The Dead Space franchise's YouTube channel has updated its profile after years of inactivity, further fueling rumors that a new entry in the franchise could be announced later this month.

Eagle-eyed Dead Space fans on Reddit noticed a change to the franchise's official YouTube channel. After 8 years of total inactivity, the channel bears a new profile picture. The subtle update coincides with the recent news that the franchise's publisher, Electronic Arts, will reveal a new game from an established IP later this month. Fans have begun to speculate that a new Dead Space game could be inbound.

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For 9 years, the Dead Space Youtube channel used the logo for Dead Space 3 as its profile picture. Dead Space 3, developed by Visceral Games and released in 2013, was the last main entry in the sci-fi horror franchise. However, the photo now simply features the iconic helmet of franchise protagonist Isaac Clarke. Fans quickly identified the artwork as a section of the box art for Dead Space 2.

This change might have gone unnoticed if fans weren't already speculating on the revival of the formant franchise. GamesBeat journalist Jeff Grubb recently stated a previously unannounced EA title would be revealed at the EA Play Live event on July 22. He confirmed in a YouTube video stream the game, developed by EA's Motive Studios, will revive an established IP. Grubb withheld the name of the franchise in question, but did state "we're going to see it...if we're not dead first." Many fans took his use of the word "dead" as a hint that the new game will be related to Dead Space.

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Motive Studios is most notable for developing Star Wars: Squadrons, released in 2020 and published by EA. The studio also collaborated with DICE and Criterion Games on Star Wars Battlefront II, released in 2017 and also published by EA. Its only other known project was codenamed Gaia, which was canceled by EA in early 2021. Its potential involvement with the Dead Space franchise would be its first.

Following the release of Dead Space 3 in 2013, then EA-owned Visceral Games planned a fourth installment in the series, along with a new single-player Star Wars game. However, both projects were scrapped when Visceral Games shut down in 2017. With the studio's closure, the Dead Space IP returned to EA who has yet to continue the franchise. Considering the plans for a fourth entry in the series, the new game revealed in late July could be a sequel to the original series. Alternatively, it could reboot the fallen franchise entirely with a fresh story to bring in new players.

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Source: Reddit