Bei Xbox möchten wir allen die Freude und das Gemeinschaftsgefühl des Gamings zugänglich machen. Heute geben wir unsere Kollaboration mit Amazon bekannt, durch die Xbox Game Pass Ultimate-Mitglieder in über 25 Ländern die Möglichkeit bekommen, direkt über die Xbox App auf ausgewählten Fire TV-Geräten via Cloud-Gaming zu spielen. Dies bietet den Menschen noch mehr Auswahl darüber, wie sie ihre Lieblingstitel spielen.
Die Xbox App wird bald auf dem Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2023) (79,99 Euro) und dem Fire TV Stick 4K (2023) (69,99 Euro) verfügbar sein. Für Gaming-Neueinsteiger*innen oder für diejenigen, die eine weitere Art des Spielens suchen, ist dies eine großartige, kostengünstige, praktische und mobile Option, um in den Genuss einer riesigen Spielebibliothek zu kommen.
Um loszulegen, wird lediglich ein Fire TV Stick, ein Bluetooth-fähiger Wireless-Controller und eine Xbox Game Pass Ultimate-Mitgliedschaft für einen sofortigen Zugriff auf Hunderte von hochwertigen Spielen benötigt. Zu diesen Spielen zählen Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, Starfield und Forza Horizon 5 und viele mehr.
Außerdem sind die beliebten Fallout-Spiele, wie Fallout 76 und Fallout 4, von Bethesda Game Studios ebenfalls im Game Pass Ultimate verfügbar. Fallout-Fans können diese Spiele auf ausgewählten Amazon Fire TV-Geräten genießen und die gefeierte Fallout-TV-Show auf Prime Video erleben, die im April veröffentlicht wurde.
Nach dem Download bietet die Xbox App ein reibungs- und nahtloses Erlebnis. So funktioniert es:
Installiere und starte einfach die Xbox App auf Deinem Fire TV Gerät.
Melde Dich mit Deinem Microsoft-Konto an, um zu spielen. Wenn Du Xbox Game Pass Ultimate-Mitglied bist, hast Du sofortigen Zugriff auf Hunderte von Cloud-fähigen Spielen.
Kein Mitglied? Kein Problem! Du kannst Xbox Game Pass Ultimate zu einem geringen monatlichen Preis abonnieren oder Fortnite ohne Mitgliedschaft ausprobieren.
Verbinde einen Bluetooth-fähigen Wireless-Controller. Controller wie der Xbox Wireless Controller, Xbox Adaptive Controller, PlayStation DualSense oder DualShock 4-Controller sind alle kompatibel.
Fang an zu spielen!
In den letzten Jahren haben wir uns auf eine Reise begeben, um Cloud-Gaming für mehr Geräte und für mehr Menschen auf der ganzen Welt bereitzustellen. Wir freuen uns, unsere wachsende Familie von Cloud-Gaming-Geräten mit Fire TV zu erweitern, und sind gespannt darauf, neue Spieler*innen willkommen zu heißen.
Mehr Details folgen. Weitere Informationen zu Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta) auf Fire TV Geräten findest Du hier im Amazon-Blog. Weitere Informationen zu Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta) findest Du unter xbox.com/cloudgaming.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II has finally arrived – the next chapter of Senua’s riveting journey as she battles for survival through the myth and tyranny of Viking Iceland. At Hellblade developer Ninja Theory, the ultimate goal is to ‘Create Life Changing Art With Game Changing Tech’ – a mantra that has soaked into every single element of the game’s design.
To celebrate the launch of Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, we’re thrilled to present our complete, four-part series that dives into four core elements of the game – Narrative, Combat, Audio, and Environment. With insight collected from inside the studio itself, as well as stories and lessons from Hellblade’s creative leads, you’ll get an exclusive look behind the curtain at Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II’s pursuit of true immersion.
All of these features are free of story spoilers and safe to read before you get stuck into Hellblade II. Alternatively, you can return after you’ve played for some extra insight into the design of this groundbreaking game. Enjoy!
Today we are proud and excited to launch Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II on Xbox Series X|S, PC, Xbox Cloud Gaming and Game Pass.
In Hellblade II, the sequel to Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, we see the return of Senua in a brutal battle for survival through the myth and tyranny of Viking Iceland. It is a game from the heart, where our small team of around 80 developers have crafted an experience that aims to immerse you in Senua’s world and story. Our bold mission as a studio is to ‘Craft Life Changing Art with Game Changing Tech’, by which we mean we aim to push the boundaries of technology and techniques in order to create a game, and an experience, that leaves you thinking and feeling.
Immersion drives our work at Ninja Theory, with our belief being that if we can immerse you in Senua’s Saga, we can take you on an unforgettable journey. Our belief is also that believability is the route to this immersion, and so our team has painstakingly worked to bring our reality into Senua’s.
The game is set in real locations in Iceland, recreated through satellite data and photogrammetry. Our characters are digital doubles of real people and their costumes first made as real clothing through historically authentic techniques and materials. And all our character animations starts life as real movement from our incredible cast on our performance capture stage.
It is not only our presentation that is based in ground-truth reference, but so to are the narrative themes in Senua’s journey – in particular Senua’s experiences of psychosis. Senua is a person who lives in an unshared reality. She sees things that others don’t, hears things that others don’t and has unique beliefs about the world.
In order to realize Senua’s experiences of psychosis in a truthful way we have, as we did on Senua’s Sacrifice, worked closely with our friends and partners in the world of neuroscience and lived-experience. Their generosity, openness and support has given us the opportunity to understand what living with psychosis can be like, in the hope that Senua feels like a real person going through a very personal mental health journey.
