Microsoft's Xbox Developer Direct Rumored to Include Another Shadowdrop Game

The Rise of Shadowdrops

According to recent leaks, Microsoft's rumored Xbox Developer Direct may include another game that will launch after the showcase. This has sparked speculation about the potential for a surprise shadowdrop, following the success of Hi-Fi Rush's unexpected release.

Recent rumors indicate that an upcoming Xbox Developers Direct event could also contain a game that is being prepared to shadowdrop either during or after the show, similar to what Microsoft did with Hi-Fi Rush. Companies looking to make waves with upcoming releases have resorted to the shadowdrop, a process involving announcing and immediately releasing a game like the remastered version of Quake 2.

Not only does this help publicity and marketing efforts, but it generates excitement from fans who may want to check out a new experience. While not terribly common, there are plenty of high-profile examples where launching out of the blue has certainly helped, including online free to play experiences like Apex Legends and The Finals.

The shadowdrop for Hi-Fi Rush was certainly a successful one, helping the game to achieve publicity it may not have been able to under a normal launch. In fact, the Hi-Fi Rush release was so successful that Microsoft appears to be readying another game for the same treatment sometime this month, if a new rumor from a popular Spanish YouTuber named eXtas1stv is to be believed.

Twitter article posted by eXtas1s #Xbox#ActivisionBlizzard #Bethesda

Previous Successes and Impact

Last year, Microsoft held a special Developers Direct, showcasing a number of Xbox first party titles like Redfall and Forza Motorsport, though the surprise of that show was Hi-Fi Rush, a rhythm-based action game from Tango Gameworks, a studio primarily associated with horror games like The Evil Within.

While Hi-Fi Rush certainly surprised fans, the bigger announcement was that the game was ready for launch and could be played after the showcase. The shadowdrop for Hi-Fi Rush was certainly a successful one, helping the game to achieve publicity it may not have been able to under a normal launch.

The most recent example of a successful shadowdrop was earlier in December when the online competitive shooter The Finals officially launched during The Game Awards 2023. While the game enjoyed a successful beta period, the official release came out of nowhere, giving all players a chance to check out what all the excitement was about. Either way, the shadowdrop decision was a good one as The Finals has already hit a massive player milestone just 15 days after it officially launched, seeing 10 million players try out the free to play title.

Xbox Developer Direct Showdrop Rumor Details

According to eXtas1stv, they've heard that in addition to Xbox showcases for games like Hellblade 2 and Towerborne, the showcase could also contain a new showdrop announcement for a game that will be launching during the show or in the coming weeks. The YouTuber isn't certain as to whether this will be exactly like it was for Hi-Fi Rush, but at the very least, what they're hearing is that it could be very similar with a game getting a release date that is very close to the show date, if not during it.

The most recent example of a successful shadowdrop was earlier in December when the online competitive shooter The Finals officially launched during The Game Awards 2023. While the game enjoyed a successful beta period, the official release came out of nowhere, giving all players a chance to check out what all the excitement was about. Either way, the shadowdrop decision was a good one as The Finals has already hit a massive player milestone just 15 days after it officially launched, seeing 10 million players try out the free to play title.