Alternative history PS4 exclusive The Order: 1886 was originally meant to be the first game in a trilogy, one of its developers has revealed.
Two other games — The Order 1891 and The Order 1899 — were also planned (thanks, VGC). As Ru Weerasuriya, creative director of The Order: 1886, explained in an French-language interview with Julien Chieze, the sequel was in the early stages of development before it was cancelled.
In The Order: 1886, a game that re-writes history by introducing a unique vision of Victorian-Era London, you discover history’s darkest secret. From its 10-page pitch, Weerasuriya said the first sequel would have boasted bigger combat sequences, as well as an additional multiplayer mode. The third game didn’t even make it to early production, but Weerasuriya and the team at Ready at Dawn had planned where the story would’ve taken them, as well as other instalments which could’ve taken the franchise into the 20th century.
Ready at Dawn was a venerable, 20-year-old game studio that worked on God of War and Daxter among other projects. Following the mixed reception of The Order: 1886, Ready at Dawn began to move into VR, releasing Lone Echo for the Oculus Rift in 2017. It was acquired by Meta in 2020, but closed down entirely in August 2024.
Weerasuriya suggested that it was the mixed critical reception to the original game that saw the series cancelled. Like a lot of players at the time, here at IGN we thought the 2015 game was okay, awarding it a 6.5, writing: “Though a stylish adventure, The Order: 1886 emphasizes its cinematic polish at the crippling cost of gameplay freedom.”
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Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.