Despite Electronic Arts (EA) holding the intellectual property rights to the American McGee’s Alice series, its creator, American McGee, has devised an innovative method to advance the beloved storyline.
Just when fans thought the possibility of a new American McGee’s Alice game had vanished, a novel solution has emerged. Game designer American McGee recently revealed in an interview that his Plushie Dreadfuls line of plush toys will inspire a new game. Crucially, this project will serve as a continuation of the Alice narrative without violating his agreement with EA. McGee had previously dispelled rumors of a third Alice installment in 2023, confirming EA’s lack of interest in developing another title for the cult series. His most recent significant announcement, prior to this, was in December 2025, detailing work on a game centered around the Plushie Dreadfuls.
For newcomers to Alice and its sequel, Alice: Madness Returns, the games reimagine Lewis Carroll’s classic tales through a dark, brutal, and unsettling lens. The narrative follows Alice, the familiar protagonist, whose family perished in a house fire years before the game’s events. Following years of psychiatric care, a deeply traumatized Alice retreats into a distorted Wonderland, a reflection of her own damaged mind.
In the 2011 sequel, Alice: Madness Returns, Alice is discharged and resides in a facility for orphaned children suffering from mental trauma. Still plagued by visions of Wonderland, she ventures back into its corrupted realm to confront a fresh evil and uncover further truths about her past. Although McGee’s career began at id Software, where he contributed as a level designer to numerous Doom and Quake titles, it was his work on the Alice series that truly brought him widespread acclaim and recognition.
Despite EA retaining the intellectual property rights to both Alice games, McGee has ingeniously found a method to create a “spiritual successor.” In a recent interview with GamesRadar, McGee detailed his strategy to connect the Plushie Dreadfuls game directly to the Alice saga, ensuring it avoids any legal conflict with EA. He elaborated, “I’ve made an explicit point to link the start of the Plushie Dreadfuls game with the end of Madness Returns. By doing so, you could certainly label it a spiritual sequel. There’s an evident connection, but one that steers clear of legal complications.”
McGee further explained that the Plushie Dreadfuls game will feature a new protagonist named James. He expressed his hope that this new project would provide a sense of “closure” for himself, and similarly, for the devoted fanbase of the Alice series who longed for a third installment. Reflecting on his creative process, McGee stated, “Alice, in some ways, was drawing off of past experiences that I had as a child. With writing the character for James, it’s a very similar thing. He’s an orphan, but he’s been adopted into this kind of dark, evil family.”
The Alice game series earned a fervent cult following, largely due to its acclaimed dark and violent reimagining of the classic children’s story. The Plushie Dreadfuls, which feature prominently, are distinct creatures conceived to symbolize various mental health conditions, neurodivergence, emotions, and LGBTQIA+ identities. These plush forms incorporate symbolic, often dark or gothic designs, aiming to foster awareness and self-acceptance. Despite the series having celebrated its 25th anniversary recently, it now appears a third narrative installment is indeed on its way to conclude the trilogy, albeit through an unconventional route.