Outriders 2 Was One of the Recently Canceled Projects by People Can Fly

Outriders 2 Was One of the Recently Canceled Projects by People Can Fly

Outriders 2, the anticipated sequel to People Can Fly’s popular looter-shooter, was reportedly one of the two major projects canceled by the studio earlier this year.

The cancellation came as part of a wider restructuring within the Polish studio, known for titles like Outriders, Bulletstorm, and Gears of War: Judgment. In June 2025, People Can Fly confirmed that two internal projects—codenamed Project Gemini and Project Bifrost—were being shelved, resulting in around 50 layoffs. While the studio’s official announcement didn’t name any publishers at the time, further reporting has shed light on what those projects actually were.

According to a report by Thumb Wars, Project Gemini was in fact Outriders 2. The game was in the motion capture stage when it was unexpectedly halted. Although initial reports suggested it was close to completion, Insider Gaming clarified that the footage and materials they received indicate it wasn’t as "nearly finished" as previously assumed.

The reasons behind the cancellation haven't been made public, but multiple sources have pointed to issues between People Can Fly and publisher Square Enix. Allegedly, funding problems and communication breakdowns played a significant role in the decision to scrap the sequel. This is especially surprising considering the original Outriders was considered a success, drawing in over 3.5 million players in its first month. Square Enix had even referred to it as a potential flagship franchise.

Meanwhile, Project Bifrost, the second canceled title, was an original live-service IP. According to reports, it lacked creative direction and failed to excite even the studio’s internal teams. It was described as a trend-chasing product that didn’t bring anything fresh to the table, which may have contributed to its quiet exit.

These cancellations follow earlier cuts in 2024, where People Can Fly laid off around 120 employees after Take-Two pulled out of their co-developed action game Project Dagger. Despite these setbacks, the studio still has a number of irons in the fire. It is currently working on Gears of War: E-Day with Xbox Game Studios, Project Echo with Krafton (the makers of PUBG), and Project Delta with Sony Interactive Entertainment. There’s also Lost Rift, a VR game, and Project Bison, details of which remain under wraps.