Ara: History Untold’s Biggest Update and First DLC Available Today for Xbox PC and Steam
Brad Wardell, Creative Director, Ara: History Untold
Chicken. Pork. Beef. Bread. Milk. None of these plants or animals existed in the Americas before European contact. Earth’s geography has always been imbalanced, and Ara: History Untold aims to vividly illustrate this asymmetry with the free version 1.4 update and first DLC, Untold Scenarios, available today for Xbox PC and Steam.
Version 1.4 of Xbox Game Studios’ ambitious historical 4X strategy game is the first update designed and developed by strategy and simulation experts Stardock Entertainment, who assumed production leadership in April. The companion DLC highlights what the game can now achieve.
Geography is Destiny
The free update overhauls the game’s map generator, making each randomly generated world more distinct. Meanwhile, the Untold Scenarios DLC features maps with resources positioned realistically, causing societies to evolve very differently. In the Mongol Invasion scenario, you will step into the boots of Genghis Khan, leading the Mongols who, uniquely, cannot found new cities. Without Settlers, you must conquer territory, using specialized technologies and units to dominate the Asian steppes.
Europe at the Crossroads, another scenario, places historical figures into critical positions at the dawn of the Enlightenment. How might history unfold if Caesar, Alexander the Great, and Elizabeth I led 18th-century Europe instead of Louis XIV, William III, and Peter the Great?
Living Strategy
Upon loading version 1.4, you will immediately notice the new Living Strategy view. Previously, Ara featured two modes: the detailed Living World and the icon-based Strategic View. The new Living Strategy mode combines these, clearly showing units scaled on the map to enhance visibility and strategic clarity.
Simulation Meets Strategy
Ara’s Living World has always been a vibrant simulation. Farmers, bakers, and soldiers are individually simulated entities with their own needs and behaviors. Version 1.4 leverages this deep simulation to dramatically reduce micromanagement. You now have the option to let citizens autonomously supply their homes and shops, removing the need for constant manual decisions about resource allocation.
Additionally, computer opponents have significantly improved thanks to Stardock’s experience crafting AI for strategy games like Galactic Civilizations, Fallen Enchantress, and The Political Machine. Opponents now play uniquely based on their traits, employing sophisticated economic and military strategies to challenge you from ancient times through technological singularity.
Prettier, Yet Faster
Oxide’s Nitrous engine has also been enhanced, dramatically improving performance, particularly in late-game scenarios. Smarter culling, optimized shaders, and refined simulations ensure a smoother experience, while visual enhancements make units and cities noticeably sharper and more detailed than ever.
If you’re a fan of history or strategy games, there’s never been a better time to rewrite history. Shape the past, influence the present, and rewrite the future – Ara: History Untold’s free 1.4 Update and Untold Scenarios DLC are available today!
Ara: History Untold is available on Xbox PC, Steam, and with Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. Unknown Scenarios DLC is available for $9.99 SRP (base game required to play).
Dive into eight compelling scenarios that immerse you deeply into pivotal and speculative moments of human history. From the vast steppes of Mongolia to Europe's Enlightenment, each scenario provides specialized gameplay, meticulously detailed historical context, and thrilling strategic dilemmas that demand your creativity, adaptability, and cunning. Key Features: · Historical and Hypothetical Worlds: Experience dramatic, detailed historical contexts and intriguing "what-if" scenarios, each carefully crafted for strategic depth. · Scenario-Specific Units and Technologies: Master unique units, like the Mongol Horse Archers, Royal Sentinels, or Indigenous Guerrilla fighters, unlocking new tactics tailored to each historical period. · Strategically Rich Maps: Adapt to dynamic challenges and historically accurate resource distributions that profoundly affect your strategic choices. Featured Scenarios: The Mongol Invasion Conquer without settlement as Genghis Khan using unstoppable Mongol units like Horse Archers and Wallbreakers, bolstered by the powerful "Yassa Doctrine." Or, stand defiant as Catherine the Great of Russia, strategically deploying knights and defenses to halt the relentless Mongol advance. Bronze Age Collapse Guide your civilization through the mysterious chaos of 1200 BC, navigating societal breakdowns triggered by droughts, raids, and calamities. Utilize an expanded Bronze Age tech tree, deploying unique units such as Royal Sentinels, Slingers, and Sea Raiders, to keep your people alive amid turmoil. Europe at the Crossroads Navigate the dynamic, resource-rich landscape of Enlightenment Europe with legendary leaders like Caesar or Alexander the Great. Begin with extensive Renaissance infrastructure but limited exclusively to advanced, era-specific units, forcing you to strategize carefully in a rapidly evolving historical context. American Expansion Face the stark contrasts of the 18th-century Americas. Choose settlers with European technology yet minimal infrastructure, or indigenous nations like the Cherokee, whose efficient guerrilla units grant immediate strategic advantages. Balance the long-term growth of your settlements against immediate tactical necessity. Clash of Continents Challenge your adaptability and innovation in a brutally realistic world map reflecting the harsh resource inequalities of 3000 BC. Iconic historical figures like Julius Caesar and Joan of Arc must strategically overcome severe resource shortages, testing every aspect of your strategic ingenuity. Islands Scenario Manage isolated island cultures with dramatically distinct resource pools, emphasizing diplomacy and strategic trade. Military might alone won’t secure survival—careful resource management and diplomatic acumen are essential. Last Survivor (Rome vs. Imperial China) Engage in an intense, improbable showdown between two ancient empires on a compact, resource-constrained battlefield. Fight fiercely for crucial resources like horses, balancing aggressive tactics with resource-conscious strategies to emerge as the sole survivor. Terra Reimagine Earth's geography in a scenario where continents connect differently and horses never vanished from North America. Explore exaggerated continents like Mega Britain and lush Africa, making rapid, impactful strategic decisions from the late Neolithic, reshaping human history in fascinating ways. Forge a new history, face unparalleled strategic challenges, and rewrite the past—or imagine an entirely new future—in Ara: History Untold – Untold Scenarios DLC.
