Xbox Developer Direct: Jez Corden Teases Bigger Surprises Ahead

The Xbox Developer Direct is just ten days away and we finally have a firm date for Microsoft’s eagerly awaited annual virtual event in January showcasing new details and footage of upcoming first-party games. Microsoft has already previewed much of the lineup. Expect more gameplay footage and info on DOOM: The Dark Ages, the prequel made by id Software, and a potential window for its release later this year. Developed on the newer id Tech engine, the game will be a massive first-person shooter title.

Jez Corden Hints Xbox Developer Direct Could Be Bigger Than Microsoft Suggested

Next up, Compulsion Games (makers of Contrast and We Happy Few) revealed a new IP titled South of Midnight. The Southern Gothic fantasy world of the game is inspired by Southern American folklore. Players will play as Hazel, a heroine who uses magic to explore and fight mythical creatures to save her family and repair the Grand Tapestry. Unique Visual Style: The game features a unique stop-motion animation that visually sets it apart.

There’s a third-party title in this year’s lineup, Clair Obscur Expedition 33, which mixes RPG turn-based and real-time combat. Set in a universe where you’re 33 and dead, courtesy of a questionably motivated Painter, this one is arriving on Game Pass day one so it felt like a natural fit for the event.

But the most interesting aspect of the event is still the “surprise location” announcement of a new game from an unnamed studio. There’s been rampant speculation — Windows Central’s Jez Corden has even suggested that the mystery game could be a much bigger game than might be suspected. Though it probably won’t originate from an internal Xbox studio, some are convinced it’s Contraband from Avalanche Studios, or maybe something totally different. We’ll have a clearer picture in just ten days.

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