CCP Games Cancels Project Nova, Announces Another FPS is in the Works

CCP may have the market cornered when it comes to massive-scale high-concept Sci-Fi MMORPG simulators, but they’ve traditionally struggled a bit when it comes to other kinds of games. Specifically, for the past couple of years now, they’ve been trying and failing to bring the FPS genre into the EVE universe, at first with Dust 514, an ambitious attempt to make an FPS that would integrate and impact the sprawling universe of EVE Online, and then later with Project Nova, a plan that was announced four years ago that was supposed to be less ambitious than Dust but hopefully more tenable. But as you may not be surprised to hear, considering the headline of this article, it’s just been announced that this project has been scrapped.

To anyone keeping track of the project, this should be an expected outcome. The game had a disappointing hands-on session two years ago, and was put on hold indefinitely since then.

But if you were afraid this meant CCP was giving up, then worry not: because from the ashes of this second FPS, a new Eve Online FPS is being produced, one that looks to be even more ambitious than the first two.

Here’s what George Kellion, CCP Game’s head of public relations, had to say over on Reddit:
 

We're continuing to develop our sci-fi multiplayer shooter game concept, actively evolving it beyond the original scope for what was formerly codenamed Project Nova. Development efforts on this concept are now the full focus of CCP’s London studio. Project Nova team members based in Iceland have been moved onto other projects at our Reykjavík studio.

This decision was taken because Project Nova’s gameplay experience as presented at EVE Vegas '18 would not have achieved our ambitious goals for this concept. Moreover, it is very common for games in active development to evolve over time, often substantially. We remain committed to offering a rock-solid, action-oriented gameplay experience with stellar visuals, but due to significant changes in the scope and direction of our sci-fi multiplayer shooter game concept, it also made sense to update how we refer to this project internally. So, we are no longer using the codename Project Nova for this game concept.

He also announced, probably to the disappointment of fans, that CCP wouldn’t give them any updates about this project until things were set in stone, to avoid disappointing them with changes in plans. Makes enough sense.

Still, we’re probably in for a long wait…