2024 Xbox Games Showcase Rundown

I feel like it is the same every year now, but this year’s Xbox Games Showcase is a “make or break year” for the platform holder, the last to still do these bigger showcases. Now with platform sales far behind the competition, Xbox needs to use the development power it has through acquisitions, and this year was that chance to show why Xbox is still valuable. Of course, given it is an Xbox show, I’ll only be noting other platforms if they’ve already been announced or it is obvious that multiple platforms are in development.

Of course, Xbox started boldly by having Saddam Hussein make a guest appearance almost 18 years after he was hanged. Obviously, this means we started with Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, which Taylor has a much more in-depth article on later today. In my “humble” opinion, the Call of Duty series has long since Police Academy’d itself into irrelevancy long ago. Now it is just using the iconography of the devil herself, war criminals, and a dead brown man to sell itself without really showing much gameplay. Releasing on October 25th and coming to Game Pass, you’ll get to play Black Ops 6 on “all platforms” at the same time; PC, PS4/5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.

From one indiscriminate killing to another, Doom: The Dark Ages is the next title from iD Software. There isn’t much to say here, as it is more of that Doom (2016) thing filtered through Doom Eternal, but this time in the Middle Ages version of hell. It is set to release sometime next year for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, with Phil Spencer noted as saying of platforms during IGN Live, “Everyone deserves to play.” Cool, can both Sony and Microsoft pull their fingers out and just release on both platforms already?

Speaking of exclusives and their baffling existence, one of the first Xbox One titles I played was State of Decay 2. We’ve not seen its sequel, State of Decay 3, for quite some time now since its initial announcement in 2020. There is nothing new here though, as it was another very nice trailer about shooting limbs off with a focus on “you were my friend, and now you’re gone.” There is no release date, and no real details on when we’ll see gameplay, but we know it will be coming to the Xbox Series X|S and Game Pass. One would also assume PC, but honestly, who knows at this point?

More is supposed to come about Dragon Age: The Veilguard as it is known now in the coming days, reportedly the 11th, according to a new blog post. There isn’t much here to talk about as a non-fan that you don’t already know: Fantasy setting, name change, coming to Xbox Series X|S, PC, and PS5, oh and isn’t all this CGI/”in-engine” trailer nonsense so pretty. I would like one of these big trailers to stop doing the Guy Ritchie thing of showing the character do a thing, they stand still, and their name/occupation in the story flashing up. Coming “Fall” 2024.

It’s the Bethesda hour up next, showcasing the DLC for Starfield. Look, I get it, I enjoyed Starfield for what it was, but even I’m sat here saying “yeah, but can you maybe show me something far more interesting.” Finally, the space station DLC is coming with Starfield: Shattered Space, though no release date was given. It is more magical space snakey nonsense no one cared about. More interestingly the Creation Club stuff was announced and promptly released. I’m sure the five people still playing will be very excited about this.

My one note for this whole presentation of Fallout 76 was “Are we still doing this meme?” Launching on the 12th of June, the “Skyline Valley” map expansion takes you to Vault 63. Using the Tennessee Ernie Ford version of “Shenandoah,” this dull trailer does nothing to excite me about this boring MMO that is wasting everyone’s time. Not only that, but in 2025 you can finally be a Ghoul… WoW, I’m so excited to keep up this sarcasm in 2025 when I’m still not interested.

Something to excite the JRPG fans now (which I’m not one of), Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Developed by French studio Sandfall Interactive it is the French take on JRPGs, and if we start calling these FRPGs some people will take that as an opportunity to be derogatory. You play as typical turn-based action JRPG characters (people dramatically inconsistent with each other) and you are trying to stop someone painting numbers, as every time she does, a whole generation dies. Very pretty, but I need something more than the dramatics to sell me on this 2025 release coming to Xbox Series X|S (Game Pass), PS5, and PC via Steam and Epic.

