Upcoming Xbox Series X games: All the new Xbox Series X games confirmed so far

This list of the biggest upcoming Xbox Series X games is growing rapidly, with some seriously exciting titles arriving in the next 12 months and beyond. This list of new Xbox Series X games is order in chronological order as much as possible, so it's easier to get your personal calendar in order. And don't forget, if you're a Games Pass subscriber, a lot of these titles are also joining the service. We've indicated on each game entry whether that's the case for individual titles. 

Thanks to Microsoft's commitment to its gaming ecosystem, most of these new Xbox Series X games will also launch on its smaller sibling the Xbox Series S and PC too, and a huge selection will also be arriving as part of Xbox Game Pass too. 

Whether you're lucky enough to have an Xbox Series X or are lusting after that elusive Xbox Series X stock there's something for everyone to add to your wishlist in this round-up of the most exciting upcoming Xbox Series X games.

2021

Life is Strange: True Colors

Release date: September 10, 2021
Developer / Publisher: Turtle Rock / Warner Bros
Genre: Graphic Adventure
Game Pass: No

Life is Strange is back with a new hero in Alex Chen. In the new series' entry - Life is Strange: True Colors - you'll play as Alex as she reunites with her brother after years apart through the foster system. Unfortunately though, not soon after their reunion, Alex's brother is killed in a strange accident, forcing Alex to question what really happened. Thankfully, as you'd hope from the Life is Strange series, Alex is gifted with supernatural powers in the form of a psychic empathy ability that lets her see and manipulate other people's emotions - but at a cost of the risk of being "infected" with those emotions.

Sable

Release date: September 23, 2021
Developer / Publisher: Shedworks
Genre: Adventure
Game Pass: Yes

Seriously channelling some Star Wars speeder bike energy, Sable sees its hero set out on her "gliding". A kind of right of passage, you'll be exploring the expansive deserts on your hoverbike, climbing ruins, solving puzzles, and encountering other nomads who might just need your help. Its gorgeous art style, original soundtrack, and interesting premise make Sable one to keep an eye on. 

Far Cry 6

Release date: October 7, 2021
Developer / Publisher: Ubisoft Toronto / Ubisoft
Genre: Action 
Game Pass: No

Far Cry 6 is bringing back Ubisoft's open-world action formula back, but this time you'll be thrown into the midst of a fight for freedom. Set on the island of Yara, you fill the shoes of guerilla resistance fighter Dani Rojas who seeks to liberate the island from the dictator Anton Castillo (played by Breaking Bad's Giancarlo Esposito). The sixth installment is bound to deliver another round of open-world Fry Cry action. 

• Buy it now: Pre-order Far Cry 6

Back 4 Blood

Release date: October 12, 2021
Developer / Publisher: Turtle Rock / Warner Bros
Genre: Co-op action
Game Pass: No

Back 4 Blood is the spiritual sequel to Left 4 Dead, just without the involvement of Valve. This is another four-player co-op zombie game that channels the same style and energy of the Valve original. Expect melee combat and blood aplenty, with a wide variety of undead beasties to take down - or generally run away from. There's even a roguelike card system to explore too. 

Battlefield 2042

Release date: October 22, 2021
Developer / Publisher: DICE / EA
Genre: FPS
Game Pass: No

Battlefield 2042 is taking us to the near future for a 128-player slice of multiplayer chaos. Its all-out warfare modes will including Conquest and Breakthrough, but the real draw will be its constantly changing, dynamic maps, which are set in locations across the globe. It'll force you to adapt all the time, to things like sandstorms, tornados, and even rocket launches. Prepare for battle with this multiplayer-only title. 

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy

Release date: October 26, 2021
Developer / Publisher: Eidos Montreal / Square Enix
Genre: Action / Adventure
Game Pass: No

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy is Eidos Montreal's take on the iconic band of misfits, not connected to the MCU or any of the comics. In this upcoming Xbox Series X game you'll play Star-Lord, leading the Guardians just over a year after they came together. A galactic war has just come to an end, but now there's another threat to the universe that definitely wasn't accidentally the Guardians' fault (spoilers, it was). This is a game where you'll need to make decisions, deal with the Guardians making their own choices, and learning how to work as a team in battle too. 

