Games

Mobile Games Gone Dark – Titles that never saw light

BBG News

There’s nothing surprising about the constant stream of new mobile games hitting the market every day, but the sheer number makes it incredibly challenging to keep tabs on each and every launch. However, amidst this deluge, some mobile games generate a lot of buzz through trailers, betas, and early previews, only to vanish without a trace. Here’s a peek at some mobile games that, for one reason or another, have slipped off the radar and are yet to be heard from again.

Path of Exile Mobile

  • Publisher: Grinding Gear Games
  • Genre: Role Playing

Back in November 2019, Grinding Gear Games disclosed plans to adapt their popular Free-to-Play Action RPG, Path of Exile, for mobile devices. As stated by the studio, the game will shun common trends like microtransactions and pay-to-win features. Developed by the same team responsible for the console versions, the developers stress that the mobile version will be optimized for smartphone screens and shorter gaming sessions in mind. At present, there is no confirmed release date for Path of Exile Mobile.

Spyjinx

  • Publisher: Epic Games
  • Genre: Role-Playing, Strategy

2020 saw the unveiling of an exciting game called Spyjinx, developed by Bad Robot Games in partnership with Epic Games. The sneak-peek trailer generated quite a buzz, but unfortunately, it seems like the project has been put on hold ever since. As we approach five years since its announcement, I can’t help but wonder if the developers themselves have forgotten about Spyjinx.

The Ragnarok

  • Publisher: NetEase Games
  • Genre: MMORPG

Should Gravity’s Ragnarok have been announced, I wouldn’t have given it a second glance. However, when NetEase Games unveiled their AAA open-world MMORPG, Project Ragnarok, my interest was piqued. Since its announcement in 2020, there hasn’t been any news about the release date. It’s intriguing to speculate on how NetEase, known for large-scale MMOs, will deliver an AAA experience on mobile platforms. Unfortunately, it seems we might never get to witness this.

King of Hunters

  • Publisher: NetEase Games
  • Genre: MOBA, Open World

2018 saw a NetEase Games announcement in Japan regarding their upcoming game, King of Hunters. This game was planned to be a fusion of Battle Royale and MOBA genres, providing an expansive open-world environment where players could choose professions, select weapons, and engage in fierce battles for supremacy. Despite multiple closed beta tests, NetEase Games failed to provide a specific launch date. The intriguing multi-layered open world of King of Hunters held promise, but it seems unlikely that the game will ever be released.

Code-T

  • Publisher: NetEase Games
  • Genre: Cyberpunk

A NetEase-produced mobile game with a cyberpunk theme, Code-T, initially promised an immersive bounty hunter adventure set amidst a lawless neon metropolis. The initial trailer was captivating, but beyond the atmosphere, there wasn’t much substance. Unfortunately, since its first announcement, Code-T appears to have disappeared without a trace – no further updates, beta tests, or signs of development. It seems as though this project may have been one of those ideas that sounded exciting during brainstorming sessions and then quietly vanished.

H1Z1 Mobile

  • Publisher: Daybreak Game Company
  • Genre: Battle Royale

At one time, H1Z1 was a prominent figure in the Battle Royale genre, and many anticipated a mobile adaptation. Daybreak Game Company had even teamed up with NantWorks for this purpose. However, after NantWorks withdrew, the project disintegrated. Given that H1Z1 is finding it difficult to maintain its relevance on PC and PS4, speculating about a mobile version at this point seems optimistic. In essence, it’s fair to conclude that H1Z1 Mobile is unlikely to materialize.

Pitch Clash

  • Publisher: KONAMI
  • Genre: Sports

As an ardent enthusiast of eFootball, I was genuinely thrilled when KONAMI unveiled the upcoming mobile football game – Pitch Clash. The anticipation soared as they announced its early access release on Android. A few lucky players got to test it out, but then, suddenly, it vanished – much like a striker who promised 30 goals in a season yet never stepped onto the pitch. Considering Konami’s past history of quietly shelving projects, I suspect this game may have been benched for good. Interestingly enough, my review of this game remains in draft form.

Vive Le Football

  • Publisher: NetEase
  • Genre: Sports

You may be familiar with this mobile football game, as some players call it “Green Faith” in China, but it’s been a while since international news revealed its existence. Known as “Vive Le Football”, this game brought fresh elements to the mobile football genre back in 2021, although many didn’t get to experience them. Unfortunately, there’s been no indication of a global release for the game since then, and I can’t help but feel that it may not be coming out anytime soon.

Splitgate

  • Publisher: 1047 Games
  • Genre: Action

1047 Games’ suggestion of a mobile version for the game Splitgate sparked excitement, as who wouldn’t be thrilled about playing a Halo-style FPS with portals on their smartphone? However, since 1047 Games has shifted focus to new ventures, it seems this idea was more of a potential future prospect rather than an imminent reality. If you’re still holding out for Splitgate Mobile, perhaps dreaming about Half-Life 3 might not be such a far-fetched hope as well.

Fading City

  • Publisher: NetEase Games
  • Genre: Action, Strategy

Fading City, initially introduced as an open-world survival game developed by NetEase Games and ACE Studios, seemed promising at first glance. Powered by Unreal Engine 4, despite UE5’s availability, it proposed a desolate cityscape where players would battle for survival following a catastrophic event. After the launch of a closed beta test, however, updates ceased, there was no official release, and the game has essentially vanished – quite fittingly embodying its own name.

