Ever since its inception, Indiana Jones has been one of pop culture's beloved franchises, with its success spanning decades. Today, thanks to the upcoming fifth entry to the movie series and Bethesda's highly-anticipated video game, the conversation around Indiana Jones continues to grow among the fanbase. While details on the Indiana Jones game are light, a recent update from ZeniMax points to a few possible features.
Of course, Indiana Jones has gotten the video game treatment quite a few times in the past, ranging from a Candy Crush clone to a LEGO makeover. However, this is the first time a game company of the scale and reputation of Bethesda has taken up the iconic franchise. Although interestingly, Todd Howard has stated he originally pitched the Indiana Jones game back in 2009 to George Lucas and Disney. While it's unclear why the idea fell apart then, news of the Indiana Jones title in development by MachineGames should excite fans all the same.
A recent job posting mentions that the Quake developer is hiring an AI Programmer for MachineGames. The listing for preferred skills denotes an understanding of multiplayer bots "as human replacements" as well as knowledge and experience around "designing player companions." The post doesn't offer specifics about what the exact project these skills refer to, though details point to a possible feature on the upcoming Indiana Jones title. While these aren't novel concepts for recent AAA titles, multiplayer and companions would come as an interesting addition to the game.
However, this could also potentially indicate an expected feature for Wolfenstein 3. Back in 2018, Besthesda revealed that the Wolfenstein sequel was in the works by MachineGames. But not many details have been shared about the project since the release of the 2019 spinoff title Wolfenstein Youngblood. Additionally, the introduction of Youngblood presents its own narrative challenges for Wolfenstein 3. Time will tell how MachineGames navigates this amidst expectations from the fanbase.
But Indiana Jones and Wolfenstein 3 aren't the only upcoming titles under MachineGames, as the studio is also working on a Quake remaster. Further, the larger Bethesda group has more ambitious projects like Starfield and Elder Scrolls 6 in development as well. Many expect the company to share more specifics about these projects at Xbox and Bethesda's upcoming June 12 showcase. Of course, Indiana Jones is still likely in its early stages, considering the project was announced last year. So it's best to set expectations accordingly.