Build a nation and lead your people throughout history to the pinnacles of human achievement as you explore new lands, develop arts and culture, conduct diplomacy, and go head-to-head with your rivals to prove you are the greatest ruler ever known. It's Your World Now. The Deluxe Edition Includes • Ara: History Untold Base Game • Exclusive Leader Collection – featuring five exclusive leaders not included in the base game including: Charlemagne, Genghis Khan, Yoo Gwan Soon, Hildegard and Boudicca. • Modern Leader Skin Set – enhance five Ara: History Untold leaders (Elizabeth I, Genghis Khan, Nefertiti, Sappho and George Washington) with the Modern Leader Skin Set, featuring modern versions of their in-game costumes. With your pre-order of the Deluxe Edition receive the Gilded Leader Skin Set.
Build a nation and lead your people throughout history to the pinnacles of human achievement as you explore new lands, develop arts and culture, conduct diplomacy, and go head-to-head with your rivals to prove you are the greatest ruler ever known. It's Your World Now. Ara: History Untold is an evolution in historical grand strategy, featuring beloved classic PC strategy mechanics alongside innovative gameplay like a national crafting economy, true simultaneous turn resolution, a non-linear technology tree, and cloud-backed synchronous/asynchronous multiplayer – all with an expansive and vibrant presentation where you can zoom out from surveying the very edges of your empire all the way down to your citizens living their daily lives. In Ara, there are no pre-set paths to victory, leading to endless possibilities. Your choices will define the world you create, your experience, and your legacy. Explore an Immersive Living World Explore a dynamic living world filled with life and charm across sweeping landscapes ranging from tropical jungles to sand-swept deserts as you discover the resources you need to develop your nation. Witness the world come to life in vivid, realistic detail as citizens move throughout the world and react dynamically to times of health and sickness, war and peace, wealth and despair with unique biomes, cultures, and eras representing the diversity of human experience. Build Your Nation Serve your people and grow your prestige with numerous Improvements, from forges to libraries, citadels to cathedrals, public parks to industrial factories – as well as a global variety of the greatest architectural Triumphs ever conceived and built by human hands. Guide your people through the eras of human discovery Nurture your people’s brilliance and invention as you progress your Nation through twelve unique Technology Eras, making the hard choices about where to focus your Nation’s greatest minds. As you near the end of each Era, you’ll have to decide how fast to push your scientists along the path to the future – at the risk of the present. Oversee a rich and detailed national economy Harvest the bounty of the natural world and deploy the labor of your people with a depth-filled National Crafting system. Will you manufacture Amenities – like lavish feasts – to provide your cities and citizens with powerful benefits, or invest in the creation of Equipment – the weapons of war – to prepare your Armies to defend your nation or conquer your rivals? Whatever paths you choose you’ll need to carefully optimize your resources and production to achieve the most efficient systems if you want to outpace your rivals to fortune and lasting glory. Rule Your Way Choose from dozens of history’s most influential figures to embody as you reshape the world through your choices. The unique and varied global Leaders and Nations in Ara emphasize a wide variety of different playstyles. Experiment with gameplay-impacting Traits and powerful Leader Abilities drawn from the effect they had on world history. Whether friend or foe, each Leader has a distinct personality based on their historical background that informs their AI behaviors. Experience True Simultaneous Turns Every turn each nation's actions and choices resolve simultaneously, leading to suspense, anticipation, unique outcomes, and surprising twists on the classic turn-based formula. The fate of your people will be determined by your decisions and your ability to predict your opponent’s next move, putting your skill as a leader to the ultimate test. Defend your people by land, sea, and air Warfare in Ara is presented in the Living World, as thousands of years of military conflict reflect the progress and martial prowess of your people. Develop technologies to advance your weaponry against your rivals, hone your wartime economy and industry to gain the edge, and outthink your opponent’s strategies as maneuvers resolve authentically at once thanks to the power of True Simultaneous Turns. Prove Your Worth in Online Multiplayer Combining the speed and surprise of True Simultaneous Turns with the power of the cloud – multiplayer in Ara is fast, seamless, and able to be enjoyed asynchronously with a wide range of options to tailor you and your friend’s experience to the way you want to play together. A Microsoft Account is required to play online multiplayer.
