Xbox couldn’t stay out of the No-E3 and organized its own showcase. The presentation lasted over an hour and featured around thirty games coming to Microsoft platforms. The event included appearances by Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer, Head of Xbox Game Studios Matt Booty, and Xbox President Sarah Bond. At the end of the showcase, the Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Direct kicked off, offering detailed information about Activision’s next blockbuster.
Call of Duty Black Ops 6
The first announcement of the event spotlighted Activision’s flagship series, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, with an impressive trailer that combined cinematics, gameplay, and real-life footage. This new installment is set in the early 1990s, following the fall of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War. While the trailer primarily showcased its stunning single-player campaign, the game will also feature multiplayer modes, including the return of the zombie mode filled with hordes of undead to take down with friends. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will arrive on October 25 for PS4, PS5, Xbox Series, Xbox One, and PC via Battlenet and Steam. Game Pass subscribers will be able to enjoy it from day one at no additional cost.
DOOM: The Dark Ages
There had been much speculation online about the possibility of Bethesda announcing a new entry in ID Software’s flagship series, and in the end, expectations were met. The king of FPS is back. DOOM: The Dark Ages will be a prequel to DOOM (2016) and DOOM Eternal. This new adventure takes us to medieval times, once again controlling the beloved DOOM Slayer. The reveal trailer was nothing short of spectacular and gave us a preview of some new mechanics, such as the use of a shield that can block attacks, stun enemies, and even be thrown Captain America-style. Players will also get to control giant mechs to battle colossal foes, including a flying mech for aerial combat. All of this is delivered with the quality and attention to detail that the series is known for. The game is set to launch sometime in 2025 for Xbox Series, PC, and PlayStation 5, and it will be available on Game Pass from day one.
Starfield: Shattered Space
One of the other big speculations of the event was whether we’d see any announcements related to Bethesda’s latest RPG. The predictions were correct; Starfield will receive its first expansion. Starfield Shattered Space will bring a wealth of new content, expand the original story, and add new planets, weapons, suits, and more. The DLC will be available in 2024, though no release date has been announced yet. It will be available to players who own the game’s digital premium version or the Constellation edition. It has yet to be confirmed whether Game Pass users will have access to it or will need to purchase it separately.
Fallout 76 Skyline Valley
Fallout’s massive online multiplayer couldn’t be left out of the event. A charming trailer introduced the next update for Fallout 76, titled Skyline Valley. This update features a map expansion of the same name, located in the map’s southern region, crossing the Savage Divide into the forests formerly known as Shenandoah National Park. This expansion includes striking new locations, with a constant crimson-toned electric storm flooding the skies and the mysterious Vault 63. New missions, public events, regional bosses, daily operations, items, weapons, mobs, and much more are also being added. This update kicks off Season 17, titled the Skyline Valley Scouts, which has been available since June 12. Lastly, it was announced that something fans of this brilliant post-apocalyptic RPG have been dreaming of for a while, especially after the massive success of Amazon’s series, will finally come true next year—we’ll be able to play as a Ghoul.
Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater
Konami also participated in the event with a spectacular trailer for the remake of Metal Gear Solid 3. The best part is that the video is entirely composed of gameplay and cinematics rendered in the game’s engine, with no CGI or gimmicks, further building anticipation following the initial trailer shared over a year ago. It looks absolutely amazing, with more realistic graphics and environments than ever before. The care and effort the development team is putting into the eagerly awaited Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater are evident, in stark contrast to the turbulence experienced by Bloober Team with its Silent Hill 2 remake. Snake’s return in his first mission doesn’t yet have a release date, but it is already available for pre-order on Xbox Series, PS5, and Steam.
Fable
Playground Games made an appearance at the event, presenting a new trailer for Fable. Like last year, the video featured a famous British comedian, this time Matt King, who also appeared in the British comedy show “The IT Crowd.” Another fantastic trailer with stunning visuals combined action scenes with plenty of humor, further building our excitement. At least this time, they shared the release year, although there’s still no specific window. We’ll have to wait until 2025 to return to the wacky adventures in the fascinating nation of Albion. This highly anticipated saga reboot will arrive on Xbox Series and PC via Steam, and the best part is that it will be available on Game Pass from day one.
Mecha BREAK
Mecha Break had already impressed us with its excellent trailer revealed at this year’s Summer Game Fest. This time, the video focused much more on the action than on customizing the mechs. What we saw left us wanting more, with plenty of action, transformations, aerial and ground battles, destructible environments, all backed by top-tier graphics and smooth performance suitable for the most demanding players. This adrenaline-fueled multiplayer action game will arrive on Xbox Series and PC in 2025, but we can try its beta this August by registering through its official website.
