Starbreeze are putting $12 million towards System Shock 3 [official site] in a publishing deal, the Swedes announced today. Publishing deals are rarely exciting enough for us to mention but this means:

1) System Shock 3 is actually, definitely still happening. We did not imagine this. It wasn’t a dream. A new System Shock is being made by a team including Warren Spector, Terri Brosius (the voice of SHODAN), and other former Looking Glass folks.

2) Unlike the System Shock remake, which was dependent on the success of a Kickstarter, SS3 already has a big bag of money to get it rolling.

3) Oh my stars, they really are making a new System Shock.

“System Shock is one of those iconic franchises in the history of games that still gets my blood going and Mr. Spector is one of the founding fathers of the modern action RPG,” Starbreeze CEO Bo Andersson-Klint said in today’s announcement. “We’re greatly looking forward to bringing System Shock 3 to players world wide in our collaboration with Otherside Entertainment and Warren Spector’s team. I’ll be first in line to play”.

Starbreeze says that System Shock 3 is “in the early concept stages of development” so don’t expect it any time soon. But do expect it.

System Shock Remastered, by the way, recently switched its art style from that cute recreation of the old angular style to something looking more like a typical modern FPS. I preferred those high-def angles myself.