The Xbox Games Showcase is Microsoft’s premier annual vehicle for the announcement of new first-party games, and according to Xbox Wire, it’ll be streaming live on June 9th, 2024. As such, it often includes many of the year’s biggest reveals, and this year is expected to be no different. The Xbox Games Showcase will probably include a lot of surprises, be they first looks at entirely new titles or updates on Starfield DLC.
Microsoft’s definition of “first-party” has expanded greatly in the past year, with its Activision Blizzard deal bringing several beloved franchises under its umbrella. 2024’s will be the first Xbox Games Showcase since the acquisition officially went through, meaning a pool of potential reveals deeper than ever before. However, with a look at what’s been working for Xbox and what’s on the horizon, it’s possible to guess what’ll feature most prominently. Here’s what fans can expect from the Xbox Games Showcase in 2024.
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1
Starfield’s Shattered Space DLC May Get A Release Date
Releases Fall 2024
Starfield‘s first DLC, Shattered Space, is likely to get some kind of mention at the Xbox Games Showcase – perhaps a release date. The DLC, which was first announced before the game even came out, in June 2022. Scarcely a word has been breathed of it since, until Bethesda’s Todd Howard recently confirmed it was due for a fall 2024 release window. A brief update would follow shortly after, but a full trailer and release date reveal would make perfect sense for June.
For one thing, fall will only be a couple of months away by the time the Xbox Games Showcase airs, so a release date reveal seems timely. That would make the most sense if paired with a full-blown trailer, describing what exactly the DLC includes. There’s been little word on its length, story, or even price since it was announced, and the Xbox Games Showcase provides the perfect opportunity to change that.
2
Diablo 4 May Reveal New Seasonal Content
Season 4 Starts May 14
Diablo 4 is ramping up for Season 4 of its online campaign, which is expected to begin on May 14. Season 4, entitled Loot Reborn, involves what’s probably the biggest overhaul Diablo 4‘s systems have gotten since launch. New and improved character builds, gear drops, and endgame options should keep its player base busy for a while.
But by the time the Xbox Games Showcase rolls around in June, the most hardcore players will probably already have blazed through the new content, and started looking forward to Season 5. Diablo 4 Seasons rotate on a three-month cycle, so nearly a month into Season 4 seems like a good time to start teasing Season 5. As a result, Diablo 4 Season 5 could see an official announcement at the Xbox Games Showcase, although it probably won’t be too detailed. With the season proper still two months away, a teaser trailer would suffice.
3
Avowed May Get A New Trailer – And Maybe A Release Date
Releases Fall 2024
Avowed is an action RPG set in Eora, also home to the Pillars of Eternity CRPG series. At once hailed as a potential placeholder while waiting for The Elder Scrolls 6 and a bold departure from it, Avowed promises to pair highly customizable, first-person fantasy action with the richly detailed fantasy world and nuanced writing characteristic of games developed by Obsidian Entertainment.
Much like Starfield‘s DLC, Avowed is set for a fall 2024 release, but has only had a single gameplay trailer to date. The Xbox Games Showcase could change that with an updated Avowed trailer, hopefully with a more specific release date attached. After all, its release window opens just a few months after the Showcase premieres, so inquiring minds will want to know. Avowed is expected to come to Game Pass as a day-one release, so it’d double as a great advertisement for Microsoft’s subscription service.
4
STALKER 2 Could Get A New Trailer
Releases September 5, 2024
The original STALKER, first released in 2006, provided a fresh take on first-person shooter survival horror action. After two sequels, the next entry planned was Heart of Chornobyl, but it was canceled shortly before its 2012 release. The project was later revived in 2018 as STALKER 2, delayed due to the war in Ukraine, pushed back a further two times, and finally set for a release date of September 5, 2024. Suffice it to say STALKER 2 has been a long time in the making, and there’s a small-but-dedicated fan base patiently awaiting its arrival.
With STALKER 2 confirmed for a day-one launch on Game Pass, the Xbox Games Showcase would be the perfect time for a new trailer. Gameplay footage of the most recent iteration has been brief, and once again, STALKER 2‘s release date will be just a few months out by the time the Showcase airs. It may already have a release date, but the time will be right for a more in-depth gameplay reveal.
5
Indiana Jones And The Great Circle May Get A New Trailer
Releases 2024
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a much-anticipated adventure game featuring the iconic action hero of the silver screen. Featuring a globetrotting original narrative set between Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade, it’s the result of a rare collaboration between Lucasfilm and MachineGames, developers of the most recent entries in the Wolfenstein series. Featuring stealth, gunplay, and puzzles, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle promises a cinematic and wide-ranging story, putting players in Indy’s shoes.
