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As 2022 winds down, it's time to look forward to what's ahead. If Xbox Series X|S or Xbox One is your console of choice, there's plenty to be excited about, with several console exclusives and many third-party titles coming to Microsoft's platforms in 2023 and beyond. Below, we detail the games we're most anticipating in the new year, from Embark Studios' Arc Raiders to Outerloop Games' Thirsty Suitors. In order to keep this list manageable, I'm holding myself to the rule that for a game to be included on this list, we must have seen gameplay of it at some point. I'm sure Xbox's future first-party titles like Avowed and Fable will wow, and there are some great-sounding third-party games on the horizon like Dragon Age: Dreadwolf and Assassin's Creed Mirage. But for now, let's try to reign in the hype and save our excitement for games where we actually know what the game looks like to play. Plus, even with that limitation, there are still a ton of games to look forward to--too many to list all of them. We had to draw the line somewhere or this article would have never been finished! Of the games picked, we've listed them in alphabetical order.
Arc Raiders
Arc Raiders is an upcoming free-to-play, co-op, third-person shooter from developer Embark Studios. In it, you play as a member of the human resistance, fighting against a never-ending army of machines that descend to Earth, sent from some unknown enemy. Using an assortment of good ol' fashioned firearms and more advanced gear like jetpacks, you work with other players to respond to overpower larger-than-life threats and protect the planet. Arc Raiders is scheduled to launch for Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and PC in 2023.
Atomic Heart
Atomic Heart is an upcoming first-person shooter from developer Mundfish. Taking place in a fictional alternate history, Atomic Heart is set in the Soviet Union in 1955. After the USSR developed advanced robotics to defeat Nazi Germany, the Soviets were inspired to go all-in on a high-tech future, creating an entirely automatic labor force controlled by a collective hivemind. Brilliant move. No obvious downsides. Anyway, as a Soviet KGB officer, you're gifted an experimental power glove and a healthy array of firearms and told to go stop the army of freakish robotic monsters now trying to end the lives of their human creators. Atomic Heart is scheduled to launch for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, and PC on February 21, 2023.
Blue Protocol
Blue Protocol is an upcoming action-RPG with MMO elements from developer Bandai Namco. Featuring expansive character customization--you decide your character's face, hairstyle, clothes, accessories, weapons, and mounts--that comes alive with a vibrant anime-like art style, Blue Protocol looks to be a fun story-driven adventure with friends, where you travel on a quest to discover your origins. Blue Protocol is scheduled to launch for Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and PC in 2023.
Cocoon
Cocoon is an upcoming puzzle adventure game from developer Geometric Interactive, and is notably being led by Jeppe Carlsen, the lead gameplay designer for both Limbo and Inside. Like those games, Cocoon seems to explore its tale wordlessly, as you explore increasingly strange alien worlds, each of which can be carried as a small orb on your back. Every orb presents a new world to dive into and uncover, and each possesses a unique ability as well--like illuminating unseen paths--creating Inception levels of world-within-world puzzles. Cocoon is scheduled to launch for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC in 2023.
Dead Island 2
Dead Island 2 is an upcoming action-RPG from developer Dambuster Studios. The long-awaited sequel to 2011's Dead Island moves the series' zombie outbreak apocalypse to California, seeing you play as survivors stuck in a restrictive quarantine set up by the United States Armed Forces. As a survivor who's infected, you can walk that fine line between becoming a zombie and staying human by embracing the disease and unlocking zombie powers. Dead Island 2 is scheduled to launch for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, and PC on April 28, 2023.
Dead Space
Dead Space is an upcoming remake of the 2008 survival-horror game of the same name. Developed by Motive Studios, Dead Space sees you play as engineer Isaac Clarke, who, while investigating a distress beacon issued by the USG Ishimura, discovers that the giant mining spaceship has been overrun by monstrous undead abominations of the ship's crew. Utilizing an assortment of engineering and maintenance equipment as makeshift weapons, Isaac has to find a way to escape the deteriorating ship, all while fighting off the infected by surgically cutting off their limbs. Dead Space is scheduled to launch for Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and PC on January 27, 2023.
