Remedy cancels multiplayer title Project Kestrel

Remedy Games has been at the top of its game in the gaming world, even if financially, it isn't making the pulls it perhaps should have at this point.

The company has won over critics and fans with the topsy-turvy world of Control intersecting with the ferocious dark horror of Alan Wake's war with The Dark Place, but Alan Wake 2 still hasn't earned back its budget. This leaves concerns that it simply won't by the time its expected DLC packs release.

There's plenty for Remedy fans to look forward to, with remakes of the first two Max Payne games in development - but it looks like one project has slipped off the company's radar.

Remedy Games cancels Project Kestrel

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Following a confident-sounding development update for all of the company's games featuring the mysterious Project Kestrel, Remedy Games has revealed that the game has officially been canned.

The multiplayer game, thought to stand on its own as a fresh IP, had reached the early concept stage before being quashed by Remedy "to focus more on the other games in [the company’s] portfolio."

"Other ongoing game development projects will get experienced developers reassigned from Kestrel. In addition, the planned investment needs for Kestrel are removed and Remedy's overall recruitment needs are reduced," explains the press release from the company.

It's disappointing to some, but great news to others. After all, Remedy's expertise has largely lay in the hands of the single-player game, and though Control is set to receive its own multiplayer spin-off, some are nervous that Remedy could be spinning too many plates with experiments in a new genre and format.

Fans were expecting Project Kestrel to take place in the same shared universe as Alan Wake and Control, but until someone behind the scenes is sneaky enough to leak some of that all-important concept art, we simply don't know.

It's sad to see that a new game from the company has found its way to the bin, but at least its devs have a new directive now. All signs point towards Control 2 being a barnstormer, and we're willing to place our bets on a game that shakes the industry all over again.