Xbox‘s highly anticipated E3 showcase, the first since Microsoft‘s $7.5 billion acquisition of Bethesda, took place on Sunday, showering fans with a torrent of gaming announcements.
Specifically, the showcase shared details on 30 titles, 27 of which will be available on Xbox Game Pass. From the announcement of new Bethesda franchise “Starfield” to more details about “Halo Infinite” to an exciting addition to the “Sea of Thieves” universe, Microsoft managed to pack in dozens of pieces of news within just 90 minutes.
Now that it’s all said and done, let’s break it all down. Here’s everything that was announced at Sunday’s Xbox/Bethesda showcase:
“Starfield”:A peek of Bethesda’s first all-new universe in 25 years was the first big reveal. The Xbox exclusive is set hundreds of years in the future and, according to its Twitter account, is “an epic — about hope, our shared humanity, and answering our greatest mystery.” It will release on Nov. 11, 2022, and be available day-and-date on Game Pass.
Our next epic begins. pic.twitter/YBedDdw7JL
— Bethesda Game Studios (@BethesdaStudios) June 13, 2021
“Stalker 2”: The horror sequel, “Heart of Chernobyl,” will launch April 28, 2022.
“Back 4 Blood”: The zombie game, a spiritual successor to “Left 4 Dead,” will release on Oct. 12, and be available day and date on Game Pass.
“Contraband”: From Avalanche Studios, the “co-op smuggler’s paradise set in the fictional world of 1970s Bayan” will also be available day one on Game Pass, although a release date was not revealed.
Smuggling’s your business, and business is booming.
Dive into the open world of Contraband solo or with friends: https://t.co/e7ndNT9M3B | #XboxBethesda pic.twitter/0RUXreFxts
— Xbox (@Xbox) June 13, 2021
“Sea of Thieves”: Jack Sparrow and Davy Jones are coming to “Sea of Thieves” with a free update, titled “A Pirate’s Life,” on June 22. Read more about how the partnership between Disney and Rare came together here.
“Battlefield 2042”:After announcing the details on the sixth “Battlefield” game earlier this week, the first gameplay trailer was unveiled at the showcase. “Battlefield 2042” will be released on Oct. 22.
“Psychonauts 2”: The platform-adventure sequel will release on Aug. 25, and be available on day one on Game Pass.
“Fallout 76”: Bethesda released a couple pieces of news about the online RPG during the presentation. First, it showed a new trailer for its next update, “Steel Reign,” which continues the Brotherhood of Steel storyline. Second, it revealed that players will be able to explore The Pitt, a location introduced in “Fallout 3,” in a new expedition coming out next year.
“The Elder Scrolls Online”: The game is getting a “Console Enhanced” version for the Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 on June 15.
“Party Animals”: Players will get to fight each other as adorable animals in the new game, which will release next year and be available day-and-date on Game Pass.
“Hades”: The critically acclaimed indie game will come to Xbox Game Pass on Aug. 13.
“Halo Infinite”: Microsoft didn’t reveal too many details about the highly anticipated installment in the “Halo” series, other than confirming it’s still set for release during the holiday season this year and showing a glimpse at the multiplayer element, which will be free to download.
“Far Cry 6”: While more glimpses at the game, starring Giancarlo Esposito, were shown earlier this week, the showcase did unveil some new gameplay footage.
“Replaced”: The new game from Sad Cat Studios and Coat Sink is coming to PC and Xbox Series X/S, as well as Game Pass, in 2022.
“Among Us”: Fifteen-player lobbies are coming on June 15 to all available platforms. “Among Us” will also be available on Game Pass on console and cloud later this year.
“Grounded”: A new update for the game, “Shroom and Doom,” will release on June 30.
Venture into the lair of the Broodmother, Grounded’s terrifying first boss in this content-packed Shroom and Doom update. Oh yeah, did I mention sitting?
