Video games are challenging to develop, taking hundreds of people years to create something fun. Development issues are incredibly common in the industry, usually resulting in delays or even the cancellation of a project.
Some games get delayed so much they enter development hell, a phrase that refers to a project remaining in production for a much longer period than anticipated. It happens in any creative medium, but it's especially prevalent in video games. Some miraculously make it out fo this phase, however, but this is exceedingly rare. Here are 5 games that are still in development hell and 5 that miraculously got out. This list will not include games presumed by many to be canceled such as Rockstar's Agent or Wild Sheep's WiLD.
10 Stuck: Half-Life 3/Half-Life 2: Episode 3
It's a running gag amongst fans of Half-Life that Valve can't count to three. Every game they make stops at 2 or is a spinoff title.
While fans were shocked that a new Half-Life game released this year—a VR exclusive named Half-Life: Alyx—many were disappointed that news of a third episode or installment in the main series has not been announced. A third episode for Half-Life 2 was originally planned and likely to release sometime in 2008, but this was scrapped in place of a full sequel. No third title has been created yet, although Half-Life: Alyx does tease a new entry in the series.
9 Got Out: Doom (2016)
Doom 2016 went through many revisions before it became the fan-favorite shooter it is today. Before it was rebooted, id Software planned to make Doom 4.
Doom 4, announced in 2008, was going to double down on the atmosphere and slow-paced combat of Doom 3, depicting a realistic portrayal of a demonic invasion on Earth. Needless to say, it didn't feel like Doom, so id took a few systems from that original idea like Glory Kills and brought the series back to its roots. Doom 2016 released in May of 2016 to critical acclaim.
8 Stuck: Psychonauts 2
Psychonauts fans have had it rough since the original game released in 2005. While one of Double Fine's most innovative titles, the game was a commercial failure. It seemed unlikely the game would ever get a sequel.
That is until Double Fine acquired the rights to the IP in 2011. Since then, they rereleased the first title and hosted a Kickstarter campaign through Fig to create a sequel in 2015. The campaign was an overwhelming success, and a release was planned for 2018. Like all things on this list, it was pushed back. Microsoft then acquired Double Fine as part of the Xbox Game Studios division in 2019, and the game was delayed yet again and now slated to release sometime in 2020.
7 Got Out: Final Fantasy XV
As with any ambitious role-playing game, development issues are bound to occur. Final Fantasy XV is no exception, dealing with a near-complete overhaul and director change before finally releasing.
Originally, Final Fantasy XV was going to be a spinoff title called Final Fantasy Versus XIII based in the Fabula Nova Crystallis series of games. What followed its development from 2006 was constant issues. The original idea for it never got off the ground, leading to Hajime Tabata becoming the new lead director for the game and turning the title into a main entry in the franchise. Most of the original game was remade or scrapped. Final Fantasy XV finally released in March of 2018.
6 Stuck: Beyond Good And Evil 2
Beyond Good And Evil is regarded by many as one of Ubisoft's best titles. It gained a large cult following after its release in 2003, but the game was regarded as a commercial failure.
Pre-production began sometime in 2007 that focused on delivering a sequel, but development changed to turn the second entry into a prequel. It was officially announced in 2017, but the game has seen multiple delays since. A beta was planned for 2019 but never released, and many are doubtful Beyond Good And Evil 2 will make its proposed 2020 release date.
5 Got Out: Diablo 3
Many Diablo fans might have forgotten of Blizzard North's original idea for Diablo 3. The first iteration of Diablo 3 started development in 2000 until Blizzard North was shut down in 2005.
North wanted to create an MMO dungeon crawler with social hub areas and a plot revolving around Hell overtaking Heaven. Using full 3D, the game would juxtapose Heaven's grandiose scale with the twisted darkness of Hell in one setting. Items were also planned to morph between "light" and "dark" variants. After Blizzard North shut down in 2005, Blizzard Irvine took over and restarted development from scratch. The Diablo 3 fans know of today was released in May of 2012.
4 Stuck: Dead Island 2
Dead Island 2 might be the newest Duke Nukem Forever in terms of development hell. Three studios have swapped hands with this game so far, and no release date is in sight.
Announced at E3 2014, Dead Island 2 was meant to take players to California to fight the zombie outbreak. Little is known about the game besides its setting, but Deep Silver has reassured gamers that it is in development as recently as 2019. No release date has been given.
3 Got Out: Dark Sector/Warframe
Warframe is one of the most successful free-to-play games ever released, holding strong with shifting gaming trends since its open beta release in 2013.
Its development story reaches way further than that, however. Originally conceived in late 2000 as Dark Sector, Digital Extremes created a tech demo of the proposed game at E3 2005. D3 Publisher took their offer but required they made the game more modern, defeating the purpose of Dark Sector's science fiction setting. Dark Sector did release in 2008, but it was not the developer's original vision for the IP. They reused the idea for a third-person co-op shooter titled Warframe, and it has dominated the free-to-play market since.
2 Stuck: Star Citizen
Technically you can download and play Star Citizen right now, but the game is nowhere near finished. Features promised over 5 years ago are still missing.
Star Citizen was originally planned to be feature-complete by December of 2015, but massive feature-creep has ballooned the project's scope far beyond what was originally promised. This was a result of the game raising over $300 million, $2 million of which came from Kickstarter alone. Its original pledge goal of $500 thousand seems laughable in retrospect. Older assets are being redone thanks to how long this game has been in development! Star Citizen is likely to never release as envisioned.
1 Got Out: Duke Nukem Forever
Duke Nukem Forever is a shining example of why video games get canceled. This is unquestionably the worst Duke Nukem games ever released, and it's all thanks to development hell.
Development began in April of 1997 with 3D Realms at the helm. After repeated pushback for its release date, 3D Realms stopped providing definite release dates for the title. After company downsizing in 2009, certain 3D Realm employees continued working on the game as Triptych Games. This didn't last, and soon 2K Games gave developer rights to Gearbox Software and Piranha Games. Duke Nukem Forever finally released in June of 2011—14 years after its announcement—to overwhelmingly negative reception. Many criticized it for feeling dated and having downright offensive humor. It's a miracle this game was even released.