Ever since Xbox announced in February that they’ll port four first-party games from their back-catalog, namely Hi-Fi Rush, Sea of Thieves, Pentiment, and Grounded, to competing platforms PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch, speculation has run rampant about which games will be next.
Although Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer attempted to mitigate fan outrage by saying that the dams aren’t going to break after these four games, there’s been a storm of claims from industry insiders claiming there are more ports on the way, with Hellblade 2 named as one of them. We delve into whether it’s possible.
Why PS5 Players Want Hellblade 2
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is the much-awaited sequel to 2017’s Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice. Developed by Ninja Theory, the third-person adventure game is a visual stunner, with photorealistic graphics that truly flex the power of the Xbox Series X. The kicker for PlayStation fans, though, is the game’s Xbox and PC exclusivity, owing to Microsoft’s acquisition of Ninja Theory in 2018.
With how similar Hellblade 2 is to Sony’s hallmark third-person action-adventure first-party titles, you can imagine a lot of PlayStation fans coveted the Ninja Theory sequel dearly, and how joyous they must’ve felt when Xbox announced their multiplatform efforts in February, believing that Senua may grace PlayStation consoles yet again.
There were even rumors from some insiders that a Hellblade 2 port was in the works for PS5. It first started from XboxEra Podcast member Nick Baker (aka ShpeshalNick), who alleged that he could see a PS5 port “probably” happen.
Although Baker’s overall track record hasn’t been the most reliable, he has been right about Xbox leaks several times in the past, which instilled hope in the hearts of PlayStation fans who wanted to play Hellblade 2.
Hellblade 2 Will Only Be On Xbox & PC, “As Of Right Now”
The rumor mill started churning quicker when renowned Xbox community member Riskit4TheBiskit also claimed during his Xbox Infinite podcast that he’d heard Hellblade 2 was coming to PS5 from “four separate sources”.
Unfortunately, the hype was short-lived, as Windows Central managing editor and Microsoft insider Jez Corden dispelled the rumor, saying it was “completely false”.
Can confirm that as of right now, this is completely false.
— Jez (@JezCorden) March 10, 2024
However, it has to be noted that Corden emphasized this information to be “as of right now”, implying that while Microsoft may not be currently working on a PS5 port of Hellblade 2, that could very well change in the future, and even Corden admits it. For now, it seems their multiplatform strategy hinges on the success of the first four games.
On the flip side, Phil Spencer’s statement may just prove to be true, and big AAA titles like Starfield and Hellblade 2 could be permanently exclusive to Xbox and PC. The latter is also considered one of Xbox’s biggest and most important games. This makes it very different from games like Hi-Fi Rush and Pentiment, which went to competing platforms due to low sales and player counts.
With Microsoft’s willingness to release first-party games on other platforms, many think it’s just a matter of time before bigger games like Hellblade 2 and Starfield follow suit. However, with Xbox reaffirming their commitment to consoles, exclusives may still be a part of their strategy.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 releases on 21 May 2024 for PC and Xbox. It will be available for free to Game Pass subscribers, and $49.99 for those willing to purchase it.
