Xbox and Bethesda detail (non-E3) summer showcase

By Otto Kratky April 28, 2022

With this year’s E3 conference completely canceled, companies are taking the season for game reveals and showcases into their own hands. To that end, Xbox has revealed its own E3-season presentation, the purposefully-named Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase.

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Catch the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase on June 12: https://t.co/dmANSvXrbE | #XboxBethesda pic.twitter.com/AMFhrLhAtC

— Xbox (@Xbox) April 28, 2022

At first glance, it’s a little strange that Xbox and Bethesda are once again being differentiated in the event’s title seeing as how they’re essentially one and the same. Since ZeniMax Media’s acquisition by Microsoft in 2021, Bethesda has been under the Xbox Game Studios umbrella. But leaving its name separate is a tell; Microsoft wants viewers to know that Bethesda will definitely be presenting games that it’s working on.

Currently, the blockbuster studio has two titles in the works, both of which will whip fans into a frenzy with any trailer: Starfield, which is set to launch on November 11, and The Elder Scrolls VI, a long-awaited sequel to Skyrim.

Of course, the showcase will also feature “amazing titles coming from Xbox Game Studios” as well, according to the event’s announcement post on the Xbox Wire. It’s certainly not as clear what viewers can expect from those studios, simply because there are so many with games in development. Obsidian’s own Elder Scrolls-like game, Avowed is still in development, as is a new Fable game from Playground Games. We haven’t seen anything about either title for quite a while, so they’re primed for a showing.

Regardless of what Microsoft has planned for the showcase, fans will have to wait just over a month to see what the massive company has in store. The Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase is set to air on Sunday, June 12 at 10 a.m. PT and can be caught on Xbox’s various social media pages, as well as its YouTube and Twitch channels.

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A $1 baseball game shadow dropped by Konami during a Nintendo Direct, WBSC eBaseball: Power Pros was a very odd release in February. That said, the purpose of its launch and low price point is becoming clearer as the International Olympic Committee revealed that it's one of the featured games in its Olympic Esports Series 2023 lineup.
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Nintendo has confirmed reports that it won't be participating in E3 2023, meaning the gaming trade show will be missing one of its key vendors when it returns in-person this June.
"We approach our involvement in any event on a case-by-case basis and are always considering various ways to engage with our fans," a Nintendo spokesperson said in a statement to The Verge. "Since this year’s E3 show didn’t fit into our plans, we have made the decision to not participate. However, we have been and continue to be a strong supporter of the ESA [Entertainment Software Association] and E3."
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