The gaming industry just got a rare glimpse of what could have been. Screenshots from Jackalyptic Games’ cancelled Warhammer 40K MMO have surfaced online, revealing a grimdark universe that players will never explore. The images, shared by MP1st after an artist revealed them publicly, show a visually stunning game set during one of the Warhammer 40,000 universe’s most significant events.
NetEase shuttered Jackalyptic Games in November 2024 after three and a half years of development, ending the Austin-based studio’s ambitious attempt to bring a massively multiplayer experience to the Warhammer 40K franchise. Now these leaked screenshots provide the first real look at what the team was building before the publisher pulled funding.
A Glimpse Into the Horus Heresy
The most striking detail from the screenshots is the setting. According to fans analyzing the images on Reddit, the environments clearly depict the Horus Heresy era, specifically events surrounding the Burning of Prospero. This pivotal moment in Warhammer 40K lore saw the Space Wolves Legion assault the Thousand Sons’ homeworld, leading to catastrophic consequences that would reshape the galaxy.
Choosing the Horus Heresy as a setting was a smart decision. This period occurred roughly 10,000 years before the current Warhammer 40K timeline, featuring recognizable factions before they descended into chaos and corruption. Players would have experienced the Imperium at its peak, when the Emperor still walked among humanity and the Space Marine Legions fought united against alien threats rather than each other.
Reddit users speculated that the Prospero setting might indicate playable Thousand Sons questlines, allowing players to experience the tragic fall of Magnus the Red’s Legion from the perspective of those who lived through it. The Thousand Sons’ story is one of the most compelling narratives in the Warhammer universe, filled with hubris, betrayal, and the corrupting influence of forbidden knowledge.
What the Industry Lost
Jack Emmert founded Jackalyptic Games in May 2022 as NetEase’s first U.S. studio. Emmert’s credentials in the MMO space are impeccable. He created City of Heroes, one of the most beloved superhero MMOs ever made, and served as design lead on Champions Online, Star Trek Online, and DC Universe Online. If anyone knew how to build a successful MMO, it was Emmert.
The studio originally launched as Jackalope Games before rebranding to Jackalyptic in 2023. Throughout development, the team remained tight-lipped about specifics, though industry insiders confirmed they were working on a Warhammer project. At a trade show earlier this year, the game reportedly received positive reception from potential partners, suggesting the project had genuine promise.
The leaked screenshots showcase impressive visual fidelity. The environments capture the gothic architecture and oppressive atmosphere that define Warhammer 40K’s aesthetic. Fans who have spent years painting miniatures and reading Black Library novels can immediately recognize the attention to detail in these images. This wasn’t a cheap cash grab or a mobile game dressed up as something more substantial.
NetEase’s Western Studio Bloodbath
Jackalyptic Games represents just one casualty in NetEase’s systematic dismantling of its Western development operations. The Chinese gaming giant has shuttered six Western studios in 2024 alone, each working on ambitious projects that will never see release.
In November 2024, NetEase ended funding for Mac Walters’ Worlds Untold studio just a year after its founding. Walters, a veteran of the Mass Effect franchise, had assembled a talented team working on an unannounced project. In January 2025, Jerry Hook’s Jar of Sparks studio got axed after only a couple years of operation. August 2025 saw the closure of T-Minus Zero Entertainment, founded by Rich Vogel, executive producer of Star Wars: The Old Republic.
Perhaps most notably, NetEase pulled the plug on Fantastic Pixel Castle in October 2024. The studio, founded by former World of Warcraft lead system designer Greg Street, was developing an MMORPG simply called Ghost. Street took to social media expressing his disappointment, noting that in the current market environment, very few deals are getting made for games, let alone something on the scale of an MMO.
The pattern is clear. NetEase spent several years funding ambitious Western developers with impressive resumes, then systematically withdrew support once market conditions tightened. Each closure statement referenced reassessing business priorities and supporting teams through transitions. The actual result was hundreds of talented developers suddenly jobless and multiple promising games permanently cancelled.
Why MMOs Keep Dying
The MMO genre faces existential challenges in 2024. Developing a massively multiplayer game requires enormous upfront investment with years of development before generating any revenue. Even successful MMOs struggle with player retention as audiences fragment across an increasingly crowded marketplace.
World of Warcraft remains the gold standard, but even Blizzard’s juggernaut has seen declining subscriber numbers. Final Fantasy XIV found success by completely rebuilding after a disastrous launch. Newer entries like New World and Blue Protocol failed to maintain launch momentum. The list of cancelled MMOs grows longer every year, from Titan to EverQuest Next to now the Warhammer 40K project.
Publishers are increasingly risk-averse when it comes to MMOs. Why invest hundreds of millions into a game that might not find an audience when you can fund a battle royale, hero shooter, or extraction shooter with lower development costs and faster returns? Marvel Rivals, another NetEase project, launched successfully in December 2024. Days after its successful launch, NetEase laid off the U.S.-based development team while touting the game’s 40 million players.
