"Dishonored 2 Receives Unexpected Update 9 Years Post-Launch"

Summary

• Dishonored 2 unexpectedly received a small update for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox.
• The patch is quite small and appears to include bug fixes and language updates.
• Arkane Lyon is currently working on Marvel's Blade.

Dishonored 2, one of the most critically acclaimed Bethesda titles from the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 era, has received a surprise update, though it's not the one fans were eagerly anticipating. Released towards the end of 2016, Dishonored 2 builds on its acclaimed 2012 predecessor by introducing Emily Kaldwin as a new playable character. The game's missions, such as The Clockwork Mansion and A Crack in the Slab, have been celebrated for their innovative gameplay and meticulously crafted environments.

Arkane Lyon, the developer behind Dishonored 2, also gained recognition with the release of Deathloop in 2021. However, their sister studio, Arkane Austin, which developed the original Dishonored, Prey (2017), and Redfall (2023), was unfortunately closed as part of Xbox's 2024 studio closures, along with other teams like Roundhouse Studios, Alpha Dog Games, and Tango Gameworks, though Tango was later revived by Korean publisher Krafton. Fortunately, Arkane Lyon continues to operate and is currently focused on developing Marvel's Blade in collaboration with Marvel Games.

Out of the blue, fans discovered that Dishonored 2 had been updated across Xbox, PlayStation, and Steam platforms. This update, weighing in at just 230MB, seems to focus on minor bug fixes and updates to language depots, according to SteamDB. However, on Xbox, this update necessitates a full reinstallation of the game, which totals 40GB.

Dishonored 2 Receives a Surprise New Update, but Not a 60 FPS Mode

While the exact purpose of this unexpected update remains unclear, many fans are disappointed that it doesn't include the much-anticipated performance boost to 60 FPS. Despite the fact that nearly all other Arkane titles, including the original Dishonored and Dishonored: Death of the Outsider, can run at 60 FPS on Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5, Dishonored 2 remains locked at 30 FPS. Speculation suggests that Arkane Lyon might release a 60 FPS patch to coincide with the game's tenth anniversary in 2026, though waiting that long for such an update may not satisfy fans' expectations.

The prospect of a third mainline Dishonored game remains a distant hope for many fans, especially with the closure of Arkane Austin likely to impact the pace of Arkane's game development. Currently, Arkane Lyon is channeling its efforts into the third-person Marvel's Blade, which does not yet have a confirmed release date.