Sony Rejects The Order: 1886 Sequel Over Reviews, Developer Claims

In a revealing interview with MinnMax, Andrea Pessino, co-founder of Ready at Dawn, disclosed that Sony rejected a sequel to the PlayStation 4 game, *The Order: 1886*, due to its lukewarm critical reception. Despite the game's stunning visuals, which placed it among the best-looking titles of its generation, *The Order: 1886* struggled with middling reviews upon its 2015 release, set against the backdrop of Victorian London's werewolf-infested streets.

Pessino passionately expressed that the proposed sequel would have been "incredible," asserting that the team at Ready at Dawn was willing to "sign [its] life away" just to bring the sequel to fruition for the fans. However, he acknowledged the limitations imposed by not owning the franchise rights, which restricted what he could share about the project. He reflected on the pitch to Sony, saying, "We pitched the sequel to Sony regardless of [the critical reception] and, in a way, it's better that they passed because if we thought we were going to be screwed before, man, with the sequel, we would have signed our life away."

The development of the original *The Order: 1886* was fraught with challenges. Pessino revealed a strained relationship with Sony, exacerbated by the need to cut numerous elements to meet deadlines, resulting in the game's premature release. Sony's expectations were set high by the game's initial pitches and reveal, demanding consistent graphical quality at every milestone. When Ready at Dawn couldn't meet these standards due to shifting priorities, Sony withheld payments, further straining the relationship.

Despite these difficulties, Pessino indicated that the team was prepared to accept even more challenging conditions to develop a sequel. He explained, "We were going to do it just because we wanted to deliver it to the players but we would have been... Terrible budget, budget would be small, we would have been completely at the mercy of any decisions and things because we had no leverage whatsoever." The desire to redeem the franchise and build on the solid groundwork laid by the original game was a driving force behind their willingness to proceed.

*The Order: 1886* concluded on a cliffhanger, leaving fans eager for a follow-up. However, with Ready at Dawn being shut down by its owner, Meta, in 2024, any hopes for a sequel have been extinguished a decade after the game's release.

IGN's review of *The Order: 1886* awarded it a 6/10, noting, "Though a stylish adventure, The Order: 1886 emphasizes its cinematic polish at the crippling cost of gameplay freedom."