We’ve seen so much speculation ever since, and with the big show just a few days away now, we thought we’d join the fun! Below, we’ve picked out five guesses for this week’s Xbox Developer Direct surprise, all of which fall into the category of being “legendary” (in our opinion at least!) while also possessing decades’ worth of history.
So, let’s take a look!
Ninja Gaiden
There’s been a lot of talk around whether Ninja Gaiden will be the surprise at Xbox Developer Direct this year, to the point where it’s seemingly become the most popular opinion amongst Xbox fans. A game was revealed in the series last month in the form of Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound , which takes the form of a 2D side-scroller arriving in summer 2025.
But what about a new 3D entry? The Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection has proved popular on Xbox in recent years and remains on Xbox Game Pass, so this feels like a great place to announce a fresh new title while also promoting the older collection and driving subscriptions. We’ve got to get a new 3D game at some point, right?
Final Fantasy
We’ve already heard a lot from Square Enix over the past year that the company is desperate to focus more on multiplatform releases rather than PS5 exclusives in the future, and it’s been teased on multiple occasions that games like Final Fantasy VII Remake and Rebirth will be part of the Xbox lineup sooner rather than later.
There’s obviously Final Fantasy 16 as well, which also has been rumoured to be coming to Xbox at some point, so the only question that remains is this – if it’s a “brand new game” that’s being unveiled, could it still be Final Fantasy related?! And if so, could all the older titles be announced for Xbox at the same time? Make it happen, Square Enix.
Resident Evil
It feels like there are always rumours doing the rounds about Resident Evil, so we’re half-expecting something to show up at all times! Resident Evil 9 is the one that everyone probably wants from the Xbox Developer Direct this year, but there’s also a rumoured Resident Evil Zero remake, and even a Resident Evil 6 port for Xbox Series X|S.
The franchise would certainly fit with the whole “legendary” and “decades of history” wording, but we still have a feeling that it won’t be present at Xbox Developer Direct. As much as it’s a guess of ours, there’s just something about Resident Evil and an Xbox developer showcase that doesn’t seem to fit for us… but hey, maybe we’re wrong!
Dragon Quest
Dragon Quest feels like a pretty safe bet considering we already know there’s a new game in development. Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate was announced back in 2021, but the team has remained largely silent ever since, and surely Xbox Developer Direct would provide a great chance for an update on how things are coming along.
The series has a great history with Xbox in recent years as well, with Dragon Quest 11 and Dragon Quest Builders 2 both proving popular on Xbox Game Pass during their spans on there, while Square Enix appeared at last year’s Xbox Developer Direct, so there’s every chance they could show up again (although maybe for Final Fantasy instead!).
Metal Gear Solid
Hmm. We’re less confident about this one, but it’s a possibility. There’s obviously the upcoming Metal Gear Solid 3 Remake , as well as the Master Collection Vol.2 , both of which could be the game(s) that Xbox is referring to here.
Is there any chance of a Metal Gear Solid 6?! Possibly if Konami dares tread that path, but it’d almost certainly be without Hideo Kojima’s involvement, and that feels like an extremely dangerous move. There’s other stuff that could be done with the franchise though, including a bunch more remakes, so you never know what could be next.
What Will The ‘Legendary’ Japanese Surprise Be? (1,063 votes)
Ninja Gaiden 21 %Final Fantasy 21 %Resident Evil 11 %Dragon Quest 7 %Metal Gear Solid 4 %I think it’s something else… 33 %I don’t think we’ll get one! 3 %
