Microsoft held its Xbox Developer Direct 2025 showcase on Friday, sharing details about its upcoming first-party games and making some new announcements. Bethesda’s first-person shooter Doom: Dark Ages finally has a release date, as does Compulsion Games’ action-adventure Midnight South. Both games also showed off new gameplay footage and shared pre-order details on supported platforms. Developer Sandfall Interactive has also revealed the release date for their upcoming turn-based role-playing game, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
Finally, during the Developer Direct showcase, Team Ninja and Platinum Games announced that they are developing the next Ninja Gaiden game, which is expected to be released on Xbox, PC, and PS5 in the fall of 2025. Following the release of Ninja Gaiden 3 in 2012, Ninja Gaiden 4 will be the first mainline entry in the series in more than a decade. The studio also announced Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, a remaster of the original game now available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series S/X.
Here’s everything announced at Xbox Developer Direct 2025 on Thursday:
Doom: Dark Age release date confirmed
Doom: Dark Ages debuted at last year’s packed Xbox Game Showcase and finally got a release date during Wednesday’s Xbox Developer Direct. Id Software has confirmed that the long-awaited sequel to Doom Eternal will launch on PC, Xbox Series S/X, and PS5 on May 15, 2025, with a day-one release on Game Pass.
In a developer deep dive, id Software shared a wealth of details about the game’s combat design, exploration, and story. The game is said to be the most ambitious Doom game to date and will serve as a prequel to 2016’s Doom and Doom Eternal, set in a dark fantasy/sci-fi world.
Players will be encouraged to hold their ground and fight bigger, meaner demons, with the Doom Slayer now acting like a tank. To help players defend and counterattack, in addition to the powerful guns in the game, the game will also equip them with shield saws and a large number of medieval weapons. The game is now available for pre-order on the Microsoft Store and on Steam for PC, Xbox and PlayStation storefronts.
South of Midnight confirms release date
Another Xbox first-party game received release date confirmation at Developer Direct. Compulsion Games’ South of Midnight, which debuted at the Xbox Game Showcase in 2023, will release on April 8, 2025 for PC and Xbox Series S/X. The game will also be available on Game Pass at launch.
The developer also released a new story trailer for the game, detailing the characters and Southern Gothic setting. “South of Midnight” is now open for pre-order, and players who pre-order the premium version can experience it five days in advance starting from April 3.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 release date announced
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 debuted at last year’s Xbox Game Showcase and received updates during the Developer Direct showcase. The turn-based RPG will be available on PC, PS5, Xbox Series S/X and Game Pass on April 24, 2025.
The developer also shared a new release date trailer, showcasing more gameplay and story. Pre-orders for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 are now open.
Ninja Gaiden 4 announced
In addition to the already announced release date updates for the game, the Xbox Developer Direct also unexpectedly announced its final update. More than ten years after the release of the last mainline game in the series, the beloved Ninja Gaiden series is finally back. Team Ninja and Platinum Games have announced Ninja Gaiden 4, a game released by Xbox Game Studios following Microsoft’s partnership with Koei Tecmo, which owns the Ninja Gaiden IP.
The new mainline game will be available on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series S/X in the fall of 2025. Ninja Gaiden 4 will also be available on Game Pass at launch. The protagonist of the series, ninja master Ryu Hayabusa, will return in the game. However, “Ninja Gaiden 4” will usher in a new protagonist, Yakumo. Team Ninja also debuted a trailer showcasing fast-paced, brutal melee combat, exploration and traversal, and a dark and gritty world.
“Ninja Gaiden 2 Black” released
In addition to releasing Ninja Gaiden 4, Koei Tecmo also released Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, a remaster of 2008’s Ninja Gaiden 2 with graphical improvements. The game is now available on PC, PS5, Xbox Series S/X, and Game Pass.
In an interview with Xbox Wire, Koei Tecmo Games Ninja team leader and Ninja Gaiden 4 producer Fumihiko Yasuda discussed the announcement of Ninja Gaiden 4 and Ninja Gaiden 2 Dark being released simultaneously.
“This simultaneous announcement and release on the same day as Ninja Gaiden 4 may surprise some people,” he said. “The biggest reason for developing Ninja Gaiden 2 Black was to address the concerns of core fans, who might be wondering ‘What happens to Hayabusa?'” We also wanted to provide something to enjoy for players awaiting the release of Ninja Gaiden 4. We chose Ninja Gaiden 2 because it’s one of the most solid action games in the series. We added “Black” to the title to show fans that this is the final version, just like Ninja Gaiden Black did in the first game. “
