After announcing it earlier this year, Dead by Daylight publisher Behaviour Interactive has decided to cancel the spinoff Project T and is shutting down its development studio.
Behaviour made the announcement about Project T‘s cancellation on its X (formerly Twitter) account Tuesday afternoon, saying that it ran an “internal risk assessment” on the game after feedback from its Insiders Program. “While a number of players expressed appreciation for what they played, unfortunately, the outcome of this deep analysis yielded unsatisfactory overall results.”
— Behaviour Interactive (@Behaviour) September 17, 2024
Project T was a session-based third-person co-op PvE shooter that took place in the Dead by Daylight universe and followed a group of people called Trespassers who have to escape the Entity from the core game. It was developed by Midwinter Entertainment, a studio that was acquired by Behaviour in 2022.
While it wasn’t mentioned in the X post, a spokesperson from Behaviour said in a statement sent to Digital Trends that Midwinter had been shut down.
“This sad news in no way reflects the talent of the team, who put a lot of energy into Project T. All the employees were offered to relocate to our Canadian studios, as we strongly believe in their expertise. Should they decide not to accept, they will be presented with a generous severance package. We want to thank them for all their hard work on Project T and wish them the very best for the future,” teh statement reads.
Midwinter team members took to LinkedIn following the news. Ben Batstone, lead game designer at Midwinter, said that he’s looking for work “along with 27 good friends.” Sound designer Eli Hason, who was contracted with Midwinter through Wabi Sabi Sound, also confirmed that the studio has been shut down.
Behaviour announced Project T in May during its anniversary stream, alongside a new look at the single-player The Casting of Frank Stone, which released in September, and the surprise drop of What the Fog. The company didn’t have a lot to show, but noted in a press briefing attended by Digital Trends earlier this year that it was important to make the game with the help of player feedback.
“With Project T, we are taking that idea to the next level,” Mary Olsen, Midwinter studio director, said. “We’re not just making this game for our community. We are making it with them as well. We’re going to invite players to join us, we’re going to help shape the experience they actually want to play with the goal of making Project T the best game that it can be.”
This is the third time Behaviour employees have lost jobs in 2024. The company laid off around 45 people in January and then around 95 in June — mostly from its Montreal office. The January layoff was attributed to “changing market conditions,” while the later one was part of its strategy for “future growth,” which included structural changes.
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