Die Moderator*innen Malik Prince und Jenn Panattoni sprachen heute im Official Xbox Podcast mit Marc Meyer, President of Oxide Games, und Brian Stone, Head of Ara bei Xbox Game Studios. Sie verrieten weitere Details zu Ara: History Untold, neue Informationen zum Multiplayer und − das Beste − ein Release-Datum: Ara: History Untold erscheint am 24. September 2024 für Windows PC, Steam und im PC Game Pass!
Wie sie im Interview erklären, wollte das Team von Oxide Ara im Genre der historischen Strategiespiele unverwechselbar machen. Dazu haben sie sich die Landschaft der Strategiespiele angeschaut, um gemeinsame Probleme zu identifizieren und Wege zu finden, diese zu lösen. Wenn es um Ara geht, sind die Themen zahlreich, über die das Team gerne spricht. Wir haben einige der wichtigsten Neuheiten im heutigen Beitrag hervorgehoben.
Spielen in einer lebendigen Welt
Eines der hervorstechendsten Merkmale von Ara: History Untold ist die atemberaubende und detaillierte Welt, wie man anhand des Filmmaterials und der Screenshots im Official Xbox Podcast sofort erkennen kann. Du wirst bemerken, wie die Regionen aufgeteilt sind, sodass Du sie in landwirtschaftliche und industrielle Gebiete sowie Rohstoffvorkommen unterscheiden kannst.
„Ara ist im Grunde ein klassisches, rundenbasiertes historisches Strategiespiel, das die Geschichte der Menschheit von der Antike bis zur Neuzeit und darüber hinaus abdeckt,“ erklärt Stone. „Aber es ist auch ein Spiel, in das (Oxide) wirklich viele moderne Elemente eingebracht hat. Sie haben den Look des Spiels zu etwas völlig Einzigartigem gemacht, das man so noch nie gesehen hat.“
Bei näherem Hinsehen wird deutlich, dass es sich um eine „lebendige“ Karte handelt, auf der jede Menge los ist: Flugzeuge fliegen über die Stadt, Müllwagen fahren durch die Straßen, Kinder spielen auf Spielplätzen und Tiere leben im dichten Dschungel. Das verleiht der Spielwelt Charakter und lässt Dich auf eine Art und Weise mit ihr in Kontakt treten, die Du in anderen Strategiespielen vielleicht noch nicht erlebt hast.
„All das wird jedes Mal zufällig generiert, wenn Du ein neues Spiel startest. Jedes Mal, wenn Du spielst, hast Du eine andere Welt voller verschiedener Biome“, erklärt Meyer. „Es ist eine lebendige Welt mit interessanten Dingen, die wir den Spieler*innen zeigen wollen… Du wirst Deine Nation gründen und diese Ressourcen nutzen, um das Leben Deines Volkes und Deiner Bürger*innen zu verbessern.“
Mehrere Wege führen zum Sieg
Da es so viele Möglichkeiten gibt, Ara zu spielen, war es für das Team wichtig, dass es für jeden Spielstil Anführer*innen gibt. Im The Official Xbox Podcast wurden eine Reihe von Eigenschaften vorgestellt, die helfen, die Anführer*innen zu definieren, teilweise inspiriert davon, wie sie in der realen Welt existieren.
„Jede*r der Anführer*innen hat diese Eigenschaft, die ihn*sie von allen anderen unterscheidet“, erklärt Meyer. „Sie haben eine Reihe von Eigenschaften, die sie miteinander teilen und die ein wenig ihre Persönlichkeit bestimmen und wie sie miteinander auskommen…“
Letztendlich ist das Ziel von Ara, dass Du mit Deinen eigenen Mitteln zur angesehensten Nation der Welt wirst. Und das kannst Du mit vielen verschiedenen Spielstrategien erreichen, von militärischen Eroberungen über religiöse Siege bis hin zur Industrie. Oder Du wirst durch Prestige ein Vorbild für andere Nationen. „Es gibt fast unendlich viele Möglichkeiten, in das zu investieren, was Du in Deinem ersten kleinen Dorf aufbaust“, sagt Stone.
„Wenn Deine Nation wächst und Du mehr Menschen um Dich versammelst, erhältst Du Ansprüche, die es Dir ermöglichen, Teile des Landes zu übernehmen und Dein Reich zu erweitern sowie neue Orte zum Bauen zu finden und neue Ressourcen auszubeuten“, fügt Meyer hinzu. „Es ist also ein sich selbst erfüllendes System, in dem Du wächst, damit Du noch größer werden kannst und noch mehr Land und Ressourcen bekommst. Und dann veredelst Du diese Ressourcen durch unser Crafting-System, um die Lebensqualität Deines Volkes verbessern.“
Multiplayer und simultane Spielzüge
In vielen rundenbasierten Strategiespielen können Multiplayer-Partien eine Herausforderung sein − ein Dutzend Spieler*innen in einer einzigen Partie zu vereinen, kann eine entmutigende Aufgabe sein. Doch Oxide hat vielleicht eine Lösung. Sie nennen es „Simultaneous Turns“, was bedeutet, dass alle Spieler*innen ihre Züge gleichzeitig ausführen. Das ist in diesem Genre nichts Neues, aber die Art und Weise, wie die simultanen Züge in Ara umgesetzt werden, ist wirklich einzigartig.
