Amazon goes back to the drawing board with Breakaway
"We aren't sure how long this will take…"
It sounds like Amazon has gone back to the drawing board with Breakaway.
Breakaway, in case you forgot it existed, is a Twitch-focused fantasy sports brawler built by Amazon Game Studios, the developer launched in 2014 with a song and dance but has yet to produce any games.
It held public alpha tests over the weekend, but it's clear feedback wasn't particularly positive. In a note on the Breakaway website, Amazon said it was "letting our team take the time to iterate and evolve Breakaway's core gameplay to deliver what you've asked for". That sounds a lot like starting from scratch.
"We aren't sure how long this will take, but we think it's the right thing to do for the game, and you, the community," Amazon continued. So, Breakaway isn't dead, but it's hardly coming soon, either.
Kotaku reported no layoffs are planned but Breakaway is on "indefinite hiatus".
Breakaway's troubles are a blow for Amazon Game Studios, which hired Portal designer Kim Swift and Far Cry 2 design chief Clint Hocking and bought Killer Instinct developer Double Helix to get the ball rolling. Both Swift and Hocking have since left, and Amazon Games Studios has yet to ship a game.