The gaming industry is known for its ambition, but 2025 has become a stark reminder that ambition alone doesn’t guarantee a finished product. In just the first half of the year, we’ve watched high‑profile studios and smaller teams alike shelve projects that had been in development for years. Seventeen cancellations are confirmed so far — a number that reflects how volatile the current market has become.
Some cancellations stem from internal shake‑ups or studio closures. Others reflect a growing skepticism toward live‑service models or the difficulty of maintaining large‑scale projects over time. Whatever the reason, the pattern emerging in 2025 tells a story about shifting priorities and a market correcting itself after years of expansion.
Major Cancellations
Perfect Dark
Canceled: July 2, 2025
Xbox closed The Initiative and ended development of the long‑awaited reboot of Perfect Dark, which had been co‑developed with Crystal Dynamics. It was meant to be a showcase “AAAA” project for Microsoft, but shifting priorities cut it short.
Wonder Woman
Canceled: February 2025
Warner Bros. pulled the plug on Monolith’s ambitious Wonder Woman game, shutting down the studio that brought us Shadow of Mordor. Fans were eager to see the Nemesis system in a superhero setting — and now, that dream is gone.
Unannounced Titanfall Game
Canceled: April 2025
Respawn was hit by layoffs and a Titanfall project many believed would lead to a third mainline game was quietly canceled. For fans, this felt like the last flicker of hope for the franchise.
Live‑Service Retreats and Mobile Setbacks
Several projects were casualties of the industry’s pivot away from chasing every live‑service trend. Others show just how hard it is to maintain engagement in a crowded mobile landscape.
Transformers: Reactivate
Canceled: January 8, 2025
Splash Damage’s online action title was meant to reinvigorate the Transformers IP. The studio expressed gratitude to its developers but offered no explanation for why the project was shelved.
Two Unannounced PlayStation Live‑Service Games
Canceled: January 16, 2025
Sony ended two secretive multiplayer projects — one at Bend Studio and another at Bluepoint Games — as part of a broader downscaling of its live‑service portfolio.
Kingdom Hearts Missing‑Link
Canceled: May 14, 2025
A mobile GPS‑based AR take on Kingdom Hearts was abandoned by Square Enix after it became clear the game couldn’t provide a lasting, satisfying service. Development on Kingdom Hearts 4 continues.
Creative Pivots and Indie Surprises
Earthblade
Canceled: January 22, 2025
Extremely OK Games, known for Celeste, stepped back from Earthblade after years of development. Internal disagreements and IP issues led the team to return to prototyping new ideas.
Battle Aces
Canceled: May 23, 2025
Uncapped Games aimed to redefine real‑time strategy with Battle Aces, but testing feedback wasn’t strong enough to continue. RTS fans will have to wait a little longer for a breakout hit.
Hytale
Canceled: June 2025
After years of hype, Hypixel Studios and Riot scrapped Hytale, saying they couldn’t deliver on its enormous promise. It’s one of the most talked‑about indie cancellations in recent memory.
Other Notable Projects Halted
Several other efforts were ended quietly but still represent significant shifts for their studios.
- Respawn’s Experimental FPS: A smaller multiplayer project that never left incubation, dropped in early 2025.
- ZeniMax Online’s MMO (Codename Blackbird): A sci‑fi MMO in development since 2018, canceled in July with leadership changes.
- EA’s Black Panther: Cliffhanger Games’ first title, an open‑world single‑player adventure, was cut as EA refocused its resources.
- Football Manager 25: Sports Interactive broke its 21‑year streak when its interface and UX hurdles proved too much to overcome.
- Everwild: Rare’s mysterious project was quietly shut down alongside Perfect Dark.
- Two Internal Projects at Techland: Shelved without layoffs, signaling a change in creative direction for the studio behind Dying Light.
What It Means for the Industry
These cancellations aren’t just a list of disappointments. They highlight a bigger truth: publishers and developers are now quicker to cut their losses, even on high‑profile IPs, rather than force something to market that doesn’t meet expectations.
The pattern also suggests a growing fatigue around live‑service models. Many of the canceled projects were built around long‑term engagement but couldn’t prove they would sustain a player base in today’s competitive environment.
For players, it’s bittersweet — a sign that studios are aiming for higher quality, but also a reminder that even the most exciting reveals can vanish overnight.
Marvel Rivals Latest Updates
Marvel Rivals has grabbed attention in the gaming community with its exciting crossplay features. Gamers wondering if they can team up with friends on different platforms have reason to celebrate. Marvel Rivals fully supports crossplay between PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S platforms, allowing players across different systems to enjoy the game together.