I’d like to take this as an opportunity to thank our team and collaborators for devoting themselves to Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II as a true passion project. I’d also like to thank you, our fans, for your support throughout the development of Hellblade II. It has meant so much to us.
Now, it is time to turn down the lights, put your headphones on and join Senua for, what we hope is, an unforgettable journey into Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
Xbox Games Studios
☆☆☆☆☆
★★★★★
$49.99
The sequel to the award winning Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, Senua returns in a brutal journey of survival through the myth and torment of Viking Iceland. Intent on saving those who have fallen victim to the horrors of tyranny, Senua faces a battle of overcoming the darkness within and without. Sink deep into the next chapter of Senua’s story, a crafted experience told through cinematic immersion, beautifully realised visuals and encapsulating sound.
2017’s Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice was an exceedingly special game. A bold, brash direction for Ninja Theory, the decision to craft a short, narrative experience revolving around mental health was a brave leap, but one that ultimately paid off. Now, seven years later, the studio is gearing up to reveal a sequel to Senua’s story, built with the same love and care, but expanding on the debut in every conceivable way.
In the run up to launch, we’ll be bringing you the story of Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II from inside the studio itself, as well as stories and lessons from Hellblade’s creative leads. This is Ninja Theory’s ultimate form, filled with industry-leading talent, groundbreaking technology, and one of the most unique approaches to game development you’ve ever seen to fulfil the ultimate goal – the pursuit of true immersion.
When it comes to the environments showcased in Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, breathtaking doesn’t quite cover it. Despite its linear story, the game showcases a sense of scale that adventures like this don’t often offer, and everything you see is rooted in a familiar realism. Where most games of this kind would confine you to corridors, valleys, and other means of obscuring your view, Hellblade II’s vistas often stretch to the horizon, giving you a sense of the sheer size of Senua’s journey ahead. The idea is clear – this is literal worldbuilding, rooting your journey in a much, much, bigger story.
During our visit to Ninja Theory, we had the opportunity to speak to key creative leads about how the studio achieved this sense of place through location scouting and research, to bring an ethereal, yet believable recreation of medieval Iceland into Hellblade II.
This is represented in action as I watch Senua engage in a conversation with several new characters across her journey. The Furies are in conflict each time, debating Senua’s reactions, running through potential responses and justifications with a mind-bending pace. But Senua is no longer a prisoner to this cacophony, she can see past the influence of the voices and decide for herself how to proceed in that moment. Does this person need my help? Will they hurt me? Senua can find her own answers through the noise just as the player does, and we can feel her emotions and considerations reflected in the style, tenacity and placement of the sound, similar to a score for a movie.
“We are representing abstract concepts with sound,” Garcia Diaz adds. “What does guilt sound like, and what is our vision of guilt for Senua? How do we interpret sadness, or euphoria, or rage?”
“We are not just recreating a sound, we are creating a character’s reality, and this is our way of interpretating these emotions [for Senua] with sound and music and voices, all tied together to create one moment.”
“We are not just recreating a sound, we are creating a character’s reality, and this is our way of interpretating these emotions.”
David Garcia Diaz
Three’s A Crowd
While Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is an insular journey that follows Senua alone with the accompaniment of the Furies representing how her psychosis manifests, Hellblade II will see Senua encounters new characters in the world for the first time. She’ll engage in dialogue with these strangers, and face the trials of navigating relationships while handling the overwhelming, unrelenting narration of her condition.
In one Hellblade II scene, Senua meets a stranger that is being held captive by Viking slavers. In this moment, she’s conversing with him directly, but the voices are at odds with what both parties are saying out loud.
“You have to consider – what happens if there is a conversation between three people? What does that sound like to everyone involved?” Garcia Diaz adds.
While I’m at the studio I’m shown a snippet of the Furies in action. Performers Abbi Greenland and Helen Goalan take part in an unscripted performance depicting Senua moving through a cave. Through headphones, I hear a haunting narration of the surroundings, their thoughts seamlessly falling into a flow state. But what I see is the two actors circling both sides of the head-shaped Neumann microphone sitting between them like vultures picking at a carcass – allowing their voices to feel as though they’re moving through your head, as they would do for Senua Even in this brightly-lit room, I’m on edge after 30 seconds of this experience, the unpredictable hisses and snarky giggles picking at my brain. Garcia Diaz likens the experience to jazz – it’s atmospheric, moving and some of its best parts are created out of improvisation, not a pre-agreed script.
2017’s Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice was an exceedingly special game. A bold, brash direction for Ninja Theory, the decision to craft a short, narrative experience revolving around mental health was a brave leap, but one that ultimately paid off. Now, seven years later, the studio is gearing up to reveal a sequel to Senua’s story, built with the same love and care, but expanding on the debut in every conceivable way.
In the run up to launch, we’ll be bringing you the story of Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II from inside the studio itself, as well as stories and lessons from Hellblade’s creative leads. This is Ninja Theory’s ultimate form, filled with industry-leading talent, groundbreaking technology, and one of the most unique approaches to game development you’ve ever seen to fulfil the ultimate goal – the pursuit of true immersion.
Motion capture has been part of Ninja Theory’s heritage for a long time, and for good reason. The studio established itself as a pioneer in performance capture for games with 2007’s Heavenly Sword and has continued to innovate since. Now, with greater access to state-of-the-art technology – including its very own performance capture studio nestled within the walls of its Cambridge HQ – Ninja Theory is once again primed to break its own barriers within Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II.
