Remember last year’s Dead Space remake from Motive Studios? It was pretty good, and you could even go so far as to say that it’s one of the best modern remakes yet. Considering how beloved the original game is to this day, seeing the development team understand and amplify the horror, revamping the Zero-G sections, introducing the peeling system that made some weapons better at dismembering than others, and the Intensity Director for some non-scripted horror. Good times.
So anyway, it’s reportedly not getting a sequel any time soon. That distinction is important, by the way, but Motive Studios is allegedly not working on a Dead Space 2 remake or a follow-up to last year’s remake.
Let’s go back a few days. Motive is already confirmed to be working on Marvel’s Iron Man in Unreal Engine 5. It was recently announced that the studio would also assist on the developer-hungry machine that’s the Battlefield franchise, building a new team for the same.
After the failure of Battlefield 2042, a massive structure change was announced, with Respawn Entertainment founder Vince Zampella becoming the boss of all things Battlefield. Since then, Ridgeline Studios has shut down, and Criterion is now leading development on single-player Battlefield content. Marvel’s Iron Man continues, having reached a “major internal milestone” earlier this year.
Amid this, Giant Bomb’s Jeff Grubb reported on the Game Mess Mornings podcast that a Dead Space 2 remake was in the works at Motive but had been shelved due to “lackluster sales” of the first game’s remake. As for whether it ever happens or not, Grubb was unsure, but that it was in the concepting phase, “definitely in pre-production”, and now that work has been sidelined in favor of Iron Man and Battlefield.
At this point, you’re probably thinking, as most would, “EA bad”, but then a twist occurred: EA responded to the report. Did it assure fans that it still loves the Dead Space franchise and that they shouldn’t worry about the future? No. Instead, a spokesperson told IGN outright, “We don’t normally comment on rumors, but there is no validity to this story.”
You’d think that would be the end, but Grubb responded and effectively doubled down. “I give you my permission to believe EA if you want, but whenever a company says ‘that isn’t true’, but they don’t specify which part of the story they are talking about, well … yeah.
“Dead Space 2 was definitely being planned. It had a code name. And they aren’t making it now.” Regardless of whether you believe the publisher or Grubb (who has a pretty good track record with rumors and industry happenings), he does raise a good point. Which part of the story wasn’t true? That sales were lackluster? That a Dead Space 2 remake was in the concepting phase or at least considered?
Here’s where things get about as confusing as the decision to put microtransactions in Dead Space 3. Grubb pointed to a tweet by Motive responding to a user about whether Dead Space would be seen again. “We will continue to operate as a two-project team, and we’re focused on the development of Iron Man and collaborating on the future of Battlefield.”
So, while it isn’t a straight-up “Never” in the style of Ralph Bighead, it pretty much confirms that a Dead Space 2 remake isn’t happening. Case closed? Not quite.
Enter Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier. After speaking to sources that couldn’t be named, he reported that the Dead Space series is on ice again and that this decision was made in Spring 2023 – a few months after the Dead Space remake’s launch. Sales allegedly didn’t meet EA’s expectations, and while Motive reportedly looked into some ideas for a new entry in the series, nothing was greenlit.
Plans essentially “fizzled out before they could get very far,” and the team began “exploring other ideas” last Summer. Meanwhile, its developers moved on to other projects, as seen with Iron Man and now Battlefield (and it wouldn’t be surprising if they’re working on other titles at other EA studios).
Schreier would then address Grubb’s rumor and EA’s response directly. “People familiar with the project tell Bloomberg that EA’s statement is correct,” said Schreier on Twitter. “Motive has been on other projects for nearly a year.” If that wasn’t clear enough, he added that not only was it “never greenlit” but that “the project’s leaders wanted to do a brand new game, not another remake.”
Grubb would respond to Schreier’s report, stating that it all lined up with what he was told. That a Dead Space 2 remake was considered “in the months leading up to” the Dead Space remake’s and that it was ultimately “put on the shelf.”
Schreier would then clarify one point of contention – the supposed code name that the project had. He revealed that “Motive used the same code name to describe *whatever project* that the Dead Space team was working on next, hence the confusion on Jeff’s part. It was never really a Dead Space 2 remake, and for nearly a year, it’s had nothing to do with Dead Space.”
If that wasn’t enough, as if this whole tale wasn’t already confusing, Schreier clarified what he meant by “plans fizzled” on Resetera. “Plans fizzled, but they mostly involved a Dead Space sequel. A Dead Space 2 remake was not seriously considered.”
Consider that statement for a second. It doesn’t make too much sense, right? Was Motive looking to work on Dead Space 4? Wouldn’t a remake of Dead Space 2 technically be considered a sequel since it’s following last year’s release? We now get into spoilers for the first game’s remake, so if you haven’t finished it or even engaged in New Game Plus, skip ahead. You have been warned.
