Most Anticipated Xbox Games For 2022 And Beyond

There are plenty of big and exciting Xbox games to look forward to next year and beyond, no matter what type of game you're interested in.

In this feature, we are going to run you through what we see as the biggest Xbox One games coming out in 2022 and beyond.

For a deeper look into the past, present, and future of Xbox, hop over to our profile of Phil Spencer, the head of Xbox and a surprisingly genuine executive who's steered Xbox back in the right direction following the rocky Xbox One launch in 2013.

Which Xbox One games are you most looking forward to playing? Leave your list in the comments below.

Probably the biggest announcement of Blizzard's annual BlizzCon convention in 2019 was Diablo IV. It's been seven years since the last proper entry into Blizzard's action-RPG franchise, and the developer announced the game with a dark, gory trailer that gave at least some sense of what to expect from the next title. Blizzard is taking a darker, more horror-oriented approach with Diablo IV, pulling a lot of inspiration from fan-favorite Diablo II--which includes bringing back old classes like the Druid. It's also maintaining aspects of Diablo III, including seasonal content and some take on Adventure mode.

The biggest change is Blizzard's focus on making Diablo IV feel a bit more like a live-service game. Its overworld will be public, and you can expect to run into other characters as you wander the wilds and engage enemies. There will even be public events and world bosses to defeat with the help of strangers. Dungeons will still be instanced for you and your party, but the inclusion of other players in the short demo we tried at BlizzCon made Sanctuary feel more like a living world beset by evil than in past titles. The only trouble is, we have no idea when Blizzard means to release Diablo IV--and by all accounts, it doesn't sound like it'll be in players' hands anytime soon.

Release Date: TBA

Announced at E3 2018, Bethesda revealed The Elder Scrolls VI alongside Bethesda Game Studios' next big game, Starfield. While the space-traveling RPG will be the next game from the storied developer, people are looking further ahead to returning to the world of Elder Scrolls. The only look we had at The Elder Scrolls VI was a sweeping view of one of the lands in Tamriel, with that familiar, triumphant score building up in the background. Aside from that, we don't know much about the game. According to Bethesda Softworks VP Pete Hines, we won't be seeing the game again for some time. Still, we can't deny that we're anxiously anticipating the return to the world of Elder Scrolls. After Microsoft's acquisition of ZeniMax, it seems likely that the franchise will make its big return on new consoles, giving the series a more modern look.

Release Date: TBA

Since its release in 2016, fans have been asking for more from Overwatch. The team-based shooter is set in a pretty vibrant world, but so far, Blizzard has relegated that world to cinematics and side material, without much context actually available in the game. That's changing with Overwatch 2, which takes the core team-based multiplayer of the original and adds a bunch of stuff on top of it. Blizzard's sequel to the original game includes a single-player story and cooperative modes that promise to make the Overwatch world more immersive than it has been so far.

There will be a lot more to Overwatch 2, according to Blizzard, but that doesn't mean players of the original will be left behind. Blizzard is keeping the competitive side of Overwatch 2 compatible with the original, so the competitive community will stay whole even as some people upgrade to the sequel. From the sounds of things, Overwatch 2 will give players what they want, while maintaining everything that fans already love about Blizzard's shooter.

Release Date: TBA

Bethesda Game Studios's first new IP in 25 years is coming in November 22 and we are very excited about it.

After making a name for itself with fantasy games with dragons like Skyrim, Bethesda is turning its attention to the sci-fi genre with Starfield, an RPG about the appeal of exploring the great unknown.

"It's got a more realistic, science-based backing to it. Whereas Skyrim is sort of an epic fantasy, this is a more grounded game, and a grounded setting about exploration. So I think that gives us a different take on how we make everything," art director Matt Carofano said recently.

Release Date: November 2022

The Assassin's Creed series will grow in a big way with a new game in development under the code name Assassin's Creed Infinity. It reportedly features live-service functionality and will include all the elements of the series that fans know and love, according to Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot. The game will apparently comprise multiple historical settings, which would be a big departure for the series. Assassin's Creed Infinity is reportedly still a long ways off, as reports say it's not expected to release until 2024 at the soonest. Despite that far-off date, it's one of our most anticipated upcoming games and we can't wait to see more.

