It seems an underrated Wolfenstein game could be making a surprise return in the near future. Listing information on Steam for 2009's Wolfenstein indicates a remaster might be in the offing, right in time for this year's QuakeCon.
The suggestion comes from the first-person shooter's metadata on Valve's marketplace. A sharp-eyed Twitter user spotted there'd been some sudden changes to the 17-year-old game, per SteamDB. To start, the release date was removed from its store page.
That happened a little over three weeks ago. Other changes since include adding Steam Deck compatibility. These are the first substantial alterations in years, contributing to a theory that the FPS is being remastered for a surprise reveal and drop during QuakeCon this weekend.
I could certainly see that happening. It'd be a nice curveball, especially if we're getting updates on what's coming next in the Wolfenstein franchise. What's more, this would mark Wolfenstein 2009's grand return as a purchasable release.
Licensing restrictions led to its delisting in 2014 and removal from all digital storefronts. The only way to get it since has been to buy a physical copy for the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3. You have to remember, this was developed before ZeniMax owned id Software, in collaboration with Raven Software and published by Activision.
ZeniMax probably didn't care to have another publisher reaping any rewards from its IP, and Wolfenstein: The New Order coming out in 2014 allowed some predecessors to fade into the past. But you can't keep a good dose of Nazi-hunting down.
It's just a pity this comes amid strife at id Software, as the studio was impacted by Xbox's re-structuring and layoffs. We'll find out soon enough what the lay of the land is for the team when QuakeCon happens this weekend.
