EDIT: While Hellblade: Senua’s Saga was originally released as a digital only game, 505 Games eventually published a physical release on PlayStation 4. Microsoft would themselves publish the physical version of the game on Xbox One.
With this in mind, it may perhaps be possible that Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II will receive a physical release down the line, but not as part of Ninja Theory’s development process.
GameRanx regrets the error. The original article follows, unedited, below.
Ninja Theory just confirmed they were repeating a major detail about Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II’s upcoming release.
As Ninja Theory studio head Dom Matthews revealed in a new post on Xbox Wire:
“Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II will be a game crafted from the heart – a game similar in length to the first Hellblade, with a focused narrative, and sold digital-only at a price of $49.99 USD.”
Some gamers may not realize this, as they had only heard about Ninja Theory’s good work on the first Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice. But as it was ported across PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows, and even the Nintendo Switch, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice was only released on digital and was never put on disc, or cartridge. The original game also retailed for $ 29.99, though of course it can now be bought heavily discounted or as part of Game Pass.
In this, Ninja Theory mirrors the actions of Remedy Entertainment, when they chose to also make Alan Wake II a digital-only release. Now, usually, it makes sense for games to be digital only, for example, if they are live service games. Games like Fortnite Battle Royale and PUBG can only be played online, with other players, and are constantly updated. In fact, when Blizzard decided to make a retail release for the first Overwatch on the Nintendo Switch, gamers were left in the lurch, as it turns out that the box didn’t have a cartridge at all, and the box only came with a code.
The reason fans want physical copies of their games to continue is well trod and understood in the industry. Gamers want to be able to play the games they paid for permanently. Some gamers are also likely to mirror discourse about video game preservation. But the industry has to face other realities, and so many games, even single player games with no online component, are sold digital only.
Let’s go back to Alan Wake II. While Remedy initially argued they didn’t want to make gamers download the game again after buying a disc, they later revealed what is probably the big reason. Preparing a physical release would have taken away time and resources, and they used those resources to instead perfect the game.
Similarly, Dom made this argument in his post in Xbox Wire:
“We also took advantage of the freedom that digital-only distribution offered us to create a game of the length that fit perfectly with our intended experience but could be sold at a lower price to reflect the shorter length of our story. This framework allowed us to focus on the things we really care about – taking our fans on an unforgettable journey into Senua’s unique world.”
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II will be released on Xbox Series X|S and on Windows via Steam on May 21, 2024. It will also be Day One on Game Pass.
