Xbox Confirms Wolfenstein 3 Is in Production at MachineGames

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma confirmed Thursday that "Wolfenstein 3" is officially in production at MachineGames, breaking the news during Xbox's 25th anniversary celebration.

Sharma made the announcement on X, writing: "Wolfenstein 3 is officially in production at @MachineGames. One of gaming's most important franchises, and a team that has done remarkable work bringing it forward. Looking forward to sharing more." She also posted a photo showing a portion of the project's script.

MachineGames followed with confirmation of its own. The studio shared images of actors Brian Bloom and Debra Wilson in motion-capture suits on set, reprising their roles as BJ Blazkowicz and Grace Walker for the new game. The mo-cap images are the only concrete production detail so far; no release date, platform specifics or gameplay information accompanied either announcement.

What do we actually know about the game?

Almost nothing beyond the confirmation itself. Sharma's phrase "looking forward to sharing more" signals that details will arrive on Microsoft's schedule. The script photo and the mo-cap imagery establish that performance capture is underway and that the two lead actors are attached. Beyond that, the announcement leaves the release window, story premise and design direction unannounced — a gap worth noting before reading anything more into the reveal.

The franchise carries considerable history. Muse Software launched "Wolfenstein" in 1981, and id Software later took the series over. The games are set in an alternate-history World War II and largely follow U.S. Army captain William "B.J." Blazkowicz in his fight against the Nazis. More than a dozen titles make up the series.

The two most recent installments were reboots developed by MachineGames with publisher Bethesda Softworks: 2014's "Wolfenstein: The New Order" and 2017's "Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus." Both starred Bloom as Blazkowicz, and Wilson played Grace Walker in "The New Colossus" — the returning cast suggests direct continuity with the reboot storyline rather than another reset.

Why this installment is a first for Xbox

"Wolfenstein 3" will be the first game in the franchise developed by MachineGames under Xbox ownership. Microsoft acquired the studio's parent company, ZeniMax Media, in March 2021 for a deal that also brought Bethesda Softworks into the Xbox fold. The previous two reboots predate that acquisition, which makes this sequel the first test of the franchise's direction under Microsoft's stewardship.

The timing of the announcement — tied to Xbox's 25th anniversary rather than a standalone games showcase — frames it as part of a broader celebration of the platform's library rather than a full product reveal. Whether Microsoft positions "Wolfenstein 3" as a flagship Xbox exclusive or a multiplatform release remains unstated; the company has recently shipped former exclusives to rival consoles, and nothing in Thursday's announcement settles the question. Expect the substantive details, starting with a release window, to surface in a future Xbox showcase.