Ninja Theory utilised performance capture in the first Hellblade for its cinematic moments, but in Hellblade II, almost every in-game movement is performed by real-world actors and scanned in, to ensure the most realistic, human experience possible in-game. According to Studio Head Dom Matthews, capture for the combat sequences alone took almost 70 full days to complete.
“We see performance capture as a tool to deliver character performance in the purest way possible,” Matthews says. “We took that opportunity because it ties into our goal of doing everything we can to achieve immersion and keep it.”
You’ll never feel that more than in Hellblade II’s unique approach to combat – which stands simultaneously as a testament to Ninja Theory’s deep belief in their way of doing things, but also as a brand-new experiment for the restlessly creative studio.
For the launch of Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, Xbox and Ninja Theory have teamed up with Icelandic jeweler Aurum on a limited-edition jewelry collection that is rooted in both the world of the game and its real-life inspiration in Iceland. The sequel to 2017’s acclaimed Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II follows the warrior Senua as she journeys to 10th Century Iceland and battles through myth and torment in a brutal saga of survival. Drawing upon the same raw and majestic landscapes, Aurum is Iceland’s leading jewelry brand and the perfect partner to create a necklace and headpiece that reflect Senua’s world by blending intensity, beauty, and femininity.
The Aurum collaboration features a made-to-measure headpiece for Melina Juergens, the BAFTA-winning performer who plays Senua in both Hellblade games. Developed in collaboration between Aurum head designer Guðbjörg Kristín Ingvarsdótir and Ninja Theory’s Character Art Director Dan Crossland, the custom headpiece is inspired by the one Senua wears in-game. The piece is made from hammered oxidized silver, assembled through layers of Sea Eagle wings, in reference the mythological Norse guardian spirits; who warriors of the time believed a symbol of protection.
In addition to the headpiece, Aurum created handcrafted bronze necklaces that combine authentic Icelandic inspiration with the dark fantasy influences of Hellblade. Fans can enter to win these necklaces through a global sweepstakes hosted by Xbox on X (formerly Twitter). For more information and to enter, please visit the post.
In the true spirit of honoring the Icelandic environment, the Aurum pieces will be housed in their signature sustainable packaging, which is modelled on an actual Icelandic pebble from Djúpalónssandur beach in the Snæfellsnes peninsula. The paper box is made from mulberry tree fibers, which are collected from the leaves without cutting down a single tree. Aurum always sources only recycled and re-refined precious metals and only buys certified and conflict-free precious stones and diamonds.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II will be released on May 21, 2024, for Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Steam, and will be available to play on day one on Xbox Game Pass.
Grab your controllers and keyboards, because we have another round of games coming soon! Most importantly though, grab your headphones – Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II launches next week. While sharing is caring, this is one you’re going to want to listen to yourself for the full experience. Now let’s get to all the games!
Available Today
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons (Cloud, Console, and PC) The critically acclaimed and award-winning classic is returning to the Game Pass library! Guide two brothers on an epic fairy tale journey from visionary Swedish film director Josef Fares and developer Starbreeze Studios. Solve puzzles, explore the varied locations, and fight boss battles while controlling one brother with each thumb stick.
Coming Soon
Chants of Sennaar (Cloud, Console, and PC) – May 15 In this award-winning puzzle adventure game, play as the Traveler whose quest is to reunite the Peoples of the Tower. Observe, listen, and decipher ancient languages in a fascinating universe inspired by the Myth of Babel.
EA Sports NHL 24 (Cloud) EA Play – May 16 EA Sports NHL 24 will be available with Xbox Cloud Gaming soon via EA Play! Feel the intensity of hockey with all new gameplay features that dial up the pressure, physicality, and control of authentic on-ice action.
Immortals of Aveum (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) EA Play – May 16 Immortals of Aveum is coming to The Play List! Summon your power with PC Game Pass and Ultimate via EA Play in this single-player, first-person magic shooter. Unleash an arsenal of spells as Jak, who joins an elite order of battlemages to save a world on the edge of abyss.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – May 21 Available on day one with Game Pass! The sequel to the award winning Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, Senua returns in a brutal journey of survival through the myth and torment of Viking Iceland. Intent on saving those who have fallen victim to the horrors of tyranny, Senua faces a battle of overcoming the darkness within and without. Pre-install now to get ready to play on day one.
Galacticare (Cloud, PC, Xbox Series X|S) – May 23 Available on day one with Game Pass! You are the Director of Galacticare, an interstellar healthcare company and quasi-voluntary savior of the Galaxy (for cash.) Build hospitals and recruit staff to satisfy the whims of various alien species and cure their bizarre illnesses Save the (literal) Galaxy in story mode, or head into sandbox to design the hospital of your dreams.
Hauntii (Cloud, Console, and PC) – May 23 Available on day one with Game Pass! Play as a brave yet naive little ghost, Hauntii, and set off on a quest guided by enigmatic Eternians. Possess, solve puzzles, and shape your fate in this captivating adventure. The game’s hand-crafted art style blends line art and animation with a striking palette, creating a visually captivating experience. Coupled with the dynamic soundtrack, it enhances the immersive exploration of mysterious landscapes.
Moving Out 2 (Cloud, Console, and PC) – May 28 Are you ready to become an all-star F.A.R.T? That’s a Furniture Arrangement & Relocation Technician in the world of Moving Out 2. Working solo, or with up to three friends, slip into your uniform and help the residents of Packmore, and beyond, to pack up and ship out!
Humanity (Cloud, Console, and PC) – May 30 Become a Shiba Inu and help reconstruct humankind in the acclaimed action-puzzle game Humanity. Drop commands to guide a mindless human horde to the goal through 90 increasingly challenging handcrafted story mode stages. Then, choose from thousands of user-made puzzles expanding on the breadth of mechanics, or design your own and share it with the community.