Compulsion Games returned with another showcase of that beautiful southern Gothic-Folk Creole-influenced title, South of Midnight. This was a bit more of a showcase of the world than gameplay, we get a small look at a boss fight and movement. However, the majority of the time is focused on lead Hazel and her large Flathead Catfish (also known as a Mudcat) friend. Standard action-adventure fair, but the trailer also shows that after fighting a boss, Hazel spreads colorful wildlife. Set to come in 2025 to Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Game Pass, I’m going to keep an eye on this one.

Coming to PC on August 26th, WoW: The War Within was shown next, and despite knowing Xbox now owns Blizzard and thus World of Warcraft. I honestly thought this was a trailer for a Lord of the Rings game. No, the long-drawn-out CGI trailer continued to remind me why I don’t bother with WoW. I can’t retain 1/10th of the lore needed to play, never mind anything from the trailer itself. I’m sure on August 26th-September 2nd, I won’t see David until he writes an editorial on it.

I may have had to go change after the Snake Eater trailer was shown. Coming to PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S sometime in 2024, there is no date nor other details on offer. This was just a quick and easy trailer showing the graphical update from the PS2 classic from Hideo Kojima. We know, however, that Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater will be without Kojima and Yoji Shinkawa, but will be produced by Noriaki Okamura. Okamura worked on Acid 2, Portable Ops, and sadly, Survive.

No special event this year, just plain old Sea of Thieves season 13 promotion up next. Coming to the big blue wet thing on July 25th, season 13 of Sea of Thieves lets you become the villain. As if pirates weren’t supposed to be the villains in the first place with all these FBI warnings all over the place. Nice and all, but I’m yet to find a reason to play the online live service title.

Looking painfully generic, Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn still isn’t exciting me even with a release date on the horizon. Coming to Epic, Steam, Xbox Series X|S (Game Pass), and PS5, you’ll be able to play this flintlock-based weaponry action adventure on July 18th, 2024. Not long to wait now to feel vindicated for it to get 8s out of 10 then forgotten about a year or two from now.

A spin-off of the Age of Empires series, Age of Mythology: Retold is a remake/remaster “definitive edition” of the 2002 real-time strategy classic Age of Mythology. Well, it wasn’t going to be called “Barry: The Greek God Shouts a Lot.” In development from the teams behind Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition with the same engine, it is supposed to be a similar redo of animations and such. Featuring Greek, Egyptian, Norse, and Atlantean cultures, you’ll be able to play as one of these mythologies from September 4th on Xbox Series X|S and PC.

In what universe is 23 degrees Celsius pleasant, Perfect Dark trailer? A very modern Deus Ex ‘em up, I’m glad we’re getting a solid bit of gameplay (scripted, but gameplay) showing Joanna Dark back in action. Sadly, no date, no details, and no platforms, though we can guess. Coming day one to Game Pass, this upcoming release from The Initiative and Crystal Dynamics will be on Xbox Series X|S and PC.

Sadly we had to break up the momentum of the showcase here with Matt Booty (giggle at the name and move on) to reveal Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred’s opening cinematic. Baldur’s Gate 3 you are not my dear, and the long lore-heavy protruded trailer gave nothing of interest to those who aren’t already invested in Blizzard’s online dungeon-crawling action-RPG. Pretty, yes, but it is a cinematic for an expansion releasing on October 8th for “Xbox” and PC. I can also assume the other platforms Diablo IV happens to be on too.

Matt King next, or as you might know him from the memes, “People like Coldplay and voted for the Nazis, you can’t trust people Jeremy.” I swear, if Matt Berry isn’t in 2025’s Fable, I’m going to set fire to Albion and quote Steven Toast on its ashes. There is not much to say here as it was a showcase of your lead character walking about while Matt King talks about the world and the setting, kind of. More of a trailer to remind you what Fable is rather than showing off the world and some unedited gameplay. Coming to Game Pass, Xbox Series X|S, and PC in 2025, I don’t expect this one to be cross-platform.