Riders Republic

Release date: October 28, 2021
Developer / Publisher: Ubisoft Annecy / Ubisoft
Genre: Graphic Adventure
Game Pass: No

This could be your next favorite social space, because Riders Republic will let up to 50 players gather on a single map to enjoy extreme sports together. From skiing and snowboarding, to biking and wingsuits, you'll want to explore the vast map to find events, races, activities, and more that can be found there. Crazy costumes and fun side options will mean there's always plenty to do. 

Call of Duty: Vanguard

Release date: November 5, 2021
Developer / Publisher: Sledgehammer / Activision
Genre: FPS
Game Pass: No

The latest entry in the long-running Call of Duty series is taking us back to WW2 once again. The Call of Duty: Vanguard campaign will explore four fairly unexplored stories from the second world war, in a way that explores the true horrors of war. From everything we've seen so far, it's impactful stuff - and one of the more graphically advanced games yet. Of course, there'll be multiplayer and Warzone updates to arrive with the game too. 

Jurassic World Evolution 2

Release date: November 9, 2021
Developer / Publisher: Frontier
Genre: Sim
Game Pass: No

Jurassic World Evolution 2 is the upcoming dinosaur park simulator from Frontier, and offers up a campaign that follows directly on from the events of the movie Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. The game will see you managing more elements of your park than ever before, with new staff mechanics, better ways to interact with and entertain your guests, and even more dinosaur and reptile species than ever before - yes including flying and aquatic scaley beasties. 

Forza Horizon 5

Release date: November 9, 2021
Developer / Publisher: Playground Games / Microsoft
Genre: Arcade Racer
Game Pass: Yes

Forza Horizon 5 is squealing into pole position for headlining the upcoming Xbox Series Games for 2021. Taking the Festival to Mexico, developer Playground Games states this is its biggest, most varied, and ultimately, most fun title to date. You'll be able to discover deserts, jungles, cities, hidden ruins, beaches, canyons, volcanoes, and more. There's a campaign to follow along with various challenges and activities to take part in with other players. 

Dying Light 2

Release date: December 7, 2021
Developer / Publisher: Techland / Techland
Genre: Action / Adventure
Game Pass: No

Taking place some 15 years after the original game, Dying Light 2 is taking us deeper into this particular zombie apocalypse than ever before. Techland itself has described the time period as the 'new Dark Ages', where society has been dragged back to a more primal version of itself, battling for territory with each other as much as they are with the zombie hordes. It's a glorious-looking game and comes with updated parkour and combat mechanics, which should make it a 2020 game to remember.

Halo Infinite

Release date: December 8, 2021
Developer / Publisher: 343 Industries / Microsoft
Genre: Action / Adventure
Game Pass: Yes

The next chapter of the iconic space shooter is perfectly timed to be a show pony for the new Xbox Series X, even if it will also be released on the "entire Xbox family of devices" including Windows PCs. It's being built on a new engine, Slipspace, and the trailer certainly looks real pretty. As for the story, we know it'll continue Master Chief's s journey and, according to Chris Lee, studio head on Halo Infinite, will "mark the beginning of a new chapter and challenge for the Chief, but it will also respect and continue threads that led to this point." We'll meet new characters, like the Pilot, and - most excitingly - some of the sound effects were provided by a pug called Gyoza.  

Shredders

Release date: December 2021
Developer / Publisher: I-Illusions / Let it Roll
Genre: Sports
Game Pass: Yes

A snowboarding game built by snowboarders, for snowboards. Shredders will see you exploring the mountain range on your board, riding with your friends to discover what the locale has to offer. It looks to be quite the simulation title for those looking for a snowboarding game fix. Let's hit the slopes.

