developers, Bandai Namco has created a plethora of iconic franchises, as well as publishing multiple high-profile games. Bandai Namco has served as publisher for Elden Ring and Dark Souls developer FromSoftware, as well as a plethora of licensed anime games for franchises like Dragon Ball, Gundam, and Sword Art Online. Now, however, the developer is reportedly shelving several upcoming titles.
While Bandai Namco has seen plenty of success with published games like the previously mentioned Elden Ring and Tales of Arise, many of its anime-based titles have seen mixed reactions. 2023's Naruto x Boruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections saw criticism for its online multiplayer, also facing allegations of using AI for some of its voice acting. The recent Jujutsu Kaisen: Cursed Clash was panned on release, with many fans critiquing the game's combat system and claiming it fails to capitalize on the franchise's popularity. Now, Bandai Namco's recent struggles are leading the company to re-evaluate its upcoming lineup.
As reported by IGN, Bandai Namco has announced the cancelation of five in-development games, with the company looking to re-structure its development process. During its recent earnings report, Bandai Namco revealed the company is changing its in-house method for evaluating its upcoming games, citing the rising cost of game development. The announcement does not directly reveal any of the games that were canceled by Bandai Namco as a part of the company's shift.
Though Bandai Namco announced several cancelations along with the new policies, the developer did confirm several of its upcoming games had not been affected. Bandai Namco is continuing to work on DLC for Elden Ring, with the game's Shadow of the Erdtree expansion expected to launch in 2024. The
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