On Jan. 12, 2021, Bethesda, seemingly out of nowhere, announced an upcoming video game starring Indiana Jones. This news came as both a shock and a delight to Indiana Jones fans, who have been waiting for a new game since 2009’s LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues. Even more shocking, there hadn’t been any previous indication that Bethesda was working on an Indiana Jones title. But if fans had paid close attention months earlier, they might have connected the dots.
On Nov. 8, 2020, journalist Geoff Keighley tweeted a screenshot from a Zoom chat that included Bethesda Softworks director and executive producer Todd Howard. On a bookshelf behind Howard, two pieces of Raiders of the Lost Ark memorabilia were visible — the Chachapoyan Fertility Idol and the Ark of the Covenant.
Fans only noticed after the Indiana Jones project was revealed. Once they did notice, Bethesda Senior VP of Marketing Pete Hines insisted it was a coincidence, claiming that Howard just loves the franchise. Even so, the fact that a high-level Bethesda employee is a huge Indy lover could have tipped fans off, especially since Howard is executive producing the upcoming Indiana Jones game.
Bottom line: if a gaming exec does an interview from home, always check the bookshelves.
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