Xbox Games Showcase: 'Ninja Gaiden 4' Gets A Release Date, 'Call of Duty: Black Ops 7' Is Coming Thi

Source: Ninja Gaiden 4 / Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 / Invincible Vs / Xbox Games Showcase

PlayStation kicked things off with a "surprise" State of Play, where Geoff Keighley almost shed a tear introducing Resident Evil Requiem, and now Microsoft has come through and flexed its muscle during its annual Xbox Games Showcase.

As expected, Microsoft held its most significant announcements for its Xbox Games Showcase, finally revealing its Xbox-branded handheld with ASUS, while giving a much-needed update on Hollow Knight: Silksong, Persona 4 Remake, Doublefine's new game Keeper, while just casually announcing Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is on the way, along with other announcements that got oohs and aahs on social media.

To close things out, Phil Spencer hit us with a promise that "players will get to celebrate 25 years of Xbox with a new Fable, the next Forza, Gears of War: E-Day, and the return of a classic that's been with us since the beginning."

We shall see Phil, we shall see.

So, for those who missed the showcase, let's not waste any more time and touch on the biggest announcements.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Is Coming This Year!

Source: Activision / Treyarch / Raven Software / Call of Duty: Black Ops 7

For the first time, we are getting consecutive Black Ops games with the release of Black Ops 7, scheduled for release sometime this year.

Now, forgive us if we're a bit nervous about this game. Treyarch and Raven Software understood the assignment with Black Ops 6, delivering one of the most memorable campaigns in recent times and top-tier multiplayer experiences.

Therefore, the idea of a follow-up coming so soon was somewhat unexpected, and we were also not involved.

With our concerns out of the way, Activision "welcomes us to 2035" and is promising that Black Ops 7 will deliver the "most mind-bending action to date."

A description for the next installment in the Black Ops franchise reads:

The year is 2035 and the world is on the brink of chaos, ravaged by conflict and psychological warfare following the narrative events of Black Ops 2 and Black Ops 6. With cutting-edge technology in hand, the Black Ops team led by David Mason must fight back against a manipulative enemy who weaponizes fear above all else.

Black Ops 7 will also feature an "innovative Co-op Campaign," providing players with access to near-future weaponry to utilize in the popular multiplayer mode. This mode will introduce new maps and a new installment in Round-Based Zombies, set in the heart of the Dark Aether.

No release date was announced, but Xbox promises to share more information about Black Ops 7 this summer.

Microsoft Finally Unveils The ROG Xbox Ally & ROG Xbox Ally X

Source: Xbox / ROG Xbox Ally Handhelds

Microsoft is fully committed to Xbox Play Anywhere, Game Pass, Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta), Remote Play, and more, aiming to enable gamers to enjoy their favorite games anywhere, at any time.

The long-rumored Xbox handheld is on hold, but Microsoft is still collaborating with ASUS, which the company says shares its vision and has announced two new handhelds: the ROG Xbox Ally and the ROG Xbox Ally X.

Microsoft has not revealed the price for either device, but many believe it will remain in the same ballpark as other ROG Ally systems, so don't be surprised if the Ally X costs $800 at launch.

Pricing, along with pre-orders, accessories, and other information, will be arriving soon, Microsoft says.


We also don't have a release date, but Microsoft says we can expect them to arrive this holiday season. Additionally, gamers can be excited to learn that when they do get their hands on one of the ROG Xbox handhelds, they won't be limited to playing only Xbox games, which can be played natively, via the cloud, or by accessing an Xbox console remotely.

You will also be able to play games via Battle.net and "other leading PC storefronts," so that also means Steam and Ubisoft Connect, on top of Game Pass integration and support for Xbox Play Anywhere, allowing for synched progress across multiple devices.

The ROG Xbox Ally Specs

As far as specs are concerned, there is a dedicated Xbox button that brings up a Game Bar overlay, making it easier to switch between games and apps, adjust settings, and initiate chats with friends.

The handhelds both run on an optimized version of Windows 11, feature a seven-inch 1080p, 16:9 display with a 120Hz refresh rate and 500 nits of brightness, with anti-reflective and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus protection, plus support for FreeSync Premium.

They also each feature "HD Haptics."

However, there are differences: the ROG Xbox Ally features Hall-effect analog triggers, while the Xbox Ally X features "impulse triggers for enhanced control."

Under the hood, the ROG Xbox Ally features an AMD Ryzen Z2 A Processor, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of SSD storage, essentially making it the Xbox Series S equivalent for handhelds.

The ROG Ally X features a slightly more powerful AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme processor, 24GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage. But it does offer expanded storage for those worried about running out of space.

Invincible VS 

Source: Skybound Entertainment / Invincible VS

Since Omni-Man's inclusion in Mortal Kombat 1 as one of the game's first DLC fighters, fans have been wondering why there hasn't been a fighting game based on Robert Kirkman's comic book series Invincible.

Well Skyboud Entertainment, through its new in-house development studio, Quarter Up, is bringing your favorite characters from those comics and putting them in their own equally as violent fighting game called Invincible VS, where players can play as either Invincible, Atom Eve, Thula, and Bulletproof and engage in three-versus-three battles that are just as bloody as the fights in the comic books and shows.


Another added touch fans will be excited about when the game arrives is that it will feature some of the voice actors from the show. In the trailer, J.K. Simmons' voice can be heard as Omni-Man.

Invincible VS doesn't have a firm release date, but you can expect it to arrive sometime in 2026. Honestly, we cannot wait to get our hands on this one.

Ninja Gaiden 4 Gets A Release Date

Source: Koei Tecmo / PlatinumGames / Ninja Gaiden 4

Publisher Koei Tecmo and developer PlatinumGames delivered another bloody look at the next installment in the iconic Ninja Gaiden franchise, as well as dropping the game's release date.

Ninja Gaiden 4 will slash its way onto PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC in October and will see the legendary ninja warrior "embark on a cutting-edge adventure where legacy meets innovation in a high-octane blend of style and no-holds-barred combat."

For those who pre-order the game, Koei Tecmo will bless you with the Dark Dragon Desendant Yakumo skin at launch.

This game is high on our list of "must plays" this year.


For the rest of the announcements made during the Xbox Games Showcase, hit the gallery below.



via: https://hiphopwired.com/playlist/xbox-games-showcase-announcements/