Xbox Games Showcase predictions - 20 games you could see in June

Sunday, June 9 will arguably be the biggest day of the year for Xbox gamers, as Microsoft’s annual Xbox Games Showcase will be back in town. With a very promising slate of upcoming first-party games and loads of rumors flying around at the minute about some of its biggest franchises, we’re anticipating a blockbuster showcase.

To expel some of our pent-up excitement for the Xbox Showcase, we decided to do some jumping jacks – when that didn’t work, we settled on speculating about which existing and new Xbox games might feature. From no-brainer picks like the next Call of Duty and Fable, to hopium-fuelled predictions like a new Quake game, we’ve assembled 20 bold predictions from across The Loadout team.

It’s also worth noting that we’re just focusing on individual game announcements here – any announcements regarding hardware, movie or TV spinoffs of the best Xbox games, or more exclusives being shipped off to PlayStation are being parked to one side for now. We’ve also divided our predictions into three sections – very likely, likely, and hopeful.

Very likely

Activision Blizzard games on Game Pass

Alright, alright, we know that straight out the gate we’re bending our own rule about only including individual games, but this would be a significant reveal for Xbox players. We think there’s a very strong chance that there will be an announcement regarding more Activision Blizzard games being added to Xbox Game Pass. Sure, Microsoft could announce this with its usual twice-monthly blog posts about its new Game Pass games, but with it being potentially such a big moment for the subscription service, that feels quite underwhelming.

Diablo 4 is already sitting pretty in the Game Pass library, but we know there’s more to come. When Microsoft acquired Bethesda, a mammoth drop of 20 games hit the service all at once fairly soon after the deal closed. We’re hoping that a similarly big drop of games – which could include series like Spyro, Crash Bandicoot, Call of Duty, and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater – is on the cards.

Call of Duty Black Ops 6

As was the case with Starfield the year prior, one massive new Xbox game is getting its own dedicated Direct straight after this year’s main showcase: Call of Duty Black Ops 6. Despite initially being billed as the mysterious “[REDACTED] Direct” (ironic, given Microsoft’s past headaches when it comes to redacting things), we now have official confirmation that Black Ops 6 is the game in question. The new entry in the Black Ops series from Treyarch is set during the Gulf War, and we can’t wait to see it.

Call of Duty has already said that we’ll see some gameplay during the Direct, but more specifically we’re expecting a release date reveal, a campaign mission playthrough, some early multiplayer details, and an intro to Zombies – the full works. If this Direct is looking to be as big as last year’s COD Next event, there’s a good chance a brigade of content creators will also be milling around playing an early build and giving their thoughts.

Given COD’s free-to-play battle royale Warzone always receives major new content when a fresh COD game drops, we may even get a tease as to what’s in the pipeline there as well.

Starfield Shattered Space DLC

With Starfield’s first DLC, Shattered Space, scheduled for a Fall 2024 release, the June showcase seems like the perfect time and place to do two things: tee up the narrative that we’ll be embarking on, and hopefully give us a firm release date.

We’re not expecting anything too elaborate here – a short and sweet story trailer that teases any key characters or destinations would be enough to get Starfield fans rubbing their hands together. But if we were to get a deeper dive into Shattered Space with some developer insights and gameplay footage as well, then even better.

Avowed

Obsidian Entertainment’s Avowed has been lingering in our minds since that gorgeous key art was made available as an Xbox dynamic theme. Set to merge the studio’s midas touch in the RPG genre with epic fantasy lore, Avowed could be the adventure game you’re looking for if Bethesda’s Starfield disappointed you last year. We’ve already seen loads of tasty gameplay snippets, showcasing the game’s deep combat systems and beautiful art direction, so Obsidian really needs to up the ante with Avowed’s next public appearance.

We expect to see a fresh look at the game’s story, and how it incorporates the lore of the RPG game’s predecessor, Pillars of Eternity. We also need a firm release date to scrawl into our calendars, so we think there’s a strong chance that could be revealed.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

We’re still on the fence about Indiana Jones and The Great Circle, but the prospect of going on a new adventure with Indy has our collective imagination running wild. The transition to a mostly-first-person perspective is certainly a jarring move, especially as Harrison Ford’s visage is part of the magic. We’re expecting to see more gameplay at the Xbox Showcase, expanding on the game’s puzzle segments and combat mechanics. Interestingly, we haven’t seen Indy brandish a firearm yet, but we have to assume his trusty revolver will be available to players.

