Clair Obscur: Expedition 33was one of 2025’s biggest and best games, and players fell in love with it. For fans of the game’s art style, a book collecting it all will soon hit North America for your viewing pleasure.
Publishers UDON and Pix’n Love have teamed up for a new version of the game’s art book. It’s been adapted into English after previously being just in French, and will come in standard and collector’s editions. Both feature concept art, design notes, and developer insights from Sandfall, but the $100 collector’s edition has some extra add-ons. These goodies include a golden cardboard slipcase in the colors of Alicia’s mask, prints of the game’s cast on textured paper, and a cardboard portfolio with exclusive art.
“This exclusive large-format hardcover volume gathers, across more than 300 pages, hundreds of previously unseen documents and illustrations used in the creation of one of the most fascinating games of recent years,” reads the description. “This making-of artbook takes readers on a journey through an extraordinary human and creative adventure.”
Compared to its combat and narrative, the art of Expedition 33 doesn’t get quite as much attention, but it’s a stunner regardless. It’s also apparently too good to be true: in February, Polygon reported on an incident where one player had small art book included in the game’s collector’s edition held by Iraqi customs because the pages had “drawings of monetary value.” The player, Reddit user Ahmed15252, laughed it off at the time, calling it a “10/10 experience, will definitely accidentally import history again.”
Both versions of the Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 art book will release on November 25. Pre-orders go live this Monday, March 23 on the UDON, IGN, and Pix’n Love stores.
If you’ve ever wondered what the Venn diagram of Bikini Bottom, Los Santos, mysterious archipelagos, and a few other locations looks like – the center is “Places You Can Visit Soon with Game Pass” (not many people have wondered that before now, but at least I could give you that answer!). We have updates on games, benefits, Perks, and some launches you might have caught in some previous Xbox Showcases. Let’s get to it!
Available Today
Grand Theft Auto V (Cloud, Console, and PC) Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard
Grand Theft Auto V returns to Game Pass today. Experience entertainment blockbusters Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online with Xbox Game Pass on console, Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta) , or the newly enhanced version on PC with Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass.
Coming Soon
Neon White (Console) – April 16 Now with Game Pass Standard
A lightning-fast first-person action game about exterminating demons in Heaven. You are White, an assassin handpicked from Hell to compete with other demon slayers for a chance to live permanently in Heaven. The other assassins seem familiar, though… did you know them in a past life?
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Patrick Star Game (Cloud, Console, and PC) – April 16 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard
Patrick fans, your time has come – and Bikini Bottom is your open-world playground! So become the star of the show, put your silliest ideas into action, and enjoy the physics-based chaos that unfolds all around you.
Crime Scene Cleaner (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – April 17 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
Once you get tangled with the mob, there’s no going back. At least the salary is good and all you have to do is clean up after their dirty work. So clean crime scenes, earn as much money as you can, and remember that your daughter’s fate lies in your hands.
Tempopo (Cloud, Console, and PC) – April 17 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
Available on day one! When Hana’s Garden of musical flowers are scattered across the sky, she asks the Tempopo for help returning them. Chaotic and uncoordinated by nature, the Tempopo needs Hana’s conducting skills to keep on beat and solve each island’s puzzle. Populate your melodic garden with rescued flowers to enjoy musical performances!
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – April 24 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
Available on day one! Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a ground-breaking turn-based RPG with unique real-time mechanics, making battles more immersive and addictive than ever. Explore a fantasy world inspired by Belle Époque France in which you battle devastating enemies.
Towerborne (Game Preview) (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – April 29 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
The Belfry stands as a beacon of hope and safety amongst the ruins of humanity and the City of Numbers, with monsters lurking right outside the tower’s walls. You are an Ace, born anew from the spirit realm with the skills, grit, and determination to protect the people of the Belfry. With spirit companions fighting by your side, you are destined for battle.
Far Cry 4 (Cloud, Console, and PC) – April 30 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard
As Ajay Ghale, travel to Kyrat to fulfill a promise and dive into in a civil war to overthrow the oppressive regime of dictator Pagan Min. Explore and navigate this vast open world, where danger and unpredictability lurk around every corner.
Anno 1800 (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – May 1 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard
Welcome to the dawn of the Industrial Age in this city-building real-time strategy game. Experience one of the most exciting and fast-changing periods of all time as you discover new technologies, regions, and societies, implement your own strategy, and build a new world to your design.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (Cloud, Console, and PC) – May 1 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II drops players into an unprecedented global conflict that features the iconic Operators of Task Force 141. Experience a globe-trotting single-player campaign, immersive multiplayer combat, and an evolved Special Ops game mode featuring tactical co-op gameplay.
Dredge (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – May 6 Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard
Dredge is a single-player fishing adventure with a sinister undercurrent. Sell your catch, upgrade your boat, and dredge the depths for long-buried secrets. Explore a mysterious archipelago and discover why some things are best left forgotten.
