Uncharted creator's Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra isn't cancelled, but this gameplay tease has us very worried

Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra, the highly anticipated action-adventure from Uncharted creator Amy Hennig, is reportedly facing major development struggles, with claims that the game has been significantly scaled back and was originally intended as a Netflix mobile game.

While it reportedly hasn't been cancelled, Kotaku's new report raises concerns about the future of Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra, developed by Skydance New Media. Will the game, officially unveiled in March 2024, live up to fans' expectations if it eventually launches?

Set during World War II, Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra brings together iconic superheroes Captain America and Black Panther in the fight against Hydra. However, reports suggest that the campaign has been shortened, content has been cut, and gameplay primarily relies on a single button. Understandably, these claims have raised concerns about the game's future.

Marvel 1943 gameplay reportedly suffers major cuts amid development struggles

According to Kotaku, several behind-the-scenes concerns have been brought to light. On November 11, a now-deleted tweet from the X fan account Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra Countdown read: “BREAKING NEWS: Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra has been cancelled. Announcement coming soon.” However, executive producer Lu Gigliotti reportedly denied those claims in internal Slack messages to employees.

The report from Kotaku's Rebekah Valentine claims that Marvel 1943 was originally intended to be a Netflix game before evolving into a PC and console release. It's said that gameplay is very limited, with much of the interaction relying on a single-button system. This year's Marvel's Wolverine came under fire for having QTEs that couldn't be failed, with player handholding taken to another level. If these latest claims are true, Marvel 1943 could take a similar approach.

Sources have also claimed that the game's original vision has been heavily scaled back, reducing its overall campaign length. The project has reportedly gone over budget and suffered multiple delays since its announcement over two years ago. There have also been recent Skydance layoffs, although there's no confirmation that these have significantly impacted the Marvel 1943 development team.

It's also claimed that Marvel 1943 is approaching an alpha milestone, which could raise further questions about its potential 2027 release window.

READ MORE: PlayStation users go wild as Marvel's Wolverine guts its worst feature in new update

Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra has already suffered multiple delays

Following its announcement in March 2024, Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra has already faced a barrage of hurdles. Originally scheduled for release in 2025, the game was delayed to early 2026 before suffering another setback in November 2025.

Then, in June 2026, it was revealed that the game wouldn't arrive until 2027 at the earliest. Skydance New Media has remained somewhat optimistic, at least publicly, but it would be understandable if some fans believe the proverbial writing has been on the wall for quite some time.

Of course, it's worth keeping in mind that these reports are unconfirmed, and we should take them with a pinch of salt until proven otherwise. Despite its delays and the recent reports from Kotaku, we can still hope that Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra ends up being the superhero experience we want it to be. However, until Skydance New Media shows us some new gameplay, the cloud of doubt will continue to hang over the project.