The Great Circle is already slated to be coming to Xbox Game Pass on day one before the end of the year, so we anticipate that (like Avowed) the game’s concrete release date will be confirmed. As Indy won’t be voiced by Harrison Ford, we might also see Troy Baker make an appearance to speak about his interpretation of the character.

Ark 2

Hands up if you wanna see Vin Diesel mess up some dinosaurs? Yep, we see those hands. We’re fairly confident that Ark 2 will feature in June’s showcase – while it isn’t being made by a first-party studio, it is an Xbox exclusive at launch, and it’s one that a lot of Xbox fans appear to have forgotten about.

The upcoming survival game has had two stunning, Diesel-infused cinematic trailers so far, but despite its huge ambition and the promise that an Ark 2 release date would arrive this year, we’ve not actually seen any gameplay yet. We know that huge overhauls to combat, exploration, and more are on the way, so let’s give big Vin a break this time around and let’s see some proper Ark 2 action. 

Gears 6 (and a Gears of War remastered collection?)

Much of 2024’s Xbox discourse has centered around its biggest first-party exclusives heading over to PlayStation. While only a few games have made their way across to PS5 so far, rumors have suggested even legendary Xbox exclusives like Gears of War could follow.

While Marcus Fenix isn’t quite perched on the same pedestal as Master Chief when it comes to Xbox figureheads, it’s no secret that Gears of War remains one of Team Green’s most celebrated franchises. 2024 is expected to be a huge year for Gears, with a movie still reportedly in the works alongside a potential Gears of War Collection – Aaron’s wishlist topper for the Xbox Games Showcase.

Rumored to be rebuilt in Unreal Engine 5, the Halo Master Chief Collection-style compilation would serve as the de facto way to experience Gears’ phenomenal story – a tour de force in shooter narratives. It’ll also most likely bring with it renewed server support, allowing Gears vets and newcomers alike to take up their Torque Bows and light up the leaderboards online.

The release of a Gears Collection would also act as an important precursor to the heavily-anticipated Gears 6 – a game that still hasn’t been unveiled five years after Gears 5 launched in 2019. Fortunately, we should be in for a teaser at the very least, with JD Fenix actor Liam McIntyre sneakily suggesting that we’ll learn more in June – funny, that. Suffice to say, we’re expecting big reveals for both.

Fable

While we are avid Richard Ayoade enjoyers here at The Loadout, it’s time to see some more of Fable. The witty and charming trailer shown at last year’s Xbox Showcase really set the tone for Playground Games’ reboot of the iconic fantasy RPG series, and we think it’ll make another appearance in this year’s extravaganza.

We reckon we’ll hear more about our protagonist and what their quest will actually entail. One aspect of the Fable reboot that’s been heavily discussed is whether the woman we saw in the 2023 trailer is a named, hand-crafted protagonist that everyone will play as, or if there will be character creation for the first time in the series’ history – we hope to see that addressed too.

There’s a good chance that if it does appear in the showcase, we’ll get some kind of Fable release date or window announced as well.

Palworld’s big summer update

Let’s momentarily move away from upcoming games to talk about one that’s already doing numbers. Palworld has probably been Xbox’s biggest success story in 2024 so far – something that still feels hard to comprehend. We know that developer Pocketpair has big things planned for its massive summer update to the co-op survival game, and we’ve had several tastes of it already. We know there are some new Pals, and that PvP battling will be introduced.

The Xbox Showcase comes at the perfect time for Pocketpair to show off even more – and for Microsoft to remind us all just how big a success it’s been on Xbox Game Pass. We wouldn’t be surprised to see a release date for the summer update as well.

Likely

Neon White on Xbox

Neon White is a bit of a cult favorite here at The Loadout. Aaron has been yapping about it ever since they first got their mitts on Angel Matrix’s “heavenly single-player card-based speedrunning FPS game for freaks” back in 2022. Last year’s big ID@Xbox showcase revealed that White and the gang would be making their way to Xbox Game Pass on day one when it launched on the platform. The problem is… it’s still not out.

