Troy Baker’s Cyberpunk Project Inspired by GTA 6 Faces Development Challenges

A recent report sheds light on the troubled development journey of Last Sentinel, a cyberpunk title aiming to rival Grand Theft Auto, which has struggled to find its footing at Tencent’s Lightspeed LA studio over the past six years.

Initially unveiled in 2023, Last Sentinel was pitched as an ambitious open-world AAA experience, with notable talent like Troy Baker on board as the performance director. However, on July 28, after a long period of silence, Lightspeed LA announced on LinkedIn that it had laid off developers as part of a strategic pivot for Last Sentinel, following “extensive internal reviews and play-testing.” Shortly after, details of its tumultuous development surfaced.

On July 31, an investigation revealed the challenges faced by this dystopian open-world game set in Japan. Internally, Tencent viewed Last Sentinel as a cyberpunk alternative to Grand Theft Auto, but the project became too complex for the relatively small team at Lightspeed LA. The studio’s management style was described as “polarizing,” further complicating the development process.

Over six years, Last Sentinel encountered multiple delays, missed internal deadlines, and cost Tencent hundreds of millions. A playtest earlier this year yielded predominantly negative feedback, and despite efforts to refine the demo until July, it failed to impress Tencent executives, leading to the layoff of 80 developers.

While Lightspeed LA maintains that Last Sentinel is still in development after a shift in its “creative and development direction,” the report suggests uncertainty even within the studio about the game’s future direction. It seems unlikely that it will resemble a Grand Theft Auto-style open-world sandbox.

Given these circumstances, it’s not surprising that Lightspeed LA has yet to announce a release window for the revamped Last Sentinel.