Xbox announced a follow-up to Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 specifically in an effort to attract a buyer for developer Ninja Theory. Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 was released in 2024, six years after the studio was acquired by Xbox. The second game in the Hellblade franchise continued the story of protagonist Senua, and won multiple awards upon its release. While fans were kept waiting a long time between the first and second game, Ninja Theory appears to be moving much quicker on the third entry in the series.
During the most recent Xbox Games Showcase, a new game simply titled Senua was announced by Ninja Theory. The game seems to be close to completion, and was announced for Xbox, PC, and PlayStation 5. Ninja Theory intentionally created the new entry as a standalone, meaning players would not need experience with the previous Hellblade games to fully appreciate the story.
Xbox Game Pass is Losing 8 Games on June 30
Several games are leaving Xbox Game Pass at the end of the month, and subscribers have a short window to play them before they’re gone.
Xbox’s Ninja Theory Strategy
Several Xbox-owned studios are currently in danger of being closed, including Hellblade developer Ninja Theory. While Xbox has made a lot of changes over the last few months, fans were particularly surprised about Ninja Theory since the developer had just announced a third Hellblade game for release in 2027. According to reporting from Game File, Senua was revealed at the Xbox Games Showcase in an effort to find a buyer for the development team. However, it appears those efforts have been unsuccessful thus far.
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)
Xbox’s strategy does make a bit of sense. In theory, other studios might have viewed Ninja Theory as a more compelling acquisition, knowing that it has a nearly complete game that can be marketed and released the following year. The move has only served to frustrate Xbox’s most passionate fans, who have seen similar situations play out at the company over the last few years. Perfect Dark was canceled by Xbox in 2025, despite the game getting a big focus during an Xbox Games Showcase the previous year. The proximity between announcement and studio closure is a lot closer for Senua, and it’s leaving many fans questioning the future of Xbox.
Asha Sharma replaced Phil Spencer as head of Xbox earlier this year, and the change has produced several well-received decisions at the company. Sharma’s short time in the leadership chair has seen a price drop for Xbox Game Pass, changes to achievements, and more. A lot of the good will Sharma received has quickly evaporated though, as a direct result of the recently announced closures.
Find the odd one out before the timer hits zero.
Find the odd one out before the timer hits zero.
Easy (15s)Medium (10s)Hard (5s)Permadeath (5s)
Xbox clearly has a lot of work to do when it comes to winning back fans, and announcing a game at a major event just days before closing the studio isn’t going to help. The company has created a situation where fans can’t feel a lot of excitement about games, because they don’t have reason to believe they’ll end up getting released. It’s still possible Xbox’s decision could help to save Ninja Theory, but fans can’t be blamed for feeling frustrated about how everything has played out.
Source: Insider Gaming