Generally speaking, 2023 has been a bit of a mixed bag forXbox Game Pass. Though every month has had at least one heavy-hitter, 2023 hasn’t brought out the big guns quite as much as it has in previous years, with most monthly offerings being lesser-known, lower-quality Indie and third-party titles. And when it comes to first-party Xbox Game Pass offerings,Redfallis all that most fans have been able to talk about since its disastrous launch. But thanks tothe Xbox Showcase, that all looks like it’s about to change.
Xbox has just held its annual showcase, and by all accounts, it was a pretty good presentation. Though it was shorter than both the recentPlayStation Showcase and Summer Game Fest, the Xbox Showcase had a lot more to reveal, and it featured some of the best pacing the industry has ever seen. But by far the most exciting element of the Xbox Showcase was the game reveals themselves, along with the confirmation that almost every one of them is heading to Xbox Game Pass day one.
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Every Xbox Game Pass Title Announced at the Xbox Showcase
Out of the 26 Xbox Showcase game announcements, a total of 21 are heading to Xbox Game Pass day one, with some pretty major huge titles in the mix. The Xbox Showcase kicked things off with a fantastical bang, debuting the long-awaited first trailer ofPlayground’sFablereboot. With a wonderfully satirical trailer that turns the fantasy genre on its head, it seems as thoughFableis in good hands.Payday 3got its first reveal trailer during the Xbox Showcase, and though it might look a tad too familiar for those that have playedPayday 2, it’s still a huge pull for service, making September an incredibly busy month for Xbox Game Pass.
Avowed, another long-awaited Xbox first-party title, got its first gameplay trailer during the Xbox Showcase. Though the trailer wasn’t too long, it does seem as though Obsidian is taking all of its learned lessons from previous titles and is pouring all the good bits intoAvowedfrom a refinedElder Scrolls-esque combatsystem to some great fantasy world-building.Avowedis giving Xbox Game Pass a great fantasy-filled line-up for 2024. Though this is far from the first time fans have seen it in action,Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2received another trailer at the Xbox Showcase, this one finally giving it a release window of 2024.
Xbox continued its first-party studio parade with a quick showing ofSea of Thievesand its brand-newSecret of Monkey Island-themedexpansion. TitledSea of Thieves: The Legend of Monkey Island, this DLC crossover will be completely free for those who own the game or have it on Xbox Game Pass on July 20.Forza Motorsportgot another quick trailer, and finally a release date of October 10, giving Xbox Game Pass a much healthier latter half of 2023 alongsideStarfield.
But a good showcase would be nothing without the announcement of brand new, genuinely creative video games, and the Xbox Showcase had a ton, most of which are coming toXbox Game Passday one.South of Midnightwas the second announcement of the Xbox Showcase, and its unique art style and eerie atmosphere made it an immediate standout, even if the developer’s last game,We Happy Few, wasn’t quite the critical success fans were hoping it to be.33 Immortalswas another exciting reveal, looking like a 33-player version ofHades. The last third of the Xbox Showcase was absolutely packed with even more reveals of a similar nature, with the relaxing puzzle climbing gameJusant,Banner Saga-successorTowerborne, andBioShock-esqueClockwork Revolutionall confirming that Xbox Game Pass still has a lot of juice left in the tank, for both the rest of 2023 and the upcoming 2024.
