The main decision of the developers is to abandon the name Hellblade III. According to studio head Dom Matthews, Senua should become a new stage for the franchise, preserving its atmosphere and key elements, but expanding them to the format of a full-fledged combat adventure. The studio emphasizes that they heard player feedback: after the high ratings of Hellblade II for its story and production, the audience expected deeper gameplay.
The new game will be roughly equally divided between combat, exploration, and puzzles. The combat system will be significantly expanded: Senua will be able to fight multiple enemies simultaneously, use the environment and verticality of levels, and also use new types of weapons, including a long and short axe, dual-wielding, and throws.
Special emphasis is placed on the system of “tactical choices” — the player decides whether to engage in combat, act stealthily, or avoid confrontations. Focus abilities will appear, affecting both combat and exploration, including the ability to change the perception of the world.
Locations will be twice as large as in Hellblade II, but the game will not become a full-fledged open world — the structure will remain linear with the ability to return to previously visited areas and open new paths as progress is made.
The plot will continue the events of previous parts: Senua finds herself in a state between life and death and tries to reach an “other world”, encountering reflections of her own reality.
The release is scheduled for 2027 on Xbox Series X|S, PC, and PS5, and on Xbox Game Pass.