We've been waiting for the arrival of Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 ever since it was first announced back at The Game Awards 2019, and it sounds like we've still got a while left to go until it finally releases for Xbox Series X and Series S.
In a new interview with Matt Booty (Xbox President of Game Content and Studios), it's mentioned that Hellblade 2 will "come later" in 2024, possibly following the Xbox Game Studios releases of Ara: History Untold and Towerborne.
"We've got a goal of a big game - you know, a new release - something significant going out four times a year. So every three months we've got something new coming out.
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And I think with Starfield and then going into Forza Motorsport, and then as we head into next year we showed the game Ara: [History Untold] and the game Towerborne at Gamescom, we've got Hellblade 2 that comes later, so it feels like we're getting there..."
We've already seen quite a lot of highly impressive Hellblade 2 footage over the past couple of years, so we were hoping to potentially play it in the first half of 2024, but it sounds like it might end up being the big fall release instead.
As for the rest of the games mentioned here, Booty avoided bringing up anything Activision Blizzard related, and we already knew about Towerborne and the PC Game Pass exclusive Ara: History Untold coming in 2024. Something that he didn't bring up was Obsidian's Avowed, although perhaps it just slipped his mind at the time.
Ultimately, there are still a lot of questions about next year that remain unanswered for now, but we're willing to bet it'll be a fun year for Xbox Game Studios, Bethesda and Activision Blizzard no matter what. Here's hoping we don't have to wait too long for Hellblade 2, but we're willing to be more patient - as long as we're playing it at some point next year!
What do you think the release schedule looks like for Xbox first-party in 2024? Share your prediction down below.
[source youtube.com]
Comments 41
Considering we didn’t get an in-game footage update I feel like Avowed is way before this game.
There is also the new flight sim at some point in 24.
MS flight sim 24 actually looks pretty sick, objectives is really the only thing keeping the other version from being engaging beyond flying over your house and a few distinguishable landmarks.
2025 it is then
It needs be released next year if xbox wants 2 top exclusives each year
What about Gears of War 6 (I refuse to call it just Gears 😂).
As much as I am looking forward to Hellblade 2, GoW6 is my number one anticipated game, and I'm not sure it's even been officially announced yet.
Also, does CoD now count as being one of those 4 big releases each year, @FraserG?
Weird to showcase this in the sphere if it's not the next big release.
For a linear-heavy game it’s been in development for an awfully long time. It does look amazing using UE5 and looking forward to playing it day one on Game Pass.
Towerborne doesn't look like a big Quarter game though.
Avowed is definitely one.
@Fiendish-Beaver
Same here, it’s 5 years in 2024 since the last main gears release, they must have something nearly ready by now.
Glad they are not revealing 2024 until closer to 2024. I am still worn out from the hype machines of Starfield…
Xbox just release your games at top quality AAA standard in all areas of game refinement.
I would hate to see another Starfield or Forza from this year. Good games but not massive general public grabbers.
Xbox needs their and of course not this game type, TOTK and GOWR, system seller’s and pure quality titles.
Xbox needs more games like God of War, Spider-Man, The Last of Us. Xbox has tons of games but unfortunately none of them are that good in my opinion.
@OldGamer999 you may dislike Starfield, but for what is worth, it was a massive comercial success. #7 most sold game in September, even though it was "free-ish" in Xbox Game Pass. Helped Xbox increse console sales and the day it released was the single day with the most new Game Pass subscriptions ever.
@RazputinAquato
I don’t dislike it that much I’m still playing it, though it’s definitely a love/hate game for me.
Yes it did help sales of things a little but it was very short lived and probably didn’t even touch the normal general public in sales and momentum for the Xbox brand.
It tickled a few people’s fancy and did well for sure for a short period and definitely wasn’t a good system seller.
@OrfeasDourvas Towerborne also isn't an Xbox first party game. It's being made by Stoic. I'm very interested in it, but I can't believe that it would count as a big game.
I'm thinking more likely Ara is Q1, Hellblade is Q2, Avowed is Q3, and Q4 is...CoD? I'm not sure what else has seemed like it could be ready next year. Fable? Clockwork Revolution?
@InvaderFromSpace There are definitely a few that will be announced.
