Raven Software is one of Activision’s most valuable studios. The team handles Warzone and supports Call of Duty today, but it used to be the home of games like Singularity, X-Men Origins Wolverine, and more.
While the studio has been limited to Call of Duty in recent years, there have been many requests for Raven Software to create something original. This almost happened three years ago, with a developer’s LinkedIn profile revealing a classic IP revival in development three years ago.
Why it matters: With Raven Software now under Microsoft and the larger Xbox Game Studios banner, there is a strong chance the developer will finally go back to creating more original content. Activision has also expressed interest in returning to older IPs.
Source: LinkedIn
The profile of Michael Gummelt, who once worked as the Project Lead, Lead Designer, Studio Designer, and Studio Software Engineer at Raven Software, reveals that the developer was reviving a classic IP in 2020.
The description on the LinkedIn profile states:
“Lead developer on a very small incubation team on two highly playable prototypes for a revival of a classic Raven IP.”
However, the profile states this was part of the Activision Press Start initiative. The project was later canceled after Warzone exploded in popularity, and Raven Software became the lead developer handling updates and ongoing fixes for this game mode.
While the developer does not point to any IP in particular, Hexen and Heretic are the obvious picks. These franchises have a long history and stand as the most famous from Raven Software’s past work.
This information has also led to speculation on social media, with fans betting that this project was likely related to Hexen.
The last entries in these IPs were released over two decades ago. Since then, Raven Software has worked on various projects, but none have garnered a similar fanbase.
Interestingly, Phil Spencer, the boss of Xbox, has shown that he is fond of this IP in the past.
During last year’s Xbox Showcase, he wore a Hexen shirt on stage. While he later clarified that this was not a tease, we can’t help but think there’s more to this than he would have us believe.
