Ever since the Xbox Series X|S launched in 2020, Microsoft has provided audiences with a healthy supply of stellar titles that have enriched the video game industry to new heights. These video games have ranged from AAA blockbuster epics that push the hardware capabilities of the Series X to its limits or humble indie titles that evoke nostalgic memories with pixel-art inspired visuals and thought-provoking stories.
As 2022 rolls on, the Xbox platform continues to expand its library with more exciting games. With so many titles in the works, it can be tricky to keep track of them. And that’s without mentioning the plethora of rumors surrounding unannounced games for Xbox consoles.
As such, we at Windows Central will help you out by highlighting the latest upcoming AAA and indie games confirmed to release for Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S. With this list, you can stay up to date on what’s to come and not miss out on potentially playing the best Xbox games these platforms have to offer.
New releases
Deathloop (Sept. 20, 2022)
At the 2022 Tokyo Game Show, Microsoft announced that Arkane’s time-bending first-person shooter, Deathloop, will finally come to Xbox consoles now that its one-year exclusivity deal on the PlayStation 5 has ended.
You play as Colt, an assassin stranded in a time loop on a remote island called Blackreef. To break free of his temporal prison, Colt must track down and kill targets across the island while avoiding being hunted by his rival Julianna.
Hardspace: Shipbreaker (Sept. 20, 2022)
Hardspace: Shipbreaker, the salvaging, zero-g space simulator, will finally be heading to Xbox home consoles. Set off to the vacuum of space and use your engineering skills and cutting-edge technology to salvage abandoned spaceships for massive profit. Be warned, you must exercise extreme when handling broken ships otherwise, fatal accidents can occur.
Soulstice (Sept. 20, 2022)
Soulstice is an upcoming action game developed by Reply Game Studios and published by Modus Games. You play as Briar and Lute, a pair of sisters who have been transformed into super-soldiers called “Chimera” to protect humanity from evil spirits known as “Wraiths.” With Briar’s brute strength and Lute’s magic powers, you will explore the Holy Kingdom of Keidas, discover hidden truths about the Order that created these sisters, and put these haunting Wraiths to eternal rest.
Serial Cleaners (Sept. 22, 2022)
Serial Cleaners is a single-player, stealth-focused crime game developed by Draw Distance and published by 505 Games. You play as four professional cleaners working for the mob, taking on the bloodiest and most dangerous jobs the criminal underworld has to offer.
The DioField Chronicle (Sept. 22, 2022)
The DioField Chronicle is an upcoming strategy RPG from Square Enix. The story is set in the realm of Rowetale, which is currently the midst of a war between the Empire and the Alliance. Take control of the Blue Fox Mercenaries and use their special skills and magic to fight back the Empire in battles that mixes turn-based strategy with real-time combat.
Release dates confirmed
Brewmaster: Beer Brewing Simulator (Sept. 27, 2022)
Craft and produce beer in Brewmaster: Beer Brewing Simulator, developed by Auroch Digital and Fireshine Games. Learn the tricks of the trade, create original beer recipes, and put your skills to the test in competitions to become the ultimate Brewmaster.
Grounded (Sept. 27, 2022)
Grounded will finally leave early access this September. Grounded is an action-adventure game where you and your friends are suddenly shrunken to the size of insects and are trapped in your backyard. To survive, you must learn how to craft shelters, live off the land, and defend yourself against terrifying bugs like spiders, ants, stinkbugs, and more.
The full release will grant players access to the entire backyard, with new biomes to explore, bigger bugs to fight, new storyline quests, and much more.
Hokko Life (Sept. 27, 2022)
Hokko Life is a cute community life simulator developed by Wonderscope and published by Team17. You are a new resident of a peaceful village called Hokko, and you came here to start a new life. With your newly inherited workshop, you will build and craft new homes and buildings for the people of Hokko and turn this quaint little village into a bustling, thriving town where everyone can be happy.
Moonscars (Sept. 27, 2022)
Moonscars is a side-scrolling Metroidvania developed by Black Mermaid and published by Humble Games. Set in a dark fantasy world, you play as Grey Irma, a fierce warrior, on a quest to seek out the mysterious Sculptor and learn her forgotten history. Brave the depths of a ruined, shadowy land, discover dark secrets that could enhance your abilities, and sharpen your skills to defeat unforgiving adversaries that haunt your steps.
Lemon Cake (Sept. 30, 2022)
Lemon Cake is a farming and cooking simulator developed and published by Cozy Bee Games. You have been put in charge of a run-down and possibly haunted bakery, and it is your job to get it back up and running. Use the greenhouse to grow essential baking ingredients, cook the finest pastry goods in the kitchen, and serve hungry customers looking for a relaxing establishment in which to unwind.
Overwatch 2 (Oct. 4, 2022)
Soon, heroes will rise again in Overwatch 2. This free-to-play sequel to the award-winning hero shooter, Overwatch, will build upon the foundations of its predecessor with new maps, new heroes to play as, and a new PvE mode where you protect the world from evil forces.
No More Heroes III (Oct. 11, 2022)
The cult hack ‘n’ slash series, No More Heroes, makes its grand return to Xbox consoles with its latest entry, No More Heroes III. Our eccentric assassin otaku, Travis Touchdown, is back and has been called out of retirement to defend the Earth from a gang of evil, self-proclaimed, alien “superheroes” led by the mad Prince FU.
Armed with his trusty Beam Katana, a repertoire of wrestling moves, and the all-new Death Glove, Travis must carve his through these intergalactic killers and reach the top of the Galactic Superhero Rankings to save the world.
Dyson Sphere Program (Oct. 13, 2022)
Dyson Sphere Program is a base-building simulator developed by Youthcat Studio and published by Gamera Games. Set in the far future, you play as a space engineer whose goal is to create a Dyson Sphere, a moon-sized mega-factory capable of farming energy from stars and providing humanity with limitless resources.
A Plague Tale: Requiem (Oct. 18, 2022)
A Plague Tale: Requiem is the next installment in the Plague Tale franchise, and it’s launching directly onto Xbox Game Pass in 2022. A Plague Tale: Requiem is a next-gen-only affair, following Amicia and Hugo on an all-new quest in a plagued, infested world.
Warhammer 40,000: Shootas, Blood & Teef (Oct. 20, 2022)
From the team that brought you Guns, Gore, & Cannoli comes Rogueside’s next bloodstained, side-scrolling shooter, Warhammer 40,000: Shootas, Blood & Teef. Take control of a gun-crazed Ork from the Warhammer 40K universe and embark on a violent campaign across the planet of Luteus Alpha. Chop and shoot everything in your way including humans, Genestealer Cultists, and even other Orks to rescue your precious squig from Warboss Gutrekka.
Gotham Knights (Oct. 21, 2022)
Gotham Knights is an upcoming, open-world action-adventure title set after the events of Batman: Arkham Knight. Batman has died, and the criminals of Gotham City waste no time taking advantage of his demise by wreaking havoc across the city. Now it falls upon the Bat Family; Robin, Red Hood, Batgirl, and Nightwing to carry on Batman’s mission and bring these villains to justice.
