Report: Embracer’s ongoing layoffs kill a new Deus Ex game after 2 years’ work

Enlarge / Adam Jensen of Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, taking in the news that no last-minute contrivance is going to save his series from what seemed like inevitable doom. (Pun credit to Andrew Cunningham). (credit: Eidos Interactive)

Embracer Group, the Swedish firm that bought up a number of known talents and gaming properties during the pandemic years, has canceled a Deus Ex game at its Eidos studio in Montreal, Canada, according to Bloomberg's Jason Schreier.

The game, while not officially announced, has been known about since May 2022. It was due to enter production later in 2024 and had seen two years of pre-production development, according to Schreier's sources. Many employees will be laid off as part of the cancellation.

Embracer Group acquired Eidos Montreal, along with Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix Montreal, for $300 million in mid-2022, buying up all of Japanese game publisher Square Enix's Western game studios. That gave Embracer the keys to several influential and popular series, including Tomb Raider, Just Cause, Life Is Strange, and Deus Ex.