New Dead Space game is reportedly a ‘reimagining’ of the originals

We recently reported on rumors hinting at a return for the Dead Space series, likely on PS5 and Xbox Series X – and since then, more details have emerged in new reports.

As suggested by Gematsu, a next-gen entry in the sci-fi survival franchise will be a "reimagining" of the original Dead Space games, rather than a direct sequel, with developer EA planning to officially reveal the new title during EA Play Live on July 22.

The news follows earlier hints at the game’s existence from GamesBeat’s Jeff Grubb, who claimed, on the outlet’s official podcast, that EA’s Motive Studios – the studio behind Star Wars: Squadrons – is currently at work on a dormant EA IP. Both Eurogamer and VGC have also said this information aligns with their own sources.

These are the best PS5 games to buy right now
Final Fantasy 9 animated series is apparently in the works
Xbox Cloud Gaming just got a major shot in the arm

If true, a new Dead Space game would mark the first since the series’ third outing in 2013. Following the release of Dead Space 3, EA shut down Visceral Studios – the original developer behind the franchise – in 2017.

The series’ co-creator, Glen Schofield, has since gone on to create a new third-person survival-horror game, The Callisto Protocol, which is being developed by Striking Distance and is scheduled for release in 2022.

So, what could a “reimagining” of the original Dead Space games look like? It seems logical that any new entry would stay faithful to the third-person roots of its predecessors, though beyond that, it’s anyone’s guess. Would we see the return of main protagonist Isaac Clarke, or a roster of entirely new characters?

We’ll have to wait until July 22 – if indeed these reports end up holding water.

Paper trail

There’s good reason to believe these rumors are legit, aside from lots of news outlets agreeing on the same thing.

As per our earlier report, Dead Space writer and novelist Antony Johnston recently took to Twitter to tease that he’s been working on a “big video game for almost two years.” When pressed further on the nature of the project, Johnston cryptically replied by saying: “you play a character having a really bad time.”

Admittedly, that could refer to any number of games, but given that both tweets have since been deleted, we’re hoping that Johnston may have given away a little more than he was supposed to – whatever the project might be.

Still, if a new Dead Space game is indeed in the works, we’re excited to see how it might utilize the PS5’s new tech to create a genuinely frightening horror experience. The system’s Tempest 3D audio tech would offer an interesting way to generate the illusion of creeping-up-behind-you noises, for instance, while its graphical power would make for some pretty visceral plasma cutter kills.

Whatever happens, stay tuned to TechRadar for all the latest Dead Space updates.