World of Darkness MMO axed by CCP Games

The perennially ailing World of Darkness MMO, in development since at least 2009, has been cancelled by CCP Games. Signs haven’t looked great for the game as far back as October 2011, when large portions of the team working on it were laid off. At that point, CCP assured everybody that the project was still safe.

Another 15 members of staff were laid off last December. “CCP remains committed to the franchise and our promise to make a compelling, rich and deep World of Darkness experience,” was the line at the time.

Unfortunately, time has now run out for the game. In a press release statement, CCP Games confirmed that it has laid off 56 people from the Atlanta Studio where the World of Darkness MMO was being developed and cancelled the long-running project outright.

“The decision to end the World of Darkness MMO project is one of the hardest I’ve ever had to make. I have always loved and valued the idea of a sandbox experience set in that universe, and over the years I’ve watched the team passionately strive to make that possible,” says CEO Hilmar Petursson.

Development on the game always appeared to be rather ponderous, with snippets appearing periodically at White Wolf Conventions and EVE-related events but little else relating to the title being offered for public consumption.

CCP Games is now likely to remain focused on maintaining EVE Online, the free-to-play shooter Dust 514 and their upcoming EVE Valkyrie space dogfighting title. According to their community manager, they still consider the World of Darkness IP “very valuable.”

Hopefully this isn’t the last we see of the Vampire: The Masquerade license in videogames. Bloodlines remains one of the all-time great RPGs. Let’s remember the MMO with some cloth physics and hair tossing from 2010.