Jacksepticeye's Soma Animated Series Abruptly Canceled

YouTuber Jacksepticeye has disclosed that he spent a year developing an animated series based on Soma, only for the project to collapse, leaving him deeply disappointed.

In a recent video titled 'A Bad Month,' Jacksepticeye, whose real name is Seán William McLoughlin, not only confirmed the existence of the Soma animated series but also announced its cancellation.

Soma, a survival horror sci-fi game developed by Frictional Games, creators of Amnesia, was released in 2015 to widespread critical praise. Jacksepticeye extensively streamed the game around its launch and frequently cites it as one of his all-time favorites.

During the video, Jacksepticeye opened up about a challenging creative period, marked by multiple projects either being canceled or stalling before reaching a shareable stage. Expressing frustration over his recent lack of content, he then unveiled the Soma animated series plans.

“I was incredibly excited about a major creative project I had in the works—and I’m not sure if I’m even allowed to talk about it—but I’m going to mention it anyway. If it’s not allowed, this part won’t make the final cut,” he explained.

“I was planning to create a Soma animated series. I adore Soma—it ranks in my top five, or at least top ten, video games of all time. The game’s story is one of the best I’ve ever experienced.

“I was so eager to bring this to life. We had discussions with the developers for about a year and were on the verge of moving into full production. I was really looking forward to announcing it, diving deep into the process, and sharing the journey with everyone.

“That’s actually why I haven’t streamed the full game in a single video yet—I wanted to wait until we could announce the series officially.”

According to Jacksepticeye, the Soma animated series unraveled suddenly after an unnamed party decided to shift direction, an outcome he found deeply upsetting.

“We were making excellent progress, and then everything fell apart without warning,” he shared.

“I won’t go into the specifics of what occurred because I’m still very troubled by how things played out. Essentially, it was a matter of someone wanting to go 'in a different direction,' which really hit me hard.”

Jacksepticeye declined to name the other parties involved. IGN has reached out to Frictional Games for a statement.

The cancellation of the Soma animated series has completely derailed the YouTuber’s plans for 2025.

“I structured much of my year around this project. I thought, okay, I might not upload as frequently because I’ll be pouring all my energy into this show. But at least I’d have something amazing to share—a creative endeavor we could all enjoy and discuss together. And then it just dissolved.

“Now all my plans are upended. What’s the new priority? What should I focus on? I’m not sure. I’ve been on countless calls these past few weeks. It’s been overwhelming—a really tough month. I took time off and now have nothing to show for it. It’s incredibly frustrating, and I hate how it turned out.”

Since launching Soma, Frictional Games has released two additional Amnesia titles: 2020’s Amnesia: Rebirth and 2023’s Amnesia: The Bunker. In July 2023, following the release of Amnesia: The Bunker, Frictional’s creative director Thomas Grip stated the studio intends to scale back on horror elements to explore a broader range of emotions.

“Although our games have always incorporated horror, our central aim is to deliver immersive, playable experiences,” Grip commented.

“We want players to step into a compelling fantasy, whether that’s a World War I soldier trapped in a bunker or a robot stranded deep underwater.

“Horror naturally places emotions at the forefront—a space where games truly shine. Still, we’re also experimenting with themes beyond just creating fear.”