Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

"Well, things can't always be the way you want them to be."

This article or section contains information about a scheduled or expected future product. It is likely to contain information of a speculative nature and the content may change dramatically as the product release approaches and more information becomes available.

"Throughout history mankind has built sites of great spiritual significance. If you were to draw a line through these ancient sites around the globe, you get a perfectly aligned circle."

―Indiana Jones^[src]

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is an upcoming video game currently in development by Bethesda Softworks' studio MachineGames in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games, and is rendered in a first-person perspective with a switch to third-person for cutscenes and environmental traversal.

The game is set in October 1937, in the wake of Indiana Jones leaving Marion Ravenwood a week before their wedding, and sees the archaeologist in pursuit of a mystery that encircles the very Earth itself.

Publisher's summary[]

Uncover one of history's greatest mysteries in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle™, a first-person, single-player adventure set between the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark™ and The Last Crusade™. The year is 1937, sinister forces are scouring the globe for the secret to an ancient power connected to the Great Circle, and only one person can stop them - Indiana Jones™. You'll become the legendary archaeologist in this cinematic action-adventure game from MachineGames, the award-winning studio behind the recent Wolfenstein series, and executive produced by Hall of Fame game designer Todd Howard.

YOU ARE INDIANA JONES
Live the adventure as Indy in a thrilling story full of exploration, immersive action, and intriguing puzzles. As the brilliant archaeologist – famed for his keen intellect, cunning resourcefulness, and trademark humor – you will travel the world in a race against enemy forces to discover the secrets to one of the greatest mysteries of all time.

A WORLD OF MYSTERY AWAITS
Travel from the halls of Marshall College to the heart of the Vatican, the pyramids of Egypt, the sunken temples of Sukhothai, and beyond. When a break-in in the dead of night ends in a confrontation with a mysterious colossal man, you must set out to discover the world-shattering secret behind the theft of a seemingly unimportant artifact. Forging new alliances and facing familiar enemies, you'll engage with intriguing characters, use guile and wits to solve ancient riddles, and survive intense set-pieces.

WHIP-CRACKING ACTION
Indiana's trademark whip remains at the heart of his gear and can be used to distract, disarm, and attack enemies. But the whip isn't just a weapon, it's Indy's most valuable tool for navigating the environment. Swing over unsuspecting patrols and scale walls as you make your way through a striking world. Combine stealth infiltration, melee combat, and gunplay to combat the enemy threat and unravel the mystery.

THE SPIRIT OF DISCOVERY
Venture through a dynamic mix of linear, narrative-driven gameplay and open-area maps. Indulge your inner explorer and unearth a world of fascinating secrets, deadly traps and fiendish puzzles, where anything could potentially hide the next piece of the mystery – or snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?

Plot summary[]

Recently separated from Marion Ravenwood,^[5] Indiana Jones is awoken at his desk in Marshall College when an imposing individual breaks into the university one night to steal what is considered an historically insignificant relic. The archaeologist sets off around the globe to unravel the mystery and his journey takes him to locations such as the Vatican, the forgotten temples of Sukhothai, the pyramids of Egypt, and even through the hostile snow-peaked Himalayas ^[3]

Somewhere along the way, he pairs up with Gina Lombardi, an investigative reporter whose interest in the mystery is a lot more personal, and they find themselves up against Emmerich Voss, an intensely psychological and highly intelligent man who is obsessed over the human mind and its manipulation.^[3]

Appearances[]

Cast[]

• Marcus Brody ....^[3] TBA
• Viktor Gantz ....^[6] TBA
• Indiana Jones^[1] .... Troy Baker^[7]
• Locus .... Tony Todd^[7]
• Gina Lombardi .... Alessandra Mastronardi^[7]
• Emmerich Voss^[3] .... Marios Gavrilis^[7]

Other characters[]

• Antonio (Mentioned only)^[3]

Artifacts[]

• Chachapoyan Fertility Idol^[8]

Creatures[]

• Dog^[3]
• Rat^[3]
• Snake^[5]
• Spider^[3]

Locations[]

• Africa^[3]
  • Egypt^[3]
    • Great Pyramid^[3]
    • Great Sphinx^[3]
    • Pyramid of Khafre^[3]
• Connecticut^[3]
  • Bedford^[3]
    • Marshall College^[3]
      • Woolley Hall^[3]
• Calcutta (On map)
• Guwahati (On map)
• Himalayas^[3]
• London (On map)^[3]
• Nepal^[8]
• New York City (On map)^[3]
• Rome^[8]
• Temple of the Chachapoyan Warriors^[8]
• Siam^[3]
  • Sukhothai^[3]
• Vatican City^[3]
  • St. Peter's Basilica^[8]

