Warhammer MMO Canceled as NetEase Shuts Down Jackalyptic Games

The long-rumored Warhammer MMO in development at Jackalyptic Games has been officially canceled following the studio’s closure by its parent company, NetEase Games. The confirmation came directly from studio founder Jack Emmert, a veteran of the MMORPG genre best known for his work on City of Heroes, Champions Online, Star Trek Online, and DC Universe Online.

Emmert announced the studio’s shutdown in a LinkedIn post, expressing gratitude for his team and their years of effort while acknowledging that their partnership with NetEase had come to an end.

“After nearly three and a half years working with NetEase Games as a first-party studio, our partnership will be coming to an end,” Emmert wrote. “We appreciate all the support NetEase Games has provided throughout this development process. As we navigate this transition, our talented team members will be exploring new opportunities. If you’re looking for passionate, creative professionals who bring excellence and collaboration to everything they do, please don’t hesitate to reach out.”

The cancellation brings an unfortunate end to a project that had generated significant excitement among fans of both the Warhammer franchise and the MMO genre. Initially revealed in May 2023, Jackalyptic’s title was said to be based on a Warhammer IP, though it was never specified whether it would focus on the fantasy or sci-fi universe. Emmert had previously described the project as an accessible, player-friendly experience that would remain faithful to Games Workshop’s source material—a personal mission for him as a lifelong fan of the franchise.

Jackalyptic Games, originally founded as Jackalope Games in Austin, Texas, was established after Emmert’s previous Marvel MMO project at Dimensional Ink Games was canceled by parent company Enad Global 7. Backed by NetEase, the studio was one of several new Western ventures the Chinese publisher launched to expand its global development portfolio. However, with NetEase now scaling back its overseas operations and shuttering several studios, Jackalyptic has become the latest casualty of the restructuring effort.

The closure marks yet another significant loss for MMO fans in what has been a difficult period for the genre. In recent months, Amazon’s New World was officially discontinued, the Lord of the Rings MMO was shelved once again, and Fantastic Pixel Castle’s ambitious Ghost MMO was quietly abandoned.

For the Warhammer license, this is another missed opportunity to expand into the massively multiplayer space. The last true fantasy Warhammer MMO, Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning, launched in 2008 but was shut down in 2013 after five years of operation. The Warhammer 40,000 universe fared little better, with Eternal Crusade, a third-person MMO shooter by Behaviour Interactive, closing its servers in 2021 due to declining player numbers.

Despite this setback, Warhammer remains one of gaming’s most active and profitable franchises, with numerous titles in ongoing development across genres, including strategy, action, and role-playing games. However, with Jackalyptic’s closure, it appears fans will once again have to wait for a studio willing to take on the challenge of building a true Warhammer MMO.

 
Were you hoping to see a Warhammer MMO return to life, or do you think the franchise works better in smaller-scale strategy and action titles? Share your thoughts below.