Diablo IV
Diablo IV is an upcoming action-RPG from developer Blizzard Entertainment. In Diablo IV, your character is tasked with stopping Lilith, who has been resurrected and is taking advantage of the events of the past few games, which saw both the demons and angels largely decimated. You can pick one of five playable classes for your hero--Barbarian, Sorceress, Druid, Rogue, or Necromancer--and then set out into five open-world regions filled with procedurally generated dungeons, either on your own or in a party of four. Like its predecessor, Diablo IV is an always-online experience, allowing you to meet and befriend other players in town or when out exploring. Diablo IV is scheduled to launch for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, and PC on June 6, 2023.
Everspace 2
Everspace 2 is an upcoming fast-paced spaceship shooter from developer Rockfish Games. Surprisingly, Everspace 2 moves away from the beloved roguelike structure of its predecessor and instead opts for an open-world, narrative-driven experience with a more thoughtful sci-fi story, optional side quests to pursue, and a lot more RPG-inspired elements. The moment-to-moment gameplay of frenetic dogfights that rewards skilled piloting and adaptability is largely the same--it's just as good as you remember if you played the first game. Currently in early access via Steam Early Access and GOG's Games in Development, the game's 1.0 build is set to officially launch for Xbox and PlayStation consoles (Rockfish has not clarified which ones specifically yet) and PC in 2023.
Flintlock: The Siege Of Dawn
Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn is an upcoming open-world action-RPG with Souls-like-inspired combat from developer A44 Games. In Flintlock, you play Nor Vanek, a soldier in the coalition army. The army is at war with the gods, using gunpowder as a means to keep pace with the divine magic they face. Nor's personal vendetta with the gods sees her making an alliance with Enki, a small magical creature with his own problems with the gods. To overcome Flintlock's challenging enemies and eerie bosses, you need to explore how the two partners' skillsets best cooperate together, mixing devastating firearms with potent magic. Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn is scheduled to launch for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, and PC in 2023.
Forza Motorsport
Forza Motorsport is an upcoming racing simulator game from Turn 10 Studios, not to be confused with Playground Games' recent racing arcade game, Forza Horizon 4. Turn 10 Studios' new game will be the eighth main entry to the Forza Motorsport series, which generally focuses a lot more on detailed simulation in comparison to the Forza Horizon series. Forza Motorsport is scheduled to launch for Xbox Series X|S and PC in 2023.
Harold Halibut
Harold Halibut is an upcoming narrative adventure game from developer Slow Bros. The game is made entirely from 3D scanned physical models, emulating stop-motion technology. The result is a gorgeous-looking game about a young lab assistant, Harold, who lives in a city-sized spaceship stuck on an aquatic planet. Though most citizens have accepted their fate, the ship's lead scientist and your boss, Jeanne, hasn't. As you aid her in her attempts to find a way to free the ship from the planet, you can also explore it and meet your fellow passengers, learning what it means to call a place a home. Harold Halibut is scheduled to launch for Xbox One, PS4, and PC in 2023.
Hollow Knight Silksong
Long have we waited to hear the silken strum of developer Team Cherry's sophomore effort grace our ears, to feel the propelled movements of protagonist Hornet as her insectoid feet pirouette through the air with deadly grace. And soon we shall have it. So soon, indeed. Hollow Knight Silksong builds off the intriguingly enigmatic conclusion to Team Cherry's first game, with a brand-new story about an abandoned princess clawing her way to the top of a long-lost kingdom in order to reach a shining citadel. Metroidvania fans, rejoice! Our chosen one approaches, scheduled to launch for Xbox Series X|S, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and PC in 2023.
Judas
Judas is an upcoming narrative-driven first-person shooter from Ghost Story Games, a studio led by Ken Levine--former director of System Shock 2, BioShock, and BioShock Infinite. And you can really tell by looking at Judas, which stylistically and gameplay-wise looks a whole lot like a BioShock game. In Judas, you play as the titular character, who's stuck on a deteriorating starship. The disaster unfolding around you is your fault, and to escape the dire situation you'll have to decide if it's worth putting aside your differences with those you've tried to doom in order to work together and collectively survive. Judas is scheduled to launch for Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and PC--according to digital storefronts, it's "coming soon," which could mean 2023.
