Bethesda Admits "Concerns" Over Battlecry

Doubts have been cast over the future of Battlecry, the team-focused multiplayer shooter first revealed at E3 2014, after its publisher Bethesda admitted it had "concerns" regarding the quality of the project.

Due to the game's conspicuous absence at recent industry events, questions began to circulate regarding the status of the project. In response, Bethesda revealed that the project is undergoing evaluation.

In a statement issued to Progress Bar, the publisher said: "We have concerns about the Battlecry game and whether it is meeting the objectives we have for it. We are evaluating what improvements the game needs to meet our quality standards. The studio remains busy during this process on multiple projects."

It is unusual for a games publisher to publicly discuss reservations it has for a game that it is tasked with promoting.

With Battlecry undergoing evaluation, one possibility could be that Bethesda will want the project to be built under a new direction. At this stage it is also not unforeseeable that the project could be cancelled entirely. Any decision the publisher makes could have some impact on Battlecry Studios, the Texas-based studio tasked with building the game.

When first revealed in May 2014, Battlecry was pitched as a free-to-play team deathmatch game with no guns. As subsequent coverage showed, the game does feature projectile-based weaponry such as crossbows, but much of the focus has been on melee combat.