It was supposed to be the "final act" for one of the most recognizable names in gaming. Greg Street, known to millions of World of Warcraft and League of Legends fans as "Ghostcrawler," left Riot Games to build something he actually owned. He called it Project Ghost. It wasn’t just another game; it was an attempt to fix the fundamental "brokenness" of the modern MMORPG.
Then the money vanished.
In November 2025, the studio Street founded, Fantastic Pixel Castle, officially closed its doors. NetEase, the Chinese giant that was bankrolling the venture, pulled the plug. Just like that, the "Ghost MMORPG" went from a buzzy industry hope to a collection of assets locked in a vault.
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The Vision Behind Project Ghost
Greg Street didn't want to make WoW 2.0. Honestly, he seemed tired of the same old "kill 10 rats" loop. His goal with the Greg Street Ghost MMORPG was to bridge the gap between high-intensity raiding and the kind of survival-style gameplay that people actually play today.
He had this concept of "Blue Shards" and "Red Shards."
Blue Shards were basically private, procedurally generated survival zones. You and your friends would go there to gather resources and build bases. It had a roguelite vibe. Every time you entered, the layout was different. You’d get temporary buffs called "Radiant Feats" that only lasted for that run.
Red Shards, on the other hand, were the "massive" part. These were persistent, public maps where world bosses lived and raids happened. It was a weird hybrid. Some people loved the idea; others thought it sounded like a mess that lacked a cohesive world.
Why No Elves or Orcs?
One of the boldest moves Street made was ditching the classic fantasy tropes. There were no Orcs. No Elves. He wanted a "broken world" setting where players were survivors of an apocalypse they couldn't quite remember.
The focus was on a central city called Haven. Players were supposed to go out into the Shardlands, bring back resources, and literally watch the city grow based on their collective actions. It was ambitious. Maybe too ambitious for a small, remote-first team.
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The NetEase Fallout and the Sudden End
If you're wondering why a guy with Street's resume couldn't keep the lights on, you have to look at the state of the industry in 2025. NetEase had been on a spending spree, opening Western studios like they were collecting Pokémon.
Then the wind changed.
The company started divesting from almost everything outside of Asia. Fantastic Pixel Castle wasn't the only casualty—studios like T-Minus Zero were also axed. Street was incredibly transparent about the whole thing on LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter). He admitted that while everyone "loved the game," nobody was writing checks for high-risk MMORPGs anymore.
It's a brutal reality. MMOs cost hundreds of millions of dollars and take the better part of a decade to ship. Investors in 2026 aren't looking for "eventual" returns; they want the next Palworld or Marvel Rivals—games that can be made faster and cheaper.
What's Left of the Game Now?
Technically, the Greg Street Ghost MMORPG isn't "deleted." It’s "shelved."
Street has mentioned that NetEase owns the codebase and the assets. They’ve essentially locked them in a digital basement. He’s held out a sliver of hope that if an investor ever comes along with a massive pile of cash, NetEase might be willing to hand over the keys.
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But let’s be real. In the games industry, "shelved" usually means dead.
Most of the original team has moved on. Street himself has been doing "post-mortem" interviews, talking about how Western MMO design is lagging a decade behind what’s happening in China. It’s fascinating, if a bit depressing, to hear a legend talk about the genre’s decline.
Common Misconceptions About Project Ghost
- It was a Riot project: Nope. Street left the Riot MMO (which is still in development, supposedly) to do this.
- It was a survival game: Not quite. It had survival elements in the Blue Shards, but it was still intended to have the "holy trinity" of tank, healer, and DPS.
- It was "Pay to Win": Since it never launched, we'll never know for sure, but Street frequently spoke about tailoring the business model for Western audiences who hate P2P/P2W mechanics.
Actionable Insights: What This Means for You
If you were waiting for this game, the news is a gut punch. However, there are a few things you can do to keep track of where this talent went and what’s coming next in the genre.
- Follow the "FPC 2.0" Diaspora: Many of the developers from Fantastic Pixel Castle are veteran talent from Guild Wars 2 and Overwatch. Keep an eye on where they land; their design philosophy will likely show up in their next projects.
- Watch the Riot MMO: Since Street left that project, its direction has reportedly shifted significantly. If you liked his "systems-first" approach, you might find the current version of the Riot MMO to be a very different beast.
- Monitor NetEase's Portfolio: Sometimes these "shelved" assets get recycled into other projects. If you see a new NetEase title with "floating island shards" or a "Haven-like central city," you’re likely looking at the remains of Ghost.
The story of the Greg Street Ghost MMORPG is a cautionary tale about the "AAA Indie" dream. Even with a legendary lead and a solid prototype, the sheer gravity of the MMO genre can pull a studio down if the funding dries up. It’s a loss for the genre, but as Street himself said, the hunger for a truly new MMO hasn't gone away—it’s just waiting for someone else to figure out how to pay for it.
Next Steps for Readers:
To stay updated on Greg Street's next moves, your best bet is following his LinkedIn or X account directly, as he remains one of the most vocal and transparent leaders in the industry. For those looking for a similar "modernized" MMO experience that is actually playable, checking out the 2026 roadmaps for Ashes of Creation or Monsters & Memories is the best way to see where the genre is heading next.