Xbox Developer Direct is a series of live streaming events created by Microsoft Gaming to display upcoming games made by Xbox Game Studios, Bethesda Softworks, Activision, Blizzard Entertainment, and King. These events also feature games from other companies. The Developer Direct events happen in January each year.
History
Xbox Developer Direct was started as part of Microsoft's continuous work to improve communication and interaction with gamers around the world. Before Developer Direct, some people said Xbox needed a showcase to create a unique image and stand out from other companies like Nintendo Direct and State of Play. Also, there were suggestions that Xbox should be more open about how their games were being made.
The first showcase was announced on January 11, 2023, and happened on January 25, 2023. Developer Direct has grown and changed. At first, it focused on presentations from Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda Softworks. In 2024, the event included more developers and publishers, such as those who make games for other companies.
After Microsoft Gaming changed its strategy to release games on multiple platforms in 2024, the January 2025 event was the first to announce that Xbox's first and second-party games would be available on other platforms, like PlayStation 5, with examples such as Ninja Gaiden 4 and Doom: The Dark Ages. Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer said the next month that all future Microsoft Gaming events would clearly state where their games would be available, including PlayStation and Nintendo consoles.
Format
Each Xbox Developer Direct event usually includes news about new games, videos showing how to play, and talks with game creators. These presentations let people see what new games are coming, extra game content, bigger game parts, new features, and other important news. This way, game makers can show their games to fans and tell them about new game content.
List of events
Alongside the Xbox Developer Direct livestreams, other Xbox events that are not labeled as Xbox Developer Direct are also listed.
The Xbox Games Showcase began in 2021 as a collaboration between Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda Softworks. It replaced Bethesda’s usual E3 press conference around that time and later changed its name to match the larger Microsoft Gaming group. The showcase happens every year in the summer and includes both games that were already announced and new games from Microsoft Gaming’s subsidiaries and other companies. Since 2023, the Xbox Games Showcase has been followed immediately by a separate "Direct" presentation that focuses on a new game from Xbox’s first-party studios.
Xbox Partner Preview started in 2023 as a shorter event that highlights previously announced and newly released upcoming titles coming to Xbox platforms from other companies.
Xbox Presents is a new format introduced in 2026 that includes separate presentations for upcoming Xbox games.
Since 2021, an Xbox presentation has been shown alongside the Tokyo Game Show each September. This event highlights upcoming games from Microsoft Gaming’s studios, Japanese third-party publishers, and some independent developers.