We're starting to hear more about Xbox Series X games as the next-gen console's launch date creeps ever closer. Faster and capable of more advanced graphics than its predecessors, Microsoft's next-generation hardware promises to be the most powerful games console in the world when it launches late in 2020 – even more so than the PS5, which is expected to hit shelves around the same time.
We've now had a somewhat-substantial first look at the Xbox Series X game lineup, with a number of third-party titles having been announced – and shown off with in-engine gameplay – on the latest Inside Xbox's Xbox Series X gameplay reveal. We've detailed each new game below, alongside Assassin's Creed Valhalla which was announced a few days previously – and which we now know will benefit from Xbox's innovative Smart Delivery feature.
We also learned that, because of Smart Delivery, Madden 21 will be the first official Xbox Series X game you can buy beginning in August and that there are two Xbox Series X-exclusives so far: The Medium and Scorn.
To know what you're going to be playing on the next-gen console, here's every Xbox Series X game Microsoft has confirmed so far – and some others that we hope, expect, or demand to see.
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Every Xbox Series X game and Xbox Series X exclusive confirmed
We had our first Xbox Series X gameplay reveal on May 7, and got a number of new Xbox Series game announcements along with it. They're all third-party games, but you can check out the announced titles below, with previously confirmed titles (like Halo Infinite, for one) below that. We'll be sure to update these entries as more information on each of these games becomes available.
It's also worth pointing out that, while most of the games listed below are likely to be cross-gen compatible, there are two that are Xbox Series X exclusive – The Medium and Scorn. According to Scorn's Kickstarter page, the developers chose Xbox Series X primarily because of its powerful hardware, and also plan to bring the game to PC via Steam, Windows Store, and GOG.
Bright Memory Infinite
Chinese FYQD Studio is behind the first game to be shown off in the May 7 Inside Xbox stream, Bright Memory Infinite.
It has a very sci-fi feel, but with swords and shields mixing with assault rifles and… magical beams of light acting as a grappling hook? There are even futuristic car chase sequences right out of Blade Runner – and while we don't know much about the game, our first in-engine look of the game running on Xbox Series X definitely got out attention. (The game is reportedly made by a single person, too.)
We know it's coming to PC, too, and that owners of the previous Bright Memory title will get the new title for free.
Xbox Series X Optimised? Yes.
Dirt 5
A new Dirt game! Dirt is a classic racing game series from developer Codemasters, and we're not surprised to see it make the way to next-gen consoles. Expect… fast cars? Racing? With only a brief look so far, we can't say much more, but it's sure to be rendered beautifully, and have the smooth drifting we'd expect from a next-gen console and Xbox Series X controller. Dirt 5 will be supported by Smart Delivery, too.
Xbox Series X Optimised? Yes.
Scorn (Xbox Series X exclusive)
Oh boy, this trailer was disconcerting. Scorn appears to take place in a grim, gray, and bloody world, with mysterious stone statues and intestine-lookalike worms combining for… something. We got some serious Alien / Prometheus vibes – fitting, given the clear influence from Alien designer H.R. Giger – and know it's a first-person horror game, set in “a nightmarish universe of odd forms and somber tapestry”.
It's said to be an Xbox Series X exclusive, though it also appears to have a Steam page, so we imagine it will be a timed exclusivity window.
Xbox Series X Optimised? Yes.
Chorvs
Chorus is a space-flight combat simulator, with Mass Effect stylings and a neat Knight Ryder gimmick – your spaceship being sentient – powering the galactic action.
There's some confusion around the name, given the font seems to write it as 'CHORVS', but we're sticking with 'CHORUS' for our collective sanity. Either way, with “mind-bending abilities” and plenty of space combat promised, this could be a great test of the Xbox Series X's graphical upgrade.
Xbox Series X Optimised? Yes.
MADDEN 21
That's right! The next Madden game is coming to Xbox Series X. The NFL game will bring American football to your console with high-quality graphics and (hopefully) super smooth gameplay on the high-spec console. Also confirmed for Xbox Smart Delivery.
Xbox Series X Optimised? Yes.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2
The sequel to Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines is here! With telekinesis, monstrous puppets, and (of course) plenty of vampirism, this looks like a must-buy game for Xbox Series X. It sounds like it will have a banging soundtrack too.
With the previous game releasing in 2004, there's a lot of hype for this title, and the next-gen specs look set to make it a first-person vampire game to remember.
