Rumor: MS to reveal a new entry in a legendary Japanese franchise!

https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/xbox-reportedly-set-to-reveal-a-new-entry-in-a-legendary-japanese-ip/

Next week’s Xbox Developer Direct live stream will reportedly feature a new entry in an iconic Japanese game series.

That’s according to a new Windows Central report covering Microsoft’s anticipated gaming plans for 2025.

Xbox recently confirmed its next Developer Direct live stream will take place on Thursday, January 23 at 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern / 6pm UK.

According to Microsoft, the Direct will include a visit to Compulsion Gamesin Montreal to learn more about South of Midnight, Montpellier-based Sandfall Interactive for a look at Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and id Studios in Richardson, Texas for more info on Doom: The Dark Ages.

The live stream will also visit “a surprise location to see another studio’s brand new game,” the platform holder said.

Our “sources indicate that it is a new entry in a legendary Japanese IP which has decades of history, and should make a lot of fans happy”, Windows Central reported on Monday.

“Indeed, Microsoft has won some strong support from the region lately from studios like Square Enix for Final Fantasy, HoYoverse for Genshin Impact, and Sega/Atlus for Persona, and we suspect this new game will help further that trend,” the site added.

It was recently claimed that Square Enix is planning to bring Final Fantasy 7 Remaketo Xbox and Switch 2 this year, and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth to both platforms in 2026.

Oh snap! What could it possibly be, SW? What do you want it to be?

Since it is legendary, I am looking forward to a trope heavy story that is poorly paced and lots of cutscenes JRPG.😂

Resident Evil 9 perhaps.

That would be an underwhelming announcement lol Everyone knows that’s coming!

@SolidGame_basic: No it wouldn’t. Just because people know a game is coming doesn’t mean that there wouldn’t be a lot of hype when they actually see something on said game.

Lost Odyssey 2? Ninja Gaiden?

I wish they'd revive Panzer Dragoon IP, but doesn't fit with that whole "decades of history" bit. Orta was a beautiful swan song and it runs great in BC mode, Sega updated it for 16:9 support when adding it to last batch of OG Xbox games to go to the Xbox 360, so it really takes better advantage of XB1/XSX BC than games made for 4:3 display.

Hopefully Evil Within 3 or a new Blue Dragon entry for consoles (instead of Mistwalker working on mobile games), or maybe a new Lost Odyssey

I wish it was EW3 anyway, but that doesn't have decades of history so unfortunately probably not it.

@girlusocrazy: I own Lost Odyssey but haven’t played it, is it really that good?

@SolidGame_basic: No, it's not.

@SolidGame_basic: I liked it. Good battle system (well some good ideas, the execution wasn't perfect but it felt interesting for the time), story was alright, unique aesthetic, I had fun. I'd like to see them do another one.

I'm thinking about legendary Japanese games that have a strong history with Xbox and I can really only think of two. This may be wishful thinking but maybe it's a new

Dead or Alive or Ninja Gaiden.

Lost Odyssey was a fantastic game would definitely love to see a sequel for that. Would definitely love a new Blue Dragon game as well. Same goes for a new 3D Ninja Gaiden but would be concerned if Itagaki wasn’t involved.

The game was descent. It lost me with queen Ming's design.

Decades of history.... maybe Ninja Gaiden? But that could make me happy , so probably not

@Pedro: Understandable. She was a bit odd looking.

@SolidGame_basic: Don't listen to what chute says as he has poor taste in games.

To help you out LO is better than the best FF game.

Not expecting anything big since it's Xbox, but something like Mega Man 12 would be great.

@elderlord99: unfortunately I don’t think we’ll ever get a DOA Volleyball game again lol. Ninja Gaiden would be awesome.

OMG, OMG, OMG... Lost Odyssey Too. lol :P

:D

"Legendary"

Kinda has to be Ninja Gaiden right?. .

and I don't mean the 8-bit side scroller. The Ninja Gaiden 'reboot' on the Xbox & 360 was very well regarded and stood toe-to-toe with Devil May Cry as top dog in its genre, making God of War the series everyone laughed about being the casual third option.

If it's not Ninja Gaiden I question the "legendary" status. & I note that as a massive fan of Metal Wolf. No one considers MWChaos "legendary" let alone Blue Dragon or Lost Odyssey.

I have this feeling that it's gonna be a new "tales of" game.

If it's Xbox,the kings of the game showcases and directs then it will be good.

@RSM-HQ: Ninja Gaiden would be awesome.

@SolidGame_basic: C'mon scrub get onto Lost Odyssey you won't regret it.

Cows are defiantly jumping

I hope it's a historically accurate WWII milsim about the Japanese invasion of Korea and China.

Probably Castlevania since Ninja Gaiden has already been announced and they said unannounced.

I guess it could be the single player version of Dragon Quest 11. Also it's probably from Square, Capcom, Bandai Namco, or SEGA.

If I had to guess,if it isn't Castlevania, it would probably be SEGA since they have been on a tear. That could put it in the conversation of Phantasy Star, Ecco the Dolphin, R-Type, Ys, Altered Beast, Shining Force, Shinobi, Streets of Rage, Golden Axe... so many games fill that description... lol

Oh man. I'm so hyped! What could it be?! Some weird xbox360 game from 20 years ago that nobody remembers, or maybe a different trashcan game that came out for it!

I’d definitely love to see a new Castlevania game.

That never crossed my mind that we'd get a new one worth playing.

Always felt the Lords series killed the IP.

@RSM-HQ: Thought the first Lord of Shadows on console and the handheld game were pretty good. Lords of Shadow 2 not so much though. Definitely put the IP on hiatus. That was awhile ago though so it could be a good time to give it another go especially if someone has come up with a good idea for it.

E. T. 2?

@Archangel3371: From what I've heared & read a few like the first one for sure, even if I disliked it with a passion.

Likely I'm just a salty purest that loved the retro & handheld games, and didn't really want God of War in my CastleVania.

Also it just seemed everything during the 2010's was being a God of War clone; Dante's Inferno, Lords of Shadow, X Blades, DarkSiders, Asura's Wrath.. I was personally pretty worn out of it.

For me it's no different from seeing modern games becoming Soul-likes or The Last of Us clones. Prefer established IPs let alone new IPs to avoid tracing a current trend that's already overdone.

@RSM-HQ: Fair enough. Super Castlevania IV and Symphony of the Night are still my two favourite games in the franchise.

This could potentially change everything.

The Shin Megami Tensei series began in 1987. The announcement of Persona 6 is long overdue and the game is expected in 2025.

The last time I looked MS have the promotional rights to the series where they pretend it is exclusive to them for a few days.

Excellent taste.

Among those picks I'm a huge fan of the DS Trilogy, Aria of Sorrow, & Rondo.

Those would be epic for me.

@jcafcwbb: It's been a while sure, but didn't the Persona team make Metaphor? I don't think Persona 6 will happen soon.

Would love those 2 games!

Ecco: The Dolphin (SEGA)
Vulgus 2 (Capcom)
Persona 6 (SEGA/Atlus)
Lost Planet 4 (Capcom)
God Hand 2 (Capcom)
Resonance of Fate 2 (SEGA/Tri-Ace)
Marvel vs. Capcom 4 (Capcom)