To recapture some of the spotlight from Sony Group Corp SONY and Nintendo Co. Ltd. NTDOY, Microsoft Corporation's MSFT Xbox Developer Direct kicked off the year with a bang.
The January 2025 event revealed major game announcements, including the surprise reveal of "Ninja Gaiden 4" and "Doom: The Dark Ages" preview.
Here's everything you need to know about the new announcements:
Ninja Gaiden 4
After years of waiting, Team Ninja has revived the legendary franchise with the help of Platinum Games. The new game introduces Yakumo, a fresh protagonist who will face off against formidable enemies.
"Ninja Gaiden 2 Black" has also been remastered and is available for Xbox Game Pass users.
Doom: The Dark Ages
Another major highlight was the preview of Doom: The Dark Ages, the latest chapter in the iconic Doom series. Acting as a prequel to the 2016 reboot, the game will shift the action from quick dashes and jumps to a more deliberate, brawler-style gameplay.
Doom: The Dark Ages releases on May 15, 2025. Pre-order for Xbox Series X|S and PC, or play it day one with Game Pass.
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South of Midnight
From developer Compulsion Games comes South of Midnight, a visually striking action-adventure set in a fictional American Southern town. Players take control of Hazel, a character with the ability to weave magic and rid the world of monstrous, corrupted creatures.
South of Midnight arrives on April 8, 2025, for Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Play it day one with Game Pass or pre-order now.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a role-playing game from Sandfall Interactive. The game introduces active combat where characters can dodge, perform combos, and parry.
Expedition 33 will launch on April 24, 2025, and will also be available on Xbox Game Pass.
Why It Matters: In October 2024, Microsoft reported first-quarter revenue of $65.60 billion, reflecting a 16% increase compared to the previous year.
In the More Personal Computing segment, Xbox content and services revenue surged 61%, driven by the acquisition of Activision.
As of December 2024, Xbox leads the console operating system market worldwide with a commanding 65.8% share, followed by PlayStation with 34.19%. Nintendo holds a minimal 0.01% market share, according to Statcounter.
Price Action: Microsoft's stock increased by 0.11% on Thursday, ending the day at $446.71. However, in after-hours trading, the shares fell slightly by 0.081%, reaching $446.35, as per data from Benzinga Pro.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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