If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably spent a good chunk of your life humming that John Williams theme while using a rolled-up belt as a whip. We’ve been waiting for a truly great Indy game since, what, Fate of Atlantis in the 90s? Well, the wait is mostly over, but the answer to when does the Indiana Jones game release actually depends entirely on which black box is sitting under your TV.
The rollout for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle hasn't been a one-and-done affair. Since Microsoft owns Bethesda, and Bethesda owns the developer MachineGames, there was a bit of a "favors for the home team" vibe with the initial launch.
The Original Launch: Xbox and PC
If you’re an Xbox Series X|S or PC player, you’ve likely already had the chance to punch some Nazis. The game officially hit the shelves—both digital and physical—on December 9, 2024.
I remember the hype that week. There was this "Premium Edition" that let people jump in three days early, so the internet was already flooded with clips of Troy Baker (who sounds uncannily like a young Harrison Ford) by December 6. It launched day-one on Game Pass too, which basically made it the biggest holiday gift for anyone with a subscription.
When Does the Indiana Jones Game Release on PS5?
This is where things got spicy. For months, everyone was whispering about whether Indy would ever make the jump to Sony’s camp. He did.
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The official release date for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on PlayStation 5 was April 17, 2025.
Honestly, the PS5 version came with some nice perks for those who waited. It launched with specific support for the PS5 Pro, pushing the ray-tracing and frame rates just a bit further than what we saw at the initial December launch. If you’re a physical collector, though, heads up: the disc version on PS5 was a bit of a letdown for purists because it only had about 20GB of data on the plastic. You still had to download a massive chunk of the game to actually play.
The Surprise Twist: What About the Switch 2?
Believe it or not, the "Great Circle" is stretching even further. While the original Nintendo Switch doesn't have the horsepower to run a game that looks this good, Nintendo's successor is a different story.
Current confirmed windows put the Nintendo Switch 2 release in 2026.
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We don't have a specific day or month for the Nintendo version yet, but seeing Indy on a handheld (that isn't a Steam Deck) is going to be a trip. Speaking of the Steam Deck, the game actually got "Verified" status back in May 2025, so if you're a portable PC gamer, you're already good to go.
What is the Great Circle anyway?
MachineGames didn't just make a "beat 'em up." This thing is set in 1937, wedged right between Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade. It follows Indy as he tries to figure out why someone stole a seemingly worthless artifact from Marshall College.
The "Great Circle" refers to a real-world archaeological theory about ancient sites—like the Pyramids and Easter Island—aligning in a perfect circle around the globe. It’s classic pulpy fun. You spend most of your time in first-person, which was a controversial choice at first. But once you start using the whip to swing over patrols or pull a guard's legs out from under him, it clicks.
Expansion Content: The Order of Giants
If you’ve already finished the main story and are wondering what’s next, you should check out The Order of Giants. This story DLC dropped on September 4, 2025.
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It takes Indy to ancient Rome, and while it's a bit shorter than the main campaign, it doubles down on the puzzles. Some fans complained that the stealth in the base game was a bit clunky, and while the DLC doesn't totally "fix" that, the level design is much tighter.
Actionable Tips for New Players
If you’re just starting your journey now that the game is available across almost all major platforms, keep these things in mind:
- Don't ignore the camera: You aren't just there to fight. Taking photos of historical markers earns you Adventure Points, which you need to unlock abilities (like "True Grit" to survive a fatal blow).
- The Whip is a Multi-tool: It’s not just for combat. You can use it to grab items from a distance or distract guards by cracking it against a wall away from you.
- Check the "Anniversary Update": If you're playing recently, make sure you've downloaded the October 2025 update. It added a bunch of community-requested features and cleaned up the lighting in the darker tomb sections.
If you're still waiting for that Nintendo version, you've got a bit of a trek ahead of you through 2026. For everyone else, the doctor is in. Just... watch out for the snakes.
Next Steps for You:
Check your platform's store—whether it's the PlayStation Store, Xbox Game Pass, or Steam—and look for the "Digital Premium Edition" if you want the Order of Giants DLC included from the start. If you're on PS5, verify you have at least 100GB of free space before starting the download.