Tencent Invested Six Years and Hundreds of Millions to Develop Last Sentinel as a GTA Rival, but Ultimately Fell Short

Last Sentinel made a splash with its cinematic reveal at the 2023 Game Awards, presenting itself as a sci-fi open-world action game crafted by ex-Rockstar Games developers. Fast forward three years, and it seems the project has been left in the dust without any gameplay footage ever being shown. Reports indicate that Tencent, the game’s financial backer, has opted not to proceed with the project following a recent development review. Initially envisioned as a competitor to Grand Theft Auto, it now risks fading into obscurity.

While it’s common for new games to fall short of expectations, Last Sentinel was a significant undertaking. Developed by Lightspeed LA, production kicked off six years ago and had already racked up costs in the hundreds of millions. After a playtest earlier this year reportedly went poorly, Lightspeed was given one last shot to enhance the game’s quality. However, the results of the final review, as reported, led Tencent to decide against continuing with the game, resulting in a mass layoff of 80 developers from the studio.

So, what went wrong? Reports point to a lack of clear direction, vision, and effective management, particularly from project head Steve Martin, a veteran of Rockstar Games with 14 years of experience, including overseeing its San Diego office. The project’s ambition may have been too grand for a new studio attempting to create a GTA-quality cyberpunk open world with a relatively small team. Ultimately, the game exceeded its budgets and timelines, prompting Tencent to pull the plug as it shifts focus away from AAA gaming.

A spokesperson for Lightspeed LA stated that the studio remains operational and continues to develop games, hinting that some iteration of the project might still be in the works.

The apparent downfall of Last Sentinel follows Tencent’s earlier decision to close TiMi Montreal, another studio it had funded for years without delivering a game. TiMi’s L.A.-based studio, Team Kaiju, which had attracted talent from franchises like Halo and Battlefield, also shut down in 2023.

Several projects that emerged during the pandemic gaming boom have quietly vanished or met with spectacular failures. MindsEye was once touted as a potential rival to GTA but ended up being the worst-rated game of 2025, embroiled in controversies over alleged employee surveillance.