Leaked Project Copernicus trailer gives a look at shelved Amalur MMO

A leaked trailer gives us our best glimpse at Project Copernicus, the Kingdoms of Amalur MMO in production at 38 Studios when it was shuttered.

Head on over to Kotaku to see the trailer; 38 Studios creative director Steve Danuser has confirmed the video's authenticity.

Danuser describes the trailer as a work in progress and not even the latest script; all assets were placeholders, so it's not really indicative of how the final game might have looked. The completed teaser would have been release when the game was formally announced.

"The logo at the end was based upon the ouroboros, an ancient symbol of the cyclical nature of the universe. This symbol has great significance to the story of Amalur, a world trapped in an unending cycle of creation and destruction. And yes, we had this symbol before the Elder Scrolls Online announced using a similar logo (that’s what you get for basing your IP on classic themes)," Danuser added.

"The illustrated style showcased in the teaser was something you would have seen throughout the game. Our cinematics team was packed with amazing illustrators, and we were using animation like this to introduce our races and tell little bits of history you’d encounter as you traveled through Amalur."

During the controversial financial collapse of 38 Studios, a video flythrough of Copernicus was released, along with some screenshots.

The Reckoning IP has defaulted to the state of Rhode Island, and the new Epic Baltimore team, which hired many former 38 Studios staffers, will not pursue the property.

Thanks, Joystiq.