Surprise Update Revives Dishonored 2, 9 Years On

Surprise Patch for Dishonored 2 on Multiple Platforms

Dishonored 2, a critically acclaimed Bethesda title for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, has received an unexpected small update across PC, PlayStation, and Xbox consoles. The update, a relatively minor download, appears focused on bug fixes and language file updates. This comes as a surprise, especially given Arkane Lyon's current focus on the highly anticipated Marvel's Blade.

Released in late 2016, Dishonored 2 expanded on the original with a new protagonist, Emily Kaldwin, and memorable missions like "The Clockwork Mansion" and "A Crack in the Slab." While developer Arkane Lyon has since created Deathloop (2021), its sister studio, Arkane Austin (responsible for the original Dishonored, Prey, and Redfall), was unfortunately affected by the 2024 Xbox studio closures.

The recently deployed Dishonored 2 patch, weighing in at approximately 230MB on Steam, requires a full 40GB re-download on Xbox. While SteamDB notes language depot updates, the exact contents remain unclear.

No 60 FPS Upgrade (Yet?)

Many players express disappointment that this update doesn't address the game's persistent 30 FPS lock on Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5. This is particularly notable given that other Arkane titles offer 60 FPS performance on these consoles. The lack of a performance boost leaves some wondering if a future update, perhaps coinciding with the game's tenth anniversary in 2026, might finally deliver the desired 60 FPS mode. However, a simple FPS patch alone might not be enough to justify such a long wait.

The future of the Dishonored franchise remains uncertain. The closure of Arkane Austin significantly impacts Arkane's development capacity, making a third mainline entry seem distant, if even planned. Currently, Arkane Lyon's efforts are concentrated on its Marvel's Blade project, with no confirmed release date.