Starbreeze got another kick in its side, even though it has been laying on the ground since December.

Robert Kirkman’s (The Walking Dead creator) company, Skybound issued a statement: „As of today, we have terminated our contract with Starbreeze Studios and will discontinue all efforts on Overkill’s The Walking Dead. Our creators and their stories are the core of Skybound, and since 2014 we have worked hard to expand the world of The Walking Dead into an exceptional co-op action first-person shooter. We did our best to work with Starbreeze and resolve many issues that we saw with the game, but ultimately Overkill’s The Walking Dead did not meet our standards, nor is it the quality that we were promised. We are exceedingly sorry to our fans and share their disappointment in the game. We remain dedicated to providing our fans with the most premium quality content we can offer, and will continue to look for alternative video game options for the IP.” In other words: the game was too weak, which is why Skybound has pulled the rug from under Starbreeze, who ran into financial trouble mainly due to The Walking Dead‘s lack of success itself.

Starbreeze also released a statement, let’s see what they wrote: „Skybound, the license holder of Overkill’s The Walking Dead, has filed a license related complaint with the main digital distribution platform for the Starbreeze game Overkill’s The Walking Dead. As a consequence, the product is expected to be removed from new purchases on Steam within the near future. Starbreeze and Skybound are in discussions about the agreement and Starbreeze is trying to resolve the issue to find an amicable solution with the ambition to finish and deliver season 2 of the game, as previously communicated. „We are deeply sorry for the issues this may cause anyone who has bought the game looking forward to the resolution of Season 2 and are working urgently to attempt to resolve the issue. Please keep an eye on the official OTWD channels for further news,” said Mikael Nermark, the acting CEO of Starbreeze.”

So, we shouldn’t even expect the console versions of The Walking Dead. With this announcement, there’s no chance of a PlayStation 4 or an Xbox One version (and how will it affect 505 Games, who were supposed to distribute the game?), and after the first season of the PC game (which we reviewed with a not so positive score…), we might not even get a complete second season. In fact, the whole game is going to be pulled from Steam shortly!

How will Starbreeze get back on its legs after this move? When will we see the announcement from Tim Schafer-led Double Fine leaving Starbreeze along with their Psychonauts 2’s rights…?

Source: Gematsu