Xbox is looking to start off 2025 with a bang, announcing a Developer Direct that’s set to show off a couple of the company’s biggest upcoming titles.
The live stream will kick off at 6:00 p.m. UK time on January 23rd.
On the agenda we have Doom: The Dark Ages, South of Midnight, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and a fourth game that Xbox is not naming.
It’s the mystery fourth game that has my attention, though. Xbox has a few big titles due out this year like Fable and Avowed, but those are publicly announced games so would Microsoft really play up the mystery like this if it’s just one of them? No, this appears to be a unnannounced new project, as the official post suggests when it says that we will “visit a surprise location to see another studio’s brand new game.”
Rumours have begun circulating once again about a remaster/remake of The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, which was first spotted back in 2020, so perhaps we’ll be checking in with the team at Bethesda to get our first-ever glimpse of that? Then again, with so many studios under the Xbox umbrella, who knows what it will be.
And, of course, there’s the ever-present idea that idea that some or al of these games might turn up on PlayStation down the line.
Here’s the official rundown from the Xbox Wire blog post about what to expect:
“DOOM: The Dark Ages – Developed by id Software, DOOM: The Dark Ages is the prequel to the critically acclaimed DOOM (2016) and DOOM Eternal that tells the epic cinematic origin story of the Doom Slayer’s rage. In this third installment of the modern DOOM series, players will step into the blood-stained boots of the Doom Slayer in this never-before-seen dark and sinister medieval war against Hell. Learn more during the full game reveal at Developer_Direct.
South of Midnight – Compulsion Games, the creators of Contrast and We Happy Few, will share a deep dive on South of Midnight, a third person action-adventure game set in the American Deep South. As Hazel, you will explore the mythos and confront mysterious creatures inspired by Southern Folklore to unravel her family’s hidden past in this dark, modern folktale.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – Sandfall Interactive will take us behind-the-scenes at their studio to shed some light on the development of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, this debut studio’s incredible new RPG. The team will share more about the game’s creation and how they plan to deliver an incredible story in a gorgeous fantasy world.”