Microsoft recently held its second-ever Xbox Partner Preview event, where the company delivered a 30-minute broadcast highlighting new gameplay trailers, fresh game announcements, and third-party titles for Xbox and Windows PC.
Xbox Partner Preview Event March 2024
The recent Xbox Partner Preview is focused on third-party titles. However, the previous Xbox Developer Direct showcased upcoming first-party games like Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. To recall, Microsoft even announced its first-party games that are coming to PlayStation and Nintendo consoles, suggesting a shift in strategy.
Final Fantasy XIV Online
Xbox fans have longed for this since Square Enix announced Final Fantasy 14 would arrive on Xbox consoles, with the Xbox Series X version boasting 4K resolution gameplay in July 2023. An Open beta is now available for the players, which was released in February 2024.
The game is set for full launch on March 21 for Xbox Series X/S. Additionally, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can claim a free Starter Edition of Final Fantasy XIV as a Perk for a limited time, from March 21 to April 19, 2024.
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess
Unveiled last summer, Capcom’s Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess resurfaced at the Partner Preview, showcasing its unique blend of daytime exploration and resource gathering alongside strategic, tower-defence-style night battles. Players cleanse the world by day and defend against hordes using resources and additional units.
Arriving in 2024, it will launch on day one on Game Pass and Xbox platforms.
The Sinking City 2
In a chilling new trailer, Frogwares unveiled the sequel to The Sinking City. The trailer plunges viewers into the drowned, Lovecraftian city of Arkham, hinting at the dark mysteries and impending doom that await.
Unveiled as a Lovecraftian survival horror set in 1920s America, The Sinking City 2 will offer players a sprawling semi-open world built with the power of Unreal Engine 5 and is coming to Xbox Series X in 2025.
Persona 3 Reload: Expansion Pass
Persona 3 Reload‘s expansion pass, unveiled at the Xbox Partner Preview, promises a wealth of exciting content such as new costumes, music, and most importantly, the highly anticipated “Episode Aigis: The Answer” expanding the game’s story.
The Persona 3 Reload Expansion Pass swoops onto Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC on March 12th and Game Pass Ultimate members can get it for free through the Perks program.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Legends of the Zone Trilogy
The mood shifted dramatically at the showcase with the surprise announcement of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Legends of the Zone Trilogy. This collection, a first-time release for both Xbox and PlayStation, brings together all three entries in the acclaimed series: Shadow of Chernobyl, Clear Sky, and Call of Pripyat. It’s available today.
Unknown 9: Awakening
The Xbox Partner Preview kicked off with the electrifying announcement of Unknown 9: Awakening, where we have seen a new look at the game, which was revealed four years ago. The game is set to release this summer.
Creatures of Ava
11 Bit Studios, in collaboration with Inverse and Chibig, unveils Creatures of Ava, an action-adventure where you tame creatures to save the planet. This creature-collecting adventure arrives on Xbox Series X/S and PC, playable through Game Pass later in 2024.
Games like Frostpunk 2 (coming to PC) and The Alters are also arriving soon.
Sleight of Hand
From RiffRaff Games, Sleight of Hand is a third-person deckbuilder in which players take on the role of Lady Luck, a private detective wielding dark magic from a cursed deck of cards to take down her former coven. The game is coming to Windows PC and Xbox Series X in 2025 and will launch on Game Pass.
The Xbox Partner Preview event also witnessed the trailer of the Monster Jam Showdown, Tales of Kenzera: Zau, The First Berserker: Khazan, and Chucky. You can check out the details over here.
