Microsoft came out with a packed Xbox Games Showcase 2024 on Sunday, bringing new reveals and updates on games from its first-party studios and third-party partners. The Xbox parent showed off games from Activision, Bethesda, Blizzard, Xbox Game Studios and more. The showcase kicked off with a new campaign trailer for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and concluded with a reveal for the next Gears of War title. Already announced titles like State of Decay 3, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Perfect Dark, Avowed and South of Midnight also received new trailers.
The Xbox Games Showcase aired two days after the Summer Game Fest and just a week after Sony held its State of Play live stream. In addition to first-party games, the showcase also featured trailers from third-party titles like Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater, Dragon Age: The Veilguard and more.
Microsoft also unveiled three new Xbox Series S/X variants, including an all-digital Xbox Series X. The Xbox Games showcase was also followed by a Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Direct presentation. Here’s everything that was announced at the Xbox Games Showcase:
Gears of War: E-Day
The rumours came out to be true as Microsoft revealed the next Gears of War at the Xbox Games Showcase. Gears of War: E-Day, the next mainline game in the series, will be set 14 years before the original Gears of War, during Emergence Day. The game received a cinematic trailer, featuring in-game assets, and a new instrumental version of Gary Jules’ ‘Mad World,’ evoking the iconic 2006 Gears of War commercial. There’s no release window details available yet, but don’t expect E-Day to launch anytime soon.
Doom: The Dark Ages
Perhaps the highlight of the showcase was the reveal for the next mainline game in the Doom series. Doom: The Dark Ages takes a medieval approach to monster killing, putting the Doom Slayer in a dark fantasy setting. The epic trailer showed brutal moves, an insane skull-feeding gun and a bladed Shield Saw that flies off to cut down demons and returns to your hands like Thor’s hammer.
The Doom Slayer will also be able to utilise his Atlan mech against colossal demons and fly around on a cybernetic war dragon. Doom: The Dark Ages will arrive on Xbox Series S/X, PC and PS5 in 2025, with day-one release on Game Pass.
Perfect Dark
Perfect Dark received a first-look gameplay trailer at the Xbox Games Showcase, featuring first-person combat and parkour. Developed by The Initiative and Crystal Dynamics and published by Xbox Game Studios, Perfect Dark reboot was first teased officially at The Game Awards 2020.
The new trailer showcases the game’s Cairo setting and its protagonist, Joanna Dark. The gameplay features close-quarters hand-to-hand combat, gunplay, stealth, and smooth parkour traversal. Perfect Dark does not have a confirmed release date yet.
South of Midnight
Compulsion Games’ South of Midnight, which was first revealed at the Xbox Games Showcase in 2023, received a new trailer, showcasing third-person action-adventure gameplay. South of Midnight features a distinct art style and fantasy elements.
The trailer showed off the protagonist, Hazel, and her companion Catfish as they travel through a flooded wilderness and encounter magical beasts. Hazel can use her magic weaving powers in both combat and traversal. The game will be available on Xbox Series S/X and PC in 2025.
State of Decay 3
State of Decay 3 debuted a new trailer at the Xbox Games Showcase. The open-world zombie survival title will serve as a sequel to 2018’s State of Decay 2. Set years into the zombie apocalypse, the game tasks you with fighting the undead and reclaiming lost territories. There’s no official release date or window for State of Decay 3 yet.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
While the next Call of Duty received a dedicated Direct presentation after the Xbox Games Showcase, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 was shown off with a campaign trailer at the showcase. Developed by Treyarch and Raven Software, Black Ops 6 is set in the early 1990s and will weave a thrilling story of espionage.
The trailer brings back familiar characters, blockbuster action and tight gunplay. The first-person shooter will arrive on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series S/X on October 25, with day-one release on Game Pass.
Avowed
Obsidian Entertainment’s Avowed received a new story trailer at the Xbox Games Showcase. The action-RPG, played from the first-person perspective, focusses on melee and magic combat. The game will be released on PC and Xbox Series S/X in 2024.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
The Xbox Showcase featured a new trailer for MachineGames’ Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, showing off new gameplay and story section from the game, featuring Indy chasing a mysterious artefact in the Himalayas. The game will arrive on PC and Xbox Series S/X later this year.
Here’s everything else that was announced or received an update at the Xbox Games Showcase:
- Age of Mythology: Retold (PC, Xbox Series S/X – Releasing September 4, pre-orders now live)
- Fable (PC, Xbox Series S/X – 2025)
- Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 (PC, Xbox Series S/X – Releasing November 19)
- Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ gameplay reveal (PC, Xbox Series S/X, PS5 – Releasing November 15)
- Atomfall (PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, PS4, PS5 – 2025)
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (PC, Xbox Series S/X, PS5)
- Dragon Age: The Veilguard (PC, Xbox Series S/X, PS5 – Fall 2024)
- Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn (PC, Xbox Series S/X, PS5 – Releasing July 18)
- FragPunk (PC, Xbox Series S/X – 2025)
- Life Is Strange: Double Exposure (PC, Xbox Series S/X, PS5 – Releasing October 29)
- Mecha Break (PC, Xbox Series S/X, PS5 – 2025)
- Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater gameplay (PC, Xbox Series S/X, PS5 – 2024)
- Mixtape (PC, Xbox Series S/X, PS5 – 2025)
- S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl (PC, Xbox Series S/X – Releasing September 5)
- Winter Burrow (PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X – Early 2025)
- Wuchang: Fallen Feathers (PC, Xbox Series S/X, PS5 – 2025)
- Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred expansion (PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, PS4, PS5 – Releasing October 8)
- Fallout 76 Skyline Valley expansion (PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, PS4, PS5 – Releasing June 6)
- Starfield Shattered Space expansion (PC, Xbox Series S/X – 2024)
- World of Warcraft: The War Within expansion, PC – Releasing August 26)
