A trademark recently filed by Bethesda could be hinting at a potential monster hunting game to come from the developer in the future. The surge in popularity of the Monster Hunter franchise throughout recent years has seen several of gaming's most prolific studios looking to capitalize on the "giant monster" genre. EA would release Wild Hearts earlier this year as the developer's own take on the genre, mixing towering monsters with technological weapons. Now, a new trademark could suggest Bethesda is looking to try its hand at the popular genre.
While Bethesda as a studio isn't overly familiar with the monster hunting genre, the developer has been making waves for several of its other franchises. The developer is gearing up for the release of its first in-house AAA game since 2018's Fallout 76 later this year with the highly anticipated Starfield. Bethesda has also reportedly been working on The Elder Scrolls 6 for several years with the next installment of the beloved RPG franchise first revealed in 2018. Now, a new IP may be in the works from the fan-favorite developer.
A new trademark filed by Bethesda parent company ZeniMax earlier this month claims the phrase "GIANT MONSTER NEWS." While little is known about the title or what kind of project it could lend itself to, the potential game has been heavily suggested to be Bethesda's foray into monster hunting. Bethesda had formerly filed for a trademark of the same phrase several years ago, but nothing related to the project has ever been revealed. While speculated that the game could finally appear at Microsoft's Xbox Games Showcase, no official confirmation has been given by Bethesda.
A new IP for Bethesda would be far from the first time the Elder Scrolls developer has looked to branch out, as with the previously mentioned Starfield. Recent years have seen the studio branch out to publish a wide variety of new IPs, including major releases this year like Hi-Fi Rush and Redfall. Starfield's release, however, will be the first non-Elder Scrolls or Fallout game developed in-house by Bethesda since 2006's IHRA Drag Racing. Starfield is currently scheduled to launch in September with more information coming during Xbox's June showcase.
Bethesda's potential first foray into monster hunting would come amidst stiff competition within the genre, both from Monster Hunter itself and its contemporaries. Monster Hunter Rise's first major expansion, Sunbreak, debuted last summer adding a significant amount of content to the already massively successful game. Capcom would also reveal the franchise will be branching out to mobile devices with the reveal of Monster Hunter Now last month. Fans will have to wait and see what Bethesda has planned for the "GIANT MONSTER NEWS" project.