The Dead Space franchise could have a tough road ahead of it, as original creator and director Glen Schofield recently confirmed that EA rejected a pitch for a fourth mainline game. Since the first game released in 2008, Dead Space and its successors have gained a reputation as being some of the best horror titles of the 21st century. After the first game was remade and launched last year, many longtime fans were hoping that interest in the franchise had been reignited, but that appears to not be the case.
This revelation from Schofield comes from a recent interview with YouTuber Dan Allen Gaming. According to Schofield, he and fellow Dead Space devs Christopher Stone and Bret Robbins pitched EA a concept for Dead Space 4 earlier this year. Unfortunately, the conversation with EA was short-lived, as the company reportedly was not interested in the franchise at the moment. For die-hard fans of Dead Space, this news comes as a huge blow, especially after the remake was so well-received. If Dead Space wants to move forward, drastic measures may have to be taken, but that’s easier said than done.
Related
Cronos: The New Dawn is Unlikely to Beat the Dead Space Comparisons, But it May Not Need To
Cronos: The New Dawn is Bloober Team’s next project, and though it’s already being compared to Dead Space, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
The Future of Dead Space Has Found Itself in an Impossible Situation
Two Ways Dead Space Can Live On
- A fresh pitch
- A new publisher
While these two options seem possible, that is likely far from the case. Changing publishers would likely require a lot of back and forth with legal negotiations, and even if Dead Space separated from EA, there is still no guarantee that the series would find a new home. Dead Space has been stuck in limbo, and while that is frustrating, leaving EA doesn’t mean that everything would be fixed for the franchise. If Dead Space has any chance at a new chapter, a fresh pitch may be the best way to do so, but EA’s current lack of interest has left any potential negotiations with Schofield on ice at the moment.
However, this doesn’t have to be complete doom and gloom. On the bright side, Schofield’s statements didn’t claim Dead Space 4 was never happening, just not right now. There is still the possibility that EA could want to return to the IP sometime in the future, but as of now, the series seems to be stuck in its state. The Dead Space remake brought a stellar new version of the original to life, and the fact that it hasn’t inspired EA to pursue the franchise further is definitely surprising.
The upcoming horror title, Cronos: The New Dawn, appears to take a lot of inspiration from Dead Space.
2024 Has Been a Rough Year for Fans of Dead Space
What makes these statements from Schofield that much more painful is that this is the second round of bad news that gamers have gotten about Dead Space. Earlier this year it was reported that a Dead Space 2 remake was scrapped because of low sales. Although EA has claimed this report as false, there is no telling what has kept the company from bringing more entries to the series, especially after the recent Dead Space and Battlefield crossover.
Glen Schofield directed 2022’s The Callisto Protocol. Intended to be a spiritual successor to Dead Space, the game brought the same intense cosmic horror while having divisive mechanics.
As of now, only time will tell if Dead Space gets another chance at life. After the divisive nature of Dead Space 3, many fans have been hoping for a fresh story that makes up for the third chapter’s mistakes. The positive reception of the Dead Space remake will at least live on as a strong return for the series, even if it doesn’t get to inspire new chapters. Of course, EA could eventually change course and be on board with a fourth mainline title or another remake, but until then, fans may have to opt for revisiting the old chapters.
Dead Space
EA’s Dead Space franchise is a series of survival horror games set in space, predominantly on enormous spaceships.
The franchise’s gameplay takes inspiration from the iconic Resident Evil 4 and boasts an excellent range of enemies and weapons that ensure players are kept on their toes throughout the horrifying experiences.
Leave a Reply