Sequence of The Order: 1886 was canceled shortly after its beginning

Plans for a second game in the The Order: 1886 franchise existed, but never made it past the pitch phase. The proposal included larger scale battles and a multiplayer mode — elements absent in the original game — but ended up being discarded still in the early stages. The cancellation came after the lukewarm reception to the first title, released in 2015, and represents another example of an original Sony IP that did not evolve after its debut.

The information was revealed by Ru Weerasuriya, creative director of The Order: 1886, in an interview with journalist Julien Chieze. According to him, the sequel had a ten-page conceptual document with ideas to expand the steampunk universe and offer a more dynamic combat experience. "We had plans for much larger scale confrontations and multiplayer, elements that were even considered in the development of the first game, but left aside," Weerasuriya stated.

The original game, developed by Ready at Dawn in partnership with Sony Santa Monica, was a bet by Sony Interactive Entertainment on a new exclusive franchise for the PlayStation 4. Released in February 2015, the title stood out for its high technical and visual level — with intense use of real-time rendering techniques, film grain, and a cinematic aesthetic inspired by works like Sherlock Holmes and Van Helsing.

However, the praise for the visuals was not enough to offset the criticism of the short campaign duration, around 6 hours, and the pace considered excessively focused on narrative and cutscenes, with little gameplay freedom. The title received an average of 63 on Metacritic, falling short of Sony's expectations for a new prestigious intellectual property.

After the release and the underwhelming performance, Ready at Dawn abandoned the franchise. The studio was later acquired by Meta in 2020, focusing on developing games for virtual reality, such as the Lone Echo series for the Meta Quest.

The case of The Order: 1886 exemplifies the risks of betting high on new IPs with technical focus, but little gameplay depth. While other Sony franchises like Horizon, Ghost of Tsushima, and Days Gone received sequels or adaptations, The Order remains a missed opportunity, remembered more for its visuals than its content.