„Du führst mit allen anderen auf der Welt gleichzeitig Deine Züge aus, und dann werden sie alle zusammen aufgelöst“, erklärt Marc Meyer, President of Oxide Games. „Es ist nicht so, dass Du als Erste*r ein Recht bekommst und der*die Zweite nicht. Bei diesem Modell sind alle gleichzeitig an der Reihe. Im Multiplayer hast Du also wirklich eine faire Chance auf alles.“
„Wir haben die gesamte Zugverarbeitung in die Azure Cloud verlagert, was bedeutet, dass alles jederzeit verfügbar ist“, ergänzt Brian Stone, Head of Ara History Untold bei Xbox Game Studios. „Jede*r kann an jedem Spiel teilnehmen. Du kannst die Spiele in jedem beliebigen Tempo spielen. Ob Du ein Spiel wie eine Runde am Tag oder eine Runde alle 30 Sekunden spielen willst. Das spielt keine Rolle. Du brauchst Dir keine Gedanken darüber machen, wer der*die Host*in ist − Du hast fast unbegrenzte Flexibilität, was die Art und Weise angeht, wie Du spielst.“
„Wir wollten wirklich alle Barrieren für den Multiplayer beseitigen“, sagt Meyer. „Du kannst in so viele Spiele ein- und aussteigen, wie Du willst. Du kannst Deinen Zug machen, wenn Du Zeit hast, und warten, bis er eingereicht wird. Wenn Dein*e Freund*in beschließt, nicht mehr zu spielen, kann eine KI einspringen und für ihn*sie übernehmen. Wenn Du online spielst und das nicht mehr willst, kannst Du aufhören und musst Dir keine Sorgen machen, dass Du das Spiel für alle anderen Spieler*innen kaputt machst.“
Hör Dir die ganze Ara: History Untold Episode im Official Xbox Podcast an, um mehr über die hier erwähnten Details zu erfahren und das Spiel in Aktion zu sehen. Ara: History Untold erscheint am 24. September 2024 für Windows PC, Steam und im PC Game Pass.
Earlier today on the Official Xbox Podcast episode, hosts Malik Prince and Jenn Panattoni spoke with President of Oxide Games, Marc Meyer, and Head of Ara for Xbox Game Studios, Brian Stone, as they stopped by to share more in-depth details on Ara: History Untold, including new details on its multiplayer and – best of all – to share a release date: Ara: History Untold will launch this September 24, 2024, for Windows PC, Steam, and will be available on day one with PC Game Pass!
Watch the full podcast below – the Ara: History Untold section begins at 1:58:
As they detail in the interview, the team at Oxide really wanted to make Ara distinctive in the historical grand strategy genre, by looking across the landscape of strategy games to identify common pain points they could address and explore ways they could shake things up. There are many things the team is excited to talk about when it comes to Ara and we’ve highlighted some of the biggest news elements to come out of today’s segment.
Playing in a Living World
One of the standout elements of Ara: History Untold that’s immediately clear from the footage shown during the Official Xbox Podcast segment, and its screenshots, is just how beautiful and detailed the world looks. At a high level, you can easily see how the regions are divided, making them distinguishable from agricultural versus industrial, as well as resource deposits.
“Ara, at its core, is a classic turn-based historical grand strategy game that spans the scope of human history from ancient times all the way up to the modern era and beyond,” explains Stone. “But it’s also a game that (Oxide) has been really pouring a lot of modern elements into it. They’ve made the look of the game something completely unique that you’ve never seen before.”
Diving in closer, however, you see that this is a “living” map with massive amounts of activity from planes flying overhead, garbage trucks going down the street, children playing in playgrounds, to wildlife living in dense jungles. It brings character to this game world and lets you connect with it in a way that you may not have before in other grand strategy games.
“This is all randomly generated every time you build a new game. Every time you play again, you will get a different world. It’s going to be full of all these different biomes,” Meyer explains. “It’s the living world; it’s full of all types of interesting things we want the players to notice and to see… And it’s a resource. That’s part of the game. It’s something you will harvest and get things from, and you will establish your nation here and you’ll use that resource to improve the lives of your people and your citizens.”
Multiple Paths to Victory with Unique Leaders
Because there’s so many ways to play through Ara, it was important for the team to make sure there were leaders for every playstyle, and we were shown that during the Official Xbox Podcast segment. There’s a variety of traits that help define who these Leaders are, inspired in part by how they existed in the world.
“Each of the leaders has sort of this unique hero trait that that sets them apart from everyone else,” explains Meyer. “They’ve got these set of traits that they share with each other and they kind of dictate a little bit of the underlying pieces of their personality and they dictate how they’re going to get along with each other… It lets us have a huge variety in the different leaders that we offer and so that playing each one of them is very different.”
Ultimately, the goal of Ara is, through your own means, to become the most prestigious nation on Earth. And you can do that across a lot of different types of gameplay strategies, from military conquest to religious victories to industry. Or become a beacon for other nations through prestige. “There are almost unbound ways to kind of go invest in kind of what you’re building from that first little village,” says Stone.
