Summary
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrificeoriginally launched as a timed PS4 exclusive, arriving on Xbox a year later. But bizzarely,Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2didn’t launch on PlayStation day one, and there’s been no official word on whether it’ll ever come to the platform.
That’s because Xbox acquired developer Ninja Theory in 2018, folding Hellblade into its exclusives catalogue. However, this appears to have backfired, as insiderJez Cordenclaims he “heard [Microsoft] consider Hellblade exclusivity a mistake” (as reported byPush Square).
It’s a throwaway tweet, so take it with a grain of salt. But it’s worth noting thatThe Vergereported in May — prior to it even releasing — that Microsoft was considering a PS5 port amidst worries over its performance.
Corden also said earlier this month that"the era of Xbox having permanent console exclusives is over".
Hellblade 2 ultimately didn’t sell well, likely due to a mix of exclusivity and launching day one on Game Pass. But even on the subscription service, it only ranked 12th, putting it behindFallout 76(as reported byIGN). Sales-wise, it ranked 37th in its release month, making it the 21st most-played game on Xbox Series consoles.
Xbox’s Exclusive Strategy Is Clearly Changing
Last month, Xbox head Phil Spencer said thatthere are no “red lines” around exclusives anymore. Anything could launch on PS5 going forward. We’re already seeing this withIndiana Jones and the Great Circlewhich willlaunch on Sony’s platform next year.
It was also revealed during The Game Awards thatThe Outer Worlds 2, from developer Obsidian Entertainment,will also be launching on PS5next year. It truly looks like, as Corden said, the age of Xbox exclusives is coming to a close.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2
WHERE TO PLAY
Following her trials and tribulations in her debut game, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 sees the titular protagonist again have to battle the darkness in order to liberate others from a tyrannical regime.
