Microsoft Gaming is in a good position coming into 2024. Buoyed by the success of Hi-Fi Rush and Starfield, and having learned some harsh lessons with Redfall, the platform holder will be looking to capitalize on some of its gains as we reach the halfway point of the generation. While we're yet to get a real sense of the impact of the Activision Blizzard deal, there are plenty of other Xbox Series X console exclusives worth paying attention to.
As it should happen, there's a fair amount of Xbox exclusives with 2024 release windows – the problem right now is that none of them have firm dates. There's also a mass of titles in development across the Xbox Game Studios group that we haven't included in this list, although we are hoping that Bethesda's Indiana Jones and Fable 4 break ground in 2024. While we wait for more news, keep reading to find our pick of the Xbox Series X exclusives that should be on your radar in 2024 right now.
33 Immortals
Developer: Thunder Lotus Games | Release date: TBC
Developer Thunder Lotus Games has always shown an appetite for experimenting with different genres. Action-adventure with Jotun, metroidvania with Sundered, and heartbreaking management sim with Spiritfarer. But in 2024 the studio is taking a leap into the realm of the roguelike with 33 Immortals. Designed to be played cooperatively between 33 players online, Thunder Lotus is setting out to create an action game that's fast, chaotic, and dangerously morish. You'll have to fight together to survive punishing boss battles, put your best effort forward to unlock permanent upgrades for your character, and otherwise collaborate to maintain control over arenas dense with hordes of monsters. 33 Immortals is going to launch into Early Access as an Xbox Series X console exclusive later this year.
Avowed
Developer: Obsidian Entertainment | Release date: TBC
Avowed may not have a release date attached to it just yet, but this highly anticipated RPG from Obsidian Entertainment is expected to launch in 2024. The developer of The Outer Worlds and Fallout: New Vegas is expanding the world of Eora – a playground which the Pillars of Eternity series has explored to great effect in the past. Played from a first-person perspective, you'll team up with a cavalcade of consortium of companions and set off across expansive open zones; improving your character and equipment, battling all sorts of beasts with magic and melee weapons, and ultimately working to rid The Living Lands of a mysterious plague. Avowed is set to be one of the biggest RPGs of the year.
Dungeons of Hinterberg
Developer: Microbird | Release date: TBC
Dungeons of Hinterberg has been on our radar for a little while now, owing to its wondrous mix of dungeoneering and social experience. Armed with little more than a sword, backpack, and tourist guide, you're able to explore the beautiful expanses surrounding the alpine village of Hinterberg. Your time is spent adventuring through strange, idyllic lands and delving deep into magical dungeons by day, and becoming friends with other local travelers by nightfall – getting to know each of these characters will not only make your slaycation more memorable, but improve your core set of skills and abilities too. Dungeons of Hinterberg looks set to be one of the action-adventure games of 2024 when it lands as an Xbox Series X console exclusive.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024
Developer: Asobo Studios | Release date: TBC
2020 saw Xbox Game Studios revive the Microsoft Flight Simulator franchise, teaming up with developer Asobo Studio to deliver what was undoubtedly the most realistic depiction of our planet Earth ever committed to a video game. In 2024, Asobo is working to take the setup one step further. Work is being done to improve the accuracy of the simulation, drawing more data from Bing Maps while using Azure's cloud computing capabilities to enhance visual fidelity and generate real-time effects. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 will also explore a wider set of career types; you'll be able to live your fantasy of conducting search and rescue and air ambulance operations, try your hand at agricultural aviation, or even industrial cargo transport, air racing, and experimental flight operations.
Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2
Developer: Ninja Theory | Release date: TBC
While Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 won't be the first Unreal Engine 5 game to launch on Xbox Series X, it does look every bit the technical showcase for the emerging technology. Developer Ninja Theory has spent years working to improve its motion-capture and visual fidelity capabilities, and we're going to finally see the results of all its efforts in this long-awaited sequel to Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice – the critically-acclaimed action-adventure which explores struggles with psychosis in a dark fantasy world. The sequel is going bigger, refining the look and feel of exploration, while dialing up the intensity and ferocity of combat. Everything we've seen so far looks chaotic and claustrophobic, and absolutely stunning to behold. Expect Hellblade 2 to launch later this year.
Towerborne
Developer: Stoic Studio | Release date: TBC
Stoic Studio is best known for its work on the inimitable Banner Saga trilogy, but it's turning its experience to something else entirely in Towerborne. This action-adventure sees you and three friends team up to expand beyond the boundaries of the Belfry – the last beacon of hope amongst the ruins of humanity. This social space is where you'll party up and get your character set for the challenges ahead, as once you move out into the overworld you'll find no-end of side-scrolling battles awaiting you. Towerborne is taking a beat-'em-up approach to combat, where you'll be able to wield four styles of delightful weapons in a theatrical fashion to take on monstrous foes, and wield powerful skills and abilities. Towerborne is a lot of fun, and we can't wait to play more of it when it lands as an Xbox Series X console exclusive in 2024.
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