The Xbox Games Showcase 2026 made for one of the most interesting shows of recent memory with plenty of new games in the mix – we like those here. It's all made up part of an exciting Summer Game Fest schedule with big reveals and new information on long-awaited blockbuster games. With former leading figures Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond are out, and new boss Asha Sharma in, this could be a statement of intent for Xbox's future.
We've had plenty of signaling of intent to show that things are changin' around here. No more 'Everything is an Xbox,' for one, proudly shown off as 'Xbox Console Exclusive' tags for a couple of games at the show. What better time to show off those big swings than an Xbox Games Showcase?
But of course, we're all here for some cool video games at the end of the day, and there has been plenty of that. A mix of what we already knew and rumored pay-offs made up the slate. Gears of War: E-Day, which had a dedicated stream, put in a solid showing. We've covered it all as it happened, and have picked out highlights below so you don't need to miss a thing. This is your one-stop shop to get absolutely everything Xbox you need, with plenty of games to get on your wishlist.
Everything announced at the Xbox Games Showcase 2026
HERE'S THE HIGHLIGHTS:
- Microsoft kills PS5 version of Gears of War E-Day, finally announces October release date
- Halo: Campaign Evolved launches in July, and its all-new prequel missions have space combat
- Fallout veterans' next RPG Clockwork Revolution is coming in 2027 as Xbox dabbles with console exclusives again
- Fable release date finally confirmed by Xbox after the RPG's recent delay, set for February 2027
- Metro 2039 will break out of the bunker just in time to join the flood of games releasing in February 2027
- Spyro: A Realm Beyond is the series' first all-new game in 18 years, and it's launching next year
- Ninja Theory announces a new Senua game, just don't call it Hellblade 3
- 6 years on, Xbox's open-world survival game State of Decay 3 is set for release in 2027
- Persona 4 Revival finally gets a release date, and boy does it look good
- Persona 6 announced, and the vibes are a lot closer to Persona 3 so far
- Wo Long 2 announced – one of our favorite Soulslikes is getting a sequel in 2027
AND HERE'S EVERYTHING ELSE:
- Fable's first expansion will be Order of the Hero, included in the RPG's $100 Premium Edition
- Castlevania: Belmont's Curse gets October release date from Konami, right on time for Halloween
- Hell freezes over in Doom: The Dark Ages - Revelations, the shooter's first expansion coming this July
- Minecraft Dungeons 2 joins every other game avoiding GTA 6 in releasing in September
- Project Mara is no longer in development, Ninja Theory confirms
Xbox Games Showcase 2026 recap
And away we go! We've still got a few hours to go, so you've got time, but there's plenty to catch you up on, so let's begin.
First off, some housekeeping. We've got the Xbox Games Showcase at the times listed above. After covering these events for close to 10 years, I can confidently say you can expect this to last one hour. That said, we'll then move on to a special showcase dedicated to Gears of War: E-Day, which could last up to an additional hour.
Not to personally pat myself on the back too much, though I've yet to call it God of War: E-Day, which has been somewhat of a fear of mine, given what we've seen from Sony's State of Play.
As for what else we might see, I'm personally quite interested in Fable. Some of that is down to being a Brit, innit, and a fan of the original trilogy. The other part, however, comes down to the RPG's recent delay. As we reported at the time, Microsoft insists "the game is in great shape," but says this move means "it can have the dedicated moment it deserves."
To put a few pieces together, you can't help but feel that the launch of GTA 6, which has sent many a release plan out the window, is partly to blame here.
Regardless, considering the game is quite far along, you'd have to bet that Fable should make an appearance to keep the good vibes going to the now-delayed launch.
You know what we'd all love to see? State of Decay 3. It's been a bit quiet on that front since it was announced around five years ago, but we have some hope to see it here.
Earlier this year, we spoke to Xbox Game Studios lead and former Rare boss Craig Duncan and asked him what's going on there. While he couldn't offer specifics, he still offered some cause for optimism for State of Decay 3 fans.
"I have done a number of visits to that studio in the last six to eight months," he said at the time. "I have sat and played the game with the team a bunch of times. It's coming on really well. We're very excited about the franchise and its potential. So I will certainly see a lot more of it in the coming year."
