In 2021, Arkane Studios released Deathloop, a first-person shooter centered on Colt, a man who finds himself stuck on a mysterious island called Blackreef where he is forced to relive the same day in an infinite loop. The only way for him to break the loop is to kill all eight Visionaries before midnight, but to do that requires him to unfurl Blackreef's many secrets. Deathloop embraces death, and its unique premise and addictive gameplay made it a hit when it launched, achieving a score of 88 on PS5 on Metacritic.
Thanks to Deathloop's success, it is likely that Arkane Studios will deliver a sequel. However, the gaming landscape has changed, and the studio is now under the ownership of Microsoft. Consequently, PlayStation gamers should not expect any Deathloop sequel to find its way onto PS5, as other franchises that have slipped under Microsoft's umbrella have become Xbox console exclusives, including Hellblade and The Outer Worlds.
Microsoft Acquires ZeniMax Media
Acquisitions are not anything new in the gaming world. However, in 2021, Microsoft made a move that shocked the world by acquiring ZeniMax Media for $7.5 billion. Through the acquisition, several studios came under the ownership of Microsoft, including Bethesda Game Studios, id Software, Tango Gameworks, ZeniMax Online Studios, and Arkane Studios. Microsoft is fortunate to have Arkane on its team, as the studio has many popular IPs including Dishonored and Prey.
Deathloop 2 Will Likely Follow the Same Road as The Outer Worlds 2
The Outer Worlds was developed by Obsidian Entertainment, and it was released on multiple platforms in 2019. The game is set in a hyper-capitalist future where players can explore the star system Halcyon. Thanks to its complex themes and memorable characters, the game was a success, and Obsidian has announced that a sequel is on the way. However, The Outer Worlds 2 is only scheduled to release on PC and Xbox Series X/S, and this is due to Microsoft's acquisition of Obsidian in 2018. Furthermore, it should be noted that The Outer Worlds 2 takes place in a new setting with a new crew, as a way to remove itself from those who played the first game on non-Microsoft platforms.
Although a Deathloop sequel has yet to be confirmed, it's likely to follow the same route. This theoretical sequel would probably release on PC and Xbox consoles, while moving away from Colt's story. It's just a small touch, especially given Deathloop's timed exclusivity will end and The Outer Worlds itself was available on all major platforms, but it helps to remove the game from the exclusive original's primary premise. Besides, Deathloop gives Colt a fitting end and finding this anomaly occurring elsewhere to someone new would be interesting to see as well.
Of course, Microsoft has every right to collect as many exclusives as possible to make its platforms and its subscription services attractive to gamers, even if this disappoints some fans. If Arkane Studios does deliver another Deathloop game, gamers should not hold their breath for it to release on PlayStation.
Deathloop is available on PC and PS5.
