Blizzard planned a survival revolution, but ambitious Odyssey outlived Diablo and StarCraft creators

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It appears that by 2025, Blizzard Entertainment may have seen its most prosperous years come to an end. Developers in Irvine are making efforts to remind players of their past greatness, and they manage to do so occasionally. Their last undeniable success of this kind was Overwatch, launched in 2016. A potential new hit could be a survival game tentatively titled Odyssey.

Back in the day, I was part of a gaming universe where Blizzard was more than just a name – it was a trendsetter, even creating new game genres out of thin air. If it wasn’t for Diablo, the world of hack’n’slash games could have turned out to be a vastly different landscape today.

Now, I won’t lie, during the heyday of survival games, Blizzard seemed to take a well-deserved break, giving other studios the chance to shine. But once they woke up from their slumber, they didn’t just stand by and watch – they jumped back in, eager to make their mark on this genre as well.

Beginning of the odyssey

The development of the Odyssey project commenced in July 2017, with Blizzard marking the start of work on their new survival game under the leadership of Craig Amai, a former designer for World of Warcraft. Inspiration was drawn from Minecraft and Rust, among other sources, and the team aimed to create an engaging experience through vast maps capable of accommodating numerous players.

Back in 2017, I, as a curious gamer, was left wondering what Blizzard Entertainment had up their sleeves. You see, five long years had passed since any hints about a new project emerged. It wasn’t until 2022 that job postings for a mysterious “survival game” development team surfaced. Though the description was cryptic, the accompanying graphics offered a glimpse into this intriguing project. The images showed an armored, helmeted character wielding an axe, and a pair of characters riding a bicycle – seemingly plucked from modern times. The anticipation is building, and I can’t wait to see what Blizzard has in store for us!

The announcements have ignited a surge of anticipation about what exactly Odyssey will entail. An article by PC Gamer serves as a sort of editorial wishlist, outlining their suggestions for the game’s content. On this list are various aspects, such as the desire to incorporate crafting elements seamlessly into gameplay (“I don’t prefer creating or cooking items merely by clicking menu buttons; I want to toss some meat into the pot!”) and a stronger focus on narrative development (“If Blizzard has something valuable to offer in survival games, I hope it will be a substantial plot.”).

The authors of the article suggested that Blizzard has the ability to significantly transform the survival game genre because they have resources, such as a large amount of funding, that most developers do not have. In other words, the game “Odyssey” had a great deal of potential, which was recognized not just by its creators but also by others.

Problematic tech

In private, things weren’t as bright as projected. The team opted to develop the project using Unreal Engine, but soon discovered it wasn’t sufficient for their requirements. Consequently, the game development occurred on two fronts. One group was designing prototypes on Unreal Engine, while another was crafting the custom Synapse technology, which would eventually power the game. As one might expect, this led to significant delays. Remarkably, by 2022, Odyssey was planned to be playable and undergoing testing.

In certain instances, exclusive technology can be replaced by off-the-shelf alternatives. This was true for Synapse, leading its creators to anticipate that they might eventually revert to using Unreal Engine. The acquisition by Microsoft offered a glimmer of hope that they could return to the engine initially used in the project.

Despite tests carried out by Blizzard indicating otherwise, the launch of “Odyssey” remains a dream of the far-off future, with 2026 being deemed overly optimistic. Upon investigation, the executive from Redmond decided to scrap the entire project. The announcement was made at the end of January 2024, which resulted in many of its creators losing their jobs. Those who managed to weather this job cut were reassigned to other projects.

Leak of screenshots from Odyssey

In September 2024, some screenshots were leaked, giving us a general idea of what playing Odyssey could be like. It’s been rumored that within the game, players might get to take part in events based on well-known fairy tales. It seems likely that we would assume the role of characters from our world in this game.

In simpler terms, some gamers dared to suggest that the hypothetical game could blend elements from “The Wolf Among Us” and “EverQuest.” If this concept were brought to life, the game might fuse the narrative-driven, mystery-solving aspects of “The Wolf Among Us” with the immersive, MMORPG world of “EverQuest.” However, due to various factors, it’s unlikely that we’ll ever get a chance to experience such a unique blend.

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2025-07-27 21:32