A brand-new installment of the popular Plants vs. Zombies franchise has officially been canceled. The game was to take the Plants vs. Zombies series in a new direction. However, development was cut short and all its resources were allocated to another game project that also didn't survive EA's unpredictable chopping block.
Under the development team’s guidance, Project Hot Tub, the codename for the canceled Plants vs. Zombies project, would’ve been a different take on the series while also maintaining the charm of the original games. The idea for the new Plants vs. Zombies game involved the usual mechanics and dressing that players expect from the franchise, but with more of a focus on an emotionally driven story that offers a fleshed-out version of the characters and their family bond. It was seen as a step forward for EA as they lacked family-friendly single-player games. Development started in 2015 and gave developers a chance to test out EA’s Frostbite engine on an exciting new title of the team’s choosing, leading to the creation of Project Hot Tub. The game was originally slated for a 2017 release, but that plan never came to fruition.
IGN spoke with the team behind Project Hot Tub and discovered further details on why the cancelation happened. Apparently, Project Hot Tub was ousted in favor of Visceral’s Star Wars project. However, the Star Wars game was also canceled not long after. Project Hot Tub’s cancelation completely blindsided the development team as there were no issues found in any part of the game’s production, including a lack of budget and deadline issues, right up to the time of its cancelation.
The passion to create Project Hot Tub and make it something new and refreshing in the Plants vs. Zombies series was undeniable. The main protagonists would’ve been two teenage siblings who find themselves trapped back in time with their only way out being to team up with plants to survive the zombie hordes as they travel from one historical setting to another. This would have provided a new and interesting direction for Plants vs. Zombies to lean toward. Sadly, fans will never know how that turn would have affected future entries in the franchise. EA has yet to respond to the cancelation news.
Fans have expressed disappointment in the decision to cancel Project Hot Tub, stating the previous installments in the series, like Garden Warfare and its sequels, were solid games that were enough to spark some excitement for what the series might do next. At this point, it is unknown what is the next step for the Plants vs. Zombies franchise and what direction it will attempt next. The news comes as a reminder of how much things going on behind the scenes can affect an ongoing beloved franchise.
Source: IGN