Canadian developer Eidos Montreal has maintained a relatively low profile since it released Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy in 2021 to great praise. However, rumors of an upcoming Deus Ex game began circulating last year, and now there are claims that the game is being developed using Unreal Engine 5 and will feature a co-op mode.

A recently published job listing reveals that Eidos Montreal is actively seeking a Senior Game Designer to join their team on a full-time basis. Of particular intrigue to the gaming community are two skill requirements highlighted in the "Even better if you have" section, which are:

• Knowledge of Unreal Engine 5, including experience with Blueprint and data tables
• Has experience in working on COOP games

Furthermore, one of the requirements mentioned in the "What you will do" section highlights the need for a game designer capable of developing and refining mechanics related to leveling, skill acquisition, crafting, and upgrading. Many of these were prominent feature in 2016's Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, suggesting this particular skill set could be crucial for any upcoming Deus Ex game.

While this is merely speculative, here's what we know for certain: During the announcement of Eidos Montreal's acquisition by Embracer Group last year, the developer revealed that it was working on multiple projects, all of which were being developed using Unreal Engine 5.

The decision to transition from its proprietary technology, Dawn Engine, to UE5 was driven by a desire to prioritize content creation rather than being bogged down by the simultaneous development of a game and its engine.

Given this information, it is logical to assume that the mentioned requirements could be relevant to other projects being developed by the studio. However, Eidos Montreal would probably be better off developing the next Deus Ex title without a co-op feature.

Immersive sim games have traditionally thrived with a focus on single-player experiences, and if a co-op mode is indeed incorporated, it should be implemented as an optional feature at the very least. Fan reactions would certainly tend towards the negative if multiplayer would be forced into the formula.

If history is any indication, co-op games are usually hit or miss. In many instances, developers have used co-op features as a means to push games towards the games as a service model, with the intent of monetizing through microtransactions.

This is not to imply that co-op games are inherently flawed. On the contrary, they can be highly entertaining when they're well designed. However, issues arise when developers choose to turn a game primarily designed for single-player mode into a co-op experience.

Regardless, fans of the Deus Ex series will undoubtedly be looking forward to a Mankind Divided sequel, which would serve as a resolution to the Adam Jensen trilogy.