Whether it’s prolonged DLC plans, companion apps, or a tacked-on multiplayer component, over the years developers and publishers have explored a plethora of strategies to boost replay value – and ultimately stymie trade-ins – with varying degrees of success. For Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, though, developer Eidos Montreal has confirmed it has no plans to implement a multiplayer mode unless it is deemed absolutely “fundamental” from the get-go.
That’s according to Gameplay Director Patrick Fortier, who noted in a recent interview with Games Radar that the sequel is unlikely to feature anything other than the core single-player campaign lest it interfere with Adam Jensen’s latest outing.
“If we were to go in that direction it would have to be the topic of the game itself,” he said in an interview published the latest issue of OXM, as reported by web partner GamesRadar. “I don’t think it’s something that can be tacked on and supported sufficiently well through a third party developer, out of the office. It has to be fundamental right from day one that you’re trying to do that. You have to have the right idea and the right vehicle.”
Whether this is a reaction to the underwhelming multiplayer mode that was shoehorned into Crystal Dynamics’ Tomb Raider is up for question, though it’s refreshing to note that Eidos is apprehensive about shoehorning in a feature that doesn’t necessarily gel with the rest of the experience. For instance, The Last of Us‘ multiplayer mode was an example of how it’s done right, channeling the tone and survival gameplay of the title’s main campaign. Then again, that doesn’t mean every triple-A game ought to make room for an online component.
Eidos Montreal may not have necessarily ruled out a multiplayer mode in the final build of Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, but we wouldn’t hold our breath for one. It’s understood that the studio’s futuristic sequel will launch across PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC sometime before June, 2016.