XBOX… no, sorry, Xbox (I’m not doing the all-caps thing) is gearing up for another Games Showcase this summer, with a good look at brand-new games, trailers, and reveals promised for Sunday June 7 at 10am PT/1pm ET/ 6pm BST. Followed by a dedicated deep dive into Gears of War E-Day, it’s set to be a big day for all of those looking forward to seeing what this new era of Xbox has in store.
For context, last year’s event saw the reveal of Call of Duty Black Ops 7, Persona 4 Revival, Grounded 2, Beast of Reincarnation, Keeper, and Super Meat Boy 3D, as well as new looks at The Outer Worlds 2, Clockwork Revolution, and Ninja Gaiden 4. But what can we expect this year? Well, let’s dig into the games we think we’ll be seeing more of, some potential world premieres, and perhaps even more details on Microsoft’s new console, currently titled “Project Helix”.
Gears of War E-Day
Let’s start with the one game we know is definitely showing up: Gears of War E-Day. As noted on the Xbox website, the E-Day direct is set to “take players into the start of Emergence Day, offering new details, gameplay, and insights.” The prequel was first teased at last year’s showcase, but very little has been heard or seen since. We can expect a lengthy look following the main showcase this year, though, as well as presumably finding out its 2026 release date.
Xbox Game Studios
Playground Games may have just released the critically acclaimed Forza Horizon 6, but the British studio isn’t done for 2026 by any means. That’s because its reboot of Fable is also set to hit this year, and I imagine it’s almost guaranteed to make an appearance here. A release date could finally be revealed, which would have to be relatively soon if it wants to avoid the GTA 6 launch in November, but there’s always the chance this one slips to early 2027. Either way, another look at it in action certainly wouldn’t go amiss, as we learn more about this new version of Albion.
The recently rebranded Halo Studios is due to release the remake of the original Master Chief story, Halo: Campaign Evolved, in 2026. We can likely expect to see more of this one in action, as well as find out when exactly we can expect to play this year. Maybe the game I’m most looking forward to seeing more of is inXile Entertainment’s Clockwork Revolution, which is looking like a fantastic blend of Dishonored and Bioshock. This one has popped up a couple of times at recent Xbox Summer Showcases, so hopefully that means we’re getting closer and closer to a release date. After a good look at gameplay in 2025, we’d love to know when it’s going to launch at this year’s show.
And what next for Rare? It had been working for many years on Everwild before it was cancelled last summer, leaving the legendary studio a mysterious proposition. Ongoing development will presumably continue on Sea of Thieves, but surely a new game is also in the works somewhere? The Killer Instinct, Viva Piñata, and Banjo Kazooie creators have as long a history as anyone at Microsoft when it comes to developing new series, but could we see it return to one of these? Another of its creations, Perfect Dark, seems even less likely, though, following the shutdown of The Initiative and cancellation of the reboot last year.
First revealed back in 2020, State of Decay 3 reemerged in 2024, but has been quieter than the dead since. Undead Labs has been working on this one for a while, and we might see it again on June 7 after skipping last summer’s showcase. Obsidian, meanwhile, has been far from quiet, and had a very busy 2025, launching Avowed, The Outer Worlds 2, and Grounded 2’s Early Access, so it’s safe to say that we aren’t necessarily expecting to see much from the RPG studio here. If it did want to spring a surprise Fallout New Vegas remake onto us, though, then we’d happily take it. Both Compulsion Games and Ninja Theory have released games in the past couple of years, so it may be a bit too soon to see what they’re working on next, but we certainly won’t rule it out. Especially the latter, who is reportedly working on a third Hellblade that is more of a ‘game’.
Activision, Blizzard, and Bethesda
Infinity Ward revealed Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 last week, which will continue Captain Price and team’s story as they head to Korea this time around. Coming later in October 2026, it’s safe to say we’ll get a peek at it in action at the Showcase, with the new DMZ mode promised to be shown off. Call of Duty is where most of Activision’s resources find themselves going these days, but maybe a surprise second project will be sprung upon us. Though a long shot, a revival of one of the publisher’s dormant series, such as a new Tony Hawk, Guitar Hero, or Spyro, would certainly make people my age and older smile.
