Microsoft has confirmed that an Xbox Developer_Direct stream will take place on 25th January at 12PM PT – 8PM UK time – showcasing a number of major first party games coming out in the next few months from Xbox and Bethesda, including Forza Motorsport, Redfall and Minecraft Legends and the next chapter for The Elder Scrolls Online.
This announcements pretty much exactly matches the reports from earlier in the week, right down to the fact that Starfield will not be a part of the showcase. Instead, a standalone show is in the works for that game, “to dedicate the proper amount of time for a deep dive”.
The hook that Microsoft is leaning on for the stream is that the games will be presented by the developers themselves, with game creators from Arkane Austin, Mojang Studios, Turn 10 Studios, and ZeniMax Online Studios explaining the big features from their specific games and introducing the extended gameplay reveals.
All of these titles are expected in the first half of 2023, with various rumours and reports on the timing already emerging. There’s been reports that Redfall will launch in May, while Forza Motorsport and Minecraft Legends have also both been pegged for the first half of this year, and we can also expect that Ghostwire: Tokyo will arrive on Xbox Series X and Xbox Game Pass shortly after its 1 year PS5 exclusivity ends on 25th March. It’s also recently been confirmed by Bethesda’s support pages that Starfield is still on track for a first half 2023 release.
This all looks like Microsoft’s attempt to create a semi-regular streamed presentation to stand alongside Nintendo’s ‘Direct’ and Sony’s ‘State of Play’ streams. It’s not clear if this inaugural stream will feature third party exclusives like STALKER 2 and Atomic Heart, both of which are sure to be big Game Pass releases in the next six months, but third parties could also be integrated into the format down the line once Microsoft has established how they want them to look and feel.
Source: Xbox Wire
