Citing the change in market dynamics and the extra investment required to complete the game as an MMO, THQ has decided to turn Warhammer 40,000: Dark Millennium into a single-player offering which will also deliver an online multiplayer experience. This refocusing of the game from an MMO has also resulted in a number of THQ employees being laid-off.
Vigil Games, the studio behind 2010’s much successful Darksiders, will be handling the development of the offering. Along with this game, the developer is also working currently on Darksiders 2 which is slated to come out during the summer of this year. The transformation of the new Warhammer 40,000 title has led to team sizes at two THQ internal studios to be reduced. Seventy nine full-time employees at Vigil Games in Texas will be laid-off along with a total of thirty nine at Relic Entertainment in Vancouver, B.C.
“As previously announced, we have been actively looking for a business partner for the game as an MMO,” commented Brian Farrell, President and CEO of THQ. “However, based on changing market dynamics and the additional investment required to complete the game as an MMO, we believe the right direction for us is to shift the title from an MMO to a premium experience with single and multiplayer gameplay, robust digital content and community features. Because we believe strongly in the high-quality and vast creative work that is in production, this is the right decision for both our portfolio and for gamers devoted to this powerful property.”
Warhammer 40,000: Dark Millennium was first announced as an MMO back in 2007. This title was supposed to release exclusively for PC. And now, after its transformation into a single-player game with multiplayer modes, it is unclear as to whether it will still remain a PC offering or will it also be spawned onto consoles.
Further details regarding Warhammer 40,000: Dark Millennium will be released by THQ in the future. We’ll keep fans posted with all the latest news regarding the game.