Hellblade 2, the long-awaited sequel and continuation of Senua’s saga and also one of Xbox’s biggest releases of the year, is now two weeks away from hitting the shelves. It’s a bet you didn’t know of this, which is somewhat justified too, given how badly Xbox has fumbled the bag that is its brand name in the past few days.
As it stands, Xbox is probably too busy curbing the flames of its recent controversial decision to shutter four major studios, and fans now worry that it may have thrown Ninja Theory and the ambitious sequel to the wayside.
Hellblade 2 Has Been Neglected for Far Too Long by Xbox And Microsoft
When Senua’s Sacrifice was released, it was a revelation—in both visuals and sound, the game reinvigorated belief in motion capture technology and showcased the power of 3D audio. Not only that, but the game’s minimalist storytelling that delved into mental health, loss, and personal growth shared with us an evolution of prestige storytelling that video games have cultivated since The Last of Us.
So, given the previous track record, it’s safe to say that people were tremendously excited when Hellblade 2 was announced right alongside the release of Xbox Series consoles. As fate would have it, however, Hellblade 2 would cop one delay after another, releasing only now in 2024, when the hype surrounding it has simmered down and people have forgotten about it.
Now, nobody likes an unfinished video game, so it’s fine if Ninja Theory takes its sweet time to develop the game. What isn’t fine, however, is how quiet Xbox has been about the game, giving it zero marketing push and almost shadow-dropping it on its platforms.
Xbox and Microsoft, for what they’ve recently done, still aren’t allowed to catch a break, it seems, with fans showing both anger towards Xbox and worry over Ninja Theory and Hellblade 2:
If you think this is bad, though, wait till you see what Xbox has to say about Hellblade 2‘s marketing.
According to Xbox, Hellblade 2 Is Getting Marketed Ahead of Its Launch
According to Aaron Greenberg, a marketing executive over at Xbox, Hellblade 2 is receiving its due marketing, with a global paid media campaign that’s been underway since May 8.
Just for comparison’s sake, Stellar Blade, a game that wasn’t even Sony’s biggest of the year, received a 2-month-long promotional campaign alongside an incredible demo of the game.
It’s difficult to see Aaron’s post without cynicism—even a simple post such as this feels like a panicked reaction to prevent further controversy. But more importantly, the fact that Xbox is giving only 2 weeks to promote Hellblade 2, their biggest title of the year, speaks volumes about how sad the state of affairs is.
One can only hope that the fate that befell Arkane Autin and Tango Gameworks does not arrive for Ninja Theory. That being said, what do you think of Xbox’s strategy with Hellblade 2? Do you think it can reignite much of its fan excitement before its release on May 21st? Let us know in the comments below.