Lies Of P
Lies of P is an upcoming action Souls-like from developer Neowiz. The game twists the familiar tale of Pinocchio into an even crueler, darker setting that is giving off wonderful Bloodborne vibes. You play as Pinocchio, a puppet mechanoid, who must fight their way to their father, Geppetto, in their quest to become human. To reach Geppetto, Pinocchio will have to wade through a France overrun with those who would harm him, including giant mechanical monsters and scary, rabbit mask-wearing people. Lies of P is scheduled to launch for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, and PC in 2023.
Life A Dragon: Ishin
Like a Dragon: Ishin is an upcoming action-adventure game from developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio. A remake of the 2014 game of the same name, which was never released in the West, Like a Dragon: Ishin sees you play as Sakamoto Ryoma, a samurai in the 1860s who travels to Kyoto in search of his father's killer and restore his family's honor. Like a Dragon: Ishin will launch for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, and PC on February 21, 2023.
Minecraft Legends
Minecraft Legends is an upcoming action-strategy game from developers Mojang Studios and Blackbird Interactive. In Minecraft Legends, you must help the residents of Minecraft's Overworld--from terrifying skeletons to simple villagers--put aside their differences and unite under your one banner in a war against an invading army of piglins. The game will feature multiplayer too, allowing you to team up with friends in your battle against the Nether or fight against them in PvP matches. Minecraft Legends is scheduled to launch for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PC in 2023.
Planet Of Lana
Planet of Lana is an upcoming puzzle-platformer from developer Wishfully. You play as a girl who, along with an adorable black-furred creature companion, sets off on an adventure to save her home, a beautiful and vibrant world of nature that has been invaded by monstrous machines that have descended from the sky. In terms of gameplay, Planet of Lana looks a lot like games like Limbo and Inside. Planet of Lana is scheduled to launch for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC in 2023.
Ravenlok
Ravenlok is an upcoming action-adventure RPG from developer Cococucumber. Much like Lies of P is a darker take on Pinocchio, Ravenlok is a more twisted version of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, reimagining the story about a young girl stumbling into a magical mirror and facing off against a corrupt queen in a fantastical world. The game features Cococucumber's signature 3D pixel artstyle, which brings gorgeous detail to Ravenlok's world. Ravenlok is scheduled to launch for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC in 2023.
Redfall
Redfall is an upcoming open-world, cooperative first-person shooter from developer Arkane Austin. Taking place in the fiction island town of Redfall, Massachusetts, Redfall sees you play as cryptozoologist Devinder Crousley, combat engineer Remi De La Rosa, ex-military sharpshooter Jacob Boyer, or biomedical engineering student Layla Ellison. The island has been invaded by vampires, who have blotted out the sun and cut off any-and-all escape. Utilizing an assortment of firearms, high-tech gadgets, and mutant abilities, you have to find a way to survive long enough to eradicate the vampires for good. Redfall is scheduled to launch for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC in 2023.
Replaced
Replaced is an upcoming action-platformer from developer Sad Cat Studios. Stylized in an incredible-looking 2.5D pixel artstyle, Replaced sees you play as an AI trapped within a human body who lives in a retro-futuristic sci-fi variation of the 1980s. As an AI, your struggles to adapt to human life leads to one problem after another, including violent outlaws and greedy corporations. Replaced is scheduled to launch for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC in 2023.
Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil 4 is an upcoming survival-horror game from developer Capcom. A remake of the 2005 game of the same name, Resident Evil 4 puts you back in the well-tailored shoes of Leon S. Kennedy, who travels to a Spanish village that's dominated by a violent cult in order to rescue Ashley graham, the daughter of the US president. Like the Resident Evil remakes before it, Resident Evil 4 adds some new mechanics to its survival-horror formula, such as a parry system, and enhances the visuals to match current-day standards. Resident Evil 4 is scheduled to launch for Xbox Series X|S, PS5, PS4, and PC on March 24, 2023.
