LogInThe game could also feature Jake Shooter as the main hero, a super-cop called in by secret agencies for high-risk missions.
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the original Deus Ex, the game's director and producer, Warren Spector, gave an interview sharing details about how the game nearly ended up being something entirely else.
The developer revealed that Deus Ex could have become an RPG set in the Command & Conquer universe – had it not been for John Romero and his studio, Ion Storm, the game might never have received funding.
Deux Ex
Spector originally pitched the project under the working title Troubleshooter at his former studio, Origin Systems. He wanted to create something truly new, saying he was tired of space marines, aliens, and wizards in hats.
The main character of Troubleshooter was meant to be Jake Shooter, a super-cop called in by secret agencies for high-risk missions.
"Deus Ex was part shooter, part stealth game, part RPG. I mean, how do you sell that? The argument I got from the Thief folks was that if you give players a gun, they won't sneak. I was also asked, 'Why don't you just make a shooter?' I learned the power of the word 'no' when pitching Deus Ex, let me tell you," said Spector.
After several failed pitches, Spector was so desperate that he was ready to turn Troubleshooter into a Command & Conquer RPG. He nearly signed a deal with Westwood Studios, as it seemed like the only way to secure funding, but the heroes appeared – John Romero and Ion Storm gave him the resources he needed. Troubleshooter became Deus Ex, and Jake Shooter became JC Denton.
You can find the original interview here. Back in April, we shared that Eidos-Montreal had reportedly pitched a new Deus Ex game idea to various publishers, but had yet to find success.
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