The most underrated shooter from co-developer E-Day needs a sequel

Microsoft plans to rekindle interest Gears of War with Gears of War: E-DayA prequel co-developed by series stewards The Alliance and People Can Fly. Both of these studios have hands Gears of War Saga as a supporting studio, porting the first entry to Windows in People Can Fly in 2007, and Alliance remastering Gears of War In 2015, to name just two examples. Gears of War: E-Day This can be a meaningful culmination of the studio's years of experience.

In the early years Gears of WarBoth Alliance and People Can Fly took something of a backseat to Epic Games, which led to development on the original trilogy. Gears of War: Justice. starts with Gears 4Alliance became the de facto “leader” of the IP, working with other supporting studios such as Sumo Digital and Splash Damage. Gears of War reloaded and Gears strategyBut People Can Fly is the more impressive developer overall. Indeed, People Can Fly has demonstrated a penchant for creating cult classics, including 2004's. Pain reliever and widely underrated Bullet Storm In 2011 (another Epic Games collaboration). The most important is People Can Fly's 2021 looter-shooter The OutridersWhich is the company's best release till date. Unfortunately, this is also its saddest.

Outriders 2 was supposed to happen, but it never happened

First Outriders is an admirable game that never got the attention it deserved

When it first launched in 2021, The Outriders As a game with a lot of promise was clocked by loot shooter fans. Its unique science-fiction premise, satisfying gunplay and player abilities, and genuinely rewarding loot system made it instantly appealing. Looking purely at its moment-to-moment gameplay, The Outriders People Can Fly is stronger than anything released, edging out many established loot shooters of the time. Division 2.

One of the most attractive elements of the game, looter shooter genre conventions and a destiny-Inspired inventory and UI, it does not contain any battle passes or microtransactions. People Can Fly says it clearly The Outriders Not a “direct service” title in the traditional sense, which made it a much-needed breath of fresh air. Speaking personally, I love the fighting mechanics of the games Fate 2But can't really stomach the maze of DLCs and weaponized FOMO that thrives in the live-service formula; It should have such gameplay strengths without the less savory aspects of the looter shooter genre. The Outriders A big hit, but that's not really what happened. In fact, the game's consumer-friendly approach may have actually contributed to the cancellation of its sequel.

Why Outriders 2 never came to fruition

Square Enix, publisher of The OutridersThe game was immediately praised for its successful launch. Here is an excerpt from the 2021 press release by the publisher, especially celebrating The Outriders:

With over 3.5 million unique players, an average game time of over 30 hours and extremely high engagement for cooperative play, we and the amazing team at People Can Fly are very excited by this early success.

3.5 million dedicated players is nothing to scoff at, but this momentum seems to be slowing down quickly. for one thing, The Outriders The launch had a number of serious technical issues, and while some players looked past them, many others showed less tolerance, with People Can Fly shutting down the game before its most serious problems were fixed.

The Outriders also failed to make a profit. This is attributed to some factors, such as the aforementioned technical shortcomings and The Outriders' release on Game Pass, but also with its lack of microtransactions. Like a successful live-service title Fortnite or Fate 2 While premium cosmetics and battle passes can be surprisingly profitable, many gamers vehemently and vocally oppose such practices. For better or worse, live service shenanigans can theoretically result in endless moneymaking, which AAA publishers and developers often prize above all else.

Whatever the reason behind it The Outriders' Lacking profits, Square Enix has decided not to move forward with a sequel. That's sad in itself, but it's even sadder when you realize that People Can Fly was supposedly almost done. Outrider 2Shedding it until its sudden cancellation in June 2025. The cancellation also coincided with massive cuts to People Can Fly, which is a shame all around.

Forget about the past — Outriders 2 may rise with a second chance

I can't say what makes it Outrider 2 Greater financial success than its predecessor, but it is clear that the looter shooter landscape has changed significantly since 2021. When the first The Outriders Turns out, it was going up against several well-established titles in its genre space, ie Fate 2. Now that Fate 2 Ending support, no comparison, new game on the way to pick up the thrown gauntlet, there might be room The Outriders To re-emerge, phoenix style.

No one should be surprised if the next few years are filled with self-proclamation.”Fate 2 Substitution,” but Outrider 2 There is a clear advantage here. It is believed that there is a report about this Outrider 2The development progress is correct, almost finished Outrider 2 Just waiting to be capitalized. With years of work Outrider 2 As already noted, People Can Fly can literally blow out the game in a short period of time. At least, the studio wouldn't be starting from scratch.

Was it that simple. The most recent reports indicate that Square Enix still has the rights The Outriders IP, and therefore in control of its destiny, so to speak. put another way Outrider 2Its fate comes down to the choices of its corporate overlords, not its creative masterminds. But there may still be hope here. After all, Square Enix doesn't seem to have plans to release it Outrider 2And the publisher has sold several IP rights in recent years (eg Tomb Raider, Deus East, Legacy of Kain), so maybe it can be skipped The Outriders For the right price. If things go well Gears of War: E-DaySo Microsoft could look at raking in the cash it needs Outrider 2 to the finish line.

systems

issued

October 6, 2026

ESRB

Mature 17+ / Intense violence, blood and gore, strong language, in-game purchases, user interaction

Publisher(s)

Xbox Game Studio