Indiana Jones and the Grand Loop is a venture in which multiple firms collaborated to craft something exceptional. As we’ve known for a while, the concept originated from Bethesda Game Studios and Elder Scrolls/Fallout/Starfield franchise overseer Todd Howard, who then chose MachineGames to fashion the game. Naturally, given that the franchise is under Lucasfilm, they also had to be part of the process.
In an interview published on Lucasfilm.com, Lucasfilm Games Executive Producer Craig Derrick lauded Howard’s idea:
For an Indiana Jones excursion to truly stand out, it requires a worldwide journey with a solid historical component—something rooted in reality yet enveloped in mystique or pertinence. With The Grand Loop, Todd Howard and the team at MachineGames struck gold by focusing the narrative on a real-world enigma: several ancient locations worldwide align on a flawless, continuous circle, yet the rationale behind this alignment has stumped people for ages.
The more I dug into it, the more intrigued I became with the concept. We delved into what type of MacGuffin could be tied to all these sites and how each site could be authentically depicted within the context of Indy’s life. This voyage of exploration and revelation fueled the construction of the game from the very start, ensuring that each facet of the narrative remained faithful to the character and captivating for the player.
Further in the conversation, Derrick pinpointed a specific muse for Indiana Jones and the Grand Loop: 1992’s point-and-click adventure game Indiana Jones and the Destiny of Atlantis.
From unraveling and scrutinizing the central enigma of the narrative to confronting distinct scenarios along the way and outsmarting mechanisms devised to withhold the world’s secrets. We intended for the player’s primary emphasis to be on employing their intellect before their strength, though engaging in combat with adversaries is also quite enjoyable. In numerous ways, we envisioned this game as a spiritual follower to Indiana Jones and the Destiny of Atlantis and other vintage adventure games. It revolves around cogitating, uncovering, tracing clues, and sometimes just a glimpse of fortune to navigate through the diverse traps, crypts, and dangers encountered—all while capturing that exaggerated Saturday cinema vibe that characterizes an Indiana Jones quest.
Indiana Jones and the Grand Loop debuts on December 9 for PC and Xbox Series S|X, with a PS5 edition confirmed to be in progress for Spring 2025. On PC, the game will support full-fledged path tracing and NVIDIA DLSS 3.5.
