Windows Central reports that the next Xbox Showcase is happening later this month. The event will be called ‘Xbox Developer Direct’ and will focus on and include deep dives into Redfall, Forza Motorsport, Minecraft Legends, and new content from ZeniMax Online Studios. According to the report, the Xbox Developer Direct will take place on January 25 at 12 pm PT / 3 pm ET / 8 pm GMT on Xbox’s Twitch and YouTube channels. It’s not a full-blown E3-scale type of show but will be a more intimate look at some of the upcoming exclusives.
Nothing official has been announced yet but an announcement may come later this week. This comes after Aaron Greenburg, VP, Xbox Games Marketing tweeted out “This should be a fun week, excited for the days to progress!”
This should be a fun week, excited for the days to progress! 💚
— Aaron Greenberg 🙅🏼♂️💚U (@aarongreenberg) January 9, 2023
Greenburg talked about Xbox’s plans for 2023 after the criticism of Xbox’s lack of appearance at The Game Awards 2022. Greenburg told fans “we have a lot planned to show and share about an incredibly exciting year ahead for 2023. Appreciate folks are eager to learn and see more. Timing is always key, but don’t worry you will not have to wait too long for what’s next from us.”
Redfall was going to release last year alongside Starfield but both were delayed to 2023. Redfall is reportedly coming out in early May. Forza Motorsport is coming this spring. Minecraft Legends is also coming out sometime in 2023.
The report says that Starfield will not be featured at the event because a dedicated showing may happen leading up to its release. Starfield is expected to launch within the first half of 2023.
The report says that this new event, the Developer Direct is a new initiative from Microsoft and Xbox to offer information on upcoming games more frequently, outside of the major gaming events like E3 and The Game Awards.