King’s Chess

  • Publisher: Level Infinite
  • Genre: Strategy

As a passionate gamer, I was thrilled when TiMi Studios and Tencent Games announced King’s Chess, an auto-chess spin-off of Honor of Kings. It seemed like a surefire hit, but the excitement quickly faded as there’s been no significant update since its announcement, leaving us fans in suspense. We can’t help but wonder if this project is still under development or if it’s just another instance of Tencent unveiling a game and then seemingly abandoning it.

Codename CrossFire 0 (CF0)

  • Publisher: Tencent Games
  • Genre: Action

A game called Codename CF0 from TiMi Y3 Studio under Tencent Games was announced with much fanfare, particularly appealing to mobile gamers. However, since its initial reveal, there has been no further information about the game, such as gameplay details or testing phases. All we have is a name and a trailer that seems to be collecting digital dust. Given Tencent’s track record of launching numerous projects and then abandoning some of them, it’s possible that this game may have already been scrapped before it even had a chance to officially start.

Dragon Sword (Project D)

  • Publisher: Hound 13
  • Genre: Action, RPG

Dog-13 made quite a buzz when they unveiled Dragon Sword (Project D), an open-world RPG reminiscent of Genshin Impact. Initially slated for release on both PC and mobile platforms, the initial glimpses were enticing. However, following the initial fervor, there was a lull – no more updates, no beta testing phases, merely another promising RPG that seems to be perpetually in development.

Project ME

  • Publisher: Nuverse
  • Genre: RPG

Project ME, an open-world RPG being developed by Panthea Games, was recently unveiled by Nuverse. However, not much information is available beyond a teaser trailer. The game appears to offer intriguing world-building elements, but with no significant updates since its announcement, it’s one of those titles that could potentially remain unfinished. Despite this, as it has been two years since the initial announcement, there’s still some optimism regarding its release.

Roller Champions

  • Publisher: Ubisoft
  • Genre: Sports

At E3 2019, Roller Champions was unveiled as Ubisoft’s endeavor into a free-to-play multiplayer roller skating game. In this fast-paced velodrome, players compete by dodging and passing each other. While the game has been released on PC and consoles, its mobile counterpart remains elusive. Considering Ubisoft’s past record of unpredictable support for their games, it wouldn’t be unexpected if a mobile version never becomes available.

Total War: Elysium

  • Publisher: SEGA
  • Genre: Strategy

Presented as Creative Assembly’s inaugural entry into the Collectible Card Game (CCG) realm, Total War: Elysium was designed to merge strategy with historical combat. The game showcased renowned commanders and a system for constructing decks, empowering players to devise potent strategies. An exclusive Android beta was initiated, with intentions to extend to PC and iOS platforms in the future. However, since its last testing phase, there have been no updates, leading many to believe that this promising project may have failed to progress beyond its beta stage.

SICO

  • Publisher: Indic Arena
  • Genre: Battle Royale

After the ban on PUBG Mobile in India, numerous clones emerged claiming to offer a similar gaming experience, and one of them was SICO, or Special Insurgency Counter Operation. This game promised an exciting blend of battle royale and classic multiplayer modes such as Team Deathmatch, Domination, and Gun Race. However, in 2021 during the testing phase, they removed that version due to technical issues with the servers, and since then, there have been no official announcements about its return or further development. As a gamer, I’m eagerly waiting for any updates on SICO’s future.

Supernatural City

  • Publisher: Rovio Entertainment
  • Genre: Puzzle

As a gaming enthusiast, I tried out Rovio Entertainment’s foray into the narrative puzzle genre, titled “Supernatural City”. After being soft-launched in various regions, this intriguing game never got a full global release. Since its test phase, there have been no updates, and it seems to have quietly faded away, joining the ranks of Rovio’s experimental titles that didn’t quite take flight.

Age of KITA

  • Publisher: Lilith Games
  • Genre: Strategy

In 2021, Lilith Games, known for their strategy hit “Rise of Kingdoms”, unveiled a futuristic take on their classic formula called “Age of KITA”. Launched initially as an early access Android game in the UK, it didn’t expand to a full global release. Since then, there have been no updates or new announcements, leading us to speculate if Lilith Games might revive this project in the future.

Undying Mobile

  • Publisher: Vanimals
  • Genre: Adventure, Survival

In 2022, it was expected that the emotionally gripping survival game, “Undying Mobile,” created by Vanimals, would debut on both Android and iOS devices. However, despite regular updates during its early access phase and a detailed roadmap, the global mobile release of Undying Mobile never materialized as planned. With the game successfully launched on other platforms, but no recent news about a mobile release, it’s disappointing that mobile gamers have missed out on this anticipated experience.

Conclusion

The list concludes, and it turned out to be longer than I anticipated at first. To be fair, it could also be quite brief due to the difficulty in following all games. Nevertheless, the mobile gaming realm is unpredictable, and while certain games soar to fame, others disappear before they even have a chance to shine.

It appears many of these games were unveiled during the COVID period, which could have influenced their fate. Factoring in development challenges and financial hurdles, they’ve largely become unfulfilled dreams. Some may yet resurface, but for now, they serve as reminders that even the most promising ventures don’t always reach completion.

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2025-02-17 17:13

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