Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 for Xbox & PC — Trailers, gameplay, and everything we know

Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2
Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 (Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice told a dark and beautiful story rife with grief and loss, and it quickly established itself as one of the best Xbox games. Xbox Games Studios and Ninja Theory are returning to continue the tale in Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2. This evolution of Senua's journey has every chance of delivering a gorgeous and epic experience, especially as a title developed exclusively for Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC. There are still a lot of unknowns about Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2, but here's everything we know so far.

What is Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2?

Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 — Closeup of Senua.  (Image credit: Source: Xbox Game Studios)

Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is a first-party Xbox Game Studios title developed in-house by the talented developers at Ninja Theory. The sequel to the fan favorite Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, Hellblade 2 continues the story of Senua (once again performed by the wonderfully talented Melina Juergens) with an expanded scope and world. There's a lot to look forward to from this highly anticipated title, and Ninja Theory is pulling out all the stops to ensure it meets its ambitions.

Announced during The Game Awards 2019, Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is being developed by a team over twice the size of the team that worked on the first title, numbering over 40 in total. The extra hands are needed to build Hellblade 2 from the ground up with Epic Games' Unreal Engine 5 for current-gen gaming hardware. Everything we've seen of Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 indicates the action-adventure game is going to be a technical and visual showcase, especially with its scenic location of Iceland.

There are still a lot of unknowns about Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 and its overall gameplay experience, but it's already assured of a place on our list of best upcoming Xbox games due to the little we know and the quality of its predecessor. We'll continually update this article with all the information as we get it.

When is the release date for Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2?

Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 landscape. (Image credit: Source: Xbox Game Studios)

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II does not have a release date right now. While some speculated a late 2022 release for the title following its announcement at The Game Awards 2019, Xbox head Phil Spencer stated the title is "early in development," indicating a long wait. An updated trailer revealed at the 2023 Xbox Games Showcase clarified that Senua's Saga will be coming in 2024. While we're uncertain of what month and date still yet, we'll be sure to continue providing updates on an official release date as soon as that information is available.

When Senua's Saga: Hellblade II releases, it's coming to Xbox Series X|S, PC, Steam, and Xbox Cloud Gaming. Hellblade II will also be available through Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass from day one.

How can I watch the trailers for Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2?

Here are all of the trailers and developer diaries for Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2:

Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 reveal trailer

Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 gameplay trailer

Hellblade 2 trailer from Xbox Games Showcase 2023

The Insight Project

Ninja Theory's mission

Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 — Iceland

Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 — A Saga in the Making

What is the story and plot for Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2?

Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 — Closeup of Senua. (Image credit: Source: Xbox Game Studios)

Hellblade: Senua's Saga saw the series' titular character Senua embark on a journey into Hel, where she confronted a wide variety of mythical beasts and deities, including the fire giant Surt and the God of Illusion, Valravn. Senua also confronted and made peace with her inner darkness; the voices Ninja Theory has explicitly confirmed were modeled after real-world cases of psychosis. Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 features a mysterious and mostly unknown story but appears to take after the original by incorporating Pict culture and mythology, as well as Nord rituals, sacrifice, and more.

It was confirmed in a Ninja Theory developer diary by Creative Director Tameem Antoniades that Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 expands on its predecessor in several ways beyond talking about psychosis. As part of Ninja Theory's efforts to consult mental health professionals and experts through The Insight Project, Hellblade 2 will explore how mental illness helps "shape myths, gods and religion."

Senuas Saga: Hellblade 2 — Senua facing a large enemy. (Image credit: Source: Xbox Game Studios)

One notable change in Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 over Senua's Sacrifice is how Senua is seemingly no longer isolated in her journey and is instead accompanied by other humans. There are considerably more questions than answers regarding the story and plot in Hellblade 2, but we can expect it to be wider in scope than the first in the series. We'll continue to update this section as we learn more.

For those who are interested in more speculation and conjecture, our own Jez Corden analyzed the initial Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 reveal trailer for story details and hints.

What is the gameplay and features in Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2?

Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 — Senua in front of a fire. (Image credit: Source: Xbox Game Studios)

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice was atmospherically stunning and technically impressive but was relatively simple in its game mechanics. A third-person action-adventure title with linear melee combat and light puzzles, the first Hellblade was limited by the size of the team that built it. With Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2, we're expecting significant expansions to gameplay, even if at its core Hellblade 2 will likely be similar to its precursor. Hellblade 2 features a deeper budget and a larger development team, so we may see more complicated combat, bigger set pieces, and brand-new mechanics.

