10 Video Games That Were Meant to End Their Series – But Didn’t

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Ignacio Weil

Gaming - October 27th 2025, 22:00 GMT+1

Cropped Fire Emblem Awakening 2012 — Fire Emblem: Awakening (2012)

By the time development began, *Fire Emblem* was on the verge of cancellation. Nintendo told Intelligent Systems that if this game didn’t sell at least 250,000 copies, the series would be discontinued. That looming threat gave the developers freedom to treat *Awakening* as a definitive send-off – a “greatest hits” compilation of ideas from past games. They incorporated time travel, legacy characters, and a robust relationship system, hoping to please both veterans and newcomers. Instead of being the final entry, *Awakening* became a breakout global hit that revitalized the brand and transformed *Fire Emblem* into one of Nintendo’s flagship series. | © Nintendo

Cropped imagen 2025 10 23 105746199 — Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (2008)

If any game ever screamed “final chapter,” it was *Metal Gear Solid 4*. Hideo Kojima wrapped nearly every loose end, aged Snake into a tragic relic, and gave each major character – from Meryl to Otacon – a definitive fate. The tone was elegiac, the themes heavy with finality. Kojima himself viewed it as the natural endpoint for the saga he’d built since the ‘80s, tying together decades of tangled espionage and emotional chaos. But after fan demand and Konami’s interest in keeping the brand alive, the franchise endured through spin-offs and reimaginings, long after Snake’s cigarette burned out. | © Konami

Cropped Professor Layton and the Unwound Future 2008 — Professor Layton and the Unwound Future (2008)

Level-5’s puzzle-solving gentleman wasn’t supposed to have endless adventures. The original *Professor Layton* trilogy was designed to tell one complete story – ending with *The Unwound Future*, which delivered emotional closure for both Layton and his protégé Luke. Its mature tone, touching final scene, and carefully tied narrative threads gave the feeling of genuine finality. But success spoke louder than sentimentality. The series continued with prequels, spin-offs, and even a sequel starring Layton’s daughter, proving that no good mystery – especially one that sells – stays solved for long. | © Level-5

Cropped Halo 3 2007 — Halo 3 (2007)

Marketing alone told us this was supposed to be it – *Finish the Fight* wasn’t just a tagline, it was a promise. Bungie crafted *Halo 3* as the grand conclusion to Master Chief’s war against the Covenant and the Flood, tying up a trilogy that had defined an entire console generation. Every cinematic and musical cue felt like a send-off. Bungie itself was ready to move on from *Halo* afterward, parting ways with Microsoft shortly after release. Yet, much like its hero drifting in cryosleep, the franchise refused to stay dormant, resurrected by 343 Industries for a new era of Spartans and sequels. | © Bungie / Microsoft Game Studios

Cropped Gothic 3 — Gothic III (2006)

The developers at Piranha Bytes intended *Gothic III* to be the hero’s last chapter, ending with his departure into a strange new world – a poetic send-off for a series that had defined European RPG grit. However, publisher JoWooD wasn’t ready to let the franchise rest. When disagreements erupted over the game’s rushed release and broken state, JoWooD took over and released *Forsaken Gods* as a standalone expansion to “fix” the story, against the developer’s wishes. The result fractured the series canon and alienated fans, marking a controversial non-ending to what was supposed to be a farewell. | © Piranha Bytes / JoWooD

Cropped R Type Final 2003 — R-Type Final (2003)

Even the title made its intentions clear – this was meant to be the end. Irem positioned *R-Type Final* as the ultimate culmination of its side-scrolling shooter legacy, combining ships, levels, and lore from across the entire series. Development reflected a desire to close things properly, with an enormous roster of unlockable fighters and a tone that felt reflective rather than triumphant. For years, fans accepted it as the franchise’s curtain call. But decades later, *R-Type Final 2* emerged, proving that even a series built on endless waves of enemies couldn’t resist returning for one more battle. | © Irem

Cropped Sonic Adventure 2 — Sonic Adventure 2 (2001)

When *Sonic Adventure 2* was being developed, Sega was facing a financial freefall. The Dreamcast was underperforming, third-party support was collapsing, and Sonic Team feared the company might not survive long enough to make another game. That pressure shaped everything about this release – it was designed to be Sega’s swan song and Sonic’s last hurrah as a console mascot. The emotional tone of its story, particularly Shadow’s sacrifice, reflected that sense of finality. But despite the Dreamcast’s commercial failure, ports to the GameCube and beyond ensured Sonic’s survival, marking a pivotal rebirth for the franchise under Sega’s new direction. | © Sega

Cropped Mega Man X5 2000 — Mega Man X5 (2000)

Capcom’s internal plan was to end the *Mega Man X* storyline here, passing the torch to the upcoming *Mega Man Zero* series. Keiji Inafune himself envisioned X5 as a thematic and narrative conclusion – one that wrapped up the characters’ arcs and tied into the darker, futuristic world of Zero. The game’s multiple endings, bittersweet tone, and mechanical evolution all hinted at closure. But when X5 performed well commercially, Capcom decided to continue the series without Inafune’s input, producing X6 and beyond. It was a corporate decision that reshaped the legacy of what was supposed to be the series’ perfect ending. | © Capcom

Cropped Pokémon Gold Silver 1999 — Pokémon Gold & Silver (1999)

When *Pokémon Gold & Silver* released, it wasn’t just another sequel – it was meant to be *the end*. Creator Satoshi Tajiri saw it as the ultimate realization of his childhood dream: capturing, trading, and connecting creatures across regions. The inclusion of both Johto and the entire Kanto region from the first games was his way of bringing the journey full circle. Tajiri even believed it would conclude the series entirely. But massive sales and cultural domination changed everything. Game Freak and Nintendo couldn’t possibly stop there, and the Pokémon phenomenon only grew stronger with each new generation. | © Nintendo / Game Freak

Cropped Final Fantasy 1987 — Final Fantasy (1987)

The now-legendary title *Final Fantasy* was born from desperation. Square’s finances were in ruins, and designer Hironobu Sakaguchi had decided that if this game failed, he would retire from the industry altogether. Its name symbolized the studio’s belief that this would be their last project – a creative farewell to their ambitions. But instead of fading away, it became a surprise success in Japan and later worldwide, effectively saving Square from bankruptcy. The irony is that a game created to mark the end of a company wound up launching one of the most profitable and enduring franchises in gaming history. | © Square

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Every now and then, a game studio decides it’s time to wrap things up – the “final chapter,” the big emotional send-off, the mic drop moment. And sometimes… it just doesn’t stick. Whether it’s fan demand, a surprise hit, or a publisher realizing there’s still money on the table, these so-called finales turned out to be more like mid-season breaks.

From heroic sacrifices that got swiftly undone to storylines that were “concluded” only to respawn a few years later, gaming history is full of dramatic fake-outs. So grab your controller and let’s revisit the games that tried to say goodbye, only to respawn in glorious, slightly embarrassing fashion.