Rumors surrounding Ori 3 have started circulating ahead of Gamescom 2026, but Moon Studios CEO and Ori director Thomas Mahler says the reports are “nonsense” and claims the studio has even discussed buying the Ori IP back from Microsoft.

With Gamescom approaching, speculation has started building around potential surprises from Xbox. One recent rumor suggested that Ori could be making a comeback with a third game, potentially developed outside of Moon Studios.

However, the man behind the first two games doesn’t seem convinced.

Thomas Mahler, CEO of Moon Studios and director of the Ori games, says he hasn’t heard anything about Ori 3 and has now directly dismissed the latest rumors.

Interestingly, Mahler also revealed that Moon Studios has internally discussed the possibility of purchasing the Ori IP back, potentially bringing the franchise home to its original developer.

Ori 3 Rumors Pointed to Another Developer

The latest speculation originated from a post on the ResetEra forums, where it was suggested that one of Saber Interactive’s teams could be developing a new Ori game.

According to the rumor, the project could potentially be announced around Gamescom or held back for a future Xbox Developer Direct.

That would represent a major change for the franchise.

Moon Studios developed both Ori and the Blind Forest and Ori and the Will of the Wisps, with Microsoft owning the intellectual property.

Mahler responded to the speculation on social media and made it clear that, as far as he knows, there is nothing behind the reports.

“Once again there’s a bunch of people asking me about Ori 3 since there’s rumors floating about…

As before, I haven’t heard anything about any of this.”

Mahler went considerably further, arguing that handing established franchises to different developers doesn’t necessarily produce the results publishers expect.

He specifically referenced Microsoft’s handling of Halo before revealing something much more interesting about Moon Studios’ relationship with Ori.

Moon Studios Has Discussed Buying the Ori IP

According to Mahler, Moon Studios has discussed internally whether it could purchase the Ori intellectual property from Microsoft.

“Internally, we’ve been discussing our interest in purchasing the IP back. I doubt any other studio could really do much with it, so it makes sense for this one to come home to Moon!”

That doesn’t mean negotiations are currently underway, nor does it confirm Microsoft has any intention of selling the franchise.

Still, it shows that Moon Studios remains interested in Ori despite moving on to other projects.

Mahler followed his original comments with another post more directly addressing the Ori 3 speculation, reportedly describing the rumors as “nonsense.”

Even Ori composer Gareth Coker apparently believes the time could be right for another game, according to Mahler.

Gamescom Directors Aren’t Worried About GTA 6 Netflix Event Stealing the Spotlight

For now, though, there is no officially announced Ori 3, and Mahler’s comments strongly push back against claims that Moon Studios knows of another developer currently working on the project.

The Ori series has been dormant since Ori and the Will of the Wisps, leaving plenty of demand for another adventure. Whether that eventually comes from Xbox, another studio, or perhaps even Moon Studios itself remains to be seen.

With Xbox preparing for Gamescom 2026, we shouldn’t have to wait long to find out whether the recent speculation has any substance.

Would you like to see Ori return for a third game, and should Moon Studios be the developer behind it? Let us know in the comments below.