I'm fairly sure one of those will be the Oblivion Remaster.
@OldGamer999 "public grabbers" / system sellers are a different thing to AAA game. AAA has to do with quality / budget nothing to do with reception.
@OldGamer999 you're right, people are barely talking about Starfield right now. But I believe it will have a ressurgence once Bethesda adds official mod support and the first expansion drops.
If Bethesda does indeed support it for five years, it may become the game we were hoping for. I mean, in two years CD Projekt Red turned a FUBAR in a decent videogame. Starfield already released as an almost decent videogame...
@RazputinAquato
We can but hope a few things get fixed, but it should have released in better overall condition.
@fizban3332
I get what you mean so what is say Mario Wonder or say the original gears of war back in the day.
AAA big budget and system seller and high seller.
@NarutosBiggestFan good to you? Or fact? If fact , speak for yourself. With halo infinite cameback [season 5], starfield ,forza[ I'm more leaning towards horizon], and age of empires 4[console edition] they got good games. Do I wish one of the studios can make a last of us like game? Of course, but it's a slim chance , but hey, avowed, hellblade 2, stalkers 2, and maybe fable , I'm content for 2024
@FraserG “Something that he didn't bring up was Obsidian's Avowed, although perhaps it just slipped his mind at the time.”
Lol, let’s hope not. This bloke’s job title is Xbox President of Game Content and Studios ffs!! 😂😂😂
@InvaderFromSpace Ara isn't coming to console though, if they're to go in that direction (big game of the quarter doesn't have to be a Xbox console release) they'd be more likely to count CoD Warzone Mobile as their big Q1 release.
@Grumblevolcano And after looking it up, it's also not being made by a first party studio. So now I'm even more confused about what their releases will be next year.
Man they sure are putting a lot of time and (probably) money into a franchise whose original game was more like an indy darling than a giant AAA success. It was praised for being interesting and different, also I think it came out during a bit of a lull in game releases (if I remember right).
Phil has wanted Xbox to have its own "God of War" type game and I feel like they've tapped Hellblade II to be that game. I don't think it can hit that, but I wasn't a massive fan of the first Hellblade either so I probably have some bias there.
He's talking out his booty again.
The 1st one I found to be so so so boring, We have been hearing about this 2nd game for a Few years now. I personally don't care about this Snooze Fest.
Although I am looking forward to seeing more about Hellblade 2, I genuinely don’t think it’s going to be a huge system seller at all. It just seems that everything is plateau for Xbox right now and even big hitters like Bethesda didn’t do too much to change the presidence. I personably would not be surprised in the least if the Series X ends up being Microsoft’s last console and GamePass ends up on switch 2 and PS5/6. Microsoft wouldn’t have the GamePass formula they use right now, whereby they go out and pay for developers to add games to their service, they will just use their own owned IPs on the service, thus negating the need to pay for games to be added to the service and they will just use the huge amount of games they now own to offer a service on the other rival platforms. Unless they either buy out PlayStation and Nintendo, or literally buy most of the industry, the way gaming is going isn’t going to change at all, people prefer PlayStation and Nintendo and with the 10 year deal in place, people aren’t going to benefit in going over to Xbox for COD. FIFA will still smash the numbers out, fortnite will dominate and GTA 6 will skyrocket, but since these are what most casual gamers want to play, it really isn’t going to make too much sense to shift over to Xbox as they are available on PlayStation. Which brings me back to the point that although Hellblade looks amazing in the videos that have been shown, GamePass will allow most people that are interested in it to try it for 5 minutes only to go back to Fifa, COD and Fortnite as soon as they have tried it, leaving Microsoft to champion the members of people that played it on day one.
@OldGamer999 Starfield is a massive player grabber, just not the unwashed masses. Sony doesn't target them by accident.
@Camble_Refuge
What a well written piece and very similar to my thoughts overall as well.
The “ plateau for Xbox” is probably the simplest way to describe it and spot on.
They will do their better sales on Black Friday as Microsoft think being competitive is just about Black Friday and not the whole year.
Anyway a great written piece and let’s see what happens but you could well be spot on.
@Camble_Refuge
Yes Xbox need those system and game pass seller games. Like back in the day when Halo, gears, Forza etc first emerged.
