Updated on April 10, 2024: EA refutes the cancellation report, but the insider stands by the claim. Read on for more details.

An industry insider has disclosed that the highly anticipated Dead Space 2 remake has been scrapped. Disappointing sales of the initial Dead Space remake are believed to be the primary reason behind this decision.

The revamped version of the original game hit the market in January 2023 to critical acclaim and numerous award nominations. However, it failed to meet EA's sales expectations, leading to the reported cancellation of the Dead Space 2 remake.

Dead Space 2 Remake Conceptualized Before Being Shelved

Despite the positive reception, the sequel's sales fell short of projections, with industry expert Jeff Grubb describing them as lackluster. Sources familiar with the matter indicated that this prompted EA Motive to halt production on the Dead Space 2 remake, which was still in the early stages of development.

The insider insights were shared following a recent restructuring at EA Motive, where a portion of the team was reassigned to contribute to the upcoming Battlefield installment. In contrast, progress continues on EA Motive's Iron Man game, which has reached a significant internal milestone. The decision to cancel Dead Space 2 may have been influenced by the studio's shifting priorities, as suggested by Grubb.

The revelation of the cancellation due to poor sales comes as a surprise, given the strong initial performance of the Dead Space remake. The game debuted as the top-selling title in the UK and ranked second on Steam's Top Sellers list. Only Hogwarts Legacy surpassed its launch month sales on Valve's platform, becoming the best-selling game of 2023 in major markets.

The financial impact of the supposedly lackluster sales remains uncertain. Considering development costs and industry averages, an estimated 500,000 sales would have been required for the project to break even, not factoring in additional expenses like marketing and taxes.