The Gunk

Release date: December 2021
Developer / Publisher: Thunderful Publishing
Genre: Action / Puzzle
Game Pass: Yes

The Gunk comes to you from the team that brought you the SteamWorld franchise, but this is something rather new. Silly titles aside, this is an adventure across an exotic and vast world, where you'll have to face off against terrifying enemies and solve challenging puzzles in order to uncover the mysteries lurking on a forgotten planet. Oh, and of course, you'll also end up saving said planet in the interim. All in a day's work right?

TBC 2021

Quantum Error

Release date: TBC 2021
Developer / Publisher: TeamKill
Genre: Horror
Game Pass: No

TeamKill's next-gen cosmic horror games puts you in control of firefighter Jacob Thomas, who's sent on a rescue mission after an unknown entity wreaks havoc on the Monad Quantum Research Facility. The first-person shooter blends mind-bending visuals with fast-paced action and ferocious boss fights. Meanwhile, an unreliable power grid often sees you relying on thermal vision to navigate different claustrophobic environments. Horror fans would do well not to forget about Quantum Error when it launches on next-gen consoles, hopefully sometime next year.

Bright Memory Infinite 

Release date: TBC 2021
Developer / Publisher: FYQD-Studio / Playism
Genre: Action / FPS
Game Pass: No

Set in a futuristic city in the year 2036, Bright Memory: Infinite is a lightning-fast action game with touches of FPS where getting dazzling combos is your aim. You play as an agent for the Supernatural Science Research Organization (SRO) who has been sent out to discover what's happening with the strange sky phenomenon. However, there seems to be a connect to an archaic mystery and the discovery of two worlds that's all about to become clear. Mysterious, right?

Chorus

Release date: TBC 2021
Developer / Publisher: Fish Labs / Deep Silver
Genre: Adventure
Game Pass: Yes

There aren't many games where you play as a sentient plane - and even fewer where you're a sentient starfighter. This is Chorus, from Deep Silver, and for a lot of the game, you're about to play as a sentient starfighter called Forsaken. Okay, well you're also Nara, who's described as an ace pilot with a haunted past, but it's mostly about the plane, right? You're en route to challenge a very specific foe on a journey of personal redemption, which involves also taking down a dark cult that actually made Nara. It's sounding like an intriguing single-player experience that focuses on a more mature and dark tale of redemption. 

2022

Elden Ring

Release date: January 21, 2022
Developer/Publisher: FromSoftware / Bandai Namco
Genre: Action
Game Pass: Yes

Elden Ring is the next FromSoftware offering from Dark Souls creator Hidetaka Miyazaka and Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin. Originally announced back in 2018, this will be the developer's biggest game to date, and takes place in an open world filled with rich lore and a bloody history. Explore and fight on horseback as the Tarnished, as you discover the world's various monstrosities, giants, and fantastical creatures. 

Rainbow Six Extraction

Release date: January 2022
Developer / Publisher: Ubisoft Montreal / Ubisoft
Genre: First-person shooter
Game Pass: No

Set several years in the future, Rainbow Six Quarantine isn't a spin-off of the highly successful Rainbow Six Siege, but something new entirely. In it, you'll play as one of the Rainbow Operators who are having to face off against a totally new breed of mutated alien parasite that's started to infect the human race. It's a three-player co-op affair, where you play in PVE matches against this new, rather terrifying foe. Ubisoft promises "tense, chaotic, and totally unpredictable missions", and judging by Rainbow Six Siege, we don't doubt it. 

Saints Row

Release date: February 25, 2022
Developer/Publisher: Volition / Koch Media
Genre: Action
Game Pass: No

Saints Row is back with a brand new reboot of the series, taking us back to the beginning for an origin story that explores the roots of the gang. You'll start with a small team of four, operating out of a fictional city called Santo Ileso, and it'll be up to you how you make your mark on the town. Completing against rival gangs, you'll need to build up your own criminal empire of your choosing. It's still fun and playful in tone, but a little more grown up this time around too. 

