Xbox Developer Direct is returning to show off Doom: The Dark Ages, South of Midnight, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and one other mystery title

Xbox Developer Direct 2025
(Image credit: Microsoft / Xbox)

  • The next Xbox Developer Direct is taking place this month
  • There'll be fresh looks at Doom: The Dark Ages and South of Midnight
  • Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and one other game will also be shown

It's time to mark your calendars once again, Xbox heads, as a new Developer Direct presentation has been announced for this month.

The official Xbox Wire post has all the details, locking in the Developer Direct showcase for January 23 at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm GMT. As always, it'll be broadcast at that time on Xbox's official channels such as YouTube.

Four games will be shown off at this Xbox Developer Direct. First up is id Studios' Doom: The Dark Ages, a brand new prequel that's set before the earliest events of the legendary demon-slaying first-person shooter series.

Next up is South of Midnight from Compulsion Games. Xbox claims this new look will be a "deep dive" into the upcoming action-adventure title. That's great news, as up until now we've only seen very brief snippets of gameplay and teasers, and we're still in the dark as to what the overall experience could really be like.

The final confirmed game for the Xbox Developer Direct is Sandfall Interactive's Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, a highly-anticipated AAA turn-based role-playing game with a stacked voice cast featuring Charlie Cox and Andy Serkis alongside Final Fantasy 16's Ben Starr and Baldur's Gate 3's Jennifer English. It's one of my most anticipated releases this year and I can't wait to learn more about it.

Finally, the Developer Direct will be paying a visit to a "surprise location" for a look at a mystery "brand new game." Xbox hasn't revealed what this game is, of course, but there are a few notable Xbox Game Studios frontrunners in Fable, Perfect Dark, and Gears of War: E-Day.

If I were a betting man, I'd put money on it being Fable. As per its most recent trailer, we know it's earmarked for a '2025' release window. That said, we haven't seen much at all in terms of gameplay. As such, this Developer Direct is the opportune time to blow the doors wide open on the return of one of Xbox's most beloved franchises.

You might also like...

Rhys Wood
Hardware Editor

Rhys is TRG's Hardware Editor, and has been part of the TechRadar team for more than two years. Particularly passionate about high-quality third-party controllers and headsets, as well as the latest and greatest in fight sticks and VR, Rhys strives to provide easy-to-read, informative coverage on gaming hardware of all kinds. As for the games themselves, Rhys is especially keen on fighting and racing games, as well as soulslikes and RPGs.

Read more
The Luminary rides a horse across an open space at dusk
The return of a 'legendary' Japanese franchise could be the Xbox Developer Direct mystery title
ID@Xbox
The next ID@Xbox showcase is scheduled to take place later this month
A South of Midnight screenshot showing the game's world.
South of Midnight looks absolutely stunning, and it's now got an official release date
a screenshot from Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Xbox Game Studios boss says there are 'a bunch' of games yet to be revealed
The two protagonists hold up a store
New Xbox Series X games 2025 - the most anticipated Xbox release dates
The Fable 4 protagonist sitting next to a knight, both holding the hilt of a sword
Fable 4 - everything we know about the new Fable game so far
Latest in Gaming
8BitDo Ultimate deal
The 8BitDo Ultimate is my all-time favorite Nintendo Switch controller, and it's just gone back on sale at an almost lowest-ever price
Fortnite Lawless
After Nike and Adidas trainers, it was only a matter of time until Crocs got added to Fortnite
Hitman: World of Assassination on PSVR 2.
Hitman: World of Assassination hits PSVR 2 soon, finally giving you a reason to dust off your headset
Indiana Jones talking to a friend in a university setting with a jaunty smile on his face
New leak claims Indiana Jones and the Great Circle PS5 release will come in April
Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered
Future PlayStation games could have AI-powered characters, if this leaked prototype of Aloy is anything to go by
The main character from Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet performing a jump attack on a robot enemy.
Neil Druckmann reveals new details about Naughty Dog's Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, says it's 'a game about faith and religion' and wants players to be 'lost' and 'confused'
Latest in News
Project Moohan prototype at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked, an XR goggles headset on display in a show area
Samsung's Android XR headset could avoid the Apple Vision Pro's biggest mistake, according to this leak
Rivian R1T
Big Rivian update delivers hands-off driving to rival Tesla Autopilot – and a new 'Rally' mode
Google Pixel 9 in Wintergreen showing back camera bar
The Google Pixel 10 could get a big camera boost if this new leak is legit
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, close up on the dual camera system, against a marbled background
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is being tipped to come with a sweet Google Gemini deal
An option to add Ambient Music buttons to the iOS 18.4 Control Center.
Apple fixes dangerous zero-day used in attacks against iPhones and iPads
Diego Luna looks questioningly at the back of someone's head as Cassian Andor in the show Andor
Disney+ is making Andor free to stream on YouTube, and now you have no excuse not to watch the best Star Wars show