What you need to know
- Microsoft hosted its Xbox E3 2019 Briefing on June 9.
- A lot of new games like Blair Witch were announced at the event.
- Project xCloud game streaming is getting public trials in October.
- Xbox "Scarlett" is four times more powerful than Xbox One X.
Today, Microsoft hosted its E3 2019 Briefing. Fans from around the globe, as well as members of the press, were in attendance in Los Angeles for the event. A lot of new games were revealed, as well as details about the company's next-generation consoles and game-streaming service to rival Google Stadia. You can read about all of the major announcements below. The highlights of the show had to be the new franchises various Xbox Game Studios are working on like The Outer Worlds.
Project Scarlett
Project Scarlett is Microsoft's next-generation console and it "eats monsters" according to the team. It's supposed to be four times more powerful than the 6-teraflop Xbox One X. The device renders games at up to 120 frames per second (FPS) and 8K resolution. We should know more about it in the coming months, but expect a proper reveal at E3 2020 because it's launching in Holiday 2020.
Halo Infinite
No one was expecting the Halo Infinite trailer to be this moving. The game seems to take place many years after the events of Halo 5, where humanity is on the brink of extinction. Master Chief's armor looks phenomenal and it's up to him to save us once again. Halo Infinite will be a launch title for Project Scarlett in Holiday 2020.
Xbox Elite Wireless Controller: Series 2
A new Xbox Elite Wireless Controller, simply called "Series 2," is coming to Xbox One and PC in November. It looks phenomenal and costs $180. You can preorder it now and it'll probably sell out quite fast. Best of all, it includes a built-in battery and new grips this time around.
Project xCloud
Project xCloud, Microsoft's game streaming service, seems to be taking two approaches. It'll allow you to use your Xbox One as a private server for free so you can stream games from the console whenever in the world you are. However, there will also be a paid service which won't require the purchase of a console. Public trials for the at-home setup should go live in October.
Double Fine Productions
Double Fine Productions is the team behind amazing experiences like Psychonauts 2. Today, Xbox Game Studios' head Matt Booty announced that the developer was joining Microsoft. He also revealed that Psychonauts 2 should land on Xbox One soon. This is another strong acquisition and it seems like the company isn't done yet.
Gears 5
Gears 5 is the sequel to Gears of War 4, and follows Kait on a harrowing journey. She's somehow related to the Locust, and it's up to you to help her. According to The Coalition, the game is the biggest Gears of War experience to date. It's unclear if it's an open-world title, but we should find out soon enough because it's expected to launch in September. There are also new multiplayer modes being added to the game as well as Terminator: Dark Fate content.
The Outer Worlds
The Outer Worlds launches on October 25. The game is coming to Xbox Game Pass at launch, but due to the fact that it's being published by Take-Two Interactive's Private Division label, it's also launch on PlayStation 4.
Elden Ring
Elder Ring is an upcoming open-world game from Game of Thrones creator George R. R. Martin and FromSoftware, the talented Japanese studio behind games like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. While the trailer was quite cryptic, we hope to learn more about the experience in the coming months.
Bleeding Edge
Ninja Theory confirmed that it was working on a new multiplayer game called Bleeding Edge. The title will get a Technical Alpha on June 27. The game places you in a team of four players, and you have to battle other teams with melee weapons like claws and swords.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Ori and the Will of the Wisps is the sequel to the phenomenal Ori and the Blind Forest. It's a challenging platformer that requires precise jumping and gravity-defying combat. Luckily, you won't have to wait too long to play it because it's coming to Xbox One on February 11, 2020. The trailer revealed a new story that seems just as touching as the original.
Minecraft Dungeons
Minecraft Dungeons is a dungeon crawler that has garnered a lot of interest over the past couple of months. Beforehand, it was only confirmed for PC, but now it's coming to Xbox One as well. The game is going to launch in Spring 2020, but it should be available for preorder soon. There may even be early-access opportunities down the line.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order got even more gameplay at the Microsoft event. The title witnesses the return of many favorite characters from the film series. The game is expected to launch on November 15 and looks great running on an Xbox One X at possibly 60 FPS.
Blair Witch
Blair Witch is a popular film franchise that revolutionized the horror genre many years ago. The Blair Witch game is a horror experience set in 1996. It looks absolutely stunning and because it models titles like Outlast. It's not a "AAA" experience, but a small, experimental game which launches in August.
Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 got new gameplay footage at E3 2019 and it looks better than ever. There's an added level of refinement that wasn't there before. The best part is that Keanu Reeves took to the stage and said that the game was coming on April 16, 2020. He's also a part of the game!
Xbox Game Pass
Batman: Arkham Knight, Borderlands: The Handsome Collection, Metro Exodus, and more are joining Xbox Game Pass today. However, that's not all. The company announced that Xbox Game Pass was coming to PC and will be available with over a hundred titles. If you want to save some money, you can always subscribe to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate which includes Xbox Game Pass for Consoles, Xbox Game Pass for PC, and Xbox Live Gold.
Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition
Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition is coming to Windows 10 this fall. The game looks absolutely spectacular and we have the trailer to prove it. Fans have been asking for this title for a very long time, and it's almost within reach!
Forza Horizon 4: Lego Speed Champions
Forza Horizon 4 is getting a Lego expansion very soon. Many thought that Hot Wheels would return for this game, but the Lego worlds look even more unique. It's supposed to launch this week so you can categorize it as a stealth release.
Wasteland 3
We have no idea when Wasteland 3 is launching on Xbox One and other platforms, but we do know that it takes place in Colorado. Hopefully inXile Entertaiment will tell us more at Gamescom 2019.
Microsoft Flight Simulator
Microsoft Flight Simulator is a cult classic and a new version is coming in 2020. It's powered by satellite data and Azure artificial intelligence solutions.
Battletoads
New Battletoads gameplay was finally showcased during the briefing and the title looks incredibly charming. The new team has managed to capture the humor and mechanics of the original, and interpret them in a new way. It's unclear when Battletoads is coming to Xbox One because no release window or release date was provided.
Borderlands 3
Borderlands 3 got a new trailer at the event, but Borderlands 2 got a new add-on which bridges the gap between the two games. You can download "Commander Lilith and the Fight for Sanctuary" right now on your platform of choice.
Phantasy Star Online 2
Phantasy Star Online 2 is coming to the West and it'll be available on Xbox One first it seems. It's one of the most popular games in the East and boasts millions of players.
State of Decay 2: Heartland
State of Decay 2: Heartland is the latest expansion for the game and tells even more personal stories of survival. If you have Xbox Game Pass, you can play it for free. Unfortunately, others have to pay for it.
Dying Light 2
Dying Light 2 is got a new trailer, but we didn't get a taste of gameplay. The title should launch in 2020, so it's a while away.
Other experiences like 12 Minutes, Crossfire X, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, Gears Pop!, Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, Tales of Arise, Ways to the Woods, and other games were revealed or received additional information at the Xbox E3 2019 briefing.
Those were all of the game announcements from the Xbox E3 2019 conference. A lot of great experiences are coming to Xbox One in the coming months from numerous publishers, and hopefully, you're as excited as we are for games like Battletoads and Gears 5. Which titles stood out to you the most? Let us know.
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PowerA Enhanced Wired Controller for Xbox One ($20 at Amazon)
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