Bethesda’s parent company, ZeniMax, has filed trademark application for a potential new game called “Deathloop.” The trademark was actually filed on December 26, 2018, although we are just now finding out about it. Other than the name itself, we really don’t know a whole lot about this new venture, that and what the trademark description states.
The link to the trademark has since expired, but according to Comicbook.com the beginning of the trademark says: “Mobile application software, namely, electronic game programs; computer game software for use with on-line interactive games; video games for mobile devices, electronic game programs.” That’s as generic as a description can get, but the opening line about “Mobile application” caught our attention, as this could very well lead to another mobile game for Bethesda to work on.
They already have the very successful Fallout Shelter that coincided with Fallout 4 in 2015. In addition, they also have The Elder Scrolls: Blades coming out sometime this year for iOS and Android devices, so it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if they continued supporting mobile platforms. As for the name itself, the term Deathloop apparently has some meaning behind it. It refers to when a player dies in-game, reloads their last save point, only for them to spawn in a place/situation where they will die again, repeating the cycle.
Bethesda isn’t the only company working under the ZeniMax umbrella, as they also have id Software (Doom and Rage), MachineGames (Wolfenstein The New Order, New Colossus), Arkane Studios (Dishonored and Prey), and Tango Gameworks (The Evil Within). Any one of these developers could take on this possible project with open arms. It isn’t clear whether this will have any progress for the immediate future, and it’s also important to note that the game may never see the light of day, as ZeniMax might just be trademarking the name to use it for something else entirely.