Sometimes in the gaming world, a story or a particular genre has run its course, either going out with a blast or vanishing into oblivion. There are various reasons a series just stops dead in its tracks.
It could be from a catastrophic sales failure for an entry in the series or maybe just the developers feeling like there is no possible way to capitalize on what they already did.
We’ve seen countless times when it seems like a game series has met its end. Still, sometimes those long-forgotten franchises come back, surprising the gaming industry.
We’re going to check out a bunch of franchises that we’d be shocked to ever see another entry from.
10 Syphon Filter
Do You Remember Gabe Logan?
Syphon Filter used to be a pretty hot property. Everyone was trying to be the next Metal Gear Solid, but Syphon Filter gave us more of a James Bond-esque approach to espionage, with all sorts of gadgets and over-the-top action setpieces, instead of the procedural and slow-paced nature of the Metal Gear or Splinter Cell games, for example.
As the 2000s progressed, the series just lost steam as the series tried to get edgier and edgier. It just wasn’t hitting the same way anymore, and the last we heard about the series was in 2007.
That’s almost 20 years since a title in this franchise, and while the IP still belongs to Sony, we don’t really see the third-person military shooter all that much these days. Maybe 007: First Light will bring that back in some capacity, but we’re not too confident about that.
9 Tenchu
The Stealth Ninja Icon
Tenchu is one of my all-time favorite series, but this one hasn’t heard a peep since 2009. It was actually a FromSoftware title, with them publishing the majority of the games in the series, and it really was a special series.
It was a quiet, violent tale about stealth ninja assassins, and it had gameplay that rivaled any other stealth game of its time. You could trick enemies with poisoned rice, leap off rooftops to perform assassinations, and you were really encouraged to stay hidden because you just were not built to fight off multiple enemies at once.
It was very realistic in that regard and something most games in the genre never really took into account. The first two games in the series are classics, but it slowly got worse and worse from there, and it felt as if gaming as a whole left the ninja in the dust for a while.
Sekiro was kind of a spiritual reboot in some ways to Tenchu, but we’d love to see Rikimaru and company get another crack at greatness, even if the odds are decidedly low.
8 Resistance
A Tale Without an Ending
Resistance was one of the more intriguing FPS games in the PS3 era, with huge production values, a cool human vs alien conflict, and some over-the-top setpieces too. It released 3 games in the series despite not being the most popular game out there, which is impressive in itself.
Insomniac Games has since gone on to far greener pastures, though, with the Spider-Man franchise reaching gaming’s stratosphere. Despite Resistance having one hell of a dark ending that acts as a major cliffhanger as well, the chances that we’re going to ever see a true ending to the game are pretty much nil.
Unless Insomniac Games decides to go back to the past after Spider-Man and Wolverine wrap up, I don’t see how a Resistance 4 ever comes to fruition. Maybe it could get a full reboot at some point, or perhaps even a VR adaptation which would be seriously awesome, but a true sequel? Nope, but at least they tried.
7 Deus Ex
A Favorite Left In the Dust
Deus Ex couldn’t be hotter following Deus Ex: Human Revolution, and the sequel, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is one of gaming’s best unfinished games. The story surrounding Adam Jensen is one of the most compelling in gaming, and yet, it feels like we’re never going to see the true conclusion.
While a remaster of the original could drive some popularity back to the series, overall, the fanfare for it has been pretty diluted, and it’s now been 10 years since the last game in the franchise, meaning the likelihood of another entry in the franchise gets worse and worse by the day.
You would think the Cyberpunk 2077 popularity could maybe resurrect the much darker Cyberpunk world of Deus Ex, but as of now, we’ve got nothing to go by except that Adam Jensen’s voice actor is still active and working a ton. Maybe that’s the hope we have to cling to at the moment.
6 Prototype
The Terror of the City
I loved this franchise in the late 2000s and always felt it was the underappreciated little brother to Infamous. Prototype is a violent delight that lets you play out your superhero or villain fantasies in a visceral way. You can absolutely devastate entire city blocks here, sending cars flying and people as well.
Unfortunately, the prototype hit a wall with its sequel, which seemed to think that cursing every 5 seconds was what players wanted at that point in time, rather than a compelling story. It fell flat, and while the gameplay was still fun, the story got worse, and everything felt pretty similar to the first game.
It’s a very intriguing thought to think of a new age Prototype game, but it may be too controversial in today’s sensitive social climate, and the over-the-top violence may cause more harm than good. It’s a shame because the game world and backstory about the virus running rampant were very interesting, and it would be great to see a reboot or follow-up at some point. Still, it’s likely not going to happen.
