Another day, another reminder of what we lost when Square Enix decided to sell its rights to Embracer. It remains a painful memory for fans, particularly those eagerly awaiting Adam Jensen’s next chapter after the cliffhanger ending in Deus Ex: Mankind Divided.
Players were left with burning questions about the series’ story, especially how Adam Jensen’s narrative could have bridged the gap between 2029 and 2050, the year the original Deus Ex takes place.
It’s no secret that Deus Ex: Mankind Divided sparked controversy upon its release due to its political themes and perceived cut content. Fans quickly expressed disappointment upon realizing the game ended abruptly, leaving numerous narrative threads unresolved. This baffling decision frustrated longtime fans, eager to see where the Illuminati storyline would go next.
According to former Deus Ex writer Mark Cecere—known for his work on Mankind Divided and Human Revolution—the series' future remains uncertain. Speaking on the From Script to Life podcast, Cecere reflected on how much the story evolved during development, to the point that even he has no idea what direction it would have taken next.
He revealed that a recurring challenge in writing the narrative was that “[Adam Jensen] could never catch up with the Illuminati,” which led the writers to question how to effectively resolve the plot, given that the Illuminati are still a powerful force two decades after the events of Jensen’s story.
Cecere noted, “We did have one name [from the Illuminati] that we could get rid of. And that’s the one Jensen would’ve caught up to and done something about.”
Perhaps the most significant revelation from the podcast was Cecere’s comment on how the sequel could have bridged the gap between Mankind Divided and the original Deus Ex.
He suggested that Adam Jensen’s actions in a potential follow-up would have directly contributed to the rise of Bob Page — the antagonist known to fans of the original game. This detail carries substantial narrative weight and would have aligned with Jensen’s tragic character arc.
Even Adam Jensen’s voice actor, Elias Toufexis, has expressed enthusiasm about the possibility of a third entry in the series, lamenting how much fun it would have been to explore the character further.
Unfortunately, all of that now seems like a pipe dream. Following Square Enix’s decision to sell the Deus Ex rights to Embracer Group, the series has been placed on indefinite hiatus.
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