Well, can’t say that no one saw this coming. EA Sports has officially announced that NBA Live 13 is canceled, capping off a troubled development history punctuated by moving from a retail to downloadable title.

EA Sports confirmed the news in an official update from executive vice president Andrew Wilson noting that the franchise needed another year off before coming back:

Having continued to look at the game over the past few days, it’s clear that we won’t be ready in October. And rather than launch midway through the season, we’re going to sit out the full year and stay focused on making next year’s game great. This decision puts us on the right track for success well into the future in a rapidly changing industry.

With the cancelation, EA Sports’ main rival 2K Sports will once again hit store shelves completely unopposed as NBA 2K13 releases for PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, and PC on October 2nd, with a Wii U version in the works. Aside from 2010′s NBA Jam, EA Sports has not released an NBA-licensed game since NBA Live 10, which preceded the cancelled NBA Elite 11.

Source: EA Sports