So, we've gathered up some of our top predictions for Xbox's big 2024 event. These are by no means a lock-in... we've just put together a few ideas that we hope will become a reality.
The final three of these are 'wildcard' picks, so expect them to be a little less realistic than the rest of them. Nevertheless, we're still hoping and praying they come true!
Forza Horizon 6 Makes Surprise Appearance
Back in 2021 we weren't really expecting a Forza Horizon 5 reveal due to the impending arrival of the new Forza Motorsport, but it happened anyway - and the game released within a six-month timeframe from the showcase that year.
Now, we're not saying this exact cadence will happen again, but we could definitely see Forza Horizon 6 getting some sort of reveal earlier than we're perhaps expecting. Sure, Fable is in the works over at Playground Games, but they are operating as a two-team studio these days, so who knows? All we're saying is that if the lights dip over a neon-soaked Japan crammed full of drifting sports cars, we wouldn't be surprised to see the Forza Horizon 6 title card soon follow.
Xbox Game Pass Gets Big ActiBlizz Shadow Drop
Okay, this is probably a pretty obvious one but we think it's high-time for some sort of Activision Blizzard Xbox Game Pass drop during the showcase. We've had Diablo 4 as a one-off addition already, and hints of other titles have been floating around recently, but nothing from Call of Duty, Crash or Spyro has actually been added to the service yet.
Although we're not entirely sure how the team will handle this, the showcase is quite Call of Duty-focused this year with the Black Ops 6 direct, so we wouldn't be surprised to see a first ActiBlizz drop revolve around CoD. Maybe the entire Black Ops series being shadow dropped into the library? We certainly wouldn't say no to that as a starting point!
Gears Of War 6 Trailer Unveils Fall 2025 Release Window
Believe it or not, we're just a couple of months away from the last mainline Gears release becoming five years old. Yep, Gears 5 launched in September 2019, and although that time has flown by, we still think it's about time we saw something on Gears 6 at this year's Xbox Games Showcase.
Recent rumours are helping our case with this one as well. In early April, a few well-known insiders began talking about a potential Gears 6 reveal this summer, and later that same month one of the series' voice actors also expressed that we're probably due 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 it's during the 2024 showcase!
The Highly-Anticipated REPLACED Gets Launch Date
When we first heard about the fantastic-looking retro-futuristic platformer REPLACED way back in 2021, we never thought we'd still be waiting for a release date in 2024 - but here we are. Sad Cat Studios' indie stunner has been delayed several times already, leading to folks wondering whether the game actually exists.
Well, it does indeed - we had an update last year that pushed the game's release window back to 2024. We're almost at the mid-point of the year now, and we reckon it's time this one gets properly dated. Remember, that 2021 reveal took place at Xbox's summer showcase that year, so REPLACED has a history of showing up at Xbox events. We just hope it isn't replaced with something else again this year.
Xbox Announces Its Fall 2024 Hardware Plans
Back in February, you know, when Xbox held its special 'business update podcast', Sarah Bond dropped some pretty major details about the team's hardware plans. Aside from boasting about Microsoft's next-gen console providing the biggest technical leap ever, Bond also announced that Holiday 2024 would bring new Xbox hardware in some form.
Now, it's unclear whether the team is intending to announce this hardware later this year or release it then, but we're assuming they meant that it'll release in late 2024 - that's usually when fresh hardware drops. Who knows whether it'll be another Xbox Series refresh or even potentially this rumoured handheld, but we're excited to learn about it either way - and the Xbox Showcase seems a great place to make such a big announcement.
Starfield: Shattered Space Gets Full Gameplay Reveal
Okay, alright, 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 see why it won't be ready to be shown off in full during the showcase.
We're not sure what to expect from this expansion, but we do reckon that the team at Bethesda Game Studios will have taken Starfield feedback on-board and built that into this DLC. Expect a tighter, more focused affair than the main game - and maybe, just maybe we could see that new transport tease worked into Shattered Space. Let's see what happens, and hopefully we get a nailed-on launch date as well!
Xbox's Remaining Dev Direct Games Get Release Dates
Way back in January 2024, Xbox's second Developer Direct livestream showcased four Xbox first-party games, alongside Visions of Mana from Square Enix. One of these first-party games has now released in Hellblade 2, but the other three are still planned for this year - and we think they'll all get dated during the show.
That would mean Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Avowed and Ara: History Untold would contribute to a pretty stacked end of the year for Team Xbox - as long as none of these slip to next year. If this happens, alongside some of our other predictions here, we're in for a pretty amazing 2024 on Xbox. Bring 'em on!
Xbox Announces The Revival Of Project Gotham Racing
Right, our final three predictions here are going to be 'wildcard' picks - and we're kicking things off with a pretty crazy one from Ben. After almost 20 years in the shadows, Project Gotham Racing will make its grand return at the Xbox Games Showcase 2024.
Look, okay, we're trying our best to will this into existence given how popular Forza is these days, but we still think there's room for PGR in Xbox's racing game lineup. Horizon brings the open world shenanigans, Motorsport is for the more serious racers amongst us, and PGR could be for those of us that are craving a closed-circuit arcade racer to thrash around in. PGR 4 is still one of Xbox's best ever racing games, and we're hoping and praying that a fifth game happens one day. Microsoft, make it happen!
Blinx Is Back, Baby
PX Video Producer Craig reckons that it's high-time for Blinx to come back, and he's pinning his hopes on an Xbox Games Showcase appearance this year. Yeah, he's a bit mad, but we'd totally be up for a big Blinx reboot, to be honest.
Think about it. Sony just announced that Astro Bot is making a proper PS5 debut later this year, Nintendo of course continues to pump out fantastic family-friendly platformers, and Xbox doesn't really have anything to compete. Yes, the team now has Crash and Spyro under its wing, but that doesn't mean that everyone's favourite time-sweeping feline can't re-appear. Hardcore Xbox fans deserve to be thrown a bone this year, and Blinx could be the catnip-lathered treat we're all after.
After Multiple Teases, Banjo-Kazooie Closes Out The Show
Okay, look, we know that Xbox fans seem to think that Banjo-Kazooie is going to re-appear every single year, but this time around, Fraser thinks it'll actually happen. We could call him crazy, but, Rare's classic IP finally returning might actually happen in 2024...
Late last year, Phil Spencer commented on how he "hears" Banjo fans who are craving a new game in the series, and then just this year, we heard rumours that a Banjo-Kazooie game had been greenlit back in 2022. Neither of these are guarantees of a 2024 appearance of course, but there certainly are rumblings right now, and crazier things have happened. We're going to say that this ever-popular mascot duo will actually close out the show in 2024!
