Everything announced during the Xbox Developer Direct 2025Ninja Gaiden 4! Release dates! More!Image credit: Xbox/Eurogamer News by Matt Wales News Reporter Published on Jan. 23, 2025 It's already shaping up to be a massive year in gaming, and Microsoft has now offered a closer look at its 2025 line-up in the latest edition of its Xbox Developer Direct. Over the course of its hour-long run-time, the publisher shared deeper dives, release date news, and even a couple of notable surprises for some of the titles coming this year - including the reveal of Ninja Gaiden 4 (alongside a Ninja Gaiden 2 spruce-up), a release date for Doom: The Dark Ages, and more. For the full run-down of everything feature in today's showcase, read on below.Ninja Gaiden 4 announcedNinja Gaiden 4 annoucement trailer.Watch on YouTubeIf you've been wondering what Bayonetta studio Platinum Games has been up to recently, here's your answer. It's partnered with developer Team Ninja to create Ninja Gaiden 4, a new mainline entry in the classic action series. Ninja Gaiden 4 features a new Master Ninja protagonist, Yakumo, in a futuristic Tokyo that's been devastated by the Dark Dragon's Rain of Darkrot. Original series protagonist Ryu Hayabusa is also said to play a "pivotal role", and the two characters' paths will eventually cross as the story unfolds. And it's not too far away either, releasing for Xbox Series X/S, PC, PS5, and Game Pass in "fall 2025".Ninja Gaiden 2 Black surprise releasesNinja Gaiden 2 Black release trailer.Watch on YouTubeAnd that's not all the Ninja Gaiden news. Team Ninja has also announced it's bringing a familiar favourite back with a new lick of paint. Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, which first released on Xbox 360 in the halcyon days of 2008, is getting a 'significant revamp' courtesy of Unreal Engine 5. The studio is calling Ninja Gaiden 2 Black the "definitive edition" of the classic hack-and-slasher, and it's out today on console, PC, and Game Pass.South of Midnight release dateSouth of Midnight story trailer.Watch on YouTubeCompulsion Games' third-person action game South of Midnight, which unfolds in a "folklorish" version of the Deep South, returned in Microsoft's latest Developer Direct for a fresh showing - this time packing in giant alligators, chattering catfish, and a peek at some of the action players will experience in its "darkly magical world". And if all that takes your fancy, you don't have long to wait; South of Midnight now has a release date and is arriving on Xbox Series X/S and PC on 8th April.Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 release dateClair Obscur: Expedition 33 release date trailer.Watch on YouTubeThis turn-based RPG set in a fantasy version of late 19th century Belle poque France is certainly striking. It promises what developer Sandfall Interactive is calling a "reactive turn-based" battle system - combining real-time offence and defense elements, alongside a cinematic battle camera - as players explore its "beautiful, immersive world" as the titular expedition unfolds. It's a quest that sees players embarking on a journey to stop the Paintress, who once a year paints a number on her monolith, causing everyone that age to fade away. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 unquestionably has a lot of character, and it'll be releasing on 24th April for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC, and Game Pass.Doom: The Dark Ages release dateDoom: The Dark Ages gameplay.Watch on YouTubeIt feels like it's been a while since we last heard from id Software and Doom: The Dark Ages, but it's back with plenty more to show. id is calling this newest entry in the legendary FPS series its "most ambitious game yet", and it all unfolds in a "cinematic sci-fi fantasy world" embroiled in a medieval war against Hell. It's a prequel to Doom 2016, if you weren't already aware, and id says this means it's had the opportunity to "reimagine every aspect" of the experience. Doom: The Dark Ages' Developer Direct showing featured an extended look at its overhauled combat - which promises "some of the most ridiculously powerful weapons [id] has ever created - plus a 30-storey mech, fire-breathing dragon, and more. Better yet, Doom: The Dark Ages finally has a release date, and is launching for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC, and Game Pass on 15th May.