"Call of Duty Black Ops 6 will be available on Xbox Game Pass, but PS5 and especially PS4 players won't be forgotten."
Xbox has some ground to make up with its fans. Following a lackluster first half of 2024 marked by underwhelming announcements (such as exclusive titles being ported to PS5 and the closures of Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin), the iconic "X" brand now has its chance to win back hearts. This year, with the upcoming presentation of the highly anticipated Call of Duty Black Ops 6 at the Xbox Games Showcase, all eyes are on Microsoft's gaming platform like never before. It's crucial not to disappoint!
De l’ombre à la lumière :
It's unusual for us to have so little information about the content of the Xbox Games Showcase. Typically, the American brand takes advantage of the final week of preparation before the big night to communicate the event's duration and confirm the presence of a few titles. Last year, for example, we knew that Starfield and Forza Motorsport would be part of the lineup. For this year's event on Sunday, June 9, 2024, the only confirmed aspect is that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will be showcased in detail. Nothing else has been revealed.
In its official statement, Microsoft simply reminds us that this is its first Showcase in collaboration with the Bethesda-Activision Blizzard duo, with the latter being acquired by the green giant back in October 2023. Therefore, we can expect to see productions from Xbox Studios, Bethesda, Activision Blizzard, as well as third-party partners at the Xbox Games Showcase.
Des jeux, rien que des jeux :
For the rest, it's all speculation and rumors as we write these lines. Last year, the Redmond-based firm showcased videos of projects from InXile with Clockwork Revolution and Compulsion Games with South of Midnight. We also got a glimpse of an in-game trailer for Fable developed by Playground. However, there are still notably silent studios we're eager to hear from, such as The Coalition and id Software. Fortunately, persistent rumors suggest we'll uncover new Gears of War and Doom titles during the Xbox Games Showcase. Other previously announced titles have a chance to make an appearance too, including Indiana Jones, Ara: History Untold, Avowed, Towerborne, Replaced, and Flight Simulator 2024, all slated for release this year. Will we also get a peek at what Double Fine has been secretly cooking up?
In all the games Microsoft has announced, we're eagerly awaiting information, including State of Decay 3, Contraband, Perfect Dark, and Everwild. We don't expect to see The Outer World 2, as Obsidian is focused on Avowed. As for OD, Hideo Kojima's Xbox exclusive, and Blade from Arkane Lyon, it might be too early for them to make an appearance. Will we learn more about IO Interactive's "Project Dragon"? Could we see new projects from Square Enix's Final Fantasy franchise? Will a new Banjo-Kazooie be announced? We'll have to wait until Sunday for all the answers. One thing that's almost certain, even though it hasn't been officially confirmed, is that we should expect to see the first expansion of Starfield (Shattered Space) in action.
Game Pass Mania !
Without taking risks, we can already predict that the winner of the Xbox Games Showcase will once again be the Game Pass, as has been the case since E3 2019. The service, offering a vast catalog of games, will undoubtedly be a major talking point. It remains to be seen if the Redmond-based company will attempt to replicate the experience of the 2020 Showcase on a larger scale, with all games presented at that event announced as part of the service. In 2021, 27 out of 30 titles showcased were included in the Game Pass. In 2022 and 2023, only a few games shown were not part of the service, such as Diablo IV and Star Wars Outlaw. With the support of Bethesda and Activision, the company could make a significant impact in promoting its Game Pass, especially at a time when the company, led by Satya Nadella, is heavily invested in boosting its subscriber numbers.
The latest cunning move by the company to achieve its goals was to officially announce the arrival of Call of Duty Black Ops 6 on "day 1" in the Game Pass without increasing the subscription price, a move few analysts believed possible. Could the American giant take advantage of the Call of Duty Direct to introduce previous titles from the franchise into the Game Pass? Unless the "X" brand prioritizes a shadow drop of an unannounced title, similar to what was done with Hi-Fi Rush during the Developer_Direct event in January 2023.
Des surprises côté hardware :
Microsoft's conferences typically focus entirely on games. However, contrary to usual practice, Aaron Greenberg, Vice President of Xbox Games Marketing, has not promised that it will be "all about the games." Will Phil Spencer's teams take this opportunity to highlight new hardware innovations?
Three possibilities lie before us. Firstly, Microsoft may unveil a new Elite controller with haptic feedback. Secondly, there could be a showcase of a "refreshed" Xbox Series. It's worth noting that both of these hardware options were mentioned in leaked internal Microsoft documents. The third possibility is far more thrilling. According to rumors, Microsoft might use its Showcase to unveil... a portable Xbox console. Now that could be intriguing.
Où et comment suivre la conférence Xbox ?
The Xbox Games Showcase will open its virtual doors on Sunday, June 9th at 7:00 PM. It will be followed by the Call of Duty Direct. You can watch the show live on the brand's Twitch and YouTube channels, with French subtitles available.
As with most other conferences during this summer period, the JV teams are mobilized to ensure you can follow all the announcements. What's on the agenda? News recapping major announcements, conference summaries, hot takes in video form, a live feed, and a variety of other content. Our teams in Los Angeles will also share their impressions of the games they have the chance to test.