NetEase MMO Studio Shuts Down: Greg Street's Project Ghost Halted
The ambitious journey for a new fantasy MMORPG has come to an untimely end. Fantastic Pixel Castle, the NetEase-owned development studio led by decorated industry veteran Greg Street, is set to close its doors. The studio, which had been working on a highly anticipated title codenamed *Project Ghost*, was unable to secure new funding after parent company NetEase made the decision to cease its investment.
The news was confirmed by Street, a celebrated designer best known for his influential tenure as the Lead Systems Designer on *World of Warcraft*, in a public statement. He explained that while NetEase had provided the team with a grace period to pitch their project to other publishers and investors, those efforts ultimately did not come to fruition. The studio’s operations are expected to wind down by mid-November.
The Difficult Road to Closure
The studio's shutdown was not a sudden event but the conclusion of a weeks-long struggle for survival. Earlier in the fall, Greg Street had transparently communicated that NetEase, the studio's parent company and sole financial backer, had made a strategic decision to pull funding from the project.
At the time, Street expressed optimism that the team would be able to find a new home for *Project Ghost*. NetEase allowed the studio's leadership time to shop the game around the industry, a move that gave the team a fighting chance to continue their work under a new banner. Despite these efforts, a new partnership could not be secured within the given timeframe.
In his announcement, Street expressed immense gratitude for his team's dedication and talent, calling them "an amazing team." He also thanked NetEase for the initial opportunity and for providing the window to seek alternative funding. While the primary path forward has closed, Street noted "there is still a chance" the studio could be revived in some form if a last-minute deal materializes, though he acknowledged this was an unlikely outcome. The focus now is on helping the talented developers at the studio find new positions within the games industry.
What Was Project 'Ghost'?
Fantastic Pixel Castle was founded just two years ago with a clear and ambitious mission: to build the next great fantasy MMORPG. Codenamed *Project Ghost*, the game was being developed in Unreal Engine 5 and aimed to deliver a fresh experience in a genre dominated by long-standing titans.
While specific gameplay details remained largely under wraps, the studio's philosophy was one of open communication. Greg Street was active on social media, engaging directly with the MMO community to discuss design principles and development ideas. This approach generated significant goodwill and excitement, as fans felt they had a stake in the game's creation from its earliest stages.
The vision for *Project Ghost* was to create a vibrant, new fantasy world that could capture the imaginations of players for years to come. The studio was composed of a mix of seasoned veterans and promising new talent, all united under Street's leadership to tackle the monumental task of building a AAA MMO from the ground up.
The Legacy of a Visionary Designer
A major reason for the immense interest in Fantastic Pixel Castle was the reputation of Greg "Ghostcrawler" Street himself. His name is synonymous with some of the most formative years of the world's most successful MMORPG.
- World of Warcraft: As Lead Systems Designer at Blizzard Entertainment, Street was a key architect of class design, balancing, and major gameplay systems for iconic expansions like *The Burning Crusade*, *Wrath of the Lich King*, and *Mists of Pandaria*. He was also a prominent public face for the development team, known for his detailed forum posts explaining complex design choices.
- Riot Games: After his time at Blizzard, Street joined Riot Games, where he eventually became the Head of Creative Development for the entire *League of Legends* universe. He was also the executive producer for Riot's own in-development MMORPG set in the world of Runeterra before departing to form Fantastic Pixel Castle.
His track record for building deep, engaging systems and entire worlds made him one of the most trusted figures in the genre. The closure of his latest venture underscores the immense financial risks and market challenges inherent in creating a new, subscription-based or live-service MMO in the current gaming landscape.
A Sobering Reality for MMO Development
The story of Fantastic Pixel Castle serves as a poignant reminder of the volatility of the video game industry, especially for massive-scale projects like MMORPGs. These games require enormous upfront investment, years of development, and a dedicated team of hundreds to even have a chance at success.
Even with a powerhouse publisher like NetEase and a legendary designer like Greg Street at the helm, the path to launch is fraught with peril. Strategic shifts within a parent company, changing market conditions, or the sheer scale of the financial commitment can bring even the most promising projects to a halt. For the passionate team at Fantastic Pixel Castle and the hopeful fans who followed their journey, the dream of *Project Ghost* has, for now, faded.