The crossplay implementation does come with some conditions depending on which game mode you’re playing. Players can easily enable or disable the crossplay feature through the game settings if they prefer to match only with those on the same platform. This flexibility gives gamers control over their multiplayer experience.
While cross-platform play is currently available, the developers have confirmed that cross-progression is still in development. This feature faces some challenges due to platform-specific rules, but the team is working to implement it in the future.
Marvel Rivals recently launched its Season 3: The Abyss Awakens on July 11, 2025. Here’s a rundown of the latest updates:
Key Highlights of Season 3:
- New Playable Hero: Phoenix (Jean Grey) has joined the roster as a new Duelist.
- New Map: Klyntar: Celestial Husk.
- Mission System Overhaul:
- Daily Missions have been removed, and Chrono Tokens are now redistributed to other missions, making them easier to acquire.
- Unfinished Weekly Missions now roll over to the next week, giving players more time to complete them.
- Hero-specific missions have been significantly reduced.
- Seasonal missions have been introduced, lasting the entire season and offering substantial Chrono Tokens.
- A limited-time event, Milano Repair Logs, features a series of missions with rewards including a Symbiote Storm costume upon completion.
- UI Improvements: A new UI element shows mission progress and alerts players about unclaimed rewards, which is particularly helpful for the Milano Repair Logs event.
- Accessories System: Season 3 introduced a new accessories system.
- Hero Balancing: Expect various balance changes, including buffs to characters like Venom and Mantis.
- Season 3 Battle Pass has launched.
- Twitch Drops are available for watching Marvel Rivals streamers, offering rewards like a Hawkeye skin.
Upcoming Content:
- Blade’s Release: Blade is slated to be released with the Season 3.5 update on August 8, 2025. He’s expected to be an aggressive DPS Duelist with a unique ability to switch between a sword and a gun. Leaked abilities suggest he’ll have lifesteal and high burst damage.
- Summer Swimsuit Special Event: This event is scheduled for July 18, 2025.
- Fantastic Four Collaboration: A collaboration event with The Thing & Human Torch, tied to “Fantastic Four: First Steps,” will begin on July 25, 2025.
- New Skins: Phoenix Demon skin for Magik and Phoenix Panther skin for Black Panther are coming on August 1, 2025.
Future Leaks (to be taken with a grain of salt):
- Season 4 Theme: Leaks suggest Season 4 will be based in K’un-Lun, implying a significant role for Iron Fist.
- Season 5 Theme: Rumors point to a “love and romance” theme for Season 5, potentially featuring Rogue and Gambit.
Marvel Rivals, a 6v6 third-person hero shooter, was released on December 6, 2024, and is free-to-play across PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S.
Key Takeaways
- Marvel Rivals supports full crossplay between PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, bringing players together regardless of platform.
- Players can customize their crossplay experience through in-game settings to match their preferred gameplay style.
- Cross-progression functionality is currently under development but not yet available due to platform restrictions.
Crossplay and Cross-Progression Features
Marvel Rivals offers players different ways to connect and play across platforms, though some features are still in development. Let’s look at what’s currently available and what’s coming soon.
Understanding Marvel Rivals Crossplay
Marvel Rivals currently supports crossplay functionality, allowing players on different platforms to play together. This means gamers on PS5 can team up with friends on Xbox Series X|S in the same matches.
Crossplay is automatically enabled when you start the game. Players from North America, Europe, and Asia can all join the same servers, creating a truly global gaming community.
The matchmaking system pairs players based on skill level rather than platform, ensuring balanced and competitive gameplay. This universal approach helps maintain shorter queue times and more diverse player pools across all regions.
The Impact of Cross-Progression on Gameplay
Currently, Marvel Rivals does not support cross-progression. This means your progress, purchases, and unlocked content are tied to the specific platform you’re playing on.
If you play on PS5 and then switch to PC, you’ll need to start fresh. Your heroes, skins, and season progress won’t transfer between devices. This limitation affects players who use multiple platforms or want to switch their primary gaming system.
The good news is that developers have confirmed cross-progression is in development. Platform rules remain a barrier to implementation, but the team is actively working to overcome these challenges.
Until this feature launches, players should choose their primary platform carefully to avoid losing progress.
How Crossplay Enhances the Multiplayer Experience
Crossplay significantly improves the Marvel Rivals multiplayer experience by expanding the player base. More players mean faster matchmaking times and more diverse gameplay experiences.
Friends can play together regardless of their chosen platform. A player on Xbox can team up with friends on PS5 without needing to purchase additional hardware.
The feature creates a more unified community where strategies and meta discussions apply to all players. Tournament organizers can host events without platform restrictions, allowing the best players to compete regardless of their preferred system.
