After years of waiting, it finally seems as though Xbox is ready to knock down the dominoes it's been carefully lining up over the last decade. Fall is set to be fairly busy for Xbox users, with several major first-party and exclusive releases hitting each month. Xbox's schedule is seemingly so busy that it's recently decided to delay Obsidian's Avowed to early next year. But against all odds, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is still set to release this year.
First announced all the way back in January 2021, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will be a first-person action-adventure title developed by MachineGames, the studio mostly responsible for the recent Wolfenstein reboot series. Back in January of this year, MachineGames revealed the first proper look at Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and a 2024 release window was given. While another trailer for the game was released during Xbox's June Showcase, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle's release date remained unchanged, and two months later that's still the case. But with just four months left in the year, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle's release must be on the horizon now.
Indiana Jones: The Great Circle Sets an Example For a Potential LEGO Indiana Jones 3 To Follow
The future of Indiana Jones is in a bit of flux right now, but the LEGO Indiana Jones franchise still has a chance to shine if it does one thing.
Predicting Indiana Jones and the Great Circle's Release Date
What Xbox's 2024 First-Party Line-Up Looks Like
As things currently stand, Xbox is set to have a rather busy remainder of 2024. Next month, Xbox users will receive Age of Mythology: Retold on September 4, and Ara: History Untold on September 24, bookending the month neatly with two anticipated first-party strategy games. October is a huge month for Activision games on Xbox, with Diablo 4's Vessel of Hatred expansion releasing on October 8, and the juggernaut that is Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 hitting Xbox on October 25. Though Black Ops 6 is releasing simultaneously across all modern platforms, its place as a day-one Xbox Game Pass title does give Xbox an edge.
November is also fairly busy for Xbox users, with Flight Simulator 2024 releasing on November 19, and STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl now dropping on November 20 following a recent delay. Though STALKER 2 isn't an Xbox first-party title, it will be a console exclusive at launch, and will undoubtedly be a big hit for Game Pass. Starfield's Shattered Space expansion and Stoic Studio's Towerborne are also set for a 2024 launch, which could make any of these months even busier.
How Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Could Fit Into Xbox's 2024 First-Party Line-Up
September, October, and November each have at least two major Xbox first-party or exclusive games ready for release. While Indiana Jones and the Great Circle could still drop in these months, Xbox will likely want to give the highly anticipated game plenty of time in the spotlight, and at the same time ensure it doesn't cannibalize any of its other first-party releases.
This means that the most likely release window for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is December 2024. Currently, Xbox has no major releases set for December, which would give Indiana Jones and the Great Circle an entire month to itself. When looking at the wider 2024 video game release calendar, there aren't any major December releases planned from any other publishers either.
However, releasing Indiana Jones and the Great Circle in December could be a risky move. December is a notoriously difficult period for a new game to succeed in. Awards season is over, Holiday shopping is usually wrapped up, and even some of the biggest releases can be overshadowed by what's come before them in the Fall, all of which can heavily impact a game's sales. Last year's Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is the perfect example of this. That being said, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is one of the most anticipated games of the year, and even a December release probably wouldn't take away from its allure.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 87 /100 Critics Rec: 94%
- Released
- December 9, 2024
- ESRB
- T For Teen // Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Mild Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- MachineGames
- Publisher(s)
- Bethesda
- Engine
- id Tech 7
- Franchise
- Indiana Jones
- Number of Players
- 1
WHERE TO PLAY
Uncover one of history’s greatest mysteries in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, a first-person, single-player adventure set between the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade. The year is 1937, sinister forces are scouring the globe for the secret to an ancient power connected to the Great Circle, and only one person can stop them - Indiana Jones™. You’ll become the legendary archaeologist in this cinematic action-adventure game from MachineGames, the award-winning studio behind the recent Wolfenstein series, and executive produced by Hall of Fame game designer Todd Howard.
YOU ARE INDIANA JONES
Live the adventure as Indy in a thrilling story full of exploration, immersive action, and intriguing puzzles. As the brilliant archaeologist – famed for his keen intellect, cunning resourcefulness, and trademark humor – you will travel the world in a race against enemy forces to discover the secrets to one of the greatest mysteries of all time.
A WORLD OF MYSTERY AWAITS
Travel from the halls of Marshall College to the heart of the Vatican, the pyramids of Egypt, the sunken temples of Sukhothai, and beyond. When a break-in in the dead of night ends in a confrontation with a mysterious colossal man, you must set out to discover the world-shattering secret behind the theft of a seemingly unimportant artifact. Forging new alliances and facing familiar enemies, you’ll engage with intriguing characters, use guile and wits to solve ancient riddles, and survive intense set-pieces.
WHIP-CRACKING ACTION
Indiana’s trademark whip remains at the heart of his gear and can be used to distract, disarm, and attack enemies. But the whip isn’t just a weapon, it’s Indy’s most valuable tool for navigating the environment. Swing over unsuspecting patrols and scale walls as you make your way through a striking world. Combine stealth infiltration, melee combat, and gunplay to combat the enemy threat and unravel the mystery.
THE SPIRIT OF DISCOVERY
Venture through a dynamic mix of linear, narrative-driven gameplay and open-area maps. Indulge your inner explorer and unearth a world of fascinating secrets, deadly traps,and fiendish puzzles, where anything could potentially hide the next piece of the mystery – or snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
