Bethesda's Indiana Jones Game - What We Know So Far
On Jan. 12, 2021, Bethesda made a surprise announcement on Twitter that they are currently working on a new Indiana Jones video game. This was welcome news for fans, who have long been waiting for a new Indiana Jones video game. The last time Indy headlined a game in the flesh was Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings, which debuted in 2009 on PS2, PSP, Nintendo Wii, and Nintendo DS. It received mixed reviews.
The title for the new game hasn't been released yet, but it's being developed by MachineGames, the studio behind the reboot of the Wolfenstein franchise. It's being published by Bethesda, which is also currently working on The Elder Scrolls 6 and Starfield. Bethesda's Todd Howard will serve as executive producer. Howard previously worked on several titles in the both the Fallout and Elder Scrolls series.
Here's everything we know about the upcoming Indiana Jones video game so far.
What is the release window for Bethesda's new Indiana Jones game?
Bethesda didn't indicate when the game would be available, but the Tweet did say it would be some time before more information could be revealed. The new Indiana Jones game probably won't be released anytime soon.
Its developer, MachineGames, is most well-known for its recent work on the Wolfenstein series reboot. MachineGames first began work on Wolfenstein: The New Order in the fall of 2010, and that game was released in May 2014. But later games in the Wolfenstein series were released at one- to two-year intervals, with the latest releases being in 2019. Based on MachineGames' development history, that would put the new Indiana Jones game's release at anywhere from one to four years from now.
Bethesda also didn't confirm which platforms it will be available on. But given Microsoft's recent purchase of Bethesda's parent company Zenimax, it will be available on Xbox at the very least. No word yet on whether it will be an Xbox exclusive, however.
Does it have a trailer?
So far, all we have is the 33-second announcement teaser. Although the trailer doesn't include any gameplay footage, it does include several clues that may indicate what the game is about or at least which ancient civilizations Indy might be studying.
The camera slowly pans across a cluttered desk. First, we see several fictional books. One is Ancient Circle Jubilee. "Ancient Circle" could be a reference to Neolithic and Early Bronze Age standing stone sites like Stonehenge. There's a drawing of a ancient Mesopotamian ziggurat, which means Indy could be heading to Iraq. Then there's a diagram of the Apostolic Palace in Rome, which is the Pope's official residence. Heading to the Vatican would definitely give the game a Da Vinci Code vibe. The desk also includes several objects that fans will recognize, like Henry Jones Sr.'s grail diary, a drawing of the Chacapoyan Fertility Idol, and Indy's signature whip and fedora.
What's the plot?
Almost nothing about the plot has been revealed yet. But a statement from Lucasfilm said that it would tell a "wholly original, standalone tale set at the height of the career of the famed adventurer." More specifically, the trailer includes a plane ticket to Rome for Oct. 21, 1937. Assuming this ticket accurately dates the upcoming game, its plot would be set sometime between the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark, which is set in 1936, and The Last Crusade, which is set in 1938. (Temple of Doom is actually a prequel to Raiders and set in 1935.) October 1937 is around the time when Indiana Jones and Marion Ravenwood broke off their engagement and when Marion was secretly pregnant with Indy's son, Mutt Williams.
As most Indiana Jones stories take place in multiple locations around the globe, the Eternal City is probably just one of the locations where the game will be set. Indy has a long and elaborate biography of adventures beyond the original trilogy and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, so the story could take him anywhere.