The game studio acquisitions continue, with Embracer Group AB set to welcome three new studios and over 50 new intellectual properties into its ranks after purchasing them from gaming giant Square Enix in a deal worth over $300 million.
Among these studios is Eidos-Montréal, publisher of the acclaimed Deus Ex franchise. With the series being one of the many original properties that haven’t had new installments in a spell, fans have begun to speculate if any new arrivals in the saga could happen.
These western studios have always been an awkward fit for Square Enix, which never seemed to know what to do with them and trashed their performance during just about every earnings call. But they’ve made some great games. I imagine a new Deus Ex would do pretty well!
— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) May 2, 2022
First released in 2000 with Deus Ex, the action role-playing-game IP sees players take on the role of various protagonists in a dystopian cyberpunk settings, sporting abilities granted by nanotechnology (also referred to as “Augmentations”), as they unravel a variety of dangerous conspiracies.
(I still believe it wouldn’t be too surprising that we might get a new Deus Ex project in the coming years, anything is possible again)
— Nibel (@Nibellion) May 2, 2022
Does this mean the return of Deus Ex? pic.twitter.com/zm6Uw6ymnr
— Griffen (@DarklGriffen) May 2, 2022
Never heard of them but Square clearly has no plans for these IPs so this is at least a step in the direction of getting new games like a new Legacy of Kain or Deus Ex.
— John S (@J0nSPEC) May 2, 2022
I can’t decide what is more hilariously ridiculous, $300 mil for all that or the eleventy billion Sony spent on just Bungie. Regardless I’m hoping for a new Deus Ex and Legacy of Kain
— Mr Waffle (@mrwafu) May 2, 2022
The latest entry in the series, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, was released in 2016, and while Eidos Interactive once stated that they were not done with the franchise, there has been no further communication about the future of the property since then.
Hopeful fans will be happy to know that their hopes for the future of the series are not unfounded; when communicating their rationale with the acquisitions on their website, Embracer name-dropped Deus Ex on two separate occasions, noting its “proven global potential” and the company “seeing an opportunity to invest in these franchises”.
Tomb Raider was also mentioned, which was additionally part of the acquisition. It’s nothing official, of course, but to highlight Deus Ex the way Embracer has done could very well be foreshadowing the company’s plans.
According to the press release published by the Embracer Group:
– The #DeusEx franchise has sold an estimated 12M copies.
– Embracer also “sees opportunity” to expand and “invest” in the Deus Ex franchise pic.twitter.com/iUZJQQVb0N— Deus Ex Hub (@DeusExHub) May 2, 2022
Other assets included in Embracer’s acquisition include the game studios Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix Montréal, and IPs such as Legacy of Kain and Thief.