New Tales from the Borderlands (Oct. 21, 2022)
New Tales from the Borderlands is a narrative-adventure game set in the wacky and chaotic Borderlands universe. In the war-torn world of Promethea, you play as three downtrodden citizens named Anu, Octavio, and Fran as they get swept in the craziest adventure of their lives. You will outrun hordes of psychopaths, face down giant monsters, and outwit corrupt corporations in an action-packed thrill ride where all your decisions determine the outcome.
Persona 5 Royal (Oct 21, 2022)
Atlus’ critically acclaimed Persona franchise is finally coming to Xbox, starting with the most recent entry, Persona 5 Royal. Persona 5 Royal tells the misadventures of the Phantom Thieves, a group of teenagers who have the power to summon physical incarnations of their personality called Personas.
With their gifts, they travel to an alternate dimension where the twisted desires of humans manifest into horrific monsters and fight them to reform the hearts of the corrupt.
Scorn (Oct. 21, 2022)
Scorn is an upcoming horror title that leans heavily into H.R. Giger’s art styles to create its grotesque world. Not a huge amount is known about the game besides the fact that it is firmly survival horror, set in a first-person, and is exclusive to Xbox Series X and PC.
Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord (Oct. 25, 2022)
Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord is an open-world action-RPG with strategy elements developed and published by TaleWorlds Entertainment. Set in the world of Calradia, this land is rife with war and chaos. Amidst this maelstrom, you will rise from obscurity to build your army and conquer the warring factions to bring order back to Calradia under your rule.
Gunfire Reborn (Oct. 27, 2022)
Gunfire Reborn is a cute but deadly roguelike first-person shooter created by Duoyi Games. Play as adorable animal warriors and blast your way through procedurally generated levels to beat up bad guys and collect dozens of guns and magic scrolls to beat up bigger baddies.
Signalis (Oct. 27, 2022)
Signalis is an upcoming, retro-styled survival horror game developed by rose-engine and published by Humble Games and PLAYISM. Set in a dystopian future, you play as an android Replika named Elster. While sleeping in cryo-stasis, he is violently woken from her slumber as the spaceship she is riding in crash lands on an unknown frozen planet.
Now Elster must escape the wrecked ship, explore an abandoned research facility for clues on how to leave this dead world, and avoid getting ripped apart by the cosmic horrors lurking within it halls.
Star Ocean: The Divine Force (Oct. 27, 2022)
Star Ocean: The Divine Force is a brand-new adventure in the long-running JRPG franchise, Star Ocean. The story follows the trials and tribulations of two protagonists — Raymond, a space-faring merchant who has crash-landed on a backwater planet named Aster IV. And Laeticia Aucerius, the Crown Princess of the Kingdom of Aucerius, the largest kingdom of Aster IV.
Together, Raymond and Laeticia will embark on an epic journey where they will explore the wondrous vistas of Aster IV. They will meet a cast of colorful characters and battle fearsome villains to determine the fate of the Aucerius Kingdom and beyond.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (Oct. 28, 2022)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II is a sequel to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019), a reboot of the critically acclaimed first-person shooter franchise of the same name. Set after the events of the previous game, this entry will follow the exploits of special ops unit Task Force 141 as they strive to defend the world from terrorist threats.
Ghost Song (Nov. 3, 2022)
Ghost Song is a sci-fi Metroidvania side-scroller developed by Old Moon and published by Humble Games. You play as a Deadsuit, an android built for combat who is stranded on the desolate moon of Lorion, with no recollection as to how they got there. Now, they must find a way to escape this wasteland, discover ancient secrets within the moon’s depths, and battle unspeakable, horrific creatures.
The Chant (Nov. 3, 2022)
The Chant is a third-person horror game developed by Brass Token and published by Prime Matter. The story is set on a remote island that has been advertised as a spiritual retreat, but when you decide to pay a visit, things go south in a heartbeat.
A group chant accidentally opens a portal to The Gloom, a parallel dimension that feeds off terror and transforms living beings into monsters. To survive, you must dodge the beasts from The Gloom, uncover this island’s history, and band the remaining survivors together before they are consumed.
Humankind (Nov. 4, 2022)
Humankind is a turn-based strategy game developed by Amplitude Studios and published by Sega Europe. You are the leader of a small civilization, and it is your goal to raise your people up from their humble beginnings in ancient times to a mighty empire that controls the modern day. Along the way, you will have to make difficult decisions that will change the course of history and make tremendous sacrifices to save your people from neighboring conquerors.
Skull and Bones (Nov. 8, 2022)
Skull and Bones is a pirate adventure game from Ubisoft, the creators of the Assassin’s Creed franchise. In this game, you get to create your own pirate captain and traverse the Indian Ocean during the Golden Age of Piracy. You will need to manage your crew’s morale, explore uncharted islands, and engage in naval battles with rival pirates to become the most infamous pirate the world has ever seen.
Sonic Frontiers (Nov. 8, 2022)
Sonic Frontiers is the latest mainline title in SEGA’s long-running franchise starring their speedy mascot, Sonic the Hedgehog. While searching for the magical Chaos Emeralds, Sonic finds himself stranded on the mysterious Starfall Islands. To find a way back home, Sonic must explore this new frontier to uncover its secrets and protect its strange inhabitants from a mechanical threat.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 40th Anniversary Edition (Nov. 11, 2022)
Microsoft is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its longest-running franchise with Microsoft Flight Simulator 40th Anniversary Edition. This special edition will contain all the aircraft from the base game and new ones to pilot such as the Bell-407 helicopter, the Airbus A310 airliner, and even the Pelican from the Halo franchise as a free add-on.
Goat Simulator 3 (Nov. 17, 2022)
Goat Simulator 3 is a sequel to Goat Simulator, a strange sandbox game where you play as a goat causing all sorts of comedic mayhem and destruction. Like its predecessor, you will once step into the hooves of a goat and terrorize the local neighborhood for laughs and giggles, except this time you will get team up with other goats in 4-player co-op, both online and offline for four times the chaos.
The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me (Nov. 18, 2022)
The Devil in Me is the latest chapter in Supermassive Games’ Dark Pictures Anthology series of horror games. You play as a group of documentary filmmakers who have been invited to visit a modern-day recreation of serial killer H.H. Holmes’ “Murder Castle.” Sensing the opportunity for an excellent story to film, they decide to visit the castle, but little do they know their trip will soon turn into a living nightmare that could cost them their lives.
Evil West (Nov. 22, 2022)
Evil West is an upcoming third-person shooter developed by Flying Hog Wild and published by Focus Home Entertainment. The Wild West is being terrorized and desecrated by a horde of blood-sucking vampires, and you are America’s last line of defense. Armed to the teeth with guns, gadgets, and a lightning-powered gauntlet, it is up to you to slay these undead abominations and save the United States from becoming a land of the dead.
Gungrave G.O.R.E. (Nov. 22, 2022)
Microsoft is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its longest-running franchise with Microsoft Flight Simulator 40th Anniversary Edition. This special edition will contain all the aircraft from the base game and new ones to pilot such as the Bell-407 helicopter, the Airbus A310 airliner, and even the Pelican from the Halo franchise as a free add-on.