Senua's Saga: Hellblade II
Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is an upcoming action-adventure game from developer Ninja Theory. Like the first game, Hellblade II takes place in a fantastical rendition of the 8th century, taking inspiration from Norse mythology and Celtic culture. Once again, we're playing as Senua, who has come to accept her mental illness as a part of her. We know very little about what she's up to this time around, though the gameplay reveal trailer for Hellblade II does seem to hint that Senua is the head of her own tribe now and this next adventure will see her face the struggles that come with leadership. Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is scheduled to launch for Xbox Series X|S and PC--it does not yet have a release window.
Stalker 2: Heart Of Chornobyl
Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl is an upcoming survival-horror first-person shooter with RPG elements from developer GSC Game World. In the long-awaited sequel to 2007's Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl, you once again delve into the irradiated remains of the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone in search of valuable artifacts. Featuring a non-linear story in an open-world setting, Stalker 2 features dangerous anomalies to navigate, frightening mutants to shoot, and characters to meet. Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl is scheduled to launch for Xbox Series X|S and PC in 2023.
Starfield
Starfield is an upcoming action-RPG from developer Bethesda Softworks, the first new intellectual property developed by the studio in over 25 years. In Starfield, you customize your own space explorer and then set out into a solar system that's enjoyed 20 years of uneasy peace following a war between the United Colonies and Freestar Collective. Like in the Fallout and The Elder Scrolls games, Starfield's story is heavily defined by role-play, allowing you to shape your story with dialogue decisions and allying with different factions. Starfield is scheduled to launch for Xbox Series X|S and PC in 2023.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is an upcoming action game from developer Respawn Entertainment. The sequel to 2019's Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order sees protagonist Cal Kestis five years older and still in hiding from the Galactic Empire. Armed with a crossguard lightsabers, new Force powers and parkour abilities, and a healthy variety of animal mounts, Cal finds himself fending off Jedi-killing bounty hunters, Stormtroopers, and dangerous droids in his continued fight to take down the Empire. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is scheduled to launch for Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and PC on March 17, 2023.
Street Fighter 6
Street Fighter 6 is an upcoming fighting game from developer Capcom. The game features a starting base roster of 18 characters, six of which--Jamie, JP, Kimberly, Lily, Manon, and Marisa--are new to the series. Street Fighter 6 is scheduled to launch for Xbox Series X|S, PS5, PS4, and PC on June 2, 2023.
Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is an upcoming action-adventure third-person shooter from developer Rocksteady Studios. In it, you and up to four friends can play as long-standing members of Task Force X--Deadshot, King Shark, Harley Quinn, and Captain Boomerang--who have been assigned to kill the mind-controlled members of the Justice League. Each member of Task Force X uses a unique weapon and possesses a different way of getting around the open-world setting of Metropolis, which is now full of aliens that need killing. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is scheduled to launch for Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and PC in 2023.
The Finals
The Finals is an upcoming first-person shooter from developer Embark Studios. This free-to-play shooter has you compete in a virtual game show, where contestants battle it out in very destructible environments--these former Battlefield devs are turning that destructible dial up to 11. To win, you and your teammates have to find and secure vaults of cash, demolishing anyone who tries to stop you. Alongside the destructible buildings, The Finals' interactive environments are a virtual playground of possibility, especially with the use of advanced gadgets like a grappling hook and Prey-like glue gun. The Finals is scheduled to launch for Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and PC--digital storefronts list that it's "coming soon."
The Invincible
The Invincible is an upcoming first-person adventure game from developer Stalward Industries. Inspired by the 1967 sci-fi novel of the same name, The Invincible sees you play as Yasna, a scientist stationed on Regis III who can't remember much beyond her name. Your entire crew is gone and you set out in search of them, reporting what you find to your Astrogator, who remains a faceless voice on a radio you carry with you. Big Firewatch vibes with this one, though the atompunk atmosphere of the game seems to make for an even more chilling experience. The Invincible is scheduled to launch for Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and PC in 2023.
Thirsty Suitors
Thirsty Suitors is an upcoming adventure game from Outerloop Games. You play as Jala, who returns home to attend her sister's wedding and take some time to learn self-love and find herself. This quest will see her contending with her demanding parents, skateboarding around town, learning to cook, and hashing things out with her numerous ex-partners in colorful turn-based battles. Thirsty Suitors is scheduled to launch for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PC in 2023.
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