Last week, Xbox announced a Developer Direct presentation that will take place on January 23rd. In the announcement, Xbox said that viewers will “visit a surprise location to see another studio’s brand new game.” That generated a lot of speculation from fans, who wondered what the game might be. Following the initial announcement, insider Jez Corden teased that “the Xbox Developer_Direct is going to be a lot bigger than Microsoft is currently letting on.” Corden has now elaborated on his comments with a new post. While Corden has not explicitly said what the game will be, he has offered some hints in a new post on Windows Central.
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“…I won’t spoil what it is, but our sources indicate that it is a new entry in a legendary Japanese IP which has decades of history, and should make a lot of fans happy. Indeed, Microsoft has won some strong support from the region lately from studios like Square Enix for Final Fantasy, HoYoverse for Genshin Impact, and Sega/ATLUS for Persona, and we suspect this new game will help further that trend,” writes Corden.
As with any rumor, readers are advised to take this with a grain of salt. It’s possible that Corden’s sources are incorrect, or that the reveal won’t deliver on the hype. Regardless, it’s pretty interesting that Xbox is keeping a tight lid on the game’s identity. Capcom or Konami would seem like the most logical choices, and both companies have plenty of “legendary” IP that would get fans excited. Capcom’s fans have been begging for new entries in the Mega Man and Dino Crisis franchises, and both would be a big deal. Konami’s Castlevania is another IP that is in desperate need of a new entry, and it would make sense given the company’s recent pushes with Silent Hill and Metal Gear; Castlevania is the biggest Konami IP unaccounted for in recent years.
Readers should keep in mind that just because the game will be appearing in the Xbox Developer Direct, it does not necessarily indicate that it will be exclusive to the platform or a game that will be published by Xbox Game Studios. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is one of three games confirmed to appear during the presentation, and that one is being published by Kepler Interactive, and has been announced for PS5. The other two announced games are Doom: The Dark Ages (also confirmed for PS5), and South of Midnight.
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The Xbox Developer Direct already seems worth watching given what we already know; Doom: The Dark Ages could end up being one of the year’s biggest games. The announcement of a major new entry in a well-regarded series could make this even sweeter, but we’ll have to wait and see if the show can deliver on the hype.
Are you planning to watch the Xbox Developer Direct? What Japanese IP do you expect to see at the show? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!
