Wolfenstein developer MachineGames has always prided itself as a studio that focuses exclusively on single player gameplay. Even before it was co-founded by former Starbreeze Studios members, the games they worked on rarely ever attempted multiplayer things (and when they did, they didn’t really do it all that well). As MachineGames, the Wolfenstein games they have worked on with The New Order, The Old Blood, and The New Colossus have all been exclusively single player experiences.
But the upcoming Youngblood is changing things up, and the game puts a great deal of focus on co-op play. Though the entire game is entirely playable solo for those who wish to do so, it is very clearly designed first and foremost as a co-op title- and it’s something that has forced the developers to think in different ways in terms of both, storytelling and gameplay.
It has, in fact, also paved the way for future MachineGames titles to follow suit, with executive producer Jerk Gustafsson telling GamesBeat in an interview that all future games developed by the studio would have some sort of an online component.
“We are talking about it, to be honest,” said Gustafsson about the studio’s approach on multiplayer going forward. “But I don’t know about what shape or form it would be. This is the first time we’ve ever done anything online, especially from the ground up. We did have some poor attempts for Riddick and The Darkness back in those days, but this is the first game where we’ve really focused on it as MachineGames. We really enjoy playing co-op in this combat that we’ve been iterating on for so many years.
“I’m pretty sure that whatever we do in the future, it will have an online component,” he continued. “You’ll be able to play it with your friends. But with that said, what I feel is equally important — a very important thing for me personally – a MachineGames title will always let you play solo. That’s an important thing for us. So I’m pretty sure it will be a combination.”
Wolfenstein: Youngblood is out on July 26 for the PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch. It will also be launching for Stadia when the service goes live in November.