Dishonored: Death of the Outsider
Standalone expansion concluding the Kaldwin era.
Dishonored: Death of the Outsider is an action-adventure game from 2017, built by Arkane Lyon and released by Bethesda Softworks. It works as a standalone expansion to Dishonored 2, hitting PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One on September 15, 2017. Set in the coastal city of Karnaca after the prior game's events, it follows former assassin Billie Lurk—voiced by Rosario Dawson—as she teams up with her mentor Daud (Michael Madsen) to take down the Outsider (Robin Lord Taylor), a mysterious being. Played from a first-person view, the game lets players use supernatural abilities to tackle missions through stealth or direct violence.
Originally planned as downloadable content for Dishonored 2, it became a standalone release when the team wanted to try fresh story and gameplay approaches. Billie Lurk was chosen as the lead because developers liked her. The story aimed to wrap up loose threads from earlier games, offer a new viewpoint, and end the narrative arc started with the first Dishonored. Gameplay elements were tweaked or removed to set it apart from its predecessors, fit the standalone expansion format, and push players to experiment and explore choices.
The game was revealed at Bethesda's E3 2017 press conference. Critics gave it a warm reception, praising its game design and calling it a fitting end to the Dishonored series up to that point. But some criticism landed on its story and levels, which were seen as less impressive than earlier titles. It earned nominations for a few industry awards, including Outstanding Achievement in Videogame Writing at the Writers Guild of America Awards. After its release, Arkane Studios announced the Dishonored series would go on hiatus.
**Gameplay** The gameplay mirrors Dishonored and Dishonored 2. Billie Lurk carries a short sword, letting her sneak up and stab foes quietly. Other gear includes a wrist-mounted crossbow, land mines, and grenades. A new item is the hook mine, which grabs nearby enemies and knocks them out—or can be set to kill. After the first mission, players get three supernatural abilities. Unlike earlier games, these aren't bought with runes; they're all unlocked from the start. They cost energy to use, but energy now fully regenerates on its own—no consumables needed.
Billie's main mobility power is "Displace," which lets her place a marker and teleport to it when in sight.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Dishonored: Death of the Outsider
- Developer
- Arkane Lyon
- Publisher
- Bethesda Softworks
- Director
- Harvey Smith
- Designer
- Dinga Bakaba
- Programmer
- Hugues Tardif
- Artist
- Sébastien Mitton
- Writer
- Sachka Duval · Sophie Mallinson · Anna Megill · Hazel Monforton
- Series
- Dishonored
- Composer
- Daniel Licht
- Platforms
- PlayStation 4 · Windows · Xbox One
- Released
- 15 September 2017
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The game takes place in the coastal city of Karnaca after the events of Dishonored 2. Billie Lurk reunites with her mentor Daud (voiced by Michael Madsen) to kill the Outsider. Gameplay is from a first-person perspective, with supernatural abilities including Displace (teleportation to a marker), Semblance (face-stealing disguise), and fully unlocked powers that regenerate energy automatically. The chaos system from previous games is removed, and the player can collect optional Contracts at black markets for side missions.
Reader's Guide
Death of the Outsider was originally planned as downloadable content for Dishonored 2 but became a standalone expansion after the team decided to explore different approaches. It was announced at E3 2017 during Bethesda's press conference. Critics praised its game design and considered it a suitable conclusion to the series, though narrative and levels were seen as unremarkable compared to previous titles. The game was nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Videogame Writing at the Writers Guild of America Awards. After release, Arkane Studios announced the Dishonored series would enter a hiatus. The game removes the need for elixirs and runes, giving all powers at once to encourage experimentation. Co-creative director Harvey Smith had concerns about the Semblance power, which was ultimately reduced to manageable levels. The narrative was meant to end the Kaldwin era, with future games possibly featuring different protagonists.
Did You Know?
- The game was originally planned as downloadable content for Dishonored 2 before becoming a standalone expansion.
- Billie Lurk was chosen as protagonist because she was a favorite with the developers.
- Writer Hazel Monforton was hired after posting a Twitter thread analyzing the Outsider in Dishonored 2.
- The game removes the chaos system and energy elixirs from previous titles.
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