Fresh off the release of Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, Microsoft has reportedly greenlit the next project from developer Ninja Theory. The studio, which was acquired by Microsoft in 2018 for $117 million, has earned a reputation for creating high-quality narrative action games. That’s something it has recently delivered more of in Senua’s Saga, which you can read our review of here. But even with a proven track record, the swath of recent studio closures at Microsoft had fans worried Ninja Theory would not release another game—until now.
According to a report from Windows Central, Ninja Theory has been given the go-ahead to start development on a new project. The article clarifies that this new project is not the same as Project Mara, the experimental psychological horror title from the studio that was announced in 2020. A teaser trailer for the game sees Hellblade star Melina Juergens in the titular role of Mara, a woman struggling with mental illness of some sort. The game will be set inside one location that appears to be a high-end mental health facility. We haven’t heard much about Project: Mara since its initial reveal, and there is no release window as of yet.
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A day before Hellblade 2’s May 21 release, Ninja Theory head Dom Matthews released a message on social media thanking players for their continued support of the studio and the Hellblade series. It’s a sweet message without context, but it set off alarm bells for many fans. Just two weeks ago, on May 7, Microsoft announced that multiple studios, including Arkane Austin and Hi-Fi Rush developer Tango Gameworks, were being shut down. Many immediately hypothesized Ninja Theory could be next. When Matthews’ post was shared, some people worried it was a premature obituary for the studio. It wasn’t! And they’re making another game! Windows Central asserts in its report that “there are no plans whatsoever to close the studio anytime soon.” Hopefully, that proves to be true.
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