Arkane's Dishonored 2 receives unexpected update

Surprise Patch for Dishonored 2 on Multiple Platforms

Dishonored 2, a critically acclaimed Bethesda title for Xbox One and PlayStation 4, has received a small, unexpected update across PC, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms. The patch, a modest size, primarily addresses bug fixes and language updates. This comes as a surprise, especially considering developer Arkane Lyon's current focus on Marvel's Blade.

Released in late 2016, Dishonored 2 introduced Emily Kaldwin as a playable protagonist, expanding upon the original's innovative gameplay and richly detailed environments. While Arkane Lyon, the studio behind Dishonored 2 and the acclaimed Deathloop (2021), continues its work, its sister studio, Arkane Austin (responsible for the original Dishonored, Prey, and Redfall), was unfortunately impacted by the 2024 Xbox studio closures.

The recent Dishonored 2 update, approximately 230MB on Steam, requires a full 40GB re-download on Xbox. While SteamDB notes language depot updates, the patch's exact contents remain somewhat unclear.

No 60 FPS Update (Yet?)

Many players express disappointment that the update doesn't include a performance boost to 60 FPS, a feature present in most other Arkane titles on Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5. This omission is particularly noticeable given that even the original Dishonored and its spin-off, Death of the Outsider, benefit from enhanced performance on newer consoles. While a 60 FPS patch for Dishonored 2's tenth anniversary in 2026 is possible, it's unlikely to satisfy fans' immediate desires.

The future of the Dishonored franchise remains uncertain. The closure of Arkane Austin significantly impacts Arkane's development capacity, pushing any potential third mainline entry further into the future. Currently, Arkane Lyon is fully committed to its upcoming third-person action-adventure game, Marvel's Blade, with no confirmed release date.