Just Cause 5 reportedly canceled, leaving the franchise’s future in jeopardy

Just Cause 5 has reportedly been canceled midway through development, supposedly putting the entire future of the series on shaky ground. According to a recent report by the team at MP1st, the fifth Just Cause game was canceled mid-development in 2023. This assessment was based on the LinkedIn profile of a former Sumo Digital employee, who was working on the next JC game.

For those unaware, Just Cause 5 was never officially announced. Instead, gamers only found out about it after Square Enix's 2022 financial results briefing. However, it now seems that the game might never see the day of light.

---

Just Cause 5 was reportedly in development for two years before it was canceled

Just Cause 5 was reportedly being developed by Sumo Digital since 2021 and was canceled in 2023, two years into development. The team at MP1st discovered the LinkedIn profile of a former Sumo Digital employee who had worked on the title as its Vehicles Feature Team Lead.

In their LinkedIn work experience section for Sumo Digital, the ex-employee wrote:

"Vehicles Feature Team Lead for Just Cause 5 (now cancelled)"

This statement by the former employee at Sumo Digital, along with Square Enix's 2022 financial results briefing, was sufficient proof that a new Just Cause title was indeed in the making, which, unfortunately, has now been canned. As for how long it was in development, the periods shared above are not totally speculative either.

Just Cause 5 was in the making for two years before it was canceled (Image via Square Enix)

It was based on job listings at Sumo Digital in 2021, when the studio was hiring people to work on an "established AAA open-world action franchise". 2021 also happened to be the year when the aforementioned former employee joined the team at Sumo Digital as Vehicles Feature Team Lead and then left in 2023.

The last JC title was Just Cause 4, and it was launched back in 2018. Since then, only a mobile Just Cause game was officially announced in 2020. This game, too, was later canceled in 2023 after being delayed multiple times.

Currently, we don't exactly know what happened behind the scenes that led to the game's eventual cancellation. MP1st speculates that it could have had something to do with Tencent acquiring the Sumo Group in 2022.

That said, although Just Cause games might be dead for now, the name lives on. It was only recently confirmed that a Just Cause movie was being developed, which could carry on the legacy of Rico Rodriguez through films instead of video games.

---

For the latest gaming news, check out the links below:

• Splatoon Raiders announced for Nintendo Switch 2 alongside new update for Splatoon 3
• Why is MindsEye getting mostly negative reviews on Steam?
• EA FC 25 leaks: Diego Maradona is rumored to arrive as a Shapeshifters Icon
• Splitgate 2 CEO blames former Call of Duty employee for aggressive monetization in the game