Xbox Series X update: Unannounced games launching in 2021

Xbox Series X Controller
(Image credit: Microsoft)

Few would argue again the Xbox Series X|S having an underwhelming launch lineup, and even throughout 2021, there's not much to look forward to (especially when compared to PS5 games). However, the Director of Program Management at Xbox, Jason Ronald, made it clear that the company has more up its sleeve.

On the latest episode of the Iron Lords Podcast, Ronald claimed that "not every game releasing this year has been announced yet." We aren't sure how big these titles might be, but it's good that Xbox is giving fans something to look forward to.

Ronald continued to tease fans, "I’ve seen lots of things internally that I’m very excited for everybody to see later this year.” This could also be referring to games not releasing this year, but at the very least, we'll still have things to look forward to in 2021.

Fans on Reddit are speculating that it could either be Forza Horizon 5 (which is currently rumored to be set in Japan) or the next entry in the Wolfenstein series. While both of these seem plausible, they share the same issue: their respective developers already have other announced projects in the works. 

Playground Games, the team behind the Forza Horizon series, is currently working on a Fable reboot. And Machine Games, the team behind the Wolfenstein series, is currently working on an Indiana Jones game. These projects weren't revealed too long ago, so it's possible that Forza Horizon 5 and Wolfenstein III have had a significant amount of work put into them already, but this makes the rumor slightly more questionable.

Ronald also claims that Xbox is "just scratching the surface of what’s actually possible with these next-generation consoles." This is hopefully true, as Halo Infinite's gameplay trailer was criticized for not looking particularly "next-gen" but subsequent screenshots showcase improvements upon the game's technical issues.

In general, we're hoping Xbox can deliver a decent line-up of games throughout 2021, as the company is being criticized for not having much at the moment (outside of Xbox Game Pass being such a killer deal).

Momo Tabari
Contributing Writer

Self-described art critic and unabashedly pretentious, Momo finds joy in impassioned ramblings about her closeness to video games. She has a bachelor’s degree in Journalism & Media Studies from Brooklyn College and five years of experience in entertainment journalism. Momo is a stalwart defender of the importance found in subjectivity and spends most days overwhelmed with excitement for the past, present and future of gaming. When she isn't writing or playing Dark Souls, she can be found eating chicken fettuccine alfredo and watching anime.