Lords of the Fallen (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – May 30 A vast world awaits in the all-new, dark fantasy action-RPG, Lords of the Fallen. As one of the fabled Dark Crusaders, embark on an epic quest to overthrow Adyr, the demon God. Learn more about how Lords of the Fallen goes rogue(like) with its recent ‘Master of Fate’ update on Xbox Wire.
Firework (PC) – June 4 An accidental fire at a funeral forces the police to re-investigate the closed case of a massacre. You will play as a rookie police officer who participates in the re-investigation by chance. As the investigation goes deeper, the past of the victims gradually emerges and the case becomes more bewildering.
Rolling Hills (Cloud, Console, and PC) – June 4 Available on day one with Game Pass! Serve up sushi as a robot chef in Rolling Hills, a life sim about running your own restaurant in a cozy village. Make new friends, purchase ingredients, enhance your shop, and improve the lives of your neighbors as you perfect your craft!
DLC / Game Updates
Vampire Survivors: Operation Guns – Available now Game Pass members save 10% off their purchase! Vampire Survivors: Operation Guns sees the smash hit roguelike join forces with Konami’s iconic Contra series, adding tons of guns and other weapons (we’re talking 22, including evolutions!), 11 new characters, a huge map, and a soundtrack that combines classic Contra tracks with Vampire Survivors covers.
Minecraft 15 Year Anniversary – Starting May 15 Minecraft is celebrating 15 years of gripping adventures and mind-blowing creations! Whether you’ve been crafting since alpha or joined somewhere along the way, you’ve left your mark on every block. Watch out for upcoming announcements from Minecraft!
Starfield Update – May 15 Starfield’s largest update since launch is coming on May 15! The May Update includes more detailed surface maps; new gameplay difficulty options and display settings; new features for ship customization and more! Learn more on Bethesda.net.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
Minecraft: 500 Minecoins – Starting May 15 Claim 500 Minecoins! Spend them on epic adventure maps, skins, add-ons, and more imaginative content, all crafted by creators and available on Minecraft Marketplace. What will your next adventure be?
Naraka: Bladepoint – Available Now Claim exclusive Xbox headgear, new season treasures, legendary skin trial bundle and more in the new Perks Bundle! Get a kick start in the new season with the help of experience boost cards! This Perk content requires Naraka: Bladepoint to use.
Leaving May 31
The following games are leaving soon, so be sure to jump back in and tie up and loose ends or grab some extra achievements before they leave! You can also save up to 20% off your purchase to keep them in your library and keep the fun going.
Chicory: A Colorful Tale (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Farworld Pioneers (Cloud, Console, and PC)
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Pac-man Museum Plus (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Little Witch in the Woods (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Hi everyone, Dom Matthews here, Studio Head at Ninja Theory. On May 21 we releaseSenua’s Saga: Hellblade II on Xbox Series X|S and on PC. It will be a proud moment for our team and those that have contributed to our development journey. Today, I’d like to celebrate the contribution of our mental health consultants, with the release of ‘Senua’s Psychosis’, a feature video that details how, by way of collaboration, Senua’s experiences of psychosis in Hellblade II are rooted both in neuroscience and in real lived experience.
When the idea for telling the story of a character who experiences psychosis was first thought of, we knew instantly that we had a responsibility to understand the subject thoroughly. With this intent in-hand, we started a collaboration with Professor Paul Fletcher, Professor of Health Neuroscience at University of Cambridge, which in-turn led to us building a partnership with Recovery College East and other groups of people who, like Senua, have had real lived experience of seeing and hearing things that others don’t and having unique beliefs about the world. What started off as an exercise in hoping to learn, quickly transitioned into a creative collaboration where the openness, honesty and enthusiasm of our collaborators gave us the chance to not only portray Senua’s experiences truthfully – but enhance our character, her world and her story.
In Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, we were so honored to hear from fans that Senua’s journey had helped them understand psychosis a little more. For some, it helped them to understand their own experiences. For others, it helped them to understand the experiences of loved ones. And for many, it helped them to build empathy for the millions of people who struggle daily with mental health challenges.
As we approach the launch of Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II my hope is that once again we can, for some, give a taste of what it can be like to hear voices, to see things that only you can see and to be driven by beliefs that may be unusual to others. Several weeks ago, I was excited to share the stage with our collaborators at Hellblade: A Journey of the mind, a conference, hosted in partnership with Cambridge Neuroscience, dedicated to exploring the theme of how Senua’s psychosis has come to life in Hellblade. For those interested, you can watch the full conference here. The conference was a reminder to me of how fortunate we have been to work with our mental health collaborators, a special group of people that have, throughout our development, dedicated themselves to helping us tell Senua’s story as someone who’s experiences could very well be those of a real person.
In today’s video, I’m proud to introduce you to Paul, Eddy and Kathy and I thank them, and all our collaborators, for their immense contribution to Hellblade.
For further information on the themes discussed in this video, please visit hellbladehelp.info.
In Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice we set out to tell the story of a Celtic Warrior and her quest to save the soul of her lover – a quest that was both physical and mental, as an exploration of Senua’s experiences of psychosis.
On embarking on the development of Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, we knew it would be critical that we understand in depth the subject matter before attempting to portray it. To gain an understanding of psychosis and what it can be like to experience it, we began what has become a close collaboration with experts by way of research and by way of lived-experience.
In the field of Neuroscience, Professor Paul Fletcher of the University of Cambridge has now been a close collaborator of the team for over 10 years. On the subject of lived-experience, we have partnered with the RCE Wellbeing Hub (formerly Recovery College East) to understand directly from people the impact psychosis and the attached stigma can have on people’s lives.
In Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, we explore the next chapter of Senua’s life and the next step on her mental health journey. While she has come to a place of acceptance with the voices she hears and the way she perceives the world, she is no longer alone on her quest. She will meet people in Iceland with their own belief systems, who may come to see her unique perspective as a beacon of hope, while others reject it. Just as we did in Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice we have once again worked closely with our expert partners to bring Senua’s experience to life in a truthful way.
We’d like to invite you to hear more about this unique partnership and journey into the mind of Senua in a special live event on Tuesday April 9. This collaboration between Ninja Theory and Cambridge Neuroscience will explore the perspectives of both those who have experienced psychosis, and those who work to study and treat it. You will also hear from the Ninja Theory team who will expand upon how we applied these learnings to our games.
Hosted here in Cambridge, you can tune into the livestream at 14:00 BST / 09:00 ET / 06:00 PT Tuesday April 9 on Twitch, YouTube and Facebook. This collaboration has been a special privilege for us as a studio, which is why we’d love for you to tune in and hear first hand how it has shaped our journey into the mind, with Hellblade.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II launches on Xbox, PC and via Game Pass on May 21.
For Ninja Theory, the idea to continue Senua’s journey was never in doubt. Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is a complete story in itself; but the studio knew it had more stories to tell. Studio Head Dom Matthews tells us that the team wanted to leave a door open for Senua, but the path to creating a follow-up was initially unclear while the studio remained independent. Now, as part of Xbox Game Studios, it’s quite a different story. This sequel feels larger than life; every single element has been refined, from its hyper-realistic environments, haunting audio design, to its stunning performance-captured combat.
Embarking on a New Quest
“We have a fantastic building; our performance capture stage, new technologies and techniques, but all of that exists to pursue the same goal,” Matthews tells us. “That goal is to create an experience that allows players to suspend their disbelief and immerse themselves fully in this world.”
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II follows swiftly after the final events of the first game, where Senua says goodbye to her lover Dillion for the final time. From here, she’s to embark on a new quest, to ensure that no one ever meets the same fate as Dillion again. Senua is stronger, fiercer, and – while she’s still ailed by her psychosis – she’s come to understand how it manifests, and how its grown to be an important part of her.
“She’s come to a place of acceptance of two things,” Matthews tells us. “One is her experience of psychosis and unique view of the world, and the other is that she can’t bring Dillion back. So here, we find a Senua that has found determination, and a way to turn her agonizing grief into positive action, so that Dillion’s death wasn’t for nothing.”
Today, on a special edition of the Official Xbox Podcast, we shared an update on plans to continue to bring more games to more people around the world, with the exciting news that the first Activision Blizzard game on Xbox Game Pass will be Diablo IV, beginning March 28.
Phil Spencer, Sarah Bond, and Matt Booty also shared the vision on game exclusivity, the future of Xbox hardware, and the overall Xbox promise. There’s a lot to talk about, so we encourage you to watch the full episode here:
With the combined creativity across Team Xbox, players can expect an incredible 2024 with the likes of Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Avowed, Ara: History Untold, Towerborne and more coming your way, alongside continued updates for our blockbuster franchises Call of Duty, Minecraft, Forza, TheElder Scrolls Online and Microsoft Flight Simulator.
There will be even more to play as we begin to fulfill our commitment to offer Activision and Blizzard games with Game Pass, both new releases and classic games from its legendary catalog. We’re happy to share that Diablo IV will be available to play by the 34 million Game Pass subscribers on both PC and Xbox consoles beginning March 28! This is only the start of Xbox players being able to enjoy Activision and Blizzard games on Game Pass – we look forward to sharing more soon.
Our combined studio teams already ship some of the biggest franchises and critically-acclaimed adventures across multiple platforms: Minecraft, Call of Duty, Overwatch, Diablo, The Elder Scrolls Online, and more have built communities across consoles, PC, and mobile. Likewise, Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda have brought dozens of games to Steam alongside Xbox consoles on launch day; the teams at Xbox have extensive experience supporting multiple platforms, while continuing to invest heavily in our studios, our consoles and services.
Indeed, our games are reaching more players than ever; across Activision, Bethesda, Blizzard, King, and Xbox Game Studios, we reach hundreds of millions of players across console, PC, and mobile.
To ensure long-term success for both Xbox and the industry as a whole, we must continue to evolve. Today we announced that we will expand the communities we reach: we are currently in the process of bringing four Xbox games to other platforms. These are titles which have been available to Xbox players for at least a year, including hidden gems that deserve to be experienced more widely, and live service games whose communities will benefit from welcoming even more players. We will share more details on these titles soon.
By bringing these games to more players, we not only expand the reach and impact of those titles, but this will allow us to invest in either future versions of these games, or elsewhere in our first-party portfolio. There is no fundamental change to our approach on exclusivity.
Likewise, our commitment to game preservation is unwavering. Xbox players should have confidence in building your digital library in the Xbox ecosystem. We will continue to reward that with the most robust, player-friendly experiences, including backwards compatibility, cross-play, cross-save progression, convenient cloud gaming, and more. Xbox consoles will continue to provide a flagship experience for players; it’s where you get the best value and convenience, it’s where Game Pass provides unprecedented access to an ever-evolving library of games. To be clear: Game Pass will continue to be only available on Xbox platforms.
This is what it means to be part of Xbox:
The biggest games in the world will be on Xbox.
Our games will come to Game Pass day one.