Marvel's Midnight Suns

Release date: March 2022
Developer/Publisher: Firaxis / 2K Games
Genre: Strategy
Game Pass: No

In Marvel's Midnight Suns you play as The Hunter, the very first ever fully customisable Marvel hero. In this strategy game from XCOM dev Firaxis, you'll be partnering up with a roster of 12 iconic Marvel heroes to take down Lillith, the Mother of Demons. 

Tiny Tina's Wonderlands

Release date: Early 2022
Developer/Publisher: Gearbox / 2K Games
Genre: Fantasy
Game Pass: No

This is a high-fantasy spin-off from the main Borderlands series, starring the one and only Tiny Tina - as you may have guessed by the game's title. Tina Tiny's Wonderlands sees Tina play as a kind of Dungeon Master in this one, as she makes all the rules, which should mean plenty of unexpected, and hilarious, chaos. Wonderlands will feature treasures, monsters, and even a Dragon Lord to boot, so quite the detour from the core series. 

S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2 

Release date: April 22, 2022
Developer/Publisher: GSC Game World
Genre: Adventure
Game Pass: Yes

S.T.A.L.K.E.R is back with the highly-anticipated sequel that will see players returning to the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. This time around its even more dangerous, filled with mutants, anomalies, and a whole load of radiation. S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2 will see you have to find your way through the Zone or be lost to it forever. 

Redfall

Release date: Summer 2022
Developer/Publisher: Arkane Austin / Bethesda
Genre: Action / adventure
Game Pass: Yes

Arkane Austin is making a brand new title called Redfall. It's an open-world, co-operative shooter set in the titular town of Redfall, on an island in Massachusetts. But, this usually sleepy town is under siege by vampires. They've blocked out the sun, and cut off access to the island. So now you, and a band of survivors must learn how to take them down. Thankfully, you've got some awesome weapons on your side like UV blasters, stake guns, and magic, to help you.  

Gotham Knights

Release date: TBC 2022
Developer/Publisher: WB Games Montreal / Warner Bros
Genre: Action / adventure
Game Pass: No

There's a new Batman game en route, but unfortunately, Batman's dead, leaving the four Gotham Knights to pick up protecting Gotham City. This is a co-op focused, open-world action RPG set in what WB Games is calling the "most dynamic and interactive" iteration of Gotham City ever. Combat is very Batman: Arkham, with our heroes Batgirl, Red Hood, Robin, and Nightwing taking on villains including the Court of Owls and Dr. Freeze. 

Open Roads

Release date: TBC 2022
Developer / Publisher: Fulbright / Annapurna
Genre: Adventure
Game Pass: No

Join Tess and her mother Opal on a road trip to discover a whole raft of family secrets. After discovering hidden notes and letters in their home, the mother-daughter duo must travel to long-abandoned family residences to reveal the buried family secrets. They'll embark upon a "journey into the past they'll never forget". Brought to you by Fullbright, the team behind Gone Home and Takoma, it also features the voice acting talents of Keri Russel and Kaitlyn Dever. 

The Lord of the Rings: Gollum

Release date: TBC 2022
Developer / Publisher: Daedalic Entertainment
Genre: Action-adventure
Game Pass: No

The Lord of the Rings: Gollum has been unveiled as another of the upcoming Xbox Series X games, with a vague 2021 release date. The game will see you play as Gollum, starting out in Barad-dûr, a fortress in Mordor where the corrupted creature is being held prisoner, but you can expect to see plenty more of Middle-Earth beyond that, as the game promises "giant, persistent environments, each harbouring several questlines and a range of friendly or unfriendly faces." That's according to developer Daedelic, in an interview with Edge in early 2020, who describes the game as a "stealth-action-adventure with an intriguing dual-personality mechanic, gigantic levels, and a densely wrought aesthetic inspired by Tolkien's own drawings". 

