Don't Hold Your Breath for a Sequel to Sunset Overdrive

Fans of cult action-adventure shooter Sunset Overdrive have had a bit of a rollercoaster ride over the last month, after their hopes were raised for a sequel to the bonkers original. The first game came out as an Xbox One exclusive, developed by Insomniac Games. When that studio was purchased by Sony last month, the question was raised about whether Sony now owned the rights to the IP. The answer according to Sony Worldwide Studios boss Shuhei Yoshida is "yes".

However, that doesn't mean that a sequel is automatically on the cards. Now that the rights to a second game are in the hands of Sony, eager fans are hoping that something may appear either towards the end of the PS4 era, or as a launch title for the PS5. The problem is that although the first game was critically well-received, it failed to perform commercially and was considered something of a flop.

While a selection of DLC was released for the game, question marks hang over whether the company will justify resurrecting the game five years later. Owning an IP isn't the same as doing something with it (although it's better than a potential sequel languishing in purgatory because no-one knows who owns the rights). Still, Yoshida-san hasn't ruled out Sunset Overdrive 2 completely. When asked directly if there would be a follow-up, he replied "I am looking forward to future titles."

Enigmatic indeed, but if you're a rabid Overdrive fan it's probably better for your sanity to write this one off until there's some sort of official announcement.