author: Zuzanna Domeradzka
„The Video Game World Is a Disaster Zone Right Now.” Deus Ex Actor Paints Grim Future of Industry
Elias Toufexis, the actor known from the Deus Ex series, published a touching post in which he said „goodbye” to Adam Jensen. At the same time, he painted a particularly grim picture of the game industry.
UPDATE
In a series of posts on X, Elias Toufexis painted an extremely bleak picture of the gaming industry. His statement suggests that the game he has been involved in are either failing or undergoing significant changes, and the immediate future is definitely not looking optimistic.
Deus Ex got canceled. This other massive game I was both acting and directing on got canceled and a third game I was acting and directing on got reworked and now starting from scratch, whole new team. The video game world is a disaster zone right now.
I am presently working on two or three other games but I'd expect them all to be canceled before the end of the week or something.
Nevertheless, Toufexis decided to calm his fans by assuring them that his professional career isn't in danger of collapse.
I'm fine guys. I'm very lucky to have many irons in the fire. Games are just in a weird place right now.
Original news (February 7th)
Last week, our community heard sad news about layoffs at the Eidos Montreal studio and the cancellation of a new game from the beloved Deus Ex series. These events are related to a more difficult situation and restructuring within the Embracer company, which is the owner of this developer. Elias Toufexis, the actor portraying the main character of the series, Adam Jensen, expressed his frustration openly. Today he published a longer, touching post on Reddit.
Toufexis expressed his gratitude to all the fans for their support in recent years and bid farewell to Jensen. According to the actor, the canceled game from Eidos Montreal wasn't a continuation of the protagonist's story, which fans could have expected after the conclusion of Mankind Divided. Nonetheless, the artist hopes that this isn't his final farewell to the character and that he will lend his voice in a potential adaptation of Deus Ex one day.
I wanted to come on here and say thank you for your wonderful messages over the years, and your continued, unbelievably strong support.
As for Jensen, we say goodbye, but hopefully not farewell. Maybe someone else will buy the license [for the Deus Ex series ]. Maybe we'll make an animated series or finish the game. Elon Musk is a big fan, I think he has some money. Someone ask him!
As you guys all know, Jensen is one of the characters I've played who is near and dear to my heart. It seems I will always be associated with him and that's just fine with me.
Alas, his story seems done. I'm relatively certain the game that was canceled was not an Adam Jensen story, so the cancellation angers me more than anything else because friends at Eidos got laid off. Videogame companies right now are in a weird place. I hope it gets straightened out.
[...] I hope you like the other work I'm fortunate enough to put out there, but I know that whatever the character is, he won't mean as much as Adam Jensen does to a lot of you... and to me.
It's worth believing that despite everything, Adam Jensen will someday return. To soothe the pain, you can play the games from the Deus Ex series (if you don't have them, they are currently discounted on Steam).
