Square Enix today confirmed that Deus Ex: Human Revolution – Director’s Cut will be launching for consoles (including Wii U) and PC on October 22 in North America. In addition to this announcement, however, the publisher announced that the Deus Ex franchise is about to become one of its signature properties, with a next-gen game already in the works.

Square Enix is now touting what it has named Deus Ex: Universe. Though the name implies an MMO (the horror), it actually refers to Square Enix’s plan to extend the Deus Ex franchise into media outside of video games, such as books and comics. Games will still be the major focus of the franchise, but the IP will be appearing on mobile platforms as well. David Anfossi, head of Square Enix’s Eidos-Montreal studio, described the plan in a blog post:

The concept behind Deus Ex: Universe is to create an ongoing, expanding and connected game world built across a generation of core games. It’s a commitment on our part to deliver meaningful content that expands the franchise on a regular basis and to deliver a deep conspiracy that will span several connected Deus Ex games, creating a more immersive and richer experience than ever before. Deus Ex: Universe will include PC and console games, but also additional Deus Ex games and experiences available in other media such as tablets, smartphones, books, graphic novels, etc… You might have seen the name pop up recently in the press – well this is what it’s all about.

As part of the plan, the publisher is already working on a next-gen Deus Ex game for both consoles and PC. It is being worked on at the Eidos-Montreal studio by many of the same developers behind Human Revolution. Nothing more was revealed about the title, though Anfossi did post a bit of concept art for the game. The image below depicts the idea of “trans-humanism segregation” which will play a large role in the upcoming game>