Well, hopefully, Xbox feels like sharing, and we'll all get to see it, eh?
State of Delay, am I right? . . . Hello? Anyone?
And now, for something that hasn't been confirmed but will likely show up. Persona 6 has been on many people's minds lately after leaked images hit the web. While you can't put too much stock in that alone, Sega's move to copyright strike the images did capture everyone's attention even more so.
Now, it's worth noting that developers can have content taken down to stop misinformation from spreading, but hopes are already flying high. Even more so, perhaps, as a prominent leaker with a good track record has put his weight behind Persona 6 making an appearance today.
Thankfully, we don't have to wait long to see how much weight is behind the rumors.
Funnily enough, Persona fans might be eating especially well today. Lately, we've seen another age rating for Persona 4 Revival, which typically means some kind of news is imminent. Where would these shows be without our beloved age rating boards?
As a JRPG fan myself, I think I'd end up feeling quite spoiled if we did get something Persona 6-shaped. After all, Atlus has a great track record, and it was just days ago that we got the reveal of Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, the third entry in the remake of the iconic JRPG.
Great times for games, bad times for my backlog.
There are still a few hours left until the show, so do go and get the snacks in while you can. In fact, I'm going to do just that myself as I hand off to Rollin.
This showcase also marks a big step for Xbox CEO Asha Sharma, being the first SGF for the recently installed executive after she succeeded Phil Spencer earlier this year. She's been quite vocal about the need for change at Xbox, and so this really feels like the moment that we might actually see... what that means.
"We're long on gaming, we're long on Xbox, we'll keep investing, but we've got work to go," Sharma recently said. "You shared the numbers. We're not in a healthy spot, so the next 100 days is going to be about resetting the business."
At the same panel, Sharma also addressed Xbox's exclusivity plans going forward. While certainly not walking back the idea of putting Xbox games on PS5, she did split the difference a bit by acknowledging that Xbox is its own platform – and if you're going to succeed as a platform, you need "exclusive content and service."
"Look, we're the number two publisher in the world, and in order to be a great publisher, you must have your games reach large audiences to play," she said. "At the same time, we're increasingly becoming a platform. In order to be a platform, you must have exclusive content and services. And so, we're looking at that very closely. I think that we have to be very thoughtful about each title, on how we want to think about it, and learn from similar cases in the industry, and that's what we're doing."
With just over an hour to go until the Xbox Games Showcase 2026 actually kicks off, a friendly reminder of exact start times:
- 10am PT
- 1pm ET
- 6pm UK
- 7pm CEST
The absolute surest sign of confidence from Xbox leadership today would, you know, probably be some stellar new game announcements. Not just updates, not just release dates, but entirely new games we didn't even have a sniff about existing.
With only an hour to go, what do you think might make the cut today? What's your absolutely wildest prediction? Any chance we get something like Clair Obscur: Expedition 67? (It's June 7, after all.) Or, be still my heart, a new Valkyria Chronicles announcement? A man can dream.
Hello! Andy Brown, Features Editor, stepping in for the last hour before the Xbox Games Showcase kicks off.
As a refresher for anyone just joining us, Gears of War: E-day will be under the spotlight tonight, with its own Direct taking place immediately after the showcase. Also expect to hear more from RPGs Fable and Clockwork Revolution, and as my colleague Rollin's already pointed out, a statement of intent from Xbox's new leadership. If leaks are to believed, though, the real star of the show could end up being Persona 6.
I expected to see Metro 2039 at Summer Game Fest's Friday (June 5) stream, but it was a no-show. I'm not ruling out an appearance tonight: Metro 2039 still doesn't have an exact release date beyond its broad 2026 window, and tonight would be a big stage for developer 4A Games to announce an autumn or winter date. Call it wish fulfillment, call it the words of a man who reinstalled the original game within moments of Metro 2039's announcement, but I really do think we'll see more of the shooter tonight.
More on those Persona 6 rumors I mentioned earlier: while Atlus recently warned of fraudsters posing as its developers, it's now being reported that the studio will reveal Persona 6 at the Xbox Games Showcase. That remains to be seen, but with Persona 4 Revival seemingly involved as well, it looks to be a promising night for fans of the RPG series.
