Dishonored 3 plus Fallout 3 and Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion remasters appear on leaked Microsoft doc
Also, "Project Kestrel" and an untitled licensed IP game
What does the future hold for ZeniMax and Bethesda? A sizeable helping of the same, if a 2020-dated release schedule leaked as part of today's accidental FTC Microsoft court document blowout is to be believed. The document is from a July 2020 Microsoft presentation about the acquisition of ZeniMax, during the early months of the Covid pandemic - as such, it doesn't reflect Microsoft and ZeniMax's plans today, following global lockdowns and the buyout, and several of the dates are obviously bogus. Still, it's probably a good steer as to current and future Bethesda and ZeniMax projects, which may include Dishonored 3 and remasters of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and Fallout 3.
The document lists the Oblivion remaster for fiscal year 2022, with Dishonored 3 and the Fallout 3 remaster pencilled in for fiscal year 2024. I can't say I'm desperate to play either of the potential remaster projects - I found Oblivion quite dry, for all its many moving parts, and I'm weary of Fallout's whiskery atompunk shtick in general - but I'd welcome another helping of Dishonored, providing they double down on those clockwork mansions.
According to Arkane founder Raphaël Colantonio, Bethesda were in two minds about whether to continue the Dishonored franchise after 2017's Death of the Outsider expansion. "Bethesda wanted us to do something," he told the lovely Jeremy earlier this year. "They didn't quite know where we were going after Dishonored. 'Do we want Dishonored 3? I don't know, let's make something simple and short before, and let's see.' And then [Deathloop] became a big thing, over the years."
The presentation also lists a fiscal year 2024-bound sequel to Ghostwire: Tokyo, Tango's idiosyncratic but overpadded urban fantasy RPG, plus a new DOOM title, Doom Year Zero for fiscal year 2023. There are a few sorcerous unknowns: Project Platinum and Project Kestrel, for fiscal year 2023, and a licensed IP game for fiscal year 2024. (There's also Project Hibiki for fiscal year 2021, which we now know to be Tango's Hi-Fi Rush.)
Here's the full presentation slide for your educated peepers. Thanks for spotting it, The Verge.
