AquaNox 2: Revelation

Cancelled PlayStation 2 version

A heavily reworked PS2 port named AquaNox: The Angel's Tear was finished, but never released. According to Alexander Jorias, a few weeks before the planned release, all but five people were fired because of JoWooD's financial problems. When JoWooD stopped paying the remaining developers altogether, Massive refused to give the product to their publisher because they did not want to lose their last bargaining chip in case JoWooD had to go into administration. Of course this led to drama which escalated in JoWooD's allegation that Massive actively sabotaged the game by programming in bugs. Ultimately this lead to the complete closure of Massive and the cancellation of the finished game. Unsourced rumours also say that the game fell through Sony's quality assurance test.

In 2017, Wolfgang Walk added a few more details to the story: he confirmed that Massive sabotaged the Sony quality check (but only small details like a typo in the Sony smash screen) to get two more weeks of development time. The reason for JoWooD's financial problems were the 1.6 million (it is not known if Euros or Dollars) licensing fee for 200.000 produced Legend of Kay units because they did not read the licensing agreement. Sony offered to waive the fee for the AquaNox: The Angel's Tear rights, but JoWooD declined. Walk, after two missed payments, entered Massive into administration - JoWooD forced the Massive management to delay the filing of insolvency.

Awards

• GameStar (Germany)
  • February 13, 2003 - Best Simulation in 2002 (Reader's voting)