The Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S have enjoyed a fairly strong first year thanks to the continued success of Xbox Game Pass and some tentpole Xbox exclusives such as Halo Infinite, Forza Horizon 5 and Microsoft Flight Simulator making a strong first impression. The platform still has some ground to make up if it’s going to chase the runaway successes that are PlayStation and Switch though, so the year ahead is going to be just as important.
While there are definitely some huge hitters on the way, it remains to be seen what surprises Microsoft’s massive suite of first party studios and exclusive development partners have up their sleeves and how many of the most anticipated titles will actually release in the next 12 months.
As usual, the below is a list of games that are either confirmed to be – or anticipated to be – released in 2022 and are exclusive to Xbox at least at launch and among console platforms (we’re not counting PC, where almost all of these games are also headed). Of course, with continued challenges facing development studios globally thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, much of the below is subject to change and being pushed back further to 2023 and beyond.
Let’s hope not though, because there’s some seriously exciting stuff to come!
CrossfireX
Release Date: February 10
Platform: Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC
The console release of the globally-popular F2P first person shooter, Crossfire, is bringing both the multiplayer action to Xbox as well as a brand-new single player component developed by Remedy Entertainment (Alan Wake, Control). The free multiplayer component should be a hit with competitive FPS players, and although the single player portion won’t be free or come to Xbox Game Pass at launch the pedigree of franchise and development team alone should make it worth keeping an eye out for.
Tunic
Release Date: March 16
Platform: Xbox One, PC
Announced as far back as 2015 (when it was still called Secret Legend), Tunic is the passion project of Andrew Shouldice and takes inspiration from classic isometric action RPGs like The Legend of Zelda. Starring an adorable Fox protagonist, Tunic will have a mysterious world for players to explore and uncover. We’ve played the game in various demos over the years and came away enamoured with the simple gameplay and lush visuals, so we can’t wait to get our hands on the full thing in March for Xbox and PC.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2: Heart of Chernobyl
Release Date: December 8h
Platform: Xbox Series X/S, PC
The next proper sequel to 2007’s cult hit S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl has been a long time coming, and comes after years of announcements and subsequent cancellations of the game in various forms. It’s finally happening though, and we can expect a huge and seamless open world with a non-linear story with grotesque enemies and anomalies to conquer, NPC characters to form relationships with and incredible Unreal Engine 4-powered visuals when it releases in April on Xbox Series X/S and PC.
The cheapest copy: $79 at Amazon with free shipping.
Starfield
Release Date: November 11
Platform: Xbox Series X/S, PC
Bethesda Softworks’ first new IP as a studio in decades has a lot of pressure riding on it, but we’re pretty confident Starfield is going to be something special. Described as “NASA punk”, the hard sci-fi setting is a huge departure from the Elder Scrolls and Fallout franchises the studio is known for. It’s also a completely new-gen experience built on the Creation Engine 2 that’ll also be powering The Elder Scrolls VI. It’s hard to believe this one has an actual release date set in stone, but it’s coming to Xbox Series X/S and PC on November 11 this year.
Redfall
Release Date: TBA
Platform: Xbox Series X/S, PC
Arkane Studios is doing something a little different with Redfall, an open world first-person shooter featuring co-operative multiplayer in a modern setting overrun with vampires. While we’re yet to see any real gameplay, the colourful cast of characters seem like they’ll be a lot of fun to play among friends, and Arkane’s pedigree of innovative gameplay and worldbuilding should make this one to watch.
Scorn
Release Date: TBA
Platform: Xbox Series X/S, PC
Scorn is an atmospheric first-person horror adventure inspired by H. R. Giger and Zdzis?aw Beksi?ski that sees players lost on an alien world filled with techno-organic beings and structures. It’ll feature a combination of survival horror combat and exploration in interconnected, non-linear regions. It looks equal parts intriguing and horrifying and is scheduled to release exclusively on Xbox Series X/S and PC at some point this year.
Somerville
Release Date: TBA
Platform: Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC
Somerville has our attention partially due to it coming from Inside and Limbo co-creator Dino Patti, but mostly because it looks wholly unique and very intriguing. Patti says it’s not a puzzle-platformer like his previous games, but something new and “difficult to describe.” Either way the post-apocalyptic sci-fi setting and lush visuals have us excited to see more.
Planet of Lana
Release Date: TBA
Platform: Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC
Thunderful has made a name for itself in publishing some top-notch indie experiences, and Planet of Lana looks like another hit. This painterly adventure in a mysterious world features a duo of brave protagonists in a world filled with dangerous creatures and beings to overcome and puzzles to solve.
Shredders
Release Date: TBA
Platform: Xbox Series X/S
Shredders is an adrenaline-charged snowboarding sim with an open world full of hand-sculpted environments to shred, taking inspiration from the Amped games on the original Xbox. Players will master all manner of snowboarding disciplines with genre-leading controls in an attempt to take out the top spot in a series of competitions. It’s coming exclusively to Xbox Series X/S at launch, with the studio currently aiming for a Q1 2022 release.
Ark II
Release Date: TBA
Platform: Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC (other platforms later)
While we know very little about the first proper sequel to the hit dinosaur-themed survival sandbox, we do know that Vin Diesel has been involved in its development and plays a character named Santiago. You can see him in full motion-captured glory in the lengthy announcement trailer from The Game Awards 2020 below. Studio Wildcard has been pretty tight-lipped about what to expect from the game, but they’ve confirmed the console launch will be on Xbox first in 2022 with a PlayStation release coming at a later date.
As Dusk Falls
Release Date: TBA
Platform: Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC
Xbox Game Studios is publishing this gorgeous-looking interactive drama set in the American Southwest with a graphic-novel style and ambitious narrative. It’s been five years in the making at developer Interior/Night and it’s finally looking set to release this year – coming to Xbox Game pass on day one.
Slime Rancher 2
Release Date: TBA
Platform: Xbox Series X/S, PC
Slime Rancher is back and it’s coming to Early Access on PC and Xbox Series X/S this year, where it’ll be available on Xbox Game Pass day one. With the core gameplay that fans of the original loved, Slime Rancher 2 expands with updated mechanics, new slimes and resources to discover and gorgeous visuals to enjoy in an all-new world.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
Release Date: TBA
Platform: Xbox Series X/S, PC
The sequel to Ninja Theory’s excellent 2017 action-adventure, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, is probably one of the most exciting titles in Xbox Game Studios’ upcoming portfolio. Everything we’ve seen of it so far looks positively stunning from a technological perspective, and we’re keen to see where Senua’s story goes after the events of the first game. Gameplay and release details are still sparse at this stage, but we’re anticipating this one hitting sometime around the end of this year.
Forza Motorsport
Release Date: TBA
Platform: Xbox Series X/S, PC
There’s very little we know about the next entry in the sim-focussed side of Xbox’s premiere racing franchise, other than it’s coming and it’ll be a day one release on Xbox Game Pass. When that day is is still very much a mystery but we wouldn’t be surprised to see it release this year given it was first announced in 2020.
