EA cans Dead Space 4, source claims

EA has halted development of Dead Space 4 after struggling to meet sales targets, according to a report.

Speaking to VideoGamer, a source “familiar with the unannounced project” said the latest entry into the series had been in pre-production at Visceral Games, but has now been axed following poor sales of Dead Space 3.

With the cancellation of Dead Space 4, it is also thought that this effectively means the end of the franchise at least for the short-term while EA decides on a future for the series.

Visceral Montreal, which EA Labels president Frank Gibeau confirmed had been hit by layoffs during company-wide restructuring, is also rumoured to have been closed entirely.

A small team at the studio had been tasked with creating prototypes and developing a new story for a potential Dead Space 4.

In an interview with CVG last year, Gibeau had said Dead Space 3 would need to sell around five million units to keep the franchise alive and worthwhile for the publisher to continue investing in.

“In general we’re thinking about how we make this a more broadly appealing franchise, because ultimately you need to get to audience sizes of around five million to really continue to invest in an IP like Dead Space,” he said.

“Anything less than that and it becomes quite difficult financially given how expensive it is to make games and market them. We feel good about that growth but we have to be very paranoid about making sure we don’t change the experience so much that we lose the fanbase.”