"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 acclaimed Bethesda titles from the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 era, has been unexpectedly updated, though not in the way many fans had hoped. Released towards the end of 2016, Dishonored 2 builds on the success of its 2012 predecessor by introducing a new playable character, Emily Kaldwin. The game's standout missions, such as The Clockwork Mansion and A Crack in the Slab, captivated players with their innovative gameplay and detailed settings.

Arkane Lyon, the developer behind Dishonored 2, also created the critically acclaimed Deathloop in 2021. Meanwhile, its sister studio, Arkane Austin, which developed the original Dishonored, Prey in 2017, and the less successful Redfall in 2023, was unfortunately closed in 2024 as part of Xbox's studio closures. This closure also affected 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 developing Marvel's Blade in partnership with Marvel Games.

Out of the blue, fans noticed that Dishonored 2 received a small update across Xbox, PlayStation, and Steam. This update, weighing in at just 230MB, seems to focus on bug fixes and language updates, according to SteamDB. However, on Xbox, the update requires a full reinstallation of the entire 40GB game.

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

The exact purpose of this unexpected update for Dishonored 2 remains unclear, and many fans are disappointed that it doesn't include the much-anticipated performance boost. While nearly all other Arkane games can run at 60 FPS on Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5, Dishonored 2 remains capped at 30 FPS. Even the original Dishonored and the standalone spinoff, Dishonored: Death of the Outsider, released in 2017, benefit from 60 FPS enhancements on these consoles. Some speculate that Arkane Lyon might be planning a 60 FPS update for Dishonored 2's tenth anniversary in 2026, though waiting that long for such an update might not satisfy fans.

The desire for a third mainline Dishonored game persists among fans, but with the closure of Arkane Austin, any new entries could be significantly delayed. Currently, Arkane Lyon is focused on developing the third-person game Marvel's Blade, which has yet to receive a release date.