A Plague Tale: Requiem

Release date: TBC 2022
Developer / Publisher: Asobo Studio / Focus Home Interactive
Genre: Action
Game Pass: Yes

Launching as a direct sequel to the original game, A Plague Tale: Requiem will continue the story of brother and sister duo Hugo and Amicia. The iconic rat swarm is still a huge threat, as is the Inquisition. But this will provide an epic finale to the duo's tale, as they seek to look after each other in this brutal, uncaring world.

Party Animals

Release date: TBC 2022
Developer / Publisher: Recreate Games / Source Technology
Genre: Action
Game Pass: Yes

A multiplayer game with a difference, Party Animals will see you trying to cause carnage as adorable fluffy, plushie critters including corgis, otters, and dinosaurs and more. There are over 100 different ways to mess with your friends both offline and online, both in terms of eliminations, or by using teamwork. Move over chicken dinners, it's all about the gummy bear in Party Animals. 

Somerville

Release date: TBC 2022
Developer / Publisher: Jumpship
Genre: Adventure
Game Pass: Yes

This new sci-fi adventure comes from Jumpship, a new developer studio that's been built in partnership with the ex-CEO and co-founder of Playdead. This game though, Somerville, is set in the wake of a catastrophe, as our family (and their dog) try to unravel the mysteries of Earth's visitors. 

Slime Rancher 2

Release date: TBC 2022
Developer / Publisher: Monomi Park
Genre: Adventure
Game Pass: Yes

Journey to a brand new location called Rainbow Island in Slime Rancher 2, as our heroine Beatrix LeBeau travels to shores anew. This new locale comes with a batch new slimes, including cotton slimes, angler slimes, batty slimes, and flutter slimes. You'll be collecting them in all your new conservatory farm in the sequel to the gloriously adorable ranching sim.

The Callisto Protocol

Release date: TBC 2022
Developer / Publisher: Striking Distance
Genre: Survival Horror
Game Pass: No

The Callisto Protocol is the spiritual successor to Dead Space in all but name. It's a brand new survival horror game from Glen Schofield's own studio, Striking Distance. Set on Jupiter's moon in 2320, you'll face horrific monsters and a conspiracy to cover, which starts at the dangerous Black Iron Prison. This third-person horror is bound to terrify, especially as Schofield aims to keep plenty of mystery around the game between now and release. 

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League

Release date: TBC 2022
Developer/Publisher: Rocksteady / Warner Bros
Genre: Action
Game Pass: No

A game about the Suicide Squad set in the Batman: Arkham universe? Yes please. Well, thankfully, that's exactly what Rocksteady's making. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League has got 1-4 player co-op, the same playful tone, and plenty of excellent casting. You can play as Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Captain Boomerang, or King Shark, who each come with their own signature weapons. You can switch between them at any time, and it looks beautifully chaotic.

Hogwarts Legacy

Release date: TBC 2022
Developer / Publisher: Portkey Games / Warner Bros
Genre: Adventure
Game Pass: No

Aiming to give fans the opportunity to attend the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for themselves, Hogwart Legacy is an open-world action RPG based on the lore of the Harry Potter series. It's set in the 1800s though, so several hundred years before Harry and co enrol, but that doesn't mean there won't be magic to discover. In fact, you're a student with an unusual affiliation with Ancient Magic as you live at Hogwarts. Make allies, battle Dark wizards, and more when Hogwarts Legacy arrives sometime in 2022.

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora

Release date: TBC 2022
Developer / Publisher: Massive Entertainment / Ubisoft
Genre: Action Adventure
Game Pass: No

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is the long-awaited reveal of the Ubisoft Avatar game from Massive Entertainment. IT will see you play as a Na'vi in a new part of Pandora known as the Western Frontier. This first-person, action-adventure will have you protecting this living and reactive world against formidable RDA forces. This is a standalone story, not connected to the movies too. 

2023

Pragmata

Release date: TBC 2023
Developer / Publisher: Capcom
Genre: Action Adventure
Game Pass: No

Pragmata feels like if someone took Kojima's Death Stranding and somehow made it even weirder - especially from this early look at the game. Clearly set in New York, the game sees some sort of spacesuit-wearing traveller looking out for a young girl, and eventually taking her to the moon. Holographic cats, robots, and a weird dystopian vibe run throughout, even suggesting the world the characters are existing in isn't even real. We're intrigued by this one.

