There’s no doubt that with the launch of Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, Microsoft has finally added one of the year’s best exclusives to Xbox. Initially revealed in 2019, the game’s nearly five-year development cycle has helped produce an incredible title that’s destined to go down in gaming history as a worthy sequel to the 2017 original.
Hellblade 2 is described as a cinematic treat, but many have questioned the game’s development. Many people felt like Ninja Theory wasn’t given enough resources and marketing exposure for their upcoming title. That, combined with Microsoft’s recent closing of multiple studios, led many to doubt the studio’s future. However, Ninja Theory’s studio head, Dom Matthews, has squashed all rumors and given us an in-depth look at Xbox’s support for the studio and its future.
Xbox’s Support For Hellblade 2 Has Taken The Game to The Next Level
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is a worthy follow-up to the 2017 psychological horror tile, Hellblade: Senaua’s Sacrifice. However, many fans might not know that Ninja Theory developed the original Hellblade 2 when they weren’t connected to Microsoft. They were a small independent team, just trying their luck in the gaming landscape.
With Mircosoft’s acquisition of the studio, the expectations for the studio’s future titles increased. Given Xbox’s track record of handling their other gaming studio, many feared Ninja Theory’s fate. However, Hellblade 2 proved to be a massive hit among fans, which was truly an achievement for the studio.
In an interview right before the game’s launch, Ninja Theory’s studio head, Dom Matthews, talked about Xbox’s support for Hellblade 2 and how it helped take the game to the next level.
According to Matthews, the Xbox team, Phil Spencer and Matt Booty, have been great at helping Ninja Theory. When Ninja Theory joined Microsoft, the Xbox team wanted to do everything to power Ninja Theory’s vision, and Matthew believes they’ve delivered on that promise. He is grateful to Xbox’s team, which has allowed Ninja Theory to focus on things they care about:
When we joined Xbox Game Studios, they said to us we want to power you to go and do things you wanna do, and they’ve been really great on that promise. We get support from a number of really great teams at Xbox to go and do our thing.
Ninja Theory’s efforts have delivered a unique and nuanced experience that has set new standards in realism and immersion in the industry. The developers have put a lot of effort into crafting a title that allows players to feel the protagonist and become as they unravel her unique story.
It’s refreshing to see Microsoft allowing its gaming divisions to make their own creative decisions to deliver genre-defining games. However, they should’ve taken a better approach with Hellblade 2 marketing.
Could Hellblade 2 Eventually Be Released on PS5 or Nintendo Switch?
Despite its issues, Hellblade 2 is one of the most successful releases on Xbox and PC. Although the game isn’t available to play on PS5 or Nintendo Switch, that doesn’t mean it can’t eventually make its way to other platforms.
We’ve seen multiple console exclusives being developed for other platforms sometime after their release, including the original Hellblade game. The title was initially released on PS4 and PC back in 2017 and eventually made its way to Xbox One.
While the acquisition of Ninja Theory by Xbox might complicate things, Xbox’s recent history of cross-platform title releases makes it likely that we’ll see Hellblade 2 on PS4 and Nintendo Switch soon.
