Xbox has announced an exciting Developer Direct event scheduled for January 23, promising updates on three highly anticipated games: Doom: The Dark Ages, South of Midnight, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. However, what’s generating the most buzz is a mysterious, unannounced fourth game. According to Xbox Wire editor-in-chief Joe Skrebels, the presentation will include a visit to a surprise location to showcase a brand-new title from another studio. With this unexpected reveal on the horizon, fans are eagerly speculating about what Xbox has in store.
Note
On an image shared to Xbox’s Twitter, the fourth developer is represented by a TV displaying test pattern color bars with a question mark in the center of the screen.
What Is Xbox Cooking?
TheGamer’s Executive Editor, George Foster, recently speculated that the new game might be the rumored remake of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. This theory holds weight, especially considering that other new RPGs from Bethesda are likely still three to five years away. However, there’s another intriguing possibility worth exploring. Last October, Xbox revealed that 343 Industries had rebranded as Halo Studios, signaling a major shift in focus. Alongside the rebranding, the studio announced a transition from its proprietary Slipspace Engine to Unreal Engine 5 and confirmed that multiple projects were in development. Notably, this announcement left fans in suspense, as no details were shared about these projects or how far along they are in production.
Over three years have passed since the launch of Halo Infinite. While part of the team has focused on supporting its multiplayer component, another group has had the opportunity to shift focus toward a new project.
This new direction involved bringing the game’s characters, environments, and assets into Unreal Engine, a task that likely occupied a significant portion of the development team. However, it’s important to note that not everyone at the studio would have been deeply involved in these technical processes. So, what exactly is the team working on now?
Note
And, it’s worth noting that some key leads have left since the game launched.
Halo Doesn’t Have To Be Close To Done To Show Up
While it’s clear that a game is far from complete at the time of its announcement, as shown by the reveal trailer for The Witcher 4 at The Game Awards, it’s not unusual for developers to showcase CGI trailers early in the development process. Games like The Elder Scrolls 6 and Cyberpunk 2077 received trailers years before entering full-scale production. This trend highlights that a game doesn’t need to be close to finished to make an impact.
For Xbox, Halo holds a unique significance. While Microsoft has successfully acquired legendary franchises such as The Elder Scrolls and Doom, Halo remains its most iconic series—comparable to Nintendo’s Mario in terms of brand importance.
Note
Gears is important, too, but we already know that The Coalition is making Gears of War: E-Day.
The recent release of a documentary by Xbox, unveiling the studio’s name change and engine switch, underscores the immense significance of the Halo franchise. While this information could have easily been shared through a standard press release, the decision to present it in a documentary highlights Halo’s central role in Xbox’s success. For Xbox to thrive as a hardware manufacturer, getting Halo right is crucial — and for years, the franchise has struggled to meet that goal.
Xbox seems eager to shape the narrative that the franchise is back on track, regardless of the actual progress made on its games. With growing speculation that Xbox may be shifting away from prioritizing exclusives, a strong return from Halo could be the key to countering that perception. However, it’s also possible that this could turn out to be a similar situation to the launch of Oblivion. There are plenty of other potential surprises in the works too—perhaps a new Crash Bandicoot or Spyro game, a Candy Crush action-RPG, or even Dishonored 3. With the broad range of intellectual properties Xbox owns, the possibilities are vast.