Microsoft just wrapped up its June 2024 Xbox Games Showcase, revealing a smorgasbord of details about games new and old.
Highlights from the hour-and-a-half show include a nice selection of titles from Bethesda, Activision, and more, including sneak peek trailers for games like Doom: The Dark Ages, State of Decay 3, and, of course, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. There was a lot to cover across the Microsoft presentation’s runtime, but we managed to compile all of the highlights for you here. If you want to peek behind the curtain of the future of Xbox, look no further.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 kicks off the showcase with a gameplay trailer
As new Call of Duty games release every year, we get to see the new settings that millions of players will soon enjoy. That’s exactly what today’s trailer gave us a look at, revealing a post-Cold War era for the world of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and some of the characters that star in it. This is a teaser video for those who have been hoping to see the series return to the past for years. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 launches for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox consoles later this year.
Doom: The Dark Ages officially revealed by id Software
Doom is back. At the Xbox Games Showcase, series developer id Software revealed Doom: The Dark Ages, a medieval take on the legendary FPS franchise that is coming to PC and consoles later this year. First gameplay for the project revealed a game that is undeniably Doom while also looking like something fans of the franchise have never seen before. This interesting twist might have leaked ahead of its official reveal, but that trailer still packs a punch.
Take a look at this first trailer, which includes first footage of a chainsaw shield, some impressive gore mechanics, and a few new brutal weapons.
State of Decay 3 reappears with new trailer
Developer Undead Labs revealed State of Decay 3 all the way back in 2020, and at this year’s Xbox Games Showcase, we finally got another trailer. Footage of the zombie survival game revealed an entry that encourages players to look for signs of hope as waves of zombies swarm them and their friends. The trailer mostly sets up the world of State of Decay 3 while introducing some gruesome new enemies, which you can now watch in the video above.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard trailer reveals a better look at BioWare’s next RPG
BioWare showed up for the Xbox Games Showcase to give players what is likely their best look at the recently renamed Dragon Age: The Veilguard yet. Alongside a host of new information, the footage revealed that a few familiar faces will be making a return, too.
Fallout 76 players will soon be able to play as a Ghoul
Amazon Prime Video’s Fallout TV series was an atom-bomb-sized success for Bethesda and Microsoft, so naturally, players who have been enjoying the post-apocalyptic multipler spinoff, Fallout 76, will soon be able to play as their very own Ghoul character. It’s a character option fans have begged for years for, and as shown in the game’s latest trailer, they’ll only have to wait until early 2025 to receive the new content. Details on what else this means for players and the exact release date have yet to be revealed.
Starfield DLC trailer shows off a first look at Shattered Space
Starfield has been out for nearly a year, so it’s finally time to learn more about its first major expansion, Shattered Space. Bethesda has talked about the DLC content for some time now, but today’s trailer finally gave us a clearer look at how it will expand on the already massive sci-fi RPG’s universe with colorful new locations and story moments. Though a release date outside of the promise to launch in 2024 was not revealed, Starfield players can look forward to a laundry list of new content that is launching later tonight.
World of Warcraft: The War Within gets release date trailer
Microsoft now oversees Blizzard Entertainment, and that means the Xbox Game Showcase was the perfect place to show off the latest World of Warcraft expansion, The War Within. The next DLC drop for the long-running fantasy MMO now has a release date of August 26, 2024, meaning players only have to wait a little more than two months to go hands-on. You can see the date announcement, along with an atmospheric new cinematic trailer, in the above video.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 trailer reveals 2025 launch
The Xbox Games Showcase gave gaming fans lots of updates on games they already know about, but it also revealed new games like Kepler and Sandfall Interactive’s third-person adventure game, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Little is known about this mystical Xbox title outside of the fact that it promises to come to Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Series X | S, and PC sometime in 2025. You can watch the first trailer, which is filled with mind-bending locations and strange enemies, above.
South of Midnight gameplay trailer reveals magical swamp combat
South of Midnight reappeared at the Xbox Games Showcase to deliver a look at its humid swamp settings and the combat players can enjoy when adventuring through them. This stylized third-person title was previously revealed as the next title from the We Happy Few team last year and features cutscenes with mesmerizing stop-motion-like movement. Expect to see more from its magical alligators and catfish as we move closer to its release on Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Series X | S, and PC in 2025.
Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater trailer sets up Konami’s remake
Konami has been quiet when it comes to revealing details on its Metal Gear Solid 3 remake, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater. However, during the Xbox Games Showcase, we got see a few new clips of gameplay that include important story beats from the game’s opening moments, Snake using his iconic CQC techniques, and even a fight against a helicopter. Though more than a few major characters, like the Boss herself, made their first appearances in this trailer, we were still left without a release date.
Sea of Thieves is going strong with more content in Season 13
Sea of Thieves carved out a section of the Xbox Games Showcase to show off some of the content yet to come in Season 13. As revealed in a villainous new trailer for the pirate-sim multiplayer game, an update will add a treasure trove of content come July 25. The video doesn’t go too into detail regarding what exactly players can expect, but it does tease a deadly warship that can fire fireballs from the front.
Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn is out next month
One highlight from the Xbox Games Showcase that might’ve gone unnoticed by players was Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn, the next game from the team behind Ashen at A44 Games. This flashy third-person action game is described as an “explosive souls-like,” and its gameplay backs that claim up. It’s out July 18, 2024, for PC, consoles, and Xbox Game Pass, so be sure to stay tuned for more details soon.
Perfect Dark reboot finally reappears with a first look at gameplay
Perfect Dark has remained in the shadows since it was revealed many years ago, but during today’s Xbox Games Showcase, Microsoft finally gave us a nice long look at what the team at The Initiative and Crystal Dynamics have been up to. The extended look at gameplay shows Agent Dark as she sneaks over and around city streets while taking out enemies with style. Perfect Dark is looking good so far, but we’re still left without a release date. However, the trailer did at least confirm that the title will be available day one on Game Pass.
Age of Mythology Retold plots ahead with September release date
Age of Mythology Retold will utilize modern RTS mechanics to deliver magical strategy gameplay when it comes to Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Series X | S, and PC on September 4, 2024. As shown in the new trailer from the team behind Age of Empires, players can look forwad to using gods from Greek, Norse, Egyptian, and Atlantean mythology to gain the upperhand across 50 missions when launch arrives later this year.
Diablo 4’s Vessel of Hatred expansion materializes with release date
World of Warcraft players weren’t the only Blizzard fans finding something to eat at the Xbox Games Showcase. A cinematic trailer for the first Diablo 4 expansion, Vessel of Hatred, also made an appearance and revealed a release date of October 8, 2024. It’s schedule update that puts the DLC out just in time for Halloween, and judging by this new trailer, it will indeed be a fittingly unnerving add-on to the latest Diablo experience.
Fable conjures up a first look at gameplay
Playground Games has shown us a few sneak peeks at its next Fable game, but today’s appearance gave us a solid look at its gameplay for the first time. Specifically, the footage focused on Humphry, a retired hero, as he warns us about what it takes to make it in this new magical world. We’ll learn more about this fresh take on the franchise and its giant toads as we inch closer to its 2025 release on Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Series X | S, and PC.
FragPunk revealed with with creative FPS gameplay
Fragpunk was one of a few new games to make their debut at the 2024 Xbox Games Showcase, and it made sure to leave an impression. In its reveal trailer, Bad Guitar Studios’ 5v5 hero shooter seeks to break the rules with borderline wacky ability cards and fast-paced gunplay. It’s got style, and you can see its trailer above while we wait for launch to arrive for Xbox Series X | S and PC in 2025.
Winter Burrow is a cozy survival game where you play as a little mouse
The Xbox Games Showcase featured new installments in some of the biggest gaming franchises of all time, but it also took the time to show off a much smaller adventure: Winter Burrow. This little survival game puts players in the tiny clothes of a mouse who’s trying their best after finding their childhood home destroyed. Craft, knit, bake, and meet new friends when this cozy adventure game launches for Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Series X | S, and PC in early 2025.
