Before Dishonored, Arkane Almost Built Thief 4 and Blade Runner
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
Former Arkane directors reveal the studio nearly developed Thief 4 and a Blade Runner game before creating Dishonored.
Every major studio has an alternate history filled with lost projects and pitches that never quite made it past the whiteboard. For Arkane Studios, that sliding doors moment happened just before the creation of the first Dishonored. Speaking in a recent retrospective interview covered by Eurogamer, former co-directors Raphael Colantonio and Harvey Smith revealed that Bethesda approached the team with a choice between two legendary properties, Thief and Blade Runner.
At the time, the studio was in a difficult business position, making the publisher's offer feel like an absolute lifeline. The developers had already put together detailed pitches and early footage for both projects, including specialized first person combat mechanics for Blade Runner that factored in the impossible physical movements of Replicants. Ultimately, the studio could not focus on both simultaneously, and neither game moved forward in that specific direction.
Fortunately, that pivot led directly to the birth of a modern classic. When those deals did not materialize, Bethesda encouraged the team to keep building and turn their foundational ideas into an original property, which eventually became Dishonored. It is a fascinating look at how industry history shifts on a dime, turning what could have been a licensed sequel into the foundation for an entirely new immersive sim franchise.
Tags: Arkane Studios, Dishonored, Thief, Blade Runner, Industry History
Original article: Eurogamer