After 7 years, roguelike legend Dead Cells ends development with a final update as its original devs pursue their new co-op game

After five years of extensive post-launch support following a stay in early access that began in 2017, Dead Cells developers Motion Twin and Evil Empire are finally moving on from the game.

Earlier today, February 9, Motion Twin put out a Steam update, seen just below. "Update 35 for Dead Cells marks the end of our creative journey on the game," said the developer, referencing the upcoming patch for Dead Cells, which is set to launch at some point later this year in 2024 across all platforms.

"After an incredible 5-year collaboration in bringing additional content to Dead Cells' live-ops, Evil Empire will be pursuing new adventures and we can't wait to see what they come up next," the studio continued. Evil Empire has co-developed two Dead Cells DLC packs over the past few years: Return to Castlevania, and The Queen and the Sea.

"Our commitment to avoiding the 'more of the same' trap and keeping Dead Cells fresh and original has led us to this point; as we've seen with other long-running series, it's crucial not to overextend and risk diminishing the unique charm that makes Dead Cells special to us all," Motion Twin added. 

As for itself, Evil Empire has bid farewell to Dead Cells with a message to its player base, and its co-developer. "We are immensely proud of the work we have put into the game, we loved every minute and are very thankful to Motion Twin for trusting us and letting us play with their baby for so long," the developer wrote.

However, the entire journey with Dead Cells as a franchise doesn't appear to be done and dusted just yet. "With all that said, we are committed to continuing the journey in this amazing world with some really cool new stuff outside of the original game, so that more and more people can enjoy Dead Cells in totally new ways," Motion Twin teased in its new post. "Stay tuned for more updates about the Animated Series, the Board Game and… the Beheaded appearing in another world?!" the studio concluded. 

If you're wondering what Motion Twin is actually moving on to, look back to The Game Awards 2023. The studio unveiled Windblown, a supremely stylish co-op roguelike, so Motion Twin is definitely playing to its strengths after establishing Dead Cells as one of the best games in the genre to date. Windblown's still targeting an early access launch this year on PC, so there isn't long to wait at all until we can take it for a spin.

Read up on our new games 2024 guide for a look ahead at all the other games set to release later this year.