Tencent attempted to create a game that could compete with Grand Theft Auto, but the project is now facing major setbacks. The developer, Lightspeed LA, laid off eighty employees after Tencent lost faith in the game, which is called Last Sentinel.

Last Sentinel is a cyberpunk game set in a futuristic version of Japan featuring a tall city, destructible environments, driving, and shooting mechanics. The game was first revealed at The Game Awards in 2023 after being in development for six years. However, fans began to worry when promotional videos released last year showed no actual gameplay.

Reports indicate that the project struggled for a long time. The team working on the game was much smaller than the teams that build Grand Theft Auto games. Employees also faced an unclear vision and difficult management under former Rockstar San Diego studio director Steve Martin.

After a bad internal test and a weak presentation to company executives earlier this year, the team tried to fix the game quickly. However, the changes were not enough, and Tencent decided to step away from funding the project.

The game has not been canceled completely. Lightspeed LA is still working on Last Sentinel without Tencent and plans to change the direction of the game, though continuing development without publisher backing will be a big challenge.