6 Deus Ex Games in Order – Timeline & Release Guide in 2025

The Deus Ex games in order are a ride like not many others. After all, it’s not without reason that so many people still consider the original Deus Ex to be the best video game ever made. 

While this opinion can be up for debate, the game’s influence cannot be overstated. Without it, we may not have epic space games like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and the Mass Effect Trilogy or the legendary dystopian titles like the Fallout series and Cyberpunk 2077, as well as many others, all of which drew a lot of inspiration from this iconic franchise.

There’s even a popular internet saying, “Every time you mention Deus Ex, someone will reinstall it,” which makes it clear how loved it is still to this day. But quite naturally, jumping straight into any bigger series can get a little confusing. Not to mention that you also don’t want to mess up what has all the potential to become one of your fondest gaming journeys.

So, whether you’re a newcomer finding yourself in a situation like this or an old-time fan ripe for yet another playthrough, all is taken care of. Stick with me, and in just a moment, I’ll guide you through this amazing Deus Ex adventure in a way that it was always meant to be experienced.

6 Deus Ex Games in Release Order (2000–2016)

If you love cyberpunk, conspiracy, and choices that actually matter, Deus Ex is the franchise to play. The worlds feel alive, the decisions are heavy, the tech is endlessly thrilling, and the story is always just a little too real to let you get fully comfortable.

From the original game by Ion Storm to Human Revolution and Mankind Divided, each entry pushes the story, gameplay, and philosophy deeper. You’ll go from gritty back alleys to glowing dystopias, always questioning who’s really in control.

The chronological order of this iconic franchise is a little backwards compared to when these titles came out. But in such cases, you can never go wrong by playing games in the way that the creators themselves intended. Thus, behold, here are all the Deus Ex games in order according to their release date:

1. Deus Ex [The Original Cyberpunk Classic]

Platforms	Windows, macOS, PS2
Year of release	2000
Developer	Ion Storm
Average playtime	28 Hours

Nowadays, people might be searching for great games like Cyberpunk 2077. However, back in 2000, Deus Ex was where it all began, and it could’ve hardly been any better than that.

The year is 2052, and the world is a grim and broken place filled with terrorism, shadow governments, and a deadly plague called the Gray Death. Stepping into the shoes of a nano-augmented agent, J.C. Denton, you get caught in the middle of a global conspiracy that takes you on one of the wildest journeys in gaming history.

You’re not just fighting bad guys with your awesome nanotech augmentations. You’re uncovering secrets that question everything: power, control, and freedom. Governments, corporations, and the Illuminati all play games that manipulate global events in favor of their personal goals.

As the layers peel back, you start to wonder who’s really pulling the strings. Along the way, you make decisions and choices that affect not only you but the whole world.

Get your copy of Deus Ex: Game of the Year Edition >

2. Deus Ex: Invisible War [The Divisive Sequel]

Platforms	Windows, Xbox
Year of release	2003
Developer	Ion Storm
Average playtime	14 Hours

Taking place roughly 20 years after the events of the original game, Deus Ex: Invisible War transports us to 2072. Following the events of the first Deus Ex, the world has suffered a collapse of global systems, which sent humanity into a period of war and economic recession, which soon got the name “The Collapse.”

Now, our civilization is already being rebuilt, but stability is nowhere to be found. Factions like the WTO, the Order Church, Omar, and the Knights Templar are all fighting for control of the future, each offering their own twisted vision for mankind.

Amidst all this chaos, you take on the role of Alex D, a young, augmented trainee who soon becomes the key piece in deciding how all this will play out. The story quickly pulls you into choices that feel murky and personal. There’s no clear good or evil – it’s all grey with different flavors of manipulation, and that’s what makes it so real.

Grab a copy of Deus Ex: Invisible War >

3. Deus Ex: Human Revolution [The Modern Return]

Platforms	Windows, macOS X, PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U
Year of release	2011
Developer	Eidos-Montréal
Average playtime	31 Hours

The next game in the franchise, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, took a few decades’ worth of steps back and teleported us to 2027. Yet, even though “The Collapse” is still half a century away, it feels like the future is already falling apart.

You play as Adam Jensen, a former cop turned security chief for Sarif Industries, a biotech company at the heart of the human augmentation boom. After a brutal attack leaves him near death, Adam is forced to become what he was hired to protect: a heavily augmented human weapon.

