Report: Cancelled Warhammer 40K MMORPG by Jackalyptic Screenshots Surface
A new game set in the Warhammer universe was recently revealed with the announcement of Total War: Warhammer 40K at the Game Awards. However, on the other hand, we face the reality that several major games in the franchise have been quietly shelved over the last few years. One of these was an MMORPG set in the Age of Sigmar world that we previously reported on, which ultimately got cancelled due to a loss of funding.
In fact, the game we are discussing today suffered the same fate, and the final blow was dealt only a short while ago. We are talking about the Warhammer 40k MMORPG that was under development by Jackalyptic Games, a studio founded by MMO veteran Jack Emmert.
The project, funded by NetEase, came to an end after the publisher withdrew its support early this year, a decision that ultimately terminated development and forced the studio to close its doors last month.
Even though the game had been in the works since 2022, it was never publicly shown in any capacity. However, as is often the case with cancelled games, a former developer has decided to share development materials showcasing a bit of their work on the game, with environments that offer a detailed look at the grimdark 40k setting.
Environment Screenshots from Cancelled Warhammer MMO
The images shown here are from a former Jackalyptic Games artist’s portfolio and seem to have been created between 2024 and 2025. They provide a good look at the project’s art direction, showcasing a wide variety of environments and assets. Among them, we can see statues of the iconic Space Marines, alongside chaotic, war-torn zones filled with heavy machinery.
The setting shown most is the interior of a destroyed temple, but there’s also a peek at another zone with a more industrial look, described by the artist as a spaceport. It is also stated that the locations belong to two-story missions in the game.
Unfortunately, we cannot discern any specific gameplay details from these images, but they certainly help us picture what the game would have looked like, a project that we know was being built in Unreal Engine 5.
In many ways, this Warhammer title ended up a victim of a broader industry shift, as NetEase began making changes to its Western operations and investments this year. This strategy also impacted T-Minus Zero Entertainment, another studio formed by veterans that NetEase shut down in September.
We know that T-Minus Zero had been working on a project codenamed “Gemini”, which was set to be a third-person shooter featuring kaiju combat. Fortunately for them, the studio ended up being saved after most of its founders managed to acquire the company back from the publisher last month.
Regrettably, Jackalyptic Games did not share the same luck as T-Minus Zero. Lacking the necessary funding to continue independently, the studio was forced to close its doors permanently. For now, Warhammer 40k fans will have to find solace in other series, such as the successful Space Marine series, which is already confirmed to have a sequel.
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Stop canceling these games… I would’ve paid 100$ for a 40k MMORPG
They’re just milking their own franchise to line their own pockets & keep the shareholders happy, until there’s nothing left to milk.
Age of Sigmar and 40k are not the same. Apples to oranges.
Some of the pics look identical to the maps on operations mode in Space Marine 2. For example, the last 2 pics on the bottom look alot like the second operation mode map.
Because the screenshots are from the cancelled 40K MMO. Games Workshop sell 40k terrain pieces so the design of many industrial sites are already set.
Someone needs to show those Screenshots to Henry Cavill, he’d bring the game back and fund it himself he loves Warhammer 40k so much