CCP is going "back to the drawing board" on long-awaited EVE Online shooter Project Nova
Current game "does not live up to our original vision".
EVE Online developer CCP Games has announced that work on its EVE-themed multiplayer shooter Project Nova will cease in its current form. Instead, CCP will now "take a step back and return to the drawing board".
Project Nova was first announced in 2016, as a spiritual successor to CCP's long-defunct PlayStation 3 free-to-play shooter Dust 514. News on the game, which was being co-developed by Sumo Digital, remained sparse until earlier this year.
In October, CCP finally shared some solid information on Project Nova, revealing that the sci-fi shooter would combine "tactical co-op PvE and explosive PvP modes, with a strong emphasis on mastery and strategy". It also unveiled a new teaser trailer, released first gameplay footage, and opened registration for an invite-only alpha to be held in November.
Now, with November almost over and nary a word spoken about Project Nova's alpha, CCP has finally broken cover to discuss the game's progress in a new statement.
"Over the course of Project Nova's development," it wrote, "we conducted a number of player research sessions with external partners, tirelessly playtested the game internally and brought community stalwarts in to help us evaluate the project." As a result of this feedback, CCP says it now sees "that the gameplay experience in its current form does not live up to our original vision and would not achieve our ambitious goals for this project."
Work on Project Nova, as it currently stands, has therefore ceased, and CCP will "take a step back and return to the drawing board, where we will spend more time figuring out how all this hard work can translate into something better and more meaningful for the EVE Universe." Unsurprisingly, this means that the Project Nova alpha will no longer take place.
"Project Nova continues to evolve and we remain committed to delivering a high-quality team-based shooter experience to EVE Online fans, while exploring new and exciting opportunities to integrate the two games," CCP concluded.