2023 is full of new releases that Xbox players will be happy to play. Here is the list of the biggest games on Xbox that will be out in the new year.
2023 will be full of new releases which will keep Xbox players occupied throughout the year, with many upcoming titles coming from established developers with great track records, like Arkane Studios. Some of these games will be sequels to popular series that fans have been waiting for a long time, while others will be new IPs that could become the next big hit. 2023 is jam-packed with new releases because several titles had to be delayed from their initial launch date in 2022 to 2023, which hopefully means that developers will have more time to polish their games to perfection and remove any game-breaking issues.
2023 could be a strong year with its numerous highly-anticipated titles, but Xbox's decision to increase the cost of first-party Xbox games to match PS5's exclusives price, which is $70, could discourage players from buying new games. Microsoft is just the latest publisher to increase game prices, as many other companies have joined Sony in adopting the current-gen game price. Xbox players may have to be more deliberate in choosing which games to buy in 2023, since all big releases on Xbox will be subject to the price spike, such as upcoming games from Bethesda, though it does make Game Pass even more enticing.
Ark 2 was initially planned to be released in 2022, with pre-release footage showing what players can expect from the game, such as improved lighting, shadows, textures, and realism. However, a mid-2022 Ark 2 trailer revealed the new release date for the game as sometime in 2023, though the exact reason for the delay is unknown. Ark 2 is expected to feature Soulslike melee combat and more advanced traversal mechanics, like sliding, swinging, free-climbing, parkour, and more. Unlike Ark: Survival Evolved, the upcoming game seems to have a storyline that follows a character played by Vin Diesel, who leads his tribe as they explore the untamed wilderness and fight against other tribes.
The eighth installment of the Forza Motorsport series, simply titled Forza Motorsport, appears to be something of a reboot of the series after the lackluster performance of Forza Motorsport 7. Early footage has shown off Forza Motorsport's stunning attention to detail, and the game will offer real-time ray tracing, lifelike graphical fidelity, and improved physics simulations. Forza Motorsport will also feature dynamic time-of-day changes, which will affect the track's temperature and the tire's condition, with hotter temperatures wearing out the tire's durability faster. The emphasis on realism could also mean that the game will provide a higher level of customization and tuning, which has been a staple in the Forza Motorsport franchise.
STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl is finally expected to be released in 2023 after the game got delayed because of the ongoing war in Ukraine, where developer GSC Game World is based. The studio furthered its support for Ukraine by changing STALKER 2's title from Russian to Ukrainian spelling, which turned "Chernobyl" into "Chornobyl." STALKER 2 is set in an alternate world where the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant mysteriously exploded again in 2006 and triggered supernatural events which spawned horrifying, mutated beasts. The game's plot will follow the story of the protagonist, Skif, who is working as an illegal scavenger (known as a stalker) in the highly radioactive zone.
Wartime interruptions aren't the only issues STALKER 2 has faced during development, though. The game was originally planned to include NFTs that would feature NPCs modeled after players in the game, but the announcement received a major backlash from the fans, causing the developer to remove the NFTs from STALKER 2. Even prior to these recent tribulations, the game was first announced in 2010. The earliest versions of STALKER 2 never saw the light of day, though, since GSC Game World was officially dissolved in late 2011, only to be reformed in 2014.
Redfall is a cooperative first-person shooter game developed by Arkane Studios that features four heroes with unique skill paths. Redfall's gameplay includes various vampires, such as the Angler and the Watcher, with the latter shooting spotlight eye beams that players must avoid to not draw attention. The game will boast a large map that will dwarf Prey's Talos I space station, giving players ample room to hunt the vampires infesting the Massachusetts town. The developer has also decided to include stealth and scouting abilities that allow players to vary their approach to taking down their opponents and even avoid battles.
Bethesda's latest, Starfield, includes more than 200,000 lines of dialogue, potentially indicating it will be the studio's largest RPG to date. Players will be able to customize ships, discover new planets, build planetary bases, and perform space combat in the Settled Systems, which is an area that spans 50 light years surrounding the Solar System. Starfield will feature in-depth character customization that allows players to choose the protagonist's background, traits, and religion. In terms of story, Starfield will be set 20 years after a war between the two largest factions in the game, the United Colonies and Freestar Collective, that occurred in 2310.
Game Title
Release Date/Window
Dead Space
January 27, 2023
Hogwarts Legacy
February 10, 2023
Dead Island 2
April 28, 2023
Diablo 4
June 6, 2023
Ark 2
2023
Forza Motorsport
Spring 2023
Redfall
2023
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2
2023
Starfield
2023
2023 could be a strong year for Xbox fans, with the upcoming releases having a chance to rival the best Xbox games of 2022. Starfield could become a strong contender for the best RPG game in 2023 due to its massive amount of dialogue lines that could immerse players into its world, while Forza Motorsport could provide a new racing experience with its new-gen realism. STALKER 2, Redfall, and Ark 2 have shown some potential to be the next big hit on Xbox in 2023 based on the story, gameplay, and details in the released trailers.
Source: Xbox/YouTube
Gabriela Jessica has been a gamer since a young age and enjoys various games such as Red Dead Redemption 2, The Witcher 3, Stardew Valley, Final Fantasy XIV, Hades, and more. She loves games with deep stories and memorable characters that spark questions about life and human nature. Gabriela keeps her eyes on upcoming games that can scratch this itch. Her favorite game characters are Arthur Morgan and Geralt of Rivia, who manage to capture her attention due to their complex characterization. Besides enjoying AAA games, she is also interested in indie games created out of love and passion, like Undertale.
When Gabriela is not playing games, she usually spends her free time reading various fiction, which ranges from novels to non-fiction. However, she has a soft spot for fantasy stories that can pull her into another world full of adventure. She also loves watching anime and reading manga and has various favorites, such as FMA and One Piece.