Not only is Neon White’s core gameplay loop incredibly slick, but titular lead White is voiced by the legendary Steve Blum (Cowboy Bebop’s very own Spike Spiegel) and its breakcore-infused soundtrack has been lovingly crafted by none other than Machine Girl. Needless to say, Neon White is a must-play for anyone with a need for speed, banger music taste, or a thirst for 90s nostalgia.

It’s one of the coolest games to come out of the indie space in recent years, and we reckon there’s a good chance it’ll be reintroduced at the Xbox Games Showcase.

State of Decay 3

We know that a third installment of the genre-mashing survival game series State of Decay is on the way, but we’ve heard very little about it since it was revealed way back in July 2020 – for SoD fans, that’s an age. So, the time feels right for an update.

Recent comments from insider Jez Corden also give us a bit more hope that our prediction here is correct. From what he’s heard about State of Decay 3, it apparently looks “far more impressive than its predecessor” and has a deeper focus on building backstories and relationships with the people you bring into your post-apocalyptic community.

We’re not sure what kind of content we’ll get when it comes to potential trailers – some gameplay would be nice, but another conceptual/ story-based cinematic trailer would still go down well – but we do think we’ll finally get a rough release window for State of Decay if it does appear.

Contraband

Nearly three years have passed since we got a conceptual glimpse of Contraband’s heist antics. Since then, there’s been radio silence from Xbox and Avalanche Studios. The forthcoming co-op game is Avalanche’s first solo venture since 2018’s Just Cause 4, and it could be the promising start of a fruitful IP.

The game’s initial trailer teases all manner of heist chaos, as the studio takes us on a whistle stop tour around what appears to be a gang hideout. Like the Just Cause games, Contraband is set in another fictitious tropical locale called Bayan in the 1970s, with areas like ‘River Valley’ and ‘Pirate Town’ mentioned subtly in the trailer.

At this point, Contraband needs to emerge from the shadows with a story trailer, at the very least. A first look at gameplay would be superb, showcasing the game’s sprawling environment and co-op hijinks. Throw in a release date window, and we’ll be satisfied with Contraband’s potential appearance in the showcase.

The Outer Worlds 2

It’s been almost three years since Obsidian revealed the sequel to its excellent space RPG, but we’ve heard and seen nothing else of The Outer Worlds 2 since. The time feels right for an update, and we think there’s a decent chance it’ll make an appearance during the Xbox Showcase and bless us with a new trailer. We will hopefully also get a better idea of when The Outer Worlds 2 is set to touch down on Xbox consoles with a release date or window announcement.

Valorant on console

Valorant’s console port has been kept incredibly hush-hush for the most part, as developer Riot Games has offered very little in the way of news about the popular tactical FPS game. However, executive producer Anna Donlon broke the silence during March’s Valorant Champions Tour Masters Madrid with an update suggesting we could be in for an info drop “some time this year”.

While announcements could occur at any of Riot’s Valorant esports events or even The Game Awards towards the end of the year, Summer Game Fest does present itself as the perfect time to yap about what you’ve got going on. We think we might see this announcement at Xbox’s showcase in particular due to the fact that Riot and Xbox already have a strong working relationship, with all of the studio’s games being available (on PC) via Game Pass – there are even in-game benefits for subscribers too. Though Riot typically likes to put out content via its own channels, using Xbox’s visibility to jettison it into the console market – an area the game has yet to touch – makes perfect sense.

Though we don’t necessarily expect to see a Valorant console release date materialize, we’d love to see some sort of gameplay reveal to see how well it’s translated from keyboard and mouse to the best PS5 controllers and best Xbox controllers.

Hollow Knight Silksong

‘BRING ME SILKSONG,’ we loudly exclaim while doing our best J. Jonah Jameson impression. Team Cherry has been keeping us at the edge of our office chairs begging for a morsel of, well, anything regarding the follow-up to one of the best Metroidvania games of all time in Hollow Knight.

The last time we saw Hornet in action was during last year’s Game Pass reveal trailer, placing her big adventure as a day-one must-play for anyone who loves tricky platforming, stunning world design, and cool bugs. Having recently been rated in Team Cherry’s native Australia, it feels like we’re finally nearing the end of this agonizing five-year wait, and the Xbox Showcase should, hopefully, give us what we’re after – that all-important Hollow Knight Silksong release date.

Everwild

Remember Everwild? This gorgeous-looking “natural and magical” RPG from Rare got a lot of people excited (us included) when it was revealed way back in 2019, and when it received a second trailer in 2020. Since that trailer though, we’ve heard next to nothing else about it.

