This has already been an incredibly exciting month for the video game industry, but as it turns out, the long-awaited Nintendo Switch 2 reveal was just the beginning. On Thursday, the Xbox Developer Direct showcase returns for another year with a look at three of the most anticipated games launching in 2025, as well as a surprise announcement.
When is Xbox Developer Direct 2025?
The latest Developer Direct will begin at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET on Thursday, January 23.
How can I watch the livestream?
If you want to watch it all live, Xbox will be streaming the Developer Direct on YouTube, Twitch, Steam, Facebook, and even on China’s Bilibili platform. We’ve also embedded the 4K YouTube stream below, so you can watch right here on this page if you prefer:
What games will be at the Developer Direct?
So far, we know the showcase will feature id Software’s high-octane first-person shooter Doom: The Dark Ages, Compulsion Games’ highly stylized third-person action-adventure game South of Midnight, and Sandfall Interactive’s turn-based RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
Additionally, Xbox says that fans will “visit a surprise location to see another studio’s brand new game.” The company hasn’t provided any hints about this fourth title, but there have been some rumors. Windows Central’s Jez Corden claims it will be “a new entry in a legendary Japanese IP which has decades of history, and should make a lot of fans happy.”
Corden hinted in a tweet that the showcase might feature “more than one surprise” as well.
There’s a fairly wide range of potential studios that could fit in that fourth slot. Could it be a new Final Fantasy entry from Square Enix? What about a new Ninja Gaiden game from Team Ninja? Or is there a chance Atlus will announce Persona 6?
Your guess is as good as ours, but there’s clearly a reason Xbox is keeping it secret.
