Rebellion teases true Evil Genius sequel in letter to fans, explains free-to-play plan

In an open letter to fans of the Evil Genius franchise, Rebellion Developments explains its reasoning behind bringing Evil Genius Online to Facebook and Zynga and, while not explicitly saying so, hints at a full-fledged sequel for PC gamers.

When Rebellion announced Evil Genius Online earlier this month, reaction was mixed, and largely negative. Despite grousing about the platform and free-to-play plans for Evil Genius Online, Rebellion says in its open letter that Evil Genius players quickly snatched up beta test slots — and let their voices be heard. Rebellion responded to that feedback by offering some explanation about its Evil Genius plan.

"For independent studios like Rebellion to survive it's important that we look beyond the console, PC and mobile platforms we know so well," wrote the studio. "Zynga and Facebook are hubs with millions of gamers who can start playing any game in just a couple of clicks. There are almost no barriers. This is why free-to-play is so exciting for both developers and gamers, and yes, it means we can bring Evil Genius to a new audience too."

Rebellion explains that Evil Genius Online doesn't feature an "energy" mechanic that limits play, nor will it apply pressure to encourage sale of in-game currency. For Evil Genius enthusiasts who still find the notion of Facebook and Zynga gaming distasteful, Rebellion offers better news.

"We've always wanted to make a fully-featured PC follow-up," the developer wrote. "We've taken concepts for an Evil Genius sequel to publishers before but we weren't able to secure the funding we needed. However since then, we've looked into alternative ways to get this game funded and created. We are going to make this happen. And it's going to be soon."