One of the most anticipated conferences kicked off today, June 13 at 12:00 PM ET and offered over an hour and a half of news and reveals. We already have an idea of what the future of gaming looks like thanks to a great panel with the leadership team over at Microsoft and we also know of the second Xbox Summer Game Festival Demo event next week.
Xbox promised us ‘Games, Games, Games,’ World Premieres, new titles on Xbox Game Pass and more. Did we get everything we were promised? Here is everything that happened during today’s Xbox Bethesda Showcase.
Todd Howard came to talk about the 20th anniversary of Xbox and the partnership with Bethesda. Every title showcased is optimized for Xbox Series X/S we’re seeing today.
Starfield – Bethesda Game Studios – November 11, 2022
The Washington Post prematurely leaked the release date of Bethesda’s anticipated Starfield just before the conference was set to go live. Set hundreds of years into the future, Starfield is the first game in space from Bethesda made possible by the technology available today.
S.TA.L.K.E.R 2 Heart of Chernobyl – GSC Game World – April 28, 2022
Coming first to Xbox Series consoles and PC. Sarah Bond took the floor to announce S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2: Heart of Chernobyl and revealed the developer GSC Game World is aiming to hit 4K resolution with ray tracing. The studio is also aiming to hit a 2022 release date.
Good hunting, stalker.
Back 4 Blood – Turtle Rock Studios
From the creators of Left 4 Dead, Turtle Rock Studios returns with a spiritual successor Back 4 Blood. We saw a CG trailer mixed with gameplay and it is exactly what you’d expect from one of the best multiplayer games that launched on Steam and Xbox.
Back 4 Blood will be launching on day one with Xbox Game Pass on October 12, 2021.
Back 4 Blood open beta will start with early access from August 5 to 9 for those who have pre-ordered the game from the Xbox Store, followed by another open beta event running from August 12 to 16 that will be open to all players. Both open betas will be playable on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows PC, including cross-play and cross-gen support. You can get more details on the Back 4 Blood Open Beta here.
ContraBand – Avalanche Studios
A surprise announcement from Avalanche Studios revealed ContraBand. Set in the 1970’s Bayan, you play as a smuggler set in a fictional paradise. Avalanche says they are using the last 18 years of studio experience to craft this story and it will feature a vast, open world filled with stunning vistas.
ContraBand is in development in the Apex Engine, which powers Just Cause.
Sea of Thieves – A Pirates Life – Rare Studios – June 22, 2021
Rare and Xbox dropped a bombshell announcement today that seems like a match made in pirate heaven. Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean will get a crossover with Sea of Thieves. his monumental crossover will see Captain Jack Sparrow and his infamous crew arrive from beyond the horizon.
Players will go on a quest to free Jack Sparrow from his prison and search for the greatest Pirate Treasure while being pursued by Davy Jones.
Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life will be free for all players and will launch as the cornerstone of Sea of Thieves Season Three on June 22.
Battlefield 2042 – DICE – October 22, 2021
Fight to define the future in a world transformed by the disorder. For the first time in Battlefield’s history, 128 players can join the all-out war at the same time – giving you the chance to take part in massive-scale battles where anything can happen. Get an even greater sense of spectacular, large-scale war on seven massive maps where you’ll experience ever-changing battle conditions and gameplay challenges.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon – Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios – Available Today
Play Yakuza: Like A Dragon today on console, PC, and cloud with Xbox Game Pass. Become Ichiban Kasuga, a low-ranking yakuza grunt left on the brink of death by the man he trusted most. Take up your legendary bat and get ready to crack some underworld skulls in dynamic RPG combat.
Twelve Minutes – Annapurna Interactive – August 12, 2021
Twelve Minutes is coming Xbox console & day one to Xbox Game Pass on console, PC, and cloud on August 19, 2021. An interactive thriller about a man trapped in a time loop. Featuring James McAvoy, Daisy Ridley, and Willem Dafoe.
