Titanfall 2's failure to gain true commercial penetration is a conundrum that continues to stump many avid FPS fans. The result of a collaboration between Electronic Arts and developer Respawn Entertainment, Titanfall 2 followed up on the multiplayer-only first TItanfall game to produce an exquisite experience regarded by contemporary critics as one of the finest AAA shooters of its generation. This sentiment did not, however, translate into mainstream approval or commercial success. Sandwiching the game's release between Battlefield and COD: Infinite Warfare, coupled with a measly marketing campaign, failed to generate excitement for a franchise not able to rely on its name and reputation alone.
Following the story of novice rifleman Jack Cooper and his robotic Titan buddy BT-7274 as the duo endeavor to stop a galactic coalition from crafting massively powerful weaponry capable of destroying entire worlds, Titanfall 2 takes the classic buddy-cop setup (albeit with a giant mechanized robot) and transposes it into a sprawling space saga, not unlike the iconic Halo franchise. It may not have exploded into the mainstream the way EA or Respawn had expected, but loyal fans continue to hold out hope for another adventure with Cooper and his laconic Titan buddy.
The signs for a Titanfall 3 are not great. The original game, as has been well documented, did not sell as well as was projected, and while it was by no means a disgrace, many regard the game to have been something of a missed commercial opportunity. True, much of this was due to scheduling mistakes and a lack of proper marketing exposure, but a game's poor sales always have the potential to dent confidence when it comes to gaining backing for another release.
Time is also not on Titanfall 3's side. The second mainline release dropped in late 2016, meaning that a new game would debut at least seven years after the second title. There's a lot to be said for generating hype by dangling a perpetual carrot in front of loyal fans, but there also comes a point at which goodwill and anticipation ultimately begin to dissolve. Fans, sadly, won't wait forever, and the larger that gap between games becomes, the more impatience will simply turn to apathy.
The truth is that there are still very few indications that Titanfall 3 is on the way or that there is any stated desire from either Respawn or EA to actually produce a threequel. Both studios combined for the wildly popular free-to-play battle royale Apex Legends, often regarded as Titanfall's spiritual successor, and the tie-in Star Wars games, starting with the excellent Jedi: Fallen Order, are keeping the dynamic creative duo busy with regard to campaign-driven games. Where a new Titanfall fits into this equation with most of the market already sewn up remains unclear. Massive multiplayers and a tie-in franchise to the biggest IP in the world are surely regarded by EA and Respawn as far more profitable endeavors.
That isn't to say there have been no indications that Pilot Cooper and BT-7274 may one day grace us with a return. The most tangible "evidence" comes in the form of the infamous German GameStop leak which saw a number of placeholder game boxes in a branch of a Nuremberg GameStop emblazoned with the title "Titanfall 3" alongside FIFA 23 and Dragon Age 4. While that is by no means concrete proof that the studios have any intentions of actually carrying through on what is a small hint of a promise, it was confirmed that the leaked image courtesy of GameStop was real and did indicate a genuine placeholder.
The best course of action for fans, however, is to not become overly excited. There still exists a loyal and dedicated fan base for the Titanfall games even today. The online Steam Charts, for instance, cite a steady player rate of more than 2000 current players usually peaking in a 24-hour window at just under 3,000. Titanfall 3 advocates certainly remain vocal in their anticipation and hope for the long-awaited sequel, but hope and expectation are two very different things. With EA and Respawn more than occupied as of late and with such meager means, it's perhaps unwise to get too excited for Titanfall 3 any time soon.