Disney Cancels Pirates of the Caribbean Action-RPG, 'Restructures' Dev Propaganda

Disney Interactive Studios today confirmed a report that it has cancelled the Propaganda-developed Pirates of the Caribbean: Armada of the Damned, and restructured the studio. "Disney Interactive Studios confirms the cancellation of the Pirates of the Caribbean: Armada of the Damned video game which was scheduled to be released in 2011," said Disney Interactive Studios communications VP Angela Emery in a statement to Gamasutra, confirming an earlier Kotaku report. "As a result of this decision, Disney Interactive Studios completed a restructuring of Propaganda games, its Vancouver, BC internal studio, affecting one of the studio’s two development teams," she added. "The studio is still in active production of TRON: Evolution, the video game, which will be released on December 7, 2010 with additional downloadable content support following the game’s release." The LinkedIn business profile for Propaganda VP and general manager Dan Tudge -- who formerly served as project director on BioWare's Dragon Age -- shows that his employment with Propaganda ended in September this year. He was brought on board at Disney-owned Propaganda in April last year, and was commissioned to oversee the Pirates of the Caribbean action-RPG. Disney did not comment on the number of jobs affected by the restructuring, only saying that only one of two development teams are now left at the studio. The Kotaku report cited anonymous sources that said around 100 people were let go, although Disney has not officially confirmed that number. Propaganda, founded in 2005, is also developer of a current generation remake in the Turok franchise.