There is often a “break” between what many people feel “needs” to happen with certain gaming franchises and what actually needs to happen with certain gaming franchises. The “eternal struggle” that some face is being able to say that a franchise is “done” and then move on from it versus spinning its wheels and cranking out titles until the “majesty” and “wonder” of it all is last. We can all think of series that have had that happen to them in recent times. For Moon Studios, they’re the team behind the incredible action-packed platforming series starring the adorable character Ori.
In the two games Ori has starred in, the dev team showcased a beautiful world full of wonder, magic, sadness, tragedy, and, most importantly, hope. By the end of the second title, without going into too many spoilers, it was fair to think that Ori’s story was done. Sure enough, Moon Studios went on to make another game that’s available for purchase right now.
However, on the team’s official Discord, which was screenshotted for Reddit, CEO Thomas Mahler revealed that there are ideas for a third game, including Mahler having the title for it already picked out. He promised to reveal it if the team’s newest game sold over ten million. When the conversation continued, though, many wondered about Ori’s potential return, and Mahler said straight up that he doesn’t think anyone but his team “would fit perfectly to continue Ori’s story.”
Mahler even went so far as to note that the only “tricky element” of doing a third game in the series was the story. He noted the game’s mechanics were so good that you could merely just expand them, not unlike what the second game did with the original title.
He also noted that while it’s possible that a third game “might be” already in the works via another team, he would say that it would be very odd if Microsoft did not even talk to him or the team about it. Speaking of which, Mahler teased that he talked with Microsoft recently and that things could come from that call.
That being said, he did put his foot down definitively and say that he’s focused on the team’s current game, which is his focus.
So, Ori fans, while this isn’t anything definitive, the fact that he didn’t shut this down immediately speaks volumes. Whether it happens or not isn’t clear, but if there’s enough love for Ori, it’s definitely possible.
