One of the most highly rated titles that's come from Microsoft's Xbox Game Studios publishing in recent is Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, the 2024 narrative-driven action-adventure game from MachineGames that stars the beloved archaeologist-turned-action hero. The game was a big success for the developer and Xbox, as it received a strong critical reception and drew in millions of players across Xbox, PC, and Xbox Game Pass.
It later came to PS5 in April 2025 and got a well-received DLC in September, with a Nintendo Switch 2 version now scheduled to arrive on May 12. But once the game heads to that platform, what's next for the studio? It's something fans have been wondering for a while now, with many guessing that MachinesGames' next project will be a new Wolfenstein game.
It's a reasonable assumption, given that entries in the gory alternate history World War 2 FPS franchise are what the developer is best known for, and that there hasn't been a new mainline release since 2019's Wolfenstein: Youngblood. Interestingly, though, a new GamesIndustry.biz interview with studio director Jerk Gustafsson reveals it may be something else entirely — though MachineGames will return to the series at some point.
"Our intention has always been to go back to Wolfenstein. We wanted to finish the trilogy. And when we do that, that is something that I don't want to comment on," he noted. "It can be now, it can be later, but we're not done with it. That's what I can say."
Gustafsson went on to note that the positive reception of the studio's work with Indiana Jones was exciting, as it tried something new that ultimately paid off. Thus, the developer is "looking more to see what we can do to innovate and expand" in the genre of "first-person, story-driven titles" like Wolfenstein it's been making since its founding.
Regardless of whether MachineGames' next title is the rumored "Wolfenstein 3" or not, though, what matters most to Gustafsson is that the team is motivated and happy to work on the project. "I think that's the most important part for me, because the team needs to be excited and passionate about the work we do, otherwise we won't be able to deliver a good result," he explained.
He also acknowledged that the studio has to "justify the business side" of whatever its next project is to Xbox and Microsoft, and show that it will ultimately be profitable and successful. Working under the firm, though, has overall been positive in his view, with support work done by MachineGames on id Software's 2025 shooter DOOM: The Dark Ages giving its employees valuable insight on another developer's creative process.
"Often we hear, 'Oh, it would be amazing to be independent,' but it's actually quite nice to be part of a bigger organization in that regard," he said. The team is also inspired to work hard and create something high quality by being part of Xbox's publishing label, because "We can't be worst in class."
All in all, per Gustafsson's comments, it seems an exciting time for MachineGames. Though the studio isn't growing in the traditional sense — Gustafsson says "I like the idea of keeping it as lean as possible," and leans on partner studios when the developer's less-than-200 team members are stretched thin — it's just opened a new office in Sundsvall several hours north of its Uppsala, Sweden headquarters for the employees that live in that area.
That's part of an initiative to encourage working in the office rather than remotely at home, "because we know that we are a lot more efficient and a lot more collaborative in general when we're actually in the office together. It is an improvement in how we operate."
What's your opinion of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, the Wolfenstein games, and other MachineGames projects? Do you want the studio to make Wolfenstein 3, or try something new again? Let me know in the comments.
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