“As your nation grows, and as you gather people, you’ll gain claims that will let you take over pieces of land and grow your empire and find new places to build and new resources to exploit,” Meyer adds. “And so, it’s all this self-fulfilling system where you grow so that you can grow more, and you can get more land and you can get more resources. And then you take those resources, and you refine them through our crafting system to produce amenities that will improve the quality of life of your people.”
Multiplayer and Simultaneous Turns
In many grand and turn-based strategy games, multiplayer sessions can be a challenge — trying to wrangle a dozen players in a single game can be a daunting task. But Oxide might have a solution here. They call it “Simultaneous Turns” and it involves all players resolving their Turns at the same time. While not wholly new to the genre, the way simultaneous turns are implemented in Ara is truly unique.
“The way that works is you submit your actions, and everyone else in the world submits their actions at the same time, and then they all get resolved together,” explains President of Oxide Games Marc Meyer. “It’s not a situation where if you go first, you get to get the claim; the person who goes second doesn’t get the claim. In this model, everyone goes at the same time. So, in multiplayer you really have a fair chance at everything.”
“We’ve built all of that turn processing in the Azure Cloud, which means that it’s all there, all running, all the time,” adds Head of Ara History Untold for Xbox Game Studios Brian Stone. “Anybody in any game can hot join, in or out. You can run games at any pace you want. If you want to play a game like one turn a day or one turn every 30 seconds. It doesn’t matter. You can do that. You don’t need to worry about who’s hosting — it’s like almost unlimited flexibility in terms of how you play.”
“We really wanted to remove all the barriers for multiplayer,” says Meyer. “You can jump in and out of as many games as you want. You can take your turn when you have time and wait until it gets submitted. If your friend decides he doesn’t want to play anymore, an AI can come in and take over for him, it doesn’t mean the end of your entire world if you’re playing online and you don’t want to do that, you can stop, and you don’t have to worry about destroying the game for everyone else who’s playing.”
Check out the entire Ara: History Untold deep-dive episode on the Official Xbox Podcast to hear more information around the details mentioned here as well as seeing the game in action. Look for Ara: History Untold to launch on Windows PC, Steam, and with PC Game Pass on September 24, 2024.
Today, on a special edition of the Official Xbox Podcast, we shared an update on plans to continue to bring more games to more people around the world, with the exciting news that the first Activision Blizzard game on Xbox Game Pass will be Diablo IV, beginning March 28.
Phil Spencer, Sarah Bond, and Matt Booty also shared the vision on game exclusivity, the future of Xbox hardware, and the overall Xbox promise. There’s a lot to talk about, so we encourage you to watch the full episode here:
With the combined creativity across Team Xbox, players can expect an incredible 2024 with the likes of Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Avowed, Ara: History Untold, Towerborne and more coming your way, alongside continued updates for our blockbuster franchises Call of Duty, Minecraft, Forza, TheElder Scrolls Online and Microsoft Flight Simulator.
There will be even more to play as we begin to fulfill our commitment to offer Activision and Blizzard games with Game Pass, both new releases and classic games from its legendary catalog. We’re happy to share that Diablo IV will be available to play by the 34 million Game Pass subscribers on both PC and Xbox consoles beginning March 28! This is only the start of Xbox players being able to enjoy Activision and Blizzard games on Game Pass – we look forward to sharing more soon.
Our combined studio teams already ship some of the biggest franchises and critically-acclaimed adventures across multiple platforms: Minecraft, Call of Duty, Overwatch, Diablo, The Elder Scrolls Online, and more have built communities across consoles, PC, and mobile. Likewise, Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda have brought dozens of games to Steam alongside Xbox consoles on launch day; the teams at Xbox have extensive experience supporting multiple platforms, while continuing to invest heavily in our studios, our consoles and services.
Indeed, our games are reaching more players than ever; across Activision, Bethesda, Blizzard, King, and Xbox Game Studios, we reach hundreds of millions of players across console, PC, and mobile.
To ensure long-term success for both Xbox and the industry as a whole, we must continue to evolve. Today we announced that we will expand the communities we reach: we are currently in the process of bringing four Xbox games to other platforms. These are titles which have been available to Xbox players for at least a year, including hidden gems that deserve to be experienced more widely, and live service games whose communities will benefit from welcoming even more players. We will share more details on these titles soon.
By bringing these games to more players, we not only expand the reach and impact of those titles, but this will allow us to invest in either future versions of these games, or elsewhere in our first-party portfolio. There is no fundamental change to our approach on exclusivity.
Likewise, our commitment to game preservation is unwavering. Xbox players should have confidence in building your digital library in the Xbox ecosystem. We will continue to reward that with the most robust, player-friendly experiences, including backwards compatibility, cross-play, cross-save progression, convenient cloud gaming, and more. Xbox consoles will continue to provide a flagship experience for players; it’s where you get the best value and convenience, it’s where Game Pass provides unprecedented access to an ever-evolving library of games. To be clear: Game Pass will continue to be only available on Xbox platforms.
This is what it means to be part of Xbox:
The biggest games in the world will be on Xbox.
Our games will come to Game Pass day one.
A robust and innovative multi-year hardware roadmap
Compatibility with your library is a priority, inclusive of cross-play, cross-save, and robust cloud features.
