Sad news today as Marvelous AQL Europe has cancelled the European localization of Rune Factory 4. The latest game in the Harvest Moon spin-off series was to be released in the region early this year by publisher Zen United. From a statement by Marvelous AQL earlier today:
We regret to inform you that the European release of Rune Factory 4 for Nintendo 3DS has been cancelled.
While MarvelousAQL has made every effort to secure the title’s release for this territory, it is, unfortunately, not possible to do so at this time.
MAQL and MAQL Europe would like to thank everyone for their support and enthusiasm for their European releases. Please look forward to announcements on new MAQL titles over the coming months.
The announcement comes just months after series developer Neverland Co. Ltd. shut down and filed for bankruptcy. A number of sites have speculated that the closure of the company hurt the localization process. It is possible that Neverland was helping to program the game for European markets.
Is it possible that we could still see the game come to our friends in Europe? Yes, but it’s a rather slim chance. Depending on how they localize games, we could see longtime Harvest Moon and Rune Factory publisher Rising Star Games come in and take up the mantle for Rune Factory 4. I wouldn’t hold my breath until it happens, but I will hold onto the hope that it’s possible.
