Split-Screen :: The Game-Geek’s Daily Read

Pandemic Studios is officially shut with over 200 employees being shown the door. The fate of The Saboteur is thankfully not jeopardized, but another project – one that may have found more resonance with gamers – has been. This was Pandemic’s latest sequel to the Mercenaries franchise, touted as a multiplayer sandbox game for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC, called Mercenaries Inc.

VFX Artist Dorian Compo posted about this on his Linkedin profile shortly after Pandemic Studios closed. He also provided real time demo footage for the game, intended as a pitch, stating: “This was the first demo for Mercenaries Incorporated. Pandemic Studios next multiplayer sandbox game. Too bad it was cancelled.” Which is a real shame, given how the Mercs franchise was always beloved for it’s destructibility and open world nature of completing missions (though the second game recieved a less than stellar reception from critics). The project was recently cancelled and there’s no word from EA on continuing development.