A robust and innovative multi-year hardware roadmap
Compatibility with your library is a priority, inclusive of cross-play, cross-save, and robust cloud features.
Xbox will continue to help game creators find the biggest audience possible.
Whether you’ve been with us since 2001, recently joined Game Pass to enjoy games like Starfield or Palworld, or are looking forward to the next season of Call of Duty, the creative teams at Xbox are stronger together – no matter where you play. Xbox will be around for decades to come – we hope you’ll join us on this journey.
It’s going to be a good year for Xbox players. At today’s Developer_Direct show, we provided deep-dives into five new games launching across Xbox Series X|S, PC, Game Pass and/or cloud – all of which will arrive later in 2024. Development teams at Xbox, Bethesda, and even one of our third-party partners invited you into their studios to showcase extended gameplay, reveal key information, and more.
During the show, we visited the studios behind Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Avowed, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, and Ara: History Untoldto find out more about each one. Members of each development team gave us a look into their creation, with new information, and offered a tantalizing glimpse of what’s to come this year. All four of these games will arrive on day one with Game Pass, and will contribute to what’s going to be another huge year for members, delivering incredible games throughout 2024.
Plus, in a special surprise, we heard from the team at Square Enix to learn a lot more about Visions of Mana, the first new mainline entry in the Mana series in over 15 years, and its debut on Xbox platforms. With participation from developers on 3 continents, it was a truly global show.
Here’s a summary of everything we announced and covered during Developer_Direct:
Avowed – Launching Fall 2024
Xbox Series X/S, PC, Cloud – Joining Game Pass on Day One
Avowed Game Director Carrie Patel gave us a first deep-dive into the gameplay in Obsidian’s upcoming fantasy action RPG, from its dynamic combat, to its thoughtful reactivity, to its “colorful, vibrant, strange” world set in the Living Lands. Avowed continues Obsidian’s signature style of creating games with deep themes and player choice at the forefront.
Not only will you make narrative decisions that can impact changes in the game down the line, but Avowed is also looking to offer choice in combat. Gameplay Director Gabe Paramo discussed not only how varied your weaponry will be – with melee weapons, ranged guns and bows, and magic-based wands (even dual-wielded wands!) to name a few – but how flexible combat can be, allowing you to quickly change loadouts for enemy encounters. Swappable loadouts mean you can approach combat however feels right to you.
Art Director Matt Hansen then explained how the Living Lands is a mysterious island made up of wildly varied regions offering visually diverse backdrops and intriguing settings to explore. With secrets hidden throughout the regions, you’ll take in barren deserts, verdant forests, blighted wastes, volcanic biomes, and more.
That’s not all for Avowed, however – make sure to tune in to the Xbox Podcast on Monday, January 22 for an exclusive interview with some of Obsidian’s developers, offering even more information on the gameplay reveal.
Get ready to carve your own path through Avowed when it launches this fall for Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Cloud – and arrives with Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass on day one. For more information please visit the Avowed website.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II – Launching May 21
Xbox Series X/S, PC, Cloud – Joining Game Pass on Day One
Ninja Theory took us behind the scenes at their studio in Cambridge to take a look at Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, meet some of the team and learn more about the craft behind their new title, which is now in the final months of development.
In the video we learned more about Senua’s new journey, which leads her to Iceland, a harsh and brutal land ravaged by myth and tyranny. We were given a new look at Senua’s experiences of the world, seen through her eyes as someone who experiences psychosis, and saw some of Senua’s visceral and violent battles with the Draugar. We also heard more detail on what players can expect from the game’s story and how binaural and spatial audio will sink player’s deep into the world of Hellblade.
With a studio mission of crafting life-changing art with game-changing tech, Ninja Theory are pushing the boundaries of fidelity, richness and immersion. You can join Senua on her new quest, May 21. Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is available to wishlist on Steam and pre-install on Xbox Game Pass now.
Visions of Mana – Launching Summer 2024
Xbox Series X|S, PC
In a surprise appearance, Square Enix joined the show to present Visions of Mana, the first new mainline entry in the series in over 15 years, and its debut on Xbox platforms. Series producer Masaru Oyamada presented a sneak peek at the gorgeous new RPG, sharing gameplay and behind the scenes footage before its launch in Summer 2024.
Koichi Ishii – father of the Mana series and creator of many of its iconic monsters – discussed the implementation and design of the enemies in Visions of Mana, and introduced the adorable new animal companions, “pikuls” and explained the design process behind them.
Oyamada then shared some details regarding the game’s score and revealed that the tracklist for Visions of Mana contains 100 songs in total, including works from musical talent who worked on previous Mana games. Oyamada also shared details of the adaptive music system that allows seamless transition from map exploration to battles, demonstrating a snippet of the background music changing as you enter or leave combat.
Oyamada also revealed that in Visions of Mana, The Elementals will assist the player in battle in the form of specialized items, which will each have a different effect in combat. Combined with aerial combat that allows for weapons and magic to be used in mid-air, the combat is fast-paced and flexible.
Visions of Mana launches Summer 2024 on Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC!
Ara: History Untold – Launching Fall 2024
PC – Joining PC Game Pass on Day One
The key leads at Oxide Games debuted an all-new look at gameplay and shared an overview of the key features coming to Ara: History Untold during today’s Developer Direct. Viewers learned more about Ara’s crafting system, unique approach to simultaneous turns, and more.