TBC

Scorn 

Release date: TBC
Developer / Publisher: Ebb / Humble Bundle
Genre: Survival horror
Game Pass: Yes

This is a shooter heavily influenced by Alien designer and spooky painter H.R. Giger. So think boney, fleshy, internal organ themes for interior designs. Guns apparently made out of bits of raw chicken and gristle. Wholesome stuff. Finding out what the hell’s going on, or why it’s all so icky is what the game is all about, as you’ll be freely exploring an open world full of interconnecting regions, fighting and solving puzzles to unravel the story behind it all. 

Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2

Release date: TBC
Developer / Publisher: Ninja Theory / Microsoft
Genre: Adventure
Game Pass: Yes

A surprise sequel to Hellblade was revealed alongside the Xbox Series X itself. Called Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2, we don't know actually that much about the game's story yet. The trailer itself doesn't give too much away – apart from the fact it looks fantastically glorious running in-engine – it definitely feels like it takes the same dark, terrifying tone as its source material. It's got foreboding bonfires, weird-ass chanting, and more, which all suggest yet another harrowing journey for our heroine. 

Everwild

Release date: TBC
Developer / Publisher: Rare / Microsoft
Genre: TBC
Game Pass: Yes

Okay, okay, so neither Rare nor Microsoft have said that Everwild is an upcoming Xbox Series X game, but unless it surprise-drops in the next few weeks before next-gen, it almost certainly will be.

This is a brand new IP from Rare – the developer behind Sea of Thieves, Banjo-Kazooie, Battletoads, and more – and all we have so far is the above trailer. It's filled with colorful and fantastical creatures that interact with humans cautiously in a slightly otherworldly setting. It's not clear yet what kind of game it'll be, but there's clearly a threat from predators in this world too. Whatever form it eventually takes, it's clear that it's going to be a beauty. 

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 

Release date: TBC
Developer / Publisher: Paradox Interactive
Genre: Horror
Game Pass: No 

The original game was a slightly ramshackle but beloved cult classic that was more or less ‘Deus Ex but Vampires’. This takes the same idea but updates it to a modern setting where ‘The Masquerade’ - the rules by which vampires stay hidden - has been broken upheaving the brittle peace between numerous factions, each with different skills and abilities. Like the first game this is about crafting a supernatural character whose abilities shape your approach to its open missions - you can fight, sneak, or talk your way through a world of turf wars, subterfuge and political machinations, with you actions affecting everyone around you. 

As Dusk Falls 

Release date: TBC
Developer / Publisher: Interior/Night / Xbox Game Studios
Genre: Narrative adventure
Game Pass: Yes

Former Quantic Dream design lead Caroline Marchal heads up the new studio  INTERIOR/NIGHT behind this interactive drama, featuring a strong team of veterans from places like Bioware, Sony London, and even Pixar. Set in the American Southwest, as Dusk Falls is a multi-generational story that begins with two families caught up in a hostage situation. The story that unfolds takes place over decades and explores how mistakes can be passed on from generation to generation. 

Avowed

Release date: TBC
Developer / Publisher: Obsidian / Xbox Game Studios
Genre: RPG
Game Pass: Yes

Avowed is a brand new title from Obsidian Entertainment, the studio behind The Outer Worlds and Fallout New Vegas. This is another first-person RPG that will no doubt build on the studio's penchant for epic adventures filled with memorable characters and a hint of the silly. We're off to a fantasy world called Eora for this one, and it looks pretty darn impressive, if much darker in tone than we'd usually expect from Obsidian. You've got magical abilities, a really cool sword and you will find yourself facing some seriously big monsters by the looks of things too.  

