It’s almost eight years since we last saw a mainline Deus Ex game via 2016’s Mankind Divided. One of the most beloved series in PC history, the sci-fi immersive sim, RPG, and FPS has been awaiting a valiant return. Unfortunately, this now seems much less likely, as a new Deus Ex game, which had been in development for around two years, has been officially canceled as Embracer Group makes layoffs at Eidos Montreal. It seems a comeback for Adam Jensen and JC Denton will remain but a dream, at least for the foreseeable future.
Although it had not entered full production, the new Deus Ex had been in development and concepting for almost two years. The FPS and RPG that defined the immersive sim genre, and inspired later classics such as BioShock and Dishonored, was relaunched thanks to 2011’s Deus Ex Human Revolution. Mankind Divided followed five years later, serving as a prequel to both the original game and Deus Ex Invisible War.
According to a report from Bloomberg, the new Deus Ex has been canceled in favor of an entirely original game, and an unspecified number of employees at Eidos Montreal have been laid off. This follows huge layoffs at Activision Blizzard and Riot earlier in 2024. People familiar with the new Deus Ex game say it was originally slated to enter production later this year.
Elias Toufexis, who provides the voice for Adam Jensen, previously confirmed that he had not been contacted regarding a return to Deus Ex, perhaps suggesting that this now-canceled game may have focused on different characters or a different era in the Deus Ex timeline. Embracer Group also recently made layoffs at two other studios, 3D Realms and Slipgate Ironworks.