We’re expecting a bunch of developers and publishers to flock to the Xbox stage at E3 simply because they don’t have many other places to go. Unless you’re a Bethesda or Square Enix studio (or a Nintendo Switch title), with Sony out of the E3 race this year, it’s clear that the only way to get real stage time will be with Xbox.
Since CD Projekt Red partnered with Xbox last year, we expect that we’ll be getting another teaser of Cyberpunk 2077 at the show, along with a release date, likely set for later this year. Because of the nature of the game, we’re not expecting gameplay or anything other than a three or four minute sizzle-reel of all the badassery that is that game.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is another possibility, even with EA hosting it’s own livestream just one day earlier. Microsoft may take this into account to give other publishers a chance to exhibit their content, or they may try to take back the mantle from Sony who seemed to have a lock on Star Wars: Battlefront. Showing off the game on the Xbox stage might return the Star Wars franchise to its Redmond-based counterparts, Knights of the Old Republic-style.
Square Enix is another where, even though a game like Final Fantasy VII is coming first to PlayStation 4, doesn’t mean that they will necessarily shy away from utilizing Microsoft as their carrier for the information, alongside their own press conference. What we thought would be far more likely was for Square Enix to bring Crystal Dynamics’ Avengers project to Xbox, however they’ve recently announced that we won’t be seeing that game until Square Enix’s own livestream.
It’s no secret that Call of Duty has bounced around between Xbox and PlayStation over the years, and without PlayStation at the show, we’re pretty set that Activision will want a vessel to show off their latest entry in the series, Modern Warfare.
Control, the latest game from Remedy Entertainment and 505 Games, which was shown off in a trailer at Sony’s press conference last year, is another shoo-in for the Xbox stage as the companies have previous ties from Quantum Break, and Remedy has now lost their stage partner as Sony has pulled out of the show.
Warner Bros. and Rocksteady may finally be looking to announce their next rumoured Arkham game, and Microsoft is probably the way they’d choose to do it. Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment is indeed on the list of E3 participants, so we expect them to make at least one big new announcement this year, and with all the superhero buzz, we wouldn’t be shocked to see it be a Batman one.
ID@Xbox – Microsoft works with developers of all sizes to make sure that they have a wide-variety of games, but also to encourage as many studios to have the opportunity to publish games. About mid-point through the conference, a sizzle reel of a few dozen games usually goes up showing off some very creative, unique, and often unusual titles. There is always a standout, and with Phil’s personal devotion to finding unique games, we expect this year to be no different.
Each year, every publisher tries to leave a specific thought in gamers’ heads as they conclude the show. This is usually in the form of a giant, surprising reveal trailer that no one sees coming, provided it doesn’t leak ahead of the show. For Xbox, this has been Halo 4, new console hardware with Project Scorpio (which because Xbox One X, naturally), and most recently, Cyberpunk 2077.
What we expect to see this year is something that we know is under development, but have heard extremely little information about: the game that George R. R. Martin has been consulting with a Japanese studio on, most often rumoured to be FromSoftware.
Just last year, FromSoftware was on the Xbox stage showing off Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and the year could repeat themselves, as they don’t really have another place to show off their games at the show. Surely a George R. R. Martin game wouldn’t be a realistic candidate for Nintendo Switch.
With as many big first-party studios as Microsoft has, we’re not sure that they’ll save their finale for a third-party’s new IP, opting instead to show something new from The Initiative or perhaps a second title from a studio already showing something.