New Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 video reveals game hasn’t entered full production

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web
browser that
supports HTML5
video

Microsoft has shown off more of Hellblade 2 but there’s still no sign of gameplay footage and development hasn’t yet gone into full swing.

It may have been the first Xbox Series X/S game to have been revealed, in December 2019, but it doesn’t seem as if Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is going to be out any time soon.

As part of the extended Xbox Games Showcase, developer Ninja Theory released a new video but it doesn’t feature any in-game footage.

Instead, there’s some brief behind the scenes footage, as director Tameem Antoniades reveals that the team is currently putting together a ‘good chunky slice’ of the game before it enters ‘full production’.

Part of the reason it’s taking so long is that the game will use Unreal Engine 5, which is brand new and has only just been made available to anyone outside of Epic Games.

The other issue seems to be that this is a considerably larger project than the first game, which was created using a famously small team of only around 20 developers.

No such claim has been made for the sequel, with Antoniades suggesting that he didn’t want to make just a ‘straight sequel’.

What that means in practical terms is still unclear, but it likely involves a much bigger game with more varied mechanics than the original.

Everything Ninja Theory has said so far suggests the game will likely not be out until at least 2023, although hopefully we might start to see some gameplay footage by next E3.

Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, and follow us on Twitter.

MORE : Second Xbox showcase will feature Hellblade 2 and Outer Worlds 2 studios – happening this week

MORE : Hellblade 2 on Xbox Series X uses Unreal Engine 5, won’t be launch title

MORE : Hellblade developer Ninja Theory and four other studios acquired by Microsoft

Follow Metro Gaming on Twitter and email us at gamecentral@metro.co.uk

For more stories like this, check our Gaming page.