I guess Acti-Blizz’s Overwatch, Warzone, and other live-service multiplayer titles within the Xbox eco-system weren’t enough, we can add 2025’s FragPunk to that list. A vibrant 5v5 hero shooter set in a futuristic setting full of “unique” gameplay opportunities. Despite my dour mood, I think FragPunk is right on this one, as it has a card-based system that allows you to modify the game as it takes place, changing the rules and possibly the world as matches take place. I’m just too old for this type of thing to care, making the NetEase/Bad Guitar Games’ free-to-play upcoming 2025 release quite dull to me, whether it is on PC and Xbox Series X|S or not.

I’ve watched a few of these showcases now (I’m covering six of the bloody things) so I’m seeing a lot of Don’t Starve-esque games cropping up. Coming in early 2025, Winter Burrow is a survival crafting title in that same Don’t Starve vein but with a mouse looking to reconnect with her family. Charming and attractive, you’ll be able to play this one on “Xbox” (presumably Series X|S and One) through Game Pass, as well as PC via Steam in 2025.

Speaking of mid-2010s games, Mixtape is a very Life is Strange-like in terms of young people speaking like children and trying to talk about big emotions. Coming from Annapurna Interactive you know exactly what you are getting in 2025 on Xbox Series X|S (Game Pass) and PC. Attractive vistas, emotional teens, and in the case of Mixtape, a pretty decent soundtrack by the looks of it. Joy Division, Iggy Pop, Devo, Roxy Music, and more 80/90s artists for the nostalgic among you.

Focused this time on a lot of challenges and other portions of flying, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 looks to expand on the 2020 release. This includes Aerial advertisements, search and rescue, remote cargo drops, charter flights (hold your Taylor Swift comment), Red Bull air racing, agricultural aviation, fire fighting, and of course, commercial air flight. Coming November 19th, 2024, you’ll be able to play on Xbox Series X|S (Game Pass) and PC.

If that bored you to sleep, this will bore you to death: You can play Elder Scrolls Online with all expansions for a “limited time,” though no specific time frame was given, as a celebration of the 10th anniversary. Next week, June 18th, you’ll be able to play ESO: Gold Road, the latest expansion to the Elder Scrolls Online. Much like WoW, I have no context as to how big or important this is, and in fact, the trailer did so little to tell those who aren’t in on it that it made little sense to join in for the 10th anniversary.

Not only do we have a Life is Strange-like emotional teenagers game, we’ve got the next game to feature Max Caulfield, Life is Strange: Double Exposure. Set now when Max is an adult (didn’t recognize her), you’ll be plunged into the murder mystery across two timelines in Caledon University, Vermont. Looking very nice, as you’d expect, you’ll be able to play Life is Strange: Double Exposure on October 29th on PS4/5, Xbox Series X|S and One, as well as PC, with a port coming to the Switch. More is expected to be shown by Square Enix on Thursday, the 13th of June.

A majority of what we saw in Indiana Jones and The Great Circle was a long cutscene featuring everyone’s favorite Nazi murderer, Troy Baker as Indiana Jones. Oh and grossly overplayed Nazis on a German battleship halfway up the Himalayas. I think I’m showing my hand that I have no interest in this whip-wielding ponce and his penchant for puncturing Nazis. I’m sure when MachineGames’ title releases later this year on Xbox Series X|S (Game Pass) and PC it will be perfectly fine, but I still find it odd this is first-person and not third.

Did we get more than a few seconds of gameplay from the trailer for Mecha BREAK? It was all “in-game” footage but very scripted mecha battling for an online PVP with not a lot to grab attention. There is a closed beta test coming to PC in August, though that’s 8-ish weeks away. The press release on the Beta notes: “Players can suit up alongside a squad of three to six allies in the 3v3 Arena or 6v6 Battlefield game modes, or dive headfirst into the up to 60-player PvEvP mode.” Coming to Xbox Series X|S and PC in 2025; of the trailers during this showcase Mecha BREAK was certainly one of them.

