The release window of Hellblade 2 has been a great mystery for fans. Originally announced in December 2019 at that year’s edition of The Game Awards as the very first Xbox Series X exclusive, Hellblade 2 wasn’t heard of again until two years later. UK developer Ninja Theory finally showcased stunning in-engine footage of the sequel, powered by Unreal Engine 5 technology, at The Game Awards 2021.
The video showed Senua leading a ragtag band of humans in a seemingly impossible fight against a giant, who is later hinted to be someone she once knew. The trailer did a lot to rekindle the hype surrounding Hellblade 2. However, Ninja Theory founder and creative director Tameem Antoniades admitted a few months earlier that the game still wasn’t in full production despite the studio preparing a ‘chunky slice’.
That statement pretty much guaranteed Hellblade 2 wouldn’t be released in 2022. Still, fans have been hoping to get a surprise launch in late 2023, and those dreams are now renewed following a possible tease. A new Xbox Game Pass video advertisement shows a bunch of games either available or due to be available this year, such as Hi-Fi Rush, Ghostwire: Tokyo, Minecraft Legends, Redfall, Starfield, Forza Motorsport, and third-party games like Lies of P, Exoprimal, and Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn. Ninja Theory’s upcoming game is in there, too, appearing briefly around the 0.13 mark.
Could that be a sneaky tease from Microsoft that Hellblade 2 is indeed launching before the year’s end? We’ll know relatively soon, as the Xbox Game Showcase is scheduled to air on Sunday, June 11th. In mid-2021, journalist Jeff Grubb pegged the game to be a 2023 release alongside Fable, Perfect Dark, and Avowed. While these other games are now further away, Hellblade 2 could be Microsoft’s proverbial ace for the remainder of the year.
Not much is known about the game itself. Ninja Theory did make lofty statements on the sequel, stating it’ll make the original look like an indie title by comparison, with ‘through the roof’ quality.
As with all Microsoft first-party games (Ninja Theory was acquired in June 2018), the game will be released on PC and Xbox Series S|X, with day-one availability on Game Pass for subscribers.
