Ghost of Tsushima Developers Canceled “Prophecy” Project Leaked Online

Recently uncovered footage reveals that Ghost of Tsushima developer Sucker Punch was previously working on a now-canceled project known as Prophecy.

This information seems to have originated from the portfolio of a Sucker Punch character artist which contained footage of a work-in-progress version of Prophecy. The portfolio has since been taken down, but fans have managed to save and spread the footage via various forums.

While most of what we “know” about Prophecy is really just speculation based on analysis of that footage, it should be noted that the footage appears to have been taken from a version of Prophecy which was fairly far into development. As such, it’s likely the leaked video fairly accurately represents Sucker Punch’s vision for the game.

The video focuses on what seems to be the game’s protagonist (a rogue-type named Abel Tvorah) as he attempts to work his way through a rundown city filled with hostile forces. After narrowly escaping capture, Tvorah takes to the city’s ceilings and catwalks in order to evade pursuers and guards.

Tvorah’s noble attempt at avoiding torture and arrest hits a snag when he’s shot in the leg by an arrow. He hobbles his way through various environments doing his best to battle his heavily armed and armored foes until he eventually defeats a guard (off-screen) and takes the guard’s armor. It’s then that Tvorah references a chamber that he seems to want to find before anyone else.

The leaked footage is lighter in terms of plot details, but it does showcase Prophecy’s intriguing world which emphasizes medieval themes. Still, it’s pretty clear that the game doesn’t take place during an actual historical period, which raises some questions regarding whether or not this was one of the alternate concepts for Ghost of Tsushima that Sucker Punch says they considered before ultimately landing on that game’s samurai theme.

Speaking of Ghost of Tsushima, it certainly looks like Prophecy would have featured many of the mechanics seen in that game. Both titles feature nearly identical combat systems, and even some of the animations look similar. That said, it appears that Prophecy may have featured more of an emphasis on stealth as best seen in the footage’s Assassin’s Creed-like rooftop sneaking sequences.

Since Sucker Punch hasn’t officially acknowledged Prophecy or explained what the game was going to be all about, we’re left to assume that this is something the studio simply chose to abandon at one point and likely don’t plan to revisit. That said, we’re curious what the official story is.