Xbox is hosting the latest installment in its new Developer_Direct format this week, giving us a first look at some of the publisher's latest and greatest. Unlike most conferences in this industry, the game's shown within these events are already revealed and determined, but it doesn't mean Xbox shies away from surprises.
The Xbox & Bethesda Developer_Direct from last January revealed beforehand that it would feature Redfall, Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom, Forza Motorsport 2023, and Minecraft Legends, but it also surprised us with Tango Gameworks' Hi-Fi Rush, which ended up being my personal game of the year and one of Laptop Mag's Game of the Year entries in general.
How to watch Xbox Developer_Direct 2024
Xbox Developer_Direct 2024 goes live on Thursday at 12pm PT / 3pm ET / 8pm BT and can be watched on YouTube or Twitch. Afterwards, The Elder Scrolls Online is receiving its own special 2024 Global Reveal stream hosted by ZeniMax Online Studios at 1pm PT / 4pm ET / 9pm BT, which means the first Developer_Direct will last no longer than an hour.
What to expect from Xbox Developer_Direct 2024
As per most Xbox Developer_Direct showcases, we know what we're going to see this Thursday. Obsidian Entertainment, Ninja Theory, Machine Games and Oxide Games will be the main stars of the show.
Obsidian will be showing off Avowed, and we're going to get a "deep dive" into its gameplay. Oxide will unveil gameplay for Ara: History Untold, a new historical strategy game from creators of Civilization V. Ninja Theory will provide a new look at Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, where we will see behind the scenes on the journey to building this game. There are rumors that Hellblade 2 will launch May 21, so it's likely the company announces an official release date during this presentation.
What's likely the most exciting for the average gamer will be Machine Games' Indiana Jones adaptation. We've yet to see in-game footage, but we've been promised a first look at actual gameplay, alongside developer insights about its setting, story, and mechanics.
But will we see any additional surprises? Hi-Fi Rush came out of nowhere and blew our socks off, but since that was released the same day, it's hard to say whether anything else will have the same impact. Xbox projects we already know about but haven't seen for a while include Perfect Dark, Everwild, The Elder Scrolls 6, Clockwork Revolution, Fable, The Outer Worlds 2, South of Midnight, and State of Decay 3.
If there is a surprise, it's possible that it involves any of the games listed above. If not, we're looking forward to a potentially whole new game thrown at our feet. A shadow drop release is unlikely to happen again, but it would still be great to see some surprises from Xbox. Otherwise, we're looking forward to the event and will be covering it live, so stay tuned.
