That’s why we’ve rounded up some of our best predictions for the big Xbox event in 2024. This is by no means a lock-in… we’ve just put together a few ideas that we hope will become a reality.
The last three of these are ‘wildcard’ picks, so expect them to be a little less realistic than the rest. Nevertheless, we still hope and pray that they come true!
Forza Horizon 6 makes surprising appearance
In 2021 we weren’t really that yet assuming a Forza Horizon 5 reveal due to the impending arrival of the new Forza Motorsport, but it happened anyway – and the game was released within a span of six months after that year’s showcase.
We’re not saying this exact cadence will happen againbut we could definitely see it Forza Horizon 6 getting some kind of revelation sooner than we might expect. Sure, Fable is in the works at Playground Games, but they operate as a two-team studio these days, so who knows? All we’re saying is that as the lights go out over a neon-drenched Japan full of drifting sports cars, we wouldn’t be surprised if Forza Horizon 6’s title card soon follows suit.
Xbox Game Pass Gets Major ActiBlizz Shadow Drop
Okay, this is probably a pretty obvious one, but we think it’s high time for some kind of Activision Blizzard Xbox Game Pass drop during the showcase. We’ve already had Diablo 4 as a one-off addition and hints of other titles have been doing the rounds lately, but nothing from Call of Duty, Crash or Spyro has been added to the service yet.
While we’re not entirely sure how the team will approach this, this year’s showcase is quite Call of Duty focused with the BlackOps6 directly, so we wouldn’t be surprised if an initial ActiBlizz drop revolves around CoD. Perhaps the entire Black Ops series has ended up in the shadows of the library? As a starting point, we certainly won’t say no to that!
Gears Of War 6 trailer reveals Fall 2025 release date
Believe it or not, the latest Gears release is only a few months away from turning five years old. Yes, Gears 5 launched in September 2019, and while that time has flown by, we still think it’s about time we see something on it Gears 6 during this year’s Xbox Games Showcase.
Recent rumors also help our case on this one. In early April, a few high-profile insiders started talking about a possible Gears 6 reveal this summer, and later that same month, one of the series’ voice actors also said we should probably expect an announcement in June. Xbox hasn’t really talked about the next Gears game yet, but it’s coming – it’s a matter of when, not if. Hopefully that will be during the 2024 showcase!
The long-awaited REPLACED gets a launch date
When we first heard about the fantastic looking retro-futuristic platformer TO REPLACE Way back in 2021, we never thought we’d still be waiting for a 2024 release date – but here we are. Sad Cat Studios’ indie smash has already been delayed several times, leaving people wondering if the game actually exists.
Well, that’s indeed the case: we had an update last year that pushed the game’s release date back to 2024. We’re almost halfway through the year now, and we think it’s time for it to be properly dated. Remember, the 2021 reveal took place that year during Xbox’s summer showcase, so REPLACED has a history of appearing at Xbox events. We just hope it isn’t to replace this year with something different.
Xbox announces its hardware plans for fall 2024
When Xbox held its special ‘business update podcast’ in February, Sarah Bond dropped some key details about the team’s hardware plans. In addition to boasting that Microsoft’s next-gen console would make the biggest tech leap ever, Bond also announced that Holiday 2024 would bring new Xbox hardware in some form.
It is now unclear whether the team plans to do so to announce this hardware later this year or release then, but we’re assuming they meant it to come out in late 2024 – that’s usually when new hardware comes out. Who knows if it’ll be another Xbox series renewal or even possibly this rumored handheld, but we’re excited about it either way – and the Xbox Showcase seems like a great place to make such a big announcement.
Starfield: Shattered Space gets full gameplay reveal
Okay, okay, this is a pretty safe prediction, but we’re going to say that Bethesda’s big Starfield expansion will get a full gameplay reveal during the show. We know it’s coming, and Todd Howard says the team is aiming for a fall 2024 release, so we can’t understand why it won’t be ready to show off. complete during the showcase.
We’re not sure what to expect from this expansion, but we’re assuming that the team at Bethesda Game Studios has taken Starfield’s feedback and incorporated it into this DLC. Expect a tighter, more focused affair than the main game – and perhaps, just maybe we could see the new transport plague working in Shattered Space. Let’s see what happens, and hopefully we’ll get a firm launch date too!
Xbox’s remaining Dev Direct games will receive release dates
Way back in January 2024, Xbox’s second Developer Direct livestream showcased four Xbox first-party games, alongside Square Enix’s Visions of Mana. One of these first-party games has now been released in Hellblade 2, but the other three are still scheduled for release this year – and we think they’ll all get a date at the show.
That would mean Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Avowed, and Ara: History Untold would add up to a pretty stacked end of year for Team Xbox – as long as none of these slip into next year. If This is happening, in addition to some of our other predictions here, we’re in for a pretty awesome 2024 on Xbox. Apply them!
Xbox announces the revival of Project Gotham Racing
Right, our last three predictions here will be ‘wildcard’ picks – and we’re kicking off with a pretty crazy one from Ben. After nearly two decades in the shadows, Project Gotham Racing will make its grand return at Xbox Games Showcase 2024.
Look, okay, we’re doing our best to make this happen considering how popular Forza is these days, but we still think there’s room for PGR in Xbox’s lineup of racing games. Horizon brings the open world shenanigans, Motorsport is for the more serious racers among us, and PGR could be for those of us longing for a closed-circuit arcade racer to run around in. PGR 4 is still one of the best racing games ever for Xbox, and we hope and pray that there will be a fifth game one day. Microsoft, make it happen!
Blinx is back, baby
PX Video Producer Craig believes it’s high time for Blinx to return, and he’s pinning his hopes on an Xbox Games Showcase appearance this year. Yeah, he’s a little angry, but honestly, we’d be totally ready for a big Blinx reboot.
Think about it. Sony just announced this Astrobot making a proper PS5 debut later this year, Nintendo of course continues to release fantastic family-friendly platformers, and Xbox doesn’t really have anything to compete with. Yes, the team now has Crash and Spyro under its wing, but that doesn’t mean everyone’s favorite time-wasting cat can’t make another appearance. Hardcore Xbox fans deserve to be thrown a bone this year, and Blinx could be the catnip-lathered treat we’re all looking for.
After several teases, Banjo-Kazooie closes the show
Okay, look, we know Xbox fans seem to think Banjo-Kazooie will make a reappearance every year, but this time Fraser thinks it will actually happen. We might call him crazy, but Rare’s classic IP finally returning could happen in 2024…
Late last year, Phil Spencer noted how he “hears” Banjo fans yearning for a new game in the series, and this year we heard rumors that a Banjo-Kazooie game had been greenlit in 2022. Are guarantees of a 2024 performance of course, but there are certainly rumblings and crazier things happening at this point. We’re going to say that this ever-popular mascot duo will actually close the show in 2024!