With EA apparently looking to expand the Dead Space series beyond its established third-person roots, a job listing could be pointing to an entirely new direction for the next game in the franchise, as Visceral Games is searching for a Multiplayer Level Designer with plenty of FPS experience.

In the job listing, there's the promise of "a major opportunity to contribute creatively to an exciting IP", providing you're "an avid FPS gamer" with "previous experience as a Multiplayer Level Designer on shipped shooter/action titles". It also asks that the ideal candidate be able to "conceptualise, direct, and build multiplayer levels for the game" and create "believable real world multiplayer level designs".

Lived-in, believable environments are key to Dead Space's innate terror, so as OXM points out, hiring a designer with an eye for building convincing real world locations makes a lot of sense. Previous rumours suggested that Dead Space 3 - assuming it is in development at Visceral - could be set upon an ice planet called Tau Volantis where Isaac supposedly encounters an enemy known only as the 'hive mind'.

This previous rumour also suggested that Isaac might be stalked and constantly taunted by 'Shadow Isaac', a dark, twisted and sarcastic version of himself in Dead Space 3.

Visceral Games is also on the look out for an Environment Artist to join its Montreal studio and specifically work on the Dead Space franchise in some capacity. So, that's a confirmation of sorts. The Dead Space series is set to return in some form or another in the near future. Whether that form is an FPS with an emphasis on multiplayer however, remains to be seen.

[Thanks, Mix]