Last night’s Game Awards revealed 505 Games is at work on a remake of Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons. Originally developed by Starbreeze Studios in 2013 and re-released during the mid-2010s, the remake is being headed up by Avantgarden SRL for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. 

When it first released, Brothers was notable for having its titular two sons controlled individually by both controller thumbsticks. The game was also the debut of director Josef Fares, who went on to head up 2018’s A Way Out and 2021’s It Takes Two. 

Like Starbreeze, Fares isn’t involved with the remake, but he made his excitement for it known. 505 touts that the new version of Brothers will have its graphics and gameplay fit with current generation games, along with a re-recorded soundtrack. 

505 and Brothers

The existence of a Brothers remake comes almost a full month after 505 owner Digital Bros announced it would be laying off some of its staff. Along with that news, a spokesperson noted the company would prioritize sequels of established franchises and previously released games that already yielded financial success. 

Brothers would seem to fit that mold: by early 2015, it sold 800,000 units, and Starbreeze had no qualms about selling the property 505 Games. Whether this remake leads to the property being fleshed out into a larger franchise is uncertain, but likely also depends on how said remake performs when it releases in February 2024.

In 2015, Game Developer spoke with Fares after he formed his own developer, Hazelight Studios. His thoughts on interactivity and storytelling from back then can be read here.