Ninja Theory Abandons Development of Experimental Horror Title ‘Project Mara

Ninja Theory’s ambitious horror venture, Project Mara, has officially been shelved, the studio’s chief has confirmed.

Back in 2020, the team behind Hellblade announced that Project Mara would deliver “a real‑world and grounded representation of mental terror,” with a 2021 developer diary revealing the game would unfold within a photorealistic apartment setting.

Since then, very little has surfaced, but during an Xbox Wire interview promoting the forthcoming Senua title, Dom Matthews—head of Ninja Theory—confirmed that the project has been scrapped.

When queried about the third game’s heavier emphasis on action and whether it harkens back to the studio’s roots, Matthews clarified: “I think about it slightly differently. It’s not a combat‑action game—people shouldn’t expect that this is like two‑thirds combat. We’re really thinking about it as being a fairly even split between combat, traversal, and puzzle solving.”

Ninja Theory’s approach to Project Mara is centered around maximizing the studio’s potential, leveraging their extensive expertise from acclaimed titles such as DmC, Enslaved, Heavenly Sword, and the Hellblade series. This strategic move aims to allow the team to deliver an exceptional gaming experience.

In contrast to the smaller teams that worked on the previous two Hellblade games, the entire studio is now dedicated to the third installment. Consequently, Project Mara, which was initially in development, has been put on hold.

With a larger team of 85 members at their disposal, Ninja Theory intends to expand upon various aspects of gameplay, including combat, traversal, and puzzles. The goal is to seamlessly integrate these elements into a unified gaming experience that capitalizes on the studio’s current talent pool.

In a candid update, the studio confirmed that the entire creative team has been redirected from the previously announced horror title, Project Mara, to focus exclusively on the forthcoming Hellblade installment. The decision, while difficult, was made to consolidate the studio’s 85 artists and developers around a single, ambitious vision for Senua’s story.

With the full talent pool now dedicated to the project, the team is poised to unlock the full potential of the beloved protagonist, ensuring that every creative element aligns with the series’ legacy and future aspirations.

Scheduled for a 2027 release, the third entry in the Hellblade saga places Senua in a liminal realm where life and death blur, navigating a fractured purgatory that tests her resolve and perception.

In this desperate struggle, Senua must battle through spectral adversaries and internal demons alike, striving to reach the afterlife and reunite with lost loved ones, all while confronting forces that threaten her deepest convictions.