Tag: Deus Ex

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Deus Ex Go will become unplayable in January, even if you bought it

Fan-favourite mobile game Deus Ex Go will no longer be playable as of January 4th, 2023, developer Onoma has confirmed.

The announcement was made by publisher Embracer via the official Twitter account for the now-defunct studio, formerly known as Square Enix Montreal.

Released in 2016, Deus Ex Go — alongside 2014’s Hitman Go and 2015’s Lara Croft Go — was a well-received puzzle mobile take on the iconic sci-fi series. Additionally, three other Onoma games will become inaccessible on January 4th: Hitman Sniper: The Shadows, the team’s final game, as well as Arena Battle Champions and Space Invaders: Hidden Heroes.

All four games will also be removed from the App Store and Google Play Store on December 1st. Embracer also says to use any in-app purchases you’ve made before January 4th, as they won’t be refunded.

Often, single-player games that are removed from digital storefronts will at least remain playable if they’re downloaded before the shutdown. It’s unclear why Embracer is opting to make the four Onoma titles completely unavailable, but it’s unfortunately another reminder that you don’t truly “own” digital games, as well as another example of the gaming industry’s preservation issues.

Overall, Onoma was dealt a rough hand. When Embracer acquired the Canadian team as part of a larger purchase of Square Enix studios, it soon rebranded — “Onoma” being Greek for “name” — as a first step to forge a new identity. However, Embracer shuttered the studio a mere three weeks later, shocking everyone. When celebrating its 10th anniversary last year, Square Enix Montreal was looking ahead to both Hitman Sniper and a mysterious AR-based Space Invaders game.

Per Bloomberg, some Onoma employees have been shifted over to sister Embracer team Eidos Montreal, the developer of last year’s acclaimed Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy. However, it’s unclear how many of the roughly 200 Onoma employees have been laid off.

Embracer, meanwhile, has been on an acquisition spree, most notably buying the IP rights to none other than J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings earlier this year.

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Eidos Montreal officially takes control of Deus Ex — here’s hoping for a new game

Canadian developer Eidos Montreal has confirmed that it’s officially taken control of the Deus Ex series following the completion of its sale to Embracer Group. Alongside this news, fellow former Square Enix studio Crystal Dynamics has assumed ownership of the Tomb Raider series.

Now, these sorts of developments aren’t exciting or, worse, are disappointing. After all, acquisitions first and foremost benefit companies, not consumers. But what’s noteworthy is that this could signal a fresh start for Eidos Montreal. That’s because the Canadian developer has been putting out great games for years now, but they’ve seemingly not garnered the attention they’ve deserved. It’s no secret that Square Enix mismanaged its Western studios, hence this recent sale to Embracer, but Eidos Montreal perhaps suffered the most. The team’s first Deus Ex title, 2011’s Deus Ex: Human Revolution, performed well for Square Enix, but the sequel, 2016’s Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, did not. Plans for a third game ultimately fell through so Eidos Montreal could make Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, another game that garnered acclaim but didn’t live up to sales expectations. In the case of both Mankind Divided and Guardians, it would seem that misplaced marketing played a major role in selling the otherwise quality experiences short.

While I’m certainly happy we got Guardians, it always felt like a missed opportunity to not continue Deus Ex. Mankind Divided laid a lot of solid groundwork that a threequel could have picked up from, but even if Eidos Montreal didn’t want to continue Adam Jensen’s story, there are so many other directions the series could go in. Warren Spector’s original Deus Ex was way ahead of its time, tackling gripping political intrigue and futuristic technology while delivering an innovative and defining “immersive sim” experience. But the industry has come a long way in the 25 years since. It would be fascinating to see what a group of creatives would do with the property now, especially as technology and the social climate have changed so much. And after CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077 missed the mark for many, a smaller, tighter cyberpunk game in the vein of a Deus Ex would have — and still could — feel like a breath of fresh air.

Deus Ex Mankind Divided world

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided crafted a rich futuristic world to explore.

Of course, it’s unclear exactly how Eidos Montreal or the Deus Ex property at large will fare under Embracer, but the potential is certainly there. The fact that the Canadian developer was pretty much immediately given the reins to the series, coupled with Embracer’s comments about seeing “great potential” in properties like Deus Ex, certainly gives some hope. The team said earlier this year that it has multiple projects in development, so it’s possible one of them is Deus Ex. Please, Embracer — help Deus Ex bring the series back!

Image credit: Embracer

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Square Enix to sell Montreal studios to Sweden-based Embracer for $300 million

Square Enix is selling its Montreal-based studios, including Crystal Dynamics, Edios-Montreal and Square Enix Montreal, to Sweden’s Embracer group for $300 million (roughly $386 million CAD).

The deal is expected to close between July and September and affects 1,100 employees across the three studios. This acquisition means that the Embracer group now owns an extensive catalogue of video game series, including Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, Legacy of Kain, Thief and “more than 50 back catalogue games.”

“We are thrilled to welcome these studios into the Embracer Group. We recognize the fantastic IP, world-class creative talent, and track record of excellence that have been demonstrated time and again over the past decades. It has been a great pleasure meeting the leadership teams and discussing future plans for how they can realize their ambitions and become a great part of Embracer,” said Lars Wingefors, the co-founder and group CEO of Embracer Group, in a recent press release.

Edios Montreal most recently released Guardians of the Galaxy and has also worked on recent entries in the Deus Ex series. On the other hand, Square Enix Montreal has developed several critically acclaimed mobile titles, including Hitman Go, Lara Croft Go, and Deus Ex Go. Finally, Crystal Dynamics is best known for the Tomb Raider series.

Embracer owns Gearbox Software, THQ Nordic, Koch Media, Deeper Silver and more. When the company’s acquisition of Square Enix closes, it will have more than 14,000 employees, 10,000 developers and 124 internal studios.

Square Enix says that selling off these studios will allow the company to establish “a more efficient allocation of resources,” adding that it plans to launch “new businesses by moving forward with investments in fields including blockchain, AI, and the cloud.”

Image credit: Square Enix 

Source: Embracer, Square Enix