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A pair of new reports claim that Microsoft is considering releasing Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 on the PS5, and that more Xbox layoffs are on the way. Xbox-owned Bethesda recently underwent devastating cuts, resulting in Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin being shut down. But it looks like Microsoft isn’t done.
Does Hellblade 2 need the PS5 to be finacially successful?
Report of Hellblade 2’s potential PS5 release comes from The Verge’s Tom Warren. In a comprehensive article, Warren claimed that Tango Gameworks’ closure took Xbox devs by surprise because Microsoft executives openly said that they were happy with Hi-Fi Rush‘s performance, and according to Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, Tango was pitching a sequel when it was shut down.
This brings us to Hellblade 2 — the sequel to 2017’s Senua’s Sacrifice, which originally launched as a PS4 console exclusive and found much success on the console. Hellblade 2 will release in less than two weeks on May 21 as an Xbox console exclusive and Microsoft is reportedly considering bringing it to the PS5 eventually. But Warren says “it’s not clear if even that would be considered a success.” Microsoft has pledged to launch its first-party games day-one on Game Pass, which means there’s little revenue to be made from Hellblade 2 unless it launches on the PS5 as well.
Bloomberg claims that Microsoft is already offering voluntary severance to more ZeniMax staff, and that more Xbox layoffs are incoming as the company desperately attempts to cut costs.