Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory canceled

Activision and id Software have announced that Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory won't be released to retail as planned. The multiplayer component is expected to be released in several months as a free downloadable expansion, but Enemy Territory's single-player component--which was in development at Mad Doc Software--won't ever see the light of day. Enemy Territory's single-player struck out in a very different direction from Return to Castle Wolfenstein's, as the player was to be accompanied by a group of AI squadmates who would autonomously accomplish tasks suitable to their weapons and abilities.

The following statement was released by id Software to explain the cancellation: "Despite a strong effort from talented developers, the single-player portion of the game did not progress as anticipated. Canceling the release was a difficult decision made in the best interest of the Wolfenstein franchise and fans. However, we remain excited about the progress and direction of Enemy Territory's multiplayer."

Enemy Territory's multiplayer component will dramatically expand Return to Castle Wolfenstein's mission-based team combat. Matches can be fought on map series that form linked campaigns, and players gain experience in certain skill areas that can provide a persistent advantage through an entire campaign. Enemy Territory will also introduce a new character class, the covert ops agent, and greatly expand the engineer's role to include construction of critical battlefield structures.

For more details, check out our previous coverage of Return to Castle Wolfenstein and the Return to Castle Wolfenstein expansion.