Dead Cells to receive its final update as devs move on to new "secret projects"
It's "time for something shiny and new"
Dead Cells developers Motion Twin have announced their roguelike Metroidvania will receive its final update with the launch of the appropriately titled Update 35: 'The End Is Near'. It's been a pretty great run as these things go: over the course of seven years, Dead Cells has received four major DLC expanions, a mobile release and, of course, 35 of those big title updates. However, current custodians Evil Empire are now moving on to greener, "secret projects"-flavoured pastures - the emphasis being on pastures plural there, if their Xweet about it is anything to go by, too.
"Update 35 for Dead Cells marks the end of our creative journey on the game," Motion Twin wrote on Steam. "After an incredible 5-year collaboration in bringing additional content to Dead Cells' live-ops, Evil Empire will be pursuing new adventures and we can't wait to see what they come up next.
"This comes after much reflection, especially following the awesome success of the 'Return to Castlevania' DLC last year. Our commitment to avoiding the 'more of the same' trap and keeping Dead Cells fresh and original has led us to this point; as we've seen with other long-running series, it's crucial not to overextend and risk diminishing the unique charm that makes Dead Cells special to us all."
Update 35 is currently still in its alpha stage at the moment, but Motion Twin say they're "all hands on deck" getting it to full release. They will also "continue to find solutions" toward long-term bug fixing and addressing quality of life issues that may occur after Update 35 comes out.
Motion Twin themselves are currently working on their new action roguelike Windblown, which was first announced at last year's Game Awards. As for what Evil Empire are up to next, it sounds like several things might be in the pipeline.
"Now it's time for something shiny and new, or maybe more than one thing," Evil Empire Xweeted today, adding that they'll be "revealing what their crazy minds have been coming up with very soon".
Putting my pure cotton speculation hat on for a second, I can't help but think that their Return To Castlevania DLC might have been a secret dry run for a full-blooded Castlevania game with Konami perhaps. That would be my ideal scenario as a long-suffering Lords Of Shadow-liker, but I'd be equally intrigued to see something that's wholly original from them as well. Fingers crossed we won't have to wait too long to find out.