There won't be another big Deus Ex game in the foreseeable future.

Adam shame.

Square Enix's shift in focus to its recently-announced multi-game Marvel project, combined with underwhelming sales of last year's Mankind Divided, mean the Deus Ex franchise has been placed on hiatus, Eurogamer understands.

This, despite Mankind Divided leaving the series with a number of hanging story threads. These plot points were intended to be resolved in a third game, which would also complete the trilogy of Deus Ex titles begun by predecessor Human Revolution.

Much of this remaining story was once intended for Mankind Divided, Eurogamer has heard, until the game grew too large in scope and had to be curtailed. (Even with this, Mankind Divided's development took five years). It's unclear if this untold story will now be left unresolved - or tied up in another medium, such as a graphic novel.

Mankind Divided's DLC, meanwhile, focuses on standalone stories. One final pack from the game's season pass - A Criminal Past - is set for launch on 23rd February and acts as a prequel to the main game.

All of this marks a dramatic climbdown from the much-trumpeted "Deus Ex Universe" project announced prior to Mankind Divided back in late 2013. "An ongoing, expanding and connected game world built across a generation of core games" was promised.

"It's a commitment on our part to deliver meaningful content that expands the franchise on a regular basis," Eidos Montreal boss David Anfossi said, "and to deliver a deep conspiracy that will span several connected Deus Ex games, creating a more immersive and richer experience than ever before."

But three years later, when Mankind Divided did finally arrive, it failed to spark the sales needed to grow the series into a mainstream franchise as Square Enix had previously hoped.

So, when could we now see another Deus Ex? All signs point to it being a long wait.

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The bulk of Deux Ex studio Eidos Montreal is currently at work on the next Tomb Raider, the existence of which leaked online last November when someone left a "Shadows of the Tomb Raider" PowerPoint presentation open on the Montreal subway. There's no word yet on when this might launch.

This is while the Tomb Raider team over at Crystal Dynamics works on the first game in Square Enix's Marvel deal, which is based around the Avengers. Square Enix has already said it will not reveal anything more of the project until 2018. Could it also see release in 2018? It seems unlikely, considering how fresh the ink is on Marvel's deal.

Back at Eidos Montreal, a small team is currently aiding Crystal Dynamics' Avengers project and, Eurogamer has heard, in the early stages of production on the second Marvel game based around Guardians of the Galaxy. This project will be lead by Eidos Montreal.

With its collaboration on Avengers, the full production of Guardians of the Galaxy and a big new Tomb Raider game to finish first, it sounds like the studio will be kept busy - and away from Deus Ex - for quite a while.

Eurogamer requested comment from Square Enix for this article, and received the following response from Eidos Montreal:

"While we are still working on expanding the Deus Ex Universe, along with creating new content and updates for Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, we're also devoting our talents towards working with Crystal Dynamics and Marvel on The Avengers project."