Best upcoming games for Xbox Series X and Series S: The top next-gen games for 2021 and beyond

The next generation of console gaming is upon us, with the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S out at last. Of course, no console is much without games - not even the "most powerful" in the world.

That's why we've put together a list of the games that have either been confirmed already or hinted at coming to the Xbox Series X and S in the coming year or so.

Some will also be part of the monthly Xbox Game Pass membership scheme, which will save you a stack of money. And some will also be part of Xbox's Smart Delivery programme, meaning that if you buy them for Xbox One you'll get them on Series X or Series S for free. 

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So here are the best upcoming games for Xbox Series X and Series S we've heard about so far. Enjoy.

Microsoft Flight Simulator

• Publisher: Microsoft
• Release date: 27 July 2021
• Exclusive? No, also on PC

Microsoft's gorgeous flight simulator looked for all the world like a PC exclusive when we first got our hands on it, but Microsoft has somehow managed to get it running, in 4K, on Xbox Series consoles, and we can't wait to see how it looks on a big TV. It's a soothing beauty of a game.

The Ascent

• Publisher: Curve Digital
• Release date: 29 July 2021
• Exclusive? Yes

Xbox-exclusive The Ascent is an action RPG based in a cyberpunk futuristic world, something that seems to be on trend this year - it looks like great fun and has really impressive visuals for a top-down game.

Far Cry 6

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• Publisher: Ubisoft
• Release date: 7 October 2021
• Exclusive? No, also on Xbox One, PS4, PS5, PC

The explosive next Far Cry game is set on Yara, a beautiful island in the grip of a horrendous dictatorship. You'll play as Dani Rojas, freeing the island from tyranny with a huge range of weapons and vehicles to use as you do so. It looks like great violent fun.

Back 4 Blood

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• Publisher: Warner Bros.
• Release date: 12 October 2021
• Exclusive? No, also on PS5, PS4 and PC

Coming to Game Pass on its release date, this cooperative zombie shooter is knowingly preying on your love of the Left 4 Dead games, and looks like a great successor. It's got tense shooting action and a great-looking versus mode where enemies play as the zombies themselves, just like the good old days.

Battlefield 2042

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• Publisher: EA
• Release date: 22 October 2021
• Exclusive? No, also on PS5, PS4, Xbox One and PC

A new Battlefield game on next-gen hardware? Yes please - this looks like a visually stunning entry into the franchise, and it's been a long time coming. Huge weather events, massive destruction and 128-player servers on next-gen consoles should make for an absolutely chaotic good time, and a multiplayer-only focus is completely fine by us.

Forza Horizon 5

• Publisher: Microsoft
• Release date: 9 November 2021
• Exclusive? No, also on PC

The Forza Horizon series always pushes the bar visually, and the fifth entry looks like another great leap forward. Set in beautiful Mexico, it looks almost unbelievably good and we don't have to wait too long to try it out. It'll be straight onto Game Pass, too, which is always a bonus. We really can't wait to start exploring its gorgeous map.

Halo Infinite

• Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
• Release date: Fall 2021
• Exclusive? No, also on Xbox One and Windows 10

Halo Infinite was scheduled to be one of the launch games for Xbox Series X, but it has slipped and will now be available in 2021. As with a few games on this list, it will be part of Xbox's Smart Delivery initiative, whereby you can buy the game on Xbox One and get the Series X version for free as a download when you upgrade to the new machine.

As for the game itself, Infinite will see the return of Master Chief after a five-year hiatus and is being called a "spiritual reboot", with bigger maps and freedom to tackle objectives in your own order. 

Dying Light 2

• Publisher: Techland
• Release date: 7 December 2021
• Exclusive? No, also on PS5, PS4, Xbox One and PC

Although Techland is yet to officially confirm Dying Light 2 is coming for next-gen machines, its release delay and sheer scope suggest that it is a shoo-in for the new consoles. The game is a sequel to the amazing first-person parkour zombie-a-thon we're still playing to this day, but it takes the concept to an all-new level. Every action and decision you make in the game will affect the entire gameworld - with different factions growing and fading depending on your choices.

Psychonauts 2

• Publisher: Double Fine
• Release date: 2021
• Exclusive? No, also on Xbox One and Windows PC

The mind-bending franchise is returning, and we've got a glimpse of Jack Black's vocal chords in action for it. The above trailer looks like a great big slice of fun, with visual variety the name of the game. 

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2

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• Publisher: Paradox Interactive
• Release date: 2021
• Exclusive? No, also on Xbox One, PS4, PS5, Windows 10

A new, superb trailer has got us even more excited for this long-awaited RPG sequel. We also saw previous footage running with ray-tracing at an Nvidia event during Gamescom 2019, so have a great idea what to expect on Xbox Series X with its similarly capable graphics.

