The planned features for the cancelled centered on expanding the franchise from the subterranean underworld into the surface realm. Developed by Bullfrog Productions before its cancellation in 2000, the game was intended to introduce significant shifts in setting and mechanics. Core Planned Features
: The team planned to introduce powerful hero-side creatures that would serve as functional equivalents to the iconic Horned Reaper . Spiritual Successors Dungeon Keeper 3
: In contrast to digging out dungeons, players were expected to build full-blown castles on the surface. Designers experimented with applying the autonomous mechanics of Imps to tasks like building battlements and interacting with forests or burrows. The planned features for the cancelled centered on
: For the first time, players would lead their evil forces to lay siege to the surface world of the heroes. This was teased in a trailer included with Dungeon Keeper 2 , showing the series' mascot, Horny, rising to the surface. Spiritual Successors : In contrast to digging out
: A third race known as "The Elders" was planned, which reportedly drew inspiration from the "Night Elf" vibe seen in early Warcraft 3 trailers.
While the official project was scrapped in favor of EA's Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings licenses, its concepts live on through other titles: Dungeon Keeper 3
: Developers aimed to move away from simply mining gold, hoping to introduce an economy similar to Age of Empires where players would exploit peasant farmers for resources.