Oof.
The Unknown 9 franchise has been cancelled by Reflector and Bandai Namco following the poor performance of 2024’s Unknown 9 Awakening.
“Today, I informed our teams that I made the decision to not greenlight further work on a future project that was in conceptualization phase and thus terminating this development line,” Reflector CEO Herve Hoerdt said in a statement on LinkedIn.
“This decision correlates directly with the failure of the studio’s ambitious and courageous first project,” Hoerdt said in reference to Unknown 9 Awakening, “a new IP with a rich transmedia universe. The performance of the release didn’t come near the company expectations, after numerous timeline adjustments and investments, both financially and other, and didn’t warrant any further exploration in this universe.”
Hoerdt said that the franchise’s cancellation would equal job losses, though some staff “where possible… will be assigned to [a new] project, based on an existing Bandai Namco IP, which is shaping up very well.”
The Unknown 9 franchise was admittedly rather ambitious, rolled out through novels, comics, a podcast, and a video game.
I was relatively complimentary of Awakening in Stevivor’s review, saying it made “me feel like I’m playing something from the late 90s or early 2000s”.
“All up, Unknown 9 Awakening is a competent title with some outdated and flawed designs, but with a larger universe and lore that is undeniably compelling,” I added. “It’s well worth dealing with the rough edges if that idea excites you (especially at its reduced price tag!).”
Unknown 9 Awakening is available on Windows PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, PS4, and PS5, priced at $69.95 AUD.
 |
Unknown 9 Awakening18 October 2024PC PS4 PS5 Xbox One Xbox Series S & X
|
This article may contain affiliate links, meaning we could earn a small commission if you click-through and make a purchase. Stevivor is an independent outlet and our journalism is in no way influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative.
