Just like last year, we're kicking off the year with the Xbox Developer Direct livestream. It kicks off at 12PM PT/ 3PM ET / 8PM GMT and is the first major gaming event we've had this year so far. We'll be covering the event as it happens right here, delivering you the news as it happens and maybe even have a few laughs along the way.
Here's how to watch the Xbox Developer_Direct livestream
Microsoft has confirmed that the showcase will be presented by the developers themselves (as the name suggests), and will feature segments on four key Xbox titles. That's specifically the reveal for MachineGames' Indiana Jones game, Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2, Ara: History Untold, and Avowed.
What you won't see during the direct is anything from Activision Blizzard. Microsoft has already stated that "you can look forward to news from those teams later this year" in a press release sent out to accompany the announcement of the Developer Direct.
What time is the Xbox Developer Direct stream?
12PM PT
3pm ET
8PM GMT
7AM AEDT (Jan 19)
So let's start with the Indiana Jones game shall we?
First announced what feels like a decade ago in January 2021, it was revealed in the form of a tweet from Bethesda.
pic.twitter.com/XSaIwjgiOFJanuary 12, 2021
It featured just a video, no title, and just a few teenie details.
The video itself was a joy for the eagle-eyed though, with fans spotting the passport, hat and whip first, but then more subtle details like a plane ticket to Rome and the date 1937.
That date would place the game between Raiders of the Lost Ark and the Last Crucade movies, and probably feature Italian fascist leader Benito Mussolini. However, other notes on the desk in the teaser also suggest the Vatican and US government are involved somewhere.
The teaser video was then followed up with a secondary tweet, which revealed that the currently unnamed Indiana Jones game is being developed by MachineGames - the team that has brought us the Wolfenstein series.
A new Indiana Jones game with an original story is in development from our studio, @MachineGames, and will be executive produced by Todd Howard, in collaboration with @LucasfilmGames. It'll be some time before we have more to reveal, but we’re very excited to share today’s news!January 12, 2021
Plus, Todd Howard is executive producer and the game is being created in collaboration with Lucas Film Games too.
Bethesda did caveat the announcement by saying it would be 'some time' before there would be more news, but clearly now is the time.
We don't even know what the new game is going to be called though, although Indiana Jones fans think they've figured it out.
One canny Twitter user spotted that Lucasfilm recently registered a bunch of domains all of which included the name - Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. None of the sites listed are live yet but that could well be the name of the game.
Today though, we'll be heading over MachineGames to hear more about the game - hopefully including a title and a release date, even a loose one.
We're going to get "more than 10 minutes of game and developer insights", which will include setting and story details, how you'll play as Indy and more.
And yes, a no doubt delicious first gameplay trailer.
So that's Indiana Jones, but what else is on the cards?
Well, part of me hopes there's a sneaky surprise like last year's Developer Direct, where we got the shock reveal and drop of the utterly excellent Hi-Fi Rush.
What we do know we'll see more of though is Ara: History Untold. It was announced back at the June Xbox and Bethesda Showcase in 2022, and we most recently got this gameplay trailer back in August as part of Gamescom 2023.
It's a strategy game where you'll be tasked with building a nation across the full span of history - no pressure. You've only got to be the greatest ruler ever know, no biggie.
You can play as some of history's most influential figures too, like Queen Nefertiti of the Egyptians or Sappho of the Greeks or even George Washington himself if you like. These leaders represent unqiue playstyles and have specific traits you can use in your quest to be the best ruler yet.
Interestingly, like all of the other games to feature in today's Xbox Developer Direct stream, Ara: History Untold doesn't actually have a release date beyond a loose '2024'.
It really does feel like Xbox is going to potentially use this event to establish four key Xbox titles for this year, and hopefully reveal the release date for all of them.
That was what it did with the Xbox Developer Direct last year. Redfall got its May release date and Minecraft Legends confirmed it would drop in April, although Forza Motorsport didn't actually get a launch date until later.
Now, surely, surely today's the day where we get the release date for Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2.
According to Xbox, today's Developer Direct segment for Hellblade 2 will "take us behind the scenes" at Ninja Theory to give us more insight into the game, including "the ambitious and meticulous care" involved.
