There was a time when Indiana Jones was a pretty popular piece of media to adapt into video games. Three blockbuster Indiana Jones movies released in the 1980s, and so the franchise spun off into everything from books to comics, which also inspired no small number of game adaptations in the 1990s and 2000s. After that, the franchise fell out of vogue. Now, however, there's a new Indiana Jones game on the horizon. Bethesda has announced that it, specifically Wolfenstein developer MachineGames, and LucasFilm Games are working to make the first Indiana Jones game in more than a decade.
Bethesda has already told fans that the game has a long way to go, so there won't be much official news for the foreseeable future. The game's brief teaser doesn't reveal any plot or gameplay details, or even so much as a release date. However, considering the context of Indiana Jones, there's a good chance that the approximate release date has already made itself known. Only a few weeks ago, Disney revealed that Indiana Jones 5 is slated for a release sometime in 2022. Even if Disney doesn't have anything to do with the game, Bethesda would be wise to see to it that it releases around the same time as the movie.
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Rumors about Indiana Jones 5 have been floating around for years. Now, it's clear that the movie is actually happening, and Harrison Ford is reprising his role as the archaeological adventurer. Since Bethesda hasn't shared anything specific about the game yet, it's entirely possible that the Indiana Jones game is an adaptation of the movie releasing in 2022. If so Bethesda would want to release them at the same time. Since he's coming back to reprise the role for film anyway, maybe Harrison Ford will be interested in voicing Indiana for the game.
However, Indiana Jones has had many more adventures in novels and comics than fans have seen on movie screens. Bethesda and company might be better off revisiting all this source material for inspiration instead of the new movie. The films are undergoing some change, seeing as Logan's James Mangold is directing it instead of Steven Spielberg. Bethesda might see this as a good time to give Indiana Jones games a fresh start too. Still, odds are good the game will release in the same year as the movie. The publicity for the Indiana Jones property drummed up by a new movie will go a long way in developing interest in the game. Even if the movie and game have no plot threads in common, they make a natural pair.
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Since it's connected to the property, Disney will probably be watching the Indiana Jones game closely. Disney knows its marketing, and so it wouldn't be surprising if it wanted to cross-promote the movie and the video game. If Bethesda and MachineGames aren't already planning a 2022 release for the project, a collaboration with Disney might motivate them. Whether it's merchandise or ads for the game in the movie's trailers, there's a lot that the Indiana Jones game could get out of teamwork with Lucasfilm's parent company.
The Indiana Jones game joins a long line of games being announced a long time before they'll realistically be released. However, what sets it apart from games like Elden Ring is that Bethesda has already been transparent about the fact that information will be scarce for a while. That level of openness should reassure fans; although the game will go silent, that's just because it's in early stages and needs time before Bethesda has more to say. Regardless of its state of production, though, fans can consider 2022 a very likely year for the game's release. It's been a while since Indiana Jones was in the public eye, but it looks like the series is set up for a very busy year.
MachineGames' Indiana Jones game is in development.