Pentiment (November 2022)
Pentiment is narrative-focused adventure game set in 16th century Bavaria. This game tells the story of Andreas Maler, a journeyman artist who unintentionally gets himself entangled in a series of murders, scandals, and political intrigue.
Slime Rancher 2 (Fall 2022)
Slime Rancher 2 is a sequel to Mononi Park’s cute, open-world adventure game where you raise a farm of adorable slimes. Our protagonist, Beatrix LeBeau, continues her adventures across the galaxy as she explores uncharted lands filled with ancient unsolved mysteries and new slimes to collect.
The Callisto Protocol (Dec. 2, 2022)
The Callisto Protocol is a brand-new, upcoming survival horror game developed by Striking Distance Studios. The dev team is led by Glen Schofield, one of the original creators of Dead Space. You play as Jacob Lee, an inmate of Black Iron Prison, a maximum-security prison built on one of Jupiter’s moons, Callisto.
One day, a mysterious epidemic occurs within the prison and is horrifically mutating all the inmates and staff into insanity-driven monsters called Biophage. Jacob Lee must find a means to escape the doomed prison and uncover dark secrets behind the company running the place, the United Jupiter Company.
Hello Neighbor 2 (Dec. 9, 2022)
Hello Neighbor 2 is a sequel to the popular indie stealth horror game Hello Neighbor. You play as a journalist who has moved to the small town of Raven Brooks to uncover an unsolved mystery surrounding a suspicious, mustachioed gentleman known as the “Neighbor.” However, he isn’t the only shady character in this town as the rest of its citizens are all acting strange and keeping secrets they don’t anybody, especially you, to find out …
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion (Dec.13, 2022)
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion is an upcoming remaster of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, an action RPG prequel to the iconic JRPG. This game tells the story of Zack Fair, a young SOLDIER who was a minor yet pivotal character in the original Final Fantasy VII. Crisis Core follows Zack’s journey from his introduction to the Shinra organization, meeting Sephiroth and Cloud, and chasing down the renegade SOLDIER known as Genesis.
High On Life (Dec. 13, 2022)
High On Life is a strange first-person shooter brought to you by Justin Roiland, the creator of the hit animated series, Rick and Morty. Humanity is under attack as an alien cartel has been kidnapping people and using their bodies as drugs. Now it’s up to you to rescue them by teaming up with quirky talking guns and take out Garmantuous’s gang of thugs.
Afterimage (Winter 2022)
Afterimage is a side-scrolling Metroidvania developed by Aurogon Shanghai and published by Modus Games. This game takes in Engardin, a magical world filled with wonder, danger, and mystery. As an adventurer, you will set forth to discover the origins of Engardin, make friends on your travels, and battle corrupted beings preying on the weak and helpless.
Flashback 2 (Winter 2022)
The Flashback 2 is an upcoming cinematic platformer developed and published by Microids. Taking place many years after the original game, intelligence agent Conrad and his allies are once again called to action as the evil alien shapeshifters known as the Morphs have returned to enact their revenge and conquer Earth.
God of Rock (Winter 2022)
God of Rock is a rhythm/fighting game hybrid developed by Modus Studios and published by Modus Games. The God of Rock has gathered the greatest and craziest musicians in the universe for an epic tournament to determine who rules Rock ‘n’ Roll. Beat down the competition by timing your attacks to the rhythm and perform harmonious attacks to knock your opponent’s game off and blow their mind.
Inkulinati (Winter 2022)
Inkulinati is a turn-based strategy game developed by Yaza Games and published by Daedalic Entertainment. You are an Inkulinati, one of many magically gifted painters who battle with one another on the pages of medieval manuscripts. With Living Ink, they can bring whatever they draw to life, whether they be beast or man.
With your skills, you will create the finest pen and paper armies, embark on a journey to discover the origins of your order, and pit your creations against fierce rivals such as Dante Alighieri, Death, and many more.
There Is No Light (Winter 2022)
There Is No Light is a Kickstarter success story that came to Xbox and PC in November 2021. This self-proclaimed “brutal” action game sports a gothic retro-pixel art style and looks to have tight (and gory) combat. Escape a deadly cult, and kill hordes of enemies while doing so.
Atomic Heart (2022)
Atomic Heart is an upcoming first-person shooter set in an alternate universe where the USSR became the leading global superpower after it developed a powerful resource known as “Polymer.” However, not all is well in Russia as a disastrous incident has occurred at the facility where Polymer was invented, and you, as the KGP agent Sergey Nechaev, have been dispatched to investigate it. What follows will be a terrifying adventure filled with killer robots, bloodthirsty mutants, and all sorts of science experiments gone horribly wrong.
Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn (2022)
Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn is an upcoming, open-world, action RPG published by Kepler Interactive and developed by A44 Games. It takes place in a world where the old gods have unleashed an army of the undead to destroy humanity. You play as Nor Venek, a gunslinging warrior who, along with her magical animal companion Enki, embark on a quest of vengeance to destroy the old gods.
Gundam Evolution (2022)
Gundam Evolution is a team-based, free-to-play first-person shooter based on the Gundam franchise. This game pits players against one another in 6v6 matches where they pilot various Mobile Suits with unique abilities and weapons to complete objectives and destroy the enemy team.
Spirittea (2022)
Spirittea is a life-sim RPG developed by Cheesemaster Games and published by No More Robots. Deep within the mountains lies a rural town where spirits are causing mischief because the locals have stopped worshipping them and paying tribute. As the only person who can see the spirits, it is up to you to pacify them by aiding the community and managing a bathhouse that is capable of calming the spirits and helping them remember their past lives.
The Entropy Centre (2022)
The Entropy Centre is a sci-fi, first-person puzzle game developed by Stubby Games and published by Playstack. A catastrophic apocalypse has set the Earth ablaze, and you are last remaining human left alive. Mankind’s only hope for survival lies within the Entropy Centre, a space station filled with advanced technology that defy the laws of time and space.
The Last Faith (2022)
The Last Faith is an upcoming metroidvania/soulslike hybrid developed by Kumi Souls Games and published by Playstack. Enter a world of darkness and horror and fight unholy demons on a quest to save your mind from being eaten away by a terrible curse.
The Lord of the Rings: Gollum (2022)
The Lord of Rings: Gollum is an action RPG that tells the stories of Gollum, the tortured soul corrupted by the One Ring of Power. Players will need to manage our protagonist’s split personalities of Gollum and Sméagol as they journey to retrieve their lost “precious.” Their adventure will take them across famous locales from Middle Earth and they will encounter iconic characters from The Lord of the Rings universe along the way.
The Outbound Ghost (2022)
The Outbound Ghost is an RPG developed by Conradical Games and published by Digerati. The story takes place in Outbound, a literal ghost town filled with spirits that cannot move on to the afterlife as regrets from their past lives weigh them down.
As one of Outbound’s resident ghosts, you must help your fellow spooks come to terms with their grief by fighting their inner demons in turn-based battles with the aid of manifestations of your personality as party members.