Xbox will continue to help game creators find the biggest audience possible.
Whether you’ve been with us since 2001, recently joined Game Pass to enjoy games like Starfield or Palworld, or are looking forward to the next season of Call of Duty, the creative teams at Xbox are stronger together – no matter where you play. Xbox will be around for decades to come – we hope you’ll join us on this journey.
It’s going to be a good year for Xbox players. At today’s Developer_Direct show, we provided deep-dives into five new games launching across Xbox Series X|S, PC, Game Pass and/or cloud – all of which will arrive later in 2024. Development teams at Xbox, Bethesda, and even one of our third-party partners invited you into their studios to showcase extended gameplay, reveal key information, and more.
During the show, we visited the studios behind Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Avowed, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, and Ara: History Untoldto find out more about each one. Members of each development team gave us a look into their creation, with new information, and offered a tantalizing glimpse of what’s to come this year. All four of these games will arrive on day one with Game Pass, and will contribute to what’s going to be another huge year for members, delivering incredible games throughout 2024.
Plus, in a special surprise, we heard from the team at Square Enix to learn a lot more about Visions of Mana, the first new mainline entry in the Mana series in over 15 years, and its debut on Xbox platforms. With participation from developers on 3 continents, it was a truly global show.
Here’s a summary of everything we announced and covered during Developer_Direct:
Avowed – Launching Fall 2024
Xbox Series X/S, PC, Cloud – Joining Game Pass on Day One
Avowed Game Director Carrie Patel gave us a first deep-dive into the gameplay in Obsidian’s upcoming fantasy action RPG, from its dynamic combat, to its thoughtful reactivity, to its “colorful, vibrant, strange” world set in the Living Lands. Avowed continues Obsidian’s signature style of creating games with deep themes and player choice at the forefront.
Not only will you make narrative decisions that can impact changes in the game down the line, but Avowed is also looking to offer choice in combat. Gameplay Director Gabe Paramo discussed not only how varied your weaponry will be – with melee weapons, ranged guns and bows, and magic-based wands (even dual-wielded wands!) to name a few – but how flexible combat can be, allowing you to quickly change loadouts for enemy encounters. Swappable loadouts mean you can approach combat however feels right to you.
Art Director Matt Hansen then explained how the Living Lands is a mysterious island made up of wildly varied regions offering visually diverse backdrops and intriguing settings to explore. With secrets hidden throughout the regions, you’ll take in barren deserts, verdant forests, blighted wastes, volcanic biomes, and more.
That’s not all for Avowed, however – make sure to tune in to the Xbox Podcast on Monday, January 22 for an exclusive interview with some of Obsidian’s developers, offering even more information on the gameplay reveal.
Get ready to carve your own path through Avowed when it launches this fall for Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Cloud – and arrives with Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass on day one. For more information please visit the Avowed website.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II – Launching May 21
Xbox Series X/S, PC, Cloud – Joining Game Pass on Day One
Ninja Theory took us behind the scenes at their studio in Cambridge to take a look at Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, meet some of the team and learn more about the craft behind their new title, which is now in the final months of development.
In the video we learned more about Senua’s new journey, which leads her to Iceland, a harsh and brutal land ravaged by myth and tyranny. We were given a new look at Senua’s experiences of the world, seen through her eyes as someone who experiences psychosis, and saw some of Senua’s visceral and violent battles with the Draugar. We also heard more detail on what players can expect from the game’s story and how binaural and spatial audio will sink player’s deep into the world of Hellblade.
With a studio mission of crafting life-changing art with game-changing tech, Ninja Theory are pushing the boundaries of fidelity, richness and immersion. You can join Senua on her new quest, May 21. Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is available to wishlist on Steam and pre-install on Xbox Game Pass now.
Visions of Mana – Launching Summer 2024
Xbox Series X|S, PC
In a surprise appearance, Square Enix joined the show to present Visions of Mana, the first new mainline entry in the series in over 15 years, and its debut on Xbox platforms. Series producer Masaru Oyamada presented a sneak peek at the gorgeous new RPG, sharing gameplay and behind the scenes footage before its launch in Summer 2024.
Koichi Ishii – father of the Mana series and creator of many of its iconic monsters – discussed the implementation and design of the enemies in Visions of Mana, and introduced the adorable new animal companions, “pikuls” and explained the design process behind them.
Oyamada then shared some details regarding the game’s score and revealed that the tracklist for Visions of Mana contains 100 songs in total, including works from musical talent who worked on previous Mana games. Oyamada also shared details of the adaptive music system that allows seamless transition from map exploration to battles, demonstrating a snippet of the background music changing as you enter or leave combat.
Oyamada also revealed that in Visions of Mana, The Elementals will assist the player in battle in the form of specialized items, which will each have a different effect in combat. Combined with aerial combat that allows for weapons and magic to be used in mid-air, the combat is fast-paced and flexible.
Visions of Mana launches Summer 2024 on Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC!
Ara: History Untold – Launching Fall 2024
PC – Joining PC Game Pass on Day One
The key leads at Oxide Games debuted an all-new look at gameplay and shared an overview of the key features coming to Ara: History Untold during today’s Developer Direct. Viewers learned more about Ara’s crafting system, unique approach to simultaneous turns, and more.
