A Prey fan account that’s been diligently counting down the days, quite literally, for a sequel to the 2017 FPS, has thrown in the towel now that Arkane Austin has been shuttered.
Early on Tuesday, Microsoft confirmed that it had closed several Bethesda and ZeniMax studios, including Arkane Austin and Tango Gameworks. Arkane Austin, of course, is the studio behind the popular Dishonored series as well as Deathloop, Redfall, and 2017’s Prey. The latter is a game many have wanted a sequel to for years, and although that prospect has appeared rather slim given the deafening silence from all who would be involved, that studio’s closure is the nail on the coffin.
Breaking a 2,556-long streak of tweets reading simply, “no,” the Twitter account ‘Has Prey 2 Been Announced Yet?’ shared this utterly tragic tweet on Tuesday after the news of Arkane Austin’s closure:
2017’s Prey is mostly unrelated reboot of the cult classic 2006 FPS of the same name, developed by Human Head. A sequel to that game was in development at one point but was quietly shelved back in 2011 until Bethesda officially canceled it in 2014.
Despite its enduring popularity with both players and critics, 2017’s Prey is considered a commercial flop, which is probably a big reason Microsoft never gave the green light for a sequel.
In case you’re eager for some insights into Microsoft’s thinking after a year of Xbox executives celebrating Hi-Fi Rush as a “break out hit” and saying “we don’t quit” on games like Redfall, you aren’t the only one.