Fable

Release date: TBC
Developer / Publisher: Playground Games / Xbox Game Studios
Genre: Adventure
Game Pass: Yes

That's right folks. Fable is officially coming, and it's not quite the Fable 4 sequel we were expecting. Very much a reboot for the series under new developer Playground Games, this new Fable still channels the original games with fantastical creatures and wondrous places. It'll hit Xbox Series X, Windows 10 and Game Pass at some point in the future, we're just not sure when. Or whether we can wait that long. 

Project Oxygen

Release date: TBC
Developer / Publisher: Far From Home
Genre: Survival
Game Pass: Unknown

This intriguing, super ambitious apocalyptic survival game is in development at Far From Home, a brand new studio made up of devs from Techland (Dying Light, Dead Island), The Farm 51 (Chernobylite), Bloober Team (Layers of Fear, Blair Witch), and Larian Studios (Divinity: Original Sin, Baldur's Gate 3). It's designed to capture the world as it might look if we never course-correct on the climate change issue, which is terrifying to think about but also makes for a timely and unique setting for a survival game. You'll descend into the now-inhospitable planet in a futuristic zeppelin, which will serve as one of your tools for survival and possibly hold the key to reversing the damage done to the planet by climate change.

Forza Motorsport

Release date: TBC
Developer / Publisher: Turn10 Studios / Xbox Game Studios
Genre: Racing
Game Pass: Yes

Like Fable, the simulation racing series Forza Motorsport is also getting a bit of a soft reboot. Ditching the number rather than launching as Forza Motorsport 8, for example, this is a refresh for the series that's currently early in development. It'll run at 4K, 60fps and focus on delivering a dynamic, connected world. No release date as yet, but when it does arrive it'll launch across Xbox Series X, PC and Game Pass to boot.  

S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2 

Release date: TBC
Developer / Publisher: GSC Game World
Genre: FPS
Game Pass: Yes

Much like the Metro series, the S.T.A.L.K.E.R games dials into a radioactive weird Russia, this time in ‘The Zone’, the irradiated wasteland around the Chernobyl disaster site. This area is full of scavengers searching for artefacts with near-magical abilities following the disaster, which has manifested through numerous supernatural and psychic phenomena. Expect S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2 to follow on the series' open world and story, with multiple endings decided by the minutiae of your accomplishments and repercussions of everything you do. 

Dragon Age 4

Release date: TBC
Developer / Publisher: Bioware / EA
Genre: RPG
Game Pass: Unknown

It's been many moons since we had a fresh trip to Thedas, so the news that Dragon Age 4 is coming is a welcome relief. Although specific details are still fairly scarce, the fact that it is in production is sometimes enough. What we do know is that it'll pick up where we left off in Dragon Age Inquisition, following Solas' story once more.

The Outer Worlds 2

Release date: TBC
Developer / Publisher: Obsidian / Microsoft
Genre: Adventure
Game Pass: Yes

The Outer Worlds 2 is a bit of an enigma. While we know it exists and it's had its first trailer, it was more a piss-take of classic game trailer format rather than revealing anything about the game itself. So we'll have to wait for more on this one that will deliver a "new solar system, new crew, same outer worlds". 

New Mass Effect

Release date: TBC
Developer / Publisher: Bioware / EA
Genre: Adventure
Game Pass: Unknown

After much praying to the video game gods, there is, in fact, a new Mass Effect game en route. Technically Mass Effect 5, it's looking likely that it will pick up after the events of Mass Effect 3 - if the trailer clues are anything to be believed. Info is scarce right now, but it's all looking very promising indeed for Mass Effect fans.

Ark 2

Release date: TBC
Developer / Publisher: Studio Wildcard
Genre: Survival
Game Pass: Unknown

Ark 2 is the sequel to the immensely popular open-world survival game, Ark: Survival Evolved. This time around it could be that the game will lean a little more into its story, particularly with Vin Diesel starring and onboard the dev team. Otherwise though, expect more of the same dinosaur taming, surviving but in a bigger, beautiful world than ever before. 