Events[]

• Second Sino-Japanese War^[3]

Organizations and titles[]

• Japanese Imperial Army^[3]
• Royal Italian Army^[3]
  • Fascist^[3]
• Nazi^[3]
  • Wehrmacht^[3]

Vehicles and vessels[]

• Japanese Zero^[9]
• Motorcycle^[8]
• Zeppelin^[3]

Weapons[]

• Banjo^[8]
• Bullwhip^[3]
• Grenade^[8]

Miscellanea[]

• Acrophobia^[8]
• Great Circle^[3]

Behind the scenes[]

In 2009, Bethesda Softworks video game designer Todd Howard originally pitched the idea of an Indiana Jones video game to franchise creator George Lucas.^[10] Although Lucasfilm Ltd. personnel had encouraged the meeting with Howard, his idea for the game didn't move forward in-part because Bethesda lacked sufficient resources to realize the project at the time.^[11] Additionally, Lucasfilm wanted to publish the game, something that Bethesda, publishers themselves, evidently declined.^[12] After Lucasfilm's acquisition by The Walt Disney Company in 2012, Howard approached Disney licensing executive Josh Drake, who liked his concept and helped him to develop the project as the corporation embraced wider game licensing efforts.^[11]

On January 12, 2021, Bethesda Softworks posted on its Twitter account a teaser video featuring what seems to be Indiana Jones' study featuring items which include a passport, a ticket to Rome stamped in October 1937, a map of Vatican City and books about Mesopotamian mythology, ancient circles with a reference to a jubilee and "forbidden stones."^[13] The teaser was followed up with another Tweet, announcing that a new Indiana Jones video game is currently in the works by Bethesda's studio MachineGames in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games. The game will feature an original story and will be executive produced by Howard.^[1] Howard felt that the developers of MachineGames were enthusiastic about working on his project, citing how the company's Wolfenstein video games focusing in part on Nazis, much like in the Indiana Jones universe, could be a strength.^[11]

In a November 29, 2022 interview with Lex Fridman, Howard briefly commented on Bethesda's Indiana Jones game, saying that it is a mix of gameplay genres.^[14] On June 22, 2023, Bethesda head of global publishing Peter Hines indicated that the game would exclusively be for Xbox and PC platforms, despite Disney's original contract including other consoles, as Bethesda sought to simplify and reduce risks in game development.^[15]

In a September 6, 2023 interview with Esquire, Todd Howard hinted that more details on the game would be coming in 2024 after he suggested its emphasis would be on the Indiana Jones experience for an interactive medium.^[16]

On January 9, 2024, MachineGames and Bethesda announced that "more than 10 minutes of game and developer insights" would be unveiled at the January 18 Xbox Developer_Direct along with the first gameplay trailer.^[17][18][19]

The Xbox Games Showcase followed on June 9 released further footage largely focused on Indiana Jones and Gina Lombardi confrontation with Viktor Gantz in Nepal.^[20] Game Director Jerk Gustafsson of MachineGames and Production Director John Jennings then gave an interview to the Official Xbox Podcast on June 14.^[21]

Gallery[]

Videos[]

Official Gameplay Reveal- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle – Developer Direct 2024

Official Gameplay Reveal Trailer- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

Official Showcase Reveal- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

Xbox Games Showcase Deep Dive - Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

Notes and references[]

External links[]

• Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on Wikipedia
• Indiana Jones and the Great Circle at the Internet Movie Database
• The Last of Us star Troy Baker now channels Harrison Ford's Indiana Jones in new game in Entertainment Weekly

Official sites[]

• Official website
•  Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on Lucasfilm.com (backup link on Archive.org)
  •  8 New Discoveries in the Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Trailer on Lucasfilm.com (backup link on Archive.org)
  •  Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Trailer, Key Art, and Story Details Revealed on Lucasfilm.com (backup link on Archive.org)
  •  Inside MachineGames' Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Adventure on Lucasfilm.com (backup link on Archive.org)
  •  Watch the New Pivotal Cinematic Moment in New Trailer for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on Lucasfilm.com (backup link on Archive.org)
•  Get Your Fedoras and Whips Ready for a New Indiana Jones Game on StarWars.com (backup link on Archive.org)

Fan sites[]

• Video Game News at TheRaider.net