Not sure how they do it now but they sort of trying.
When they lost the xbox360 momentum and the other two upped their game. they are now stuck behind two other gaming companies with mass followings and games produced by them that have nostalgia and instantly everyone knows the game characters as well.
The casual gang went to PlayStation with COD and FIFA and that gang are not going away from Sony and Nintendo have a hybrid console and years of Mario and Zelda etc.
Game pass in a way is a very good Xbox selling point but after some good initial growth it has slowed.
Remembering Xbox consoles have more GP members than all other devices put together plus 25% so probably a good attachment to consoles.
So they need to promote their consoles more to create brand growth and get more GP subscribers.
The question is why isn’t GP doing that well at all on all the other devices as attachment rate is low.
I guess on all other devices people just don’t want a subscription model for there games or GP in general.
I'm not hugely convinced on Hellblade 2.
The team definitely set a high bar for visuals, so I'm sure it will look nice, but we've seen nothing that gives us any real game play.
I was not very happy with the first game and did not bother to complete it, so I'd much rather have details about how the gameplay will engage the player rather than how many polys they use to get the characters looking great. From what we've seen so far, it could be a quick time action game - but of course its not!
Fingers crossed for this, but the effort seems to be going into visuals only, and I'd much rather hear about gameplay? Am I being unfair?
@OldGamer999 i hate to see another starfield??? I would love to see anothee starfield!!! If your not into rpgs thats on you but starfield is great and will get even better with time, nd its onz of the most selling games this year eve' with dy 1 gamepass
i think what you mean is a game than ign will give a 10 or praised by media constently but your dreaming the media follow the majority love to hate xbox
Just look at siderman 2 a 15h 70€ game with same map and have so mny bugs
But no one dare to talk about the price or bash it for the bugs
@RazputinAquato cyberpunk as it stands now ,is far more than just decent
@TakeItEasy spiderman doesn't have that many bugs and its hardly 15hrs ,your opinion is based on you tube videos and therefore invalid, its a superb game ,and of a quality that xbox studios can only dream of,i liked starfield but at the end of my 140hr playthrough it was a 6 or 7 out of 10,ign was spot on with their review,im interested to know which games released by xbox, did you feel ign or other reviewers,treated harshly because they was made by ms and not Sony.
Towerborne is looking good, Stoic's artists are the best. The animation work is top notch.
@Mephisto2869 you seem the type that wont accept any argument so i will skip and save time meanwhile this is how long it take to beat the game as per howlong to beat and its 16h for main story and 27 for complitionist those are facts that dont need an argument....i wont spend 16 to 25h on same map i hardly finished miles it was painful
https://howlongtobeat.com/game/79769
@TakeItEasy well its not facts is it ,because I'm 90 percent complete with 45hrs ,youve scoured the Internet and YouTube videos to try and prove a point,about a game you've never played nor have no interest in,those 6/10 starfield scores must have really burned 😂 and wheres this list of superlative xbox games you feel ign did wrong too,oh right there isn't any,I dont care how long it takes someone else to beat a game,why should I?
@Mephisto2869 ok if that Satisfies your inner fanboy, for me spiderman is another assassin creed where they recycle the game every 2 years, the first one was fun but the other ones are fun....for 10 yo kids the game is built similar and too short this + me not being a spiderman fan (i think his a soft character, i like darker heroes that do what need to be done and bring the true hammer of justice)
Looking forward to what Xbox has to offer up in 2024. Starfield alone offered up more to me than any any Playstation "exculsive" by an insurmountable amount which was a big suprise (Ghost of Tsuhima my fave Playstation game). I had some hopes for Spider-man 2 this year but it felt so awfully bland like a sugar free diet.
@y2jarmyofficial None of the games you mentioned are on the same caliber as what PlayStation has been putting out. I have been finding myself playing my PS more than my Series X because of the lack of 3rd person single player story campaign games. Halo is fine every 10 years when a new one comes out, Gears is fine every 10 years, Starfield felt too much like Fallout and it was boring. Forza is a racing game so it's extremely repetitive. Hellblade 2 is honestly the only good game coming out in the future that is even close to being what some of us want out of gaming.
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