In January 2014, Paradox announced Runemaster, a Norse mythology-themed RPG for PS4 and PC. Recent news indicates that production of the game has been “frozen,” with resources being moved to “other projects within Paradox Development Studio,” according to COO Susana Meza Graham, in an announcement on the Paradox forums.
Runemaster was to be a new kind of game for the company, and Graham expresses her regrets that the game is unable to move forward. Putting a positive spin on the announcement, she also says:
“[E]ven though we were not able to fully realize our vision for it, we will take the lessons we learned to heart as we move forward with new endeavors. We will also look into how we can re-use the best parts of the game in other ways.”
The fact that she uses such language indicates that Runemaster is not merely being frozen, to be thawed at a later date but is, instead, being completely disbanded. This is disappointing to many fans, who responded to the announcement with sadness.
One user said:
“Very much a shame to see this project shelved and share the hope this doesn’t put PDS off from branching out into other areas of the gaming market in the future.”
Many others are encouraging the developers of Runemaster, wishing them luck on future projects and expressing happiness that the company didn’t have to let any of their employees go because of the project’s cessation.
To soothe the hurts of those who were looking forward to this unique take on the RPG genre, Paradox is working on the next installments of Crusader Kings, Europa Universalis, and Hearts of Iron.
