Cyberpunk series that deserves continuation. New Deus Ex from Eidos Montreal was supposed to be a bridge between Mankind Divided and first installment

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The Deus Ex series encountered difficulties right from the start. After producing the initial two installments, Ion Storm, the studio responsible, vanished from the gaming industry. Later, Eidos Montreal assumed control over the series, and following the successful launch of Human Revolution, it appeared as though the franchise was on an upward trajectory. However, the lower ratings and sales figures of its follow-up, Mankind Divided, led Square Enix to put it aside.

Despite encountering challenges, the developers persisted, and upon joining forces with their new owner, Swedish holding company Embracer Group, they were eager to dive into developing the fifth primary installment of this cyberpunk series. In this article, I provide insights about the possible future of this mysterious, alas unconfirmed project.

The beginning of the fifth Deus Ex

The saga of the pivotal game ‘Deus Ex’ commences in November 2017, when Yosuke Matsuda, chief of Square Enix, hinted during an interview that his company was still considering the development of this franchise. Yet, Matsuda expressed concern about not having enough staff to assign the Eidos Montreal team with the creation of such a game at that time. He explained it thus:

This version maintains the original meaning but aims for a more natural and easy-to-read style.

It hasn’t been announced that we will stop producing the Deus Ex game, but it seems there’s speculation about that in the market. The absence of a new Deus Ex is merely due to our current development schedule as we are focusing on other projects at the moment.

In the spring of 2018, David Anfossi voiced his support for the team’s continued work on the Deus Ex series. He strongly believed that they had not abandoned the project altogether. However, in his view, the brand required a fresh start, with innovative concepts, to secure its long-term success.

Time moved on, with months turning into years, yet there remained no hint of a new “Deus Ex”. Meanwhile, Eidos Montreal engaged in diverse projects, including the creation of games such as Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, and lending a hand with Marvel’s Avengers and Perfect Dark.

Back in May 2022, the enthusiasm among fans surged when Eidos Montreal and the Deus Ex franchise became part of Embracer Group. Known for rejuvenating older series, this Swedish conglomerate hinted at the possibility that the fifth game in the Deus Ex series might be on its way soon.

Deus Ex under the wings of Embracer

By August 2022, there were unconfirmed rumors that the initial venture undertaken by Eidos Montreal following a change in ownership was said to be the fifth installment of the popular game series, “Deus Ex”. As per Jeff Grubb, a well-known industry insider, the team working on this project was eager and hoped to “achieve what Cyberpunk 2077 failed to deliver”.

After Eidos Montreal took over the brand in September 2022, it appeared that a new continuation would definitely be developed. Further updates behind the scenes, as reported in November 2022, suggested that the fifth Deus Ex game was still in its initial production stages.

Simultaneously, the very foundation of Embracer Group began to shake, and the restructuring measures it undertook, coupled with a round of layoffs affecting numerous branches (some were shut down, others were sold), gave little hope for Eidos Montreal’s upcoming project.

It turned out that the concerns about the project’s future, which might have surfaced upon learning more about the company’s status, were indeed well-founded. In January 2024, it was leaked (unofficially) that the new Deus Ex, which had been in development for approximately two years, had been secretly canceled. To make matters worse, the studio responsible for this project faced layoffs, leading to the potential loss of jobs for 97 employees.

What would the fifth Deus Ex be about?

Despite no formal announcement about the fifth game under the Deus Ex branding, there have been occasional leaks of information regarding it. Elias Toufexis, who plays Adam Jensen, was the first to speak up, suggesting that this game might not follow the narrative of the previous two iterations. This assumption stemmed from the fact that for over two years, during which the game was believed to be in pre-production, he hadn’t received any communication from the developers.

Despite Toufexis potentially being incorrect, Mark Cecere, the creator of Revolution and Mankind Divided, eventually joined the conversation. Although he wasn’t directly involved in the project described, he maintained contact with people from Eidos Montreal and didn’t dismiss the possibility of rejoining the team. In an interview for From Script To Life (via PCGamesN), he hinted that “Deus Ex 5” would lead us to the city of Rabi’ah, controlled by the “wired,” a reference that was previously made in the second installment of Adam Jensen’s adventures.

Remarkably, despite the fact that the protagonist was intended to persist in tracking the Illuminati’s path, his pursuit would always prove fruitless, as detailed by Cecere.

It’s clear that he won’t be able to keep pace with the Illuminati, given their long-term plan which extends up until 2050. The question then becomes: What could possibly change or develop in this situation? This is what we aimed to explore at one point.

According to the screenwriter’s perspective, the actions that Jensen might take in hypothetical Deus Ex 5 will be carried forward into the initial installation of the series.

And that’s the tragedy of Jensen, is that he causes what happens after.

Could the third “Deus Ex,” developed by Eidos Montreal, potentially act as a link connecting “Mankind Divided” to the original series installment? It’s uncertain if such a game will ever come into existence, according to Sam Cecere.

I’d really like to stick around for the ending of the game, but unfortunately, I haven’t received any updates from Eidos Montreal yet.

Despite the long gaps between installments, enthusiasts of the Deus Ex series are patiently waiting. For instance, there was an almost eight-year interval between the second installment, Invisible War, and the third part – Human Revolution. At present, fans of Adam Jensen and JC Denton’s escapades can only hope for a future game under this franchise.

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2025-02-07 10:33