The story is all about control, ethics, and power. While we do get to enjoy sweet cybernetic augmentations that are not yet as seamless as the nanotech we see in the original Deus Ex, the game also poses some philosophical questions, like who gets to decide what makes us human, and how can one survive in a world rigged against them?

Additionally, the DLC, The Missing Link, fills a key narrative gap and adds more weight to Adam’s choices. Matched with the base game, this is as perfect a place to start your journey as is the original Deus Ex.

Get a great deal on Deus Ex: Human Revolution (Director’s Cut) >

4. Deus Ex: The Fall [Mobile Spin-Off]

Platforms	PC, Android, iOS
Year of release	2013
Developer	N-Fusion Interactive[
Average playtime	6 Hours

Deus Ex: The Fall takes place in 2027, around the same time as Adam Jensen’s story in Human Revolution. It follows Ben Saxon, an ex-mercenary trying to uncover a global conspiracy, who is also the protagonist of the Icarus Effect novel, which takes place right before the game. 

This title started as a mobile game, which honestly made a lot of people underestimate it. It’s sad because this game was quite different from the rest, and that’s what made it so interesting. It zoomed in on the darker corners of the Deus Ex universe. Not the big labs and CEOs, but the black market, the pharma wars, and the street-level chaos.

What’s even worse is that because of the poor initial reception, the game never got its well-deserved sequel and will most likely be forever left with that cliffhanger ending it has now. However, even with all that, it’s still very much worth a shot.

Get your copy of Deus Ex: The Fall >

5. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided [The Latest Mainline Entry]

Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux, PS4, Xbox One
Year of release	2016
Developer	Eidos-Montréal
Average playtime	31 Hours

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided picks up in 2029, two years after Human Revolution. The world is unraveling as augmented people become feared and segregated after the Aug Incident. Things are getting increasingly more tense.

You’re back as Adam Jensen, more powerful but more isolated, working undercover to expose corruption inside this broken world. The story once again dives into themes of power, fear, and identity. The game is smaller in scale but also a lot deeper and more personal, while the atmosphere in Prague is absolutely unmatched. 

There are also two DLCs: System Rift, which reunites you with Pritchard, and A Criminal Past, a prequel-style prison infiltration mission. Both are very solid additions that fill in some gaps and add weight to the Deus Ex universe.

If you played Human Revolution, Mankind Divided is a must. It’s the direct sequel, part of the same soul. It may not be perfect, but it’s still a really great game and definitely deserves more love.

Grab a copy of Deus Ex: Mankind Divided >

6. Deus Ex GO [The Turn-Based Mobile Puzzle]

Platforms	Windows, Android, iOS, Windows 10 Mobile
Year of release	2016
Developer	Square Enix Montreal
Average playtime	5 Hours

The latest installment in the series, Deus Ex GO, is a stylish mobile game that reimagines the Deus Ex universe as a sleek, turn-based puzzle experience. Released in 2016, it stars Adam Jensen and loosely ties into the events of Mankind Divided.

GO doesn’t push the story forward like the mainline Deus Ex games, but it still captures that slick cyberpunk vibe everyone fell in love with as you perform covert moves, hack nodes, and sneak past turrets. It’s just all distilled into bite-sized strategy.

It’s not the first part of the series, but as a mobile game, it’s a polished side piece for fans that’s honestly fun. Sadly, for those who haven’t had a chance to try it, the Deus Ex GO servers shut down in 2023, so this one most likely is now only a part of history.

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Chronological Order of Deus Ex Games – Timeline Explained

While I personally prefer playing these games according to how they were released, if you don’t mind stepping back into the first two games after playing through the more modern and polished prequels, then the chronological order is the way to go. However, for that, you need to know the complete timeline, and this is how it goes:

1. Deus Ex: Human Revolution (2027)

Human Revolution was a soft reboot of the franchise and redefined what made Deus Ex so great, all the while placing the story as the earliest point in the timeline. You play as Adam Jensen, a former cop turned private security officer who becomes heavily augmented after a terrorist attack nearly kills him.

It’s all about corporations, transhumanism, and how far we’re willing to go to evolve. The story is dark, complex, and totally cyberpunk. The tech is not yet as advanced as in the first game, and the world is not yet as used to it either, which gives a whole different perspective.

