Ubisoft cancels Animal Crossing and Minecraft-inspired cosy life sim game Alterra
Ubisoft has cancelled Alterra, an in-development life simulator that blended Animal Crossing-style gameplay with Minecraft-like voxel building mechanics. The cancellation was announced to staff on April 21st at Ubisoft Montreal, with employees notified during the workday and sent home for the day.
The project had been in development for approximately three years under the direction of creative director Patrick Redding and lead producer Fabien Lhéraud. First reported in late 2024, Alterra was described as an “Animal Crossing-inspired social sim” featuring Minecraft elements and NPCs called “Matterlings.”
The cancellation represents part of Ubisoft’s broader portfolio management and restructuring efforts. The publisher stated it “continuously assess[es] projects at every stage of development” to ensure they meet internal expectations. This follows a pattern of recent project shutdowns at the company, including the cancelled Sands of Time remake.
Notably, the cancellation resulted in no layoffs. All staff working on Alterra have been reassigned to other projects within Ubisoft’s portfolio. While Ubisoft declined to comment directly on Alterra, the game remains officially unannounced, making the public cancellation of an unannounced project noteworthy in industry coverage.
Sources
- Ubisoft cancels Animal Crossing and Minecraft-inspired cosy life sim game Alterra
- Report: Ubisoft cancels social-sim game Alterra
- Ubisoft reportedly cancels life-simulator project Alterra
- Rumour: Ubisoft Cancels Animal Crossing Competitor After 3 Years in Development
- Ubisoft have reportedly cancelled Alterra, a life sim blending Animal Crossing with Minecraft, after almost three years of dev work