Xbox Showcase 2024: The Biggest Game Reveals, Trailers, and Other News

The sheer number and variety of games shown off gives fans plenty to look forward to in 2024 and 2025.

Microsoft’s Xbox Showcase 2024 event on Sunday has been widely praised by fans for the variety and quality of games that were announced. From the hack-and-slash Doom series to fan-favourite Gears of War, several high-profile franchises are getting updates and fresh instalments. Many of the biggest reveals came as surprises, and there was some hardware news as well. Here are all the highlights.

New Digital-Only Xbox Series X and White Series S

Microsoft will be shaking up its Xbox portfolio with a new discless, digital-only Series X console, and it will be available only in white with 1TB of storage space for $449.99 (Approximately Rs. 37,575 before taxes). There will also be a special edition Series X with a disc drive, 2TB of storage space, and a new “Galaxy Black” finish with grey and green speckles representing “thousands of games and millions of gamers”. This model will come with an exclusive matching controller and will be priced at $599.99 (approximately Rs. 50,016). Finally, there’s a new 1TB Xbox Series S in Robot White, which will replace the otherwise identical Carbon Black version in “select markets” for $349.99 (approximately Rs. 29,225). There are no release dates or exact prices for global regions yet. 

Some critics have been looking at Microsoft’s performance in this generation’s console race and its recent decisions to release formerly exclusive games on competing platforms as signs that the company will abandon console hardware altogether. However, Xbox division President Sarah Bond has affirmed that a next-gen Xbox is in the works, and that Microsoft’s strategy still involves consoles along with PCs and cloud gaming.

However, there was no sign of the previously leaked new premium Xbox controller and no mention of a rumoured handheld Xbox gaming console.

Doom: The Dark Ages

The long-awaited followup to Doom Eternal will be a prequel that sheds light on the origin of the Doom Slayer himself. Set against a medieval fantasy backdrop on the planet Argent D’Nur, our favourite BFG-wielding protagonist must protect his gods from the forces of hell. Expect fresh monsters and weapons along with several familiar ones. The trailer also shows off a new shield that doubles as a throwable chainsaw-frisbee as well as a melee flail. Players can even expect to ride a dragon and control a giant mecha at some point. And of course there’ll be plenty of blood and gore. Doom: The Dark Ages is coming to Xbox, PC and PlayStation some time in 2025.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard

Fans have been waiting for the next Dragon Age instalment from BioWare since 2018, and now there’s finally some detail. Previously known as Dreadwolf, the game now has a new title and will expand upon stories from earlier titles in the series. You’ll need to enlist the help of several companions, each with their own skills and abilities, as you make your way through swarms of enemies. A gameplay trailer will drop on June 11, and the game is expected to release this fall on Xbox and PC.

Starfield: Shattered Space

This new expansion for Starfield will have players embarking on a mission to investigate an abandoned classified star station that has been overrun with unknown creatures. Players will find themselves on a new planet, investigating a new “cosmic threat”. The expansion brings new gear and weapons, and will drop sometime in 2024. However players can already get their hands on a new Creator Kit which will allow them to share mods with other players.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

Launching on Xbox, PC and PlayStation on October 25, the next COD title will be set in the early 1990s, when a “shadowy force” infiltrates the US government. Users will have multiple new movement options such as sprinting, sliding and diving, as the Black Ops forces turn renegade to defeat this new enemy. Multiple game modes including Classic Prestige and Round Based Zombies complement the game’s main campaign.

Gears of War: E-day

E-day, or Emergence Day, is when a horde of subterranean monsters emerge from the ground to attack human civilisation. Set 14 years before the original Gears of War, players learn how the original protagonists of the series began their war against the Locust invasion. Players can expect the franchise’s trademark third-person action gameplay plus an emotional, character-led story arc that explores the relationship between Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago as they come to terms with their new nightmare. 

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024

Described as “the most ambitious consumer flight simulator ever undertaken”, Microsoft is of course giving dedicated flight sim enthusiasts an even more detailed rendition of the Earth, more planes, and more realistic air traffic conditions. Leveraging today’s graphics and machine learning technology, players will be able to participate in aerial search-and-rescue missions, cargo operations, running VIP charters, while experiencing what it means to progress in their careers as pilots. It’s launching on Xbox and PC on November 19.

Other First Looks and Reveals

There was something for everyone at the 2024 Xbox Showcase, including first looks at some long-awaited games and some brand new surprises from Microsoft’s own studios as well as other publishers. Attendees saw the first gameplay trailers for Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, Age of Mythology: Retold, South of Midnight, and Perfect Dark.

The next instalment of the Fable series was revealed, along with trailers for Atomfall, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, State of Decay 3, and Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn. New competitive FPS game Fragpunk and multiplayer shooter Mecha Break, plus musical narrative adventure Mixtape and nature survival adventure Winter Burrow were revealed. Life is Strange: Double Exposure, Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl, and Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater expand on their popular franchises. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle was confirmed to release later this year. Plus, online games Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred, The Elder Scrolls Online, Fallout 76: Skyline Valley, Sea of Thieves, and World of Warcraft: The War Within showed off fresh content.