According to new reporting from Tom Henderson at Insider Gaming, Eidos Montreal had been quietly developing a Legacy of Kain reboot before the studio became wrapped up in the sweeping Embracer Group acquisition. Multiple sources familiar with the project told Henderson that the game had made it far enough into early development that internal teams believed it had a realistic chance of moving forward until the buyout changed everything.

Eidos Montreal, which had long expressed interest in revisiting some of its older properties, reportedly began exploring a modern take on Legacy of Kain not long after Square Enix first signalled it was open to selling parts of its western portfolio. The project was said to be in a concept and prototyping phase, with teams investigating how the series’ branching timelines and gothic world could be rebuilt for today’s audience.

Once Embracer completed its acquisition of Crystal Dynamics, Eidos Montreal, and several legacy IPs, priorities inside the studios shifted. According to Henderson’s sources, the reboot was one of the projects quietly shelved during the restructuring that followed. Instead, Eidos Montreal moved toward new internal pitches and co-development support for partner studios most notably working with Playground Games on Fable.

The news adds another layer to the ongoing story surrounding Embracer’s handling of its studios and Catalog. Fans have been vocal for years about wanting Legacy of Kain to return, especially given the cult status of Soul Reaver and its narrative-driven design. While Crystal Dynamics acknowledged the fan interest in the franchise in recent years, nothing publicly materialized.

As for whether the reboot could re-emerge, sources seem uncertain. With Embracer now offloading studios and intellectual property, the future of Legacy of Kain like many of its dormant franchises remains in flux.

For long-time fans, Henderson’s report is both encouraging and bittersweet: confirmation that the series nearly returned, combined with the reality that it may be sitting on the shelf for a while longer.