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide (2022)
From the developers of Vermintide, Warhammer 40,000: Darktide is an upcoming 4-player co-op shooter that shares familiarity with the likes of Left4Dead. Set in the harrowing universe of Warhammer 40K, players battle a heretical cult known as the Admonition, hellbent on taking over the planet Atoma Prime. Battle all sorts of Chaos monstrosities in this class-based evolving shooter, which also arrives first on Xbox Series X/S consoles as a timed exclusive.
War Hospital (2022)
War Hospital is an evocative strategy game that puts you in command of a hospital in World War I. You’ll be tasked with healing the wounded in dire conditions, in a game that seems to draw inspiration from the likes of Frostpunk.
One Piece Odyssey (Jan. 12, 2023)
One Piece Odyssey is an upcoming RPG based on one of the most popular Shonen Jump manga and anime franchises ever made, One Piece. The story will follow the adventures of the Straw Hat Pirates as they get stranded on a mysterious island filled with fascinating creatures, quirky characters, and dangerous villains.
The gameplay will feature turn-based combat, and you will get to control various crew members. This includes their happy-go-lucky captain made of rubber Monkey D. Luffy, the master swordsman Roronoa Zora, the weather-controlling navigator Nami, the cowardly but crafty marksman Usopp, and more.
Dead Space remake (Jan. 27, 2023)
EA’s classic survival-horror game set in the dark corners of the universe, Dead Space, will be getting a remake sometime in 2023. In the original Dead Space, you play as Isaac Clarke, an engineer who has been dispatched alongside a crew to repair a spaceship called the USG Ishimura. The mission goes awry immediately as Isaac’s crew discovers that the Ishimura has become infested with horrific alien lifeforms that can only be destroyed by dismembering them into pieces.
The Dead Space Remake promises to take the original game’s beloved gameplay, chilling atmosphere, and horrifying visuals and rebuild them using the power of next-gen hardware to terrify new audiences and old fans alike.
Deliver Us Mars (Feb. 2, 2023)
Deliver Us Mars is a sci-fi adventure game developed by KeokeN Interactive and published by Frontier Foundry. You play as Kathy Johannson, the world’s youngest astronaut who joins the crew of the ZEPHYR spaceship for a special mission: to fly to Mars and retrieve the lost Ark colony ships that were stolen by unknown beings called the Outward.
Dead Island 2 (Feb. 3, 2023)
Dead Island 2, the long-awaited sequel to the cult first-person action-RPG, zombie-survival game, Dead Island has finally risen from the dead. Set in zombie-infested Los Angeles, players will be fighting through hordes of the infected in search of a cure before they too become one of the walking dead. Expect your journey to be filled with blood, insanity, and plenty of explosives.
Hogwarts Legacy (Feb. 10, 2023)
Hogwarts Legacy is an upcoming action-RPG based on the Harry Potter franchise. In this game, you create your own wizard or witch attending the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry during the 1800s. You will embark on a journey of self-discovery where you will learn how to wield magic, form friendships with your fellow classmates, and fight villains seeking to exploit magic for their own gain.
Destiny 2: Lightfall (Feb. 23, 2023)
Destiny 2: Lightfall is the latest upcoming expansion of Bungie’s popular online, free-to-play looter-shooter, Destiny 2. Travel to the neon metropolis of Neomuna, and continue the fight against the Shadow Legion in a wild new adventure where you get to loot for new weapons, master new subclasses with unique powers, and traverse in style with a new grappling hook gadget.
Like a Dragon: Ishin! (February 2023)
Like a Dragon: Ishin! is a remake of Ryu ga Gotoku Ishin!, a spin-off of the Like a Dragon series set in 1800s Japan. You play as Sakamoto Ryoma, a lone samurai seeking revenge against the man who murdered his master. Ryoma’s quest for vengeance will be bloody, and the resulting mayhem will set in motion the greatest revolution in Japan’s history.
Resident Evil 4 (March 24, 2023)
Resident Evil 4, one of the most critically acclaimed survival horror games in video game history will getting a remake for modern consoles on March 23, 2023. The original Resident Evil 4 centered on Leon Kennedy traveling to Spain on a secret mission to rescue the president’s daughter, Ashley Graham, from evil cultists.
Much like the previous remakes, the Resident Evil 4 remake will modernize the original title’s gameplay, upgrade the visuals for extra immersion, and feature a darker reimagination of RE4’s story to terrify modern audiences.
BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle Special Edition (Spring 2023)
BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle Special Edition is a crossover fighting game created by Arc System Works. Step in the ring and duke it as fighters from multiple franchises such as BlazBlue, Under Night In-Birth, Atlus’ Persona series, and Rooster Teeth’s hit web-series RWBY.
Guilty Gear -Strive- (Spring 2023)
Guilty Gear -Strive- is the latest entry in Arc System Works’ flagship fighting game franchise, Guilty Gear. This game takes the high-octane fighting series to the next with an unparalleled 2D/3D hybrid art style, a roster of over 20 crazy characters, an addictive heavy metal soundtrack, and a combat system that is easy to learn for beginners yet satisfyingly challenging to master for long-time veterans.
Lightyear Frontier (Spring 2023)
Lightyear Frontier is a resource-management game where you travel to a world at the edge of universe to cultivate your own farm. Start your new life as an off-world farmer with three of your friends to grow alien crops, build a home, and tame the wildlife of this peaceful planet.
The Last Case of Benedict Fox (Spring 2023)
The Last Case of Benedict Fox is a 2D Metroidvania adventure game developed by Plot Twist and published by Rogue Games. You play as Benedict Fox, a self-proclaimed detective who has a demonic spirit bound to him. Together, they will use their otherworldly powers to explore a haunted mansion and search for clues to solve a mystery surrounding a murdered couple and their missing child.
Valheim (Spring 2023)
The brutal survival game, Vaheim, will be coming to Xbox consoles in the next year. Embark on an epic journey with your friends in a procedurally-generated world inspired by Norse mythology. Build a grand homestead and battle mighty foes to earn the favor of Odin.
RoboCop: Rogue City (June 2023)
RoboCop: Rogue City is an upcoming first-person shooter based on the RoboCop movie franchise. Take control of the titular RoboCop and bring justice to the corrupt streets of Old Detroit by serving the public trust, protecting the innocent, and upholding the law.
Aliens: Dark Descent (2023)
Aliens: Dark Descent is a real-time, squad-based strategy game developed by Tindalos Interactive and published by Focus Entertainment. You are the squad leader of a team of Colonial Marines sent in to purge a Xenomorph outbreak on Moon Lethe. To achieve victory, you will need to outfit your team with the best weapons and armor on hand to quell the Xenomorph hordes and any rogue Weyland-Yutani operatives you find along the way.
Ark 2 (2023)
Ark 2 is a sequel to the 2017 sandbox survival game, Ark: Survival Evolved. This game is set on an alien planet populated by dinosaurs and humans fighting each other for dominance of the world. As one of the humans, you must learn to live off the land and team up with your fellow man to take down the dinosaurs threatening your existence.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage (2023)
Assassin’s Creed Mirage is the latest major installment of Ubisoft’s world-renowned Assassin’s Creed series that aims to return the franchise to its stealth-action roots. Set during the 9th century, you play as Basim Ibn Ishaq, a common street thief plagued with nightmarish visions that haunt him nearly every night.
