The future for Overkill’s The Walking Dead has gone from bad to worse since its release last November, and today things have grown even more grim. Skybound Entertainment, the company co-founded by The Walking Dead’s Robert Kirkman, announced yesterday to IGN that they are pulling their licensing and support from Overkill’s The Walking Dead, published by Starbreeze Studios.
“As of today, we have terminated our contract with Starbreeze Studios and will discontinue all efforts on Overkill’s The Walking Dead. Our creators and their stories are the core of Skybound, and since 2014 we have worked hard to expand the world of The Walking Dead into an exceptional Co-op Action FPS.
We did our best to work with Starbreeze and resolve many issues that we saw with the game, but ultimately Overkill’s The Walking Dead did not meet our standards nor is it the quality that we were promised. We are exceedingly sorry to our fans and share their disappointment in the game. We remain dedicated to providing our fans with the most premium quality content we can offer, and will continue to look for alternative video game options for the IP.”
Early this morning Starbreeze, the beleaguered publisher who is currently run by an interim CEO trying to manage millions of dollars in debt, with a barren lineup, and low studio morale (here’s an insightful read), responded with their own statement on the immediate and long-term future for the title. Acting CEO Mikael Nermark said:
“Skybound, the license holder of OVERKILL’s The Waling Dead, has filed a license related complaint with the main digital distribution platform for the Starbreeze game OVERKILL’s The Walking Dead. As a consequence, the product is expected to be removed from new purchases on Steam within a near future. Starbreeze and Skybound are in discussions about the agreement and Starbreeze is trying to resolve the issue to find an amicable solution with the ambition to finish and deliver season 2 of the game, as previously communicated.
We are deeply sorry for the issues this may cause anyone who has bought the game looking forward to the resolution of Season 2 and are working urgently to attempt to resolve the issue. Please keep an eye on the official OTWD channels for further news.”
This makes for an almost certain end to the unreleased PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of the game that console publisher 505 Games recently confirmed were merely “postponed”. If Starbreeze and Skybound somehow come to an arrangement to move forward these versions may still see a release, but right now it doesn’t seem very likely.
No dates have been announced at this point to add to the Watch List calendar so for now I’ll just keep checking for the game’s removal from Steam and update when the inevitable happens.
Sources:USGamer | IGN | PC Gamer