According to co-founder Andrea Pessino, Sony allegedly declined a sequel to *The Order: 1886* due to the PlayStation 4 title's lukewarm critical reception. Speaking with MinnMax, Pessino revealed that Ready at Dawn was deeply passionate about continuing the franchise and would have gone to great lengths to bring a follow-up to life—for the fans.
Originally released in 2015, *The Order: 1886* was an action-packed title set in an alternate-history Victorian London filled with werewolves and advanced technology. While praised for its stunning visuals, the game received mixed reviews from critics, including a 6/10 from IGN, which noted that its cinematic presentation came at the expense of gameplay depth and player freedom.
“It would have been an incredible sequel, I can tell you that for a fact,” said Pessino, though he acknowledged his inability to go into further detail due to not owning the franchise rights. “We pitched the sequel to Sony regardless of [the critical response], and honestly, it might’ve been better that they passed because if we thought we were struggling before, the sequel would’ve tied us down completely.”
Pessino also shed light on the rocky development history between Ready at Dawn and Sony during the original game’s creation. The studio reportedly had to cut numerous features to meet deadlines, ultimately launching *The Order: 1886* before it was fully ready. He explained that early graphical demonstrations led Sony to expect consistent high-fidelity builds throughout development milestones. When the team needed to shift focus temporarily, payments were delayed, creating financial strain.
Although this type of arrangement is fairly standard in the industry for third-party developers, Pessino described it as a frustrating experience for the team. Despite everything, Ready at Dawn was eager to move forward with a sequel—even under unfavorable conditions—just to give players closure and expand on the world they built.
“We were going to do it just because we wanted to deliver it to the players,” Pessino added. “But we would’ve been locked into terrible budget terms, no leverage, and completely dependent on Sony’s decisions. We weren’t in a position to negotiate anything fair—but we still would’ve taken it, because we believed in the franchise.”
He emphasized that the foundation for a sequel was already strong and full of potential, but Sony ultimately turned down the pitch. Fans were left hanging by a dramatic cliffhanger ending, and after a decade-long wait, any hope for a continuation has now vanished, especially following Ready at Dawn’s closure by Meta in 2024.