During his quest to seek the cause of these visions, Basim eventually joins the Assassin Brotherhood. From there, his journey will be wracked with danger and intrigue as Basim will be contracted to assassinate high-profile targets, evade enemies by parkouring through bustling city streets, and discover earth-shattering revelations that will change his life forever.
Bounty Star (2023)
Bounty Star is a third-person action game developed by DINOGOD and published by Annapurna Interactive. You play as Clementine McKinney, a retired war veteran and mech pilot struggling to move on from her traumatic past and live in peace. However, peace is not an option for Clem as she is called back to the battlefield to defend the innocent folks of the Red Expanse from bandits and mercenaries.
Cocoon (2023)
Cocoon is a puzzle platformer developed by Geometric Interactive and published by Annapurna Interactive. Cocoon will take players on a mind-bending journey where they will use ancient technology to jump into worlds within worlds and uncover a mystery of cosmic proportions.
Demonschool (2023)
Demonschool is an upcoming turn-based, strategy-RPG inspired by the Persona games. You play as a group of misfit university students led by Faye, the latest descendant in a long line of demon hunters. Together you will explore a mysterious island and fight off demons threatening to invade the human world while trying to fit in time to do your schoolwork.
Diablo IV (2023)
Diablo IV takes Blizzard’s iconic Diablo franchise to its dark roots with gothic realism and brutal violence. Choose one of five mighty hero classes and fight to protect the world of Sanctuary from the vile demons of Lilith, Queen of the Succubi.
Dredge (2023)
Dredge is a fishing game with a survival horror edge developed by Black Salt Games and published by Team17. You are a rookie fisherman who has just begun their fishing career by venturing into the vast ocean for the biggest catch. Use your collection of fishing gear to reel in valuable fish and sell them to islanders for money you can use to upgrade your ship.
However, be careful when sailing into uncharted waters, for all manner of terrifying sea creatures lurk within the sea’s depths, especially in the dead of night.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes (2023)
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is upcoming JRPG developed by Rabbit and Bear Studios and published by 505 Games. The game takes place on Allraan, a continent that is currently being torn apart by the tyrannical Galdean Empire, which is searching for ancient artifacts to increase their military might and conquer the land.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes’ story will chronicle the journey of a young imperial officer named Seign Kesling, and Nowa, a young warrior from a remote village on the outskirts of Allraan. As the fires of war rage, these two friends will be forced into a bitter conflict where their beliefs and ideologies will be put to the ultimate test.
Ereban: Shadow Legacy (2023)
Ereban: Shadow Legacy is an action stealth game developed by Baby Robot Games and published by Raw Fury. You play as Ayana, the last descendant of a forgotten race that has had its existence wiped from history. Armed with high-tech gadgets and the ability to manipulate shadows, Ayana must carve her way through a totalitarian regime to uncover her lost past and save a dying world.
Exoprimal (2023)
Exoprimal is a brand-new, online-only cooperative third-person shooter created by Capcom. The year is 2043, and humanity is under attack by hordes of dinosaurs emerging from portals all over the globe. To combat this threat, the Aibius Corporation has developed powerful exosuits armed with an array of weapons to stand up to the prehistoric menace.
Players will pilot these exosuits and form teams of five to take on waves of dinosaurs in arcade-style game modes that feature PvE and PvP missions to complete.
Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse (2023)
Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse is an upcoming remaster of the fourth major entry in the cult survival-horror franchise, Fatal Frame. It was originally released on the Nintendo Wii exclusively in Japan, but after 15 years, it will finally make its western debut in early 2023.
The story centers around a group of girls trying to solve the mysterious deaths of their friends who were found dead with their faces covered and their bodies positioned in a horrific crying pose. The only lead the girls is to travel to Rōgetsu Isle, an island where, ten years prior, they mysteriously vanished for a brief time during a festival and lost their memories during their time there.
First Dwarf (2023)
First Dwarf is a base-building action-RPG developed and published by Star Drifters. The game is set in Driftland, a planet that was ruined by a cataclysmic war between powerful mages. Among the surviving civilizations is the kingdom of dwarves, and you play as one of their best engineers.
With supplies dwindling, you have been tasked to venture into the war-torn lands of Driftland to gather resources to save the kingdom. In your quest, you explore a crumbled world, build bases to farm materials, and defend your assets against barbarians, monsters, and even nature.
Forza Motorsport (2023)
Forza Motorsport is an upcoming reboot of the long-running racing franchise of the same name. This new entry will utilize the full power of Xbox Series X|S consoles to bring the series to new heights with dynamic light, realistic car damage, overhauled physics, real-time ray tracing, and more.
Fuga: Melodies of Steel (2023)
Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2 is a sequel to CyberConnect2’s turn-based RPG, Fuga: Melodies of Steel. A year has passed since the first game’s events, and the children of the Taranis tank continue to make their journey across a chaotic battlefield. The sequel will feature a revamped combat system and a new event system that will change the story’s outcome based on your choices.
Killer Klowns from Outer Space: The Game (2023)
Killer Klowns from Outer Space: The Game is a co-operative survival horror game based on the ’80s cult horror-comedy movie of the same name. Play as the alien Klowns and invade Earth to harvest the humans or play as a group of survivors and fight back the extraterrestrial menace.
Layers of Fears (2023)
Layers of Fears is the next major entry in the first-person horror franchise, Layers of Fear. Not much is currently about this title except that it will tell the tragic stories of disturbed artists wrestling with their inner demons across multiple generations.
Lies of P (2023)
Lies of P is an upcoming action-RPG soulslike that reimagines the classic tale of Pinocchio into a dark, steampunk, fantasy adventure. You play as Pinocchio, an android puppet, on a quest to save the city of Krat from an army of crazed mechanoids and learn how to become human.
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name (2023)
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is an upcoming action-adventure side-story in the Like a Dragon franchise. This title will follow Kazuma Kiryu’s perspective after the events of Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, all the way up to his appearance in the upcoming Like a Dragon 8.
Lost Eidolons (2023)
Lost Eidolons is an upcoming turn-based strategy game being published and developed by Ocean Drive Studio, Inc. You play as Eden, the leader of a mercenary band rebelling against the imperial empire after they razed your home village to the ground. Raise an army of heroes and lead it into battle against the corrupt imperials and towering monsters.
Marvel’s Midnight Suns (2023)
Marvel’s Midnight Suns is a turn-based strategy game developed by Firaxis Games and published by 2K Games. The world is under attack by the combined demonic hordes of villainess Lilith and the armies of Hydra. As the mysterious “Hunter,” it is up to you gather a team of Marvel’s mightiest heroes and lead them into battle to save Earth from destruction.
Meet Your Maker (2023)
Meet your Maker is a post-apocalyptic first-person shooter/base-builder hybrid developed and published by Behaviour Interactive Inc., the team behind Dead by Daylight. In this game, you assume the role of the Custodian, a machine serving a living experiment called Chimera, and it is your job to protect it from raiders looking to harvest its genetic materials.
