14 DAY TRIAL // Deus Ex: Mankind Divided developer Eidos Montreal and publisher Square Enix confirm that they've decided to shut down the Augment Your Pre-Order program for the upcoming cyberpunk shooter after a fierce backlash from fans. All those who pre-purchased the game now get access to all previously announced bonuses.
Pre-order bonuses are nothing new in the games industry nowadays, as developers and publishers are throwing in all sorts of different goodies for fans who want to pre-purchase the game ahead of its actual launch. From in-game DLCs and bonuses to physical items, the offers can vary wildly depending on the companies behind them and, most of the times, can even be exclusive to certain retailers, leading to fragmentation.
For their upcoming Deus Ex: Mankind Divided title, Eidos Montreal and Square Enix offered the Augment Your Pre-Order program, which let fans choose from various pre-order bonuses and unlock new tiers of rewards depending on how many people pre-purchased the game.
Fan backlash has caused the program to be canceled
Reaction from fans was mixed, to say the least, as many weren't that happy to see that they couldn't get all possible content for the game despite putting money up front for it. Regular users who had been burned by pre-orders were also unhappy with the ultimate goal, which caused the game to launch early only to those who pre-purchased it.
All this backlash has now led to Eidos and Square Enix canceling the whole program. The companies confirm on the official website that, after combing through the feedback from fans, it's decided not to impose any restrictions through this promo system.
As such, all those who pre-order Deus Ex: Mankind Divided or purchase the Day 1 edition of the game will get access to all the previously announced bonuses, which include new gear for protagonist Adam Jensen, plus extra things like an extra in-game mission, the soundtrack, a digital artbook, a comic book, or even a novella.
The game is now set to appear only on its intended release date of February 23, 2016, for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One platforms.