We got our very first look at Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 gameplay during The Game Awards 2021, although it was quite scripted and limited (Hellblade 2 is still very much a work in progress). The trailer shows Senua and a group of followers engaging in brutal combat with a grotesque giant, wielding slings, spears, and fire in a futile attempt to take the creature down. There's not a lot of new gameplay insight to be found in the trailer, but it's still worth a watch (you can find it above).

A mountain landscape in Senuas Saga: Hellblade 2. (Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 takes place in Iceland andSenua's Saga: Hellblade 2 takes place in Icela will bring the region's impossibly scenic landscapes to life with unparalleled realism. Ninja Theory is working with Quixel to scan assets for Hellblade 2, giving life to the ridiculous levels of detail we've seen in the title's few trailers. We've also gotten a behind-the-scenes look at Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2, giving eager fans further insight into all the effort Ninja Theory is pouring into making this game.

What is the audio and soundtrack in Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2?

Hellblade II wallpaper (Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

Like with most parts of Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2, not a lot is known about the audio and soundtrack. We know that Ninja Theory is collaborating with the band Heilung on Hellblade 2's soundtrack, an exciting combination that will hopefully guarantee an excellent musical experience. In the initial reveal trailer for Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2, the song that is performed is In Maidjan by Heilung. When translated, the lyrics include the line "Come, guest Tyr, for this invocation I, the Rune Master, servant of Odin, call upon the one of the Sun to aid our army."

Melina Juergens is reprising her role as Senua, following her impeccable performance in the first Hellblade. Juergens is behind the mocap and vocal performances of Senua, effectively making them one and the same in Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2. In the first gameplay trailer for Hellblade 2, especially, we get a glimpse at how Juergens' audio for Senua will sound in Hellblade 2.

What platforms are getting Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2?

Senua facing a large enemy in Senuas Saga: Hellblade 2. (Image credit: Source: Xbox Game Studios)

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice was released for Xbox, PlayStation, and PC, leaving fans to wonder whether the release platforms for Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 will remain the same even after Ninja Theory was acquired by Microsoft and added to the growing Xbox Game Studios family. Here's what you need to know about which platforms Hellblade 2 is coming to.

Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S

It has been confirmed repeatedly that Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is being exclusively developed for current-gen hardware and will not be coming to the Xbox One family of consoles, and this is further reiterated in the most recent trailer. PC players can rejoice, however, particularly those who are not a fan of the PC Game Pass app as Hellbalde 2: Senua's Saga has also been confirmed for Steam.

Powered by Unreal Engine 5, Hellblade 2 requires the more capable hardware present in Xbox Series X and Series S to deliver its targeted experience. If you own an Xbox Series X|S, Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 should push the consoles to their limit with peerless visual fidelity. Even the original Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice was recently Optimized for Xbox Series X|S, letting players revisit the title with updated graphics and performance.

Xbox One players aren't left entirely behind, however. While Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 will likely never be available on the older consoles natively, it has been confirmed that it's heading to Xbox Cloud Gaming at launch. That means players on Xbox One, mobile devices, tablets, and more will be able to play Hellblade 2 by streaming it from Microsoft's servers. Xbox Cloud Gaming is powered by custom Xbox Series X hardware; currently, it supports playing Xbox Series X|S Optimized titles at 1080p and 60 FPS, which should be plenty for a great experience in Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2.

PC

Xbox Game Studios titles in recent years have made a habit of releasing on PC at the same time as Xbox, and Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is no exception. Ninja Theory is bringing its flagship title to PC platforms, where those with capable hardware will be able to test the limits of the game. It's been confirmed that Hellblade 2 is coming to the Microsoft Store and PC Game Pass, and it will be made available through Steam as well.

PS5 & PS4

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice was a multiplatform release that also came to PS4, but Ninja Theory has since been acquired by Microsoft. Similar to many studios that have joined the Xbox family of studios, Ninja Theory's titles can be expected to be fully exclusive to Xbox and PC moving forward. It's been confirmed — Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is not coming to PS4 or PS5. It's highly unlikely that this will ever change; fans of Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice on PS4 will need to pick up an Xbox Series X or S to experience what Ninja Theory is creating with Hellblade 2.

Samuel Tolbert
Freelance Writer

Samuel Tolbert is a freelance writer covering gaming news, previews, reviews, interviews and different aspects of the gaming industry, specifically focusing on Xbox and PC gaming on Windows Central. You can find him on Twitter @SamuelTolbert.

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