Microsoft intends to hold an Xbox game showcase in summer 2023, the company confirmed during the recent Developer_Direct. The tech giant's first developer livestream of the year featured a handful of much-anticipated games such as Minecraft Legends and Forza Motorsport, indicating that the company's gaming investments won't be slowing down anytime soon.
The January 25 Xbox & Bethesda Developer_Direct was almost entirely focused on the highest-profile games that Xbox Game Studios intends to launch in the near future. Tango Gameworks' cel-shaded action platformer Hi-Fi Rush was the only exception to that pattern, as it was treated to a surprise release during the showcase. But overall, the biggest takeaway from the broadcast is that Microsoft's gaming division is looking to put out high-quality games on a near-monthly basis throughout 2023.
Given that state of affairs, Xbox Game Studios is already planning to host a second 2023 showcase focused on its other upcoming games in the summer. Unlike the Developer_Direct, the summer show will be a physical event taking place in Los Angeles, the company said. While no further details have been provided, the combination of an LA venue and summer timing suggests that the upcoming showcase might be part of the 2023 edition of E3.
Microsoft's announcement specifically mentions a "return" to a "yearly showcase" format, which is something that the company historically hosted at E3, even once both Sony and Nintendo dropped out of the show's publisher lineup. After E3 2020 got canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the organizers made an attempt at a virtual event in 2021, but that undertaking received a lukewarm response from consumers. This played a significant role in the decision to return to a traditional trade show format at the Los Angeles Convention Center in 2023.
Should Microsoft decide to end its historic presence at E3, the next Xbox showcase might instead be hosted as part of the Summer Game Fest. Canadian game journalist and event organizer Geoff Keighley previously confirmed that the 2023 iteration of Summer Game Fest will have a physical presence in LA, in addition to offering online broadcasts. Both E3 and SGF are scheduled to take place in June, so that's also when the Xbox summer showcase is likeliest to take place.
In the meantime, Xbox Game Studios will be launching Minecraft Legends on April 18, which will be followed by The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom on June 20. Space-faring RPG Starfield, vampire-hunting co-op shooter Redfall, and a Forza Motorsport reboot are some of the other high-profile games that the company intends to put out before 2023 comes to a close.
Source: Xbox