Release date: TBA

A new James Bond game from the makers of Hitman is coming to Xbox Series X. Developed by IO Interactive, the new title, Project 007 as it's known for now, is one of our most-anticipated upcoming games. Developed alongside movie studio MGM, Project 007 is a third-person action game that tells an original origin story for the British superspy. IO is an accomplished, seasoned studio well-versed in the action category, so it's exciting to think about what the team could achieve in the James Bond universe. We hope to see and learn more about Project 007 in the New Year.

Release date: TBA

Dead Space is being remade by EA for release on Xbox Series X. Motive Studios is bringing the game back with a remake of sorts set for release in 2022. This will be the first new game in the series since Dead Space 3, and it promises to use the power of the Xbox Series X in a number of ways, including to offer a seamless experience with no loading screens. EA has said the game will remain faithful to the original, though it will cut some elements that didn't work and expand upon the original, including by giving Isaac a voice. Several developers who worked on the original game, including art director Mike Yazijan, have returned for the remake, which is probably good news for its prospects.

Release date: TBA

Thanks to Lucasfilm expanding its licensing deals, we're getting more games based on the company's iconic franchises, and one of these is a new Indiana Jones game from the makers of the new Wolfenstein games. That's right, MachineGames is making a new Indiana Jones game, and it should be familiar territory, as the studio knows a thing or two about games about Nazis. Very little is known about the Indiana Jones game, but Bethesda veteran Todd Howard--an Indiana Jones superfan--is producing it. In fact, he's been trying to get it off the ground for a decade already, so it's been a long time in the works. Given that MachineGames is now owned by Xbox, you can expect the title to be exclusive to Xbox and PC, but this hasn't been confirmed.

Release date: TBA

The Callisto Protocol is a new horror game set in the PUBG universe and is developed by some of the people who worked on Dead Space. It is a third-person horror game from Dead Space designer Glen Schofield's new team at Striking Distance Studios, and it's in the works for Xbox Series X. Set in the future on Jupiter's moon, Callisto, the game puts you into the shoes of an outer space prisoner who must fight against alien creatures. Not much is known about The Callisto Protocol, but the premise is intriguing and we're excited to see more.

Release date: TBA

Rocksteady, the UK studio that made the Batman: Arkham games, is returning with Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League for Xbox Series X. It's the studio's first new game since 2015's Arkham Knight, so we're excited to finally play Rocksteady's latest. The game features members of the Suicide Squad you may remember from the films and comics, including Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Boomerang, and King Shark. A 1-4 player co-op game, Kill the Justice League puts players on a mission to… kill the Justice League. Intriguingly, Rocksteady's Sefton Hill has said some of the narrative threads from the Arkham trilogy will carry forward to the new game, but the specifics are unclear. We're excited to see more of and finally play the game in 2022.

Release date: TBA

Veteran RPG studio BioWare is coming back with two major upcoming projects, including new Dragon Age and Mass Effect games. These are two of our most anticipated upcoming Xbox Series X games. We don't know much about either, but BioWare recently released new teaser art for the Mass Effect game on N7 day, teasing the return of the Geth. As for Dragon Age, we know the new game is set in Tevinter, but that's about it. Despite the lack of information, we're incredibly excited to see what BioWare can achieve with both new RPGs.

Release dates: TBA

To make you feel old, remember that the Harry Potter series marks its 20th anniversary in 2021. The magical fantasy series is not slowing down, as a big new open-world game called Hogwarts Legacy is slated to launch in 2022 for Xbox Series X. Set in the 1880s at the famous magical school, Hogwarts Legacy lets players choose a house and then become a witch or a wizard as they set out on a journey of magic and mystery. The controversial author of the series, J.K. Rowling, is not directly involved in the project.

Release date: TBA

With EA losing the exclusive Star Wars game license, Lucasfilm is turning to other studios to make new games, and one such project is a new title from Ubisoft for Xbox Series X. The team that made The Division is taking on Star Wars next, but unfortunately there isn't much to go on. Ubisoft has said only that it's a "story-driven" game that uses The Division's Snowdrop engine. The Division's Julian Gerighty is the creative director for the untitled new Star Wars game, which doesn't have a release date yet, but we're definitely excited about it.

Release date: TBA

Obsidian Entertainment had the chance to make its own Fallout game, but it has never had a shot at a fantasy first-person game like The Elder Scrolls. It's finally getting its shot with Avowed, an RPG set in the world of Eora--first featured in the Pillars of Eternity games. It looks to be very early in development, but seeing as the game is coming to Xbox Series X|S and PC only, it won't have to compromise in order for it to run properly on last-gen hardware. It's also far more likely we'll see it before The Elder Scrolls VI, but more on that in a little bit. Avowed is coming to Xbox Series X|S and PC.