Meet your Maker’s gameplay is divided between players creating diabolical levels called Outposts and filling them with death traps, impassable obstacles, and psychotic bodyguards to keep other players from reaching Chimera. Then once you have crafted your impenetrable fortress, you can journey into the wasteland and invade other players’ created Outposts to steal their Chimera’s genetic material and feed it to yours.
Miasma Chronicles (2023)
Miasma Chronicles is an upcoming, turn-based tactical RPG developed by The Bearded Ladies and published by 505 Games. Set in a post-apocalyptic future, America has been ripped asunder by a deadly supernatural force known as “Miasma.”
You play as Elvis, a young man who has the power to fight back and control the “Miasma” by using a technologically advanced glove left to him by his missing mother when he was a child. Journeying the wasteland with his older robotic “brother,” Elvis must his gifts to cleanse the land of “Miasma” and discover the answers as to what caused this phenomenon to appear and why he was given this incredible responsibility in the first place.
Minecraft Legends (2023)
Minecraft Legends is an upcoming action game with real-time strategy elements set in the Minecraft universe. The evil Piglins have emerged from the Nether with the murderous intent to take over the Overworld. You will need to rally the local villagers and lead them into battle to protect the Overworld from the Nether’s corrupting influence.
Moving Out 2 (2023)
Moving Out 2 is a physics-based puzzle game developed by SMG Studio and Devm Games and published by Team17. Embark on a zany adventure across multiple dimensions and use your moving skills to help the residents of Packmore and beyond move out of their old homes and into their new ones.
Ni no Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom (2023)
Ni no Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom is the sequel to LEVEL-5’s critically-acclaimed JRPG, Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Remastered. In this tale, you play Evan, a young king whose kingdom has been overthrown in a bloody coup d’état and must now embark on a journey with his friends to create a new one and save the world from an ancient evil force.
Palworld (2023)
Palworld is an open-world survival MMO with elements of third-person shooters and monster-catching games. Set in a colorful yet dangerous world, you survive by befriending mysterious creatures dubbed “Pals.” Together you will explore the land, farm for resources by building factories, and battle evil poachers who want to kidnap Pals and sell them off for profit.
Raiden IV x Mikado remix (2023)
Raiden IV x Mikado remix is a remaster of a classic 2007 arcade shooter called Raiden IV, developed by MOSS and published by NIS America Inc. You’ll pilot a state-of-the-art military aircraft and blast through an aerial battlefield to stop evil invaders called the “Crystals” from taking over the world.
In addition to Raiden IV’s original Arcade Mode, the Mikado remix edition comes with new game modes, 2-player co-op, new levels, enhanced enemy attack patterns, and a fully remixed soundtrack with new arrangements and live performances.
Ravenlok (2023)
Ravenlok is an action RPG developed and published by Cococumber, the creator of Echo Generation. You play as Ravenlok, a young girl trapped in another world after stumbling onto a magic mirror. To return home, she must explore this fantastical realm, converse with deranged characters, and save a kingdom from the tyrannical reign of the Caterpillar Queen.
Redfall (2023)
From Arkane we have Redfall, an upcoming co-operative shooter/immersive sim, where you go toe to toe with vampiric forces of darkness. Not a huge amount is known about Redfall, besides the fact it’s Xbox and Windows exclusive. It’s expected to launch sometime in 2023.
Scathe (2023)
Scathe is a DOOM-inspired, first-person shooter developed by Damage State Ltd and published by Kwalee. You play as Scathe, an enforcer of the Legions of the Hell that must prove their worth to the Divine Creator by slaughtering his way through a demon-infested maze.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl (2023)
Microsoft also unveiled STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl at their July showcase as a timed exclusive for Xbox Series X and PC. STALKER is an open-world shooter with survival elements, tasking players to navigate a radiated Chernobyl filled with physics anomalies and other threats lurking in the dark.
Starfield (2023)
Microsoft grabbed Starfield with its ground-shaking purchase of Bethesda in 2020. Starfield is a singleplayer sci-fi RPG set in space, although almost nothing is known about the game so far. We know that Starfield will launch in 2023.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (2023)
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is a sequel to Respawn Entertainment’s third-person action and adventure game, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Set five years after the previous game, Survivor will once again focus on the young Jedi Cal Kestis and his robot buddy BD-1, as they travel the galaxy and evade capture from the Empire’s Inquisitors.
Stray Blade (2023)
Stray Blade is an upcoming action-RPG developed by Point Blank Games and published by 505 Games. You play as a rogue adventurer traveling the ancient Valley of Acrea alongside your companion, Boji the Xhinnon wolf. Your quest is to uncover Acrea’s lost history and retrieve the legendary Acrean Metals in the hopes that their power can restore peace to your war-torn world.
Street Fighter 6 (2023)
Street Fighter 6 is the latest upcoming entry in the landmark fighting game franchise, Street Fighter. It will feature an upgraded visual art style using Capcom’s RE Engine, a new single-player mode with open-world elements, a huge roster of playable characters both familiar and new to the Street Fighter series, and so much more.
Suikoden I&II HD Remaster Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars (2023)
Suikoden I&II HD Remaster Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars is an upcoming double-pack featuring remastered editions of Konami’s classic JRPGs from the PlayStation 1, Suikoden I, and Suikoden II. These games were beloved for their large rosters of recruitable party members in battle, engaging stories of war and political intrigue, and memorable characters.
This collection will remaster both games with improved HD backgrounds, new animations, and updated sound effects. It will also include quality-of-life features such as auto-save, a fast-forward button during battle, and a conversation log.
SYNDUALITY (2023)
SYNDUALITY is a new upcoming third-person shooter with PvPvE elements brought to you by Bandai Namco Entertainment. Set in a dystopian sci-fi world, you play as a Drifter — combat mech-pilots who venture into the outside world to mine for AO crystals. These scarce resources are used to power Amasia, the last remaining human settlement on the planet.
Guided by your AI partner, Magus, you will explore a dangerous world plagued by never-ending poisonous rain, hunt hulking alien monsters called Enders, and battle other players online as they try to steal your AO crystals.
Tales of Symphonia Remastered (2023)
Tales of Symphonia, one of the most cherished entries in the Tales Of series will be return with a remastered edition heading for Xbox consoles in 2023. In the decaying world of Sylvarant, there is a prophecy that states that a Chosen One will one day emerge and the realm will be reborn. Join Lloyd Irving and his friends as they get wrapped in the adventures surrounding this legend, and try to save not one, but two worlds from the brink of destruction.
The Plucky Squire (2023)
The Plucky Squire is an action-adventure game developed by All Possible Futures and published by Devolver Digital. You play as Jot, the titular plucky squire who protects the land of a fictional storybook from the evil wizard Humgrump.
One day, Humgrump realizes that he is a villain in children’s book, and he uses his magic to pluck Jot and his friends out of the story and into the real world. Now, Jot must find a way to return to his world, rescue his friends, and defeat Humgrump once and for all.
