A remastered edition of Darksiders II is in development for next-gen systems, its publisher Nordic Games has confirmed to GameSpot.
Retailer Amazon stirred rumours when it listed a PlayStation 4 edition of the game, carrying the price tag of $40, but pulled the listing hours later. However, a representative for Nordic Games has since told GameSpot that “the authenticity of the listing is unquestionable”, but added that it is not yet ready to discuss the project. An Xbox One edition is therefore likely but not yet confirmed.
Darksiders II was one of the final releases from the now-bankrupt publisher THQ, and was released to critical acclaim in August 2012. Upon its launch on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC, GameSpot critic Kevin VanOrd wrote:
Darksiders II is remarkably well put together, particularly in light of its impressive scope.
GameSpot’s Darksiders 2 review
“Darksiders II is remarkably well put together, particularly in light of its impressive scope. Bigger doesn’t mean better, of course, but this isn’t a “more of the same, just bigger” kind of sequel. The game uses its expansive geography to cultivate a poetic tempo in which your intellectual triumphs are rewarded with the immediate pleasures of fleet-footed platforming and demonic brutality.”
Later, a Wii U version would ship in time for the console’s release in November 2012. Months later in January, however, THQ officially dissolved and its assets were auctioned off across the industry.
Nordic Games, a publisher headquartered in Austria, spent $4.9 million on a collection of THQ properties, including Darksiders, Red Faction, MX vs. ATV, Destroy all Humans!, Summoner, and Supreme Commander.
Lars Wingefors, the chief executive of Nordic Games, later revealed that THQ had spent roughly $50 million on developing the sequel, and suggested that no such investment would be repeated by his company.
Then, in May 2014, the creative director for Darksiders and Darksiders II hinted that the series may live on.
Answering questions from fans on his Facebook page, Joe Madureira told fans that Darksiders “is not dead!!! The new owner, Nordic, seems very committed to continuing the series.”