Asobo Studio Expanding ‘Plague Team’; Is a Potential Sequel or A Plague Tale: Requiem DLC on the Horizon?

Thanks to some eagle-eyed fans over on Reddit, it seems that Asobo Studio, the developer behind the excellent A Plague Tale: Innocence and A Plague Tale: Requiem are hiring for their ‘Plague Team’, meaning we may well be getting either a third game or downloadable content for the recently released A Plague Tale: Requiem.

Related: A Plague Tale: Requiem Review – A Tale of Sibling Love with Rats and Fire (PS5)

With the way the recent game finished, it’s hard to envisage where the studio will go with Amicia and Hugo’s story, due to the finality of the ending. However, if Asobo Studio have proven anything with their two more infamous games, it’s that they can think outside the box.

Asobo Studio Doubling Down?

When first releasing in November 2020, nobody expected the success, both critical and commercial, that A Plague Tale: Innocence received. I mean, a game dedicated to avoiding flesh-eating rats? As a premise it sounds ridiculous, in practice it was one of the best games of the year.

This success allowed Asobo Studio to quickly start development on the sequel A Plague Tale: Requiem, which took advantage of the next-generation consoles and really highlighted what the team could do. From hundreds of rats vying for your blood and flesh on screen at a moment, to thousands chasing you in a tidal wave of individually rendered rodents, they knew how to push player’s buttons.

Related: A Plague Tale: Requiem Developers Discuss Their Plans for the Future and More (EXCLUSIVE)

As already alluded to, A Plague Tale: Requiem ended in such a way that it seems difficult to continue the story of the brother and sister, which was the heart of the game, beyond the inventive gameplay and gorgeous visuals, it was the partnership and bond of the siblings that kept gamer’s invested. Some of the fans on the Reddit thread discussing the news of Asobo expanding had similar thoughts, including u/BGunn_1996. Major spoilers follow.

“Plague Tale at its core is about the relationship between Hugo and Amicia, with Hugo dead now you’ve got to either 1) Continue Amicia’s journey and have her and Sophia set out to find the next Macula carrier and their protector, with Amicia taking on a mentor role and likely having to die for her story to end, or 2) Jump forward to modern day like the post credits suggested, but then the series risks losing all it’s identity outside of the rats.”

Nominated for the Game of the Year award, Asobo Studio are going to have a hard time following on from A Plague Tale: Innocence, both story wise, as alluded to above, and sheer difficulty in bettering what came before.

With these job openings though, it indicates a willingness to ensure they have not only the number of employees required to deliver the best product, be it an upcoming third game or an add-on, but also to have the best talent on board. As the LinkedIn post shows, they’re intent on expanding more than just the ‘Plague Team’, but there are currently four positions available to apply for on that team.

• VFX Artist (PLAGUE TEAM)
• Game Designer Senior (PLAGUE TEAM)
• Senior AI Programmer (PLAGUE TEAM)
• Senior Gameplay Animator (PLAGUE TEAM)

In a time where developers are accused of not caring for their employees and forcing them to work ridiculous hours to get a product ready for release date, it’s refreshing to see Asobo Studio expanding, rather than expecting more from the same number of employees. We’re all for healthy work environments. Plus, as we’ve said, it’s exciting to think we may have another A Plague Tale experience on the horizon.

What do you think? Did you enjoy the two A Plague Tale games Asobo Studio have already given us? Will you play a third? Let us know in the comments!

Source: Reddit

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