Get ready to bash your mental health back into shape with a sword, again. Microsoft is aiming to maintain its momentum of first-party releases in 2024 by planning a game launch every three months. Among the highly anticipated titles expected to hit Xbox next year is Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2.
Matt Booty, the head of Xbox Game Studios, provided an update on the Hellblade sequel from Ninja Theory. Although initially announced in 2019, Hellblade 2 lacked a release window until earlier this year when Xbox and Ninja Theory confirmed its arrival in 2024. However, the exact date remains unconfirmed.
In an interview with The Fourth Curtain podcast, Booty shed light on the upcoming games for the Xbox console. He disclosed that Ara: History Untold and Towerborne are two notable titles slated for the first half of 2024. He also announced that Hellblade 2 is scheduled for release in the second half of the same year.
Booty emphasized on the studio’s ambitious goal, stating, “We’ve got a goal of a big game – you know, a new release, a big game, something significant – going out four times a year. So every three months we’ve got something new coming out.”
I think with Starfield and then going into Forza Motorsport, and then as we head into next year, 2024, we showed the game Ara: [History Untold] and the game Towerborne at Gamescom and we’ve got Hellblade II that comes later. It feels like we’re getting there.”
Following the disappointing performance of Redfall and the underwhelming reception of Starfield, Microsoft and Xbox are under pressure to deliver substantial offerings. Redfall, an Arkane Studios’ first-person horror survival shooter, faced harsh criticism upon release, prompting an apology from Xbox’s Phil Spencer.
Meanwhile Starfield, while experiencing a strong launch, fell short of expectations just two months after release, currently holding the lowest rating ever for a Bethesda game on Steam, labeled as “mixed.” Many players and critics have repeatedly pointed at the game’s emptiness as a primary flaw.
The second-half release window for Hellblade 2 doesn’t come as a surprise, given the limited exposure the game has received so far. It is anticipated that Ninja Theory will intensify marketing efforts for the title towards the end of the year, possibly unveiling a trailer at The Game Awards in December. Notably, Hellblade 2 was initially announced at the same event in 2019.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is coming to PC and Xbox Series X/S in the second half of 2024.
