System Shock director hasn't worked on System Shock 3 since 2019

The original team behind System Shock 3 hasn't worked on the game since 2019.

Speaking to GamesBeat, Otherside Entertainment head Warren Spector confirmed that the studio had only worked on System Shock 3 "in 2018 and 2019. That was it."

In May 2020, Otherside released a statement announcing that Tencent would be taking the project forward, and that "as a smaller indie studio" - Spector says the team "maxed out" at 17 developers - "it had been challenging for us to carry the project on our own."

At the time, that statement was seen as slightly ambiguous, not confirming exactly whether or not Otherside was still involved in some capacity. Now, however, Spector has made the situation far more clear.

Otherside announced its next game earlier this month, with Spector describing "an immersive world and engaging narrative that players will directly impact through their choices and playstyles." The project is still in early development with more information coming soon, but for now all we have to go on is some fantastical whale-themed concept art.

Before the new project, however, Spector said that he had been through a "period of personal recovery" after moving off System Shock 3, saying that "game development is not just a job to me. It took me a while to get my creative juices flowing again." The veteran developer also cited the disruption around the start of the Covid-19 pandemic as another roadblock to getting started on a new project.

While Tencent's plans for System Shock 3 remain hidden, fans of the series also have the System Shock remake to look forward to. A demo remains available on Steam, with a full release expected later in 2022.

While you wait, check out our list of the best sci-fi games.