Summer is swiftly approaching, a time of year when gamers eagerly anticipate new announcements and previews from developers for all the latest and greatest titles on the horizon. Sadly, with the upsetting news that E3 would be canceled this year, both digital and in person, some hopes were dashed that Summer 2022 would hold as many surprises as initially hoped. Thankfully, companies are striking out on their own, with Xbox and Bethesda having announced a dedicated showcase for this June.
While little else was confirmed or even hinted at regarding what would be present at the event, a few educated guesses can be made for what will pop up. Both Xbox and Bethesda individually have a wide assortment of franchises to choose from, so together this should make for a jam packed presentation. There are a few potential options to keep in mind for games that could be at the upcoming showcase.
Gears of War 6
Beginning with major Xbox exclusive franchises, Gears of War is long overdue for a new installment. The long-running action series first hit the scene on the Xbox 360 back in 2006, and has enjoyed continued success with each new entry. Xbox's other flagship series, Halo, recently made waves with Halo: Infinite, so Microsoft may want to give one of its other big names some time in the spotlight. Gears of War 6 has been rumored to be in production a few times, so it wouldn't a surprise if it showed up here.
Fable
The Fable series has also been a staple of Xbox for quite some time. First landing on the original Xbox in 2004, the amount of choice in both narrative and gameplay immediately captured the imaginations of gamers. After a hiatus from the gaming landscape, a reboot was announced during Xbox's Summer showcase back in 2020. With the last glimpse of this game coming nearly two years ago, and being nothing more than a conceptual teaser no less, it feels like the time is right for Fable to show its face once again.
Wolfenstein 3
First-person shooters are still an immensely popular genre in gaming, with new entries in the Call of Duty and Battlefield franchises released regularly. The grandfather of all first-person shooters, Wolfenstein 3D, has been enjoying a rebooted series over the past few years, beginning with Wolfenstein: The New Order and continuing with Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus. The latter title came out back in 2017, so it feels like the franchise is long overdue for its next mainline adventure.
Perfect Dark
Speaking of major first-person shooters, Perfect Dark was a landmark achievement when first released on the N64 back in 2000. The graphics, story and music were all groundbreaking for the time, and it has since garnered a dedicated fanbase of loving fans. It has been a long time coming, but a proper reboot of the series was first announced in late 2020. Some development issues have been reported for the project, but that doesn't hinder the level of excitement for this long awaited follow-up.
Redfall
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Arkane Studios has made quite a name for itself in the realm of shooters of the past decade. Dishonored, Prey and the award-winning Deathloop have all been considered some of the most inventive entries in the genre in quite some time. Now, the developer is aiming to dip its toes into an open world multiplayer shooter, all with a supernatural twist. The title was first shown off during last summer's E3 and caught eyes for its visual style, so it would be wise to keep the momentum going and give it some time to shine this year.
Starfield
Last but certainly not least, Starfield is easily among the most anticipated games coming out, regardless of platform or genre. Bethesda's massive sci-fi RPG has been a long time coming, with a development process dating back as far as 2013. Teasers, leaks, and sneak peaks for the game have sent gamers into a fever pitch for the promise of what a sprawling space opera from the creators of The Elder Scrolls can shape up to be. With a scheduled launch date for later this year, the time is now for the curtain to finally be pulled back on what Xbox players are in store for.