You can learn more about this innovative new historical grand strategy game with our in-depth interview with Design Director Michelle Menard and we will have more to share in the coming months leading up to Ara’s launch this fall on PC and with PC Game Pass. For the latest breaking news follow the Ara: History Untold social channels (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram/Threads) and wishlist the game on Steam.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle – Launching 2024
Xbox Series X/S, PC – Joining Game Pass on Day One
The official reveal of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle was debuted during Developer_Direct with over 13 minutes of gameplay footage and developer insights. This new journey starring the legendary archaeologist comes from the award-winning team at MachineGames – the minds behind Wolfenstein: The New Order and Wolfenstein: The New Colossus – in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games and executive produced by Bethesda Game Studios’ Todd Howard. Find out more on Bethesda.net.
Other Streams
Blizzard held a DiabloIV Developer Update Livestream earlier today that dug into the horrors waiting for you beneath the sands of Kehjistan in Season of the Construct, launching January 23, and introduced the competitive leaderboard activity called The Gauntlet. Associate Director of Community Adam Fletcher, Game Design Manager Daniel Tanguay, Quest Designer Madeleine James, and Lead Class Designer Adam Jackson spoke about the new Seneschal companion, Hazard-filled dungeons called Vaults, a new Questline, and more – all of which surfaces in Season of the Construct. Additionally, the group gave a quick look at The Gauntlet leaderboards and wrapped up the livestream by answering questions from the community in a Q&A session.
Shortly after Developer_Direct, ZeniMax Online Studios kicked off The Elder Scrolls Online 2024 Global Reveal, unveiling the game’s next major Chapter, including the new zone, storyline, and other major features. You’ll be able to read more about what was revealed on Xbox Wire and Bethesda.net as soon as that show concludes.
Looking Ahead
Today marks just a small selection of the games coming to Xbox this year. With our own studios and our incredible partners bringing a diverse set of incredible experiences to Xbox consoles, PC, Cloud, and Game Pass, there’s going to be something new for every kind of player. To find out more, make sure to return to Xbox Wire later this month, when we post a round-up of some of the most exciting games coming to Xbox platforms in 2024.
Trying to pull off something as ambitious as Ara: History Untold – and evolving the strategy space – is a significant challenge. From writing a full new engine, to the detailed level of art, to crafting the living world, to recording hours upon hours of live music; Ara: History Untold’s sheer scale could probably not have been achieved without the right backing.
“Microsoft has been a ginormous partner. A lot of times in games – even if you know they’re super fun, they’ve got huge communities – they don’t always have the most resources put towards them. Or you have the biggest budget, but sometimes a very short production schedule. Microsoft has been amazing to work with in that regard. ‘What do you want to do in the genre space and we will help you achieve those things…’ whereas at other companies, we would have never had this kind of leeway or support.”
Ara: History Untold will be released in Fall 2024 for Windows PC and Steam, and will be available day one with PC Game Pass. I asked Menard what she thinks about that — being able to have such a ripe community available to dive in and start playing from the day of launch:
“It’s actually a great, great thing. Oftentimes these kind of grand strategy games can be intimidating to get into. While some newer players express interest, you also must convince them to buy it — and that can be a step too far. To have the opportunity with something like Game Pass, they can keep playing right there on day one. We’ve always wanted to expand the grand strategy market with this title to new players who would never tried it before, and I think that’s truly only possible because it is going to be on Game Pass.”
I also asked Menard what her vision looks like for the game, say five years from now, where she hopes Ara: History Untoldsits within the sphere of so many other grand strategy games.
“I certainly hope in five years we’ll still be doing different expansions, more DLC, and start to branch it out in even further crazy directions,” she says. “We have so many ideas for different, even more out there, leaders and other kinds of crazy triumphs — just bring players even more diverse experiences that you just wouldn’t get in the traditional strategy space.”
January 18 is going to be an incredible day for Xbox players. Developer_Direct returns this Thursday at 12pm PT / 3pm ET / 8pm UK, and will bring you a deep-dive into some of the biggest games coming to Xbox platforms. We’re sure you want to know more, so here are all the details on how to tune in.
Developer_Direct will share new, extended gameplay and developer insights for the upcomingIndiana Jonesgame, Avowed, Ara: History Untold, and Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II straight from the teams at MachineGames, Obsidian, Oxide Studios, and Ninja Theory.
It’s going to be a big day for the Xbox family, with two other livestreams taking place. Earlier in the day, Blizzard will host a Diablo IV Developer Update Livestream at 9am PT / 12pm ET / 5pm UK. Shortly after Developer_Direct, ZeniMax Online Studios will hostThe Elder Scrolls Online 2024 Global Reveal at 1pm PT / 4pm ET / 9pm UK to preview 2024’s biggest update.
When is Developer_Direct? Thursday, January 18 at 12pm Pacific Time / 3pm Eastern Time / 8pm UK time.
How do I watch Developer_Direct? Developer_Direct will be streamed live on the official Xbox and Bethesda channels below:
The show will also be streamed simultaneously on regional Xbox and Bethesda channels around the globe, as well as on Steam. It will also air on China’s Bilibili platform on Friday, January 19.
