MachineGames & Asha Sharma Confirm Wolfenstein 3 is Coming

It's official: MachineGames is working on Wolfenstein 3. The news came as part of a busy day of announcements from the XBOX CEO, which also covered a new mode for Doom: The Dark Ages. The confirmation came with a behind-the-scenes cast photo that included Debra Wilson, another sign the franchise is getting the attention it deserves.

You may have heard this before, since Wolfenstein 3 has been the subject of speculation for a long time. Around the time Indiana Jones launched, MachineGames said several times that the series was designed as a trilogy and that a third game was always planned. Back then, people were already wondering whether an Indiana Jones sequel or Wolfenstein 3 would come first, so the official word only puts that talk to rest.

It's a great franchise, even if it doesn't get much talk, and Wolfenstein 3 puts it in the spotlight.

The games are well loved, and Wolfenstein 2 is known for having one of the hardest platinum trophies around. Still, not everything the studio has done has worked. The Wolfenstein 2 expansion, which some call 2.5, was very bad, and it should never be repeated.

Youngblood followed, and then came Indiana Jones, which was a massive bounce-back and an amazing game. You can only take so many lessons from it, since Wolfenstein plays differently and doesn't use the same mechanics. But Indiana Jones proved MachineGames still has the characters and story, and Wolfenstein 2 is quite good, too.

Level design is where Wolfenstein 3 could benefit the most. The series has always handled it well, and it's arguably underrated, especially given its strong shooter gameplay and solid story. Indy took level design further, with side quests that felt dynamic and organic.

If MachineGames keeps the overall quality it showed there and brings that level design into the Wolfenstein formula, Wolfenstein 3 could turn out very well. Don't read too much into timing yet. Some of the day's announcements were far off, and the team behind Doom: The Dark Ages publicly replied that its new project is a long way off.

Doom's team quickly distanced itself from the rumors, but Wolfenstein 3 shows no such signs.

It read more like an effort to avoid backlash than a defensive move. Nothing like that was said about Wolfenstein 3, and a behind-the-scenes photo suggests it's well along, since the team has reportedly been on it for two to three years.

That matters because XBOX doesn't have much lined up for 2027, especially once State of Decay 3 is off the board. Spyro now belongs to XBOX, but Toys for Bob doesn't, and the game is multiplatform anyway. That leaves Fable, which launches everywhere, and Clockwork Revolution.

Forza was supposed to land, but that won't happen anymore. Wolfenstein 3 could slide into that gap, though 2027 isn't guaranteed and 2028 is more realistic. Look at 2027 and 2028, and the picture is thin. Fallout and The Elder Scrolls are still years away.

StarCraft and Diablo are looking at 2029 or 2030. Past the yearly Call of Duty releases, there isn't much, which leaves room for Wolfenstein 3. Don't count on Wolfenstein 3 landing next year. A safe bet is 2028, and anything earlier would be a pleasant surprise.