Everything announced at Xbox's Developer_Direct 2025
This year's Xbox Developer_Direct showcase included new gameplay details, release dates, and more for previously announced titles. However, Team Ninja and PlatinumGames have come through with some big announcements.
Team Ninja has revealed that it is teaming up with Bayonetta studio PlatinumGames to develop Ninja Gaiden 4, marking the first entry in the series in over a decade. The game will be available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, and Game Pass in "Fall 2025" and will feature a new protagonist and setting, though Ryu Hayabusa will continue to play an important role in the story.
As Ninja Gaiden 4's difficulty is similar to that of the franchise's second game, Team Ninja has released a remaster of the original 2008 title ahead of its release. Ninja Gaiden 2 Black is now available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, and Game Pass. It features significant visual upgrades and is regarded as the "definitive version" of the game, having been built in Unreal Engine 5.
Compulsion Games' upcoming action game, South of Midnight, now has a release date of April 8 and will arrive on Xbox Series X/S and PC. Its new trailer gives us a glimpse of the beginning of the game after a violent storm tears through the town of Prospero, transporting protagonist Hazel into a "darkly magical world" with elements directly inspired by the Deep South.
Sandfall Interactive's first title, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, is set to release on April 24 for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC, and Game Pass. The RPG is set in the fantasy world of Lumière inspired by 19th century France, and follows the story of the Expedition 33 group as they try to stop the Paintress, who paints a number each year, causing people of that age to disappear. It notably features a unique combat system, referred to as a "reactive turn-based," which requires active player input to land attacks and defend against enemies.
id Software's upcoming techno-medieval Doom: The Dark Ages has finally been given a release date, as well as a new trailer showcasing its more grounded and unique take on the franchise's gory combat. Set prior to the events of 2016's Doom, The Dark Ages sees Doom Guy battle the evil forces of Hell with a variety of guns and melee weapons, including shotguns, miniguns, a shield with a chainsaw-like blade, and, of course, his trusty fists. The game is set to be released on May 15 for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC, and Game Pass.