Oscar Taylor-Kent, Games Editor, here, hopping in as the minutes count down towards even more summer gaming reveals. Andy has gotten me excited with his Persona and Metro predictions. With the show building towards a big deep dive into Gears of War E-Day, we know where it'll ultimately land, at least.
We know the showcase will cover both a general showcase and the Gears of War E-Day specific showcase, seamlessly moving from one to the other, so stick with me here and I will be covering both section as they happen. In the meantime, wish me luck keeping my typing fingers dust-free as I try to shovel snacks into my mouth without getting them dirty.
We're ready and right in for some Gears of War E-Day! I'd have expected this to come at the end, so perhaps this is a teaser for now? Nevertheless, a city street is thrown into chaos erupt through the street (as they are wont to do). It's gruelling to see it happen to an unprepared city of civilians, though, for sure.
I'll admit I've been a bit sceptical about demystifying E-Day as an event, as a fan of the original Gears of War. But, if there's ever been a time to dig deeper into the destruction wrought by the emergence it might be now. Technically speaking, the detail of this destruction is quite striking.
With UI and everything, we get to see Marcus pushing up through a department store as debris flies. It's nice to get a look at the game in action proper, and blood is splattering the characters, looking particular gnarly. With a fairly unobtrusive UI, the visuals get the chance to shine.
It's all classic Gears of War action so far, with meaty gunfire and sealing emergence holes with frag grenades. New emergence holes requiring tactical thinking as you re-interrogate how to defend in dense space.
A bit of a twist as at one point Marcus mantles up some of the store's shelving to jump across. There's a chance there may be some more dynamic verticality at play.
A supercut of action showing Marcus Fenix out of his jacket and into the armor we all know and love teases action. The game is out Oct 6, 2026, so not long to wait at all. Day one on Game Pass, of course. There should be more in a deeper dive following the main showcase, though at almost 10 minutes it's been a big portion of the main event so far. I guess this is the big thing, huh?
GoW E-Day has been announced as an Xbox Console exclusive. So, those who enjoyed the first game's remaster on PS5, erm, ouch.
"Do I remember the moment my powers came in?" says a character with a staff and leather jacket looking out across a misty scene. She does, as it turns out. During a traumatic event.
From PlayGround Games, this is a look at Fable, and specifically Isabel, the Hero of Wraithmarch, as she talks about the player character hero and we get a montage of action. "A hero knows how to live with their choices," she affirms, before the trailer cuts to some comical swearing.
Still, for the most part, this is a pretty serious looking fantasy trailer with some dark action. Sure, Fable isn't always jokes. In the end, it seems like Isabel may be a bit of a villain? It's out Feb 23, 2027, and will, like most here, be available Day One on Game Pass.
Now it's time for some Halo!
"One year before the ring", we're promised a story "we haven't heard".
The Needler looks great in action with some shiny new graphics.
Three new missions come to Halo Campaign Evolved, the big remake of the first Hal - and seem to be prequels to the original's campaign.
Here's a look at that Gears of War E-Day opener.
Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy up next, shifting the spotlight to Sophia in this prequel adventure. Handy in a fight, this has a different rhythm to the more horror, depowered centric first two Plague Tale games. There's a bit of a Tomb Raider vibe to some of the ancient temples she's running through. It's out Aug 27 across multiple platforms.
Now we enter The Midnight Channel with a proper look at Persona 4 Revival finally. Like the Persona 3 Reload remake, the PS2 original looks way more detailed than before, with some really vibrant colors. The Baton Pass is, like P3R, added here, and special moves look very flashy.
It's out Feb 18, 2027!
And a look at the new Fable trailer!
State of Decay 3 up next, which has been dark for a while.
A look at plenty of zombie destroying violence and some gruesome infected as players explore the world with rain pouring down.
Narration implies the zombies are evolving and becoming more dangerous. "They hunt." Special infected types run at players, spewing acid and the like. Seems intense!
State of Decay 3 is coming out 2027!
Sea of Thieves is getting a free 'Custom Seas' update that allows player to create their own ways to play. We get a look at 'Rowboat Royale', one such creation, and 'Skeleton Sniper Hunt'. For a game all about spotlighting the player base, it fits the bill. It also seems like you'll be able to use it as a storytelling or social tool as well. A nice idea for a game that's been ongoing for so long to empower the community in this way.