More Games from Bethesda coming to Game Pass today – Bethesda Game Studios
Bethesda is adding 10 more Bethesda titles to Game Pass. At this point, there is no way anyone can deny the value of Game Pass and Microsoft’s premiere service continues to not only impress but also deliver standout video games for one low price. As of today, there are officially 30 titles available for one publisher alone and some of them are the biggest games around.
The ZeniMax purchase is clearly working for Microsoft and it’s good to see the two companies working so well together and so naturally at that.
Psychonauts 2 – Doublefine Studios – August 25, 2021
Psychonauts 2 is finally coming and it’s launching on August 25, 2021. Filled with traditional Doublefine hours, the sequel to 200’s cult comedy hit returns later this summer
You play Razputin Aquato, a trained acrobat and powerful young psychic, who has realized his lifelong dream of joining the international psychic espionage organization known as the Psychonauts.
Fallout 76 Expansions – Bethesda Games Studios – 2022
Fallout 76 was expected to be at today’s Xbox Bethesda Games Showcase so I’m glad to see the online multiplayer game getting more content. Steel Reign will be available on July 7 and will wrap up the Brotherhood of Steel storyline.
Party Animals – -2022
Does Party Animals look like Fall Guys? Yes, it does.
Party Animals is a physics-based multiplayer game where you’ll face off against your friends as one of several fuzzy fighters as you brawl across multiple modes and maps using a variety of hilarious, over-the-top weapons. Grab a plunger or a lollipop and get ready to party like an animal.
Hades – Supergiant Games – August 12, 2021
Winner of more than 50 Game of the Year Awards, Supergiant’s Hades is coming to Xbox Game Pass.
Somerville – 2022
A new title from Jumpship was revealed during the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase today and it is coming o Xbox and Game Pass in 2022. An original IP by Chris Olsen, built in collaboration with Dino Patti, ex-CEO and co-founder of Playdead.
Somerville will immerse players in a rural landscape, set in the wake of a catastrophe dealing with the repercussions of a conflict, as the player will navigate through the terrain and unravel the mysteries of the Earth.
Halo Infinite
The once-launch title for Xbox Series X|S Halo Infinite made an appearance at the Xbox Bethesda Games Showcase and we got another look at Master Chief, Cortana, and some of the multiplayer modes coming. We also got confirmation that while the multiplayer portion is free, the campaign won’t be and an active Game Pass subscription is required to play it.
Diablo II Resurrected – Blizzard – September 23, 2021
Nearly two decades later, Diablo II returns with a remake set to launch later this Fall. Blizzard was on hand during the Xbox and Bethesda Showcase to show new gameplay to the thousands of fans watching from home.
This August, the gates of Hell will reopen early, allowing beta testers in for a limited time. Players who preordered Diablo II: Resurrected will be the first to step into the past with early access to the open beta.
Diablo II, will be resurrected on September 23, 2021, for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One.
A Plague Tale: Requiem – Asobo Studio – 2022
A sequel to 2019’s A Plague Tale: Innocence was announced at the Xbox and Bethesda Showcase today. Asobo Studio is hard at work on the return of Hugo and Amicia, and of course, the rat swarm. It is scheduled to launch in 2022 and is set after the events of the first chapter.
Slime Rancher – 2022
Slime Rancher 2 is coming out in 2022. Monomi Park returns with a follow-up and has quadrupled in size since 2017. As an open-world experience on a rainbow-hued island, players explore at their own pace. The team has changed the visuals and added a beautiful, glass conservatory where Beatrix can corral slimes, grow crops, harvest plorts, build gadgets, and create all-new combinations of slimes
Far Cry 6 – Ubisoft – October 7, 2021
Ubisoft’s Far Cry 6 made an appearance at the Xbox and Bethesda Showcase. It launches on October 7, 2021.
Shredders – December 2021
Shredders is from studio FoamPunch and it sounds like a pretty interesting game, even the trailer piqued my interest. You’ll master the art of park riding, backcountry, rails and kickers to earn your place in the snowboarding world.
spoke on the Xbox Wire about the game and mentioned that when developing the game, they took inspiration from snowboarding films and the Amped series on Xbox.
