Metal Max Wild West Canceled

Metal Max Wild West, a new entry in the long-running Metal Max franchise, is canceled. In an announcement posted to the official Metal Max Xeno social media accounts, Kadokawa Games informed its audience that development of the game, scheduled for release in 2022, has been discontinued. Kadokawa also apologized to fans looking forward to the game and partners potentially affected by the cancelation.

No specific reason for the cancelation was given, but the full statement mentioned Kadokawa’s consideration of the “current state of development” for the game as a factor in the decision.

【ご案内とお詫び】
2022年発売予定『メタルマックス ワイルドウエスト』の、開発中止が決定しましたことをお知らせいたします。
お待ちいただいているユーザーの皆さま、関係者の皆さまに多大なるご迷惑をおかけしますこと、心よりお詫び申し上げます。https://t.co/3hefjY3OoO pic.twitter.com/7Mda5W0Gus

— メタルマックスプロジェクト【公式】【Cygames】 (@metalmax_pr) June 9, 2022

Metal Max Wild West was originally announced in 2019 as Metal Max Xeno Reborn 2. According to a 30th Anniversary stream event from 2021, the game would take place after the events of Xeno Reborn and involve a new protagonist restoring a post-apocalyptic city to life. It was themed around the concept of rebuilding, though it would still center around the vehicle-based combat of the series proper (and Xeno in particular).

Though Metal Max Wild West is gone, Kadokawa is still working on games in the franchise. Xeno Reborn will soon be available outside Japan, only the second (third, if you count the original release of Metal Max Xeno in 2018 as separate) game in the franchise to make it overseas. A top-down shooter spin-off called Metal Dogs is available on PC, PS4, and Switch and stars Pochi, the armed and armored dog from Metal Max Xeno Reborn. And there’s also Metal Saga: Flames of Rebellion, a new game that’s still in development and targeted for the Nintendo Switch. Lastly, there is still Code Zero, the code name for a reboot of the original Metal Max. That game, however, has had no public updates since its announcement in 2019.

Metal Max Xeno Reborn launches on June 10, 2022 for the Nintendo Switch, PS4, and PC.