Everyone seems to be getting into the action when it comes the Nintendo Switch, especially in regards to bringing already existing games to the portable console. One such studio that has taken advantage of all that the Switch has to offer is Bethesda Softworks, having seen recent success with porting games to the console. Such titles have included The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and DOOM, as well as the upcoming Switch release of Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. But what might be next for the company beyond the Nintendo Switch?

While nothing official was confirmed, in a recent interview with DualShockers, Bethesda’s Senior Vice President of Marketing, Pete Hines, hinted at a potential DOOM 2 announcement coming at the E3 2018 conference.

When asked about the studio’s plans for the second half of the year, Hines replied (emphasis ours for effect):

“I couldn’t give you any guesses as to what we’re going to announce and when those games will be out. But I will say, we have a lot of new stuff to talk about at E3. Whether or not folks realize it, this is the hell on Earth time for us with E3. We are in the midst of so much planning and work for all of that content but I’m really excited.

I think we have a lot of stuff that folks are going to like. To my earlier comment, it’s going to be a big mix of stuff that’s all over the place. It’s not going to be like all [one] kind of game or genre. It’s going to be a lot of stuff in a lot of different areas and hopefully, there’s something in there for everybody.”

https://www.engadget.com/2016/09/29/raise-some-hell-on-your-commute-with-the-doom-soundtrack/

A sequel to 2016’s DOOM - originally released for the PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One - would be exciting news. In fact, if announced, DOOM 2 may be one of the most anticipated games to come out of E3, considering that the 2016 title was well-received by both fans and critics alike.

Of course, with no confirmation, this is nothing more than an exciting rumor. However, Hines’ usage of the term “hell on Earth” provides possibly the biggest hint at a potential DOOM 2 announcement, considering that the original game released in 1994 was distinctly titled DOOM 2: Hell on Earth.

Maybe it’s just a crazy coincidence. Maybe the expression has simply made its way into Hines’ regular vernacular, since the DOOM series is  so heavily ingrained into Bethesda’s culture. Either way, with the timeliness of the expression being used in the build up to E3 2018, it is, at the very least, fun to speculate (and hope) that a DOOM 2 announcement may be on its way.