It's been a long time since Telltale Games fans saw hide or hair of The Wolf Among Us 2. It's no secret why, of course; when the original Telltale shut down, The Wolf Among Us 2 was briefly canceled. Now Telltale has been reincarnated as the face of LCG Entertainment, and there's hope for Telltale's adventure games once again. The Wolf Among Us 2 will be Telltale's first new game developed since it was brought back to life under wholly new ownership. While that means it could be vastly different from the studio's previous adaptation of Bill Willingham's Fables, a new trailer for The Wolf Among Us 2 suggests Telltale will preserve the spirit of the well-loved original game.
The trailer hinted at new fables and fairy tale creatures that Bigby Wolf will come across, but perhaps more importantly, it gave fans a release window. Although fans have been waiting for this game since 2018, they'll have to wait a little longer; The Wolf Among Us 2 doesn't release until 2023. That's probably for the best, though. Considering how greatly Telltale has changed in recent years, as well as how The Wolf Among Us 2's development has been jostled around by Telltale's troubles, the game needs time.
A Show of Patience from Telltale
Strictly speaking, the modern Telltale isn't the same company that fans knew and loved for its episodic adaptations of The Walking Dead, Batman, and other huge IPs. After the original Telltale Games' finances collapsed in 2018, it closed its doors and started selling off its assets. LCG Entertainment bought many of those assets, including the Telltale name, but it isn't a second coming of the original studio's owners and developers. That means the new Telltale has to prove itself worthy of bearing the old studio's name. The original Telltale made huge contributions to the adventure genre, so operating under the same name puts a lot of pressure on the new Telltale to be just as good.
Telltale hasn't released much content since it was revived, so it's hard to judge the studio's current skills, which is why The Wolf Among Us 2 is so important. That game will likely define how the industry and Telltale fans look at the studio's next steps. Thankfully, it seems Telltale is aware of that importance. Holding off on releasing The Wolf Among Us 2 until next year means Telltale has plenty of time to get the game right and deliver the high-quality adventure experience that fans have come to expect. Telltale will do better to earn its fans' trust by making sure The Wolf Among Us 2 is the best game that it can possibly be.
Breathing Room for The Wolf Among Us
Releasing The Wolf Among Us 2 in 2023 also means that the game can dodge a year that promises to be stuffed with major game releases. AAA studios and indie developers alike have huge releases planned for this year, and leaks about unannounced titles like Mario Kart 9 suggest that 2022's game release calendar will only get busier. If The Wolf Among Us 2 releases in 2023 after an explosive year of releases, it might have an easier time making its voice heard.
The Wolf Among Us 2 still has ample opportunity to be a big hit. The new Telltale may make a very different game in the end, but it is cooperating with AdHoc Studio, which is composed of developers from the original Telltale. That suggests that The Wolf Among Us 2 will still have a lot of the original studio's flair while introducing some new ideas that help establish Telltale's new brand. If that collaboration goes smoothly, then The Wolf Among Us 2 could turn out to be the perfect way to kick off Telltale's second life, acting as a clear bridge between the studio's past and future.
The Wolf Among Us 2 releases in 2023 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.