We're really counting down the days now until Xbox's massive E3 2021 event! It takes place this Sunday, June 13 in collaboration with Bethesda, and is set to provide 90 minutes of game reveals, updates and Game Pass news.
In the meantime, we've gathered a selection of predictions between some of the staff here at Pure Xbox that we think could come true at the event, either based on rumours, educated guesses or simply wishful thinking!
Here are our predictions, and don't forget to give us yours in the comments below.
1. We'll Get At Least One Xbox Game Studios Acquisition
It's been suggested over the past few days that Xbox might have at least one acquisition to announce at E3 2021, and while we're not expecting anything on the level of a Bethesda like last year, there's every chance one or two smaller studios could get snapped up for the Xbox Game Studios portfolio.
Who could that be? Well, take your guess. There are loads of potential options, from the Microsoft Flight Simulator developer Asobo Studio to Ori and the Will of the Wisps team Moon Studios, but it could be anyone. There's not much to go on here in terms of rumours or evidence, so we'll just sit back and wait for (hopefully) an exciting announcement.
2. Starfield Won’t Only Be Shown, But Will Receive An Extended Gameplay Reveal
Starfield is currently spinning through the rumour mill faster than it can handle. Every week we hear more about the game or see a new image of a window or a door. Enough is enough. Bethesda needs to take control of all this spin and give us a weighty look at the game.
Now, we’re not expecting a release date (and if there is, we can probably hazard a guess it will be delayed), but it’s come to the time where speculation needs to end and fans could do with an extended look - something in a similar vein to Fallout 4’s E3 reveal. This is the first new Bethesda IP in 25 years and we still don’t really know what it’s about.
It’s time.
3. Hints From Phil Spencer's Shelf Will Come To Fruition
It's crazy that one of the biggest ongoing stories in the world of Xbox over the past six months has related to a literal shelf of objects in the home of Xbox boss Phil Spencer, but that's exactly what's happened, and it's because he and the Xbox team have teased things this way in the past that have eventually turned out to be major reveals.
Some of the most talked about items on his shelf have been the Kojima Productions statue, multiple Nintendo Switch appearances, a Watch Dogs: Legion mask and more. There's no telling whether anything will actually come of these, but in terms of Nintendo specifically, we feel like something is up.
Hopefully we find out a bit more at the E3 event this Sunday.
4. An Existing IP Will Be Revived
The past few outings from Xbox seem to have come back with an IP revival. Just last year we had Fable and (later) Perfect Dark announced to be returning with new entries. We’re anticipating yet another beloved franchise to make a comeback. Personally, we would love something in the vein of an old platforming hero.
Other consoles are proving that the genre is alive and kicking with Ratchet & Clank on PlayStation, and Mario on Nintendo - why not bring back Banjo & Kazooie? There’s an entire back catalogue of fantastic titles to make a comeback, and we wouldn’t be surprised if that’s what we see the show end on.
5. Forza Horizon 5 To Get A Reveal & 2021 Release Date
It feels like Forza Horizon 5 is becoming the worst kept secret in the world of Xbox right now, and assuming the rumours are correct, it seems very likely it will be revealed at E3 2021 with a release date of later this year. We're definitely excited by that prospect (fingers crossed it's true!) along with the suggestion that it'll be set in Mexico.
The new Forza Motorsport is still in the process of early testing, so there's no indication that it'll be ready for release this year, and it would make sense to tide things over by releasing another entry in the ultra-popular Horizon series. It probably won't be anything too revolutionary, but we'd welcome a fresh new entry for sure.
6. Xbox Game Pass Should Have Its Strongest E3 Yet
Expecting some Xbox Game Pass announcements isn’t a prediction in itself, but we think the sheer volume and range of titles is going to be impressive. Not only are we expecting a big shadow drop, we’re also guessing that some much requested titles will make their way into the service. Persona 5, perhaps, and possibly even Battlefield.
Sure, one or even both of these may seem a bit ‘out there’, but Xbox has proven this year to expect the unexpected. The inclusion of MLB The Show 21 day one, the surprise launch of Undertale, and even the fantastic addition of Dragon Quest Builders 2. It’s time to finally accept that nothing is out of the realms of possibility, and get hyped for some notable inclusions.
7. New FPS Boost & Maybe New Backwards Compatibility Titles
Remember when Microsoft dropped a massive 74 FPS Boost upgrades for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S last month? That was a humongous batch, but considering it's been a few weeks now since that occurred, we'd be surprised if at least a few more weren't revealed as part of Xbox's E3 2021 event this Sunday.
And yes, there's a possibility - just the hint of a possibility - that Microsoft might announce that more games are coming to the Xbox backwards compatibility program. The team has confirmed it would love to add more older titles, but the logistics make it very difficult, so we'll hold out hope that they've found a way to make it work.
