Our Predictions For The 2023 Xbox Games Showcase

It's that time of year again! While E3 was unfortunately cancelled earlier this year, the summer showcase season is most certainly sticking around, with Geoff Keighley's Summer Game Fest livestream kicking things off on June 8th.

However, its the big Xbox Games Showcase that we're most excited about, naturally. Microsoft's back-to-back presentation takes place on June 11th - featuring that huge Starfield blowout we've been waiting months for!

So, here are some of our top predictions for Xbox's big 2023 event. These are by no means a lock-in... we've just put together a few ideas that we hope will become a reality.

1. Machine Games Will Show Off A Cinematic Trailer For 'Indiana Jones'

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We're going to start with a wild one: Bethesda's Indiana Jones game will reappear. It's been well over two years since we got that very teasery teaser trailer in January 2021 - revealing that Wolfenstein developer Machine Games was at the helm for this title.

And while everything we've heard so far points towards this being early in development, we think some kind of tie-in to the upcoming 'Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny' film would be a good shout. We're not expecting gameplay, but we think a cinematic trailer is upon us.

2. Redfall Makes An Appearance, With News On 60FPS

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This is perhaps a safer bet, but we think the Xbox Games Showcase would be a great spot to earn back some goodwill in regards to Redfall. We know that 60FPS is coming, so a timeline on that update would be much appreciated on June 11th.

Of course, the team could also tell us a little bit more about what else is inbound for Arkane's open world FPS. A couple of extra characters have already been confirmed thanks to the game's 'Bite Back Upgrade', and some more information on what those will entail during the show seems a safe bet.

3. Avowed Gameplay Reveal Ahead Of 2024 Launch

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It's about time we saw Avowed again, right? Obsidian's first person fantasy RPG has gone dark in recent years, although it's safe to say the dev team has been busy since with the likes of Grounded and Pentiment.

Still, those are smaller affairs and it feels right to blow the lid off this thing during this year's Xbox Games Showcase. The next Elder Scrolls is far, far away, and we're hoping that Obsidian can deliver a chunky slice of open world fantasy fun while we wait. We're going to predict a 2024 launch window while we're at it as well!

4. Minecraft's Ray Tracing Update Re-Emerges

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Remember this one? Yep, way back before the Xbox Series X came out, Microsoft and Mojang showed off a technical demo of Minecraft running on the console with ray tracing. Look, there's even photo evidence of the feature up above!

It's now been three years since this was shared with the world, and unfortunately we've yet to get our hands on it. That said, the feature was added very briefly back in early 2022 in the form of prototype code, but it was quickly removed.

With Minecraft Legends now out, and a brand-new Minecraft update on the horizon, we think it could be time for Minecraft's ray tracing update to reappear. It's got to come out one day... right? Minecraft isn't even Xbox Series X|S optimised yet, so what better way to bring Mojang's famous sandbox well and truly into the current generation?

5. Hellblade 2 Makes Statement With 2023 Launch Date

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We've long believed that Ninja Theory's Hellblade sequel is one of the furthest along within the Xbox portfolio, and we think this year's showcase will prove that. Buckle up folks - we reckon Hellblade 2 is coming to Xbox Series X and S this year.

Now, we will add the small caveat that a late 2023 window could easily be pushed into early 2024, but at the time of the Xbox Games Showcase, we think Microsoft and the developer have their sights set on later this year. Hellblade 2, Forza Motorsport and Starfield in 2023? Sign us up!

6. Starfield Direct Steals The Show

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Speaking of Starfield, one of the known quantities heading into this showcase is Bethesda's upcoming RPG. Months ago, Xbox confirmed that a Starfield Direct would air right after the main event, and we think that portion of the livestream should steal the whole showcase.

We know Bethesda Game Studios is bringing loads of new Starfield gameplay, we've seen lots of leaks and rumours that point towards new Starfield-themed Xbox hardware being present, and of course, we know Todd Howard can capture the hearts and minds like no other. There's lots to be excited about with the potential Xbox surprises that could land on June 11th, but make no mistake, Starfield has the potential to steal the show anyway.

7. Halo Infinite Season 4 Gameplay, And A Tease For What's Next

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Update: Since we originally published this, 343 has provided a bit more information on Season 4:

We know that Halo Infinite Season 4 is coming on June 20th, but we've not seen much on this upcoming season yet outside of its initial announcement. The new content drop landing just over a week after the show lends itself pretty well to a big reveal during Xbox's showcase.

But, you know what, we don't think that's it for Halo. For months, 'Project Tatanka' has been rumoured to be a Halo battle royale of some sort, and we think this — or whatever it's potentially evolved into at this point — will also be shown here. It could only be a teaser, but we think some form of sneak peek at 'the future of Halo' is more than due from the team at 343 Industries.

8. Gears Of War Will Show Up In Some Fashion

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The Coalition has been pretty quiet since Gears 5 launched in 2019, aside from its work with other teams like Epic Games on The Matrix Awakens demo. So, is it time for some Gears 6 action this June?

Well, we're not quite ready to commit to that, but we think the team will be present in some fashion. Whether it's something co-developed, an early teaser trailer for Gears 6 or that rumoured 'Marcus Fenix Collection', we're going to say that The Coalition will be there. The question is, what will they show off?

9. Fable Is Coming, And It's Bringing A Huge Gameplay Demo

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So, Fable was definitely teased by Xbox recently, right? Definitely? Absolutely? Okay, gotcha - it must be at the Xbox Games Showcase 2023 then!

The sad truth is that we've been burned by teasers before, so while we're not wholly convinced by it right now, it does appear to hint at something to come. If Fable is ready to be shown this year, we reckon it could be a proper gameplay demo given we already got that super short teaser trailer way back in 2020. We have faith that Forza Horizon developer Playground Games can get this one going in a speedy fashion and all we can say to that is - bring on the new Fable!

10. Microsoft Closes Out The Show With A Brand-New Game Reveal

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We're going to end this predictions article the same way we expect Xbox to end its showcase - with a big, new game reveal. Yep, we think Microsoft will lift the lid on something secret to close out its 2023 event, aside from the Starfield Direct chunk added to the end of course.

As for what this secret project will be? There are so many Xbox studios it's almost hard to guess, and that's not counting potential third-party reveals! Id Software showing its next game could be a shout, as could Compulsion Games revealing its next project after We Happy Few. There are so many options here, and we think Microsoft will be wanting to make a big statement to close out the main portion of the Xbox Games Showcase 2023.

Do you agree with any of these? What Xbox predictions do you have for the 2023 Showcase? Tell us in the comments below.