Chorus

• Publisher: Deep Silver
• Release date: 2021
• Exclusive? No, also on Xbox One, PS4, PS5, Windows 10, Google Stadia

An all-new IP for Deep Silver, Chorus is a space-flight combat shooter featuring Nara and her sentient starfighter Forsaken. There will be plenty of space dogfights, but we're hoping there'll also be open world (universe) play and a deep storyline, although it's hard to tell from the trailer right now.

Scorn

• Publisher: Ebb Software
• Release date: 2021
• Exclusive? Yes

When we first saw the trailer, we thought someone was making a game of Ridley Scott's Prometheus - or the abandoned ship section of Alien. Scorn, from debut studio Ebb, is about as HR Giger-esque as it comes, with first-person horror overtones and creepy audio. Definitely one to watch.

The Lord of the Rings - Gollum

• Publisher: Daedelic Entertainment
• Release date: 2021
• Exclusive? No, also on PS5, Windows 10 (rumoured)

There is no full trailer for Gollum as yet but we do know that the game with be a story-driven action-adventure and from a studio well-versed in such things. We also know it's coming to next-gen consoles, and its artistic vision looks pretty interesting so far.

Rainbow Six Extraction

• Publisher: Ubisoft
• Release date: January 2022
• Exclusive? No, also on Xbox One, PS4, PS5, PC

Another Ubisoft game with a release date that's shifting about a fair amount, Rainbow Six Extraction caused quite a stir during the company's E3 2019 presentation (although it was called Quarantine back then). It dispenses with the real-world combat-style themes of Siege - instead shifting to survival horror, with three-player teams battle goopy black aliens.

Starfield

• Publisher: Bethesda
• Release date: 11 November 2022
• Exclusive? No, also on PC

Like The Elder Scrolls 6 below, little is known about Starfield right now. It is thought to be a sci-fi RPG though and something of a departure from the Fallout franchise - and, again, will be straight onto Game Pass when it releases. 

The Outer Worlds 2

• Publisher: Take Two Interactive
• Release date: TBC
• Exclusive? No, also on PC

If you're going to make a trailer that contains almost no details, you might as well poke fun at yourself why you do, as this great announcement teaser for The Outer Worlds 2 manages. We'll doubtless find out plenty more about the game down the line, but for now it's great to know that it's on the way.

Redfall

• Publisher: Bethesda
• Release date: Summer 2022
• Exclusive? Yes

Another gorgeou trailer that doesn't give away a huge amount when it comes to gameplay details, Redfall is coming from the brilliant minds at Arkane, and seems to be set in a world or vampires and magic powers. It looks like vibrant fun, but we'll have to wait to see gameplay at some point.

The Elder Scrolls 6

• Publisher: Bethesda
• Release date: TBC
• Exclusive? No, also on PC

We've not heard a peep about The Elder Scrolls 6 since its tease at E3 2018. However, after the massive news of Bethesda being bought entirely by Microsoft, we know that when it does eventually appear, it'll be on Game Pass from day one, and could even be an Xbox exclusive. 

Forza Motorsport

• Publisher: Turn10
• Release date: TBC
• Exclusive? No, also on Xbox One

The next Forza game is looking absolutely jaw-dropping in terms of fidelity, and while we know it's not going to drop anytime soon, it's clear that this will end up being one of the best-looking racing games ever made. We can't wait to dive in. 

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II

• Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
• Release date: TBC
• Exclusive? No, also on Xbox One and Windows 10

Ninja Theory's first Senua game - Hallblade: Senua's Sacrifice - not only wowed with its almost photorealistic graphics, but the clever, well informed grasp on mental health issues was much lauded. The sequel looks even more stunning, based on a trailer made entirely using the in-game engine. The action-adventure will be available on the current generation Xbox, but we suspect it'll be the Series X version everyone will be talking about.

Fable

• Publisher: Playground Games
• Release date: TBC
• Exclusive? No, also on Windows 10

A beloved franchise is returning with the as yet simply-titled Fable, bringing players back to Albion and its topsy-turvy world of moral extremes. The teaser we got gives us almost nothing to go on, but we're sure it'll promise much more witty humour and fantasy tropes. 

State of Decay 3

• Publisher: Undead Labs
• Release date: TBC
• Exclusive? No, also on Xbox One and Windows 10

The State of Decay franchise lives on, and will drop a third iteration on Xbox Series X - the first trailer looks absolutely amazing, even if it's got no gameplay to share. It looks like animals are getting infected, though, which could be a game-changer when it comes to making your way around. Hopefully we'll learn more soon. 

Gothic

• Publisher: THQ Nordic
• Release date: TBC
• Exclusive? No, also on PS5, Windows 10

After releasing a playable teaser for PC on Steam, which was very well received, THQ Nordic decided to greenlight a fully remastered, remade version of RPG Gothic. It also announced that it will be coming to the next-generation consoles too.

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