For its first major showcase of 2025, Xbox has announced a Developer Direct, which promises to look into some of the platform's major titles. 2024 saw the announcement of several major titles coming to Xbox, but many of them have yet to receive specific release dates, having been announced for unspecified dates in 2025. Heading into the new year, Xbox is potentially looking to provide some additional details regarding gameplay and release windows for some of its most highly-anticipated titles.

As announced in a post on Xbox Wire, a Developer Direct has been scheduled to take place on January 23, and will specifically take a look at three titles that have already been revealed - DOOM: The Dark Ages, South of Midnight, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, developed by id Software, Compulsion Games, and Sandfall Interactive, respectively. One "brand new game" from a currently unannounced studio will also be covered at the event.

Xbox's January Developer Direct Covers Major 2025 Releases

DOOM, South of Midnight, Expedition 33, & A Mystery Game

Notably, all three of the known games that Developer Direct will focus on were shown off at Xbox Games Showcase 2024, where both DOOM: The Dark Ages and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 were initially announced, and where South of Midnight received its first gameplay trailer. Currently, all three games are set for 2025 release dates, but so far, none have narrowed their launch windows any further since they were initially revealed.

As for the fourth mystery game, there's very little information to use for speculation, but the announcement implies that the game will be a new title that hasn't been previously revealed. Many studios under Xbox have released games relatively recently, or have previously announced games in the works, like Marvel's Blade, currently being developed by Arkane Studios. The mystery game is more likely to be from a studio that hasn't been heard from much in recent years, like Double Fine — although speculation along these lines should be taken with a grain of salt.

Our Take: Xbox Has Big Potential This Year

2025 Is Shaping Up To Be A Big Year For Xbox Releases

With these three releases and other titles like Obsidian's Avowed and Fable set to launch in 2025, this year is shaping up to be a major win for Xbox, especially since the platform has been falling behind its competitors in of major releases for the past few years. Unfortunately, however, these releases are unlikely to help the current Xbox consoles much. All three games being covered in the Developer Direct are also being released on PC, and Expedition 33 and DOOM are set to release on PlayStation as well.

As Xbox seems to pivot to a multi-platform approach, though, releasing these games to as many players as possible may prove to be a winning strategy, especially as Xbox consoles continue to lag behind the competition. With several major titles lined up for 2025, Xbox's Developer Direct should hopefully mark a strong start to the year for the platform.

Source: Xbox Wire