The developers of the critically acclaimed 2D roguelike Dead Cells have signaled their intention to move on from the game following the release of its final major update later this year.
Original developer Motion Twin issued a statement to the Dead Cells Steam page alerting players to update 35, appropriately titled The End is Near, on PC and consoles and update 34, called Clean Cut, for the mobile version.
“Update 35 for Dead Cells marks the end of our creative journey on the game,” Motion Twin said. “After an incredible five-year collaboration in bringing additional content to Dead Cells' live-ops, Evil Empire will be pursuing new adventures and we can't wait to see what they come up with next.
“This comes after much reflection, especially following the awesome success of the Return to Castlevania DLC last year. Our commitment to avoiding the ‘more of the same’ trap and keeping Dead Cells fresh and original has led us to this point; as we've seen with other long-running series, it's crucial not to overextend and risk diminishing the unique charm that makes Dead Cells special to us all.
“This change explains the recent quiet period on updates, as concluding such a partnership required careful planning to ensure a smooth process for everyone, including the community. As always, we will of course continue to find solutions to make sure that all quality of life issues and bugs are properly fixed across all platforms to provide a worthy experience to all of you.”
Evil Empire issued a statement of its own, saying its Dead Cells development team is now working on secret projects.
After 5 years of service, we're hanging up the Dead Cells coat. We're extremely proud of our work on countless updates & DLC, but now it's time for something shiny and new, or maybe more than one thing 😏 More on that very soon...
— Evil Empire (@Studio_Evil) February 9, 2024
Read our full statement below👇 #deadcells https://t.co/CqbNvNXGu1 pic.twitter.com/RAz8OL1SCC
While this is the end for big new updates for Dead Cells, it is not the end for Dead Cells as a franchise. There’s a Dead Cells animated series in the works, a board game, and, Motion Twin teased, more collaborations coming in the future.
“In closing, we are wishing the best to Evil Empire on their upcoming projects and want to express our deepest gratitude to you, the players, for your unwavering support and passion for Dead Cells," Motion Twin said. "Your enthusiasm fuels our commitment, and we're eager to embark on the next chapter of this journey together.”
Motion Twin announced its next project, Windblown, at the 2023 Game Awards in December. "We were craving a lightning-fast combat roguelite, but it simply didn't exist," Motion Twin said. "So, we rolled up our sleeves and crafted the game we yearned for; one that lets us dive into the action on our own, and with friends, whenever the mood (or too much pain) strikes!"
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
