Housemarque wowed everyone with its unique rogue-like bullet-hell third-person PS5 exclusive shooter Returnal earlier this year, and a new tweet from the developer has fans speculating about an incoming DLC announcement.
Atropos..?#Returnal pic.twitter.com/oZdDUHoXYR
— Housemarque (@Housemarque) November 26, 2021
The image seen isn’t familiar to anyone; no one can seem to place it within Returnal’s current biomes and environments. Showing what appears to be a rocky formation that looks like a horned helmet or head, the picture is an off-screen image taken on a TV that is sitting on gear crates—the kind often used for big events, like say, maybe The Game Awards. The figure that stands as the subject of the image looks like it could possibly be one of the statues of the alien life forms that litter Atropos, though there does appear to be something a bit different about it, not to mention the unfamiliar environment it seems to be in.
The comment on the tweet—”Atropos..?”—has sparked speculation that the image isn’t even on Returnal’s alien world of Atropos, which leads many to believe that an incoming DLC announcement will take Selene somewhere else. Given the Returnal hashtag, we know for certain that the mysterious tweet has something to do with the game. But just what it could be is yet unknown.
Housemarque was acquired by PlayStation Studios earlier this year, and given Returnal’s status as one of the first and biggest PS5 exclusives so far, it would make sense to continue to support the game with additionally places to go and things to do.
Of course, with The Game Awards 2021 coming up on December 9, that seems to be the closest event that a tease could lead into a big announcement. Organizer Geoff Keighley has been teasing an enormous show with tons of announcements that will change the face of the video game industry as we know it. A few new Returnal biomes may not exactly change video games as we know it, but it would be a great way to return to a beloved game. For now, however, this is all speculation until we either get a full announcement, or more teases add more weight to the possibility.
What does the image mean to you? Do you think Housemarque is preparing players to start the loop once again?
