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The last time Mega Man Legends 3 was addressed, we mentioned how there was a good chance the project may never be fully realized. Unfortunately, that's precisely the case: the game has been officially cancelled.

Capcom claims in a a recently released statement that the game, which was "intended to give gamers across the world insight and input into the development process", was terminated due to not meeting certain unspecified criteria. Not even the Prototype version, which was due very soon, will see the light of day. They go on to say: "We can only express our deepest apologies to all of you who have lent us your unending support, including participation in the Mega Man Legends 3 Developer Room. On behalf of the entire Legends team, please accept our sincere apology for failing to meet the expectations of the fans."

Sadly, the timing could not be more bittersweet; earlier this morning came word of the Legends Never Die campaign, a joint effort between various Mega Man fan sites to ensure the powers that be were fully aware of how hotly anticipated the game truly was. The first real seeds of concern were sowed a few weeks back, when the game's presence was removed from Capcom of Japan's front page.

Back to Capcom's official statement: without a doubt the most noteworthy aspect is not their claim that Keiji Inafune's departure had nothing to do with the cancellation, but their stance on the user submitted content that had been contributed, which was one of the main trusts behind the project: "Yes, you may reuse your ideas elsewhere, including those ideas that were selected as winners in Devroom events." No doubt fans will try to create their own version of the game, pieced together by elements that were put on the table. Though one has to also wonder if Capcom has just set some kind of legal precedent here.