Talking Point: What Release Dates Will We Get At Xbox Developer Direct This Year?

I really, really hope Fable is good, and comes out this year. Probably more excited for this than anything else (GTA VI aside, I suppose), marginally ahead of Gears E-day.

I'm not holding my breath for any dates. Which ever one is nearest will probably get the closest thing to a date and even that might be a time frame and not a date.

South of Midnight and Doom SHOULD get release dates, but you never know.

@FraserG slight edit needed, says Hifi rush shadow dropped in 2013!

@Dimey I'm actually with you on fable I'm really looking forward to the game looks promising from the little we have seen but has to get the gameplay and humour right and I just can't have faith in the coalition after gears 4&5 but here's for hoping!!🤷

Well Phil Spencer has been playing old Gears of War games, so we'll definitely be getting release dates for Gears of War: E-Day, Gears 6, Gears Tactics 2, Gears of War: The Marcus Fenix Collection, Gears Pop 2 and Gears Kart. There will be at least one shadow drop.

South of midnight and Doom will release this year. They are in good hands.

People have mentioned Fable but that’s not even at the showcase. I think that’s 2026 now or if we luckily very late 2025.

I thought we might some sort of PR for Avowed by now or very soon, like some gameplay and developer chat, it’s only a few weeks away now.

I think it'll be:

• March - South of Midnight
• April - Expedition 33 (making room for the Xbox 1st party April release being Indiana Jones for PS5)
• May - DOOM The Dark Ages
• June - Surprise 4th game

2025 lineup is just crazy. If games are released on time, spread thru the year and have a decent quality on release - we are looking at best year for xbox this gen games-wise.
Kinda hope more games support 60fps on Series X right out of the gate. Not sure I will play avowed on release as reportedly its 30fps on both series consoles.

I picked May for South of Midnight, I think March is too close to Avowed, I have a hunch that Microsoft will space things out a bit more. Could easily be April, though I went with my gut feeling of May. Doom in May seems less likely to me as it would compete against Indiana Jones on PS5, which is currently scheduled for Q2 if I’m not mistaken. Sure they’re not really the same genre despite the first person similarities, but they are both decidedly AAA and I’m not sure Microsoft will want to compete directly with themselves in that way. South of Midnight however is, for now, Xbox/PC only so does not pose any competition for Indiana Jones. I believe Doom is second half of the year, bearing in mind it was only announced in June last year and Microsoft have a habit of preferring very long, drawn out marketing cycles.

Fable for 2025, and I don't even care what month. That's high on my most anticipated, followed closely by DOOM.

Also, unrelated, but I hope we see some SoD3 at some point this year with a 2026 window.

@Millionski
There was a very small rumour I read the other day that Avowed could be 60fps on series x on day of release, forgot where I read it, was a tiny article.

@OldGamer999 praise be! First person games are always better at 60.

And before anyone says it I know I know you can play 3rd person, but that's really not how something like avowed was meant to be experienced eh!

@Coletrain
Total agree first person 60fps for Avowed
That is what we demand or at least as an option and that’s what we should get.
Nowadays there should be no excuse.
They have even had extra time to make it happen now as well.
If Indy can do it with some sort of ray tracing and using a 1800p dynamic res with all that graphical detail then Avowed can.

@Coletrain 60fps should be an option no matter what. That was the promise for this gen.
Give 30fps and ray tracing for those who want it too.
There is no such game that cannot run at 60fps today. We have seen starfield, redfall and such patches to 60 at a later date and looks fine.

@OldGamer999 i am debating if I should even play on release if its locked 30. If its dynamic 30 with 40 options with VRR - i will take that too.
But locked 30…i dont know. Prob will play later after patch. There is notbing on the game that would not allow 60fps

@Millionski @OldGamer999 still reeling at the comment where they made the artistic choice to go 30fps so they could "get juicy with the lighting effects" 🤣

Screw the lighting effects, 60fps is more important for this game. I was ok with 30fps in Hellblade 2, but this game does not have that level of graphical polish

Rumours are 15th may for doom.

So avowed in first 3 months, doom for second 3 months, leaving 2 more first party games for back half of year.

2026-2027 for everything

Clair Obscur will be getting a spring 2025 date as confirmed by the developer so likely march - may. I expect the others In summer/autumn of 2025 with fable either late 2025 or early 2026. Gears of War E-day and perfect dark in 2026.

Well Doom is now rumoured for 15th May so shows how good I am at predicting these things. Bleh. That does mean Indiana Jones on PlayStation needs to be either March or April. It also means South of Midnight is very likely April, as I don’t see that one waiting until summer and clashing with the June showcase.

@Millionski Its Xbox, its a 2025 to 2030 lineup lol. This time last Avowed was DEFINITELY at 2024 lineup game. Nope.

Fable will likely not launch in 2025.

@Coletrain It's fine, Avowed will get 60fps after launch as an "extra". So it won't be embarrassing that series s' 60fps update comes even later. It would do nothing but damage to the brand if 60fps is missing on only series s at launch OR if a 60fps version of Avowed for series s is available day one and how horrible this is going to look.

What I just described is EXACTLY what historicially happened with Starfield and it applies here too.
None of this would apply to Avowed if series s didn't exist, including the delay to 2025.... and all the other 2019/2020 games that still won't be out in 2025.

I am here for the shadow drop

@Dimey I'm hoping we get a date for Fable soon too. There's plenty of good games coming but I'm really interested to see if they can land this one...