The Wolf Among Us 2 (2023)
The Wolf Among Us 2, the long-awaited sequel to Telltale’s narrative-focused adventure game, The Wolf Among Us, has finally been unveiled with a tentative release date for 2023. This series tells the story of Bigby Wolf, the former sheriff of “Fabletown” — a secret community within the streets of New York City that houses characters from fairy tales and folklore.
The first game had Bigby track down an enigmatic serial killer murdering the citizens of “Fabletown,” and it looks like Bigby will once again be pulled into another murder mystery in the sequel whilst also trying to keep a leash on his own inner wolf.
Under the Waves (2023)
Under the Waves is an upcoming narrative-focused adventure game developed by Parallel Studio and published by Quantic Dream. You play as Stan, a professional diver struggling to cope with a traumatic loss in his life and retreats to the depths of the ocean out of grief. While undergoing this self-imposed isolation, Stan will experience mysterious events and must come to terms with his lot in life or lose himself in the abyss forever.
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty (2023)
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is an upcoming action game brought to you by Team Ninja, the creator of the 3D Ninja Gaiden games and the Nioh series. This game will be set in a dark fantasy re-telling of the Later Han Dynasty where demons are ravaging the Three Kingdoms, and you are a nameless militia fighting for survival.
Enemy of the State (2024)
Enemy of the State is a top-down shooter developed by Brave Lamb Studio S.A. and published by Movie Games S.A. Set during the 1920’s, you play as rookie mobster aspiring to be at the top of the criminal underworld. Gather a crew of the toughest crooks and perform heists across the country to assert your place as the no.1 gangster.
Like a Dragon 8 (2024)
Like a Dragon 8 is the 8th mainline title in SEGA’s Like a Dragon franchise. Like the previous entry, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, it will once again be a turn-based RPG starring the series’ new protagonist Ichiban Kasuga. However. this time he will be sharing the lead role with his predecessor, Kazuma Kiryu, and he will have his own party separate from Kiryu’s.
Release dates to be confirmed
Alone in the Dark
Alone in the Dark, one of the progenitors of the survival horror genre, will soon be reimagined for Xbox Series X|S with a new third-person horror game. Set during the 1920s, you play as either Emily Hartwood, a young woman looking for her missing uncle, or Edward Carnby, a detective who Emily hired to aid her in her search.
Their investigation will be a dark and terrifying affair, as they must make their way through a decrepit, haunted estate called Derceto Manor. It is filled with diabolical death traps, ravenous monsters, and a sinister history that is best left untold.
Atlas Fallen
Atlas Fallen is an upcoming action-RPG developed by Deck 13 (the team behind The Surge series) and published by Focus Home Entertainment. In a world ruled by tyrannical, decadent gods, mankind must take up arms to liberate themselves from their oppression. Travel across the sands of a magical realm, harness the power of shape-shifting weapons, and hunt down humongous monsters alone or with a friend to free your people from the gods’ control.
Avowed
Avowed was revealed at Microsoft’s July Xbox showcase and is a next-gen, Xbox Series X, RPG experience from Obsidian, set in the Pillars of Eternity universe. Not a huge amount is known about the game, save for the fact it will have first-person gameplay Elder Scrolls-style and has a slick cinematic trailer to keep us appetized.
Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 and 3
Inti Creates has announced that its Azure Gunvolt Striker trilogy will be coming soon to Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. Azure Striker Gunvolt 1 is now available on Xbox, however, no official word has been given as of yet when the 2nd and 3rd sequels will be released in the West. Azure Striker Gunvolt is a series of side-scrolling action shooters where you fight to protect humanity from being exploited and controlled by mega-corporations and villains capable of warping reality called “Adepts.”
Contraband
Contraband is an upcoming Xbox exclusive developed in partnership with Avalanche, known for Mad Max and Just Cause. Contraband has been described to us as a multiplayer smuggler sandbox, where players come together to plan heists and execute them, in a vehicular-combat extravaganza. There’s no known planned launch window for Contraband as of yet.
Coral Island
Coral Island is a farming simulator developed by Stairway Games and published by Humble Games. Embark on an adventure to the picturesque Coral Island and enrich its community by becoming a farmer. Create rich farms to help feed the populace, form bonds with the townsfolk, restore the local coral reef back to life, and defend your land from wild monsters.
It will enter Early Access on Oct. 11, 2022, via Steam, and it will be released on Xbox consoles at a later date.
Dune Awakening
Dune Awakening is an open-world survival MMO developed and published by Funcom, based on the influential, critically acclaimed, science-fiction novel, Dune. On the desert world of Arrakis, you will fight for survival as one of its many inhabitants. Explore a dangerous planet filled with secrets, farm for valuable spice to help fund your own faction, and battle rival gangs and raiders in epic battles to determine who will control the spice trade on Arrakis.
Like Starfield, Elder Scrolls VI is now part of Microsoft’s Xbox Game Studios, alongside Bethesda’s acquisition. And just like Starfield, almost nothing is known about the game. It will be singleplayer and a traditional Elder Scrolls-style open RPG, but we may be waiting a long while to see this game materialize.
Endless Dungeon
Endless Dungeon is a top-down, action RPG Roguelike developed by Amplitude Studios and published by Sega. Set within the Endless universe, you are in command of a ragtag group of heroes shipwrecked on an abandoned space station. You will need to explore the station for a means to escape while protecting your life-support crystal from being destroyed by the alien monsters that now call this place home.
Everwild
The next title from Rare was revealed in late 2019, showing us another gorgeous and colorful world from the British studio. Very little is known about Everwild, but the trailer seems to indicate that it’s some form of multiplayer experience, complete with stealth mechanics and uniquely gorgeous creatures.
Fable
Microsoft finally revealed Fable after years of rumors and speculation. Fable is being built for Xbox Series X and PC and will showcase the talents of Playground Games, which has grown into a huge studio over the past few years.
Forza Motorsport 8
Microsoft and Turn 10 are rebuilding the Forza engine from the ground up, aiming to launch as an Xbox Series X exclusive in the future. Forza Motorsport 8 may be something of a reboot of sorts, dropping the numbered entries. Not a huge amount is known about the game, but we may be waiting awhile before we get our steering wheels on this one.
Ghostwire: Tokyo
Ghostwire: Tokyo is a first-person shooter directed by Shinji Mikami, famed for his work on The Evil Within and the Resident Evil series. You play as Akito, a young man searching for his missing sister after a supernatural fog engulfed Tokyo and replaced the innocent citizens with vengeful and violent spirits.
This game is currently a PlayStation-timed exclusive, but since Microsoft now owns Tango Gameworks, you can expect to see this game on Xbox in 2023 most likely.
GoldenEye 007
GoldenEye 007, the classic N64 first-person shooter based on the James Bond franchise will be making its grand return after 25 years onto Xbox consoles and Xbox Game Pass. This port will bring new additions that will enhance the original title for modern audiences such as 4K resolution, a smoother framerate (even during split-screen multiplayer matches), Xbox achievements and more.
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Hollow Knight: Silksong is a sequel to the 2D Metroidvania title with Soulslike elements, Hollow Knight, created and published by Team Cherry. You play as Horney, a warrior princess who must fight her way through a corrupted world filled with insectoid monsters so she can return to her kingdom, Hallownest.
