A new report from insider and journalist Mike Straw suggests that EA’s Dead Space franchise is once again being pushed to the side-lines and possibly even out of the publisher’s hands entirely. According to Straw, the series is now “on ice” internally, with no active development and no sign that EA intends to revisit it in the foreseeable future.

Straw goes a step further, saying that some members of EA leadership are hoping to sell the IP altogether, a move that would mark a dramatic shift in how the company handles one of its most beloved horror properties. While EA has not commented publicly on the matter, Straw’s reporting indicates that the publisher currently has “zero plans to bring back Dead Space in the near future.”

The news lands just over a year after the release of Motive Studio’s critically praised Dead Space remake, which launched in early 2023 to strong reviews and a warm reception from long-time fans. Despite this, the game’s sales reportedly fell short of internal expectations, and plans for a sequel or further remakes never materialized.

Since then, Motive has moved on to new projects, including its partnership with DICE on Battlefield and its Iron Man game in collaboration with Marvel. With no studio currently attached to the franchise and no greenlit projects in the pipeline, it appears Dead Space has slipped back into the same limbo it occupied throughout most of the 2010s.

If EA truly intends to sell the IP, it would mark one of the most surprising pivots of the year. The franchise has always maintained a passionate audience, and the success of modern survival horror reimagining’s such as Resident Evil 2 and Alan Wake 2 has demonstrated that there’s still demand for well-crafted, atmospheric horror games.

For now, fans will have to wait and see whether EA addresses the report or if Dead Space quietly joins the growing list of dormant series awaiting new owners. If another studio were to acquire the rights, it could open the door to fresh ideas, a new creative direction, and possibly the revival some fans have been hoping for since the remake’s launch.

But under EA? According to Straw, that future isn’t happening anytime soon.