Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is a day-and-date launch for Xbox Game Pass on May 21. Subscribers will get it at the same time in all regions, Xbox Game Studios has said. The game is an online-only launch and has no physical edition.
The launch time is 9 a.m. in London, 4 a.m. in New York, and 1 a.m. in Seattle on May 21, per this graphic. Adjust your clocks accordingly:
We are now just one week from launch! Here's when you'll be able to play Senua's Saga: Hellblade II ⏰
Xbox: https://t.co/zWoXR4JHvq
Steam: https://t.co/ktwuvNOjbM pic.twitter.com/D1Rk1c5CgI— Ninja Theory (@NinjaTheory) May 14, 2024
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is an important launch for Xbox Series X and PC as Microsoft’s Xbox gaming division has been reeling of late, shedding jobs in January and again this month following disappointing quarterly earnings announcements.
Xbox Game Studios acquired Ninja Theory in 2018, a year after the acclaimed Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice first launched for PlayStation 4 and Windows PC. The studio acquisition was part of Microsoft’s strategy to deliver exclusive content to its Xbox Games Pass subscription service, whose membership and revenue to the company has plateaued.
What is Hellblade II all about?
Hellblade II continues the story of its titular character, Senua, a Pictish warrior who journeys into a supernatural realm to save the soul of her dead lover. The first game was praised by critics for its unflinching depiction of mental illness in the main character.
The sequel is expected to be a gameplay experience lasting only eight hours long, however, which probably explains why Xbox isn’t shipping it on disc. The full game will cost $49.99 for those who don’t subscribe to Xbox Game Pass. Rumors in January suggested that a PlayStation 5 version would be following, though that is still unconfirmed.
