More Fuel For The Prototype Remaster Fire: Remaster Studios Linked to Recent Update
- Surprise patches to Prototype 1 and 2 added test content and new credits naming remaster studios.
- Fresh classifications and Ubisoft Connect links hint at a relaunch.
- Industry momentum regarding remasters and Activision’s past revivals make a Prototype return likely.
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Surprise Update
Prototype has received its first update in years on PC, although there hasn’t been any official patch notes linked to it. Instead, players recently found the 600MB update included test maps, test missions and some cut content. Prototype 2 also received a 200MB update with similar content. However, of the two games, only the first Prototype featured updated end credits, which reference studios known for remastering other titles.
These include references to Iron Galaxy (Killer Instinct and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 and 4 remasters), Beenox (a subsidiary of Activision that works on Call of Duty), and Emerging Franchises (a division of Activision Publishing that handles old IP).
Activision also appear to be doing a spot of table-setting behind the scenes as it lodged two new entries for game classifications with the Australian Classification Board, for both Prototype games, in 2024 (existing classifications with, for example, PEGI, are linked with the original releases and 2015 ports).
It also stands to reason that Activision is making a move on one of its older IPs, as the company’s President, Robert Kostich, confirmed in a financial report back in 2019 that its catalogue was ripe for remasters and remakes: “When you look at our IP library, we think there’s a lot of IP in there that fans are going to want to experience again, so on that one, I’d say stay tuned for some future announcements.”
A Symbiosis of Violence And Action
Prototype follows Alex Mercer, an angry young man who gets even angrier once he finds out he’s the result of a secret experiment that’s left him with Carnage-like shapeshifting goo superpowers. Now armed with the ability to create spiked tendrils and blades, and the ability to parkour and glide, Mercer sets out to eat his way through New York on the way to uncovering the secrets behind his transformation.
First released in 2009, Prototype received a sequel in 2012 and then both got ported to PS4 and Xbox One in 2015. Both titles were developed by Radical Entertainment, which was made part of Activision in 2008.
Prototype 2 received DLC with over 55 items, there was a short-lived ProtoSlice iOS app released alongside the sequel, and Dark Horse published multiple tie-in comics, but the chances of a third game bit the dust when Activision laid-off a ton of Radical Entertainment staff.
“Although we made a substantial investment in the Prototype IP, it did not find a broad commercial audience,” Activision said in a press release at the time. “As such, some employees will remain working for Radical Entertainment supporting other existing Activision Publishing projects, but the studio will cease development of its own games going forward.”
The Time is Now
Activision has had recent success remastering older IP, such as Crash Bandicoot and Spyro, so it’s not unreasonable to think it’s ready to give Prototype a new coat of paint. Another sign that a remaster is likely is due to the updated credits also referencing Ubisoft Connect.
This is the 2020 replacement of Ubisoft’s previous Uplay and Ubisoft Club services, and it offers cross-platform features like chat and rewards. It’s also been heavily promoted by Ubisoft as a kind of all-in-one social gaming platform, and builds upon an agreement in 2023 that allows Ubisoft to link Activision Blizzard games to its services.
Remasters Up The Wazoo
There’s a strong desire in the industry for old games getting a new look, partly due to well-received efforts by remaster-focused studios like Nightdive and Digital Eclipse, and partly bolstered by the adjacent success of remakes, like Silent Hill 2 and System Shock.
Just last year alone there were over 30 remakes and remasters, and 2025 has already seen revamped versions of The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion and The Last of Us Part 2, with a remaster of the original Deus Ex also on its way. If the Oblivion news is anything to go by (it was officially revealed a couple of months after leaks) then Activision may want to get ahead of any further rumors and confirm the future of the Prototype series sooner rather than later.
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