Deus Ex's art director says ugly new remaster "did not need to happen"

Deus Ex is one of those series that would break the internet should a new entry ever get revealed. It sounds like we came close, but Embracer reportedly scrapped a new Deus Ex back in 2024 before it even entered full production. The original paved the way for so many of the brilliant immersive sims and stealthy shooters that followed, and there's a desire for more from that universe. Knowing this, a modernized version of the 2000 classic would seem a reliable money-spinner - enter the folks at Aspyr, who know a thing or two about remastering some of the best old games. However, when Deus Ex Remastered was revealed back in September, the reception wasn't as warm as it would've hoped - it's been largely slammed by fans. Now, Deus Ex's art director has had his say - and he's not that impressed either.

Set to arrive early next year, Deus Ex Remastered follows on from Aspyr's work updating, porting, and re-releasing the likes of Star Wars Bounty Hunter, the early Tomb Raiders, and Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 and 2. It's set to enhance the original with "reimagined lighting, dynamic shadows, water physics, particle effects, and fully updated textures." It also features "brand-new character models with smoother lip-sync animations and ragdoll physics." However, these changes hardly drag Deus Ex into the 2020s to make it feel like a new interpretation, and they lose a lot of the charm of the original. As a result, the remaster lingers in a weird visual middle ground that doesn't appear to be making anyone happy.

That includes Jerry O'Flaherty, the art director on Deus Ex. In a conversation with FRVR, he's shown the trailer for the upcoming remaster, seemingly for the first time. His reaction speaks volumes.

"Oh, what the fuck," he says. "No. This did not need to happen. Sorry [to] whoever was involved in this. Oh man, yeah, no. If you're gonna do it, yeah, alright, why not? Why am I judging?"

In the interview, O'Flaherty also reflects on his time working at Ion Storm on the game. "It's just one of those rare projects, and until you've been on one you just don't understand, [it's one] where the right group of people come together. They drive [each other] in a way that is just so specific. I mean, Warren [Spector] is one of those amazing guys. I love working with designers like this, [they] just have a million ideas and they want to go in this direction and that direction, tempered with the right team around them [that] knows how to go: 'that's a great idea. Let's do this, and this, and this.'"

Deus Ex Remastered launches on Thursday February 5, 2026. If you find the visuals less offensive than the majority do, you can pre-order it on Steam right now for $26.99 / £22.49. Or - and I'm not taking sides here… honest - you could go and grab the Game of the Year Edition of the original for $6.99 / £5.99.

Also be sure to check out our recommendations for the best stealth games and best FPS games if you're a big Deus Ex fan.

If you stop by the PCGamesN Discord server, we'd love to hear about remasters or remakes that were done right. What are your favorites? Come and let us know.