Xbox Developer Direct to Showcase Indiana Jones Game, Avowed, Hellblade 2, More

The presentation will be held next Thursday, January 18, on the official Xbox YouTube and Twitch channels.

Written by Rahul Chettiyar, Edited by Manas Mitul | Updated: 10 January 2024 19:26 IST

Photo Credit: Microsoft

Xbox Developer Direct

Highlights

Xbox Developer Direct will start at 1:30am IST in India/12pm PT in the US
Indiana Jones presentation will run for longer than 10 minutes
The Elder Scrolls Online updates will be revealed right after the event

Microsoft is returning with an Xbox Developer Direct next week, promising updates on the much anticipated Indiana Jones game, Obsidian's upcoming fantasy RPG Awoved, and more. The presentation is scheduled to go live next Thursday, January 18 at 1:30am IST in India/ 12pm PT in the US, and will be available to watch on Xbox's official YouTube and Twitch channels. True to the name, the event will include both gameplay footage and developer interviews to best illustrate upcoming titles in the ecosystem, a lot of which will be included with Xbox Game Pass. However, it is worth noting that despite the recently completed acquisition, don't expect any Activision Blizzard games to be shown during the broadcast.

The standout here is MachineGuns' Indiana Jones game, which was confirmed to be a PC and Xbox exclusive from the Microsoft vs US FTC trial in June. Announced just months after the company acquired ZeniMax Media for $7.5 billion (about Rs. 62,264 crore), Indian Jones' first gameplay trailer will likely put us in the shoes of the famous archaeologist with the whip and give out more details about the general premise of the title. This segment will run a little over 10 minutes. Meanwhile, developer Ninja Theory will take us on yet another behind-the-scenes trip into the world of Hellblade 2, charting a new path in Senua's tale as she ventures into Viking Iceland to save innocents from a tyrannical rule. Hopefully, we get a solid release date this time — the team has been teasing its usage of Unreal Engine 5 for years now and understandably, players are getting impatient.

Consider this your formal invitation to Developer_Direct

Join us January 18 for an inside look at highly-anticipated games straight from their developers: https://t.co/iOs0jKdGwo | #DeveloperDirect pic.twitter.com/iEdd6bTMrA
— Xbox (@Xbox) January 9, 2024

Obsidian is at the top of its league when it comes to writing branching RPGs, and fans are expecting to be stunned when they're transported back to the fictional world of Eora, first introduced in the Pillars of Eternity series. In Avowed, Obsidian's next RPG, you assume the role of a messenger tasked with investigating rumours of a spreading plague in the vibrant Living Lands, flush with intriguing characters, breathing environments, and absurd wildlife. Master spells, wield swords imbued with elemental magic, and make quick work of enemies through unorthodox methods. Given how much Baldur's Gate 3 valued player agency and impressed gamers globally, Avowed has got some big shoes to fill. Then Oxide Games will show off some new Ara: History Untold gameplay, alongside ‘details about the inspiration, key features, and the road ahead.'

Shortly after the Xbox Developer Direct event, ZeniMax Online Studios has planned a broadcast for The Elder Scrolls Online, revealing the next big chapter that brings in a whole new zone, plot threads, and quality-of-life features. The show goes live at 2:30am IST in India/ 1pm PT in the US on the same Xbox channel. Elsewhere, there are rumours of Sea of Thieves coming to PlayStation and the Nintendo Switch systems — if true, we could learn more about it during the digital event.

The Xbox Developer Direct is scheduled for January 18 at 1:30am IST in India/ 12pm PT in the US.

Is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 the best foldable phone you can buy in India right now? We discuss the company's new clamshell-style foldable handset on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.

Avowed

KEY SPECS
NEWS

Genre RPG

Platform Xbox Series S/X, PC: Windows

Modes Single-player

Series Pillars of Eternity

PEGI Rating 16+

More Obsidian Entertainment Games

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Good
Emphasis on narrative, characters
Industry-defining visuals
Excellent audio design, music
Sensitive portrayal of mental health issues
Cinematic, immersive storytelling

Bad
Shallow combat, exploration
Repetitive gameplay loop
Performance issues

Read detailed Xbox Senua's Saga: Hellblade II review

Genre Action-Adventure

Platform Xbox Series S/X, PC: Windows

Modes Single-player

PEGI Rating 18+

More Xbox Games

Ara: History Untold

KEY SPECS
NEWS

Genre Strategy

Platform PC: Windows

Modes Single-player, Multiplayer

PEGI Rating 7+

More Xbox Games

Comments

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

Further reading: xbox, microsoft, xbox direct, xbox developer direct 2024, indiana jones, avowed, hellblade 2, ara history untold, the elder scrolls online, xbox game pass, obsidian, xbox one, xbox series x, xbox series s