In Case You Missed It
EA Sports NHL 25 (Cloud and Xbox Series X|S) – Available now Game Pass Ultimate
Control every inch of the ice in EA Sports NHL 25, now on The Play List. Game Pass Ultimate members can fire off game-changing goals with unlimited access via EA Play or Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta) on the Xbox app with Windows PC. Plus, they can score a Supercharge Bundle, available for a limited time from April 10 to May 9.
DLC / Game Updates
Forza Horizon 5: Horizon Realms – April 25 The new Stadium Track premiers in Horizon Realms, along with a collection of 11 previous Evolving World locations. Explore every Realm with a group of friends or on your own in both Free Mode and Skill Mode to earn new Accolades, Achievements, Badges, and unlock four new reward cars.
In-Game Benefits
For Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass members, there are more benefits for select free-to-play games. Get in-game benefits like cosmetics, characters, in-game currency, and more with seasonal content drops.
Call of Duty: Warzone – Game Pass Pack 1 – Available now
Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass members get a free in-game bundle for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Call of Duty: Warzone. This pack comes with 2x Operator Skins, 3x Weapon Blueprints, 2x Emotes, 2x Stickers, Weapon Charm, Weapon Reticle, Emblem, Background, 1-hour 2XP Token, and 1-hour 2WXP Token.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perks Check the Game Pass section on your console, Xbox mobile app, or Xbox app on Windows PC to find new April in-game content, consumables, and offers included with your Game Pass Ultimate membership. Perks vary by region, platform, and over time.
Naraka: Bladepoint – Ignis Bundle – Available now
Claim Xbox headgear, new season treasures, a legendary skin trial bundle, and more in the new Perks bundle.
Stumble Guys: Inside Out Bundle – Available now Unlock the Inside Out Legendary Stumbler, Fools Guy Emote, 250 Gems, and 50 Stumble Tokens now!
Leaving April 30
The following games are leaving the Game Pass library soon. Be sure to jump back in before they go and remember to use your 20% membership discount to save on your purchase if you want to keep them.
Have a Nice Death (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Kona II Brume (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Sniper Elite 5 (Cloud, Console, and PC)
The Last Case of Benedict Fox (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Thirsty Suitors (Cloud, Console, and PC)
The Rewinder (Cloud, Console, and PC)
We’re adding more games over time to the ‘Stream your own game’ collection for Game Pass Ultimate members. Go to Xbox.com/Play to see the list of available cloud playable games to stream on supported devices if you own them.
Some of us here at io9 play video games, and we’re more than intrigued by Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. While Sandfall Interactive’s Atlus–inspired RPG isn’t out until April, it’s already being eyed for a live-action movie.
Per Variety, Sandfall is teaming with production company Story Kitchen to bring its debut game to the silver screen. The dark fantasy game focuses on a group of humans who set out to defeat the Paintress, a godlike figure who paints a number on her monolith, after which everyone that age vanishes. Players take on the role of the titular Expedition 33, whose members—voiced by the likes of Charlie Cox, Final Fantasy’s Ben Starr, and Baldur’s Gate 3’s Jennifer English, among others—are tasked with stopping the Paintress before humanity’s wiped out.
Sandfall CEO and creative director Guillaume Broche said the movie “allows us to expand the universe of Clair Obscur beyond gaming. [Story Kitchen’s] expertise in storytelling and passion for our vision make them the perfect team to translate our game into a captivating film.”
Over the past few years, Story Kitchen has helped get adaptations for Tomb Raider and Sonic off the ground, and its current slate also includes adapting games like Just Causeand Sifu—and since game adaptations are so hot right now, Expedition 33might have a good chance of coming to fruition. Founders Dmitri M. Johnson and Mike Goldberg commended the game’s “compelling narrative and complex characters, [which] provide a solid foundation for a cinematic experience that will resonate with both gamers and moviegoers alike.”
As the search is on for talent behind and in front of the camera for the hopeful adaptation, Sandfall is releasing Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 for PlayStation 5, PC, and Xbox Series X|S on April 24.
During the latest Developer_Direct, we showed off tons of brand new gameplay and provided developer insights on four upcoming games launching for Xbox Series X|S, PC, Game Pass, and cloud – and even surprise released a bonus remaster along the way.
We visited the studios behind DOOM: The Dark Ages, South of Midnight, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and the never-before-seen NINJA GAIDEN 4 to get an inside look at new gameplay footage, as well as key information from each game, direct from the developers working on them. Plus, to celebrate the return of NINJA GAIDEN, we also announced that a remastered version of the beloved Xbox classic, NINJA GAIDEN 2 Blackwill be available for Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Game Pass from today.
In addition to Xbox Cloud Gaming, all the games in our show also support Xbox Play Anywhere, meaning when you buy them through the store on Xbox or Windows, they’re yours to play on Xbox and Windows PC at no additional cost, and your game progress and achievements are saved across Xbox and Windows PC.
Here’s a summary of everything we announced and covered during Developer_Direct today:
DOOM: The Dark Ages – Launching May 15, 2025
Xbox Series X|S, Xbox App for Windows PC, Steam, PlayStation 5, and play it day one with Game Pass*
The team at id Software shared a deep dive into DOOM: The Dark Ages and revealed that the cinematic, epic first-person shooter will launch on May 15, 2025.