8. The Rest Of 2021 Is Going To Look Huge For Xbox Fans
If there’s something that’s nigh on a guarantee, it's that after this showcase, Xbox fans are going to have a bright future ahead for the rest of the year at the very least.
While we’ve seen very little in terms of first-party releases over the past few months, we’re going to see a big shift. Halo Infinite, Psychonauts 2 and Microsoft Flight Simulator are most likely going to come out of that show with some definitive release dates. That's not even counting the rumoured additions like the aforementioned Forza Horizon 5.
Bundled with the fact that these are all going to be in Xbox Game Pass day one, AND we’ll hear of many other titles coming to the service, it’s going to show that despite the slow start, 2021 will be a year to remember for Xbox fans.
Do you agree with these? What Xbox predictions do you have for E3 2021? Tell us in the comments.
Comments 40
@GunValkyrie Yeah. Those games would be awesome.
As far as the list in the article. I agree. All of those things could happen and most of them probably will.
Those are some explosive predictions. However I am keeping my expectations very low, I think we won't get much, just some more teasers and few release dates for Halo, Psychonauts 2 and Flight Sim that's it.
I think xcloud for iOS will come out of beta for public release around then…unless they’ve stated otherwise elsewhere.
I’d love Banjo to return but at this point I have no faith
The only thing I Don't want, is re-makes of old games or re-masters of old games. Give us new games and only new games. Give us new games designed completely and only for the Series X. Give us the return of the Build your own controller. Give us new Dynamic backgrounds and user created Dynamic backgrounds. Give us an update on when Cyberpunk 2077 will be fixed for the Series X. Give us a new Final Fantasy. Give us something that Non of us are expecting at all...
Not sure what to expect this year from the big M.
We could Halo Infinite campaign gameplay looking stunning or just multiplayer game play and probably a release date. If I was them 10 minutes of non stop campaign gameplay and some multiplayer game play would be best.
Forza Horizon 5 hopefully release date this year. . However after 4 and the diversified landscape and seasons of the UK, this entry may miss the spot and has a lot to live up to. After that who knows. I’m hoping they have a stellar show and give out some early AAA release dates for next year as well, March and June, spread the games.
Looking forward to a Starfield reveal with gameplay and a release date.
@OliverOwen
And yes please we have had enough of old games updates in resolution and FPS.
It’s ok if you are pumping out new AAA hit games constantly, but gets a bit boring and stale when it’s just updates of old games.
I keep my expectations low as always. What i really want to see is a polished Halo Infinite presentation and a Starfield reveal. After that anything else will be a pleasant surprise. And that's how i prefer it. And tbh, while new announcements are cool we don't need more new game reveals that have a 2-3 year release window. Xbox already has plenty of those.
I'm worried that Xbox's first party output is about to slow down drastically post-Halo and Forza considering even with Bethesda's acquisition most of the first party content looks at best, years away from release with the exception of maybe Hellblade. In that regard I'm interested in what they actually have to show from studios that haven't been highlighted in previous showcases
My expectations will be low for this even for Halo, it has to look as good as HZDFW and show what the series x and my £450 with 12tflops is about.
But it won’t and here’s why, they will push all this at us:
Native 4K 120fps
VRR
Dolby vision
Now to get technical, even the series x can’t push all 3 out at the same time it has 40gb hdmi 2:1 bandwidth not 48gb that is required to do all 3 at once. There is not a 2021 tv that can as they don’t have 48gb bandwidth either.
You can do any 2 in a mixture but not all 3 at once, something as to give.
But Microsoft like to give the big numbers and features, but they sacrifice the graphical fidelity and graphical effects to do so.
So the general public go look at the graphics on HZDFW, and yes it’s probably 30fps with checker board 4K, but to the naked eye it looks outstanding with those graphics and effects. An environment full of life, movement and big dinosaurs. It draws you in and creates an immersive game world. The gameplay will be sold and most definitely good enough for the public.
Anyway that’s my take on Microsoft and Halo currently. I would love to be wrong and shall be watching to see.
@GunValkyrie I doubt Remake is happening here now that Sony's extended exclusivity on Intergrade and I doubt Square would want to saddle Xbox and PC owners with just the vanilla release when a more complete version exists
I think Persona has a 50/50 chance. I don't doubt that Phil Spencer must've brought it up somewhere in the conversation with SEGA when arranging for stuff like Yakuza on Game Pass and PSO2's timed exclusivity, but knowing Atlus I'm tempering my expectations
While I tend to agree that expectations should be kept low, this time there's too much information about the showcase to not have certain expectations. For starters, we know that we'll see Halo Infinite, Starfield, other Bethesda games and new additions to Game Pass. Then we have all these rumours about a potential acquisition, Psychonauts 2 being released soon, the reveal of Forza Horizon 5, not to mention Game Pass on the Switch and much more. If there's this much information then at least some of it has to be true, there's just no way that none of it will come to fruition. So I'm going to keep my expectations leveled: not too high but also not too low.