It's out June 18.
Give Andy a point, here's Metro 2039!
It looks like the world of Metro, erm, isn't going too well. Evil looking soldiers patrol, fires spread, and innocents are killed. In the turmoil, it's up to us to protect the metro, and it looks like all the gunplay against humans and mutants has real impact.
Pleasingly, plenty of whirring gadgets are also being shown off for that tactile Metro vibe.
Metro 2039 is releasing February 2027.
It seemed like a cute little bird game was going to provide a break from all the shooting, but despite the delightful graphics this bird seems to be up to no good, causing sheer chaos through each new area we see. Fireworks are unleashed, a cigarette burns down flowers, squawks into a megaphone...
Bad Magpie is coming out in 2027. Are you a bad enough magpie to, erm, accomplish something or other?
A world premiere from Koei Tecmo and Team Ninja now! They are, as ever, mega busy. This is giving me some Wo Long vibes, because it IS Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember. To be honest I didn't expect this underrated Sekiro-like to get a sequel. Get that original played!
It's releasing Early 2027.
Now for a cheery look at some kind of cult leader simulator that allows you to cause havoc either solo or in four-player co-op.
That's Join Us, coming March 2027.
Another world premiere from Xbox Game Studios now. Jumping in with some in-game footage.
Yep, this sure looks like some Hellblade! Hellblade 3?
A big light in the sky as Senua runs through some gnarly environments. She cuts a man's back with a sword and then uses his own flaming torch to burn his back.
Lots of combat being shown off showing combat against large groups and some gruesome violence, less tight looking than how I remember Hellblade 2, but these cuts have been pretty quick.
This is simply: Senua. And it's coming 2027.
Bethesda now for a Fallout 76 update! You can't say they don't keep giving their loyal players more content.
OK, more from Bethesda! That's the Doom Slayer alright. Doom: The Dark Ages DLC?
A mysterious sceptre promises to help the Slayer find their way out of some kind of cursed personal hell. With the shield shown as destroyed, this seems to be a new sidearm that'll take its place at least temporarily.
This spear can be thrown like a grapple chain for the slayer to fling up into the air and around enemies.
"Hell freezes over" this Summer, it says. Doom: The Dark Ages: Revelations comes out July 7.
A man with a hot dog stand dutifully stacks cans before Crazy Taxi whizzes by to The Offspring! We're so back.
YA-YA-YA-YA-YA.
That's Crazy Taxi: World Tour, coming 2027. Yep, we're going beyond San Fran.
We're transported to the past to see the original Xbox transform into an Xbox Series X for the 25th anniversary, with a suitably transparent green plastic design. Settling down, Halo Campaign Evolver is on the screen. This new limited edition console will be available in November.
A strategy game next, as armies clash and (perhaps just as importantly) gatherers chop down wood. This is Age of Empires 4: Raiders of the North expansion due Fall 2026.
Mojang Studios up next with a Minecraft thing, with some cool action animation showing a sword-wielding hero cut down enemies - then joined by another three characters with their own weapons.
Cutting to gameplay, we get a top-down view of players fighting through dungeons together with Minecraft-style visuals. You guessed it, this is Minecraft Dungeons 2, coming September 29.
World Premiere? Don't mind if I do. Focus Entertainment and Uppercut Games on this one, as we zoom in on a theater performance, with theatrical narration. The show? The Devil's Deal. Shadow puppetry. Cute! This seems to be a magician-themed game.
I'm guessing this isn't Now You See Me Origins.
The narrator? A/the devil. And the magician breaks free of the shadow puppetry to tear through enemies with first-person magical combat. With playing cards and a classic-looking white-tipped wand, I really dig this vibe. Can't wait to see more.
Magicians: The Devil's Deal is coming 2027
"What would you give for victory?" we're asked, as soldiers patrol a fiery battlefield while also being on fire themselves. Looks like another look at Valor Mortis, a sort of first-person soulslike with intense melee action.
Vincent Cassel stars as Napoleon, neat! It comes out September 24.
We previewed Valor Mortis last year, as well!
The Elder Scrolls Online brings back The Thieves Guild, showing off some thieving missions ranging from breaking and entering to stealing from convoys.
The Elder Scrolls Online Thieves Guild update is coming out July 8.