DOOM: The Dark Ages, a prequel to the critically acclaimed DOOM (2016) and DOOM Eternal, is set in a dark fantasy/sci-fi world with DOOM’s immediately recognizable hellish twist. In the segment, three core pillars of the game were explored: Combat, which dug into deadly new weapons of mass destruction the Slayer can wield; Exploration, which offered a glimpse at an incredible new medieval-inspired setting that will take players to never-before-seen dark and sinister realms; and Story, which gave an overview of the characters and stakes the Slayer will face in his journey to turn the tides of a war.
This is the most ambitious DOOM game to date. id Software is seizing the chance to present both newcomers and long-time fans alike with an epic adventure as the super weapon in a medieval war against hell itself. Find out more about the game, with extra information from the developers in our Xbox Wire article.
South of Midnight – Launching April 8, 2025
Xbox Series X|S, Xbox App for Windows PC, Steam, cloud, and play it day one with Game Pass*
Compulsion Games took us behind the scenes at their studio in Montreal, Canada to learn more about South of Midnight, their new third-person action adventure game which releases on April 8, 2025.
In Compulsion’s segment, we learned more about the journey of Hazel, the game’s protagonist, which leads her into a darkly magical world where she discovers her new abilities as a Weaver. Her story is filled with macabre Southern Gothic folklore and encounters with mythical larger-than-life creatures that shape her growth and understanding of her newfound powers.
You can see more of South of Midnight’s hand-crafted art style, world building, and combat in South of Midnight’snew story trailer and get ready to explore the American Deep South with Hazel by pre-ordering today – and play up to five days early with the South of Midnight Premium Edition. Find out more about the game’s story in our exclusive Xbox Wire article here.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – Launching April 24, 2025
Xbox Series X|S, Xbox App for Windows PC, and play it day one with Game Pass* (see developer website for other platforms)
We visited Montpellier, France, home of Sandfall Interactive, as they develop their first game, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. This turn-based RPG is set in a fantasy version of late 19th Century France, where the world is facing an existential threat, one year at a time. The developer shared a deeper look at the game’s innovative mechanics, such as the “Reactive Turn-Based” system, and the unique art direction that brings the game’s world to life. We even got a first look at Expedition 33’s expansive overworld map.
As the coup de grace, Sandfall Interactive confirmed the game’s release date: our journey to stop the Paintress begins April 24. For more on the team’s creative vision and deep customization options, we’ve got more on Xbox Wire here.
NINJA GAIDEN 4 – Launching Fall 2025
Xbox Series X|S, Xbox App for Windows PC, Steam, cloud, PlayStation 5, and play it day one with Game Pass*
Team NINJA announced the return of a beloved franchise with the reveal of NINJA GAIDEN 4. After more than a decade, the masters of action at Team NINJA and PlatinumGames have partnered with Xbox Game Studios Publishing to bring us an exciting new chapter in the NINJA GAIDEN series, a series with a long history on Xbox.
We were introduced to Yakumo, a new protagonist whose objective lies at the heart of a devastated Tokyo. On his mission, Yakumo will not only encounter fiends and demons , but also the legendary master ninja himself: Ryu Hayabusa. Gameplay footage showed that Yakumo will introduce players to a stylish new take on ninja action with Bloodbind Ninjutsu, alongside legacy techniques like the Flying Swallow and Izuna Drop. Ryu will also return as a playable character with a revamped arsenal that stays true to his signature brutality and precision.
During the segment, developers from both PlatinumGames and Team NINJA shared details about the game’s story, the setting in a near-future Tokyo, and its action-packed combat mechanics. We also got a glimpse into the creative process behind this highly anticipated title, which will be released in Fall 2025, and can be wishlisted on Xbox, PC, and PlayStation 5. For the latest information, follow Team Ninja on social media (YouTube, X, Facebook, Instagram). Check out an exclusive interview with the developers on Xbox Wire.
NINJA GAIDEN 2 Black – Available Today!
Xbox Series X|S, Xbox App for Windows PC, and play it day one with Game Pass*
The highly-acclaimed and legendary game from 2008 returns graphically remastered! NINJA GAIDEN 2 Black features the high-speed ninja action of iconic hero Ryu Hayabusa and his deadly Dragon Sword. Embark on a global battle against formidable foes, engage in relentless combat, and play as additional characters Momiji, Ayana and Rachel.
Looking Ahead
As with every Developer_Direct, today’s show marks just a selection of the games coming to Xbox this year. Next up is Avowed, Obsidian Entertainment’s upcoming fantasy RPG, which launches on February 18, 2025 for Xbox Series X|S, the Xbox app for Windows PC, Battle.net, Steam, cloud, and will be available on day one with Game Pass. With our own studios and incredible partners working on new experiences, stay tuned to Xbox Wire and Xbox social channels this year to see why there’s never been a better time to be an Xbox player.
