Syfy and Trion Worlds have been collaborating on Defiance since well before the first season aired in 2013. It's a transmedia project where the narrative depicted in the Syfy television series is linked to the events that take place in the Trion Worlds-crafted MMO shooter.
Syfy commented on the cancellation, a spokesperson saying: "Defiance was a truly groundbreaking series, delivering an immersive, cross-platform experience that transcended the television screen in a way that viewers had never seen before. We are incredibly proud of the work of the extraordinary cast, writers, artists and designers — and especially showrunner Kevin Murphy — who together brought the rich world of 'Defiance' to life over its three season arc."
While the show may have been cancelled, that doesn't mean that Trion Worlds are throwing in the towel, and as they told Polygon, they plan to continue working with the property.
CEO of Trion Worlds Scott Hartsman told the site: "We've had a great time working closely with the team of stellar writers, designers, producers, and actors on the Defiance TV show. Like many of you, we've all enjoyed the stories they told week in and week out. Let's treat this as a fond farewell, in celebration of a successful three year run of a show that broke a lot of new ground and brought an incredible quality experience to its viewers.
"As for the game and its future, Defiance is Trion's IP and the game will continue exactly as before. The show has always been a fantastic and interesting partner, but the two were always meant to be able to stand on their own, which is why the show was primarily set in St. Louis and the game in the SF Bay Area."
Defiance launched on PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in April, 2013. The following year the MMO shooter made switch to free-to-play.