RICHFIELD, Minn. — Several eagle-eyed gamers recently discovered a Best Buy website listing for a previously unannounced entry in the President of the United States series. The listing was taken down after approximately 45 minutes, but screenshots confirming the release date and title are still making the rounds on Twitter and Reddit.
According to the leak, this highly-anticipated sequel will be titled POTUS 46, and is scheduled for release during Holiday 2020. Though no official announcement has been issued by the series’ developer, White House, the timing makes sense, given their reputation for releasing new installments or deluxe “Second Term” editions every four years. A Holiday 2020 release also lines up with the recently-confirmed launch of the PS5, which could mean we’re looking at a launch title.
Best Buy CEO Corie Barry denied the legitimacy of this leak in a statement shortly after its discovery.
“It’s common practice for major retailers to speculate on upcoming releases and prepare entries in our online system,” explained Barry. “At this time, we don’t have any information on if or when a new POTUS is coming.”
Regardless, there are some telltale signs that the developers are gearing up for a new project. White House has opened dozens of positions over the past year in an effort to rotate in new talent. Though they are still releasing content for POTUS 45, there have been recent indications that multiplayer support for the title is winding down.
Gamers are practically frothing at the mouth over the prospect of a new title — especially since the previous entry in the series was poorly received. Though it still has some diehard fans, most players agreed POTUS 45 was a disappointment, largely because the protagonist was unlikable and difficult to control.
As for the identity of the next main character, we have little more than speculation so far. Fan artists have already taken to social media, sketching up their ideas for a new design, while others say the previous protagonist will make a return.
One thing is pretty clear — with the exception of POTUS 44, White House doesn’t vary up their character design much between titles. Fans of the series probably shouldn’t hold their breath for any major changes, but it’s possible that the developers will finally make good on their promise to allow players to select the protagonist’s gender this time around.
Check out the newest episode of the Hard Drive podcast where we watch and discuss every episode of 1989’s The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!
