[Credits: Bethesda/id Software]

It’s not uncommon for online retailer listings to begin preparing for E3 and major game events with preparing SKU and placeholders for upcoming titles, however, Bethesda wasn’t all-to-amused when Wal-Mart Canada accidentally leaked the highly anticipated sequel to id Software’s RAGE.

As E3 quickly approaches, online and big-box retailers are already preparing for the major announcements that will be made. It’s also not uncommon for us to have a reason to take a deep breath in and almost exhale when publishers such as Sony and Bethesda take to the stage, giving us a glimpse at what they’ve been hard at work developing and are ready to show it off.

Unfortunately, Wal-Mart’s latest leak isn’t just a minor one. The latest leak includes some of the biggest names for Bethesda, Microsoft, Gearbox, and many more. Among those comes the titles RAGE 2, Gears of War 5, Borderlands 3, Forza “Horizons” 5, and Square Enix’s Just Cause 4. While many of these games have only been teased to be in development, the most surprising here isn’t the latter four games, but the first on the list: RAGE 2.

Unlike many developers and publishers on the market, the most recent bit was the fact that games like Beyond Good & Evil 2 had made the cut, but the more interesting aspect is Bethesda’s response to Wal-Mart Canada’s little online leak. As stated by Forbe’s Jason Evangelho earlier this morning, Bethesda didn’t release a “dismissive, boilerplate statement we’re used to (something along the lines of “we don’t comment on rumors and speculation,”) the community manager for RAGE decided to school Walmart on the proper display of its box art.”

Instead, we got something a bit more comedic, something we’ve yet to see from Gearbox’s Randy Pitchford or the community and social media managers for the other publishers. The community manager for RAGE had a bit of fun with this incident, schooling Wal-Mart in everything they did wrong with RAGE 2‘s placeholder box art.

But as pointed out by Forbes writer, Jason Evangelho, it didn’t end there. Instead, it seems that the teams at Bethesda had a bit more to say in a single word: “Dude.”

But toss in the fact it continues on with Bethesda’s VP of Marketing, Pete Hines, getting involved, it seems like this little incident is made of pure comedy gold.

But this doesn’t necessarily mean that the existence of RAGE 2 is confirmed, but rather, it means that Bethesda is just having some friendly marketing fun. After all, if RAGE 2 does get announced, who wouldn’t jump for joy and clap their hands together furiously? I know I will be as I’ve already begun to prepare by playing through RAGE once again via PC.

But as Jason Evangelho states in his piece, and I quote him, “I just love seeing marketing tactics like this that get people talking and laughing, rather than playing by the old boring rulebook.”

With Bethesda’s #BE3 showcase being prepared for later this year, we can only hope that we can once more be captivated by an ever-expanding Bethesda land, which was framed as a carnival filled with attractions, food, drinks, and everything Bethesda. If Bethesda’s highlights this year prove to be as big as ever, we can rest assured that both E3 and QuakeCon 2018 will keep Bethesda fans busy in the months to come.

[Source: Forbes]

About the Writer:

Dustin is our native console game reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the borders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPGs, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. His elitist attitude gives him direction, want, and a need for the hardest difficulties in games, which is fun to watch, and hilarity at its finest. You can find him over on Twitter or Facebook.