Wolfenstein 3 might have a multiplayer or live services component, judging by a new job listing at developer Machine Games. A new senior producer role, and the studio ideally wants somebody with experience as a “live producer” or who’s worked with live operations and community management in the past.
That alone suggests the studio plans to expand beyond offline single-player, and the company also wants a network programmer on the development team. This role will “work with other engineers to architect and refine game systems and online features related to online games,” including client-server networking optimization and integration with backend services.
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You can check out the listings – or apply for yourself – on the official website.
We already know Machine Games is working on a multiplayer title in the form of Wolfenstein: Youngblood, a co-op spin-off starring BJ’s twin daughters – presumably playable online. The fact that the developers are hiring for a senior role with experience in live ops, however, suggests that they may have more extensive online plans for the future.
That’s all speculation, but what’s certain is that Wolfenstein 2 sales have been slow, at least on PC. And for all the goodwill Bethesda generated with its “save player 1” campaign, it doesn’t seem to have translated to sales – both Wolfenstein II and Prey have fallen short of triple-A expectations. The second Wolf in particular has been the subject of a mixed response, garnering critical praise for its storytelling but leaving many players disappointed by its rote gunplay and lack of replayability.
None of this points to the death of single-player just yet, of course. Games like Assassin’s Creed Origins have seen great success by bolstering solo gameplay with ongoing service elements, and studios like Machine Games might look to do the same. We’ll certainly see the studio move in that direction with Youngblood, and it may yet go the same way in Wolfenstein 3.