“This epic journey puts the player in challenging encounters with battle-crazed bandits, deformed human giants[,] and massive demonic monsters with two-handed swords, axes, and ancient gunpowder weapons,” says the press release. Yep, it is another Chinese-mythology-based Souls-like by the sounds of it, and I’m bored of them already. In fact, the title, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, inspired a heavy sigh at the look of the really thin woman with a perfect little chin and her perfectly kept ponytail. Coming to Xbox Series X|S and PC in 2025, maybe a better trailer would be exciting.

Speaking of needing excitement, Obsidian’s next first-person action-adventure title looks (to be derogatory) very Obsidian. Yes, Avowed got a showcase of gameplay in a vertical slice, with little to pull you into the world of Pillars of Eternity (which isn’t explicitly noted) beyond its “do you guys not have [a want for] fantasy?” Pull me into the world first instead of just showing me colorful fantasy magic. Coming later this year, “late 2024,” you’ll be able to play Avowed on Xbox Series X|S and PC.

This is how to get me involved: 1950s English countryside screwed by a nuclear accident, you have mechs running around, and you get to use a cricket bat for its only purpose, murdering someone. Glad you noticed I’m very Scottish. Of Atomfall’s influences and setting Rebellion CEO, Jason Kingsley, said, “So, players can expect to see post-war Britain, Cold War paranoia, and mysterious folk horror blended with elements inspired by classic British sci-fi like Day of the Triffids, Doctor Who, and The Quatermass Experiment.” I was sold on murdering with a cricket bat, now I’m even more excited at the mention of Doctor Who.

Coming to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and day one to Game Pass, you’ll be able to pick up Atomfall on PC via Steam and Epic, as well as a release on PlayStation 4 and 5. There is no date given though we do know that Atomfall is set for a 2025 release.

From great ideas to “didn’t I play that the other week when it came to PC?” Assassin’s Creed Shadows got a less visually impressive showcase of the Azuchi-Momoyama period of Japan featuring the internet’s favorite thing, a Black character in a place their real-world counterpart was at the time. Looks like Assassin’s Creed, sounds like Assassin’s Creed, and is probably going to play like one too. Who ultimately cares? Releasing November 15th on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC/macOS, but most interestingly, iPadOS.

Originally set to release in December of 2022, war has drastically delayed S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl and will be released September 5th, 2024, for Xbox Series X|S. With a trailer voiced entirely in Ukrainian, “players step into the shoes of a lone stalker named Skif, [where] they must navigate a perilous and enigmatic environment teeming with dangerous mutants, hazardous radiation, and treacherous human factions.” Very S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and beautifully so, I can’t wait to see what GSC Game World has been working on both in Ukraine and temporarily in Prague.

That’s just about the end, with Sarah Bond coming out to over-enunciate everything as she tells us about the new all-digital version of the Xbox Series X (1TB SSD), as well as a storage expansion to the Xbox Series S with 1TB SSD. Not only that, but also a special “Galaxy Black” edition of the Xbox Series X with a 2TB SSD. I’m sure many are running to buy those later this year. Sarcasm aside, she also had one more trailer for us.

Gears of War E-Day was shown off to the absolute silence I rightly gave it. Set 14 years before the original, this prequel will show off a “babyfaced” Marcus Fenix. Honestly speaking, a CGI trailer for a series so uninteresting the last few games have been darker than the other side of the moon just isn’t that interesting. However, the gall to end with a prequel to that series without a release window? That, Microsoft, takes some confidence.

This was a great showing from Microsoft/Xbox this year, with wall-to-wall trailers as I always love to see. Could have done without Matt Booty halfway through it, but it gave a halfway point to pause and get up. If you’d like to see the full showcase followed by the COD: Black Ops 6 showcase, I’ve linked that below. Later today Taylor’s article on the Black Ops 6 showcase will be out too, to talk about those details.