Dishonored’s Origins: How Thief 4’s Struggles and Arkane’s Blade Runner Concepts Shaped the Game

Former developers from Arkane Studios, Raphael Colantonio and Harvey Smith, recently revisited the opening of the iconic stealth game on YouTube, shedding light on the game’s development journey. Their discussion revealed that the creation of Dishonored stemmed from earlier pitches for both Thief 4 and a Blade Runner game that never materialized.

About ten minutes into their playthrough, the conversation shifted to these abandoned projects, allowing the developers to share insights they hadn’t previously disclosed. Colantonio recounted how Bethesda approached Arkane Studios during a financially challenging period, offering them the opportunity to work on a game in the Thief series.

“I was thrilled, especially since we were in such a tough spot financially. They came to us not only to help our business but also with the IP I was most eager to work on,” Colantonio shared. Smith confirmed that the project in question was indeed Thief 4.

Later, Bethesda reached out again, hinting at the possibility of securing the rights to develop a Blade Runner video game, prompting Arkane to pitch ideas for that IP as well. This led to a friendly competition within the studio, with two teams vying for the next project.

Colantonio headed the Thief 4 team, which created several concept videos, while Smith led the Blade Runner team, which focused on 3D rendering of the Esper computer and began animating characters with unique movements. Both developers reflect positively on these pitches, but ultimately, Bethesda was unable to secure the rights for either project.

Colantonio expressed concern that Bethesda might abandon Arkane after these setbacks. “None of them worked out, and we thought maybe they were going to shut down the deal,” he explained. “We weren’t acquired yet, but we had this agreement for the next Thief or Blade Runner. Eventually, they told us, ‘It’s okay, keep what you’re doing and call it Dishonored.’ The key point is that Dishonored was built on our vision for Thief 4.”

As Smith’s Blade Runner project also fell through, he joined Dishonored as co-director. Many elements from Thief, such as the player being concealed in shadows, were eventually removed, allowing Dishonored to develop its own unique visual style and gameplay experience, ultimately becoming a classic in the stealth genre.

In 2014, Eidos Montreal released a new Thief game, but it didn’t quite measure up to Dishonored. It’s intriguing to consider that Arkane’s landmark title might never have come to be if Bethesda and Arkane had pursued Blade Runner or Thief 4 instead.