After a quiet 2022, Xbox is finally gaining some momentum with its first-party releases. Arkane Studios just released its latest vampire action game Redfall today, while Bethesda Game Studios’ sci-fi RPG Starfield is set to launch this September. Forza Motorsport is also expected to launch in late 2023 but no concrete release date has been set for it yet. However, Xbox players might receive more than they bargained for as a new Xbox Game Pass ad could possibly be teasing a 2023 release window for Hellblade 2.
Hellblade 2 (or Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2) is the ambitious sequel to 2017’s Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice from developer Ninja Theory, which was acquired by Microsoft a few years ago. Thanks to developer updates from the studio, we’ve seen a number of behind-the-scenes videos for Hellblade 2 as well as a great gameplay demonstration last year. A release date is what every fan is currently waiting for.
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A new ad posted by Xbox advertises a list of games already on Xbox Game Pass and others coming to the service soon including Lies of P, Forza Motorsport and Starfield. At the 13 second mark, a clip from Hellblade 2 is shown, suggesting that Microsoft may have plans to launch the anticipated sequel sometime this year.
On the other hand, this could simply be a bit of marketing hype showing upcoming games under Xbox’s first-party studios. Interestingly, other first-party games like Avowed and Fable weren’t shown in the ad, so it’s possible that Hellblade 2 could be launching much sooner than we anticipated.
Xbox will have an opportunity to showcase Hellblade 2 at the upcoming Xbox Games Showcase which is scheduled for 11 June. We know very little about this showcase other than a lengthy deep dive into Starfield which will take place straight after the event. After Redfall‘s launch today which brought in some of the lowest reviews for a AAA game in 2023, Xbox will need to make a big splash this June to assure fans that other heavy-hitters are still on the way.
As with all rumours and speculation, take this with a pinch of salt. Check out the latest Xbox Game Pass ad below:
Source: Xbox
