Amazon Game Studios takes a chance, makes a change, cancels ‘Breakaway’

Back in 2016, Amazonannounced a trio of new gamesbuilt with Twitch streaming in mind, including the MMONew Worldand the asymmetric multiplayer gameCrucible.The third of these,Breakaway, was supposed to be a four-on-four “esport brawler” focused on building structures. It sounded quite ambitious, but development issues have forced Amazon to cancel the project.

“While we have developed many ideas and made a lot of progress, we are also setting a very high bar for ourselves,” theBreakawayteam said in a post on the game’sReddit page. “In spite of our efforts, we didn’t achieve the breakthrough that made the game what we all hopes it could be. After a lot of soul-searching, the team decided to focus on new ideas. As a result,Breakawayis no longer in active development.”

Previously, Amazon admitted it needed to work onBreakaway‘s “core gameplay,” after itwas reportedthat the game was entering a period of indefinite hiatus. It would have certainly been entering a crowded MOBA and “hero” genre, with well-established competition likeOverwatchandPaladinsalready attracting millions of players.

Footage ofBreakawaywas streamed live back in 2016, showing off its chaotic and melee-focused combat. Characters worked together to move a large orb across the battlefield, almost like the “Grifball” mode featured in the Halo series. Though exciting to watch, it perhaps had too many moving parts to attract a more casual audience.

Though it appearsBreakawayis dead, the studio said in the update that a “thunderbolt of inspiration” could still lead to its revival. In the meantime, bothNew WorldandCrucibleare still in development.

Breakawaywas being developed at Amazon Game Studios Orange County, previously known as Double Helix Games. Prior to its acquisition by Amazon, the studio had worked on theKiller Instinctreboot for Microsoft as well as Capcom’sStrider. It itself emerged from the ashes ofShiny Entertainment, the studio responsible forEarthworm JimandEnter the Matrix.

With Amazon Game Studios Orange County’s experience working on fighting games, we’d love to see the studio try its hand at one with Twitch integration built into its gameplay.