Deus Ex, the iconic cyberpunk RPG franchise, could return at the hands of Eidos Montreal. According to Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier, who’s become known for accurate and significant insider reporting, a new title in the Deus Ex series is currently in ‘early development’ at the studio, which is also collaborating with Microsoft on Fable, as well as another new IP.
Schreier further reported that a planned Stranger Things-style game was previously in the works at the studio, but was recently cancelled in favour of new titles. ‘Rescopes’ have reportedly taken place, with further changes likely in the works. This aligns with a larger shift in the overall Embracer Group plan.
Embracer Group only recently purchased Eidos Montreal, alongside the rest of Square Enix’s Western studios. This acquisition included Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix Montreal, as well as a catalogue of beloved video game franchises – Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, Thief, and more.
While it’s good news the company is seemingly planning to reinvigorate at least some of these classic franchises, not everything is rosy in Embracer land.
Read: Square Enix Montréal, Crystal Dynamics, and Eidos bought by Embracer
CDE Entertainment, the Embracer Group subsidiary handling the former Square Enix properties, recently confirmed Square Enix Montreal, which had rebranded as Studio Onoma, is set to close in future. The studio previously worked on Hitman Go, Lara Croft Go, and Deus Ex Go. 200 jobs will be impacted by this unexpected shuttering, as Embracer Group initiates a portfolio overhaul.
It’s unknown what this shuttering means for upcoming titles, including Tomb Raider Reloaded, and Avatar Generation.
‘We see the growth opportunities centred around our premier franchises and AAA games. Closing publishing QA and our Onoma studio is a difficult decision and one that we’ve taken with great care and consideration,’ CDE Entertainment told GamesIndustry.biz. ‘We greatly thank all those team members for their contributions over the years and hope to find proper placements for as many as possible.’
According to CDE, these closures will allow Embracer Group to focus its ‘future production capacities on its flagship studios, Crystal Dynamics and Eidos-Montréal.’ It appears major plans are in the works for these studios – although this comes at a significant cost.
Our thoughts are with those impacted by the closure of Studio Onoma.
