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How to watch January 2025’s Xbox Developer_Direct

Key art for January 2026's Xbox Developer Direct.
Microsoft

To kick off 2025, Microsoft is holding another Xbox Developer_Direct showcase to highlight four games making their way to Xbox Game Pass throughout 2025. We’ll finally get a new look at games like Doom: The Dark Ages and South of Midnight, and a surprise reveal from the show is also bound to create excitement. It’s a show that Game Pass subscribers across any platform will want to tune into. To help with that, I’ve rounded up all the pertinent information surrounding the showcase, including how to watch it and what you should expect.

When is January 2025’s Xbox Developer_Direct

The third annual Xbox Developer_Direct will take place at 10 a.m. PT on January 23, so you’ll need to set aside some time midday on Thursday if you want to watch it live. Microsoft has not said how long the show will last, but Developer_Directs typically last 45 to 50 minutes, with lengthy segments dedicated to each title.

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How to watch January 2025’s Xbox Developer_Direct

As is the case with most of its first-party showcases, you can expect the latest Developer_Direct to live-streamed across official Xbox and Bethesda channels on YouTube and Twitch. We’ll embed the YouTube limk for the Developer_Direct into this article as soon as it’s available so you can watch the whole show right from this webpage.

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What to expect from January 2025’s Xbox Developer_Direct

Xbox Developer_Directs aren’t like Nintendo Directs because they give us extended looks at a smaller number of games rather than rapid-fire looks at several. Microsoft confirmed that four games will be featured in this year’s Developer_Direct, and we know three of them: South of Midnight, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and Doom: The Dark Ages.

South of Midnight is a new action-adventure game inspired by the culture and mythology of the American Deep South. It’s the first game We Happy Few and Contrast developer Compulsion Games has released since it was acquired by Microsoft in 2018. Meanwhile, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is an stylish turn-based RPG from a new independent European studio called Sandfall Interactive.

Doom: The Dark Ages needs little introduction. The medieval-themed continuation of id Software’s trailblazing first-person shooter series will offer its first in-depth look since it debuted at the Xbox Games Showcase last June.

Finally, an unannounced game is also being teased for the event. We’ll have to wait and see what that is, but at least we’ll get a deep dive into the game as soon as it’s revealed.

Tomas Franzese
A former Gaming Staff Writer at Digital Trends, Tomas Franzese now reports on and reviews the latest releases and exciting…
Redfall’s May 2 release date revealed during Developer_Direct
A screen capture from the Redfall gameplay reveal.

Arkane Studios and Bethesda finally confirmed a release date for Redfall during today's Developer_Direct showcase. The cooperative open-world, vampiric first-person shooter will come out  May 2.
The Developer_Direct showcase spent quite a bit of time on Redfall, highlighting both its single-player and multiplayer content. Its part of the show started with a look at various combat zones and safe areas on Redfall Island, where the game takes place. We then learned more about some of the enemy types players encounter, weapons they can use, and each character's special abilities, as Arkane showed off gameplay snippets from multiple missions. If you're a fan of looter shooters and vampires, Arkane looks to be fully delivering on that concept based on this gameplay snippet.  
Redfall has been a highly anticipated first-party Xbox game ever since its reveal in 2021, but its delays have also been quite infamous. Originally intended to be released in summer 2022, it and Starfield's delay into 2023 really significantly impacted the dearth of content that plagued Xbox platforms last year. That's why having a concrete release date for Redfall is quite a relief; it provides hope that Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda will get back in the swing of having a consistent string of first-party releases. It will also be one of the first Xbox-exclusive games to sport a $70 price tag. 
Redfall launches for PC and Xbox Series X/S on May 2. If you don't want to spend $70 on this game, it will also be on Xbox Game Pass on day one like all first-party Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda games. 

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Xbox and Bethesda’s Developer_Direct: how to watch and what to expect
The four hero characters in Redfall dragging a vampire, who's reaching towards the camera with clawed hands.

Microsoft has confirmed rumors that it will be holding a game showcase later this month. Called a Developer_Direct, this livestream will take place later today and feature updates on Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda games launching over the next few months, like Redfall.  Xbox doesn't typically do that many games showcases outside of events like E3, so this Developer_Direct seems like Microsoft's own take on the Nintendo Direct or State of Play formula.
That said, it's being a bit more transparent that it will be a bit slower-paced than Nintendo or PlayStation's shows typically are. For those planning to watch the show live today, this is how to watch Xbox's Developer_Direct Showcase as well as what you can expect from games like Redfall, Forza Motorsport, Minecraft Legends, and The Elder Scrolls Online at the event. 
When is Xbox and Bethesda's Developer_Direct? 
Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda's first-ever Developer_Direct will air live and for free later today, January 25, at 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT. 

How to watch Xbox and Bethesda's Developer_Direct
The Developer_Direct showcase will be officially livestreamed by Bethesda and Microsoft in the following four places: 

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Xbox and Bethesda’s Developer_Direct is their most important showcase ever
A screen capture from the Redfall gameplay reveal.

Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda just announced that their first-ever Developer_Direct showcase will be held January 25, giving Microsoft footing in the game showcase space outside of events like E3 and Gamescom. After a rough year for Xbox first-party studios, this Developer_Direct will finally give us another very deep look at games like Redfall, Forza Motorsport, and Minecraft Legends, whichwill start to form its game lineup for this year, whetting our appetites for what's to come to Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and Xbox Game Pass in 2023. Although the seeming lack of any brand new first-party announcement might make this Developer_Direct not feel that exciting to the average player, this is a critical showcase for Microsoft if it wants to win jaded fans back.
So far this console generation, Microsoft has been inconsistent in terms of both content and transparency about the state of its games. We've gotten a couple of exhilarating bursts of info on new upcoming exclusives at the past couple of Xbox summer showcases, and fall 2021 had a solid lineup of releases in Deathloop, Forza Horizon 5, and Halo Infinite. But these flurries of excitement are overshadowed by large droughts in terms of releases and reports that cast doubt over the state of some first-party games' development. That's why Developer_Direct will be so crucial for Microsoft. This show will allow it to refocus players on a (hopefully) more consistent release lineup and start to give fans a consistent showcase cadence to be excited for. 

The content factor
Digital Trends has done plenty of writing highlighting how 2022 was a very weak year for Microsoft. The delay of Redfall and Starfield in 2022 really ruined that year, even though Pentiment and As Dusk Falls were good games. For more mainstream gaming fans, though, Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda's 2023 looks way more exciting. Games like Redfall, Forza Motorsport, Minecraft Legends, and Starfield have 2023 release windows, while long-announced games like Senua's Sacrifice: Hellblade II, Contraband, and Avowed seem like they've been in development long enough to not be too far off. However, Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda haven't shown us how this year will be paced out in terms of releases, and players were not pleased with Microsoft's lackluster presence at The Game Awards 2022
That's the first major task of Developer_Direct. While no release dates were technically promised in its announcement, this show is a prime spot to let Xbox fans know precisely when they can get their hands on these long-awaited first-party titles. One of the most exciting parts of a Nintendo Direct is consistently seeing Nintendo's lineup for the next few months take form in real time, giving fans a bunch of neat titles to experience before the next inevitable showcase. Xbox is sorely in need of something like that, and Developer_Direct provides the perfect opportunity to do so, mainly because it seems to be focused less on the number of announcements and more on delivering info about games people are already interested in. 

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