Hellblade 2 Could be the Best Game of 2024 that No-one Plays, as Xbox fails to Launch any Meaningful Marketing and Hype is at Near Zero

The release of Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is almost here, with mere hours left until the game is finally unleashed to the world.

The game has been in the works for many years, and we finally get to see the continuation of the story revolving around our resilient protagonist, Senua. Gamers have been excited to play the game; that is, the ones who knew about this upcoming release, which isn’t a lot. Why has Xbox not marketed this title harder?

Hellblade 2 Given the Middle Child Treatment by Xbox

The middle child isn’t totally invisible. Their parents acknowledge their existence, but beyond that, they’re mostly neglected and overlooked compared to their older and younger siblings. That’s how Xbox is treating the Hellblade sequel currently, compared to other IPs.

The first game is a sleeper hit; a lot of people haven’t played it, but those that did, loved it. The gameplay didn’t escape criticism, but its messaging, way of story-telling, and voice acting were really where it shined.

Sure, it didn’t make the number-one best-selling list anywhere, but that wasn’t the point of the game. Profit or loss, Ninja Theory was intent on creating an experience that could portray some of the trials and tribulations that accompany psychosis.

Even more interestingly, it showed players what that might look like for someone who lived in a period before mental illnesses were acknowledged the way they are now.

The game started making a profit after selling 500,000 copies, and it sold more than a million overall. Being as niche as it is, it would be silly to expect the sequel to be a cash cow for a brand like Xbo.

That also doesn’t mean it doesn’t deserve a fighting chance; something that the gaming brand refused to give it, until very recently.

The Marketing for the New Hellblade Is Too Little, Too Late

The complete lack of marketing from the gaming brand close to the game’s release has concerned people. First of all, many only found out about the game’s release in the weeks leading up to it, which isn’t a good look.

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As if it were scrambling last minute, Xbox only recently started lackluster marketing for the Hellblade sequel.

One Redditor reported getting a trailer for the game while at the movie theatre; this was a reply under a post from a user stating that they came across ads of the game while scrolling through the app.

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Microsoft’s gaming brand recently dropped a video recap of the first game to prepare players for the upcoming release. The reaction was far from happy, however, as users berated the company for starting so late into the release window.

The complete silence around the game (excluding the odd showcase or two we saw over the years) has been bizarre to witness; the second Hellblade could be a masterpiece, but at this point, many may not even know of its existence or release date.

What do you think about this whole situation? Let us know in the comments below!