Microsoft just now announced the date for this year's Xbox Developer Direct. The annual appointment to show some of this year's first-party games coming to PC and Xbox consoles will take place on January 23 at 10 AM Pacific Time / 1 PM Eastern Time / 6 PM UK / 7 PM Central European Time via the Xbox social channels.
Microsoft also unveiled the game lineup that fans can expect to see showcased at the event. By far the most anticipated of the bunch is id Software's DOOM: The Dark Ages. The eighth installment in the main series and the third following 2016's DOOM and 2020's DOOM Eternal will actually function as a prequel, demonstrating the origin story of the Slayer in a medieval inspired setting. PlayStation 5 users will want to tune in for this one, too, since it will be available on Sony's console as well from day one. The PC version will deliver the most advanced visuals, though, thanks to NVIDIA DLSS 4 Multi-Frame Generation support and path traced graphics, as announced at CES 2025.
Another game featured in the Xbox Developer Direct is South of Midnight. This is a new IP from Compulsion Games, the Canadian studio behind Contrast and We Happy Few. South of Midnight features unique stop-motion-like graphics, a setting inspired by deep South folk tales, and an action/adventure framework that, however, puts the emphasis on narrative rather than gameplay. The game is rumored to launch in March, and if that's the case, it will definitely be announced during this broadcast.
Interestingly, Microsoft is also hosting a third-party game this year. It's the intriguing Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, a JRPG featuring a mix of turn-based combat and real-time elements in development at French studio Sandfall Interactive. The game will be available on Game Pass, which likely explains the inclusion here.
Last but not least, Microsoft has teased a 'visit to a surprise location to see another studio's brand new game'. It's really anyone's guess as to what it could be, but we're definitely intrigued.
About the author: With over two decades of experience in gaming journalism, Alessio Palumbo has led the gaming vertical at Wccftech since August 2015. He started working at a young age for Italian websites like Everyeye.it, Gamestar.it, Nextgame.it, and Multiplayer.it before kickstarting the indie English-language publication Worlds Factory as its founder and Editor in Chief. In the last decade, he has coordinated the overall output of Wccftech's gaming section, managed PR relations, assigned reviews, produced daily news coverage, edited gaming content as needed, and delivered game reviews. Arguably, his trademark content is the long series of exclusive developer interviews that have been cited by Wikipedia and by the biggest news media and gaming publications. His passion for technology also makes him knowledgeable when it comes to gaming hardware and tech. His favorite genres include RPGs, MMORPGs, and action/adventure games.
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