With Rare having now successfully launched Sea of Thieves on PS5, we’re hopeful that attention can now turn to showing off more of Everwild. We think it’s a likely candidate for the show simply because it’s been so long since we last saw it, but we admit that it’s not a guarantee.

As well as another look at its beautiful art style, we’d love to hear and see more about what the gameplay will actually entail, and potentially a release window too.

Hopeful

Forza Horizon 6

Sure, there are very few rumors or leaks suggesting that a new Forza Horizon is in development. And yes, Playground Games has been hard at work both supporting FH5 and making Fable. So we know that this prediction requires a good dose of hopium. But hey, we’ve got loads in supply, and a reveal of Forza Horzion 6 would go inexplicably hard.

We genuinely think Forza Horizon 5 is one of the most underappreciated live service games out there, and while Playground’s Mexican adventure is far from stale, we’re keen to see where the series goes next. We’ve got our fingers crossed for a short (but very sweet) reveal trailer, which should also give us a look at the new location. Early speculation from Forza fans is pointing towards Japan, and we would certainly be up for that.

A Fallout 3/ New Vegas remaster

Fallout fever is gripping the world at the minute, as the critically acclaimed Amazon Prime TV show ushers in a new legion of players. Bethesda is eager to capitalize on this, but a brand-new Fallout game is countless years away (unless Todd Howard’s got a really big secret up his sleeve). However, there have been rumors of current-gen facelifts for Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas. While both games are often regarded as the high points in the franchise, New Vegas is regularly singled out for its particularly captivating location, characters, and story.

For now, it seems like a Fallout 3 remake is more likely, as documents from the FTC vs Microsoft trial accidently mentioned the project. Whoops. While the new Fallout 4 current-gen upgrades are nice, nothing quite matches up the heights of Fallout 3 and New Vegas. We’re hopeful that the Xbox Games Showcase will take us back there once again.

Helldivers 2 on Xbox

It wouldn’t be hyperbolic to say that Helldivers 2 is the multiplayer hit of the year so far. Arrowhead’s gory and hilarious co-op shooter continues to take PS5 and PC players by storm, but Xbox owners are still left on the sidelines. With Xbox porting some of its most coveted exclusives to other platforms, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has seemed eager for Sony to return the favor – namely with Helldivers 2.

Previous rumors allege that “early discussions” are underway to make Helldivers 2 on Xbox a reality, but that’s just hearsay at the moment. As the interstellar shooter is focused on large community efforts and PvE action, adding Xbox players into the fold would be a massive dub for the Helldivers fanbase. However, with more players joining the fray, Arrowhead would likely need to drastically increase the game’s difficulty to compensate – PS5 and PC players all remember how the battle of Malelevon Creek went…

This really is a bold prediction with some very high odds, but it’s not one that’s totally out of the realm of possibility.

iD Software’s nextgame

The DOOM games are easily among the best FPS games ever made, with DOOM Eternal standing tall in the genre most recently. However, four years have passed since the hell-tastic shooter launched, and we’re ready to see what iD Software is working on next. There have been whispers that the studio is working on a brand-new entry for an already existing franchise, and we reckon there’s a chance it could be a new Quake entry.

Quake remains an important part of FPS history, and the excellent Quake remasters went down a treat with newcomers and veterans of the franchise alike. There hasn’t been an entirely new Quake game since 2017’s Quake Champions, marking a seven year gap since then. Maybe, just maybe, iD has been crafting a banger behind the scenes.

While a new Quake game would be ace, there’s always the possibility that another Doom game is on the horizon – we’ll never say no to another kickass campaign with the Doom Slayer. Or maybe we’ll get something totally new from the studio. Or maybe we’ll get absolutely zilch this time around. Whatever transpires, just know we absolutely want whatever it is you’re working on, iD.

So, there you have it – a mixture of bold and not-so-bold predictions ahead of the Xbox Games Showcase that’s just around the corner. If you’re interested, we’ve also got a similar predictions piece for the PlayStation Showcase that’s set to drop soon as well. Also be sure to drop us a follow on Google News so that you can keep up to date with all the announcements that arrive at the Xbox Showcase and the rest of Summer Game Fest too.

Additional contributions from Aaron Down and Sam Comrie.