Climax Explains Cancellation of Warhammer Online

It has been officially confirmed that the Warhammer Online MMORPG, developed by Climax studios, has been axed. Games Workshop and Climax had been concerned the project’s costs were spiralling out of control and that the game might consequently fall short of expectations. And aware of the extreme dedication (and thus possible disappointment) of avid Warhammer fans, have agreed to cancel what could have been a massive title for Climax, SEGA Europe and Games Workshop.

This move is in part a reflection of the overcrowded MMORPG roster, with the looming World Of Warcraft and Everquest 2 ready to cast shadows over Climax’s scope for profit. The company simply do not have sufficient resources to compete with multi-million dollar projects like WOW and Star Wars Galaxies, and if such titles cannot attract a massively multiplayer audience close enough to the release date, it would become virtually impossible for sales to gather momentum.

Climax has confirmed, however, that work had already begun on a second MMO project with the full support and approval of Games Workshop. SEGA, which was due to publish Warhammer Online in early 2005, declined to comment on its involvement in any follow-up project, but a spokesperson commented, "SEGA remains committed to expanding its portfolio by working with the best developers in the marketplace."