In what is one of the most surprising news stories of 2022 so far: Earlier this week, Swedish company Embracer Group announced its intent to acquire various Square Enix studios and IP for $300 million. This acquisition comes after almost a decade and a half of highs and lows, including the high of the 2013 reboot of the Tomb Raider series, and the low of 2020's Marvel's Avengers, which reportedly lost the company roughly $48 million. One element of the acquisition that is still unclear is the future of licensed IP such as Marvel's Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy, given these franchises are outsourced from Disney.
While the future of the Guardians of the Galaxy video game series remains unclear for now, this does open up the potential for developer Eidos Montreal to dip back into its back catalog. This is important, especially given that Embracer Group has acquired over 50 pieces of intellectual property as part of the deal, including the Tomb Raider, Thief, and Deus Ex franchises. With this in mind, it makes sense that Eidos might be considering returning to the world of Deus Ex.
What Happened To Deus Ex?
The Deus Ex series has had a rough history throughout the years, especially in the time since Square Enix acquired Eidos Interactive. For one, the series' original developer, Ion Storm, shut down in 2006 after the development of its controversial sequel, Deus Ex: Invisible War, and the third entry in the Thief series, Thief: Deadly Shadows.
After this, the future of the series was on ice until the IP owner Eidos Interactive opened a new studio named Eidos Montreal in 2007, and began work on its first game, a reboot of the Deus Ex series. This game remained in development through 2009, when Square Enix acquired Eidos Interactive and all of its IP and studios, as well as acquiring what would become Deus Ex: Human Revolution.
Human Revolution went on to become a sales success in 2011, when it sold over 2.6 million copies in the span of four months, and Square Enix was satisfied with its performance. A sequel was quickly greenlit, however at one point development was supposed to be handled by The Outer Worlds developer Obsidian Entertainment. This plan didn't work out however, and after five long years, Eidos Montreal eventually released Deus Ex: Mankind Divided. This came after the studio had also developed the 2014 reboot of Thief.
Mankind Divided received similar critical reception as its predecessor, however the sales did not meet Square Enix's expectations. This was likely due to controversies surrounding the game's pre-order practices, and the fact that it was exclusive to PS4 and Xbox One during the transitional period between console generations.
It was at this point that Square Enix put the future of the Deus Ex series on hold, with Eidos Montreal moving on to work on Shadow of the Tomb Raider, as well as 2021's Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy. The studio has claimed that it intends on returning to Deus Ex at some point, but it has always seemed like Square Enix would have the final say over this matter.
How Deus Ex Could Return
It appears, however, that this may no longer be a factor stopping Eidos Montreal from returning to the world of Deus Ex. With the news that Embracer Group is acquiring the studio and its IP as part of its wider acquisition of western Square Enix studios, Deus Ex's future could be looking brighter. Embracer Group has not yet confirmed what the situation is with the future of franchises such as Marvel's Avengers and Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, only stating that it will be acquiring the rights to previously released games with its acquisition. It seems like it could be awhile before an agreement is met to expand upon the future of these titles.
Crystal Dynamics has also confirmed that, in addition to working with The Initiative on the Xbox Game Studios title Perfect Dark, it is beginning work on the next main entry in the Tomb Raider series. A new Deus Ex would give Embracer Group the chance to bolster the value of another of its big new IPs in the form of a return from one of the biggest immersive sim franchises in the industry. It would also give Eidos Montreal an opportunity to return to its roots while Embracer Group, Marvel, and Square Enix navigate the future of the Guardians of the Galaxy series, if it is to return.
While nothing is set in stone just yet, it appears there is an opportunity here for Deus Ex to return sooner than expected, but even then a potential new Deus Ex game is still likely years away.