Xbox Developer Direct 2024: Indiana Jones game trailer, Avowed, and more to be present at upcoming games showcase

Xbox announced Tuesday that the company will be hosting a Developer Direct showcase on Thursday, January 18 at 12 pm PT / 3 pm ET / 9 pm UK time. The online event is taking place a year after Xbox presented the first Developer Direct to provide updates about first-party games under development but the showcase had one big surprise. To the pleasure of many, the company shadow-dropped Hi-Fi Rush, a critically acclaimed title from Tango Gameworks.

With the announcement of the Xbox Developer Direct 2024, speculation is high that the company might repeat the precedent it set last year and reveal another unannounced title. But before we delve into the rumors regarding the possible shadow drop, let us look at the games that will be present at the showcase.

Per Xbox Wire, the newest Developer Direct will offer updates on Indiana Jones from Machine Games, Ara: History Untold from Oxide Games, and Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 from Ninja Theory.

Indiana Jones from Machine Games

Machine Games, the developers of Wolfenstein, is the studio behind the eagerly anticipated Indian Jones game. While we haven’t seen Indian Jones since the title’s debut teaser trailer all the way back in 2021, the latest Xbox Developer Direct will apparently showcase a lot of the title.

Rumored to be named “Indian Jones and The Great Circle”, the Developer Direct will premier the first gameplay trailer for the title alongside information regarding the story, setting, and gameplay mechanics. The game is going to get more than 10+ minutes of airtime which is good news for fans of Indy who have been starved for updates.

Interestingly, per a report by Insider Gaming, Indian Jones and The Great Circle's release date is set for 2024. Although we have no way of confirming the validity of this report, a 2024 release seems quite plausible since the documents submitted in Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision/Blizzard revealed an initial release target of 2022.

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, Avowed, and Ara: History Untold

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 and Ara: History Untold will also be shown during the Developer Direct 2024. We have already seen quite a bit of Hellblade 2 with the newest gameplay footage dropping at The Game Awards 2023. Similarly, Ara: History Untold also got a gameplay trailer back in August. At Developer Direct, gamers will get to know more about both titles including more gameplay for Ara and behind-the-scenes footage for Hellblade 2.

Finally, the upcoming Developer Direct will also showcase Avowed from Obsidian. Obsidian, the studio behind critically acclaimed titles such as Fallout: New Vegas and The Outer Worlds, debuted Avowed in 2020 with a cinematic teaser trailer which was followed by the first gameplay trailer which dropped last year.

KILN from Double Fine

Rumors have been circulating on the internet that, just like last year, Xbox could reveal a previously unannounced title at the 2024 Developer Direct. Termed KILN, the game is allegedly being developed by Double Fine (makers of Psychonauts).

While we don’t have a lot of information regarding KILN, rumors allege that it is a small game that could be released shortly after the announcement at Developer Direct. However, since we have heard nothing from Xbox about the game, take the reports with a giant grain of salt.

Finally, ZeniMax Online is also set to reveal The Elders Scroll Online 2024 after the Developer Direct. The presentation is set to go live around 1 pm PT / 4 pm ET / 10 pm UK time.

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