Sunset Overdrive – Microsoft Owns the Rights to Publish Two Sequels

Discoveries continue to emerge from Insomniac’s leaked documents, from current sales of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 to its $315 million budget. However, perhaps the most shocking revelation is that Sunset Overdrive, the studio’s beloved Xbox One console exclusive, only made them $567 in profit.

With Sony acquiring Insomniac Games in 2019, it owns the IP and registered a trademark for it in 2021. However, there hasn’t been a remaster, PS4/PS5 version or even talks of a sequel. You could chalk that up to the success of Marvel’s Spider-Man or the deal to work on X-Men titles.

However, as @eXtas1stv on Twitter discovered from the studio’s internal documents, Microsoft owns the rights to publish two sequels for Sunset Overdrive. These include “any associated DLC, ports and derivative games (e.g., mobile companion experiences, web-based experiences, and hand-held experiences).”

So, while Sony could authorize the development of a sequel, it would theoretically be published by Microsoft, which gets even messier when considering exclusivity. Microsoft hasn’t officially confirmed these publishing rights, and it remains to be seen how long it could be valid. Regardless, don’t expect a sequel announcement any time soon.