The Warhammer IP should have been a perfect fit for an MMO. Games Workshop’s grimdark universe has passionate fans willing to spend money on their hobby. Warhammer 40,000: Darktide proved players want quality 40K experiences. The setting’s faction diversity, rich lore spanning 10,000 years of conflict, and established aesthetic provide everything an MMO needs to succeed.
What Happens Next
Jack Emmert’s LinkedIn post announcing the studio closure struck an optimistic tone despite the circumstances. He thanked NetEase for their support and encouraged industry professionals to consider hiring Jackalyptic’s team members. Senior sound designer Ben Dahl was more direct, stating that devastated doesn’t even begin to cover the feeling of watching the project end after years of work.
Some hope remains. When NetEase closed several studios earlier in the year, executives mentioned exploring options for finding new publishers. A Bloomberg report indicated that some NetEase Western studios were in discussions with potential partners. However, given Street’s comments about the challenging market for large-scale games, the odds of Jackalyptic finding alternative funding seem slim.
The Warhammer 40K MMO joins a growing graveyard of ambitious projects killed before players could experience them. Games Workshop continues licensing the IP aggressively. Amazon is producing a live-action Warhammer 40K series for Prime Video, though that show remains years away. Smaller titles like Warhammer Survivors continue releasing. But a true AAA MMO set in the 41st millennium now seems further away than ever.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was Jackalyptic Games working on?
Jackalyptic Games was developing a Warhammer 40,000 MMORPG set during the Horus Heresy era. The game appeared to focus on events surrounding the Burning of Prospero, with potential questlines for Thousand Sons players. The project was in development for three and a half years before cancellation.
Why did NetEase cancel the Warhammer 40K MMO?
NetEase cited a reassessment of business priorities and challenging market conditions. The publisher has systematically withdrawn funding from six Western studios in 2024, including Jackalyptic Games, as part of what appears to be a broader retreat from ambitious, high-budget Western development projects.
Who founded Jackalyptic Games?
Jack Emmert founded Jackalyptic Games in May 2022 as NetEase’s first U.S. studio based in Austin, Texas. Emmert is a veteran MMO designer whose credits include creating City of Heroes and serving as design lead on Champions Online, Star Trek Online, and DC Universe Online.
Will the Warhammer 40K MMO ever be released?
It’s highly unlikely. While Jack Emmert mentioned exploring new opportunities and some NetEase studios have sought alternative publishers, the current market conditions make funding a large-scale MMO extremely difficult. Former WoW designer Greg Street noted that very few deals are being made for games at this scale.
What do the leaked screenshots show?
The screenshots reveal environments set during the Horus Heresy period, specifically depicting scenes from the Burning of Prospero. The images showcase impressive visual fidelity with gothic architecture and atmospheric lighting that captures the Warhammer 40K aesthetic. The quality suggests a high-budget production that was progressing well before cancellation.
How many Western studios has NetEase closed?
NetEase has closed six Western studios throughout 2024, including Jackalyptic Games, Fantastic Pixel Castle led by Greg Street, Worlds Untold founded by Mac Walters, Jar of Sparks headed by Jerry Hook, T-Minus Zero Entertainment from Rich Vogel, and Bad Brain Game Studios. All were working on ambitious, unannounced projects.
Are there any other Warhammer 40K MMOs in development?
No confirmed Warhammer 40K MMOs are currently in active development. Games Workshop and Nexon cancelled a separate Warhammer 40K RPG in early January 2025. The franchise continues receiving smaller-scale game adaptations, but no studio has announced plans for a massively multiplayer experience.
What happened to the Jackalyptic development team?
Following the studio closure announcement in November 2024, most team members began seeking new employment opportunities. Jack Emmert and other staff encouraged industry professionals to reach out about job openings, praising the talent and dedication of the development team.
The Bigger Picture
These leaked screenshots represent more than just a cancelled game. They symbolize the increasingly precarious state of ambitious game development in an industry prioritizing safe bets and quick returns over innovative projects. A Warhammer 40K MMO led by one of the genre’s most experienced designers should have been a slam dunk. Instead, it’s another cautionary tale about publisher priorities and market realities.
For Warhammer fans, the screenshots offer a bittersweet glimpse at what might have been. The Horus Heresy setting, the apparent attention to lore, and the visual quality all suggested Jackalyptic was building something special. Now those images are all that remains, a digital tombstone for another victim of the modern gaming industry’s brutal economics.
As the screenshots circulate across Reddit and gaming forums, they serve as a reminder that talented developers, promising projects, and passionate fanbases aren’t enough to guarantee a game reaches players. Sometimes the best games are the ones we never get to play, preserved only in leaked images and the memories of developers who poured years into something that will never see the light of day.