Microsoft held the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase on June 12, giving a first look at gameplay for Redfall and Starfield and revealing brand-new games like Pentiment and Minecraft Legends. As that showcase was focused on reveals, it had a very fast pace outside of the extended looks at Redfall and Starfield. Microsoft changed that with a slower-paced Xbox Games Showcase Extended presentation on June 14.
During it, we learned more about some of the games that we saw on Sunday, and even got some news about games that weren’t featured, such as Valheim and Slime Rancher 2. This livestream was definitely much slower-paced and less reveal-heavy than Sunday’s showcase, but those who want a more in-depth look at Xbox’s upcoming lineup of games will enjoy watching it (below). We’ve rounded up everything that was announced and discussed during Xbox Games Showcase Extended.
Valheim is coming to Xbox Game Pass as a console exclusive
The first real announcement of the Xbox Games Showcase Extended was that Valheim is coming to Xbox Game Pass. The PC version of the game will arrive on Xbox Game Pass this fall. It will then come to Xbox consoles and that version of Xbox Game Pass in spring 2023 as a console exclusive.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre game is coming to Xbox Game Pass
A new trailer was released for the multiplayer horror game based on The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, which will be on Xbox Game Pass at launch. We also learned that the game will be a console launch exclusive on Xbox One and Xbox Series X in 2023 for a bit before coming to PS4 and PS5 later in the year.
Slime Rancher 2 is still coming this year
After skipping out on the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase, console-exclusive Slime Rancher 2 popped up here with a new trailer showing The Conservatory, the player’s base of operations, exploration gameplay, and more. It will be released in fall 2022 and be on Xbox Game Pass on day one.
Fall Guys pays homage to an iconic Halo trailer
Mediatonic and Epic Games revealed that a Halo collaboration is coming to the Xbox versions of Fall Guys on June 30. They made the reveal through a trailer that parodies Halo 3’s iconic Believe trailer, as we see a lot of beans frozen in the middle of a battle. This collaboration is called “Spartan Showdown,” and players will be able to earn Halo-themed cosmetics by completing challenges while the event is live.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 devs urge players to support Ukraine
Xbox’s Sarah Bond and GSC Game World highlighted the S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2 team’s experience as a Ukrainian game developer following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in an emotional interview and video. GSC Game World then showed a new cinematic trailer that confirms S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 will now release in 2023.
Everything Else
- Bethesda’s Pete Hines defended the delays of Redfall and Starfield, discussed how Redfall was distinct from previous Arkane and cooperative shooter games, referenced The Elder Scrolls Online and Fallout 76’s expansions, and emphasized how players have lots of freedom to do what they want in Starfield in an interview.
- Naraka: Bladepoint’s developers gave an overview of the game’s characters, gameplay, and the campaign ahead of its release on Xbox Series X|S consoles next week. NetEase Games also confirmed that it would come to Xbox One later this year.
- We got to see some brief gameplay footage from Ara: Stories Untold as the developers discussed how this grand strategy game supports player agency and reflects player choice. They also confirmed that its technical alpha begins later this summer.
- The developers of Grounded reflected on the survival game’s development and teased how the 1.0 launch this September will resolve the story and introduce a new Praying Mantis boss.
- Microsoft Flight Simulator and the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s collaboration was discussed in a video featuring Gamertag Radio’s Parris Lilly.
- High On Life’s Justin Roiland discussed the formation of Squanch Games and his quirky new sci-fi Metroidvania shooter where players take down the leaders of a cartel with talking guns.
- A dev diary for Pentiment revealed more details about the story, characters, and setting of Josh Sawyer’s new medieval narrative adventure game.
- As Dusk Falls got a new developer diary showing how its choice-based gameplay works and discussing its themes and narrative ahead of its July 19 launch.
- We saw some new gameplay from the Forza Horizon 5: Hot Wheels expansion, showing just how these toys have been incorporated into four new Mexican biomes.
- Mojang Executive Producer Dennis Ries revealed that Mojang first teased Minecraft Legends at Minecon 2018 with a T-shirt and explained why Mojang is making an action-strategy game with Blackbird Interactive’s help.
- An ID@Xbox trailer highlighted upcoming indie games like Tinykin, Togges, Coral Island, and Hollow Knight: Silksong.
- Bond teased Project Moorcroft, a Game Pass feature that will let developers put demos of their unreleased games in Game Pass to get feedback from players.
