“Dishonored 2” is still surrounded by mystery, and we have no idea when the game is coming – or if it’s being made at all. While it’s probably safe to assume at this point that Bethesda are hard at work on the new title, they have been very secretive about their development process and no information has leaked from the studio, at least in any confirmable way. However, we have been getting some strong rumors lately that the game is going to be announced at this year’s E3, along with many details about it.
It would be a great time for Bethesda to make the announcement as well, as interest in the game has been growing stronger and stronger, and they could benefit from the huge hype surrounding the title right now. Plus, if they approach the announcement with a sufficient amount of creativity, it could definitely be an interesting moment in the gaming industry, and could get them a lot of recognition.
Meanwhile, “Dishonored” has been added to PlayStation Plus, Sony’s service that allows gamers to get free copies of various popular titles. While it could be just a random occurrence and unrelated to anything going on behind Bethesda’s doors, it does seem like a bit of a particular choice of timing, and it’s entirely possible that it’s a move to boost the game’s popularity a bit before announcing the sequel.
It’s actually a common strategy used by game companies when releasing sequels, as getting people to talk about the original game can greatly improve the chances of the sequel for getting noticed. Of course, it’s also something that should be done carefully in order to be successful – if Bethesda really did do the “Dishonored” release as an attempt to promote an upcoming sequel, they should announce the new game soon. Otherwise, the effect would be lost.
Fans have been speculating quite a lot about what “Dishonored 2” could possibly do with the series in order to push it forward, but the most common request right now seems to be for Bethesda to pay more attention to the game’s combat. The first game was a bit strange in this regard, as on one hand it encouraged players to be violent and aggressive, and on the other it made them feel wrong for doing that.
“Dishonored 2” will have a lot of potential to set some new trends in gaming, just like its predecessor did – but Bethesda must make sure to market the game properly if they want to achieve that effect, otherwise it could easily get swept under the rug. After all, the market has changed a bit since the first game came out.