YouTuber Jacksepticeye, whose real name is Seán William McLoughlin, has shared his disappointment over the collapse of a Soma animated show he had been working on for a year. In a video titled 'A Bad Month,' he revealed the project's cancellation, which left him "quite upset."
Soma, a critically acclaimed survival horror sci-fi game developed by Frictional Games, was released in 2015. Jacksepticeye, a known fan of the game, had been actively involved in streaming and discussing Soma since its launch, often citing it as one of his top favorite video games.
In his video, Jacksepticeye discussed a challenging period creatively, marked by multiple project cancellations. He expressed his excitement about the Soma animated show, stating, "I had a very large creative project that I was very excited to do... I was planning to do a Soma animated show. Because I love Soma — Soma is top five, top 10 at least video games of all time for me. I absolutely love that game. It has one of the best stories ever in a video game."
He mentioned that they had been in talks with the developers for a year and were ready to enter full production when the project abruptly fell apart. Jacksepticeye noted that an unnamed party decided to take the project "in a different direction," which left him deeply upset. He deliberately avoided specifics due to his emotional response to the situation.
The cancellation has significantly disrupted Jacksepticeye's plans for 2025, causing him to reevaluate his priorities. He had planned to focus heavily on the Soma project, reducing his content uploads in anticipation of showcasing the animated show to his audience. The sudden change left him feeling frustrated and uncertain about his next steps.
Following Soma, Frictional Games released two more Amnesia titles: Amnesia: Rebirth in 2020 and Amnesia: The Bunker in 2023. In July 2023, Frictional's creative director, Thomas Grip, mentioned that the company was shifting focus away from horror to explore other emotional qualities in their games. Grip emphasized the importance of immersive experiences and emotional depth beyond just horror elements.
