Summary
Ninja Theory’s next game has reportedly been greenlit, per reputable Microsoft insider Jez Corden. The Cambridge-based studio is set to officially releaseSenua’s Saga: Hellblade 2on May 21, but seems to have its future projects on lock as well.
Since it was acquired by Microsoft in 2018, Ninja Theory has been confirmed to have multiple projects in development. The studio released its multiplayer arena brawlerBleeding Edgein 2020, after which it started development onSenua’s Saga: Hellblade 2. Around the same time,Ninja Theory also announced an experimental horror gamecodenamedProject Mara, but progress on that appears to have been slow, as the studio had been preoccupied withHellblade 2.
Right beforeHellblade 2’s launch, though, it appears Ninja Theory may have been given the go-ahead by Microsoft to start work on its next title. Credible insider Jez Corden recently responded to a tweet that expressed concern over a lengthy message Ninja Theory issued beforeHellblade 2’s release, stating that the message struck them as a farewell. Corden replied, “except they had their next game greenlit,” potentially rebuking the notion that Ninja Theory’s future is in jeopardy.Xbox’s recent closure of four Bethesda studioshas had fans worried about the company’s smaller developers, including Ninja Theory, so this is reassuring.
Ninja Theory’s Next Game is Apparently Unannounced
Interestingly,Corden also confirmed in a separate replythat he is not referring toProject Mara, stating that it’s “another one.” The insider didn’t provide any further clarification, but if true, the studio could probably be working on either a new IP or a third entry in theHellbladefranchise. Ninja Theory has also dabbled with theDevil May Cryseries in the past, having developed the series rebootDmC: Devil May Cryin 2013. Capcom did expressinterest in a potentialDmC: Devil May Cry 2a few years ago, but that’s unlikely at the moment.
Whatever Ninja Theory ends up working on next, though, may not be too far off in the future. To date, the studio has only worked on smaller, more focused games that are highly ambitious within a set scope, which is how it was able to shipHellblade 2in a four-year timeframe. Therefore, if it sticks to the same ethos for its next project, it could have a similar, relatively quick turnaround. It’s also likely that the studio will start full-fledged production onProject Marashortly.Ninja Theory showcased a snippet ofProject Mara’s graphicsin a 2021 dev diary, and withHellblade 2done and dusted, the majority of the studio’s workforce may be freed up to work on the mysterious psychological horror title.