You can learn more about this innovative new historical grand strategy game with our in-depth interview with Design Director Michelle Menard and we will have more to share in the coming months leading up to Ara’s launch this fall on PC and with PC Game Pass. For the latest breaking news follow the Ara: History Untold social channels (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram/Threads) and wishlist the game on Steam.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle – Launching 2024
Xbox Series X/S, PC – Joining Game Pass on Day One
The official reveal of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle was debuted during Developer_Direct with over 13 minutes of gameplay footage and developer insights. This new journey starring the legendary archaeologist comes from the award-winning team at MachineGames – the minds behind Wolfenstein: The New Order and Wolfenstein: The New Colossus – in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games and executive produced by Bethesda Game Studios’ Todd Howard. Find out more on Bethesda.net.
Other Streams
Blizzard held a DiabloIV Developer Update Livestream earlier today that dug into the horrors waiting for you beneath the sands of Kehjistan in Season of the Construct, launching January 23, and introduced the competitive leaderboard activity called The Gauntlet. Associate Director of Community Adam Fletcher, Game Design Manager Daniel Tanguay, Quest Designer Madeleine James, and Lead Class Designer Adam Jackson spoke about the new Seneschal companion, Hazard-filled dungeons called Vaults, a new Questline, and more – all of which surfaces in Season of the Construct. Additionally, the group gave a quick look at The Gauntlet leaderboards and wrapped up the livestream by answering questions from the community in a Q&A session.
Shortly after Developer_Direct, ZeniMax Online Studios kicked off The Elder Scrolls Online 2024 Global Reveal, unveiling the game’s next major Chapter, including the new zone, storyline, and other major features. You’ll be able to read more about what was revealed on Xbox Wire and Bethesda.net as soon as that show concludes.
Looking Ahead
Today marks just a small selection of the games coming to Xbox this year. With our own studios and our incredible partners bringing a diverse set of incredible experiences to Xbox consoles, PC, Cloud, and Game Pass, there’s going to be something new for every kind of player. To find out more, make sure to return to Xbox Wire later this month, when we post a round-up of some of the most exciting games coming to Xbox platforms in 2024.
Hello, Dom here, Studio Head at Ninja Theory. As I write this, we are now in the final few months of development on Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, preparing for our launch Day One on Xbox Game Pass and across Xbox Series X|S, Windows and Steam on May 21. It was a pleasure to give you all a deeper insight into Senua’s next journey, our studio and our talented team in Developer Direct.
Since the release of Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, Ninja Theory has transitioned from being an independent team to one that sits within Xbox Game Studios. Although this has seen change for Ninja Theory, particularly in terms of the support now available to us for striving towards our ambitions, what has not changed is our passion and commitment to our studio mission – to craft life-changing art with game changing tech.
This might sound like a lofty mission, but it is something we are proud to have achieved before in Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice – a game built in a space we called ‘Independent AAA’, where we worked with the creative spirit and freedom of independent development but strove for the types of high-end production values often only associated with AAA games. We also took advantage of the freedom that digital-only distribution offered us to create a game of the length that fit perfectly with our intended experience but could be sold at a lower price to reflect the shorter length of our story. This framework allowed us to focus on the things we really care about – taking our fans on an unforgettable journey into Senua’s unique world.
In Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, our approach is the same. Although we are no longer an independent studio, our creative spirit has in fact been emboldened by our joining of Xbox Game Studios, and in this new chapter of Senua’s life we have been able to push our production values way beyond what we were able to achieve previously. So, my message to players is that if you loved Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, or if you enjoy narrative-led experiences of cinematic immersion, we are building Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II for you.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II will be a game crafted from the heart – a game similar in length to the first Hellblade, with a focused narrative, and sold digital-only at a price of $49.99 USD. And you can once again expect to join Senua in understanding her world through perception puzzles led by her experiences of psychosis, in brutal and visceral combat and in traversal gameplay, this time across the harsh but beautiful landscapes of 10th Century Iceland.Crucially, all these elements are intertwined in a unique visual and audio experience, where everything is in service of Senua’s story. So, you can expect more of the same, but this time with the support to push our ambitions for immersion, fidelity and richness far further than before.
I’d like to take this opportunity to say thank you to all our fans across the world. Your well wishes and support is what drives us on. In Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II we want to make it as easy as possible for you all to enjoy Senua’s journey and so we have increased the breadth of our localization to 26 subtitled languages – including Arabic, Ukrainian and, of course, the language of the land of our journey: Icelandic!
Know that here at Ninja Theory, our partners and collaborators across music, mental health, art and technology are working hard to bring you, once again, a special experience. We look forward to you joining Senua’s new journey on May 21.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is available to pre-install on Xbox Game Pass and wishlist on Steam now.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
Xbox Games Studios
☆☆☆☆☆
★★★★★
The sequel to the award winning Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, Senua returns in a brutal journey of survival through the myth and torment of Viking Iceland. Intent on saving those who have fallen victim to the horrors of tyranny, Senua faces a battle of overcoming the darkness within and without. Sink deep into the next chapter of Senua’s story, a crafted experience told through cinematic immersion, beautifully realised visuals and encapsulating sound.
January 18 is going to be an incredible day for Xbox players. Developer_Direct returns this Thursday at 12pm PT / 3pm ET / 8pm UK, and will bring you a deep-dive into some of the biggest games coming to Xbox platforms. We’re sure you want to know more, so here are all the details on how to tune in.
Developer_Direct will share new, extended gameplay and developer insights for the upcomingIndiana Jonesgame, Avowed, Ara: History Untold, and Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II straight from the teams at MachineGames, Obsidian, Oxide Studios, and Ninja Theory.
It’s going to be a big day for the Xbox family, with two other livestreams taking place. Earlier in the day, Blizzard will host a Diablo IV Developer Update Livestream at 9am PT / 12pm ET / 5pm UK. Shortly after Developer_Direct, ZeniMax Online Studios will hostThe Elder Scrolls Online 2024 Global Reveal at 1pm PT / 4pm ET / 9pm UK to preview 2024’s biggest update.
