Canceled, Scrapped, Forgotten

Studios poured in time and millions, only to pull the plug. These canceled games were either delayed or sidelined eternally. Yet, they were full-blown creative casualties. Some had trailers, others playable demos, but none will ever hit your console now. Peek behind the curtain at 20 of what might’ve been gaming’s greatest “what-ifs.”

1. Silent Hills (P.T.)

Hideo Kojima and Guillermo del Toro were building something terrifying. After the release of P.T.—a chilling playable teaser—expectations soared. Konami canceled the project in 2015, citing internal shifts. Norman Reedus was set to star, but it ended before full production even began.

2. Star Wars: 1313

Unveiled at E3 2012, this gritty action game followed a young Boba Fett through the criminal underbelly of Coruscant. LucasArts halted development after Disney’s acquisition. The game’s visuals and story had already impressed fans and press alike. Nothing official ever replaced its ambitious vision.

3. Project Ragtag

Visceral Games aimed to deliver a single-player Star Wars adventure directed by Amy Hennig of Uncharted. It centered on a scoundrel crew set during the Galactic Empire’s rule. EA shuttered the studio in 2017, shelving the project despite its cinematic promise and internal excitement.

4. Agent

Rockstar’s Cold War spy thriller was announced as a PlayStation 3 exclusive in 2009. Despite trademark renewals and occasional rumors, it never resurfaced. Development likely shifted elsewhere, but the original concept remains locked in the vault. Rockstar confirmed its cancellation quietly years later.

5. Star Wars: Battlefront III (Free Radical)

Free Radical Design worked on this title in the mid-2000s, with space-to-ground combat that would’ve revolutionized the series. Development reached an advanced stage before being canceled by LucasArts. The cancellation still frustrates longtime fans of the Battlefront franchise.

6. Fable Legends

This fantasy RPG focused on asymmetric multiplayer, with one villain controlling traps while four players cooperated. Developed by Lionhead Studios, it underwent extensive beta testing. Microsoft canceled it in 2016 and closed the studio shortly after. The decision ended the Fable series for years.

7. Sam & Max: Freelance Police

LucasArts canceled this sequel in 2004 despite nearly finishing development. It continued the point-and-click adventures of a canine detective and his psychotic rabbit partner. Fans criticized the move, which followed a shift away from PC titles. Telltale Games later revived the franchise with new installments.

8. Sonic X-Treme

Sega Saturn never received a proper 3D Sonic game, largely because this one fell apart mid-development. Internal studio conflicts and hardware constraints doomed it. Its footage revealed an ambitious level design and a fish-eye camera system. It was a failure that hurt Sega’s standing during the console wars.

9. Gotham By Gaslight

Set in a Victorian-era Gotham, this Batman title reimagined the Dark Knight in a steampunk world. Day 1 Studios developed an early prototype with horse-drawn carriages and gas-lit streets. Sadly, THQ’s collapse and license issues halted the game’s progress.

10. Resident Evil 1.5

Before the world saw Resident Evil 2, Capcom built an earlier version with different characters and settings. Dubbed Resident Evil 1.5 by fans, the game was scrapped late in development. Only partial builds ever surfaced online. Its legacy lives on in mods and retrospectives.

11. Timesplitters 4

Free Radical promised a sharp return to chaotic multiplayer FPS fun, complete with irreverent characters and time-hopping missions. Concept art teased parodies of Halo and Gears of War. However, its development stalled after the studio’s acquisition by Crytek. Despite fan demand, no official version ever made it past pre-production.

12. Primal Rage 2

Midway planned a sequel to its cult dino-versus-god brawler, adding humanoid beings called Avatars. Arcade cabinets were built, but the game never officially launched. Test builds exist in emulator form. Legal troubles and shifting priorities buried it before it hit commercial release.

13. Half-Life 3

Valve’s most whispered project became gaming’s most infamous vaporware. After Half-Life 2: Episode Two ended on a cliffhanger in 2007, fans waited and waited. Internal prototypes reportedly existed, but Valve never confirmed active development. The third entry now lives only in memes and speculation.

14. Doom 4 (2011 Version)

Before the successful 2016 reboot, id Software worked on a grittier, Call of Duty-inspired Doom. Leaked screenshots showed a cinematic, scripted experience, unlike the classic formula. The team scrapped it in favor of faster-paced gameplay. Only remnants of the project can be seen that nearly changed the franchise’s tone.

15. Propeller Arena

Sega’s Dreamcast flight combat game was finished and ready for release in 2001. Concerns over post-9/11 sensitivities led to its sudden cancellation. ISO files later surfaced online. It would have offered online dogfights years before mainstream console multiplayer took off.

16. Black Panther (Cliffhanger Games)

In development at EA’s Cliffhanger Games, this open-world title aimed to spotlight Wakanda’s king in a solo story. The game never reached full production after internal reorganization and strategic cutbacks. Black Panther fans were left with no console adventure to explore his universe.

17. Eternal Champions: The Final Chapter

Sega’s 2D fighter had a loyal fanbase on Genesis, and the sequel was meant to push it onto Saturn. It featured expanded lore and brutal finishers, but Sega had to cancel it amid confusion over the system’s direction and poor market traction. No prototype has surfaced publicly.

18. NBA Elite 11

Developed by EA Canada, this NBA Live replacement was pulled one day before release due to major gameplay bugs. A demo with glitched physics went viral, and the franchise was paused entirely after the fiasco. Soon, sealed physical copies of the PS3 version became collector's items.

19. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Patriots

Announced in 2011, this reboot of the Rainbow Six series tackled domestic terrorism and moral ambiguity. Early trailers showed a more cinematic and provocative style. However, Ubisoft eventually shelved it, shifting focus to the online-focused Rainbow Six Siege.

20. Sunman (NES)

Sunsoft developed this side-scrolling action game, originally a Superman title. Licensing fell through late in development, which forced rebranding, followed by a total cancellation. Prototypes leaked decades later, showing flight mechanics and cape animations. It remains a fascinating footnote in early superhero gaming history.