Life Is Strange returns to a classic character with a new entry
Square Enix and Deck Nine Games revealed that the next Life Is Strange game, Life Is Strange: Double Exposure, will put the focus on the protagonist that started it all: Max Caufield. This grown-up version of the character fans know and love is still using her time-skipping powers, but this time, she’s accidentally thrown herself into a parallel universe. Players will use these abilities to solve teh same murder across two timelines when the game launches on October 29, 2024.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 lands November release date
While some fans flocked to learn more about games like Gears of War: E-Day and Doom: The Dark Ages, others were happy to see that Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 managed to touch down with a release date of November 19, 2024. A trailer for the company’s serene airplane sim focused on the variety of vehicles players can pilot upon its release later this year. We’ve got some waiting to do, so if you just can’t wait to hop in for more peaceful air travel, make sure to watch the above trailer.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle trailer fights through the cold
The Indiana Jones franchise is known for its globe-trotting adventures, and in today’s Indiana Jones and the Great Circle gameplay trailer, we got to see the antics Indy will get up to in the Himalayas. MachineGames’ sneak peek mostly focuses on the cinematics this time around, but the video still fits in at least a little bit of the project’s punchy, whip-wielding gameplay. There’s no release date yet, so we’ll ahve to wait to see more from Indiana Jones and the Great Circle before it launches sometime this year.
Avowed trailer takes a deep dive into Obsidian’s next RPG
Avowed will soon join Obsidian’s long list of RPGs, and at the Xbox Games Showcase today, the team gave us a better look at the lush fantasy world awaiting players when launch arrives later this year. Yes, there is still no release date, but the footage shown should help keep players waiting. Alongside sweeping shots of bright locations filled with vibrant purples and blues, we can see fire and ice magic combat, traps, and an variety of enemy types. Avowed launches for Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Series X | S, and PC in 2024.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows trailer highlights brutal stealth gameplay
It’s no secret that Assassin’s Creed Shadows will finally take franchise fans to Japan later this year, but we got to see more of the latest Assassin’s Creed entry in action at this year’s Xbox Games Showcase. This somewhat lengthy in-engine trailer showed off many of the sights and sounds of this new era while also highlighting some of its cutthroat combat.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl gets radioactive new gameplay trailer
GSC Game World has been hard at work on S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, but the team still found the time to splice together a gameplay trailer for this year’s Xbox Games Showcase. The FPS survival project’s footage takes fans across some of The Zone’s sewers and fields, showing some of the friends and foes they will come across upon launch. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2’s environment is just as deadly as its inhabitants, and we’ll learn more about it when its release date of September 5, 2024, arrives.
New digital Xbox Series X console revealed
The Xbox Games Showcase does focus on all of the games players can look forward to in Xbox’s future, but it also revaled some of the new hardware that will soon be available to purchase, too. Microsoft unveiled upgraded Xbox Series X | S consoles today that come with additional storage for those looking to download all of the hottest Game Pass releases. The presentation also came with the reveal of an all-digital, white version of the Xbox Series X.
Gears of War: E-Day reveal trailer unveils prequel game
It’s been five years since the release of Gears 5, and now we finally know what developer The Coalition has been up to. The first trailer for Gears of War: E-Day has revealed that the long-awaited continuation of Microsoft’s brutal cover shooter series will be a prequel centered on a young Marcus Fenix. We’re not too surprised to see the Gears of War franchise finally make a comeback with a new mainaline entry, but it’s still so nice to see those Lancers revving up once again.
You can watch the Gears 6 trailer above, but you might want to get ready to fight back some tears as a familier face and tune both return. No release date for Gears of War: E-Day was revealed, but it will launch day one on Game Pass.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 officially revealed
Activision is now under the Xbox umbrella, and that means we got a full look at Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. We nearly made it to the show before details on this year’s installment in the long-running FPS series leaked online. Still, the show itself gave players plenty of new details to mull over while we wait for launch to arrive on October 25, 2024. For all of the details on the Call of Duty segment of today’s presentation, you can click here.
Developing…
The Xbox Games Showcase has come to an end, but there is plenty of other news to be excited about. For all of your Summer of Gaming updates, you can catch up on everything we’ve shown as part of this year’s IGN Live. Don’t forget to check out everything Sony announced at its recent State of Play, too, and then be sure to check out the highlights from this year’s Summer Game Fest presentation.
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.
Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.