I’m not going to be able to watch, where can I find out what was announced? A full recap will go live immediately following the show (including localized versions in Brazilian Portuguese, French, German, LATAM Spanish, and Japanese following later). Xbox Wire will also publish detailed blog posts about select games from the show.
Notes for co-streamers and creators: We at Xbox greatly appreciate any co-stream efforts and aim to ensure you have a smooth experience if you choose to do so.
However, due to forces beyond our control, we cannot guarantee that glitches or disruptions by bots and other automated software won’t interfere with your co-stream.
For those planning to create full post-show breakdowns of Developer_Direct in the form of VOD coverage, we recommend you do not use any audio containing copyrighted music to avoid any action by automated bots, and to also consult the terms of service for your service provider.
How do I watch the Diablo IV Developer Update Livestream? At 9am PT / 12pm ET / 5pm UK, Blizzard will unearth details about the next season’s gameplay features, Season Journey, and quality-of-life updates. Plus, Blizzard will also share information about The Gauntlet. You can watch the event on Diablo’s YouTube and Twitch channels.
How do I watch the Elder Scrolls Online 2024 Global Reveal stream? Shortly after Developer_Direct, ZeniMax Online Studios will hostThe Elder Scrolls Online 2024 Global Reveal at 1pm PT / 4pm ET / 9pm UK to preview 2024’s biggest update. Streamed from Bethesda’s official Twitch channel at Twitch.tv/Bethesda (with Twitch Drops!) and via global Xbox YouTube and Twitch channels, the standalone presentation will see the development team unveil the game’s next major Chapter, including the new zone, storyline, and other major features.
Will there be updates on Activision Blizzard King games? No new information on Activision Blizzard King games will be a part of Developer_Direct. You can look forward to news from those teams later this year.
When will the games in the show be released? All the games in this year’s Developer_Direct will be arriving later, with more details to be shared in the program.
We’ll see you for Developer_Direct on Thursday, January 18!
You’re about to get an exciting look at some of the incredible games ahead with Xbox, as we present a new edition of Developer_Direct. On Thursday, January 18 at 12pm PT / 3pm ET / 8pm UK, fans will get an inside look at a selection of highly anticipated games coming to Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Game Pass. Shortly after, ZeniMax Online Studios will host The Elder Scrolls Online 2024 Global Reveal at 1pm PT / 4pm ET / 9pm UK to preview 2024’s biggest update.
Presented by the game creators themselves, Developer_Direct offers an in-depth look at upcoming titles, how they’re being created, and who’s creating them. We’ll visit MachineGames in Sweden to check in on their Indiana Jones game, swing by Obsidian’s Irvine offices to see more from Avowed, head to Oxide Games’ Maryland home to learn about Ara: History Untold, and take a trip to Cambridge, England to see Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II from Ninja Theory. Please note that while this show won’t have updates on games from Activision Blizzard, you can look forward to news from those teams later this year.
The show will be a celebration of just a selection of our slate of upcoming games from Xbox. It’s also another part of our commitment to consistently bringing Xbox players can’t-miss experiences. 2024 kicked off with a bang for Game Pass members, and you can expect that line-up to include more incredible games from Xbox and our partners as the year goes on.
Fans should tune in on Xbox channels at 12pm PT / 3pm ET / 8pm UK, January 18 to see all the latest on:
Indiana Jones game: MachineGames, the award-winning studio behind the recent Wolfenstein series, will reveal their upcoming Indiana Jones game, an action-adventure that puts players in the leather jacket of the legendary archaeologist. Developer_Direct will showcase more than 10 minutes of game and developer insights, including details about the game’s setting and story, how fans will actually play as Indy, additional details from his next globe-trotting adventure, and the premiere of the first gameplay trailer.
Avowed: The team at Obsidian will share the first deep dive into the gameplay experience fans can expect in Avowed, their upcoming fantasy action RPG, set in the fantastical, vibrant Living Lands. Learn more about how Obsidian’s expertise in building worlds with deep themes, dynamic gameplay, and thoughtful reactivity come to life in Avowed where players will have agency to make choices to shape every step of their adventure.
Ara: History Untold: Hear from the leads at Oxide Games – a studio founded by veterans of the strategy genre and the creators behind classic strategy titles including Civilization V – as they unveil exclusive new gameplay and share more details about the inspiration, key features, and road ahead for their upcoming historical grand strategy game.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II:Ninja Theory take us behind the scenes at their studio in Cambridge to give us some insight on how they are crafting Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II. The team will speak to the ambition and meticulous care involved in creating Senua’s journey of survival.
Shortly after Developer_Direct has concluded, ZeniMax Online Studios will host The Elder Scrolls Online 2024 Global Reveal at 1pm PT / 4pm ET / 9pm UK, a standalone presentation where the development team will unveil the game’s next major Chapter, including the new zone, storyline, and other major features coming in the game’s biggest update this year.
Stay tuned to Xbox and Bethesda’s official social channels for more on Developer_Direct, coming on Thursday, January 18 at 12pm PT / 3pm ET / 8pm UK.
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