Electronic Arts is denying rumors that it has canceled a remake of Dead Space 2.
Giant Bomb's Jeff Grub reported that the publisher was working on a Dead Space 2 remake but decided to cancel the project due to lackluster sales of the recently released Dead Space remake.
"They were working on Dead Space 2, and they are no longer working on it," Grubb explained on Game Mess Mornings. "It is on the shelf because the first game had lackluster sales."
Grubb reported that the game was in the pre-production phase, but has now been shelved.
Shortly after these rumors started circulating and picking up steam, Electronic Arts issued a statement denying them.
"We don't normally comment on rumors but there is no validity to this story," an EA spokesperson told IGN.
IGN added in its own story that "EA Motive never considered a Dead Space 2 remake."
The Dead Space remake was released in January 2023 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. The game received glowing reviews from critics and was praised for its improved graphics and sound design, as well as its enhanced gameplay and action sequences.
EA has not reported on the sales of the remake, although it was the best-selling new game in the United States in January 2023. IGN reports that the game "was ultimately considered to have done well."
The remake was developed by EA's Motive Studio, which also worked on Star Wars Battlefront II and Star Wars: Squadrons. It was announced this week that Motive is forming a new team led by Dead Space remake developers Roman Campos-Oriola and Phillipe Ducharme to "work alongside the Battlefield studios around the world creating what’s next for Battlefield– a universe across both multiplayer and single-player experiences."
The studio is also currently working on the Iron Man game, which is being led by Olivier Proulx (Executive Producer) and Ian Frazier (Creative Director). While we haven't heard much about this game since it was initially announced, EA Motive noted in a post this week that "the team made excellent progress this year, hitting a major internal milestone and laying a robust foundation for the journey ahead."
"Iron Man is an important priority for Motive," the developer added.
Given the number of projects already underway at EA Motive, it's possible that Grubb's information was incorrect. Of course, this doesn't mean that EA won't work on a Dead Space 2 remake in the future.