Xbox showcase is incoming but we might not see Starfield make an appearance

10 January 2023 , 14:24

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Starfield's launch is getting closer but we may still not get to see any more of it this month (Image: Bethesda)

Microsoft and Bethesda will be showcasing a host of games at a live online event at the end of January, but it is unlikely we will see anything of Starfield.

This year needs to be a big year for Microsoft and Xbox, and it has certainly been stacking the odds with its attempts to push through its acquisition of Activision Blizzard. One such deal it had fewer problems getting closed was its purchase of Bethesda in 2021, which brought with it upcoming mega games such as Starfield and Redfall.

With 2022 now a distant memory, gamers can now begin to get excited about what this year might bring, and it seems that at the end of January, we will get our first look at what that might look like. Xbox is teaming up with Bethesda for its latest showcase which is slated for on or around 25th January and will be called Xbox Developer_Direct (complete with a trendy underscore).

The event will take us for a closer look at the games we already know are coming, rather than an extravagant showcase of new titles being revealed for the first time. But it seems that the elephant in the room will be the absence of Starfield, which is rumoured to be getting a later, in-depth look of its own.

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This does make some sense as Redfall is also a Bethesda product and set to be a big game in its own right, and both companies will be well aware of the pitfalls of overshadowing it with the game that is potentially set to be one of the biggest in decades.

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With Starfield’s release date still having a large question mark hanging over it, this lack of appearance will not do anything to allay fears of yet another delay. However, if we then get a Starfield-only mega-showcase further down the line, it would make the omission make a lot more sense.

What else will be shown at Xbox Developer_Direct?

Besides a deep look at Redfall, we are also expecting to see updates on Forza and Minecraft Legends which are two games that will also prove popular, especially with them appearing on day one on Microsoft’s Game Pass subscription service.

Minecraft Legends is the latest attempt to further the phenomenal success of Mojang’s original killer block-based world and will see the franchise get an action strategy slant added to it for the first time.

Forza Motorsports meanwhile is gearing up for a release later in 2023 and we are expecting to get a look at the new graphics modelling and some of the new cars we can expect to be driving. For a series that has been around since 2005 and last seen almost five years ago, it should be an exciting watch for racing fans to see what this latest generation will bring to the virtual track.

Paul McNally