The summer of game events continues with the Xbox Games Showcase and Starfield Direct today. The event will bring a number of announcements, gameplay reveals, and more from Xbox’s upcoming slate over the course of around two hours. So far, Xbox has kept what we can expect tightly under wraps. However, Atlus reportedly leaked a video on its Instagram account concerning a Persona 3 remake called Persona 3 Reloadand a spinoff called Persona 5 Tacticswhich are both set to hit the platform.
Otherwise, we could get updates on previously announced games like Turn 10 Studios’ new Forza MotorsportObsidian Entertainment’s Avowedthe long-in-development Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, Perfect Dark, State of Decay 3and Fable. We also may get updates on live-service titles like Halo Infinite and Sea of Thieves. After the main showcase, Xbox will be airing a dedicated deep dive into Starfieldwhich is set to launch on Sept. 6. The company promises “new gameplay, developer interviews, and behind-the-scenes insider information.” It will all be a lot to keep track of, so follow this live recap of everything announced during the Xbox Games Showcase and Starfield Direct today.
Fable reboot gets its first trailer
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To kick things off, Xbox revealed the first trailer for the upcoming Fable reboot, which was first teased back in 2020. British comedian Richard Ayoade was on hand to introduce (and eventually star in) the trailer. It’ll be available day one on Xbox Game Pass, but no release date has been revealed yet.
South of Midnight transports us to the Bayou
Compulsion Games has been heads down working on its follow-up to We Happy Few since it was acquired by Xbox Game Studios in 2018, and we finally got our first look. South of Midnight is a third-person action-adventure game set in the Bayou in the America Deep South. We play as Hazel, who’s seeking to repair a broken world while dealing with some mythical creatures you may or may not recognize.
Star Wars: Outlaws takes the franchise open world
We didn’t know much about Ubisoft’s upcoming Star Wars game; that is, until today. Outlawsan open-world title starring scoundrel Kay Vess, is coming in 2024.
Persona is getting a reboot and a tactics spinoff
While it was accidentally leaked a few days ahead of the showcase, Atlus officially showed off Persona 3 Reloadthe Persona 3 remake, at the Xbox showcase. It’s set to hit Game Pass, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC in early 2024. The company also announced Persona 5 Tacticsa tactics RPG spinoff, and that’ll hit the platforms much earlier: on Nov. 17.
Avowed gets first gameplay trailer
Obsidian Entertainment made a big splash with Pillars of Eternityand it’s now building on that world in Avowed. The first-person RPG showed off a look at the Living Lands of Eora and a look at one of your companions, Kai. It’ll be hitting day one on Game Pass when it launches on Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Steam in 2024.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 finally gets a release window
Hellblade 2 has been a long time coming. It was teased with the reveal of the Xbox Series X|S at the Game Awards in 2019 after all! We haven’t seen a lot of it in the years since, but according to a new video released during the Xbox showcase, it’ll be releasing sometime next year. In the meantime, you can check out some new footage that highlights the game’s motion-capture capabilities.
Forza Motorsport releasing on Oct. 10
The last Forza Motorsport released in 2017, and while racing simulation fans got the excellent Forza Horizon 5 in 2021, they’ve been waiting for news on Motorsport. Turn 10 Studios has taken the reigns on the reboot, which is being built from the ground up, and it shined when it was revealed at the Xbox showcase. Even more surprising is that it’s releasing on Oct. 10.
Starfield, of course
There was no question about Starfield being a huge part of today’s showcase, especially since it’s getting its own direct right after. But we got a new trailer during the showcase for the game, as well.
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty to continue V and Johnny’s story in September
Keanu Reeves made a surprise (and welcome) appearance at the Xbox showcase to introduce the first footage from Cyberpunk 2077‘s first major story expansion, Phantom Liberty. Details had been previously kept under wraps, but we have new story information on the campaign, which reunites V and Johnny Silverhand on a quest to save the President, and adds Idris Elba to the cast. We also got a release date: Sept. 26.
InXile reveals Clockwork Revolution, its time travel RPG
InXile’s first game since Wasteland 3 was revealed during the Xbox showcase. Clockwork Revolutionpreviously known as Project Cobalt, is a first-person shooter RPG with a steampunk-inspired, retro-futuristic flair, and some time travel for good measure. No release window has been set yet, but the studio will share more “in due time.”
New Xbox Series S model launching in September
Not only did head of Xbox Game Studios Phil Spencer pop by at the end of the main showcase to mention the Xbox console supply, but he also announced a new Xbox Series S model. It’ll come in Carbon Black to match the Xbox Series X and will come with 1TB of SSD storage — up from 512GB. It’ll hit shelves on Sept. 1 for $349.
Everything else announced
- 33 Immortals from ThunderLotus promises 33-player co-op action in 2024.
- Payday 3 is releasing on Sept. 21, 2023, and it’ll be available day one on Xbox Game Pass.
- Sea of Thieves will be crossing over with The Legend of Monkey Island on July 20.
- Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 was announced, with new career opportunities for pilots. It’s slated to land in 2024 for Xbox Series X|S and PC. Dune DLC will also be landing on Nov. 3.
- Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is coming in 2024.
- Fallout 76 is taking players to Atlantic City in new DLC.
- The Japanese-inspired, gorgeous-looking Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess got an announcement trailer.
- The Elder Scrolls Online: Journey to Necrom is the latest expansion for the popular fantasy MMO. It’ll be out on June 20.
- Overwatch 2: Invasion is, uh, invading with new maps, missions, and cosmetics for players on Aug. 10. There’s also a New Heroes Starter Pack with the six latest heroes.
- Downstream is a magical, climbing puzzle game published by Don’t Nod and set to release in fall 2023.
- Dear Esther developer The Chinese Room announced Still Wakes the Deepan eerie game about an off-shore oil rig worker, launching in early 2024 and on Xbox Game Pass.
- Dungeons of Hinterberg is a cozy-looking RPG with monster fighting, skating, small towns, and more. It’s set to launch in 2024 on Xbox Series X|S and Game Pass.
- Build even more cities in Cities: Skylines II, which is set to release on Oct. 24. Preorders are now available.
- Metaphor: ReFantaziofrom the makers of Persona 3, 4and 5is Atlus’ “first full-scale fantasy RPG,” and it’s set to release in 2024.
- Stoic, the studio behind the Banner Saga franchise, announced Towerborne. It’ll release sometime next year and will be available day one on Game Pass.
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