Release date: TBA

What isEverwild? We don't really know, and it doesn't appear Rare does, either, despite the studio being its developer--an early trailer showed a whimsical forest filled with magic, but the studio reportedly had trouble nailing down core design elements early on. These included a mandate to feature no combat, and it'sgoing to be at least a few yearsbefore it releases. At the time of its announcement, it was primarily a third-person adventure game "with god game elements,"according to VGC, and it appears Rare doesn't want to rush into showing off more until it nails down exactly how to move forward on the project.

Release date: TBA

The Fable series has been on ice for a number of years, with a multiplayer spin-off getting canceled after its beta period last generation and the panned Fable: The Journey releasing for Kinect on Xbox 360 before that. However, the newest game, which is apparently a reboot touted as a "new beginning" for the series, is developed by the open-world masters at Playground Games. Thus far, the studio's output has been limited to the Forza Horizon games, so it remains to be seen how it will handle a fantasy RPG, but with a growing team and the increased power of the Xbox Series X, Fable will hopefully better realize the vision Peter Molyneux put forth so many years ago.

Release date: TBA

The other half of the Forza franchise, Forza Motorsport appears to be getting a reboot of sorts with the simply titled, well,Forza Motorsport. Developed by longtime Forza studio Turn 10, the game will only be available on Xbox Series X|S and PC, meaning it should be able to better leverage the consoles' hardware than had it also been developed for Xbox One. The game doesn't yet have a release window or many gameplay details, but an in-engine teaser trailer is so stunningly realistic that it's difficult to tell it's actually a video game and not real life. Whether the rest of the game can match that staggering achievement remains to be seen.

Release date: TBA

Obsidian Entertainment spent years making sequels to already-established IP like Fallout and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, but in recent years, it has been able to flex its creative muscles with wholly original creations. The Outer Worlds was a short-but-sweet first-person RPG that mixed biting political satire with great characters and a unique approach to character progression that allowed you to permanently hamstring your own abilities in order to increase them in another area. The Outer Worlds 2, now made with the company as an internal Microsoft studio, looks to improve on the original, hopefully making it just a bit longer in the process.

Release date: TBA

Created by new studio The Initiative and billed as a "AAAA" game, whatever that actually means, Perfect Dark is an espionage game the follows in the footsteps of Rare's original adventures starring Joanna Dark. A short teaser trailer focused on the role corporations had in the continued dystopian unraveling of mankind is all we've been shown for the game thus far, though it does confirm that Joanna herself will be featured in the game. The Initiative aims to "re-imagine" the franchise for a new generation, though it remains to be seen exactly how that will play out. The original Nintendo 64 game took heavy inspiration from Rare's previous title, GoldenEye 007.

Release date: TBA

The first Hellblade was a flawed but refreshingly unique take on the hack-and-slasher, combining it with a psychological horror tale focused on the mental health of Senua as she attempts to save her dead lover's soul. Now with the backing of Microsoft, formerly independent studio Ninja Theory is revisiting Senua with Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2, sending Senua to Iceland for reasons currently unclear. Trailers showing in-engine footage--coupled with lead actor Milena Juergens' expressive physical acting--show that the power of the new systems should make for even more impactful moments when it eventually releases.

Release date: TBA

Zombie games are so common nowadays that you can barely go a week without a new one releasing, but Undead Labs' State of Decay games are unique in how they blend direct third-person action with base and resource management. The result is a story all your own, and one that often leads to unexpected outcomes. With the studio now part of Microsoft, it will hopefully receive an even larger budget in order to polish State of Decay 3 when it eventually releases, as some bugs and a few other rough edges were among the only things holding its predecessor back from greatness.

Release Date: TBA

The next game from Arkane Studios--creators of the Dishonored series and Deathloop--Redfall looks to be quite a big departure. The cooperative first-person shooter, coming Summer 2022 to Xbox Series X|S and PC, tasks you and your friends from destroying the vampire plague that has overrun the titular town. It allows for single-player gameplay, as well, and Arkane promises that it retains the studio's signature level design to help it stand out from other cooperative shooters with character customization and special abilities. Alongside vampires, human enemies dedicated to worshiping the vampires will also stand in your way, and hopefully your bullets' way.

Release Date: Summer 2022.