After the Summer Game Fest 2023 was rather disappointing, Microsoft and Bethesda had the opportunity to follow up with Xbox Showcase and Starfield Direct. In our overview we have summarised all the important announcements and trailers of the shows for you.
The Summer Game Fest 2023 was disappointing from a gaming perspective. The publishers had only a few really high-profile announcements in store for the audience.
Microsoft and Bethesda took the opportunity to deliver some decent content of their own at the Xbox Showcase and the Starfield Direct. Numerous further announcements followed at the PC Gaming Show.
Table of Contents
All announcements and trailers of the evening
Starfield
After the missed launch of Redfall, Bethesda had a lot to make up for and dedicated its own showcase to Starfield. Studio head Todd Howard showed new gameplay, characters and monsters, as well as countless customisation options for weapons, spaceships and outposts.
He also revealed more info on the different factions such as the United Colonies, the Free Star Collective and the Constellation crew, which the main character will also join.
The developers explained that Starfield is a “Bethesda role-playing game through and through” in which we can explore over 1000 worlds completely freely. On each one, gravity will be different.
- Genre: Role-playing game
- Release: 6 September 2023
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
Polish developers CD Projekt have finally shown new footage of the upcoming Cyberpunk expansion. Phantom Liberty will take us to the new area Dogtown, where we are to rescue the US President Meyers, who has been kidnapped by gangsters. The story of Phantom Liberty is said to feature a dangerous espionage mission.
Aiding us in Dogtown is Special Agent Solomon Reed, played by actor Idris Elba. According to Keanu Reeves, who personally presented Phantom Liberty, Addon will massively expand the world of Cyberpunk. The new Dogtown area, unlike the main game, relies more on vertical action.
- Genre: Action role-playing game
- Release: 26 September 2023
Forza Motorsport
The eighth installment of the Forza series presented the first look at new Chevrolet and Cadillac cars in the trailer. The racing game will be a reboot of the series and is therefore simply called Forza Motorsport. The new part looks beautiful thanks to 4k resolution, 60 fps and ray tracing.
- Genre: Racing game
- Release: 10 October 2023
Persona 3 Reload
After the remake of the Atlus classic was leaked through an Instagram post three days before the show, the developers now officially presented the trailer. The video shows the nameless main character on the move in the game world Iwatodai and makes it clear that the remake is on the same graphic level as the current fifth part of the series.
- Genre: Role-playing game
- Release: early 2024
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2
There was also new gameplay for the new Hellblade part from developer Ninja Theory. In the trailer, the protagonist, plagued by the voices in her head, crawls through a sinister cave and keeps asking the voices desperately what to do.
The trailer is extremely atmospheric and looks like a drug trip gone wrong. Walls, floor and water move and demand a lot from Senua’s psyche.
- Genre: Action-Adventure
- Release: 2024
Avowed
The new trailer for Obsidian’s upcoming fantasy role-playing game showed undead, knights, numerous fungus-infested enemies and a masked hero with magical powers. The role of our hero, however, does not yet seem entirely clear. The trailer leaves open the question of whether he will save or destroy the world.
- Genre: Role-playing game
- Release: 2024
Fable
It’s been almost ten years since the release of Fable Anniversary by now. Now Microsoft has finally shown moving footage of the series reboot. The humorous trailer obviously takes us to the land of the giants, as the heroine takes on the gigantic narrator, who actually claims that the age of heroes is over. But he’s obviously not quite right.
- Genre: Action role-playing game
- Release: unknown
Star Wars: Outlaws
Ubisoft’s hotly anticipated Star Wars Open World was shown off for the first time at the Xbox Showcase with a stunning trailer. Outlaws will be about fighting powerful crime syndicates and living life as a small-time crook somewhere between the fronts. The trailer shows gambling, a spectacular speeder chase, a rancor and stormtroopers… in other words, everything a successful Star Wars game needs. But patience is still needed until the release.
- Genre: unknown
- Release: 2024
Payday 3
The first gameplay trailer for Payday 3 gives us a glimpse of gangster life in virtual New York and lets us put on our masks once again. The video shows a bank robbery, car shooters, wild shootouts, hostage-taking and SWAT commandos and looks really good.
- Genre: First-Person Shooter
- Release: 21 September
Further announcements from Microsoft, Bethesda and Co.
Of course there were numerous other announcements during the three shows, which we present to you here in fast-forward:
- Persona 5 Tactics – Strategy spin-off of the popular Persona series. To be released on November 17, 2023 for PC, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One.
- Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew – The pirates of the stealth strategy combo set sail in 2023.
- South of Midnight – Newly announced third-person action adventure in which heroine Hazel must take on supernatural boss monsters.
- Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 – New flight simulator part with air rescue, helicopter cargo transports, remote cargo operations and aircraft racing.
- Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 – As part of a Dune collaboration, the Ornithopter for MFS is coming on November 3, 2023.
- Fallout 76: Atlantic City – In the upcoming update, players will be transported to the gambling capital of Atlantic City on the US East Coast.
- Overwatch 2 – The update on August 10 brings new game modes (Flashpoint, Hero Mastery), co-op events and story missions.
- Still Wakes the Deep – The first-person horror trip to the storm-tossed oil rig will be released in early 2024.
- Metaphoe Re Fantazio – The game from Persona makers Atlus showed off first characters. The title will be released in 2024 for PC and Xbox Series X/S.
- Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom – The trailer showed the world of Daedra Prince Hermaeus Mora. The update will be released on 20 June.
- Jusant – In Don’t Nod’s new indie game, players climb around in the ruins of a lost civilisation. The game will be released in autumn 2023.
- Sea of Thieves – Will get a Monkey Island update on July 20, 2023.
- City Skylines 2 – The trailer for the new part of the city-building simulation shows more building options than ever before. The game will be released on 24 October 2023
- 33 Immortals –The roguelike with co-op mode for up to 33 players offers massive enemy waves and imposing bosses.
- Clockwork Revolution – New steampunk action game reminiscent of Bioshock: Infinite in appearance. No release date yet.
- Path of the Goddess – The brightly coloured trailer for Capcom’s new game shows ghost exorcism in feudal Japan.
- Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth – In the new Yakuza installment a naked Yakuza gangster literally gets stranded in America. Release: Spring 2024
- Frostpunk 2 – Trailer for the second part of the hard-hitting build-up strategy revealed; gameplay unfortunately missing.
- Road to Vostok – New post-apocalyptic shooter with stalker vibes.
- Jumplight Odyssey – Starship manager with borrowings from Space Battleship Yamato.
- Eternights – Anime dating sim where you have to save your date during the apocalypse.
- Stampede Racing Royale – Battle Royale racing game for up to 60 players.
- Mars Horizon 2: The Search for Life – Open playtest announced.
- Ferocious – German lost-world action game with dinos inspired by Far Cry and Crysis.
- Islands of Insight – Puzzle game with floating fantasy world in the clouds.
- Pax Dei – Promising open world fantasy game based on 13th century medieval Europe. The trailer evokes strong Kingdom Come vibes.
- Hidden Door – Role-playing game where you can set your own story with the support of generative AI.
- Mariachi Legends – Metroidvania in the look of the Mexican Day of the Dead.
- Nivalis – Build your own business in a cyberpunk city in the clouds.
- Undead Inc – You must become the company director of a zombie outbreak.
- Invector Rhythm Galaxy – TheMusic game combines Beatsaber and spaceship racer.
- Altered Alma – Space Opera Metroidvania with nasty space gangsters and cool soundtrack.
- Diesel Legacy: The Brazen Age – 2 versus 2 beat’em up now with open beta on Steam.
- Parcel Corps – You play a biking parcel messenger and pull off tricks in the best Tony Hawk style.
- Exo Rally Championship – In this space racer, you explore an exoplanet with your souped-up rover.
- Stromgate – New real-time strategy game that aims to make the fun of Warcraft and Starcraft accessible to RTS beginners.
- The Invincible – In The Invicible we explore a deserted planet and have to rescue the remains of our crew.
- Fortunes Run – Oldschool retro shooter, strongly reminiscent of the old Doom parts.
- Park Beyond – Theme park manager for the PC, PlayStation and Xbox.
- Baldur’s Gate 3 – New comic trailer and developer update on the creation of the city of Baldur’s Gate.
- Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin – Open beta announced for July 7-10, 2023.
- Macabre – Stealth-extraction horror game that lets you explore a world of mysterious anomalies in co-op mode.
- Nova Roma – Build-up strategy game with minimalist visuals in which you have to expand your version of Rome and protect it from natural disasters.
- Last Train Home – Manage your own tank train in this World War 1 inspired game.
- Breathedge 2 – Fun sci-fi survival game similar to Subnautica, but set in space.
- Sand – World War 1 era soldiers fight aliens in an alien sandy desert.
- Dune: Awakening – Teaser with developer update revealed for the upcoming survival MMO set in the world of Dune. In addition to exploration, you can expect politics and intrigue.
- Dread Pilots – New survival game with roguelike elements from the Don’t Starve makers, in which you play a spaceship pilot.
- Warhaven – New trailer for the Free2Play multiplayer title shows knight battles with 32 players. Release: July 2023.
- DORF – Real-time strategy title reminiscent of Command & Conquer: Red Alert.
- Citizen Sleeper 2 – Second part of the post-capitalist role-playing game for story fans in comic graphics.
- The Invincible – In The Invincible we explore a deserted planet and have to save the remains of our crew.
- Lords of the Fallen – The Soulslike with two worlds is coming on October 13, 2023.
