We should know by now never to count out Indiana Jones. First The Last Crusade was proven to be a misnomer when it was followed up by 2008’s Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and then even that was replaced as Indy’s final adventure with 2023’s Dial of Destiny.
But surely that was it, right? Nope, wrong again. While Harrison Ford probably has donned the fedora for the last time in live-action, Dr. Henry Jones Jr. lives on in a different medium that he hasn’t raided for a while. On Jan. 19, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle was officially announced to be coming from Bethesda and Wolfenstein’s MachineGames, with a stunning gameplay reveal trailer offering our first look at what promises to be a truly authentic outing for everyone’s favorite Nazi-punching archaeologist.
But does The Great Circle fit into the continuity of the movies or does it exist on the outside sphere of the franchise, like the little-remembered Young Indiana Jones Chronicles? Here’s your answer.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle timeline, explained
Yes, Indy nerds, The Great Circle definitely is part of the movies’ canon as it slots neatly in between two of the films. Specifically, the game is set in 1937, which means it takes place in between the first movie, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and the third, The Last Crusade. Remember, Temple of Doom is actually a prequel to Raiders. So if you want to be really thorough next time you do an Indy binge, the chronology should go Temple > Raiders > Circle > Crusade > Kingdom > Destiny.
The Great Circle‘s timeline is teased throughout the trailer, in ways that’ll make fans feel all kinds of nostalgic, complete with Indy still working at Marshall College and his old colleague Marcus Brody (Denholm Elliot in the movies) making an appearance. As it takes place right in the middle of the original trilogy, the game might actually go down as the most successful attempt to recreate that classic Indiana Jones feel and alleviate some of the negativity certain fans felt towards the downbeat Dial of Destiny.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is coming sometime in 2024.