We’re just under a month and a half away from the 2021 closing, which has left us with some great moments in the video game industry. A year in which, fortunately, we have started to see the end of the path of the COVID-19 pandemic also in the industry, with the return of events such as E3 2021, which allowed us to live some of the most important moments in the industry. In addition, this is also the year that Microsoft’s buyout of Bethesda and all that that entails was finally closed.
A real earthquake that moved all the chips off the shelf and showed that Microsoft, in case there is still any doubt, is with everything and goes with everything with Xbox. Another example of this has been the spectacular closing of the year we have, with almost monthly game launches from our own studios. Psyconauts 2, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Age of Empires 4, Forza Horizon 5, and Halo Infinite have made covers and headlines over the last few months of the year, marking the real start of the new Xbox Game Studios era.
An era marked by the acquisition of studios that from 2022 must begin to operate and define itself as we all hope. In addition, 2022 will mark four years of first purchases (that glorious moment of E3 2018 where Phil Spencer announced the purchase of Playground Games, Ninja Theory or Compulsion Games among others). Four years of work which must finally begin to bear fruit and results.
For this reason, in this house we want to review what we might see in the coming months. There is a lot of speculation and little certainty, also the result of Microsoft’s new policy of not giving dates too early and focusing on the more immediate. But that doesn’t mean we don’t have things confirmed and the environment doesn’t show what we can expect in 2022.
Bethesda Premieres Exclusives
The first thing to emphasize and say is, without a doubt, what we have that is clear, sure and confirmed. And that’s Bethesda and its first Xbox exclusives. As we told you a few weeks ago in our post on the first anniversary after purchase, there has been a lot of talk about whether Bethesda games and their studios will be exclusive to the Microsoft ecosystem. The issue was resolved at E3, where they showed Starfield’s first CGI trailer and made it clear that it would be exclusive. And the same happened when the conference closed with Redfall, Arkane’s new IP.
In addition, they confirmed that both games will arrive in 2022. In the case of Starfield, they gave the exact date, November 11. Meanwhile, for Redfall, they’ve only listed one season, summer 2022, without giving an exact month or date. It’s true that neither of the two games have seen any gameplay yet, but we have no doubts that they will be two of the most important games and standout releases of the year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pWjcqXnP2g
Xbox Game Studios in 2022: surprises and big covers
Now entering a more speculative phase, we first want to talk about Grounded. Project Obsidian is set to run for two years in Game Preview, and players are raving about each new update. In our opinion, 2022 should be the year of the game’s official release, leaving Game Preview status. Plus, that would be the best starting point for the company’s plan to release a title each year. Although, if we pay attention to the latest rumors and leaks, next year we would have a double launch by Obsidian: Grounded and an RPG set in the 16th century that has been revealed in recent weeks.
It is, according to various sources, a minor work, with few people involved, and whose departure is scheduled for 2022. An RPG where we must investigate a series of bloody murders where, in principle, he there would be no combat system in mind. A curious proposition on paper and a different approach within the genre.
Without leaving the RPG genre, we want to jump into the pool. Yes, whoever is writing these lines knows that what he is going to say can cause controversy and be very difficult to do, but we have come to play. Fable will be the other big title that will arrive in 2022. We told you recently that Playground has been working on this new game for four years and next year it will be five years of development. A more than reasonable time for an AAA title today. My bet is that this will be the game that closes the year, in December, like Halo Infinite does in 2021.
The return of Fable is a moment dreamed of by many fans of the saga and Microsoft consoles. A saga that has always been synonymous with quality and standard, with Halo and Forza, on Xbox. For all of this, 2022 may be the best time for us to see it. Not only by tempo, as we mentioned a few lines above, but also by situation and by being the perfect example of the new Xbox and its strategies. Playground was one of the most popular studios for its purchase and is the perfect candidate to start this new phase, with permission from Bethesda of course.
With all this, Fable at the end of the year would be a perfect closing after the arrival of Starfield in November and which would allow to reiterate the good feelings of 2021. Difficult? Yes, impossible? No.
Finally, it’s no surprise that Forza Motorsport will also be released next year. In this way, the quota of sports titles would be maintained and it would also return to the usual pace, with alternative launches between the Horizon saga and Motorsport. A common trend throughout the Xbox One generation and one that in recent years has been lost due to the reboot that the franchise has undergone. And now is the time to demonstrate the work of the last 3-4 years of Turn10 that while they have helped other studios as a support team (the latest case in Forza Horizon 5), they have more than enough ‘enough quality and time to prove it again.
Also, a launch in 2022 would be quite logical. First, because this is how the sports sector would be covered during the year. Second, because it is a totally different game from what Forza Horizon 5 offers and would allow Xbox to have a roster of scandalous sports games in its first two years: Microsoft Fligh Simulator, Forza Horizon 5 and the new Forza Motorsport.
With all of that, and putting an end to speculation, the Xbox launch timeline would be as follows:
- Summer 2022: Chute Rouge
- End of summer: grounding
- October: Forza Motorsport
- November 11: Starfield
- December: Fable
Without a doubt, a year of genuine scandal, with titles of all kinds and other support releases (such as the arrival of Deathloop or the aforementioned Obsidian RPG) which would allow Microsoft to take another hit on the table and demonstrate the current reality of Xbox Game Studios – High quality titles every now and then. Because at the end of the day Phil Spencer’s idea was always to release a great game every 3 months and with that he would cover it with guarantees.
