A recent social media post has sparked renewed hope among Dishonored fans for a third installment in the beloved stealth-action series.
Dishonored is widely regarded as one of the best stealth-action games, thanks to its open-ended level design that lets players combine powers and use the environment to take down targets. Its unique steampunk setting, plagued by a rat infestation, set it apart from other games. IGN gave it a 9.2 in 2012, and it earned critical acclaim and solid sales.
A sequel, Dishonored 2, launched in 2016 to similar praise but disappointed commercially. Since then, the franchise's future has been uncertain. Arkane's Austin studio closed in 2024 after Redfall's poor reception, but Arkane Lyon is still active and working on Marvel's Blade.
A recent X post praising Dishonored went viral, amassing over 10 million views and 33,000 likes. Hundreds of fans shared their love for the series, and Arkane personally thanked the original poster. Some fans even claimed the discussion might have saved the franchise.
However, that optimism may be misplaced. Social media algorithms often create echo chambers, and SteamDB shows both Dishonored games have fewer than 1,000 concurrent players each. While some new players may have discovered the series, the hype doesn't reflect in player numbers.
There were signs that Dishonored 3 was in development. A leaked 2023 Microsoft document revealed the game was in the works in 2020, targeting a fiscal year 2024 release. But nothing materialized, while other projects from that document—like the Oblivion remaster, Doom: The Dark Ages, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle—have been released or announced. A Fallout 3 remaster is rumored to still be in development, but Dishonored 3 remains silent.
Xbox might eventually greenlight another Dishonored game as part of rebuilding goodwill, but given that Marvel's Blade is likely a year or two away, Dishonored 3 probably won't arrive until the early 2030s.
