Remedy Entertainment Cancels Multiplayer Project Codename Kestrel

Remedy Entertainment, the renowned developer behind critically acclaimed games like Alan Wake and Control, has recently announced the cancellation of its secret multiplayer project, Codename Kestrel.

The decision to shelve Kestrel was made to reallocate resources and focus on the company’s already established franchises.

What was Codename Kestrel?

Codename Kestrel was one of the ambitious game projects that Remedy Entertainment had been working on since 2021.

Initially announced as a free-to-play cooperative game called Vanguard, it was going to be co-financed and co-published with the Chinese tech giant, Tencent.

However, in November 2023, the project was rebooted as a premium game named Codname Kestrel.

The game was supposed to have a strong cooperative multiplayer component with a live service model.

Despite early promise, the project was still in its early concept stage and had not progressed significantly.

Unfortunately, Remedy decided to cancel the game in order to focus on other projects that were further along in development.

Remedy CEO, Tero Virtala, expressed gratitude to the Kestrel development team for their hard work and valuable learnings gained from the project despite its cancellation.

What are the Current Projects Remedy is Focusing On?

With the cancellation of Kestrel, Remedy Entertainment will now dedicate its resources to several high-profile projects, including:

• Remakes of Max Payne 1 and 2
• Control 2 (sequel to the critically acclaimed Control)
• Condor, a multiplayer spin-off from the Control universe

Recently, in quarterly earning reports, Remedy has confirmed that the remakes of Max Payne and Max Payne 2 will enter full production by the end of June 2024.

Additionally, two DLC expansions for Alan Wake 2 are slated for release later this year. The Night Springs expansion is expected relatively soon, whereas The Lake House has a provisional release date set for 2024.

What’s Next for Remedy Entertainment’s Multiplayer Ambitions?

While Kestrel has been shelved, Remedy’s multiplayer aspirations will live on through Condor.

Described as a four-player, coop PvE game set in the Control universe, Condor will likely receive a development boost from the resources and personnel previously assigned to Kestrel.

Earlier this year Remedy acquired full rights to its highly successful Control franchise from 505 Games as part of its long-term strategy.

This means Remedy now has full control over Condor’s development and publishing rights and they want full use of it.