The DLC, The Missing Link, fills in a crucial gap during the main plot, when Jensen vanishes during a key mission.

2. Deus Ex: The Fall (2027)

This mobile game happens right around the time of the Human Revolution. It follows Ben Saxon, another augmented soldier tied to the Icarus Effect comic series. He’s trying to survive as global anti-augmentation sentiment rises.

It’s smaller in scale but still important if you want the full chronological order. The events run parallel to Jensen’s story, especially touching on the drug Neuropozyne and black-market conspiracies.

3. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided (2029)

This is a sequel that follows right after Human Revolution. Two years later, Jensen is now working for Interpol while secretly aiding a hacker collective. The world has changed, with augmented people being more and more feared and isolated.

The plot dives deep into political manipulation, segregation, and surveillance. It’s one of the most thematically rich games in the entire franchise.

Two DLCs, System Rift and A Criminal Past, add more layers, especially to Jensen’s backstory and his relationship with Pritchard, another returning character, as well as filling in part of the gap that occurs between Human Revolution and Mankind Divided.

4. Deus Ex (2052)

The original game is an absolute legend that changed video game history forever. Set 23 years after Mankind Divided, you play as J.C. Denton, a nano-augmented agent trying to uncover a global conspiracy that ties everything together.

From AI, government control, and the Illuminati to the fall of the U.S. and the collapse of the global systems, it’s the epicenter of it all. It’s where the saga truly comes full circle. Jensen’s actions in the previous games echo through history here in a big way.

5. Deus Ex: Invisible War (2072)

The second game in the series, but the final installment in chronological order. Set 20 years after J.C.’s game, Invisible War shows the aftermath of his choices. You play as Alex D, caught between powerful factions all trying to rebuild, or more likely reshape, the world.

It’s more philosophical, sometimes weird, but it closes out the themes started in the first part of the main series. As you navigate the world suffering from war and economic recession, you get to choose how it all ends. It’s the final chapter of the story, at least for now.

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Which Deus Ex Game Should You Start With?

If you’re wondering which Deus Ex game to start with, here’s my take: If you’re more of a modern gamer, go with Human Revolution. It’s polished, accessible, and still feels super deep. The combat, stealth, and hacking in this game are absolutely awesome, and Adam Jensen is a very solid main character.

It’s the perfect entry point into the Deus Ex universe for today’s players. Plus, it’s a direct prequel to the original Deus Ex, and it sets the stage so perfectly that by the time you get to it, you’ll be so psyched you won’t care about all the dated parts.

Get a great deal on Deus Ex: Human Revolution (Director’s Cut) >

However, if you’re a purist or just love classic PC games, there’s nothing quite like starting with the original Deus Ex from 2000. It’s clunky by today’s standards, sure, but it changed video game history, which says it all.

These days, there are still very few games that can match the freedom, the choices, and the way the story unfolds in Deus Ex. Even considering all its flaws, it’s still an absolute masterpiece that you simply can’t go wrong with.

Get your copy of Deus Ex: Game of the Year Edition >

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FAQs

How many Deus Ex games are there?

There are a total of six main and spin-off Deus Ex games released between 2000 and 2016. This includes Deus Ex (2000), Invisible War, Human Revolution, The Fall, Mankind Divided, and Deus Ex GO.

What is the correct order to play Deus Ex?

The correct way to play Deus Ex games in chronological order is Human Revolution, The Fall, Mankind Divided, Deus Ex (2000), and Invisible War. To play them in the release order, go with Deus Ex (2000), Invisible War, Human Revolution, The Fall, and Mankind Divided.

Is Deus Ex: Mankind Divided a sequel?

Yes. It’s a direct sequel to Human Revolution, continuing Adam Jensen’s story. However, if you look at it from the original game’s perspective, it makes it a prequel, so it all depends on your playing order.

Can I skip any Deus Ex games?

Yes, but it’s best to play Human Revolution and Mankind Divided together. The latter is the sequel to the former, so skipping Human Revolution will make playing Mankind Divided confusing.

Are the Deus Ex games connected?

Yes, all entries share a universe, recurring factions, and themes like AI, transhumanism, and conspiracies. However, not all of these games are direct continuations of one another