Just Cause 5 Canceled: Project Would be with Sumo Digital

The Just Cause franchise, inactive since 2018, had an apparently failed attempt at a comeback. Recent information indicates that a project for Just Cause 5 was canceled even before an official announcement.

The discovery came from the resume of a former employee of Sumo Digital, a British producer known for titles such as Sackboy: A Big Adventure. This individual listed in his professional history that he worked as one of the main responsible for the production of vehicles for Just Cause 5, with the mention that the game was later canceled.

The data, which was verified and disclosed by MP1st, suggest that the development of Just Cause 5 took place between 2021 and 2023. Interestingly, Square Enix, the owner of the intellectual property, never made a public announcement about the project.

One of the most intriguing aspects revealed is that the development of Just Cause 5 would be in charge of Sumo Digital and not Avalanche Studios. The Swedish Avalanche Studios is the creator of the series and responsible for all previous games in the franchise. Delegating the project to Sumo Digital suggests that Square Enix opted for a different producer, possibly while Avalanche Studios is focused on Contraband, a title in development for Microsoft.

The cancellation of Just Cause 5 before any official revelation is a scenario that raises questions about the future of the franchise and Square Enix's strategies for its intellectual properties. The Just Cause series has always been recognized for its open-world gameplay and exaggerated action elements, and the interruption of the development of the fifth title keeps the franchise in a state of uncertainty since 2018.