Indiana Jones
Randomly and out of the blue, Microsoft and ZeniMax’s Machine Games revealed that the studio known for Wolfenstein’s popular reboot is building an Indiana Jones game, in partnership with Disney’s revived Lucasfilms’ Games division. There are practically no details about this whatsoever, but we’re already hyped. I wouldn’t expect to see this game any time soon, though.
Infinite Guitars
Infinite Guitars is a turn-based rhythm RPG developed by Nikko Nikko and published by Humble Games. The world has been ravaged by a war between machine and man, and the machines are winning. The only thing left that can fight back the mechanical menace is a rock ‘n’ roll band of misfits armed with the power of metal!
Form your party of intrepid rockstars, explore the wasteland for the mightiest guitars, and battle giant robots in turn-based battles where you can shred them up using special moves powered by rock.
Mandragora
Mandragora is an upcoming Metroidvania-style, side-scrolling action RPG developed by Primal Game Studio and published by Marvelous Europe. This game takes in a dark fantasy world where mankind has fallen to entropy and monsters lurk behind every corner. It is up to you to explore this decaying realm, slay the monsters preying upon humanity, and find a way to restore peace and happiness to the land.
Perfect Dark
At the 2020 Game Awards, Microsoft unveiled the long-rumored project of The Initiative — a full reboot of Rare’s classic sci-fi spy adventure Perfect Dark. Details are scant on exactly how Perfect Dark will look and play, but we’ve heard it will take cues from the gadgetry of Perfect Dark Zero and may draw comparisons to the likes of Splinter Cell: Conviction for stylish stealth-action gameplay.
Persona 3: Portable
Persona 3: Portable is a PlayStation Portable remake of the third main entry of the Persona series, Persona 3. In this world, there is a hidden hour of the day called the Dark Hour. During this unexplained phenomenon, most people are turned into coffins while they sleep. The unlucky ones who don’t however get attacked and consumed by hideous abominations called Shadows.
As Persona Users, you and your friends have the power to maintain your physical forms during the Dark Hour and fight back against the Shadows. With this in mind, you begin to explore the world within this hidden hour and find out how it came into being.
Persona 4 Golden
Persona 4 Golden is the complete edition of the fourth entry of the Persona franchise. A series of mysterious murders have been occurring in the rural town of Inaba, and the only clues as to who the killer is lies within another world called the Midnight Channel. As you and your classmates are the only ones who can enter this strange world, you journey into the Midnight Channel to catch the killer before they strike again.
Phantom Hellcat
Phantom Hellcat is a hack ‘n’ slash platformer developed by Ironbird Creations and published by All in! Games. Hidden from the public eye lies a mysterious theater containing an army of demons locked away within its halls. One day, one of the seals on the demons’ cage breaks, and the evil beings manage to steal away the theater’s guardian and escape to an alternate dimension. Now it is up to the guardian’s rebellious daughter Jolene to take to the stage, rescue her mother, and put these demons back in their cages.
Pragmata
Pragmata is an upcoming title from Capcom set in an extraordinary futuristic setting. Almost nothing is known about the game, besides the fact it’s coming to next-gen systems and looks incredibly sleek.
ProDeus
ProDeus is a retro-inspired first-person shooter developed by Bounding Box Software and published by Humble Games. Inspired by the golden age of ’90s shooters, ProDeus is an action-packed thrill ride where you brave through a nightmarish world filled with technological abominations you will gun down in droves.
It is already available on PC Game Pass, and will be released on Xbox consoles at a later date.
Routine
Routine is a first-person sci-fi horror game developed by Lunar Software and published by Raw Fury. The game takes place in an abandoned lunar base designed around a vision of what scientists from the 1980s thought future technology would look like.
You are trapped alone inside this dilapidated facility and are being hunted by killer androids who have designated you as a threat that must terminated. Now, you must run for your life, explore the lunar base to discover what happened here, and find a way to escape before the robots detect you.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
Another huge surprise announcement recently was that of Hellblade II, built from the ground up for the next-gen Xbox Series X. The in-engine trailer showcases the insane visuals Ninja Theory will achieve when the game hits the Xbox Series X.
Little is known about the game, but Senua is a Pict warrior who navigates the horrors of Helheim to rescue the soul of a loved one. The game pushed extremely incredible visuals for its time, with stunning atmospherics, but was a bit limited in scope due to the studio’s independent nature. Now, as part of Microsoft, Hellblade II may push further into more action-oriented territory.
State of Decay 3
State of Decay 3 is also a bit of an enigma, offering us a cinematic trailer and not much else. Set in a more wintry environment, there are possibilities that you’ll have to manage your internal temperature in addition to other survival needs, as the plague seems to have now spread to animals and not just humans.
System Shock
System Shock is an upcoming HD remake of the classic 1994 sci-fi first-person shooter that re-defined the genre. SHODAN, an artificial intelligence of the space station, Citadel Station, has gone mad and has turned the crew into mindless mutants and killer cyborgs. As the only survivor, it is up to you to stop SHODAN before she escapes to Earth and destroys mankind.
Tekken 8
Tekken 8 is the newest entry of Bandai Namco’s flagship fighting game franchise. Not much is currently known about this title other than it is continuing the ongoing blood feud between Kazuya Mishima and his estranged son, Jin Kazama.
The First Descendant
The First Descendant is a multiplayer-focused, action-RPG, looter shooter developed by NEXON Games Co., Ltd. and published by NEXON Korea Corp. You play as Descendants, a group of superpowered soldiers charged with protecting humanity and the Ingris continent from monsters and invading empires. You can take on the vast hordes of enemies alone with your powers, guns, and tools alone or with friends in 4-player co-op for a better chance at survival.
The Last Night
The Last Night is an upcoming “2D open-world” title from Odd Tales Games. The neon-blasted cyberpunk title features action-infiltration-oriented gameplay, complete with a branching narrative and stunning art that combines retro-2D sprites and modern lighting with 3D elements.
There’s no launch date listed at the time of writing, but The Last Night is seeking investment due to some developmental issues.
The Lords of the Fallen
The Lords of the Fallen is an upcoming dark fantasy, soulslike, action-RPG developed by HEXWORKS and published by CI Games. The deceased god Adyr, who has terrorized and desecrated all of creation, will soon be returning from the dead. To prevent Adyr’s resurrection, the Dark Crusader must travel between parallel worlds, battle hulking monstrosities, and uncover dark secrets that could topple the evil god once and for all.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is the long-awaited sequel to the cult action game set in the grim dark future of the Warhammer 40,000 franchise. Players will once again assume the role of Captain Titus, as he leads the Imperium’s finest Space Marines into battle against the ravenous Tyranids.
What are you hyped for?
As you can see, there are a lot of Xbox games to look forward in 2022 and beyond. With this many games, coupled with Microsoft’s Netflix-styled Xbox Game Pass service that lets consumers download hundreds of Xbox games for a small monthly fee, it’s safe to say the future of the Xbox brand is looking brighter than ever.
