Much like with the first two installments in the franchise, Wasteland 3 was also crowdfunded into existence by inXile Entertainment. The developer only went on an expansive hiring spree after being acquired by Microsoft last year as part of the Xbox Game Studios expansion initiative. The additional funds gave inXile Entertainment a free hand into giving Wasteland 3 a significant boost in terms of quality. The developer has now started hiring once again, but for something new.
Earlier today, inXile Entertainment was spotted (via EveryEye) searching for lead software engineers. The chosen candidates must be “very familiar with Unreal Engine 4” and will be working on an “exciting yet unannounced RPG project” with the Wasteland 3 developer. The job listing also mentions technical development of “next-gen, single-player, multi-platform” role-playing action elements, as well as the candidates to have previously worked on triple-a projects.
What inXile Entertainment is working right now is the reason Microsoft acquired the studio in the first place. This mysterious role-playing game from the Wasteland 3 developer will be the first from the studio to grace Project Scarlett and hence, add to the next-generation Xbox library of games. The multiplatform part in the aforementioned job listing may be referencing PC since Microsoft would want its first-party games to be console exclusive.
It’s also unsurprising that inXile Entertainment has started work on another project. Wasteland 3 should be at the end of its development cycle, meaning that the developer would want to divert resources into something else. Not to mention that the developer was also spotted a few months back to have listed “unannounced projects” in the works.
Microsoft will be announcing Project Scarlett next year. There’s a chance that inXile Entertainment will be announcing a new game then. In the meantime, Wasteland 3 remains in active development. The new installment has completely overhauled the progression system to add a newfound freedom that will help players tailor their rangers. Every set of attributes, skills, perks, and quirks can be customized for squad compositions. In addition, the Kodiak — player vehicle — will be open to new upgrades as well, including improved chassess and turrets, special weapons, heavier armor, “as well as some surprises” that players will have to find for themselves.
Wasteland 3 is scheduled to release for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on May 19, 2020. For now, there are no plans to port the sequel over to the Nintendo Switch. Backers have been waiting since 2016 for the game to finish. Suffice to say, based on all footage and details available, the wait was worth it.
