Everything You Missed At The First Xbox Event Of 2024 (Trailers, Reveals, Release Dates)

Xbox kicked off 2024 in style with a Developer_Direct that provided looks at a number of upcoming games, and checking out what all was shown is one of the best ways to get a good sense of what fans can expect in the coming year. Similar to Nintendo Directs or PlayStation State of Plays, the Developer_Direct is an efficient way of conveying information and reveals in a video stream format. The name isn’t just for style, however, as the Xbox Developer_Direct also gives studios a chance to talk about their titles outside the basic gameplay footage.

Although it looks like Xbox might start porting exclusives to other systems in the near future, the company has made a big push for strong titles under its umbrella in recent years. From acquiring studios to forming partnerships with outside companies, Xbox has built up a strong portfolio that will definitely be paying off in 2024. Per the modern Xbox standard, all the games shown in the Xbox Developer_Direct will also be coming to PC for their initial releases.

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5 Ara: History Untold Is A Fall 2024 Release

Oxide Games, 4X Strategy

Ara: History Untold is a 4X strategy game from developers who have worked on titles like Sid Meier’s Civilization 5, but the team is trying to put a big focus on what they’re doing differently, per the Developer_Direct via Xbox’s YouTube channel. Combat is resolved in simultaneous turns, a procedurally generated world responds to player actions, and winning the game is based on an overall point system rather than a set of victory conditions. The Xbox Developer_Direct established a Fall 2024 release date for Ara, with the studio planning to continue implementing responses to feedback after its official launch.

4 Visions Of Mana Launches In Summer 2024

Square Enix, Action RPG

Visions of Mana wasn’t originally revealed as an inclusion in the Xbox Developer_Direct, but this upcoming Square Enix title made a surprise appearance. As the newest entry in the iconic Mana series, Visions of Mana is an action RPG in a richly stylized world. The Developer_Direct showcase focused on the creature designs, giving a platform to series creator Koichi Ishii to talk about translating the original pixel art style to 3D. The Developer_Direct confirmed a Summer 2024 release for Visions of Mana, so it won’t be too long before it’s on store shelves.

3 Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 Releases May 21, 2024

Ninja Theory, Action-Adventure

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 has had its fair share of trailers since its initial reveal in 2019, but the overview in the new Xbox Developer_Direct revealed some additional key information about the historical Icelandic adventure. Most significantly, Hellblade 2 finally has a specific release date of May 21, 2024, when it will be available on Xbox Game Pass alongside a digital-only $49.99 release confirmed by an Xbox Wire blog post. This follows up on the “Independent AAA” approach established in the original Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, even though Xbox Game Studios is now backing developer Ninja Theory.

2 Avowed Is Coming In Fall 2024

Obsidian Entertainment, Action RPG

Although the planned Xbox exclusive The Elder Scrolls 6 may still be years away, the first-person fantasy RPG Avowed seems like an obvious choice to fill in the gap. Developed by Obsidian Entertainment, known for games like Fallout: New Vegas, The Outer Worlds, and Pentiment, Avowed steps into the same world as the studio’s Pillars of Eternity isometric RPG series but focuses on a different setting within it. Avowed‘s previously vague 2024 release window was updated during the Xbox Developer_Direct to a slightly more specific Fall 2024.

The Xbox Developer_Direct didn’t show a new trailer for Avowed, but it did break down the game in more detail than before with commentary from developers in a deep dive available on Obsidian Entertainment’s YouTube channel. A breakdown of a quest investigating the deaths of some soldiers puts a focus on the decision-making aspects of the game, making a point of consequences and moral gray areas. The showcase also discusses the combat, which heavily incorporates dual wielding between blades, guns, and spellcasting, and the diverse environments found within Avowed‘s setting of the Living Lands.

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1 Indiana Jones And The Great Circle Is Set For 2024

MachineGames, Action-Adventure

Developer MachineGames first revealed its Indiana Jones game with a teaser trailer in 2021, but the 2024 Xbox Developer_Direct of 2024 was the first time that gameplay footage and details have been provided. The gameplay trailer, available on the Xbox YouTube channel, has confirmed the title as Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, which references an intersecting plane crossing the Earth at a point determined by archaeological sites around the world. As a first-person adventure, it looks to have a mix of combat, puzzles, and narrative, with the cinematics and some key actions switching to a third-person view.

The story of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle takes place in 1937, squeezing into the gap between Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade. Like both of those films (and the Wolfenstein titles from MachineGames), it focuses on the Nazis as the main villains, introducing a new foe named Emmerich Voss for Indiana to face. There’s no specific release date for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle yet, but it’s set to launch some time in 2024 as an Xbox exclusive.