Eidos-Montreal Is Pitching a New Deus Ex, But Publishers Aren’t Biting

Eidos-Montreal is actively trying to bring back the iconic Deus Ex franchise — but according to a new report, the studio is struggling to find a publisher willing to take on the project.

As reported by Insider Gaming, the Deus Ex developer has been shopping around a fresh concept for a new title in the series, pitching it to various partners. However, despite multiple attempts, no publisher has signed on to greenlight the game.

Sources close to the situation say publishers are hesitant, with many viewing Deus Ex as “too niche” for today’s mainstream market. The series, while critically acclaimed, hasn’t achieved the blockbuster status that publishers now look for when evaluating risky or high-budget projects.

The report also notes that the new pitch does have "charm and novelty," but doesn’t fully align with the traditional expectations or tone associated with the Deus Ex brand. That suggests Eidos-Montreal may be experimenting with a different direction — which could be exciting, but also risky from a branding perspective.

Importantly, this is a separate effort from the previously reported Deus Ex game that was quietly canceled in early 2024 as part of Embracer Group’s massive restructuring. That earlier project had been in development for about two years before being scrapped, alongside layoffs at the studio.

A Long Hiatus for a Beloved Franchise

The last major entry in the franchise was 2016’s Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, which launched on PS4 and Xbox One to solid reviews but underwhelming sales. While it received some post-launch DLC, the series has been largely dormant ever since.

Eidos-Montreal itself has gone through a whirlwind of changes. After being sold by Square Enix, the studio became part of Embracer Group, where it shifted focus to other IPs. Its most recent title, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy (2021), was developed before that transition and received critical praise, but didn’t meet sales expectations.

In 2023, Eidos-Montreal and sister studio Crystal Dynamics announced plans to launch five major titles by March 2028 — though none have materialized yet, and recent layoffs have cast doubt on the feasibility of that timeline.

As of now, Eidos-Montreal has not publicly commented on the report. But if the studio manages to secure a publishing deal, it would mark a major comeback — and potentially bring one of gaming’s most respected sci-fi series back from the shadows.