With its announcement at the 2019 Game Awards alongside the Xbox Series X, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II created a lot of hype due to the success of its prequel. The only other update on the game was the gameplay trailer shown at the 2021 Game Awards.

Now after two years of the gameplay trailer reveal, the new Xbox Game Pass advertisement might have hinted at a release window for Hellblade II. Xbox recently released the Game Pass ad showcasing the 2023 games among other games that have already been released. 

Xbox Game Pass Ad features Hellblade II

Interestingly, many fans spotted clips from the unreleased Hellblade II to be also included in the ad. This strange step from Xbox to include clips from an unreleased game with other 2023 games was first considered a mistake. Now, many fans are taking this as Xbox and developer Ninja Theory subtly hinting at a 2023 release of Hellblade II.

The sequel’s rapid development is attributed to Metahuman Animator. This Unreal Engine feature, announced in the State of Unreal 2023, is a game-changing feature for animations.

Read More: “Is This a Joke?” – Xbox Fans Left Unimpressed by Ubisoft+ Subscription Cost, Leaving Them Asking – “Why Isn’t This in Gamepass for Free”

The technology has reduced the amount of time spent between motion capture and animation dramatically. With this technique, developers can now directly map motion capture on their animations without having to render them first.

Metahuman sped up the sequel’s development

Ninja Theory had already confirmed they will be using Metahuman Animator for Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II. They released a Hellblade sequel trailer utilizing Metahuman featuring Melina Juergens, the actor behind Hellblade’s Senua. In addition, the grainy details and nuanced expressions received a lot of praise from the fans of the game series.

The probable release may be excellent news for Xbox fans, who will get Starfield, Forza, and the Hellblade sequel possibly all in the same year. Perhaps, these games will feature in the rumored Xbox Showcase in June. However, based on the pattern of announcements in the Geoff Keighley Game Awards, this appears unlikely. Another Keighley show might reveal the game. Fans believe the announcement will take place at Keighley’s Summer Game Fest in June.

Watch this Story: Best Open-World Games On PlayStation, Xbox, and PC

What are your thoughts on the rumored release of Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II this year? Let us know in the comment section below.