UPDATE [1:10PM]: EA has responded to IGN with the following after this report went live: “We don’t normally comment on rumors but there is no validity to this story.” In IGN’s report, Kat Bailey states “A source tells IGN that the Dead Space remake was ultimately considered to have done well.”
It seems that a remake of Dead Space 2 has unfortunately been canceled at EA’s Motive. This morning, Jeff Grubb said the following about Motive and a potential remake of Dead Space 2:
“They said that they are going to be a two-project team going forward and that will be Iron Man and Battlefield… so they were working on it, they were working on Dead Space 2 and they are no longer working on it. It is on the shelf because the first game had lackluster sales.”
According to Grubb, the title was in a conceptual phase but was ultimately shelved in response to the sales of Dead Space remake. In short, the studio is now working on the Iron Man and Battlefield titles that are currently being developed at EA. Grubb has a good track record with most areas of the industry, so it’s likely that his report here is accurate.
Following last January’s release of Dead Space, many (including ourselves) were looking forward to confirmation of a Dead Space 2 remake. The game received loads of positive reception, with our 4.5/5 review stating, “It’s clear EA Motive looked at the original title both through the lens of adoring fans as well as talented developers. They keep what worked, morph what didn’t, and unlike the game’s protagonist, cut off almost nothing.”
With news like this, it feels that the future of Dead Space is looking grim. While we can hope that a remake or new title eventually sees a new light, the shelving of the Dead Space 2 remake can only mean we probably won’t be seeing anything from the series for quite some time.
EA also announced this week that support for Battlefield 2042 is set to end with the upcoming season. DICE, Motive, and other EA Studios are likely ramping up development for the upcoming Battlefield title, set to release within the next few years.