Replaced – 2022
This one took me by surprise but I am excited to play Replaced from Coatsink. Described as a modern cinematic platformer set in an alternative 1980s, you play as R.E.A.C.H, an AI trapped in a human body against its will.
Replaced is scheduled for release in 2022.
Grounded Shroom and Doom Update – June 30, 2021
Achievements, Shrooms and doom. June 30, 2021.
Among Us
15 player lobbies, new colours, and cosmetics.
Eiyuden Chronicles: Hundred Heroes and Eiyuden Chronicles Rising – Rabbit & Bear Studios – 2022/2023
I’ve been covering Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes since being revealed as a Kickstarter project. It quickly raised the funds to go into productions, then was picked up by 505 Games publishing. Now, we’re getting two games, with Hundred Heroes out in 2022 and Eiyuden Chronicles: Rising out in 2023.
Studio Lead Yoshitaka Murayama (Suikoden I & II) and Director Osamu Komuta are joining forces once again to bring us an unforgettable journey through the world of Allraan. In Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, take your turn-based strategy game experience to the next level with a finely crafted, 6-character battle system.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising is an action RPG set in the same world as Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes. Featuring town-building mechanics, fast-paced combat, and important back-story for several of the latter game’s cast of characters.
The Ascent – Curve Digital – July 30, 2021
The Ascent will see you dive into The Ascent Group arcology, a self-contained corporate-run metropolis, stretching high into the sky and filled with creatures from all over the galaxy. Taking on the role of an indentured worker, your world starts to go haywire when The Ascent Group shuts down for unknown reasons.
Age of Empires IV – October 28, 2021
Make history your story with Age of Empires IV, coming October 28 with Xbox Game Pass.
The Outer Worlds 2 – Obsidian Entertainment – TBA
We saw confirmation that The Outer Worlds 2 is officially in development with a quick teaser. Not much else was revealed.
Microsoft Flight Simulator/Top Gun Crossover- Asobo Studios – July 27, 2021
Microsoft Flight Simulator is finally coming to Xbox on July 27, 2021. Luke reviewed it on PC last year and loved the experience of navigating the world in surreal detail.
From light planes to wide-body jets, you’ll test your piloting skills against the challenges of real-time weather, including accurate worldwide cloud cover and cloud layers, wind speed and direction, temperature, humidity, rain, and lightning – all in a dynamic and living world. With the power of satellite data and cloud-based AI, you’ll travel the entire planet in amazing detail with over 37,000 airports, 2 million cities, 1.5 billion buildings, real mountain ranges, roads, trees, rivers, animals, traffic, and more.
To end cap the video, a free Top Gun: Maverick expansion is coming on November 19.
Forza Horizon 5 – Playground Games – November 9, 2021
Forza Horizon 5 is coming this year and is set in Mexico. You’ll discover living deserts, lush jungles, historic cities, hidden ruins, pristine beaches, vast canyons, and a towering snow-capped volcano – the highest point ever in a Horizon game.
I can’t express how excited I am just yet, but on November 9, you know I’ll be smiling like it’s Christmas. Oh, and did I mention that the Arkells are in the trailer?
Redfall – Arkane Studios – Summer 2022
Bethesda and Arkane Austin with the help of Phil Spencer announced Redfall, a new franchise from Bethesda.
Redfall is an open-world cooperative first-person shooter from Arkane Austin, the award-winning team behind Prey and Dishonored. Continuing Arkane’s legacy of carefully crafted worlds and love of creative game mechanics, Redfall brings the studio’s signature gameplay to the co-operative action and FPS genres.
Also confirmed is that the series is exclusive to Xbox and PC.
Xbox Series X – Mini Fridge
You asked and Xbox listened (thanks Aaron Greenberg!) so they are releasing a “powerful mini-fridge” this holiday season.