Xbox Series X Optimised? Yes.
Call of the Sea
Call of the Sea looks to be a narrative-led mystery game, tasking you with finding your lost husband among the jungles, oceans, and islands of the South Pacific.
It's already confirmed for both Xbox Game Pass and Smart Delivery – and we'll update you as we find out more.
Xbox Series X Optimised? Yes.
The Ascent
If Cyberpunk 2077 isn't enough dystopian sci-fi for you, The Ascent may have you covered. With dirty, high-tech cities, alien populations living side by side, and talk of supernovas causing havoc, will The Ascent be an imitator or an innovator? We'll find out soon enough.
We do know the game will be a top-down shooter, and is the first game from developer Neon Giant.
Xbox Series X Optimised? Yes.
The Medium (Xbox Series X exclusive)
The Medium is a next-gen psychological horror game from the developer behind Blair Witch – and with the composer behind the Silent Hill series helping to score the action.
Players will inhabit the body of a spiritual medium called Marianne, bordering this world and the next. We can pretty much guarantee it will sound terrifying, and with it being so many years since a Silent Hill game, we can't wait to see if The Medium is a worthy successor.
Xbox Series X Optimised? Yes.
Scarlet Nexus
From Bandai Namco, this unsettling action game sees you fighting off flowery enemies to protect humanity. It has an art style clearly informed by modern 3D anime, with a teenage protagonist with the gift of 'psychokinesis', laying waste to some sort of sentient plant life – with human legs? We don't get it, but from the outset this looks like a hack-and-slash adventure worth a lazy afternoon. It's been confirmed for Smart Delivery too.
Xbox Series X Optimised? Yes.
Second Extinction
Earth has fallen. Rally your squad. Shoot dinosaurs. This FPS game sees you gunning down dinos to help retake earth from these scaly beasties. The name isn't inspiring, but the trailer suggests there may be some cooperative or competitive element to keep things interesting.
Xbox Series X Optimised? Yes.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon
Want to play a Yakuza game on Xbox Series X. You'll be able to from the console's launch.
If that seems soon, it is! Like A Dragon technically came out in Japan this January (on PS5), though, so it's only the Western release that's being timed for next-gen consoles. It's been confirmed for Smart Delivery too.
Given how beloved the Yakuza series is, though, it'll be sure to get a lot of attention – with this title seeing you play as young man Ichi as he navigates the organized crime world of urban Japan – but the trailer above shows it off better than we could summarise it.
Xbox Series X Optimised? Yes.
Want to know what else you can play on Xbox Series X? Here are all the games that had previously been confirmed for the next-gen console – with some rumored or speculated titles below that.
Confirmed Xbox Series X titles
Halo Infinite
Image credit: Microsoft
Halo Infinite is was the first title that Microsoft confirmed for Xbox Series X – so we definitely know Master Chief is making the jump to the next-generation console.
Not only that, but Halo Infinite will be a launch title for Series X, releasing in Holiday 2020 alongside the console (or consoles). It's not particularly a surprise, considering Master Chief has served as the face of Xbox for nearly 18 years…
According to Microsoft, Halo Infinite (like all exclusive Xbox game Studios titles) will use the new Smart Delivery feature. That means you only have to purchase the game once, and you'll have the access to the best available version for whichever Xbox console you choose to play on.
Warframe
Leyou Technology, parent company of Warframe developer Digital Extremes, has revealed that its free-to-play online sci-fi shooter Warframe will be coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X.
In an earnings report by Leyou Technology, the company stated that it's “preparing to expand Warframe to more platforms, such as the next-generation consoles and other devices”.
However, there's no indication of when Warframe will land on PS5 or Xbox Series X.
Cyberpunk 2077
Image credit: CD Projekt Red
CD Projekt Red was reticent to say whether or not its upcoming title will be releasing on the next generation of consoles. Thanks to a tweet by the developer, we now have confirmation that Cyberpunk 2077 will be coming to Xbox Series X – and the game will even make use of Microsoft's new Smart Delivery feature, allowing players to upgrade their Xbox One version of the game to the Xbox Series X version for free.
In addition, a “proper, full-blown next-gen version” of Cyberpunk 2077 will come to Xbox Series X – but it won't be available on the console at launch.
That's according to CD Projekt, the parent company of Cyberpunk 2077 developer CD Projekt Red, who revealed during an earnings call (via VGC) that, while the game will still release in September and will be available on Xbox Series X “from the get-go”, an enhanced, next-gen version will be released at a later date.