Now, I don't want to be mean, but I feel like we've been behind the scenes with Hellblade 2 plenty, with many a beautiful and unsettling trailer in the years since it was announced.
Hellblade 2 was originally revealed back in 2019, which feels like an eon ago. It got a loose 2024 release window at the Xbox and Bethesda Showcase in June 2023, which was then reaffirmed at the Game Awards in December last year.
I feel like Ninja Theory has set the agenda well, showcasing its insanely stunning facial capture and graphical prowess at every stage, so it's definitely clear how much has gone into this highly-anticipated sequel.
You only have to look at the Game Awards 2023 trailer to see all of that in action, with bleak but stunning vistas backdropping Senua's ever-expressive face.
Or the insanely cinematic and immersive E3 2023 trailer:
Recent rumors suggest that the game is going to drop in May - May 21, specifically.
"I just love Ninja Theory and all the work that they do," he said in the interview at the time. "Their craftsmanship is fantastic. I love how that game is coming together."
In terms of heavy hitters we definitively know will make an appearance, other than Indiana Jones, the most hotly anticipated title that's set to make an appearance today has to be Obsidian's new RPG, Avowed. Folks have been salivating over this one since it was first revealed back in July 2020.
While Avowed is, technically, a new IP, it's actually set in the world -- Eora -- of Pillars of Eternity and its sequel. Even so, the first-person RPG appears to be mechanically distinct from those games given Pillars of Eternity was and is an isometric CRPG (think Baldur's Gate 2 or Icewind Dale) and Avowed looks to instead be taking pointers from the likes of Skyrim.
The official gameplay trailer from June 2023 is pretty clear with its inspirations:
"Welcome to the Living Lands, a mysterious island filled with adventure and danger," an official description of Avowed reads. "You are the envoy of Aedyr sent to investigate rumors of a spreading plague. While there, you discover a personal connection to the region itself and an ancient secret that threatens to destroy everything. Can you save the island and your soul from the forces threatening to tear them apart?"
Though we're likely to learn more about them today, broadly speaking there's one companion in Avowed that's been significantly revealed already: Kai. Xbox has been clear that companions will play a significant role in the game.
"Kai is a Coastal Aumaua currently residing in the Living Lands and is one of the only friendly faces you’ll find here," shared Feargus Urquhart, Obsidian's studio head, when the Avowed gameplay trailer was revealed. "He is a former soldier, and his idealistic and pragmatic temperament will help guide you as you venture out into this wild frontier."
In terms of what to expect from Avowed, game director Carrie Patel said in June 2023 to consider it to be similar in scope to Knights of the Old Republic 2 or The Outer Worlds.
"It's going to be roughly comparable to something like Knights of the Old Republic 2 or The Outer Worlds," said Patel said during the Xbox Games Showcase Extended stream at the time. "It is set up as a series of interconnected open zones that players can explore at their own pace. You can invest in discovering every nook and cranny in the world, discovering every secret, finding every sidequest, meeting every character - or you can have a much more focused experience. It's really up to players and how much time they want to spend in The Living Lands, but I'm hopeful they're going to spend a lot of time with us once Avowed releases."
If you can believe it, there was apparently a time where Avowed was actually going to be a multiplayer game instead of a single-player RPG. The company ultimately changed directions, and the reason seems to be pretty straightforward.
"We were too focused on co-op and we were too focused on changing the way our pipelines work and the way that we write conversations and the way we do quests and everything else," said Justin Britch, head of development for Obsidian.
"After working on it for a little bit, we realized that we weren't focused on the things that we're best at," continued Britch, "and so we made a pivot on the game basically, to refocus really and make sure that it was, at the end of the day, an Obsidian game and not something different."
...but also, Avowed release date has to be in the cards here, right? Surely Obsidian and Xbox won't leave us hanging. We know it's coming to Xbox Series X/S and PC, but the when remains elusive.
Please?
Okay here we go folks! Are we ready? What do we think will be first?
My money is on Ara or Hellblade 2.
First up we've got a lovely intro to all the studios featuring in today's Developer Direct - including some impressive cartwheels.
Oh no, it's Avowed up first!