'Celebrating the beauty of the United States' this next game has worked with real national parks to bring you some admittedly gorgeous locations to fly through. This appears to be a Microsoft Flight Simulator update with Death Valley, Yosemite, Crater Lake, and more as new locations.
Also, it's getting new air races!
Where Winds Meet is getting an update, with a trailer spotlighting some beautiful environments to explore (and some combat too, I guess). "The battle has only just begun," a narrator tells us. Are you ready to finish the fight?
That's Where Winds Meet: Hidden Mountain coming July 2026.
Celebrating Castlevania's 40th anniversary, a new look at Castlevania: Belmont's Curse, a new 2D entry in the series. With a look at a dense castle map, this seems to be a detailed and chunky entry in the series. Powers include gravity-flipping, and jumping inside a painting. Combat is looking slick too. It's coming out October 15, 2026. Fitting!
Serenity Forge and Studio Meadowflower up next, with a gorgeous looking Ghibli-esque art style. Exploring a town with detailed backgrounds, there appears to be plenty to discover as you dig up treasure and the like. This is giving me some Attack of the Friday Monsters vibes, though a zoom-out showing the world in a terrarium of sorts teases a deeper narrative.
Vivarium is coming 2027
Atlus up next. Dare I dream for Persona 6?
The camera pans over what seems to be a cemetery in the pouring rain, lingering on a large statue before a montage of creepy imagery.
Yep, this is Persona 6! And yes, it IS green. But, just a teaser.
A world premiere! AND IT'S SPYRO! The purple dragon is back, running and then soaring into the sky as he looks towards an ominous tower.
Spyro: A Realm Beyond shows off some flight-based gameplay and is due Spring 2027.
Clockwork Revolution next, a steampunk RPG from inXile, and we get a look at some of the game's core characters as we cut between some gorgeous first-person environments. Anne Fucking Barrow is here and accounted for.
The narrative of the trailer shifts to bringing together some of these disparate and large personalities to perform a heist. I'm always game for a heist plot that's for sure, so I'm hoping to see more of that in the full game.
Time then shifts 25 years before the heist goes wrong, and it seems that the RPG will revolve around shifting elements between time periods to try to turn the tide in your favor. It's an ambitious premise, but this steampunk RPG is looking very promising so far, and might be my personal most anticipated new Xbox game after this look.
Clockwork Revolution is coming in 2027, and also being clearly marked as an Xbox Console Exclusive.
Both Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 and the upcoming movie are mentioned as MW4's new DMZ is introduced.
We're taken into what seems to be a North Korean home as a national broadcast is interspersed with environment shots with rain and snow coming down. Then we see an 'exclusion zone' which is secure. It's here that DMZ will be set, and from which you'll need to be careful to exfiltrate from intact. Heading underground, the use of night-vision is emphasised, before a player is taken by surprise and quickly downed by an enemy.
"Oh, hell yeah," - exactly what I would say in a deadly military scenario. Encounters look especially tense in Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4's new DMZ, especially when you come under fire. Blood splatter seems like it could disorient, but in a good way. Lots of nice attention to detail with sound design as well. Exfilling like this will give me nightmares.
"Extract or die trying," we're reminded. CoD MW4 is out October 23 with an upcoming playtest in July.
Now it's time for the Gears of War E-Day Direct, so stay tuned if you want to find out more about the long-awaited prequel coming from The Coalition.
This prequel digs into titular Emergence Day, during which the fate of humanity changed forever, leading into the destroyed and deadly world in the first game.
Moving into UE5, The Coalition were thinking about what defined the Gears of War series. They wanted to evoke the vibes of the original game, and revisited the iconic Mad World trailer for inspiration. It felt like everything they felt represented Gears' themes was present in the E-Day storyline, but only now have the technology to really do it justice.
"Seamless large scale environments", ray-traced lighting, and real-time destruction are present here, and everything has been rebuilt from scratch for this new look into the Gears universe.
"Feels like Gears, but plays like new," is the thinking here, aiming to replicate the vibe of playing Gears 1 at launch.
The Gears have returned home, and we get a look at Marcus and Dom as young vets returning to civilian life. Carlos Santiago, as we know, passed away, and they drink to his memory. Thankfully, they don't need to re-adjust to the realities of normal life for long.