“In terms of Microsoft’s console, like I said, we have officially confirmed both the update and the cross-gen availability, meaning that you’ll be able to play the game from the get-go on the next-gen,” CD Projekt SVP of business development Michal Nowakowski said during the call.
“However, when it comes to a proper, full-blown next-gen version, that’s going to come later, we haven’t announced when and I don’t have a new comment here on that.”
A CD Projekt Red spokesperson confirmed to VGC that the “full-blown next-gen version” Nowakowski referred to is the previously announced Xbox Series X upgrade.
Gothic
After gauging interest with a playable teaser, developer THQ Nordic has confirmed that it's going to remake its 2001 cult classic and bring it to Xbox Series X.
Nordic is planning to “stay as faithfully as possible to the original experience” and modernise gameplay mechanics but it's also promised fans that it'll be playing close attention to player feedback from the playable teaser; already the developer has said that it's hearing calls for a “grittier and less colourful world”.
Development is still in the very early stages, though, and we shouldn't expect to see it launch on Microsoft's console in 2020.
Rainbow Six Siege
Rainbow Six Siege director, Leroy Athanassof, has confirmed in an interview with Windows Central that Ubisoft's plan is to have the online tactical shooter be available on Xbox Series X from the console's launch day.
Ubisoft doesn't want players to face being split up from their friends just because some have jumped into the new generation when others haven't so it's also been confirmed that the game will support cross-gen play. That means Xbox Series X players will still be able to play with the Xbox One friends.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2
Xbox Series X's name and design was officially revealed during the Game Awards 2019. Alongside a look at the next-gen console we also recieved an official announcement that there's another Hellblade on the way – and it's coming to the next Xbox.
We don't know much about what Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 will be about but the announcement trailer, harnessing the Series X's next-gen technology, was extremely impressive – and it's likely the game will make use of Smart Delivery.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Ubisoft has confirmed that the next chapter in the Assassin's Creed series is coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla sees players take on the role of Viking raider Eivor, who leads their clan from their native home of Norway to the shores of Dark Ages England – with a hope of settling for good. But resistance from the Saxons won't exactly make it easy.
This new Assassin's Creed game leans more into RPG elements, allowing players to build and manage settlements, raid towns for resources, form alliances and even customize their character.
We got our first look at gameplay on May 7 on an Inside Xbox stream, but it was something of a disappointment in how little it showed. We're hoping the eventual game will have more to it than the little blips of action we've seen.
Outriders
People Can Fly has confirmed that its upcoming co-op shooter Outriders will land on both PS5 and Xbox Series X in “Holiday 2020” (AKA between October and December this year) – the same release window that we have for both next-gen consoles.
We don't know a huge amount about Outriders just yet, but the developer has described it as “a co-op RPG shooter for a new generation set in an original, dark and desperate sci-fi universe”.
The Lord of the Rings: Gollum
Announced in March 2019, Daedalic's Gollum game has now been confirmed for PS5 and Xbox Series X.
The developer confirmed to Edge, that The Lord of the Rings: Gollum will be a “stunning next-gen adventure”. Previously Daedlic confirmed Gollum will release in 2021 for PC and “all relevant console platforms at that time”. Whether the game will be cross-generation (releasing on PS4 and Xbox One also) is still unconfirmed however.
But what will the game actually be about? Gollum is an action-adventure which focuses on the ring-obsessed creature. According to Daedalic, the narrative-driven game”tells Gollum's story from a perspective never seen before … while staying true to the legendary books.”
Gods and Monsters
Just like Watch Dogs Legion, Gods and Monsters is another title from Ubisoft announced for Xbox at E3 2019 that's been delayed from its original early 2020 release into the next financial year.
Knowing now that we could see Gods and Monsters released any time between April 2020 and March 2021, we've long thought it's likely that the title will make an appearance on the Xbox Series X platform.
This has now been officially confirmed. Along with Rainbow Six Quarantine and Wathdogs: Legion, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has said it will be coming to the next-gen platform.
Battlefield 6
Electronic Arts has confirmed that Battlefield 6 is coming to Xbox Series X and PS5 in 2021.
Speaking to GameSpot, EA said that Battlefield 6 will be “targeting new innovation that will be enabled by next-gen platforms”. We're still largely in the dark about what Battlefield 6 is about, and whether it'll also be available on current-gen consoles, but we can't wait to find out more.
