Summary

  • Unknown 9: Awakening franchise was canceled due to underperformance, confirms Reflector Entertainment.
  • Unknown 9 was conceptualized as a transmedia project spanning multiple formats.
  • Developer Reflector also confirms staff redundancies.

The developer behind Unknown 9: Awakening Reflector Entertainment has issued a statement confirming the cancelation of the intended franchise after the first installment underperformed. Unknown 9: Awakening was first released in October 2024, following the protagonist and Quaestor-born Haroona (played by Netflix’s The Witcher’s Anya Chalotra) who must navigate a mysterious dimension known as the Fold. There, Haroona embarks on a quest for hidden knowledge and to harness the Fold’s powers to beat a hostile secret society.

Unknown 9: Awakening was announced for PC and next-gen consoles back in 2020, establishing a brand-new IP considered to be a transmedia project. The term transmedia describes a style of storytelling through multiple mediums, including video games, film, and books, for example. Unknown 9 was conceptualized as an ongoing series, spanning podcasts, comics, and even a web series, many of which have already been released.

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Posted on LinkedIn, Reflector CEO Herve Hoerdt informed the community that the studio would not be greenlighting any further projects relating to Unknown 9’s development. Hoerdt explained this decision was made following the “failure of the studio’s ambitious and courageous first project, a new IP with a rich transmedia universe” and acknowledged the game “didn’t come near the company expectations.” Because the debut title massively underperformed, the CEO confirmed the IP “didn’t warrant any further exploration.” Before its release, gamers thought Unknown 9: Awakening was a mix of Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden and Forspoken, Don’t Nod’s 2024 action RPG, and Square Enix’s 2023 title of the same genre.

Developer Reflector Entertainment Confirms Unknown 9 Cancelation

Shortly after the franchise’s announcement, Bandai Namco Entertainment acquired Unknown 9’s studio to undertake the ambitious project. Unfortunately, part of Hoerdt’s statement confirmed several staff members would be made redundant, including back-office employees, and given severance packages, further health benefits, access to counseling services, and “proactive” career planning support. The CEO added that affected staff would be assigned to one of Banda Namco’s IP projects where possible, stating the work was “shaping up very well." Unfortunately, this is Reflector’s second round of redundancies after a wave in November 2024.

Even though Unknown 9: Awakening flaunted amazing stepping powers shown through several of the game’s previews, the title received a 59 Metascore on Metacritic, and a disappointing 1.7 user score, with many of the reviews reporting uninspired gameplay, lackluster writing, and a repeated point of contention involving Reflector’s collaboration with Sweet Baby Inc. Sadly, the cancelation came as no surprise to the gaming community, with some social media users admitting they hadn’t heard of Unknown 9: Awakening before and had no idea the game had been released.

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Unknown 9: Awakening Tag Page Cover Art

Unknown 9: Awakening
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Action-Adventure
Fighting
Adventure
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Systems
PlayStation-1 Xbox-1
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Released
2024
ESRB
m
Developer(s)
Reflector Entertainment
Publisher(s)
Reflector Entertainment
Engine
Unreal Engine 5
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
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Delve into the mysterious world of the Unknown 9, and uncover mysteries hidden in plain sight.

You are Haroona, a Quaestor born with the ability to venture into a mysterious dimension that overlaps our own, known only as the Fold. On her quest for powerful hidden knowledge, Haroona will learn to master her unique connection to the Fold, which allows her to channel its powers into our world... But such power does not go unnoticed and Haroona quickly becomes the target of a splinter faction calling themselves the Ascendants, who want to use the Fold to alter the course of human history.

Become Haroona - Play as a young and courageous woman who has the ability to dive into and channel powers from a parallel dimension known as the Fold.

Master the Fold - Leverage your mastery of the Fold and choose your own playstyle. Step into your enemies to control them, dodge bullets, vanish in plain sight, hurl Umbric energy at your opponents, and more.

Journey across the world - From the sands of Mauritania and perilous Indian jungles to the gothic landscapes of 19th century Portugal, discover some of the most mysterious locations the world has to offer.
 

Platform(s)
PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X and Series S
Genre(s)
Action-Adventure, Fighting, Adventure