There’s no official release date, but Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is due out sometime in 2024. As with most big, crowd-pleasing blockbusters, it’ll probably be released in time for the holidays. The Xbox Games Showcase is the perfect time for a deep dive into its gameplay, showing players what to expect ahead of a final trailer likely to be released in late fall. If nothing else, it’s one of Xbox’s biggest-name releases of the year, so Indiana Jones is almost certain to factor into the Showcase.
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6
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 May Get A Release Date
Releases 2024
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is the sequel to 2020’s revival of the franchise. The leading name in flight simulation software, Microsoft Flight Simulator features 62 different aircraft models, which can be flown freely or according to a flight plan across a scale map of the entire world. It’s not for the faint of heart: Microsoft Flight Simulator has an incredibly steep learning curve, even with all available assists on. But it’s an aviation enthusiast’s dream, and it’s due for an upgrade.
The current version of Microsoft Flight Simulator is due for release in early May, and its name implies, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 should be out sometime this year. But it doesn’t have an actual release date yet. Therefore, the Microsoft Games Showcase would be the perfect time to reveal its official release date, preferably in a trailer showing off the stunning realism and variety the flight simulator is known for.
7
The Elder Scrolls Online’s Gold Road Expansion May Get A New Trailer
Releases June 3 On PC/Mac, June 18 On Consoles
The next chapter in The Elder Scrolls Online story, Gold Road, has a release schedule that perfectly straddles the Xbox Games Showcase. The latest expansion sends players into the West Weald, a realm inhabited by wealthy nobles and plagued by Daedric invasions. With new quests, new raids, and a new game system that allows for customized magic, Gold Road is the eighth major expansion for ESO, each of which has been released on a roughly annual basis since Morrowind‘s launch in 2017.
The Xbox Games Showcase sits perfectly between Gold Road‘s PC and console release dates, which means the expansion is likely to get a nod during the livestream. While some players will already be exploring the West Weald by the time the show airs, others will receive a look at console gameplay and a confirmation of its release date on the Xbox and PlayStation consoles. There may also be a hint towards post-launch updates.
8
Halo Infinite May Reveal A New Update
Even three years after its release, Halo Infinite‘s multiplayer is still going strong. It receives regular content updates monthly, including new content, bug fixes, and even seasonal Operations. The most recent update, Banished Honor, was released on April 30, including a new 20-tier campaign centered on the Banished faction. The next update, Tenrai IV, is scheduled for early June, and the one after that, Spartan Surplus, for early July.
So, smack-dab in the middle of two Halo Infinite seasons, the Microsoft Games Showcase is the perfect time to advertise what’s next for the game. Whether it’s just a look at the current content or a preview of what’s included in Spartan Surplus remains to be seen, but Halo Infinite will probably feature in the show one way or another.
9
The [REDACTED] Direct May Reveal The Next Treyarch Call Of Duty Game
No Release Date Confirmed
Airing immediately after the Xbox Games Showcase is a mysterious event known only as the [REDACTED] Direct. However, given the logo’s art style, black-and-orange color scheme, and the show’s title, many have speculated this event will reveal the next Treyarch-developed Call of Duty game, likely a new installment in the Black Ops subseries. CoD has maintained an annual release schedule by alternating developers every year or so. Treyarch’s last game in the series was Black Ops Cold War in 2020, so it’s due for another entry. That could very well be Black Ops 5, likely due out some time in 2024.
New CoD games are typically announced in the summer, and come out in late fall or early winter. That means the Xbox Games Showcase and [REDACTED] Direct make the perfect platform for a new Black Ops reveal – they come at just the right time of the year, and leave enough lead for more marketing between the announcement and the game’s release.
10
Gears Of War 6 Could Be Revealed At The Xbox Games Showcase
No Release Date Confirmed
Rumor has it a new Gears of War game may be announced in June, and it could be revealed at the Xbox Games Showcase. This is based on a Tweet from JD Fenix voice actor Liam McIntyre, who, when asked by a fan whether a certain event at the end of the previous game was canon, replied simply by stating there’d be more news in June. This would be the sixth mainline entry in the third-person cover shooter series, following Gears of War 5‘s release in 2019.
Simply put, Gears of War is owned by Xbox Game Studios, it’s due for a new game, insiders suggest one will be announced in June, and the Xbox Games Showcase is on June 9. The stars seem to have aligned, and everything points to Gears of War 6 being announced at the Xbox Games Showcase. That may happen in the form of a teaser, or even a full trailer with a release date attached.
But of course, these are just predictions. If last year’s show is any indication, the Xbox Games Showcase could last over two hours, which means many more surprises will almost certainly be revealed. One way or another, fans can find out by tuning in when the Xbox Games Showcase premieres on June 9, 2024.
Source: Xbox Wire