Crossplay also extends the game’s lifespan by maintaining healthy player counts across all platforms rather than fragmenting the community. This ensures that Marvel Rivals remains active and engaging long after launch.
Game Modes and Character Roster
Marvel Rivals offers a variety of game modes and an impressive roster of characters that keeps gameplay fresh and exciting. The game balances competitive play with casual experiences while featuring beloved heroes and villains from across the Marvel universe.
Diverse Game Modes in Marvel Rivals
Marvel Rivals features several game modes to suit different playstyles. Convoy is a popular objective-based mode where one team must escort a payload across the map while the other tries to stop them. Domination requires teams to capture and hold multiple points on the map to earn points.
For competitive players, Ranked Mode divides players into skill tiers, though recent data shows some discrepancies between ranks that developers are addressing. This mode is currently platform-locked, meaning PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC players compete separately.
Quick Match, Conquest, and Custom Games support full crossplay across all platforms. These casual modes are perfect for players who want to enjoy the game without the pressure of competitive play.
Expansive Roster of Marvel Characters
The game boasts an impressive lineup of Marvel heroes and villains. Players can choose from iconic characters like:
- Spider-Man with his web-slinging abilities
- Iron Man featuring various tech-based attacks
- Black Panther utilizing vibranium and agility
- Doctor Strange wielding mystical powers
- Hulk bringing raw strength to battles
- Loki using trickery and illusions
Each character has unique abilities that complement different team compositions. The roster continually expands with regular updates.
Team-ups are a core mechanic that allows characters to combine their powers for special moves. According to developers, this feature will undergo significant changes in Season 2.
Special Events and Updates
Marvel Rivals keeps content fresh with regular events and map updates. Spider-Islands and Tokyo 2099 are among the most popular maps, each offering unique environments and strategic opportunities.
Special events often introduce limited-time game modes, character skins, and challenges. These events frequently tie into Marvel movie releases or comic storylines.
The upcoming Season 2 will bring substantial changes to the team-up mechanics and likely introduce new characters. Epic Battles, a limited-time mode featuring larger teams and special objectives, appears regularly during these seasonal updates.
Convergence events bring together characters from different Marvel universes, allowing for unique storylines and gameplay experiences that wouldn’t be possible within the standard Marvel continuity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Marvel Rivals offers various cross-platform options with specific limitations. Players have questions about compatibility between different gaming systems and future progression features.
What is the current status of cross-platform support in Marvel Rivals?
Marvel Rivals currently supports cross-platform play between PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. However, this support comes with certain conditions.
The game allows general cross-platform matchmaking, but competitive mode restricts PC and console users from matching together. This separation helps maintain fair gameplay due to different control schemes.
Players can access the game across multiple platforms, though certain limitations exist depending on the selected game mode.
Are there any updates on crossplay functionality between different consoles for Marvel Rivals?
Crossplay between PlayStation and Xbox consoles is fully supported in Marvel Rivals. Players on PS5 can match with those on Xbox Series X/S in non-competitive game modes.
The developers continue to monitor and adjust the crossplay experience based on player feedback. Console-to-console matchmaking generally works smoothly compared to PC-console matchmaking.
Has crossplay been implemented for Marvel Rivals between Xbox and PlayStation platforms?
Yes, Marvel Rivals has implemented crossplay between Xbox and PlayStation platforms. Players on both console families can match together and play in the same games.
This implementation allows friends on different console ecosystems to team up without barriers. The feature works across all non-competitive game modes.
Will there be cross-progression features in future updates of Marvel Rivals?
Marvel Rivals developers have confirmed that cross-progression is in development. This feature would allow players to maintain their progress across different platforms.
However, platform rules remain a significant barrier to implementation. Currently, any unlocked characters, achievements, or in-game purchases do not transfer between platforms.
Players will need to wait for future updates as the team works through these platform restriction challenges.
What are the latest news regarding Xbox and PC crossplay for Marvel Rivals?
Xbox and PC crossplay is currently active in Marvel Rivals for casual game modes. Players can disable this feature through the settings menu if preferred.
In competitive modes, PC and Xbox players are separated to maintain competitive balance. This decision addresses concerns about potential advantages PC players might have.
How has the community responded to the crossplay features in the recent Marvel Rivals update?
The community has shown mixed reactions to Marvel Rivals’ crossplay implementation. Console players appreciate the ability to play with friends regardless of platform choice.
Some competitive players have expressed satisfaction with the separation of PC and console matchmaking in ranked modes. This division helps maintain a level playing field.
Players continue to request improved cross-progression features, which remains one of the most requested additions to the game.
