Bloomberg reports that the crime action game Gang of Dragon could ultimately be canceled. According to the outlet, publisher NetEase is considering ending financial support for the project. The decision appears to be part of a broader shift in the company’s strategy, as NetEase has recently started scaling back investments in several expensive AAA titles. The restructuring could also affect Nagoshi Studio, the team currently developing Gang of Dragon.
Sources cited by Bloomberg say that employees have already been informed about the publisher’s plans. Funding is expected to stop around May. This would leave the development team with limited time to search for a new publishing partner, though the chances of such a deal remain unclear for now.
Reports indicate that completing Gang of Dragon would require roughly 44 million dollars more in funding. This amount is believed to be one of the key reasons NetEase may choose to withdraw from the project. At the same time, the publisher reportedly would not block Nagoshi Studio if the team decided to continue development independently. However, in that scenario the developers would likely need to reimburse the publisher for the money already spent on production.
Gang of Dragon was first revealed late last year during The Game Awards ceremony. The main character in the game is portrayed by actor Ma Dong Seok, known for his role in the film «Train to Busan». The project itself appeared to build on ideas similar to those seen in the Yakuza series.
Based on the gameplay footage shown earlier, the developers planned to place greater emphasis on firearms and even vehicle mechanics. However, the project now faces the possibility of never reaching release.
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