Whatever Happened To Sony's Wild?
When Wild Sheep Studio announced "Wild" back in 2014, it seemed poised for greatness. In the reveal trailer, the developer presented the project as an online survival adventure game set ten thousand years ago. The team defined "Wild" as an exploration of man's relationship with nature, and the footage reflected that.
As showcased in the first and only gameplay trailer, players inhabit the role of a shaman, gaining the ability to possess any animal on the map. For example, they could take control of an eagle to see the world from on high or possess a wolf to attack a rival human tribe. Like online survival games such as "Minecraft," the world of "Wild" was designed to be procedurally generated, with players able to go wherever they wanted at their own pace.
PlayStation Europe explained in a 2015 tweet, "Nothing in 'Wild' is pre-written. We hope every player will have a unique story to tell in 'Wild.'" Prospective buyers are still waiting to experience those unique stories. Following its announcement, "Wild" received only small, sporadic development updates. Eight years later, fans still don't know when the survival adventure is coming out. Unfortunately for those who were looking forward to "Wild," the game may be dead in the water.
Wild rumored to be cancelled
In 2020, the game director for "Wild," Michel Ancel, announced his retirement from the gaming industry via an Instagram post. Ancel is best known for creating the iconic "Rayman" series and "Beyond Good & Evil." After Ancel's departure, he assured his fans that the development of both "Wild" and "Beyond Good & Evil 2" would continue without him. So, why hasn't there been any news about "Wild" since Ancel uploaded a screenshot in 2017?
In August 2021, industry insider Jeff Grubb claimed on the GrubbSnax podcast that "Wild" is no longer in development. Grubb said he believes that after Ancel left the endeavor, production came to a halt. However, Grubb clarified that even though "Wild" is dead, someone at Wild Sheep Studios allegedly stated, "We do have a lot of talent here, maybe we can work on some stuff." What they are working on is uncertain, but the company's LinkedIn page shows it was hiring for an undisclosed project last year.