Development footage of the canceled sequel to Bethesda Softworks and Human Head Studios’ first-person shooter immersive sim, Prey, has leaked online.
The leaked footage from a development build of the Prey sequel contains the game’s opening section, an early fly-through of the Undercity, an agile combat demo, a chase sequence prototype, and a demo walkthrough.
The demo walkthrough appears to be more polished compared to the other videos. It shows protagonist Killian Samuels platforming his way across the city. The game’s UI shows standard elements like the world map and the equipped weapon along with its carried ammo. A chase sequence then plays out in which Samuels is hunting down a target. A radial menu is also brought up during gameplay, revealing several tactical options available to the player. Later, the protagonist enters a bar containing several NPCs, leading to a shootout.
Prey 2 was planned for release for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Windows PC. The project was originally announced by 3D Realms in 2006 shortly after the release of the first game. However, full development did not begin until 2009, when Human Head Studios started work on the title following the transfer of rights from 3D Realms to ZeniMax Media, Bethesda’s parent company. Bethesda officially unveiled Prey 2 in 2011, showcasing a new protagonist and a shift toward an open-world design. By late 2011, Human Head had reached near-alpha status but abruptly halted work on the game for undisclosed reasons.
For years, rumors circulated that the project had either been abandoned or passed on to another developer, with Arkane Studios frequently mentioned as taking over. Bethesda confirmed in 2014 that Prey 2 was cancelled because it failed to meet internal expectations. Two years later, the publisher revealed that Arkane was indeed working on a new Prey, a reboot released in 2017 that carried forward the franchise’s name and themes, but not Human Head’s original work.
