What you need to know
- VentureBeat writer Jeff Grubb recently commented that he's heard rumblings that Eidos Montreal, the developer behind Deus Ex: Human Revolution and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, wants to bring back the franchise.
- Reportedly, the developer wants to "do what Cyberpunk 2077 couldn't," which likely means that Eidos Montreal is aiming to deliver a more polished and engaging experience.
- We may hear about a new Deus Ex officially once Embracer Group's acquisition of Eidos Montreal from Square Enix is completed.
According to comments made by VentureBeat's Jeff Grubb during a recent episode of the Game Mess Mornings podcast, Eidos Montreal — the studio behind Deus Ex: Human Revolution and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided — is looking to bring back the franchise.
"The rumblings I've heard is that ... the studio [Eidos Montreal] wants to immediately get into Deus Ex," Grubb said while discussing Embracer's acquisition of the developer from Square Enix. "They wanna get right back into that ... they wanna do what Cyberpunk 2077 couldn't. We'll see if that happens — it's so early, who knows what that will turn into, but there was no possibility for that conversation to even begin under the current Square Enix."
Fans of the beloved cyberpunk first-person immersive sim franchise will no doubt be happy to hear this news, as there hasn't been a new Deus Ex game announced since 2016's Deus Ex: Mankind Divided. Assuming the deal between Embracer and Square Enix closes in Sept. 2022 as it's expected to, this rumor indicates that there's a high likelihood of Eidos Montreal returning to the series.
CD Projekt RED's Cyberpunk 2077, the game directly mentioned in Grubb's rumor, was near-universally praised for its well-written characters and jaw-dropping visuals. However, the game was also widely criticized for its terrible technical performance at launch, lack of satisfying RPG elements (the game was marketed as an RPG ahead of its release), and its lifeless world that offered players little in the way of interactivity beyond standard quests. Perhaps Eidos Montreal aims to "do what Cyberpunk 2077 couldn't" by creating a fresh and polished Deus Ex experience with enjoyable RPG systems and a more engaging world.
Ultimately, it will probably be a long time before we learn anything concrete about a new Deus Ex game. Still, assuming the rumblings Jeff Grubb reported are true, it's good to know that fans can expect a new entry in the franchise at some point in the future.