There's going to be a lot of great secrets to discover, including one that's particularly special to the player character....
But first we're going to talk about combat.
It's a flexible combat system that lets you switch from magic to melee to gunplay. "It's not just hacking and slashing".
Lots of options as to how you want to play.
Important to take care to make note of what you're in combat with, and to help that you can preset customised loadouts that you can quickly switch between.
Focused on creating a balance between pressure and manageability for combat.
Lots of chat about choices and decision making, showcasing some of what you can expect through a side mission you may encounter in the world's third area.
"We knew we wanted avowed's setting to be rich, weird, and wonderful."
The Living Lands is a continent of a variety of landscapes.
It really does look rather pretty.
Okay, so it's coming 'Fall 2024' but no specific Avowed release date given just yet.
We are now in the "last few months of development" for Hellblade 2 though, which is up now.
Senua's off to Iceland to reach the source of the Vikings that decimated her village. The Furies are still constant companions, but she'll also meet other people who may or may not embrace her specific perspectives.
It's 10th Century Iceland, and the game is trying to be as faithful to history as it can. However, there are giants that Senua will tackle, so not entirely sure that's 100% historically accurate.
"On Saga, we've taken everything to the next level" - particularly when it comes to the motion capture.
There's all new combat for this sequel too, and it "feels very different from the first game", it's "very brutal".
"She's not a superhero, she's fighting for survival", and the developer wants you to feel like you've always just scraped through a fight.
Sounds like we all need to play Hellblade 2 wearing headphones.
Hellblade 2 coming May 21! Confirmed.
Oh surprise appearance from Square Enix now, with Visions of Mana.
Developer wants to incorporate everything its learned over 30 years of the saga with Visions of Mana.
For Visions of Mana enemies have been transformed from pixels to living, breathing creatures.
These are some of the cutest monsters I've ever seen, why do we have to fight them.
New friends known as the Pikuls will help transport you around the map.
This one is meant to be a Yorkshire Terrier crossed with a pangolin <3
This newest Mana really delivers on its promise of 'action' in the 'action RPG' genre.
This is the first time the Mana series is releasing on Xbox, so expect more information soon. The game is dropping this summer.
Back to the regular scheduled programming with a trip to Oxide for Ara: History Untold.
"With Ara we wanted to challenge some of the preconceived notion about the genre"
Some bloke just wandered on screen and it was very funny. "That's Dan, we started in his basement".
Want to allow players from all around the world to see their history reflected in the game - along with their choices.
The Living World is a procedurally generated alternative Earth. It's not just a map, it'll reflect your choices.
Your player score is marked in Prestige, which then lets you decide how you want to make your mark as a leader. There's no set victory conditions, but instead you can pick what's important to you.
It's crafting system "feels unique" to the 4X genre.
Encourages thoughtful, advanced planning - or that's the aim anyway.
All players' actions are resolved at the same time, rather than being turn based. "Makes Ara feels more real".
Each leader has a specific set of traits influenced by their personality and contributions to history.
Fall 2024 for Ara, no set date yet.
And now we're off to Sweden to show off Indiana Jones with MachineGames. Gosh I'm so excited.
"You're not just playing as Indiana Jones, you are Indiana Jones."
Todd Howard thought MachineGames was the perfect studio to make this game. "Excitement has bled through the whole project".
Gameplay up now, with Indy on the floor being tormented by a Nazi with a broken nose.
My goodness he looks a lot like Harrison Ford.
Oh that's a lot of whip action. Using it to zipline, attacking enemies... then switching out with a pistol.
Air combat also features, including Indy running along one wing and jumping to another plane.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle confirmed as the name for this one. What an epic trailer.
"Our game is all about putting you in Indy's shoes."
"At MachineGames we do that best through first-person" whether that's cracking your whip, solving puzzles or seeing your knuckles bloody in a fight.
Events like cutscenes and environmental traversal the camera pulled back to third person so you can appreciate Indy's iconic look.
Game will reward those who look to find alternative, more clever routes through problems than just relying on combat.
Settings include - Forgotten Temples, Pyramids of Egypt, and the Himalayas.
Trying to ape the John Williams' original movie soundtracks with the game's music.
