The video game landscape looks very different now from how it did a few years ago. Industry-leading events like E3 were the focal points of the year, with developers using them as major platforms to announce new titles and show off games in development. Now things have fractured, with developers and publishers creating their own smaller events with showcases moving off of stages and into online formats. With E3 2022 canceled, developers have had to create replacement events or miss out on the chance to showcase new and upcoming games entirely.
Like other developers, Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda Softworks will use their already established joint showcase in lieu of E3 this June to highlight big releases and upcoming games. While both Xbox and Bethesda have some interesting titles in the works, the list of games that will feature is yet to be confirmed. However, some titles seem likely, such as Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2. The action-adventure game developed by Ninja Theory is the highly anticipated sequel to 2017's Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, and early glimpses of Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 have definitely impressed fans. Players are hoping to see more of the upcoming game, and they might only have to wait a few weeks.
The Xbox And Bethesda Games Showcase
Last month, the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase was announced, which will be a live-streamed event focusing on "amazing titles coming from Xbox Game Studios, Bethesda, and [their] partners around the world." This will include a "diverse lineup of games" coming to Xbox consoles and PC, as well as Microsoft's popular subscription service Xbox Game Pass.
Some games seem like no-brainers for the showcase, like Bethesda's upcoming sci-fi RPG Starfield. With a launch set for November, this will be Bethesda's big chance to show off the game before it releases and help generate hype for its first original IP in over two and a half decades. Arkane Studios' Redfall also seems like a strong choice, with the upcoming open-world FPS published by Bethesda already garnering some buzz from players who are eager to learn more about it.
Xbox Game Studios has a few games on the go as well, which fans know are in development, even if there hasn't been a ton of details about them yet. Titles like Playground Games’ Fable and Obsidian Entertainment’s The Outer Worlds 2 and Avowed are sure to make an appearance, alongside Ninja Theory’s much-anticipated Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2.
The Likelihood of Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 Being Featured
First revealed at the Game Awards 2019, with a suitably dark and macabre trailer, fans haven't seen much of Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 since. The Game Awards 2021 gameplay trailer did reveal a bit more of the game, but players are still holding out for more concrete details regarding the upcoming sequel. What they have been shown so far has certainly painted a great picture: The breathtaking graphics, detailed character models, and appropriately disturbing aesthetics all point toward another amazing gaming experience. The sequel looks set to build on the impressively-realized and unique world of Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, and fans couldn't be more excited.
Details have been fairly scarce since The Game Awards 2021, and June 2022 seems like the perfect time to dive a little deeper into Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 and maybe even provide a release window. Players know that the game will be coming to Xbox Game Pass Day One, but they currently don't know when that will be. A 2022 launch date may seem a little unlikely given some developer comments in 2021 regarding the state and scope of the game, but there will be lots that the team can show off in the meantime to help stoke the flames of fan anticipation.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 feels very different from a lot of Xbox Game Studios' other titles, or even to anything else currently being developed by other studios, and featuring it in the showcase will help to show off the breadth and individuality of Xbox's upcoming games. Every glimpse of the game so far has been incredibly impressive, especially on a visual level, and another cinematic trailer or a deeper look at gameplay would come across well even in a live-streamed event. If Bethesda and Xbox are looking to make an impact with the fast-approaching showcase, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is a perfect game to feature.
Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is in development for PC and Xbox Series X/S.