Motion Twin and Evil Empire are calling it and done further developing Dead Cells.
Ahead of the game’s 35th update, Motion Twin revealed it’d be the final one for the 2D roguelike. Both studios will move on to “pursue new adventures.”
“Our commitment to avoiding the ‘more of the same’ trap…has led us to this point,” said Motion Twin. Following last year’s Castlevania DLC, the developers wanted the game to avoid burnout.
Even so, Motion Twin said it would “continue the journey” of the Dead Cells world with things outside the original game. This includes the animated series in production and other projects.
Evil Empire’s own statement thanked players for their support. It also said its Dead Cells team would reveal its own “secret projects” in the near future.
“We’re very thankful to Motion Twin for trusting us and letting us play with their baby for so long. […] We’ll miss working on [the game], and in particular the amazing community.”
In the immediate future, Motion Twin’s next project is Windblown, releasing in Early Access sometime this year.
Dead Cells had an expressive lifecycle
Since its original Early Access launch in 2017, Dead Cells has grown in popularity. As of this past summer, it topped 10 million sales worldwide.
Motion Twin and Evil Empire have kept the game going with continuous updates featuring new areas, modes, and weapons. Its most recent was the Return to Castlevania DLC, the first new piece of game-related media for Konami’s franchise in years.
Over the years, Dead Cells became a hub for other roguelikes. Hyper Light Drifter, Hollow Knight, and others appeared as DLC skins, and mechanics from those titles came over with them.
Evil Empire will continue to support Dead Cells through 2025.