YouTuber Jacksepticeye, whose real name is Seán William McLoughlin, recently shared a disheartening update in his latest video titled 'A Bad Month.' He disclosed that he had been working on an animated adaptation of the critically acclaimed survival horror game, Soma, for an entire year, only to see the project collapse, leaving him "quite upset."
Soma, developed by Frictional Games, the creators of the Amnesia series, was released in 2015 and has since been celebrated for its gripping narrative. Jacksepticeye, a fan of the game, streamed it extensively upon its release and often cites it as one of his top favorite video games.
Jacksepticeye was working on a Soma animated show. Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for QTCinderella.
In the video, Jacksepticeye discussed the creative challenges he's been facing, including several projects that have either been canceled or stalled. He then revealed the Soma animated show, a project he was deeply passionate about. "I had a very large creative project that I was very excited to do," he said, expressing his enthusiasm for the project and his love for Soma, which he ranks among the top video games of all time due to its compelling story.
Jacksepticeye explained that he and his team had been in discussions with the developers of Soma for a year and were on the brink of entering full production. His excitement was palpable as he talked about wanting to announce the project and engage with his audience about it. He had even delayed playing the entire game in one video, waiting for the right moment to announce the animated show.
However, the project abruptly fell apart when an unnamed party decided to take the project in a "different direction." Jacksepticeye was understandably upset and chose not to delve into the specifics of what happened, stating, "I’m not going to go into too many of the specifics of what happened, because I’m quite upset about what actually went down."
The cancellation of the Soma animated show significantly disrupted Jacksepticeye's plans for 2025. He had organized his year around the project, anticipating that it would be his main focus. "I had planned a lot of my year around it," he said, lamenting the collapse of his plans and the subsequent uncertainty about his priorities. The experience left him frustrated and disappointed, especially after taking time off to dedicate to the project.
Following Soma, Frictional Games released two more entries in the Amnesia series: 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 solely horror games to explore other emotional qualities in their storytelling. Grip emphasized their goal of creating immersive experiences, whether through the lens of horror or other themes.
