Xbox Developer Direct (stylized as ''Developer_Direct'') is a series of livestream events produced by

Microsoft Gaming Microsoft Gaming is an American multinational video game and digital entertainment division of Microsoft based in Redmond, Washington, established in 2022. Its five development and publishing labels consist of: Xbox Game Studios, Bethesda Soft ...

to showcase upcoming first-party content from

Xbox Game Studios Xbox Game Studios (previously known as Microsoft Studios, Microsoft Game Studios, and Microsoft Games) is an American video game publisher based in Redmond, Washington. It was established in March 2000, spun out from an internal Games Group, fo ...

Bethesda Softworks Bethesda Softworks LLC is an American video game publisher based in Rockville, Maryland. The company was founded by Christopher Weaver in 1986 as a Division (business), division of Media Technology Limited. In 1999, it became a subsidiary of Z ...

Activision Activision Publishing, Inc. is an American video game publisher based in Santa Monica, California. It serves as the publishing business for its parent company, Activision Blizzard, and consists of several subsidiary studios. Activision is one o ...

Blizzard Entertainment Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. is an American video game developer and Video game publisher, publisher based in Irvine, California, and a subsidiary of Activision Blizzard. Originally founded in 1991, the company is best known for producing the h ...

, and

King King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...

. The livestreams also include

third-party Third party may refer to: Business * Third-party source, a supplier company not owned by the buyer or seller * Third-party beneficiary, a person who could sue on a contract, despite not being an active party * Third-party insurance, such as a veh ...

titles. The Developer Direct usually takes place at the beginning of each year in January.

History

Xbox Developer Direct was founded as part of Microsoft's ongoing efforts to enhance communication and engagement with gamers worldwide. Prior to Devolder Direct, some critics argued that Xbox needed to have a showcase to establish "brand identity" and differentiate themselves from other competitors. Additionally, there were suggestions that Xbox should be more transparent regarding the development of their video games. The first showcase was announced on January 11, 2023, and took place on January 25, 2023. Developer Direct has evolved and expanded. Initially focusing on presentations from Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda Softworks, in 2024 the event series has grown to encompass a broader range of developers and publishers, including third-party titles. Following Microsoft Gaming's strategic pivot towards multiplatform publishing in 2024, the January 2025 installment of Xbox Developer Direct was the first presentation to advertise the availability of Xbox's first-party titles on platforms outside Microsoft's ecosystem, such as ''Ninja Gaiden 4'' and ''Doom: The Dark Ages'' on

PlayStation 5 The PlayStation 5 (PS5) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was announced as the successor to the PlayStation 4 in April 2019, was launched on November 12, 2020, in Australia, Japan, New Zealand, North ...

. Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer confirmed the following month that all Microsoft Gaming showcases going forward would be transparent about the availability of their games on PlayStation and Nintendo consoles.

Format

Each Xbox Developer Direct event typically features a combination of announcements, trailers, gameplay reveals, and developer interviews. These presentations offer audiences a look into upcoming games,

downloadable content content (DLC) is additional content created for an already released video game, distributed through the Internet by the game's publisher. It can be added for no extra cost or as a form of video game monetization, enabling the publisher to gain ad ...

(DLC),

expansion pack An expansion pack, expansion set, supplement, or simply expansion, is an addition to an existing role-playing game, tabletop game, video game, collectible card game or Miniature wargaming, miniature wargame. An expansion may introduce new rules ...

s, updates, and other relevant developments. The format allows developers to showcase their games directly to fans and consumers and announce brand-new video game content.

List of events

Alongside the Xbox Developer Direct livestreams, other Xbox events without the "Xbox Developer Direct" branding are listed.

Xbox Developer Direct

Xbox Games Showcase

The Xbox Games Showcase debuted in 2021 as a joint presentation between

and

, before being rebranded to reflect the expanded Microsoft Gaming group. The showcase similarly recurs annually during the summer season, and features a mix of previously announced and new titles from across Microsoft Gaming's subsidiaries and an array of third-party partners. Since 2023, Xbox Games Showcase has been directly followed by a dedicated "Direct" presentation specifically focused on an upcoming game from Xbox's first-party studios.

Xbox Partner Preview

Xbox Partner Preview debuted in 2023 as a shorter presentation of previously announced and newly debuted upcoming titles, coming to Xbox platforms from third-party publishers.

Xbox Tokyo Game Show

Since 2021, an Xbox presentation has aired in conjunction with the annually scheduled

Tokyo Game Show , commonly known as TGS, is a video game trade fair and convention held annually in September in the Makuhari Messe, in Chiba, Japan. It is presented by the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association (CESA) and Nikkei Business Publication ...

in September, highlighting a slate of upcoming games from Microsoft Gaming's studios, Japanese third-party publishers, and select independent developers.

References

{{reflist, colwidth=30em Recurring events established in 2023 Microsoft Gaming Video game events Xbox