Since the Xbox One's release back in 2013, Xbox has been heavily criticized for its lack of first-party exclusives. While Sony has been busy pumping out incredible experiences like Marvel's Spider-Man, The Last of Us 2, and Horizon Zero Dawn, Xbox has given its fan-base only a few Halos, one or two Gears games, and a handful of neat surprises like Sunset Overdrive and Quantum Break.
Still, 2021 saw the year ending in Xbox's favor, with both Halo Infinite and Forza Horizon 5 proving that Xbox can knock it out of the park every once in a while. And while Xbox certainly has its fair share of competition next year, 2022 looks as though it should be a good one for Xbox fans.
Xbox Exclusives With Confirmed Release Dates
Xbox has a surprisingly lengthy slate of exclusive releases coming next year, but only a handful have fully confirmed release dates. The first game with a confirmed release date is CrossfireX, which is set to release on February 10 2022. CrossfireX is the third game in the Crossfire franchise, and offers both exciting multiplayer FPS battles and a cinematic campaign. This game might be one to watch out for for players who weren't too hot on Battlefield 2042.
Next up is Tunic, releasing March 16 2022 for Xbox consoles. This game uses an isometric perspective and gameplay that looks a little similar to Zelda, but boasts a very unique, cartoon-y artstyle that uses bright and vibrant colors to give the game an original and cute look. Tunic is also available on Steam, and is likely only a timed exclusive, meaning that it may come to other consoles at somepoint next year.
April 28 2022 should see the release of the much-anticipated S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl, the follow-up to the PC cult classic. The game is setting out to retain the original's blend of realistic sim elements, FPS shooter mechanics, and horror themes to give players a hauntingly memorable experience. The game's use of Unreal Engine 5 should give it an immediate edge over some other next-gen releases in 2022.
November 11 brings one of the most anticipated games of the year to Xbox Series X/S and Microsoft Windows: Starfield. Bethesda's upcoming sci-fi RPG has allegedly been in the works for years, and was officially announced in 2018. And now, with Microsoft acquiring Bethesda for an astounding sum of $7.5 billion, Starfield is said to be an Xbox exclusive, which is sure to give the console an edge over PlayStation next year.
Of course, it should be noted that although these release dates have been officially confirmed, these titles could get delayed and shuffled around a few times before their eventual release. If one of these games is delayed, then fans shouln't be worried, as delays are almost inevitable with the current working climate.
Xbox Exclusives Confirmed for 2022
The rest of Xbox's 2022 exclusive slate is pretty promising, even if the games don't have fully confirmed release dates yet. For example, Shredders, the extreme sports snowboarding game is set to release sometime in February. This game won't be for everyone, but fans of the old SSX or Amped series are sure to get a kick out of the fast-paced action of the game.
Warhammer 40K: Darktide is coming to Xbox Series X/S and Windows sometime during the Spring, bringing all of the franchise's wonderful grim and dark atmosphere to the 4-player co-op genre. With gameplay similar to Back 4 Blood and Left 4 Dead, and coming from the same developers as the incredibly fun Warhammer: Vermintide, Darktide is going to make a great addition to the Game Pass service.
Coming hot off the heels of Deathloop, one of the best games of 2021, Arkane Studios is also throwing its hat into the co-op FPS ring with Redfall. This vampire shooter uses an open-world design and a character class system to stand out from the other 4-player co-op survival games on the market. Hopefully Arkane will knock it out of the park once more and deliver a truly engaging Xbox exclusive for Summer 2022.
A first-person horror game that oozes with disturbing visual style, Scorn is set to release in October 2022. With beautifully haunting environments heavily inspired by Alien's H.R. Giger, Scorn is definitely a game sci-fi horror fans should keep an eye out for.
Another game with an incredible visual style, Somerville is apparently dropping at somepoint in 2022. This game marks Indie studio Jumpship's first game, and looks to take a lot of gameplay and visual inspiration from the co-founder's previous works Limbo and Inside.
The sequel to a 2017 Indie darling, Slime Rancher 2 launches on Xbox Series X/S and PC in 2022. The game promises to be bigger and better, with larger environments, more varied Slimes, and some vibrant next-gen visuals.
One of the highlights of E3 2021, Replaced is coming to Xbox Series X/S and PC in 2022. Replaced uses beatifully unique retro-futuristic pixel art and 2.5D environments to construct an original take on the sci-fi cyberpunk genre. The game's cinematic lighting and camera angles, along with the fluid combat mechanics, are likely to make this one of 2022's best video game offerings.
Also releasing at some stage in 2022 is Ark II, the long-awaited sequel to Ark: Survival Evolved. The game looks as though it's going to be expanding on the original in almost every way, offering new prehistoric creatures to battle and tame, new futuristic technology, and even larger maps that are sure to push the next-gen consoles to their limit.
Xbox Exclusives That Might Appear in 2022
Xbox also has a number of titles that are either known to be in development, or have been confirmed but don't have release dates yet. Titles like As Dusk Falls, Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, Forza Motorsport, and a new Fable are all confirmed to be in development, but none of them have a fully confirmed release date. While some of these seem unlikely to drop in 2022 as players have barely seen anything official from them, Hellblade might just make a late 2022 release date.