A reboot of System Shock that raised over $1.3 million on Kickstarter has gone on hiatus as reported by Polygon.
In mid-2016, Nightdive Studios took to Kickstarter in an attempt to raise $900,000 for a remake of what is considered by many to be a classic game. They were more than successful in their campaign, eventually closing out the campaign at just over $1.3 million in July of 2016. Regular progress updates have been the order of the day, but the System Shock remake had missed its late 2017 release window.
Nightdive Studios CEO Stephen Kick released a backer update which laid out the situation. As time went on, the team shifted from the Unity engine to the Unreal engine. Conversations with publishing partners took place and the scope of the game gradually increased in scale. As the list of features grew, the company strayed from the original vision of the project. As a result, the remake of System Shock is going on hiatus for the moment.
Speaking to Polygon on the condition of anonymity, a source familiar with the project stated that "mission creep" had effectively eaten up the Kickstarter funds. Hopes of landing a publisher to assist with the game's production weren't realized. 15 contract workers who were helping with the game's production have been laid off, although no employees from Nightdive Studios have faced similar treatment.
Nightdive Studios Director of Business Development Larry Kuperman estimates the release of the game is 18-24 months from now. Even if the project's own funding is running in the red, the company will divert money from their other properties income streams to honor their commitment to their backers to get the game out there. In the meantime, development of the System Shock remake is on hiatus while the developers reorganize their efforts and get back on track.
What do you think of the System Shock remake going on hiatus? Do you think they'll be able to see the game through to completion? Let us know in the comments below!