What you need to know
- A new Xbox showcase has been rumored for some time now, and we believe we have some concrete information on it finally.
- Our sources suggest the showcase is called Xbox Developer_Direct, and will feature content from Xbox and Bethesda.
- We're expecting the show to go live on January 25, at 12PM PT. Although that may be subject to change.
- Games expected to appear include Redfall, Forza Motorsport, and Minecraft Legends.
- This will be an intimate look at major games for 2023, as Microsoft seeks to ramp up transparency and frequency on upcoming Xbox games.
UPDATE (Jan 10, 2022): This is now officially confirmed per Microsoft, see below for our original report.
Xbox fans have been waiting for a while for information on this year's slate of Xbox games, set to include games like Redfall and the hotly-anticipated Starfield. It seems that we won't have to wait much longer, if our information is correct.
I heard that there was an Xbox showcase on the horizon back in December as we discussed on our Xbox Two Podcast, but have since been able to lock the information down with a variety of sources familiar with Microsoft's plans. It seems the show will be called a Developer_Direct, and may be part of a new initiative from Microsoft and Xbox to offer information on upcoming games more frequently, outside of the major E3 and Game Awards marketing beats.
From what we understand, the Developer_Direct show is slated for January 25 at 12PM PT on Xbox's official channels on Twitch and YouTube. Although these dates may be subject to change. The show will be hosted by both Xbox and Bethesda, with deep dives into Redfall, Minecraft Legends, Forza Motorsport, and content from ZeniMax Online Studios.
From what we understand, this won't be a full-blown E3-scale kind of show, and will be a more intimate look at some upcoming exclusives. As such, we've heard Starfield may even be skipping this show for a bigger marketing beat later on.
2023 is looking to be a bright year for Microsoft's gaming efforts. Many of the best Xbox games announced in the past few years have 2023 launch windows, including Redfall and the sure-fire blockbuster Starfield, led by Todd Howard and the team behind Skyrim and Fallout 3 and 4.
Microsoft has been criticized in recent years for the relatively anaemic exclusive offering for Xbox through 2022, despite winning high critical praise for titles like Grounded, Pentiment, alongside ongoing updates for Sea of Thieves and Flight Simualtor. Xbox Game Pass has also been firing on all cylinders, obtaining excellent titles like Vampire Survivors and Plague Tale: Requiem last year, with Monster Hunter Rise landing day one into the service in the coming weeks.
The Developer_Direct showcase will hopefully be the beginning of a more frequent marketing cycle for the company, as many fans have asked Microsoft to look to Nintendo's "Direct" style shows to keep the news cycle going. We expect Microsoft will make the show official as soon as this week, so be sure to keep an eye out.
