MachineGames May Have Canceled a Secret Project—Is Wolfenstein III in Jeopardy?
A recent LinkedIn discovery has raised concern among Wolfenstein fans: Swedish developer MachineGames may have canceled an unannounced project, potentially derailing long-held hopes for Wolfenstein III.
The information was first spotted by industry watcher Timur222 on X, who noted that a former Lead Artist listed work on both Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and an unnamed, ultimately canceled project between February 2022 and January 2024.
Wolfenstein III: The Missing Chapter?
The identity of the scrapped title hasn’t been confirmed, but speculation has immediately turned to Wolfenstein III. After the acclaimed 2017 release of Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, MachineGames produced two spinoffs—Youngblood and Cyberpilot—which were met with lukewarm reception. Despite this, then-Bethesda VP of Marketing Pete Hines assured fans that a full sequel concluding B.J. Blazkowicz's arc was in development.
Yet, in the years since, the trail has gone cold.
With MachineGames fully committing to the development of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle—a title that launched to critical and commercial success—it’s now possible that Wolfenstein III was quietly shelved during this period.
What About Indiana Jones?
The successful reception of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has certainly kept the studio’s momentum going. By January 2025, the game had surpassed four million players, thanks in part to its availability on Game Pass and a subsequent PlayStation 5 launch. The game’s robust performance rekindled public interest in MachineGames and demonstrated the team’s storytelling and world-building expertise.
However, the game's ownership by Lucasfilm, a Disney property, complicates things from a first-party studio perspective. Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer, in a recent interview, stated his preference for Microsoft-owned studios to focus on IP that Microsoft owns directly. This perspective seemingly puts Wolfenstein—a property under the Bethesda umbrella—back into focus as a potential next project.
What's Next for MachineGames?
With the Indiana Jones project now completed, speculation is rife about what MachineGames will pursue next. The potential cancellation of their mysterious title could have been a pivot to fully realize Indiana Jones, or it might reflect internal strategic shifts under Microsoft’s ownership.
If the canceled project was Wolfenstein III, it’s a crushing blow to fans who’ve been waiting over seven years for the trilogy’s conclusion. On the other hand, MachineGames could revisit the franchise with fresh narrative direction and technical enhancements post-Indiana Jones.
A clear direction from Microsoft or Bethesda has yet to emerge, leaving players wondering: Will B.J. Blazkowicz ever return to finish his story?
Do you think Wolfenstein III has been permanently shelved, or will MachineGames pick up where they left off? Share your thoughts and theories below—we’d love to hear what you hope for next!
