It’s no secret that Xbox goes all out for their E3 presentations. Though there wasn’t a physical Xbox E3 briefing this year, the joint Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase was by far one of the best E3 presentations.
Through a purely digital experience, both companies jointly revealed 30 titles. Of these were a mix of brand new AAA games, as well as indie titles. The best part? 27 of these will be available to play on Xbox Game Pass.
Here’s a recap of everything announced at the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase.
Starfield
Bethesda’s Todd Howard took to the stage to introduce the show with the highly anticipated open-world title, Starfield. The game is set to release on ‘Skyrim Day’ in 2022. That is, the game will release on the 11th of November 2022 exclusively on Xbox.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2: Heart of Chernobyl
After the reveal of Starfield, Xbox’s Sarah Bond, announced that S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2: Heart of Chernobyl would be coming first to the Xbox Series X|S consoles and PC. It will also target 4K resolutions and ray-tracking.
The gameplay trailer showed off some classic gunplay, as well as the player having some new abilities.
Back 4 Blood
After a brief reveal at Summer Games Fest, Back 4 Blood now has a release date. The game, which will include a PvP Swarm Mode, will be out on 12 October and will be available Day One on Xbox Game Pass.
Contraband
From the makers of Just Cause, Avalanche Studios, comes the Xbox exclusive title, Contraband.
Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life
It’s the crossover you would have definitely expected. Sea of Thieves is getting brand new content in the way of a crossover with Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean. Captain Jack Sparrow and Davy Jones make their way to the pirate adventure title bringing more fun and chaos to the mix. The free update will release on June 22.
Yakuza Like A Dragon
The latest game in the Yakuza franchise is now available to play on Xbox Game Pass.
Battlefield 2042
After a first reveal earlier in the week, Battlefield 2042 made the show with a gameplay trailer. The trailer showed off the impact of the game’s weather effects and what the 128-multiplayer-game looks like.
12 Minutes
Revealed several years ago, this top-down indie title about a man trapped in a time loop has finally been given a release date. The game will release on 19 August.
Psychonauts 2
Fans of the original platform adventure title, Psychonauts, will be thrilled to hear that Psychonauts 2 will be releasing on August 25. The long awaited sequel will also release Day One on Xbox Game Pass.
Bethesda Games on Xbox Game Pass
Bethesda’s Pete Hines made an appearance to reveal that several Bethesda titles will be launching on Xbox Game Pass, including the Xbox Series X/S upgrade for Doom Eternal. The upgrade will release on 29 June, which will see Doom Eternal get a 60 FPS/ray-tracing mode, and a 120 FPS performance mode on the next gen consoles.
Fallout 76
New content was revealed to be coming to Fallout 76, including a follow up to the Brotherhood of Steel factions civil war story. The new content, called Steel of Reign, will be out on 7 July.
Party Animals
Loved Human Fall Flat and Gang Beasts? Then you’re going to love the cute new co-op brawler, Party Animals. The game is due to release on Xbox Game Pass in 2022.
Hades
The award winning rouge-like, Hades, is finally coming to Xbox and Xbox Game Pass on 13 August.
Somerville
Not much was revealed about Somerville beyond that it is a sombre looking title about a family trying to escape the destruction around them. The game is due out in 2022 on Xbox Game Pass.
Halo Infinite
The title we’ve all been waiting for was finally shown off. Head of 343 Industries, Bonnie Ross, took to the stage to reveal that Halo Infinite’s multiplayer will be free to play and available across both Xbox and PC.
We were also treated to a brief look at the Halo Infinite campaign, which indicated an intriguing story.
Both the multiplayer and singleplayer campaign will release this holiday season.
Diablo 2: Resurrected
It was revealed that Diable 2: Resurrected will release on 23 September.
A Plague Tale: Requiem
Due to release in 2022, the follow up to A Plague Tale: Innocence will be a Day One Xbox Game Pass title.
Far Cry 6
After being revealed at this week’s Summer Games Fest and during Ubisoft Forward, we’ve finally been treated to a gameplay trailer.
Slime Rancher 2
A sequel that was unexpected, Slime Rancher 2 releases next year.
Shredders
Extreme sports games are trendy again. Snowboarding fans will get a kick out of the new snowboarding title, Shredders, which is due to release in December.
Atomic Heart
The upcoming action RPG, set in an alternate reality Soviet Union, is coming Day One on Xbox Game Pass
Replaced
Replaced is a pixel-art style brawler set in a dystopian cyberpunk universe. The game is set to launch on both Xbox Game Pass and PC, though no release date has been given.
Among Us
The popular party game that took the streaming world by storm last year is getting 15 player lobbies. It’ll also be releasing on Xbox and Xbox Game Pass.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes & Eiyuden Chronicle Rising
It wouldn’t be a proper showcase without some JRPGs included. Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes received a new release date, targeting 2023. Eiyuden Chronicle Rising was also announced and will arrive on Xbox Game Pass in 2022.
The Ascent
A new trailer was released for the upcoming cyberpunk themed action RPG.
The Outer Worlds 2
The sequel to The Outer Worlds was revealed with an unusual trailer.
Microsoft Flight Simulator
The beautifully made game, which released on PC last year, is finally coming to Xbox Series X/S consoles on July 27. The game will also be getting a Top Gun: Maverick expansion later this year.
Age of Empires IV
Age of Empires IV was confirmed to be releasing on Xbox Game Pass for PC on Day One.
Forza Horizon 5
Just like Halo, an Xbox showcase isn’t complete without a Forza announcement. Forza Horizon 5, set in Mexico, will be launching on Xbox and Day One on Xbox Game Pass on November 9. The game will even have support for ray-tracing, which will look astounding on the Xbox Series X console.
Forza Horizon 5 will be bringing back the Eliminator mode, which is essentially a battle royale mode that was included in Forza Horizon 4. It will also feature an Events Lab that will allow players to customise their own levels.
Xbox Game Pass
Head of Xbox, Phil Spencer, then revealed that games would release on Xbox Game Pass every month till Christmas.
Redfall
Saving best for last, the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase revealed a brand new IP from Arkane Austin. Redfall, a co-op game featuring four characters with supernatural abilities will release exclusively on Xbox.
Xbox Series X Mini Fridge
And if all those games weren’t enough, Xbox had just one more thing left to send fans into a frenzy. The meme that took the world by storm has become a reality. The Xbox Series X Mini Fridge is 100% real and will be available from this holiday season. It’s currently uncertain if it will be available in Australia.