It's an origin story for both 'a brotherhood coming together' and the Gears world.
It kicks off with a night of "desperate survival in a brand new city". E-Day focuses on just one city to really dig into the affects of E-Day on a real feeling scale.
Attention has gone onto replicating the architecture, technology, and vehicle designs of the Gears world we know in increased fidelity.
The campaign will move through Kalona's different districts - working class neighborhoods, industry, and more.
Gears "plays best in a city" we're told, which is one reason for focusing on Kalona as the setting. We're also promised the environment will have more verticality, but that you'll still feel heavy.
Rebuilt movement and cover systems make "more organic" space, from taking really low cover to sliding. And yes, YOU CAN JUMP.
The Coalition have been staying true to "that great Gears combat puzzle" even with the new features. This is still Gears, after all, and will weave together both small and large areas to fight through - even at times allowing you to explore almost whole neighborhoods as you try to decide tactically on how to approach firefights. In co-op, you can even try different approaches at once to flank foes as a true squad.
Kalona is the "largest and most complex location you've ever seen in a Gears game," we're told. We get a look at how detailed it is.
"You're watching a live city get ripped apart in front of you," we're told. Attention is being paid to making sure you really feel that, in contrast to the modern Gears timeline feeling like an already mostly "dead" world.
"E-holes are back." The iconic emergence loop for spawning returns. It does feel like a core part of the GoW combat flow, so it's good to see it still part of the series, from throwing frags to seal them, to dealing with new emergences from across an arena.
"It's the fall of Kalona." It's neat to see so much detail be placed on this single location, and it'll be cool to dig into it. After all, this is an "intimate story", so an equally tightknit environment is a good thematic parallel.
"Intense war movies" inspired "intentionally gritty" cinematic design in Gears of War E-Day.
"Fans of the books" are being well-served as well, tipping the cap to the expanded universe of Gears of War.
The Coalition address the trickiness of increasing the fidelity on the deeply stylized look of classic Gears of War, and the aim is to keep returning characters recognizable even though they have more detail. Anecdotally, we're told that Marcus' eyelashes have more detail than his entire model did in the original game.
This time, the locusts are "scarier", we're told. It's true, they look pretty gnarly. The spider-like Weavers can climb on the walls dynamically, and it's enough to make me wince.
"Gears of War has never been a horror game, but the world has always felt horrifying." A new gore system shows some really horrible violence, which is sure to be satisfying as locusts crumble and warp from gunfire. Yep, you can blast off their limbs, of course.
We get a look at a new COG grenade launcher with armor piercing rounds, which can also be manually detonated. Neat!
An incinerator shotgun actually melts enemy flesh, and it looks a bit like an axe, as well.
The Lancer is back, natrually - the chainsaw-sporting rifle. "Nice!" says Marcus Fenix.
The creation of the Lancer will respect the lore, we're told, and you'll see it evolve through a kitbashed-version to something closer to what we're familiar with from modern timeline Gears of War
"The electric guitar returns" and is "pushed into uncomfortable territory". The aim is to create dissonance to E-Day's music with some strange, unnatural sounds. The same goes for sound design. "All chainsaws have voices," we're told, and the Lancer required them to go back to finding out the model and make of the original sound effects.
Now we shift GEARS to looking at co-op. All four characters are playable, with two-player split-screen available locally.
In PvP, maps are designed to feel like classic battles, while embracing new traversal modes.
Foreword siege is a 12-player mode that focuses on defending Kalona co-operatively.
A reminder that we're celebrating 20 years of Gears. "It always comes back to the squad."
"Getting through the shittiest of times with someone else who has your back."
We take a moment to reflect on Marcus and Dom's relationship.
"Never fight alone," is the core motto of The Coalition, we're told, reflecting on how they work together as a studio, and what they aim to craft in their games. "There's always a place for you in the Gears squad."
Gears of War E-Day is coming October 6, 2026.
Now, a sizzle reel of everything we've seen throughout the Xbox Games Showcase 2026. New announcements, long-awaited updates, and more. What's been your favorite? Let me know if the comments!
There we go, with that the event is at a close. But, there's still lots happening at the moment, so keep up with it all in our Summer Preview as we bring you deeper looks into these games and more!
