The days of relatively short development cycles for big-budget AAA games feels like a distant memory, as it’s not uncommon for titles to spend many years in development. These days, a five-year production cycle isn’t uncommon at all, and some games take the better part of a decade to be released. Such lengthy waits aren’t intrinsically bad, as games like Crimson Desert and Doom 2016 were worth the wait.
But right now? Numerous studios have been toiling away on their respective projects, keeping out of the spotlight and offering little to no updates along the way. Some of them have undergone drastic overhauls behind the scenes, and others were announced way too early with slick teaser trailers that were designed to excite fans andrecruit people to the project. There’s a good chance that you might have forgotten about many of the games below, but if you’re looking to refresh your memory, you can check out our list below of the biggest games still trapped in development hell.
Beyond Good & Evil 2
- First announced: 2008
We’re fast approaching the 20-year mark since Beyond Good & Evil 2 was first announced, and in the years since,, it has become the game industry’s Sasquatch–a creature of legend that we’re certain exists, but we have no real evidence to prove it. The game was re-announced, this time as an open-world prequel, in 2017, but we’ve only gotten occasional updates since then, and basically nothing of substance over the last several years.
So what’s the current state of this long-in-development project? Following the structural overhaul at Ubisoft, several games were outright canceled, but Beyond Good & Evil 2 has managed to survive that cull. Ubisoft creative director Fawzi Mesmar confirmed work is still proceeding on it, and as of late last year, Ubisoft was actually hiring for it.
The Wolf Among Us 2
- First announced: 2017
In the years since The Wolf Among Us 2 was announced, the market for narrative-adventure games has changed substantially. Telltale Incorporated as we knew it folded in 2018 and was then relaunched as Telltale Games after LCG Entertainment acquired several key Telltale assets. The Wolf Among Us 2 was re-announced at the 2019 edition of The Game Awards, and since then, there have been sporadic updates on it. In late 2024, Telltale addressed rumors that the game was at risk of being shelved due to financial difficulties and internal pressure, following significant layoffs in September 2023 that affected most of the team working on it.
State of Decay 3
- First announced: 2020
One of several Xbox projects that has been bubbling away for what feels like an eternity, State of Decay 3 is still in development. One of the more recent updates for the zombie-survival game came in January 2026, when Head of Xbox Game Studios Craig Duncan commented on its current state. “I have done several visits to that studio in the last six to eight months,” Duncan said. “I have sat and played the game with the team a bunch of times. It’s coming on really well. We’re very excited about the franchise and its potential. So I will certainly see a lot more of it in the coming year.”
With a busy 2026 ahead of it that includes games like Forza Horizon 6, Fable, Kiln, and Halo; Campaign Evolved, State of Decay 3 is likely being kept in reserve for 2027, but the good news is that we might be getting a new look at it soon. Undead Labs recently revealed that it’ll be holding playtests for State of Decay 3 throughout the year.
BioShock 4
- First announced: 2019
The next BioShock game has been in development for a longtime, but it doesn’t look like it’s in danger of being canceled yet. Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick addressed the lengthy development cycle in November 2025, promising that it would eventually come out. Those comments came in the wake of BioShock 4 reportedly undergoing an overhaul and layoffs at developer Cloud Chamber that led to the departure of studio head Kelley Gilmore, with former Diablo boss Rod Fergusson taking over.
Star Wars: Eclipse
- First announced: 2021
Star Wars: Eclipse was announced a long, long time ago, and since then, it has been nothing but radio silence from developer Quantic Dream. In 2025, Quantic Dream said the game was still on track, but recent reports suggest that its future might be uncertain. The future of the game might hinge on the studio’s upcoming free-to-play multiplayer title Spellcasters Chronicles, and progress has reportedly been slow on Eclipse. “Should Spellcasters fail commercially, NetEase is expected to reevaluate its commitment to the studio and could opt to discontinue further investment,” a source said to Insider Gaming recently.
It’s also worth noting that story elements for the game may have been intentionally leaked back in 2022, reportedly as a way to gauge interest in the title.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake
- First announced: 2021
The Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic remake has had a rocky development path ever since it was first announced. Back in 2025, it was claimed that developer Aspyr had been removed from the project and that Mad Head Games–the studio currently working on Hellraiser: Revival–was put in charge. That same report also claimed that a remake of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2 had been put in carbonite, but Saber’s chief creative officer Tim Willits recently offered a brief update on it. “Yes, it is still in development. That’s all I can say,” Willits said.
Beyond that, there hasn’t been a peep or even a leak of the game, as it remains more well-hidden than a Sith lord during the High Republic era.