Rainbow Six Quarantine
Rainbow Six Quarantine was first confirmed during Ubisoft's E3 2019 press conference. It was never given a solid release date but it has since been delayed into the 2020-2021 financial year.
So, while we still don't know a release date, this delay has pushed the game closer to the Xbox Series X launch and increases the likelihood we'll see it playable on the next generation of consoles. Of course this has now been officially confirmed by Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot in an earnings call to investors in November, 2019.
Watchdogs: Legion
First announced at E3 2019, Watch Dogs Legion was initially confirmed for a March 2020 release. However, since then Ubisoft has confirmed that the game will now be delayed into the next financial year which runs from April 2020 to March April 2021, meaning Watch Dogs Legion could see a delay of as little as a month or up to a year.
This delay does, however, make it more likely than ever that Watch Dogs Legion will launch for Xbox Series X as a cross-generation title. Which has now been officially confirmed by Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot in an earnings call to investors in November, 2019. Watchdogs: Legion will be joining Rainbow Six Quarantine and Gods and Monsters on the next-gen platform.
WRC 9
It's been officially confirmed that the latest version of the FIA World Rally Championship will officially hit Xbox Series X and PS5. The racing title will release in September 2020 for PC, Switch, Xbox One and PS4, but will also release on next-gen consoles.
“The introduction of new-generation gaming consoles is a wonderfully exciting step and we’re delighted WRC 9 will be the first rally game to become available to gamers on such platforms,” WRC Promoter managing director Oliver Ciesla said.
According to the game's website, WRC 9 will feature rallies in Kenya, New Zealand and Japan from the 2020 WRC calendar, alongside over 400km of roads from all 13 scheduled rounds of the 2020 season.
WRC 10 and WRC 11 have also been confirmed.
Dying Light 2
During an interview with Wccftech at E3 2019, developer Techland confirmed Dying Light 2 is set for next-gen consoles.
“Techland always has an eye on the latest new toys!” Techland's chief technology officer, Pawel Rohleder, said. “To be more specific – yes, the plan since the beginning of production has been to make Dying Light 2 a cross-generation title.”
Suspected Xbox Series X titles
Everwild
A surprise announcement during XO19 was Rare's next original title: Everwild. This game is still in the very early stages of its development and there's no release date just yet. This certainly suggests that the game could be a cross-generational title, launching on Series X and Xbox One as an exclusive.
We don't know much about Everwild just yet but Rare has said that it will “give you memorable, engaging and meaningful experiences for players everywhere to share.”
Starfield
Image credit: Bethesda
Bethesda has quite a lot of projects in the works, but the one we seem to know the least about is Starfield. All we know so far is that Starfield is the gaming behemoth's first new IP in 25 years and will be a single player RPG set in outer space.
Having only seen an announcement trailer, we don't expect Starfield to release until at least 2020 which means it will land in the prime window to become an Xbox Series X game. Bethesda hasn't let slip if this will be the case, but it seems likely we will be venturing into Bethesda's galaxy on next-generation consoles.
The Elder Scrolls 6
Image credit: Bethesda
As we said, Bethesda has been pretty busy behind the scenes since E3 2018. Not only is Starfield on the cards, but the long-awaited Elder Scrolls 6 has also been confirmed to be in the works.
Bethesda's Todd Howard has already stated that The Elder Scrolls 6 won't be coming out until after Starfield. So it'll be a while before we venture into Tamriel again, likely on next-generation consoles.
Grand Theft Auto 6
Image credit: Rockstar Games
Ok, yes, we are being a bit hopeful here – mainly because Grand Theft Auto 6 has not been announced by Rockstar Games. But it's almost guaranteed that we will see a new instalation in the Grand Theft Auto series, and it's not going to be for a while.
Therefore, it is likely that a release date will fall into the next generation, making GTA 6 an Xbox Series X game.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake
Image credit: Square Enix
Again, the Final Fantasy 7 Remake has not been confirmed to be an Xbox Series X game but Square Enix has confirmed the title will come to PS4 first – with an Xbox One and PC release likely in the future .
Given the age of the Xbox One, and the ambitious nature of the game – it's coming in multiple episodes across a multi-year release schedule – a cross-generation title with next-gen platforms isn't out of the question. So we're definitely hoping to see the Final Fantasy 7 Remake on Xbox Series X.
Check out everything we know so far about Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2.
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