System Shock 3's Future Remains Vague As Otherside Entertainment Reemerges

Despite reports earlier this year suggesting the worst, today Otherside Entertainment have assured fans it's still around and working. And while it says a new concept is "coming along nicely," the status of System Shock 3 remains unclear.

The sequel to the long-lost franchise was announced in 2015, with series creator Warren Specter returning to it in 2016. Starbreeze, the game's publisher, relinquished the rights to distribution last year after extended financial and legal woes, with Otherside confirming it would continue with development. Since then System Shock 3 has only received a teaser trailer and has remained hidden since.

Earlier this year it was suggested by layoffs and reports from former employees that the project was all but officially cancelled. Otherside Entertainment didn't respond until today, with VP of Marketing and Business Development Walter Somol reassuring fans that the studio is still operating. His post appears on Otherside's official forums, in a thread regarding the studio's layoffs.

"We're still here. We’re all working remotely right now, probably like most of you," Somol writes. "Our new concept is coming along nicely and we are really excited about it. We have cool and we think distinctive art style for it and we have that and gameplay coming together in UE4. I know it's a tease, but I just can’t really say anything about it at this point."

Right now, the only project Otherside Entertainment is assumed to be working on is System Shock 3, but the lack of direct acknowledgement after months of silence from the studio should give pause. Somol talks about a new concept and gameplay coming together, which he might assume fans to understand refers to System Shock 3. But without more to share, it isn't clear yet if System Shock 3 is still in development or not.