Key Takeaways
1. Just Cause 5 is officially canceled, as stated by creator Christofer Sundberg, due to a lack of original team members at Avalanche Studios.
2. Sundberg cited a talent drain and deeper issues at Avalanche, stemming from the troubled development of Just Cause 4.
3. Just Cause 4, released in December 2018, received mixed reviews due to glitches and a departure from the series’ chaotic style, though updates improved player satisfaction.
4. Despite the cancellation, fans remain hopeful for the franchise’s future, but Sundberg expressed doubt about reviving it without significant changes and risk-taking.
5. Avalanche Studios has faced ongoing challenges, including layoffs and the cancellation of the Contraband project, further complicating the studio’s situation.
Fans of the Just Cause series will have to bid farewell to Rico Rodriguez, as there won’t be a Just Cause 5. Christofer Sundberg, the creator of the Just Cause series, has declared that Just Cause 5 at Avalanche Studios is effectively a “no-go.”
A Shift in Leadership
Sundberg, who co-founded Just Cause, left Avalanche Studios in 2019. After seeing leaked images from the now-canceled Contraband game, he remarked, “#JC5 would be a no-go since extremely few from the original team are there still.”
He stated that this was a “qualified guess” but later commented that there are deeper issues troubling Avalanche Studios, particularly a talent drain that started during the rocky development of Just Cause 4.
Mixed Reviews and Development Woes
Just Cause 4 was launched nearly seven years ago on December 4, 2018, and it received mixed feedback right from the start, mainly due to glitches, weather mechanics, and a shift from the franchise’s chaotic fun. However, updates released after the launch did help to satisfy long-time fans of the series.
Sundberg took some responsibility for the issues in the development of Just Cause 4, noting, “The problems with JC4 were partly me (unwillingly) moving away from creative leadership to more corporate crap, publisher problems, team composition and roles, and more.” He added that it was sad because looking at JC4 now, it shows “SO much promise.”
Fans Still Hopeful
Despite the bad news, fans aren’t ready to give up on the Just Cause franchise. One fan expressed that Just Cause 5 could save the company. Sundberg quickly dismissed this, saying, “I doubt it. They need to find the fire again, take risks, piss people off, and make games; the rest said was impossible. I started Avalanche to break the mold, not fit into one.”
Sadly, Avalanche’s issues have only increased since the studio stopped work on Contraband, which was meant to be a co-op smuggling game set in the 1970s. This project was initially pitched by Sundberg and his team to Microsoft in 2017.
However, Microsoft’s restructuring plans led to the cancellation of Contraband and significant layoffs at Avalanche. By late September, Avalanche announced the closure of its Liverpool office and staff reductions in Malmo and Stockholm, amidst “industry challenges.”
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