Dead Space remake directors join Battlefield development

The general manager of EA Japan has criticised the Japanese ratings board for what he believes are discrepancies in the way Dead Space and Stellar Blade have been rated.

Following rumours that EA had cancelled a Dead Space 2 Remake project at EA Motive, the publisher has taken the unusual step of shooting down the story with a public statement. Dead Space 2 remake wasn’t cancelled… because it never existed.

The fate of a potential remake may be in doubt as its team has moved on to a new project. 2023's remake was well-received upon its release for being extremely faithful to the original and served as a great new starting point for newcomers while offering some new surprises for fans of the 2008 original.

Motive Studios’ Dead Space remake has caused a stir recently after Giant Bomb’s Jeff Grubb reported that a remake for the second game was shelved. Though only in the pre-production phase, Grubb noted that a Dead Space 2 remake wasn’t happening due to lackluster sales of the first game. Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier has since weighed in, noting in a new report that the series is on ice again.

After Giant Bomb’s Jeff Grubb reported that a Dead Space 2 remake was in the works, albeit in the pre-production phase, publisher Electronic Arts has spoken against the same. A spokesperson told IGN, “We don’t normally comment on rumors, but there is no validity to this story.”

Developers at Dead Space remake creators EA Motive were pushing to make a "new entry" in the sci-fi horror series before EA shelved it last year, according to the latest in a recent outbreak of Dead Spacey rumours and revelations that have spread through the bulkheads of the internet, coating everybody's devices with necrotic slime.

A second report has claimed that the Dead Space franchise is on hold after sales of the most recent game failed to meet EA’s expectations.

Last night, a report claimed a Dead Space 2 remake had been in the works at EA. However, a subsequent report — which itself follows on from EA denying any such remake was in the pipeline — has poured more cold water on these initial claims. In fact, the whole series is reportedly «on ice».

Earlier today, it was claimed that a remake of Dead Space 2 was in development at publisher Electronic Arts, but had been shelved indefinitely due to the original game's poor sales. Reputable industry insider Jeff Grubb claimed that the title was in the "concept" phase, before EA Motive were taken off the project to work on a new Battlefield and Iron Man title.

Plans for a Dead Space 2 remake have reportedly been shelved after the first game failed to deliver commercially.

Yesterday, it was announced that Motive Studios would work on the Battlefield franchise. While the development of Marvel’s Iron Man continues, it’s also building a new team to focus purely on EA’s flagship first-person shooter franchise. Of course, this begged the question – what about the follow-up to the Dead Space remake launched last year?

Update: EA have now denied Grubb's claims that the Dead Space 2 remake was in development before being effectively cancelled, telling IGN: "We don't normally comment on rumors but there is no validity to this story." That report adds that the sequel wasn't considered for development to begin with, despite the first remake having performed well in EA's eyes, according to a source.