After completing a playthrough and starting a New Game Plus run, you had the optional task of collecting 12 Marker Fragments throughout various chapters. Isaac can then go to the Executive Quarters, access the captain’s room and interact with his creepy display. After some spooky shenanigans, the Marker Fragments would be on the table, and the player can complete the game.
However, a different ending would play, with Isaac interacting with the hallucination of Nicole and talking about building “a little something first,” promising that she would like it. Meanwhile, the ship’s interior is covered in Marker symbols, hinting at a potentially different story in the sequel.
There you have it. Motive wasn’t reportedly looking to remake Dead Space 2 but to create a sequel to the Dead Space remake. When asked on Resetera if this was the case, Schreier responded, “Now imagine having to explain this to your non-gaming news editors.”
Of course, everything is all rumors and reports, and regardless of who you believe, the common thread is that the Dead Space remake didn’t perform well. This all culminated in the best possible response from a Resetera member: “I’m going to keep it a buck with y’all. Dead Space 2 Remake, Dead Space Nu or Dead Space 4 – I don’t care, I just wanted more Dead Space and now I’m” replace the last two words with spicier language.
If we take Schreier’s wording at face value, this would have been a brand-new game. A new start to the franchise, even. If you’re hopeful, like me, it would mean a new plot for Dead Space 3, and then we could wipe the awful original from our memories. Unfortunately, that’s not happening, and at this point, it’s impossible to predict when a new Dead Space, remake or otherwise, will ever happen.
Is it the fans’ fault for not being dedicated enough to the series to ensure the remake’s success? Is it the fault of Electronic Arts for not marketing the title and attracting enough newcomers or outright killing interest in the franchise with Dead Space 3 before putting it on ice for so long? Was it bad timing, with so many other big releases in that quarter?
We may never really know or even understand the publisher’s expectations. However, one thing is for sure – it views titles like Battlefield and Marvel’s Iron Man as more worthy of devoting resources to. Whether you think that’s right or wrong, it’s a safe choice when it comes to pleasing the shareholders. Try convincing them to pour more money into another remake that may not perform as well as its predecessor, then try to explain that it’s actually a sequel to the first game’s remake and not the second game’s remake.
There’s a lot more to be said about this, but as The Start Menu editor-in-chief, Lex Luddy, noted on the same podcast with Grubb, “How have we gotten to a point where remakes are no longer a safe bet?” Where remakes of beloved titles, even after receiving so much care and attention, are no longer viable in today’s market? The original Dead Space sold one million copies after the first four months of release, yet it was also a commercial disappointment for Electronic Arts.
Time is a flat circle, yada yada, but you would think that the sequel, which shipped nearly two million units in the first week alone, would also have built enough goodwill over time, right? Or at least created enough fans that they’d like to be a part of the revival all these years later. Sadly, just because Dead Space 2 shipped more units in its first week doesn’t necessarily mean it did better.
EA CEO Andrew Wilson revealed in October 2017 that the sequel sold four million units since launching in 2011, which should be great, but it cost $65 million to make. After factoring in all the costs (like storefront fees for Xbox and PlayStation), it was also considered a commercial failure. The less said about Dead Space 3, the better. All of this is enough to make you wonder – was a Dead Space remake really the best call, at least from a publisher’s standpoint?
Did it make sense to pour so much money, potentially more than the original games, into a property that isn’t a proven money-maker? Or is it a consequence of the current triple-A development cycle, where a $70 title debuting as the second best-selling title of the month in the United States isn’t a recipe for success?
One could point to 2019’s Resident Evil 2 going on to sell 13.6 million units by December 2023, as an example that they work, but the same trend of success can’t apply to other titles so easily. It’s ironic because the remakes of Resident Evil 2 and 3 reportedly inspired Dead Space to make a comeback. Meanwhile, EA’s remake languishes.
There’s a lot more one could say about the franchise outside of this entire Dead Space 2 remake confusion. I’ve already said plenty about the multi-studio approach to Battlefield, which, despite forming over two years ago, has yet to announce any new titles or really anything at all apart from other studios that are joining the fray.
How Motive will get mixed up in that remains to be seen, and whether it leads to success – that too by modern, unsustainable triple-A standards – is another scary question. Here’s hoping that the superhero well hasn’t dried up in the games industry and that Marvel’s Iron Man becomes a success if nothing else.
Horror games – and their remakes – come and go. We’re due for a remake of Silent Hill 2 from Bloober Team at some point, and despite misgivings, it could end up a commercial success. Then again, maybe it won’t. Worst of all, that success may not be enough. Regardless, as far as Dead Space is concerned, it’s probably best to savor the memories of the original two games and the remake and ultimately let go. As much as I want to see a continuation and maybe even a definitive conclusion where Isaac finds peace, perhaps it’s just another dream with a monster at the end of it.
Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.
Share Your Thoughts Below (Always follow our comments policy!)