Xbox Games Showcase Coming January 25, But No Starfield – Report

Xbox fans might not have too long to wait to see what’s on the horizon, as Microsoft is apparently looking to kick off its 2023 marketing cycle with a fresh showcase of games. According to sources at Windows Central, Microsoft will host the Developer Direct showcase on January 25, a livestream of game reveals and updates similar to Nintendo’s “Direct” shows and Sony’s State of Play events.

Arkane’s upcoming co-op vampire-hunting game Redfall is set to be in the spotlight, while Minecraft Legends, Forza Motorsport, and ZeniMax Online Studios content will also be featured. This won’t be a major livestream such as Microsoft’s previous E3 showcases, but the idea behind Developer Direct is said to be a more intimate and transparent look at the exclusive games coming to Xbox consoles and PC.

Xbox games VP Aaron Greenberg also tweeted this week that a “fun week” lies ahead, although that could also be a reference to the new Xbox Oreo promotion that just launched.

Curiously, Bethesda’s Starfield won’t be included in the first edition of Developer Direct, with the report claiming that Microsoft will instead be the focus of a dedicated and bigger showcase. So far, Microsoft has confirmed that Redfall and Starfield will launch in the “first half” of 2023, with Redfield rumored to be releasing in late May. Both of Microsoft’s heavy-hitters will adopt a higher $70 price tag when they launch, although both games will also be available as day one Xbox Game Pass releases.

The Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase had plenty to show off back in June 2022, with many of the games from that livestream having a tentative 2023 release date. With titles such as Pentiment and Overwatch 2 having been released on Xbox already, the other big announcements included Diablo IV, Hollow Knight Silksong, and Hideo Kojima’s mystery game, teased as part of a partnership with Microsoft.