Blizzard can be expected to show off continued support for its live-service games, as Overwatch celebrates its 10th anniversary, Diablo 4 follows up on its just-released Lord of Hatred expansion, and World of Warcraft evolves further beyond its Midnight expansion, which arrived in March. While that’s all in the recent past, there are a couple of future possibilities. Although not expected this year, one of those is a look at WOW’s upcoming The Last Titan expansion, which will serve as the finale to the Worldsoul Saga trilogy. Another is a look at Overwatch Rush, the mobile version of the hero shooter — although we admit this may well not show up at an Xbox showcase.
When it comes to Bethesda, all eyes are on The Elder Scrolls 6. First revealed to be in development way back in 2018, Todd Howard has effectively said that it shouldn’t have been shown that early. But eight years later, is it finally time to learn more? We realise it’s likely still many years away, but perhaps a look at a long-rumoured Fallout 3 remake could serve as a welcome stopgap. Elsewhere under the larger Bethesda umbrella, Id Software will have moved onto its next project after 2025’s Doom: The Dark Ages. Will it be another Doom, a long-overdue Quake revival, or something new entirely? And will it even be shown at this year’s Showcase?
And then there’s MachineGames, who will be following up on the excellent Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. I’d love nothing more than a sequel to that adventure, but perhaps a return to Wolfenstein is more realistic right now. Reports of the final part of B.J. Blazkowicz’s Nazi-killing trilogy being in production emerged early this year, so this could be the year we see the original FPS hero return. Finally, when it comes to Bethesda, surely we’re due for a look at Arkane’s Blade game. First teased back in 2023, the Lyon studio has been pretty silent since. It looks like we’re never getting that Mahershala Ali movie, so please at least give us this.
Third-Party
In regard to what other games we could see, well, that’s much more of a guessing game. Based on what’s been showcased at previous Xbox shows, though, we can at least take educated shots in the dark. I’d personally love to see Persona 4 Revival in action, as well as finding out when I can get my hands on the remake of Atlus’ classic JRPG. Staying in Japan, Gamefreak’s first game outside of the Pokémon universe, Beast of Reincarnation, was featured heavily during January’s developer direct, so it could well be here, too.
Action adventure spin-off Resonance: A Plague Tale could well be in line to make a reappearance, as could ex-Witcher 3 devs’ studio Rebel Wolves’ vampire RPG, The Blood of Dawnwalker. Stealth shooter Mudang: Two Hearts made a flashy debut this time last year, as did Aniimo, yet another contender for Pokémon’s monster-catching crown.
There may be no Hollow Knight Silksong to speculate about this year — unless its DLC makes a surprise appearance — so let’s throw some random guesses out there in its place. The Witcher 3: Songs of the Past Expansion was just officially announced by CD Projekt Red, and while it seems too early for gameplay, with more promised at gamescom in August, you just never know. Ubisoft could show up, either with a new look at Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced, the in-development Assassin’s Creed Hexe, or perhaps even the rumoured next entry into the Far Cry series. But no, there won’t be any sign of GTA 6.
Project Helix
Xbox has been teasing its next-gen console, Project Helix, for months now, after formally announcing its existence in March. At GDC, Jason Ronald, Xbox’s VP of Next Generation, said, “Project Helix is designed to play your Xbox console and PC games, delivering high performance and providing the ultimate player-first experience. We’re partnering closely with AMD to define the next generation of rendering and simulation.” Will we see any of this technology in action, or even a sneak peek at what the box will look like? We’ll find out very soon.
What do you want to see most at Xbox’s Summer Showcase on June 7? Let us know in the comments below!
Simon Cardy is a Senior Editor at IGN who can mainly be found skulking around open world games, indulging in Korean cinema, or despairing at the state of Tottenham Hotspur and the New York Jets. Follow him on Bluesky at @cardy.bsky.social.
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