Best upcoming games for Xbox Series X and Series S 2023

The Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S are now familiar sights in living rooms and homes around the world. Of course, no console is much without games – not even the “most powerful” in the world.

That’s why we’ve put together a list of the games that are on their way to the Xbox Series X and S.

Some will also be part of the monthly Xbox Game Pass membership scheme, which will save you a stack of money. And some will also be part of Xbox’s Smart Delivery programme, meaning that if you buy them for Xbox One you’ll get them on Series X or Series S for free.

Pre-order: Amazon
Release date: 18 April 2023
Exclusive? No, also on PS5, PS4, Xbox One, PC and Switch
Publisher: Xbox Game Studios

An all-new game in the Minecraft universe, Legends sees you take control of armies of followers, but also able to exert an influence over battles yourself thanks to fun hack-and-slash combat. It looks really fun and perfect for gamers with families.

Minecraft Legends preview: Hands-off with Minecraft RTS at Gamescom

Dead Island 2

Pre-order: Amazon
Release Date: 21 April 2023
Exclusive? No, also on PS5, PS4, Xbox One and PC
Publisher: Deep Silver

A sequel that has taken long years to arrive, Dead Island 2 seems like it will expand on the original game in massive ways, with a way bigger world, more in-depth combat and a whole bunch of zombies for you to slaughter in new and inventive ways.

Everything we know about Dead Island 2: Release date, trailers, gameplay and more

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Pre-order: Amazon
Release date: 28 April 2023
Exclusive? No, also on PS5 and PC
Publisher: EA

Jedi: Fallen Order was a bolt from the blue, a terrific Star Wars game with an engaging story and great action that was surprisingly challenging.

It’s getting a blockbuster sequel, now, and there’s not too long to wait before we can sink our teeth into Jedi: Survivor, which looks bigger and better.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor – Release date, trailers, gameplay and more

Redfall

Pre-order: Amazon
Release date: 2 May 2023
Exclusive? No, also on PC
Publisher: Bethesda

Redfall is coming from the brilliant minds at Arkane, and seems to be set in a world of vampires and magic powers. It looks like vibrant fun, with four-player co-op built into the game from the ground up, which should make it a very new sort of challenge.

Everything we know about Redfall: Trailers, story, gameplay and more

The Lord of the Rings: Gollum

Pre-order: Amazon
Release date: 25 May 2023
Exclusive? No, also on PS5, PC
Publisher: Daedelic Entertainment

Gollum will apparently be a story-driven action adventure and from a studio well-versed in such things. We also know it’s coming to next-gen consoles, and its artistic vision looks pretty interesting so far.

Everything we know about The Lord of the Rings: Gollum – platforms, trailers and more

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League

Release date? 26 May 2023
Exclusive? No, also on PS5, PS4 and PC
Publisher: Warner Bros.

We’re finally ready to get back into a Rocksteady game, years after it last dropped some Batman goodness into our laps. This game will let players take on the roles of a few nasty pieces of work in the Suicide Squad, tasked with taking down corrupted versions of the Justice League’s heroes.

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League – Trailers, story and everything we know

Diablo 4

Pre-order: Amazon
Release date: 6 June 2023
Exclusive? No, also on PS5, PS4 and PC
Publisher: Activision Blizzard

We’ve been waiting years for the next big Diablo game, and the fourth in the series looks like it should deliver a gory, dark campaign followed by near-endless satisfying endgame content, too. With five classes to pick from, it should have plenty of variety to offer up.

Everything you need to know about Diablo 4: Story, classes and trailers

Starfield

Release date: 6 September 2023
Exclusive? No, also on PC
Publisher: Bethesda

Starfield is the next big Bethesda franchise (or so it hopes), with a huge 1,000-planet galaxy for you to explore, bases to build and spaceships to fly. There will be a deep story that you can shape with your choices, and it looks pretty great so far.

Starfield: Trailers, release date and everything you need to know

Forza Motorsport

Release date: 2023
Exclusive? No, also on Xbox One
Publisher: Turn10

The next Forza game is looking absolutely jaw-dropping in terms of fidelity, and it’s clear that this will end up being one of the best-looking racing games ever made. We can’t wait to dive in.

Everything we know about Forza Motorsport: Trailers, gameplay and more

Alan Wake 2

Release date: 2023
Exclusive? No, also on PS5 and PC
Publisher: Epic Games

Alan Wake is back, at last, and Remedy says that his mainline sequel will be more survival-horror focussed than the last game, which sounds like it could potentially make for a pretty terrifying package. The teaser trailer is ominous so we can’t wait to learn more.

