Update: During a chat with Polygon, Phil Spencer mentioned how the Hexen shirt apparently wasn't intended as a teaser for an upcoming announcement, but rather to "recognise the importance of some of the games in our portfolio".
That said, he suggested it might be worth bringing the IP back at some point...
"Wearing the [Hexen] shirt wasn’t as much about a tease forward as it was just about nostalgia. I recognise that as our portfolio grows, we’ve got important [games] that we have to kind of protect and nurture and maybe bring back at some point."
Original story: If you're a fan of old-school first-person shooters and happened to tune into the latest Xbox Games Showcase, you may have noticed a rather interesting game on the front of Phil Spencer's shirt.
It was the picture of the 1995 fantasy title Hexen: Beyond Heretic, running on a modified version of the DOOM engine and paving the way for Quake. It was developed by Raven Software (Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0) and published with the help of id Software.
What's interesting about this is that Activision owns Raven Software and Microsoft has now acquired Bethesda, which includes id Software, and is also in the process of securing the Activision Blizzard deal.
The other thing here is that Phil doesn't typically wear a shirt, or display something on his shelf unless he's teasing something. Unsurprisingly, it's been enough to ignite some speculation on social media - with many fans now hoping for a Hexen revival.
QuakeCon is also making a return in August, and id Software has previously teased how it's already working on its next big game, with rumours of it being a remake/reboot. Keep in mind, nothing has been officially announced.
Of course, it could just be Phil repping the game because he's a fan of it himself. The original one along with the second game are both available to play right now via the Xbox app on PC. There's also an expansion Deathkings of the Dark Citadel and the first game in the series Heretic.
Here's a bit about Hexen: Beyond Heretic:
"Hexen: Beyond Heretic is a fantasy first-person shooter developed by Raven Software and published by id Software in 1995. It is the direct sequel to the first game in the series, Heretic.
"While the Sidhe elf Corvus battled the evil forces of D'Sparil, the remaining two Serpent Riders were busy sowing the seeds of destruction in other dimensions. As a Warrior, Mage, or Cleric, you must fight the undead, and brave elemental dungeons and decaying wilderness to defend your realm of Cronos from Korax, the second Serpent Rider."
