This wasn’t the news fans of this popular franchise were looking for. The next game in the Deus Ex series has been canceled.
According to Bloomberg, Embracer Group AB is scrapping the game, which had been in development for two years. This move is part of an effort to cut costs and will lead to a number of layoffs, which is nothing new for the company.
The Deus Ex series, which kicked off in 2000, is one of the more popular role-playing game franchises in the world. The original game was praised for allowing players to complete tasks in various ways, leading to differing outcomes. That has remained a constant throughout the entries, but despite all the praise, the series has remained mostly dormant since 2016’s Deus Ex: Mankind Divided.
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Things looked like they were heading in the right direction in 2022 when Embracer acquired Eidos, Crystal Dynamics, and Square Enix Montreal. In fact, the company’s statement announcing the acquisition made it clear how excited it was about the potential of the Deus Ex franchise.
“Embracer has been particularly impressed by the studios’ rich portfolio of original IP, housing brands with proven global potential such as Tomb Raider and Deus Ex, as well as demonstrating the ability to create AAA games with large and growing fan bases,” the statement read. “There are compelling opportunities to organically grow the studios to maximize their commercial opportunities.”
Unfortunately, things have taken an unfortunate turn, and Embracer will now look to develop an original idea, leaving behind the Deus Ex project, which was supposed to go into production later this year.
With no official word from Embracer, it’s unclear when fans can expect to be able to dive into the next entry in the Deux Ex series.
