In addition to confirming the release date of Assassin's Creed: Shadows, Ubisoft's quarterly earnings call yesterday also announced that it has canceled the development of the third-person action shooter The Division: Heartland.
Ubisoft's chief financial officer, Frederick Duguet, said that the decision, while difficult, was necessary for the company's strategic realignment. He further explained that Ubisoft has redirected its resources to other projects, such as Unruly Alliance and Rainbow Six, in pursuit of greater market opportunities.
Developed by Red Storm Entertainment, Heartland was originally planned to be a free-to-play multiplayer survival action shooter set in a fictional township in the middle of the United States, and to be released on PC and consoles. The game is set in a small town called Silver Creek, which was abandoned by an outbreak of the Dollar Flu.
Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot emphasized on the call that the cancellation of Heartland is part of the company's strategy to streamline its product line and focus on open-world adventures and native game-as-a-service space.