Sega’s recently canceled online extraction shooter, Hyenas, has been revealed as the company’s most expensive game production ever, surpassing the cost of its iconic adventure game Shenmue. Developed by Creative Assembly, known for Total War and Alien: Isolation, Hyenas was described as a sci-fi space piracy multiplayer FPS, where teams of players competed against each other and NPCs to steal valuable items and pop culture artifacts. However, just 17 days after the most recent beta, Sega announced the cancellation of Hyenas. Developers involved in the project attributed its failure to a lack of direction, leadership issues, and an engine change that caused significant difficulties.
According to an insider report backed by a YouTuber with knowledge of Creative Assembly, Hyenas was greenlit by the studio’s management to create a console shooter with broad appeal, inspired by games like Destiny and PUBG. However, the project suffered from a total lack of direction and leadership, with an engine change during development further hampering progress. The report suggests that Sega had high hopes and allocated a significant budget for Hyenas, making it their “biggest budget game ever.” Towards the end of development, Sega Japan personnel were constantly present at the UK office, which was an unusual move for the company.
Initially planned as a premium title, Hyenas ultimately transitioned to a free-to-play model. However, the cancellation came after Sega expressed dissatisfaction with the game’s expensive development and slow progress. This cancellation deals a blow to Sega’s “Super Games” initiative, which aimed to create high-budget, high-profile titles aligned with their five-year plan. Sega has yet to provide more information regarding the cancellation of Hyenas.
