Xbox Developer_Direct 2025 Brings The Return Of ‘Ninja Gaiden’

Xbox held its now annual Xbox Developer_Direct, providing deep gameplay dives into a number of titles, and revealing both Ninja Gaiden 4 and shadow-dropping Ninja Gaiden II Black from Koei-Tecmo. Aside from Ninja Gaiden 4, they also featured a look at Sandfall Interactive’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Compulsion Games’ South of Midnight, and id Software’s Doom: The Dark Ages.

With Ninja Gaiden 4, players can expect a return to the classic hack-and-slash style action of the classic games, but now in a near-future Tokyo. Players won’t just take on the role of classic Master Ninja Ryu Hayabusa, but also fight as his prodigy, Yakumo. The first new entry well over a decade, Ninja Gaiden 4 is planned to launch for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Steam, and Microsoft Store, while also being available Day One on Xbox Game Pass.

At the same time, Koei-Tecmo also confirmed a remake of Ninja Gaiden II Black. This remake rebuilds the game in Unreal Engine 5 to offer top-notch visuals, while retaining the same violent action of the original games. However, the game also offers the characters from Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, meaning Momiji, Ayane, and Rachel are all playable. Players can also expect several “beginner mode” options if they’re not used to Ninja Gaiden difficulty. Ninja Gaiden II Black is available now for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Steam, and the Microsoft Store.

Meanwhile, Compulsion Games showed off South of Midnight, their action-adventure title that takes place in the American Deep South. As Hazel, players will learn about their role as a Weaver, someone with the power to restore creatures and the environment around them. While learning how to master her Weaver powers, Hazel will also continue the search for her mother, who she lost during a massive hurricane. South of Midnight is scheduled to launch April 8th for Xbox Series, Steam, and the Microsoft Store, while being available Day One on Game Pass.

Next, Sandfall Interactive showed off Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, their upcoming turn-based RPG. This new trailer introduces two new characters players will encounter while on their Expedition, Monoco and Esquie, both monsters that have different reasons for working with the protagonists. While Monoco serves as another playable character in the adventure, Esquie will serve as another way to explore the world. Speaking of, this game introduces the game’s overworld map, something the Expedition can explore by climbing onto Esquie. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 launches April 24th for Xbox Series, PlayStation 5, Steam, the Epic Game Store, and Day One on Xbox Game Pass.

Lastly, id Software gave fans a deeper look at Doom: The Dark Ages. This new game is a prequel to the 2016 Doom, showing the origins of the DOOM Slayer. This new game promises a host of new weapons including the ability to fly on a giant robot dragon and pilot an Atlan mech. Doom: The Dark Ages launches on May 15th for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Steam, and the Microsoft Store, while also being available Day One on Xbox Game Pass.