For the third consecutive year, Xbox is holding a Developer Direct presentation in January to outline what it will be releasing in the months ahead. In previous years, Developer Direct has been a venue for Xbox to provide fans with more information about games like Redfall, Avowed, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and many other previous releases. This time around, Xbox has already confirmed that its Developer Direct for January 2025 will feature new looks at DOOM: The Dark Ages, South of Midnight, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and one other mystery game.
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While Developer Direct is being streamed live across Twitch and YouTube beginning at 1:00pm ET/10:00am PT today, if you’re reading this article, there’s a good chance you’re just looking for a quick breakdown of everything that was featured in the event. To that end, here’s all of the biggest news to come from Xbox’s new Developer Direct showcase.
Ninja Gaiden 4 Announced
Xbox kicked off the Developer Direct with a bang and announced a new entry in the Ninja Gaiden series. Over ten years after the release of Ninja Gaiden 3, Ninja Gaiden 4 has been unveiled and is being developed in a collaboration between Team Ninja and Platinum Games.
Longtime Ninja Gaiden protagonist Ryu Hayabusa will be returning in addition to a new character named Yakumo. Each character will play a bit differently from one another but the franchise’s fast-paced, bloody action will remain a central pillar of Ninja Gaiden 4.
For now, an exact release date for Ninja Gaiden 4 has yet to be given, but the game is planned to launch later this fall and will come to Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC.
Ninja Gaiden Black 2 Releasing Today
Along with the reveal of Ninja Gaiden 4, Koei Tecmo announced that a new remake of Ninja Gaiden 2 is also rolling out. Titled Ninja Gaiden Black 2, this revamp of the second entry is shockingly releasing today. The game is coming to Xbox and PC platforms and is also hitting Xbox Game Pass.
South of Midnight Gets a Release Date, New Gameplay
After first being revealed years ago, South of Midnight now has a release date. The next title from developer Compulsion Games will launch on April 8, 2025, and will come to Xbox Series X/S and PC, in addition to Xbox Game Pass.
Outside of confirming its launch date, Compulsion Games also showed off more of South of Midnight than ever before to give fans a better idea of its format and gameplay stylings. To that end, you can check out its latest trailer above to see more of what it will have in store.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Gets Gameplay Deep Dive and Launch Date
Coming from Sandfall Interactive, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a new turn-based RPG that was first unveiled last year. During Developer Direct, Sandfall took the opportunity to provide more info about its story, world, and characters along with showing a breakdown of its gameplay mechanics and systems.
Perhaps best of all, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is set to release soon and will drop on April 24, 2025. Expedition 33 will come to Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC, and will also arrive on Game Pass right away.
DOOM: The Dark Ages Story, Gameplay, and Release Date Revealed
To end Developer Direct, Bethesda and id Software finally lifted the veil on DOOM: The Dark Ages. Serving as a prequel to DOOM and DOOM Eternal, The Dark Ages will iteration upon those previous shooters while expanding the scope and gameplay further than ever before.
As for its release, DOOM: The Dark Ages will launch on May 15, 2025, and will come to Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. And as expected, it will also be yet another day-one addition to Xbox Game Pass.