State of Decay 3

Release date: TBC
Developer / Publisher: Undead Labs / Xbox Game Studios
Genre: Survival
Game Pass: Yes

State of Decay is back with the third entry in the zombie survival-horror series. Cleverly called State of Decay 3. Currently in early development, it's looking to bring fans the 'ultimate' zombie survival sim, and from the looks of the first trailer, it's going to brutal. Zombie deers, folks. Zombie deers. Graphically the game looks fantastic, so expect things to be even more gruesome than ever before.  

Balan Wonderworld 

Release date: TBC
Developer / Publisher: Square Enix
Genre: Action platformer
Game Pass: No

Balan Wonderworld is a brand new game from Square Enix and we're loving how exciting it looks. This new action platformer is themed around the Balan Theatre, which is led by the maestro named Balan, and they are joined by the stars Emm and Leo. The latter duo use specific abilities influenced by their array of costumes in twelve different tales across Wonderworld. Each of the stages (literally) is filled with tricks and traps, but also intriguing stories.

New Perfect Dark 

Release date: TBC
Developer / Publisher: The Initiative
Genre: Adventure
Game Pass: Yes

This one came as quite the surprise at the Game Awards 2020 - there's a new Perfect Dark game en route from new Xbox Game Studios developer, The Initiative. Rather than another remaster, this is a reboot of the series that keeps the secret agent gameplay and our hero, Joanna Dark, into an eco sci-fi tale set in the near future. Expect plenty of spy gadgets, some gloriously hybrid buildings, and some aliens along the way. 

Starfield

Release date: November 22, 2022
Developer / Publisher: Bethesda Game Studios / Bethesda
Genre: RPG
Game Pass: Yes

As Bethesda's first new IP in over a decade, there's already a lot of pressure riding on Starfield. And now, it's been confirmed that it will count among the upcoming Xbox Series X games. All we have to go on as to what the game is that it's sci-fi RPG set somewhere in space, and you can play as whoever you want to be. From the brilliant flash of light that quickly devours a space station and a planet though in the original teaser trailer, it's clear something is going down in space town. 

Indiana Jones

Release date: TBC
Developer/Publisher: MachineGames / Bethesda / Lucasfilm Games
Genre: Adventure
Game Pass: Unknown

There's a brand new Indiana Jones game in the works, and if the cheeky hints in the very short teaser trailer are anything to go by, it could see Indy exploring Rome in 1937. In development at Bethesda's MachineGames studio in conjunction with Lucasfilm Games, it may well involve standing stones and stone circles, and even a lost race of giant cyclops. Don't expect to hear anything about it for a while though, but we're more than intrigued already. It hasn't technically been confirmed for any platforms yet, but if it's not on Xbox Series X, we'll eat our fedora. 

Ubisoft's Star Wars game

Release date: TBC
Developer/Publisher: Massive Entertainment / Ubisoft / Lucasfilm Games
Genre: Adventure
Game Pass: Unknown

Ubisoft's Massive Entertainment is working on a brand new, open-world Star Wars game. Not much is known about the title yet, but expect it to take elements from Massive's previous releases - The Division series. It could, therefore, be a photorealistic action-adventure with RPG elements involved, and we do know it is running on Massive's own Snowdrop game engine. But apart from that, any more info is in the air, including official platforms. However, we'd be very surprised not to see it launch on Xbox Series X whenever it does get released. 

Project 007

Release date: TBC
Developer/Publisher: IO Interactive
Genre: Adventure
Game Pass: Unknown

Although not much is known about Project 007 yet, it's exciting to think that a brand new James Bond game is in the works. In development at IO Interactive (of Hitman fame), the game is an entirely original James Bond story focused on his origins. Aside from that though, it's a mystery that we can't wait to hear more about. 

Contraband

Release date: TBC
Developer/Publisher: Avalanche / Microsoft
Genre: Adventure
Game Pass: Yes

From the creators of Just Cause comes Contraband. This is a brand new, open-world, co-op game that is set in the fictional world of Bayan during the 1970s. This smugglers paradise is a bit of a mystery at present, as is the core gameplay, so watch out for more details on this one.