Two weeks after its release, Electronic Arts made it known that they did indeed plan on doing a sequel; stating that “the sequels already under construction”. With that in mind, in the past couple of months, we’ve been scenting the presents of Dead Space 2, thanks in part to clues placed around the internet.

Electronic Arts announced today that Dead Space 2 is indeed in development, and that we should expect it to release sometime next year – which isn’t a surprise seeing that an inkblot teased at its annnoucement late last week.

In the sequel, our hero, Isaac Clarke, makes a return from the first game. But, this time, he’ll be armed with new tools allowing him to gruesomely slice and dismember his enemies. However, survival isn’t the only thing that’s on Isaac’s mind – “this time, he calls the shots”.

“We’re thrilled to jump back into the series, making the next chapter in Isaac’s journey. The infection continues to spread throughout space and our hero Isaac Clarke is the only person able to contain it. There are still loads of necromorphs that need killing!” said Steve Papoutsis, Executive Producer of Dead Space 2. “In Dead Space 2, not everything is exactly as it seems. Expect plot twists that will surprise you and a huge cast of twisted, disgusting monsters that are sure to scare the daylights out of you.”

Though many wouldn’t have thought that, after completing Dead Space, a sequel wouldn’t be on the horizon. A cryptic inkblot has appeared on the Dead Space Twitter account, created recently, pushing the possibility of a sequel – which has been in speculation for awhile now.

The image contains representations of many of the first game’s creatures, and the symbols are actually Unitology, a fictional religion in the Dead Space universe, and it reads “the nightmare is over but it will not end”. That said, whether or not the inkblot means anything is anyone’s guest. However, it’s just good to see some signs of hope.

There’s going to be a Dead Space sequel, Electronic Arts even confirmed that there’s going to be another one – that isn’t Dead Space Extraction. And, according to Reuters, the Dead Space sequel is due to hit next year, evidence given by the “advanced state of preparations for Dead Space 2′s development”.

In a Halloween themed feature on horror video game sales, Reuters reported that the Dead Space sequel will be shipping next year. Sadly, there’s isn’t any other details, nor did EA respond happily to the news statement. ”This comment by the Reuters reporter is speculative,” an EA representative told GameSpot. “There is no announcement for a Dead Space sequel (or in this case, prequel) beyond Dead Space Extraction.”

As for the original, Dead Space was widely accepted by critics. However, that didn’t translate into high sales. According to the NPD Group, the game shifted just 9,200 units during its first week at retail in the US. Which, back in may, translated into 1.4 million units worldwide.