Microsoft have quietly put away the game creator toys as they mothball Project Spark.
Project Spark—Microsoft’s free-to-play “game-maker video game”—has been cancelled, Microsoft announced today.
What was Microsoft’s attempt at community created content like Super Mario Maker for the PC and Xbox, Project Spark has come to an end.
The tools will no longer be available for download on Xbox or PC. Online services will be discontinued on August 12—so those who haven’t saved their creations locally should back them up now.
Additionally, Microsoft will continue to refund all players who purchased Project Spark after October 5 and before today. Credits will automatically be added to the Microsoft accounts of those eligible.
“This was an extremely difficult decision for our team that we do not take lightly,” Thomas Gratz, community manager at Team Dakota, said. “When Project Spark transitioned away from active development last fall, many of our team members moved to other projects within Microsoft Studios.”
This means there have been no layoffs at Microsoft over Project Spark, Gratz added.
“Despite the news, we want to celebrate the accomplishments of our team and community of creators and players,” Gratz continues, “Our team released 46 content packs, thousands of assets and 16 updates since launch.”
Project Spark’s discontinuation comes shortly after Microsoft pulled the plug on Fable Legends developer Lionhead Studios.