When is Developer_Direct? Thursday, January 18 at 12pm Pacific Time / 3pm Eastern Time / 8pm UK time.
How do I watch Developer_Direct? Developer_Direct will be streamed live on the official Xbox and Bethesda channels below:
The show will also be streamed simultaneously on regional Xbox and Bethesda channels around the globe, as well as on Steam. It will also air on China’s Bilibili platform on Friday, January 19.
I’m not going to be able to watch, where can I find out what was announced? A full recap will go live immediately following the show (including localized versions in Brazilian Portuguese, French, German, LATAM Spanish, and Japanese following later). Xbox Wire will also publish detailed blog posts about select games from the show.
Notes for co-streamers and creators: We at Xbox greatly appreciate any co-stream efforts and aim to ensure you have a smooth experience if you choose to do so.
However, due to forces beyond our control, we cannot guarantee that glitches or disruptions by bots and other automated software won’t interfere with your co-stream.
For those planning to create full post-show breakdowns of Developer_Direct in the form of VOD coverage, we recommend you do not use any audio containing copyrighted music to avoid any action by automated bots, and to also consult the terms of service for your service provider.
How do I watch the Diablo IV Developer Update Livestream? At 9am PT / 12pm ET / 5pm UK, Blizzard will unearth details about the next season’s gameplay features, Season Journey, and quality-of-life updates. Plus, Blizzard will also share information about The Gauntlet. You can watch the event on Diablo’s YouTube and Twitch channels.
How do I watch the Elder Scrolls Online 2024 Global Reveal stream? Shortly after Developer_Direct, ZeniMax Online Studios will hostThe Elder Scrolls Online 2024 Global Reveal at 1pm PT / 4pm ET / 9pm UK to preview 2024’s biggest update. Streamed from Bethesda’s official Twitch channel at Twitch.tv/Bethesda (with Twitch Drops!) and via global Xbox YouTube and Twitch channels, the standalone presentation will see the development team unveil the game’s next major Chapter, including the new zone, storyline, and other major features.
Will there be updates on Activision Blizzard King games? No new information on Activision Blizzard King games will be a part of Developer_Direct. You can look forward to news from those teams later this year.
When will the games in the show be released? All the games in this year’s Developer_Direct will be arriving later, with more details to be shared in the program.
We’ll see you for Developer_Direct on Thursday, January 18!
You’re about to get an exciting look at some of the incredible games ahead with Xbox, as we present a new edition of Developer_Direct. On Thursday, January 18 at 12pm PT / 3pm ET / 8pm UK, fans will get an inside look at a selection of highly anticipated games coming to Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Game Pass. Shortly after, ZeniMax Online Studios will host The Elder Scrolls Online 2024 Global Reveal at 1pm PT / 4pm ET / 9pm UK to preview 2024’s biggest update.
Presented by the game creators themselves, Developer_Direct offers an in-depth look at upcoming titles, how they’re being created, and who’s creating them. We’ll visit MachineGames in Sweden to check in on their Indiana Jones game, swing by Obsidian’s Irvine offices to see more from Avowed, head to Oxide Games’ Maryland home to learn about Ara: History Untold, and take a trip to Cambridge, England to see Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II from Ninja Theory. Please note that while this show won’t have updates on games from Activision Blizzard, you can look forward to news from those teams later this year.
The show will be a celebration of just a selection of our slate of upcoming games from Xbox. It’s also another part of our commitment to consistently bringing Xbox players can’t-miss experiences. 2024 kicked off with a bang for Game Pass members, and you can expect that line-up to include more incredible games from Xbox and our partners as the year goes on.
Fans should tune in on Xbox channels at 12pm PT / 3pm ET / 8pm UK, January 18 to see all the latest on:
Indiana Jones game: MachineGames, the award-winning studio behind the recent Wolfenstein series, will reveal their upcoming Indiana Jones game, an action-adventure that puts players in the leather jacket of the legendary archaeologist. Developer_Direct will showcase more than 10 minutes of game and developer insights, including details about the game’s setting and story, how fans will actually play as Indy, additional details from his next globe-trotting adventure, and the premiere of the first gameplay trailer.
Avowed: The team at Obsidian will share the first deep dive into the gameplay experience fans can expect in Avowed, their upcoming fantasy action RPG, set in the fantastical, vibrant Living Lands. Learn more about how Obsidian’s expertise in building worlds with deep themes, dynamic gameplay, and thoughtful reactivity come to life in Avowed where players will have agency to make choices to shape every step of their adventure.
Ara: History Untold: Hear from the leads at Oxide Games – a studio founded by veterans of the strategy genre and the creators behind classic strategy titles including Civilization V – as they unveil exclusive new gameplay and share more details about the inspiration, key features, and road ahead for their upcoming historical grand strategy game.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II:Ninja Theory take us behind the scenes at their studio in Cambridge to give us some insight on how they are crafting Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II. The team will speak to the ambition and meticulous care involved in creating Senua’s journey of survival.
Shortly after Developer_Direct has concluded, ZeniMax Online Studios will host The Elder Scrolls Online 2024 Global Reveal at 1pm PT / 4pm ET / 9pm UK, a standalone presentation where the development team will unveil the game’s next major Chapter, including the new zone, storyline, and other major features coming in the game’s biggest update this year.
Stay tuned to Xbox and Bethesda’s official social channels for more on Developer_Direct, coming on Thursday, January 18 at 12pm PT / 3pm ET / 8pm UK.
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