The term "development hell" is used in many forms of media and refers to when a product has been stuck in its development cycle for far longer than expected. In gaming, this is often because of significant issues like game engine changes or script overhauls that force the studio back to square one.
Games that get stuck in development hell can sometimes still be a major success, with notable examples being Resident Evil 4 and L.A. Noire, but generally speaking, games that fall into the unfortunate cycle often either don't release or fail to impress. Unfortunately, the following games on this list are all rumored to be in development hell.
6 Star Wars: Eclipse
Star Wars: Eclipse's entry on this list will likely surprise a lot of people, as the game was only announced at the end of 2021. However, according to known insider Tom Henderson, the game is already in development hell.
In the video, Tom Henderson claims that Quantic Dream is having serious issues retaining staff due to alleged workplace issues and that there isn't a playable version of the game yet despite it being in development for over 18 months. It's unlikely that Star Wars: Eclipse will be canceled anytime soon, though it could be a few years before the game hits stores.
5 Beyond Good And Evil 2
Beyond Good and Evil 2's development issues are no secret. A sequel to the 2003 cult classic was originally teased by Ubisoft in 2008, though there was virtually no further news about it in the years that followed. Then, at E3 2017, a new trailer for the game was shown, and it was announced that the game would be a prequel to the original.
It looked like things were finally back on track for Beyond Good and Evil 2, though fans were dealt a heartbreaking blow in 2021 when it was rumored that the game was in development hell. As recently as February 9th, 2022, Bloomberg's Jason Schreier reported that the game is still in pre-production, despite being in development for over five years.
4 Dead Island 2
Another game with well-known development issues is Dead Island 2. The game's publisher, Deep Silver, initially hired German development studio Yager Development for the game, though they were replaced in 2015. British studio Sumo Digital, who is best known for games like Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing and Sackboy: A Big Adventure, was the team to replace Yager, though they were also replaced in 2019 by Dambuster Studios.
Suffice to say, Deep Silver's game of developer hot potato hasn't done wonders for Dead Island 2's progress.
3 Skull & Bones
Skull & Bones is currently in development by Ubisoft. The French company started development on the game in 2013, which was originally intended to be little more than an expansion for Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag. Plans then shifted to an MMO spin-off titled Black Flag Infinite before Ubisoft finally decided to turn it into a brand new pirate game.
Skull & Bones is reportedly going to feature tactical action gameplay and will give players the option to either sail alone in a single-player campaign or with up to five other players in player versus player action. Thankfully, a light at the end of the tunnel seems to have emerged for Skull & Bones, as Ubisoft's Chief Financial Officer, Frederick Duguet, recently said that he is "very happy" with the game's progress.
2 In The Valley Of Gods
In the Valley of Gods is being developed by Campo Santo, the same team that made the well-received adventure game Firewatch. In the Valley of Gods appears to have similarities to Firewatch, most notably with the line "navigate and rebuild a relationship with your companion, Zora" on the game's Steam page.
It was announced in 2019 that the game was on hold, as Campo Santo was busy working on Half-Life: Alyx. However, after Half-Life: Alyx's release, Campo Santo's Chris Remo said that the game is "still on hold for the time being." Unfortunately, as things stand, In the Valley of Gods looks like it could be canceled in the near future.
1 Grand Theft Auto 6
Grand Theft Auto 6 has been one of gaming's most highly anticipated releases for almost a decade now. Following Grand Theft Auto 5 was never going to be easy for Rockstar, given that it's one of the most critically-acclaimed and commercially successful video games ever released.
A known leaker that goes by AccNGT recently said on Twitter, "some people don't realize how chaotic the development is" regarding GTA 6. This has understandably worried a lot of people, especially considering that many people already assumed the development was somewhat chaotic given how long they've waited for details on the game.
Another spanner in the works came in February 2022, when "the next game in the Grand Theft Auto series" was announced in unspectacular fashion with a short statement from Rockstar Games. Although it was great to finally get official confirmation, the lack of any real details hasn't given people much hope that a release date is around the corner.