Here at RPS, we’re not often in the business of reporting rumors, but this one’s too much of a doozy to leave inside the colossal organic womb ship from which all rumors are born. Prey 2‘s been MIA since time immemorial, with various rumblings of strikes, stall outs, and near-cancellation the only things even vaguely resembling a warm trail for us to follow. Now, however, according to Kotaku and Prey 2 fansite Alien Noire, Dishonored developer Arkane has – allegedly somewhat reluctantly – taken the reigns. THE PLOT THICKENS. Watch it ooze and burble after the break.

Apparently Arkane Austin (as opposed to the studio’s other branch in Lyon) is completely rebooting the troubled – though exceedingly promising-looking – bounty hunter, with a new planned release of 2016 vastly improving upon the old version’s “probably never”. Here, however, is the most interesting bit:

“Bethesda had been trying for a few months now to convince Arkane to work on the game. Last week, the tipster says, Bethesda finally forced their hand: Arkane would develop Prey 2, scrapping all the work that Human Head has done and starting from scratch.” “Some people at Arkane Austin are upset about this decision, but higher-ups at the company are telling the team to forget that it’s called Prey 2 and just treat it like a new System Shock.”

For its part, Bethesda’s refused to comment, and original Prey 2 developer Human Head is keeping quiet for now.

If, however, it’s all true, then wow. Definitely didn’t see any of this coming. And while I want a new System Shock just as much as any adult whose youth consisted of actively and violently fearing that Shodan was lurking in the walls of his life, Human Head’s vision of Prey 2 looked like its own scuzzy, multi-eyed parkour creature. If Bethesda really did decide to put it out to pasture, consider me heartbroken.

Obviously, though, all of this is far from confirmed, and I plan to do some digging of my own. If I’m able to unearth any other details, you, RPS reader who I secretly love more than all the others, will be the first to know.