2023 is officially over. While Xbox didn’t post a record-setting year, it did enjoy a fruitful annual cycle, regardless of the controversies faced by Redfall and Starfield.
With Bethesda Game Studios, and, perhaps more importantly, Activision Blizzard, now in tow, Microsoft is in the best position to start the new year strong. Apparently, it’s exactly what it intends to do.
After the earlier rumors that a new Xbox Direct is coming soon, a follow-up claim gives it a date.
As spotted on Reddit, u/Zantorn, a user that previously predicted the September 2023 Nintendo Direct and September 2023 State of Play confirmed that the first big video game showcase – sorry CES 2024, you’re more of a tech event – will be held a little over a week from now on January 14.
The same source stops short of talking more about what will be revealed at the unconfirmed event, but there are plenty of audiences who would love to see what else Xbox has planned for 2024 and onward. After all, the company has a big pipeline ahead. And, while the initial plans might have changed since, now’s the best time for Xbox to reestablish itself as a threat to the two-way race that Nintendo and PlayStation has been on so far.
As for what could at the event, the safest bet is the Hellblade sequel, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II. The upcoming Xbox-exclusive psychological action-adventure game is expected to be released this year. If Xbox wants to make a good impression, its best bet is one of its more proven titles.
Another safe bet for the first half of 2024 are Towerborne and Ara: History Untold. We’re not quite sure that Obsidian Entertainment is ready to release Avowed yet, but an updated trailer following last year’s criticisms of the Skyrim-like game’s graphics wouldn’t hurt.
Finally, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 should get an official trailer at the still-unconfirmed Xbox Direct.
Speculations aside, rumor has it that Xbox will shadow drop a game following the event, mirroring what it did with the surprise hit by Tango Gameworks, Hi-Fi Rush, last year. Double Fine, which is teasing a new game, is the lead candidate and the name that’s frequently mentioned. The first-party Xbox studio (they were acquired in 2019) most recently released Psychonauts 2 in 2021.
If we’re lucky, Xbox will confirm the earlier reports of a remake of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.
As for Activision Blizzard, Microsoft might not have had enough time to iron out the kinks of the now-finalized deal. It’s possible that it’s reserving any Activision Blizzard-related video game announcements until the latter half of the year, presumably at another showcase in June 2024.
Ideally, Microsoft will use January 14 to focus on the first six months of the year. It dropped the ball a while back by announcing the games that would release on Xbox over the next twelve months only to face delays. By including games specifically confirmed to launch between January 2024 and May 2024, Microsoft can give fans something to look forward to in the short-term. It can then use another showcase in June 2024 to reveal bigger titles, possibly the upcoming DLC for Starfield, and a release date for Diablo 4’s first premium expansion, among others.
Ultimately, all bets are off as for what Xbox will show off now that it has, for the first time in a while, an embarrassment of riches.
We’ll just have to wait and see what Phil Spencer has planned for Xbox.