Everything we know about Alan Wake 2: Story, trailer and more

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Release date: TBC
Exclusive? No, also on Switch and PC
Publisher: Team Cherry

Hollow Knight was a masterpiece from an indie studio, offering up a simply brilliant metroidvania action game of exploration and growth with a real challenge at its heart. The long-awaited sequel, Silksong, will be on Game Pass when it launches, which should be music to the ears of any keen indie gamer.

Everything we know about Hollow Knight Silksong: Trailer, gameplay and more

Alone in the Dark

Release date: TBC
Exclusive? No, also on PS5 and PC
Publisher: THQ Nordic

An iconic franchise returns with this reboot of Alone in the Dark, set in the American deep south, and summoning very creepy vibes if the reveal trailer is anything to go by. We don’t have a release window to look forward to at this stage, though.

Everything we know about Alone in the Dark: Trailers, story and more

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2

Release date: 2023
Exclusive? No, also on PC
Publisher: Focus Entertainment

The first Space Marine came out a decent while ago, but was a well-like third-person action and shooter that felt like a nice way into the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Now, it’s finally getting a sequel, and from the glimpses of gameplay at the end of the announcement trailer, it should be a bloody good time.

Everything we know about Space Marine 2: Trailers, gameplay and more

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2

Release date: TBC
Exclusive? No, also on Xbox One, PS4, PS5, PC
Publisher: Paradox Interactive

A new, superb trailer has got us even more excited for this long-awaited RPG sequel. We also saw previous footage running with ray-tracing at an Nvidia event during Gamescom 2019, so have a great idea what to expect on Xbox Series X with its similarly capable graphics.

Everything we know about Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II

Release date: TBC
Exclusive? No, also on Xbox One and PC
Publisher: Xbox Game Studios

Ninja Theory’s first Senua game – Hallblade: Senua’s Sacrifice – not only wowed with its almost photorealistic graphics but the clever, well-informed grasp on mental health issues was much lauded. The sequel looks even more stunning, based on a trailer made entirely using the in-game engine. The action-adventure will apparently be available on the older=generation Xbox, but we suspect it’ll be the Series X version everyone will be talking about.

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 – Trailers, story and everything we know

Fable

Release date: TBC
Exclusive? No, also on PC
Publisher: Playground Games

A beloved franchise is returning with the as-yet simply-titled Fable, bringing players back to Albion and its topsy-turvy world of moral extremes. The teaser we got gives us almost nothing to go on, but we’re sure it’ll promise much more witty humour and fantasy tropes.

Everything we know about the Fable reboot: Trailer, rumours and more

Wonder Woman

Release date: TBC
Exclusive? No, also on PS5 and PC
Publisher: Warner Bros.

Diana Prince is finally getting a proper mainstream videogame adaptation, likely as a result of the recognition factor that Gal Gadot’s movie version has garnered. We can’t wait to learn more about what the game will bring to the table.

Star Wars Eclipse

Release date: TBC
Exclusive? No, also on PS5 and PC
Publisher: LucasFilm Games

The next game from Quantic Dream will be a story-driven multi-character Star Wars adventure set during the High Republic era, and while the trailer above has plenty of vivid imagery we don’t know a huge amount about the story this game will try to tell.

Everything we know about Star Wars Eclipse: Rumours, trailer and more

State of Decay 3

Release date: TBC
Exclusive? No, also on Xbox One and PC
Publisher: Undead Labs

The State of Decay franchise lives on, and will drop its third iteration on Xbox Series X – the first trailer looks absolutely amazing, even if it’s got no gameplay to share. It looks like animals are getting infected, though, which could be a game-changer when it comes to making your way around. Hopefully, we’ll learn more soon.

Everything we know about State of Decay 3: Trailer, gameplay details and more

The Outer Worlds 2

Release date: TBC
Exclusive? No, also on PC
Publisher: Take-Two Interactive

If you’re going to make a trailer that contains almost no details, you might as well poke fun at yourself while you do, as this great announcement teaser for The Outer Worlds 2 manages. We’ll doubtless find out plenty more about the game down the line but, for now, it’s great to know that it’s on the way.

Everything we know about The Outer Worlds 2: Trailer, story and more

Release date: TBC
Exclusive? No, also on PC
Publisher: Bethesda

We’ve not heard a peep about The Elder Scrolls 6 since its tease at E3 2018. However, after the massive news of Bethesda being bought entirely by Microsoft, we know that when it does eventually appear, it’ll be on Game Pass from day one, and could even be an Xbox exclusive.

Elder Scrolls 6: Everything you need to know about the Skyrim sequel