Xbox Shuts Down Rumors About Surprise Release During Developer Direct

Don't expect a surprise release during Xbox's Developer Direct.

By Tanner Dedmon

Xbox is still having its first Developer Direct event of 2024 later this week, but don't expect to be hearing about any sudden releases during the presentation. Rumors circulated recently to suggest that Xbox might be shooting for a big shadowdrop during the event akin to what it pulled off with Hi-Fi Rush in the past, but the newest Xbox Wire post about the event from Xbox itself suggests that won't be the case. That doesn't rule out the possibility of releases soon after the event, however, so Xbox fans still might be surprised after all.

The shadowdrop rumors were built upon by insiders who shared bits of information one after another after Xbox officially announced its event. Some suggested that there would indeed be a surprise release during the event while others said that they couldn't back up those claims but could offer info elsewhere. Regardless of what the insiders and leakers said, Xbox is now insinuating that there won't be a surprise release.

No Surprise Launch During Xbox Developer Direct

The language about what to expect from the Developer Direct's showcased games was included towards the bottom of the Xbox Wire post about the topic. In an FAQ, Xbox answers a question about when the games shown off would release and said that the releases would happen "later."

"All the games in this year's Developer_Direct will be arriving later, with more details to be shared in the program," Xbox's post said.

The leaker in question who talked about the shadowdrop previously, eXtas1s, did say that they weren't quite sure what this release might be while adding the disclaimer that the surprise could actually be released in the weeks after the event and not during it.

Of course, it's also worth acknowledging that Xbox wouldn't ever tell people about a surprise release during the event anyway since that'd totally defeat the point of a shadowdrop. So, with Xbox now more definitively saying that the games shown off during the event will be released later, perhaps we will see some game shown off with a very sudden release date to follow.

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What Will Be at the Xbox Developer Direct?

So, if there won't be a shadowdrop, what will be there? Xbox has so far confirmed that the new Indiana Jones game will be headlining the event. A recent leak suggested that the game might be called Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, so perhaps that'll be confirmed at the event. Avowed, Ara: History Untold, and Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 will both be at the event as well, but those are the only three games that have been confirmed, so everything else will be a surprise.

Blizzard's Diablo 4 and Bethesda's The Elder Scrolls Online, both of which are owned by Xbox, will also be holding their own individual events for those games that are taking place around the Developer Direct to give Xbox users a full day of presentations to tune into.

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