There has been a ton of buzz around Dishonored’s future, following a rather innocuous post on X.
Dishonored is easily one of the best stealth-action games out there. The Arkane-developed game made waves for its open-ended level design, allowing players to take down targets and complete objectives by combining their powers or using the world around them to their advantage. It also had an extremely unique setting with a steampunk-inspired aesthetic and a layered universe infested by a rat plague. There’s not really anything else quite like it, which was recognized by fans and critics alike. IGN gave Dishonored a 9.2 back in 2012, and the game was showered in awards in addition to respectable sales.
A sequel followed in 2016 and was met with similar critical acclaim, but the sales didn’t follow. Dishonored 2 was considered a disappointment commercially, and ever since, the franchise’s future has remained in doubt. Arkane’s Austin-based studio shut its doors in 2024 following the disappointing release of Redfall, but Arkane Lyon remains active and is working on Marvel’s Blade.
However, some are hoping that recent fan interest could revive Dishonored. A recent X post praising Dishonored went viral, racking up over 10 million views and over 33,000 likes on the platform. Hundreds of fans joined in to share their love of Dishonored and encouraged others to give it a chance if they haven’t. Arkane even personally thanked the original poster for playing and enjoying the game. Another post stated that the discussion may have single-handedly saved the Dishonored franchise.
Thanks for playing.
— Arkane Studios (@ArkaneStudios) April 28, 2026
Although that is an extremely optimistic view, it’s hard to imagine that being the case. Social media is often an echo chamber where algorithms show users things they are interested in. While it wouldn’t be surprising if some people discovered Dishonored through this discourse, the hype doesn’t seem to be reflected in the player numbers on SteamDB. Both Dishonored games have fewer than 1,000 players on Steam and have each peaked at around 800 players in the last 24 hours.
It does seem like Dishonored 3 may have been in the works at some point. In 2023, a leaked Microsoft document revealed the game was in the works back in 2020 and was targeting a release in fiscal year 2024. Unfortunately, nothing has ever come from that. While it’s possible the game was delayed, other projects in that document have since released, including the Oblivion remaster, Doom: The Dark Ages (previously known as Doom Year Zero), and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. One other notable project from that document that hasn’t surfaced yet is a remaster of Fallout 3, but rumors indicate that is still in the works whereas there has been nothing but silence for Dishonored 3.
Maybe Xbox will give Arkane the go-ahead to pursue another Dishonored game in the future, especially as the platform tries to rebuild goodwill after a rough generation. However, even if that did happen, it’s unlikely we’d see Dishonored 3 until the early 2030s, given that Marvel’s Blade still seems to be a year or two away from releasing.
Cade Onder is a freelancer for IGN’s news team. He covers all things entertainment, including gaming, film, and more. You can find him on Twitter @Cade_Onder.
