It’s already shaping up to be a massive year in gaming, and Microsoft has now offered a closer look at its 2025 lineup in its latest developer edition of Xbox Direct. Over the course of its hour-long runtime, the publisher shared deeper dives, release date news, and even a couple of notable surprises for some of the titles coming this year, including the reveal of Ninja Gaiden 4 ( alongside a Ninja Gaiden 2 spruce), a release date for Doom: The Dark Ages and more. For the full feature on everything in today’s showcase, read below.
Ninja Gaiden 4 announced
If you’ve been wondering what Bayonetta Studio Platinum Games has been up to recently, here’s your answer. He is partnering with developer Team Ninja to create Ninja Gaiden 4, a new mainline entry in the Classic Action series. Ninja Gaiden 4 introduces a new master ninja protagonist, Yakumo, in a futuristic Tokyo that has been devastated by Dark Dragon’s Darkrot Rain. Original series protagonist Ryu Hayabusa is also said to play a “pivotal role,” and the two characters’ paths will eventually cross as the story develops. And it’s not far away either, launching for Xbox Series X/S, PC, PS5, and game Pass in “Fall 2025.”
Ninja Gaiden 2 Black Surprise Releases
And that’s not all the ninja gaiden news. Team Ninja has also announced that it will be bringing back a familiar favorite with a new lick of paint. Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, which first launched on Xbox 360 back in the Halcyon days of 2008, is getting a ‘significant revamp’ courtesy of Unreal Engine 5. The studio calls Ninja Gaiden 2 Black the “definitive edition” of the classic hack-and-and-and-Slasher, out today on console, PC, and game pass.
South of Midnight Release Date
Compulsion Games’ third-person action game South of Midnight, which takes place in a “folklorish” version of the Deep South, returned in the latest Microsoft developer directly for a new performance, this time packing in giant alligators, charlatans of Catfish and a look at Some of the action players will experience in its “darkly magical world.” And if everything you like, you don’t have long to wait; South of Midnight now has a release date and is coming to Xbox Series X/S and PC on April 8.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Release Date
This turn-based RPG set in a fantasy version of late 19th century Belle Époque France is certainly amazing. It promises what developer Sandfall Interactive is calling a “turn-reactive” battle system, combining elements of real-time offense and defense, along with a cinematic battle camera, as players explore its “beautiful, immersive world.” ” as the titular expedition unfolds. It’s a quest that sees players embark on a journey to stop the painter, who once a year paints a number on her monolith, causing everyone that age to fade away. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 certainly has a lot of character, and will be released on April 24 for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC and game Pass.
DOOM: Dark Ages Release Date
It seems like it’s been a while since we last heard from ID Software and Doom: The Dark Ages, but it’s back with a lot more to show. ID is calling this new entry in the legendary FPS series its “most ambitious game yet,” and it’s all set in a “cinematic sci-fi fantasy world” embroiled in a medieval war against hell. It’s a prequel to 2016, if you didn’t know, and ID says this means he’s had the opportunity to “reinvent every aspect” of the experience. DOOM: The Dark Ages Developer Straight Showcase featured an extended look at its revised combat, promising “some of the most ridiculously powerful weapons [id] Ever created: plus a 30-story mech, a fire-breathing dragon, and more. Better yet, Doom: The Dark Ages finally has a release date, launching for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC, and game Pass on May 15.
