Everything shown at today’s Xbox Games Showcase and Starfield Direct

Xbox gets ready to showcase what’s ahead

It’s been a busy weekend of streams, and today was one of the big ones. Microsoft took to the stage in Los Angeles for its dual-header of the Xbox Games Showcase 2023 and its Starfield Direct. The first half is all about Xbox, between its first-party and third-party offerings, while the latter puts the lens squarely on Bethesda’s impending RPG.

The summer may be a little off this year without E3, but today’s show felt strong to me. Maybe it’s the sheer variety, from new originals to first-party reveals. Or maybe it’s that, even with some leaks, Xbox managed to get a few moments of surprise. As far as trailer-bonanzas go, I feel like it was a good one. A lot of the games are aimed towards 2024, though.

Still, with a big Cyberpunk update and the massive Starfield arriving this year, we certainly won’t be lacking for things to play until then. Here’s everything Microsoft spotlighted in its 2023 Xbox Games Showcase.

Everything shown at Xbox Games Showcase 2023

• First up is Fable—we’re getting that lingering question mark out of the way early. It’s a charming mood-setter for Playground, featuring a vegetable enthusiast/giant and a hero on a journey. No firm details.
• South of Midnight looks like a Southern fantasy, which is a great set-up. It’s from Compulsion Games, the We Happy Few crew, so it could be pretty interesting.
• Ubisoft Massive reveals Star Wars Outlaws, an action-driven game about scoundrels in the Star Wars universe. That’s set for 2024 on Xbox Series X|S, and you won’t have to wait for more, as there will be some gameplay at tomorrow’s Ubisoft Forward.
• Thunder Lotus, the team behind cozy afterlife sim Spiritfarer, are here with a giant raid party game. What looks like a pretty big number of players can team up in the top-down action game 33 Immortals. That’s set for 2024 on Xbox Series X|S.

• Payday 3 is set for September 21, and looks to be more heisting and stealing for a party of players. The second entry was a long-running co-op stand-by, so I’m glad those folks are getting something new to dive into soon.
• Here’s the Persona 3 Reload announcement that leaked early. But while the surprise may have been swept out from under the reveal, it still looks phenomenal.
• Obsidian is next up, with a big look at Avowed, its fantasy RPG. That’s set for 2024 on PC and Xbox Series X|S, and looks like it’s got plenty of magic and mystery waiting.
• Rare and Lucasfilm are teaming up for a Sea of Thieves crossover into Monkey Island, which makes so much sense that I’m surprised it hasn’t happened yet. It arrives for free on July 20.

• Microsoft Flight Simulator is getting search and rescue, skydiving transport, industrial transport, and more. Plus, air racing! It seems like a titanic update for Flight Sim, which is already an impressively huge game, in 2024.
• Oh, and a Dune firefly vehicle is coming to Flight Sim too. Even in the sim world, the spice must flow.
• Ninja Theory has a new update on Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II. Ninja Theory keeps on impressing with its visuals and graphics, as well as the anxiety-inducing audio design. It’s a very moody trailer for a showcase, but at least we finally have a launch window: 2024.
• Oh hell yeah, it’s Ryu Ga Gotoku’s time on the showcase, and we’ve got the shining behind of Ichiban Kasuga here. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth looks pretty wild, and is easily a contender for best trailer of the summer.

• Fallout 76 gets a little trailer for its Atlantic City update, with a fittingly Fallout teaser.
• Capcom premieres Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, an original game. The publisher has been on a spree of hits so far, so I’m keen to see what new IP they’re putting together. It’s certainly gorgeous.
• The Forza team is showing off some cars, which are also coming to Forza Motorsport. Engines start revving on October 10, 2023.
• Elder Scrolls Online has its own update on the way,
• Overwatch 2 is here with some of its re-tooled PvE content, after Blizzard called off its original plans. It looks like we’re getting some story scenes and character action, at the least. A new mode is on the way with Flashpoint, plus Hero Mastery and other content like a firing range. That hits August 10.

• Here’s the second Atlus leak, which I’m very excited for: Persona 5 Tactica, a tactics RPG starring the P5 cast. That’s set for November 17. Here’s hoping for some Fire Emblem-style social links!
• Starfield is here, and it really feels like Microsoft is pushing hard on this. A giant showcase trailer showing off gameplay, worlds, and more, with a reminder of its impending September release date and the Direct coming after the showcase.
• Jusant seems like a climbing-focused game. There’s a neat tangibility to aspects of this, like the rappel line hanging out from the character’s side as they leap and clamber. I really dig it.
• The Chinese Room has some new horror with Still Wakes the Deep, coming in early 2024. It’s set on an oil derrick, it seems, which seems like a bad place to be trapped with any monsters.
• Oh wow, Dungeons of Hinterberg is a game with a gorgeous look coming in 2024. Will be keeping an eye out for this one!
• Keanu’s back for more Cyberpunk 2077, via the upcoming expansion Phantom Liberty. The story takes place during the events of 2077 and takes V into Dogtown, to help the president of the NUSA. Idris Elba plays a major role in the story for this one, and even looks to add onto the relic struggles for V. The expansion arrives September 26.

• Cities Skylines 2 arrives on October 24, bringing some serene city-building and management.
• Atlus is here again, with more RPG action in a fantasy drama that looks really, really good. Like, just checking every box I want: grim fantasy, Persona style, gorgeous menus, everything. It’s called Metaphor: ReFantazio, and I cannot wait to see more.
• Stoic is showing off Towerborne, an animated fantasy about defending humanity from the monsters coming in 2024.
• InXile is here with the steampunk fantasy world of Clockwork Revolution. It’s a first-person shooter with an interesting vibe. No window yet, as it’s arriving in “due time,” but could be pretty neat.
• Phil Spencer heads to the stage with an Xbox Series S, carbon blac, with a 1 TB SSD. It’s $349.99 and arrives on September 1.

• That’s it for the Xbox Games Showcase 2023. It’s time for Starfield, so let’s drop a new header and discuss!

Everything shown in the Starfield Direct

• Todd Howard’s up first, talking a bit more about the drive and how they’ve never made a game like this. Space may be a new frontier, though I feel like my jump skill in Oblivion definitely pierced low-orbit at one point.
• Both first and third-person gameplay confirmed. We’ve also got a handy scanner and resource collecting too.
• We get more and more gameplay, spotlight a lot of what the player can do. The spaceships already look pretty great.
• The focus heads to New Atlantis, a massive city. Bethesda’s doing a lot to make it look lived-in and full.
• There’s some faction info, too. We get a look at some of the characters set to play a big role in the story.
• The galaxy UI gave me such heavy Mass Effect vibes that I thought I heard the map screen music in my head. And now, you do too.
• I love seeing traits as an option in character creation.
• Here we get a look at different abilities characters can build into. Everything from stealth and jetpacks to animal training is here. And we already know there’s some jetpack fun to be had in Starfield.
• Ships have a ton of customization options, with lots of parts to interlock and rearrange. Kingdom Hearts Gummi Ship sickos finally have something new to latch onto.
• Romance confirmed!
• There’s a Starfield watch, controller, and headset on the way. They look great!
• Customizable homes and outposts are great to see. Who doesn’t want a little home on the range… err, space-range.
• This feels like the big, pre-release deep dive to really confirm that everything’s locked in for September. And it seems like there’s quite a bit riding on Starfield, so the confidence does feel appropriate. We’ll see how it all comes together in just a few short months.

That’s all for both the Xbox Games Showcase 2023 and the Starfield Direct. If you’ve got thoughts on how Xbox’s game showcase came together, drop ’em below!