5 F.E.A.R
A True Original
How many first-person shooters do you know of that are scary? I can only think of one and that’s the F.E.A.R series. With an iconic antagonist in Alma, some sharp shooting mechanics, and an overall chilling atmosphere, this was one of the more unique franchises out there.
Unfortunately, since an attempt to take the series online for some reason, the franchise has gone cold. There just was never that huge of a fanbase for the game as it’s quite niche, so it was likely too scary for the casual players and not scary enough for the hardcore horror fans.
It ultimately leaves the third entry as the likely last game in a franchise that felt completely original in its vibe and story as well. Alma remains one of the more compelling video game protagonists and while it would be shocking to see, there is definitely more to be explored with the lore of this series.
4 Legacy of Kain
The Unfinished Battle
Legacy of Kain was one of the huge series of the 90s, with multiple entries and hits, with Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2 being the apex. The series then jumped to next gen with Legacy of Kain: Blood Omen 2 and Legacy of Kain: Defiance, but since then, it’s been silent for the series outside a terrible multiplayer game.
There was an attempt at a sequel that got leaked, but it looked awful and was canceled anyway. The series saw some new life in the past year with a remaster for Soul Reaver 1 and 2, but Crystal Dynamics has given little clue as to what is going to happen next in this series.
There has been chatter of a revival of sorts, but that sounds far more like a reboot than a true sequel. The last Legacy of Kain game came out in 2003, so while we hardly got a real conclusion to the story there, it would be pretty wild to see a sequel to a game that’s 22 years old continuing the same story. Stranger things have happened, though, so never say never.
3 Half Life
The Myth is Dead
Half-Life 3 has been the myth of the gaming world for so long that it’s become a meme at this point. While the cliffhanger in Half Life 2 was somewhat remedied by the massive retcon in Half Life: Alyx, we still now have a whole other cliffhanger situation to painfully wait for.
It seems like Valve at this point just plain doesn’t care about this franchise anymore. While Half Life: Alyx was great, it didn’t revolutionize the platform like it was expected to and with Steam being a nonstop success, the passion for this world seems to be gone.
I don’t think they’ll ever sell the property either, so we have to bank on the company one day caring enough about the now 30-somethings who have been foaming at the mouth for a true sequel to Half Life 2 for 20 years now.
2 Infamous
Cole Deserves More
Infamous was one of the best franchises on the PS3, and Cole was one of the true mascots of the system. Since Infamous: Second Son, though, the series has gone dark. Sucker Punch shifted to making the Ghost of Tsushima series, and with that gargantuan success, the superhero simulator has been left in the dust.
Even though the current gaming era feels ripe for a return from this awesome franchise, with the graphics and gameplay possibilities being enticing, it doesn’t seem like the fanbase was ever big enough to dive back into the world of Infamous.
Infamous: Second Son didn’t light the world on fire like it was expected to either, and that, combined with so many new franchises that currently take up space in gamers’ backlogs, makes it a tough task for Sucker Punch to want to return to a franchise that never hit quite the same way that Ghost of Tsushima did.
Snake Is Dead
Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater
-
- Released
- August 28, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood, Sexual Themes, Violence
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Sequel(s)
- Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
- Number of Players
- Single-player
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Unknown
- PC Release Date
- August 28, 2025
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- August 28, 2025
- PS5 Release Date
- August 28, 2025
- Developer
- Virtuos, Konami, Konami Digital Entertainment
- Publisher
- Virtuos, Konami, Konami Digital Entertainment
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Metal Gear Solid is one of the most popular and successful franchises of all time, but with the parting of Hideo Kojima in 2015, the franchise feels pretty much dead.
We might see remakes, remasters, and whatnot from here out, and that’s great and all, but a sequel seems to not be in the cards. Solid Snake’s story is over, as he’s likely dead, and Big Boss’s story is over as well.
They could reboot the franchise or possibly use a new character going forward, or maybe yet another clone of Big Boss that’s been lurking in the weeds or something of that nature, but it’s hard to see how that would work or be a success.
Of course, just the name Metal Gear will be enough to print money for Konami at this point, but I don’t think they have the talent at the studio anymore to embark on a project of this weight without the captain steering the ship.
- Security Camera Installation – indoor/outdoor IP CCTV systems & video analytics
- Access Control Installation – key card, fob, biometric & cloud‑based door entry
- Business Security Systems – integrated alarms, surveillance & access control
- Structured Cabling Services – voice, data & fiber infrastructure for new or existing builds
- Video Monitoring Services – 24/7 remote surveillance and analytics monitoring
Author: 360 Technology Group
