Despite Xbox, the spirit of Dishonored and Prey lives on - Weird West dev’s next game is a return to the first-person immersive sim
A first-person RPG from the makers of Weird West is officially in production, but it may be a while yet before we can play it.
With a seemingly unending barrage of layoffs and studio closures, it is incredibly heartwarming to see some of the talent that escaped the triple-A hellscape survive and thrive. Wolfeye Studios, the team behind the clever immersive sim Weird West, has begun working on its next project.
It doesn’t have a name yet, but Wolfeye announced today that production has officially kicked off. The even better news? It’s even more of a return to the team's roots!
For those unfamiliar with Wolfeye’s incredible lineage; this the studio headed up by Raphael Colantonio, Arkane co-founder and co-creator of Dishonored and the Prey reboot. Wolfeye is primarily made up of veterans from Arkane’s Austin and Lyon studios, which is especially relevant today in the wake of the former’s recent closure.
Wolfeye’s first game was the critically acclaimed, isometric action RPG Weird West, essentially an immersive sim from a new perspective. But now, the developer is ready to seemingly create a successor to Dishonored and Prey with its next project, because its upcoming game is a first-person RPG.
Right now, we only have the faintest of hints about the game. We know it’s going to be the studio’s first project with a first-person, and we know the genre. Save for a couple of pieces of art (see below), we don’t really have much of an idea of what to expect.
Also clear is the game’s retro sci-fi aesthetic. In fact, Wolfeye teased this at GDC earlier this year with a picture of a whiteboard with nothing but “Retro Sci-fi” and “First Person” written on it. Since then, the game has been in pre-production.
Interestingly, the developer revealed it wants to involve the community very early in the making of this one. It will be running a limited alpha test sometime in 2025 to get some initial feedback. This is going to be a private test, but you can sign up on the official site for a chance to make the shortlist.
Wolfeye said that this next game, also a new IP, will “deliver a rich and detailed world, freedom of how to play and a deep RPG experience” - which is what everyone expects from this talented team.
“Fans of the past games I have been involved with such as Dishonored and Prey will feel at home, as well as fans of RPGs in general,” said creative director Raphael Colantonio.
“While we look for the right publishing partner, our sights are firmly set on getting our community involved with the game’s development with a limited private alpha in 2025. We can not wait for fans to see what we are working on.”