Square Enix kills unsanctioned Tomb Raider remakes
"Our recent research, studies and reviews on Tomb Raider 3 were unwelcome," says developer Realtech VR
An unsanctioned remaster of the original Tomb Raider trilogy has been cancelled by Square Enix.
Just weeks after the remakes were announced, Canadian developer Realtech VR confirmed that it was no longer committed to third-party licenses and would be moving on to augment and virtual reality projects.
The project, which would have seen the original PlayStation Tomb Raider games re-released in HD on Steam, was killed by license holder Square Enix.
"While we always welcome passion and excitement for the Tomb Raider franchise, the remasters in question were initiated and advertised without seeking approval. As such, they were never officially sanctioned," said the publisher.
"Ensuring fans receive high quality gaming experiences is at the heart of our mission as a company, which requires all projects to go through proper channels."
All evidence of the remakes has been removed from Realtech VR's website, and videos of the remasters have been taken down from YouTube.
In a statement issued to GamesIndustry.biz, a spokesman from Realtech VR said he was unable to discuss the details due to legal reasons.
"We had a great experience with Square Enix during the two first Tomb Raider [games] on mobile," he said.
"But our recent research, studies and reviews on Tomb Raider 3 were unwelcome, although those rights are protected with fair dealing in Canadian copyright law. Right now, we don't have any business with Square Enix."