Highlights
- Xbox is hyping up its presence at The Game Awards 2023, with nominated games and reminders for Game Pass subscribers to tune in.
- In past years, Xbox has used the show as a platform for major reveals, but had a limited presence last year.
- Speculation is brewing about potential announcements at the event, including Baldur's Gate 3's Xbox debut and other highly anticipated games coming to Game Pass.
Xbox has been rolling out reminders for Game Pass subscribers to tune into the imminent Game Awards 2023, raising expectations for Xbox's presence at the show. Some of Xbox's first-party games that have come out this year have been nominated for several categories. Forza Motorsport is up for Best Sports/Racing Game and Innovation in Accessibility, while Tango Gameworks' surprise hit Hi-Fi Rush has been nominated in an impressive five categories, including Best Action Game, Best Score and Music, and Best Art Direction.
Over the past several years of The Game Awards, Xbox has been using Keighley's grand stage for some major reveals of its own. Xbox kicked off 2019's show by unveiling the Xbox Series X alongside its first next-gen only title in Ninja Theory's Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2. The very next year at The Game Awards saw Xbox reveal its Perfect Dark reboot, which is still in development at The Initiative and Crystal Dynamics. Senua returned during 2021's show with a second Hellblade 2 trailer, this time featuring a slice of in-game action. However, Xbox didn't have much of a presence at all during last year's show, to the disappointment of many fans.
Xbox Game Pass Adds 4 More Games
Microsoft is adding four new games to the Xbox Game Pass, including a former Game of the Year nominee and a popular co-op shooter.
This year it seems like Xbox is looking to make a big splash at The Game Awards. On Twitter, Tom Warren pointed out that Xbox is displaying reminders to Game Pass subscribers that include the date and time of The Game Awards. A commenter under the tweet mentioned that the ads are even popping up on the Samsung TV Xbox app as well.
With Xbox making a big push encouraging Game Pass subscribers to tune in on December 7, many are wondering what exactly it's planning to reveal at the event. More people under the tweet are speculating that Baldur's Gate 3, one of the most highly praised games of 2023, could make its long awaited Xbox debut on Game Pass. With a whopping eight nominations, Baldur's Gate 3 is perhaps the strongest frontrunner to take home Game of the Year next to The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Having the potential Game of the Year winner landing on Xbox Game Pass would be a major deal for subscribers after the show.
What Else Could Be Announced For Game Pass At The Game Awards?
If not Baldur's Gate 3, there are still many more possibilities. Major third party games stamped for 2024 like Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leage, Dragon's Dogma 2, or Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown could potentially see Game Pass announcements at the show. As of now, there are only a handful of 2024 games confirmed to be launching onto Xbox Game Pass, so there's still a lot to be revealed about the service's lineup for next year. Game Pass subscribers itching to find out just what it is that Xbox is planning to announce for the show won't have to wait long, as The Game Awards goes live on December 7.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is the highest tier of Microsoft's flagship game subscription service that offers over 100 game titles that you can play with a single purchase, making it one of the most outstanding value propositions of the Xbox ecosystem to date.