From Fallout to The Elder Scrolls, Bethesda Softworks has no shortage of great IPs under its belt. And even if we are forever waiting on The Elder Scrolls 6, most of the biggest names from Bethesda have at least something to offer on the modern console generation. But one notable name is missing from the list of Bethesda games you can play on the current console generation: Wolfenstein. And if we don’t see a new game before the next Xbox and PlayStation consoles arrive, it’ll be a franchise first.
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Wolfenstein has been around since the early days of gaming, starting with the 1981 Apple and Atari release of Castle Wolfenstein. This entry pre-dates Bethesda’s ownership of the franchise, but it starts a long and storied history of new Wolfenstein games for every console, starting with the PS2/Xbox era release of Return to Castle Wolfenstein onwards. But it’s looking like the series will miss the PS5 / Xbox Series X|S era entirely.
A Wolfenstein For Every Console Generation
Wolfenstein has been incredibly successful over the years, in terms of both fan reception and financial gain for the studios. From 2001’s Return to Castle Wolfenstein, the WW2 alternate history series has given us a new game for every modern console generation up to now.
The PS3/Xbox 360 era gave us the iconic Wolfenstein revival (and loose sequel) in 2009, and from there, Bethesda got to work publishing several titles in the series throughout the PS4/Xbox One era. During this console generation, gamers got Wolfenstein: The New Order, the loose Return to Castle Wolfenstein remake Wolfenstein: The Old Blood, and Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus.
Rounding out the previous generation of consoles, we have our last two entries in the Wolfenstein franchise to date – Wolfenstein: Youngblood and the VR game Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot. Since then, a new game hasn’t been announced, let alone released.
A Current Gen Wolfenstein Game Looks Unlikely
Since 2019’s Wolfenstein: Youngblood, we haven’t seen a new installment in this franchise. That means that, after delivering a new game for every console generation from the early Atari games and beyond, this may be the first time we don’t get a new game.
Of course, there’s not an exact expiration date on the current console generation just yet. The PS5 and Xbox Series X|S both released in late 2020. If patterns hold, that means these consoles are approaching the end of their life cycle in the next few years. The PS4 came out in 2013, giving it about 7 years before its successor arrived. Before that, the PS3 had around a 7-year lifespan, as well. On that timeline, it seems likely that Sony and Microsoft will reveal their next-generation consoles in the next couple of years.
If the next Wolfenstein game has secretly already been in development, as long rumored, it’s possible that we might see it before the PS5/Xbox Series X|S generation ends. However, it’s looking like Wolfenstein might miss the current console era for the first time since the franchise began.
Some evidence suggests that Wolfenstein news of some kind might be on the way. Earlier this year, Amazon Prime announced that it would be creating a Wolfenstein TV adaptation. This could well spark renewed interest in the games, something Bethesda has no doubt considered before licensing its IP. After all, Bethesda’s Fallout TV show led to a massive increase in sales for the Fallout game franchise. Having a new game to announce right as the TV series drops would certainly make sense. But as the Wolfenstein adaptation is still in its early days, we don’t yet know when that might be.
There’s also speculation surrounding a recent backend update to the long-delisted Wolfenstein (2009) on Steam. This tweak had many fans preparing for news of a modern remake or remaster for the 2009 classic, though no such news has yet been confirmed. A remake wouldn’t quite be a new title, but it would still give Wolfenstein fans something to enjoy during the current console era.
For now, though, no remakes, remasters, or brand-new entries in the series have been confirmed. If we don’t hear something soon, it’s likely that this will be the first console generation with no Wolfenstein titles for fans to enjoy.
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Image courtesy of Lucasfilm
