On Sunday, Microsoft’s Xbox team unveiled a series of action-packed upcoming video games and a new digital-only console set to launch by the end of the year.
During the streamed event, hundreds of thousands of fans got a preview of titles, including the highly anticipated “Call of Duty: Black Ops 6,” slated for release on October 25.
The latest installment in the blockbuster first-person shooter franchise is set in the 1990s after the fall of the Soviet Union, where “the truth isn’t what it seems,” according to Xbox gaming boss Phil Spencer, who also provided a first look at the game’s campaign.
Spencer emphasized that the new “Call of Duty” and numerous other games will be available from day one on the Xbox Game Pass subscription service.
Additionally, Xbox showcased “Gears of War: E-Day,” a new addition to the military shooter series, and “Indiana Jones and the Great Circle,” a game arriving later this year featuring a Harrison Ford-like character battling Nazi enemies.
Other titles presented included new installments of “Doom,” “Dragon Age,” and a “Life is Strange” sequel with a supernatural murder mystery.
The event also teased expansion packs for popular games like “World of Warcraft” and fresh “Fallout” content, featuring a playable ghoul character, tying into the hit Amazon Prime series based on the franchise from Bethesda Studio, now owned by Xbox.
Xbox president Sarah Bond stated their mission is to make Xbox the best place to play by including titles from their studios and Game Pass at launch. She introduced new Xbox consoles, including a digital-only model to be released later this year.
Bond highlighted Xbox’s goal to develop future hardware that allows players to enjoy their games on Xbox consoles, personal computers, and the cloud.
Pricing for the new consoles was not disclosed.
The showcase is part of a week-long series of presentations from game developers, replacing the E3 trade show, which ended its 20-year run in 2023.
Earlier this year, Microsoft announced it would make some previously exclusive Xbox games available on rival consoles, a move that shook up the gaming world.
Spencer stated in a podcast that over the next five to ten years, hardware-exclusive games will become a smaller part of the industry, although Xbox is not abandoning its core exclusive strategy, with no promises of more games following suit.
Microsoft aims to boost Xbox sales, which have lagged behind Sony PlayStation, and increase revenue from its cloud gaming subscription service.
By focusing on software and subscriptions, Xbox hopes to emulate the success of TV streaming giant Netflix. Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo have long competed to be the preferred console, relying on exclusive blockbuster titles from their own studios or through deals with other game developers.