I love Machine Games' new spin on the Wolfenstein franchise, and I'm really looking forward for the third game in the series. I believe that game is not too far away, maybe even due to 2021 or early 2022.
The Forza coming out this year I think it's a given, they don't have much coming out and they need it.
Do you think a studio acquisition would be announced right at the start or at the end? I imagine if it's something big it would be a huge way to end up the show
I personally don't believe they'll announce anymore acquisitions. They need to show what they can do with their current line up. We've had hints and teasers, but we need to see something substantial now.
I'm trying to keep the hype down, it spikes as I hear something in a podcast or read up on something but i just let it slide. I honestly expect to walk away pretty pumped. Don't really have anything I'm looking forward to as I'm drowning in backlog but it sounds like they have some surprises up their sleeves. Crazy pie in the sky wish would be that the acquired the rights for Ryse 2, either just bought the IP or acquired Crytek.
Also i think they will keep dropping news throughout the year so E3 won't be everything they have. They will be looking at dominating the news cycle once again especially when Sony gave them the clean slate.
I just cant wait for the event, My body is ready..
@GunValkyrie Add that to the list of why i will never be a PS fan at all. That and their controller is horrid.
I wanna take a big swing at a prediction. Let me think...
I'll predict a new Fuzion Frenzy. Online-only, F2P, supported by "Battle Passes" and cosmetics, gonna be run in seasons a la Fall Guys or any other modern game of this type. It's time to bring that one back, Microsoft - it's such a perfect fit for that model and there's still a weird amount of love for the IP, both from players and Microsoft (it's one of the few OG Xbox games on Game Pass perenially). Well, there's a weird amount of love for the FIRST one at least.
Do it you cowards
Oh and maybe Killer Instinct 4. Microsoft said they wanted to do it, but couldn't find a developer available to make it... which never held water for me. What the hell else is Iron Galaxy doing these days? Switch Ports? Get real Iron Galaxy
Like every year, I hold out hope for a Midtown Madness revival. I played a frankly disgusting amount of that game online on the OG Xbox and would love to see it make a comeback. Also, in today's market, it seems like it'd be easy to monetize and give a long tail, so I'm kind of surprised Microsoft hasn't brought it back already.
What do people thunk about Ubisoft games coming to GamePass at E3?
Banjo-Kazooie, just do it.
@FatalBubbles not particularly hyped nor do I believe it. Have you seen how much uplay+ costs? Microsoft couldn't possibly mix it in with gamepass and still turn out profits. Unless maybe ubisoft gives up on its pc only subscription and merges it with gamepass? They might see it as profitable as they apparently still aren't releasing their games on steam.
@GunValkyrie The PS5 exclusivity window for FF7R was extended to at least December this year because of the new Intergrade release, so I wouldn't count on seeing that until next year on Series X at the earliest.
I'd love some Persona but couldn't care less about Final Fantasy at this point. 7 remake and 15 didn't do it for me. What I really want to see are updates from each of the studio acquisitions. I don't need 50 new games tomorrow but it would be cool to see what everyone is up to. Its almost summer so I'm not going to game much until the fall anyway. Still, it'd be nice to have a few things to look forward to.
@mamoru Taiko? 🤔 Oh, taiko action! As in that drumming game? I read it as Taito, and tough Rastan Saga or some Darius. 😂
@LtSarge I think the lowest realistic expectations going in would be:
@Grumblevolcano I agree and that's undeniably a lot of good stuff to look forward to.
I think Bethesda will show some elder scrolls 6 gameplay but still won't release until 2023
My major concern is that whatever 1st party games they show won't be releasing this year which is a major blow as all they have so far is halo infinite
Starfield, i so want that game to be perfect.
And i want to see at least! Killer instinct announced.
New studio adquisition + ludens figure on the shelf = Kojima productions bought by microsoft confirmed!
(Hope my flawed logic is true)
@NicolausCamp Right, Xbox might get the definitive edition of FFVII Remake in 2022.
@GunValkyrie I hate that as well, Sony used to trick people years ago but because of recent complaints they have to be clear now, the small print at the end of the trailer states "available on PS5 at least six months earlier than any other format". It's becoming ridiculous.
Individually I think each of these are very rational. It's all together that they start to become a pipedream.
Reminder to all, myself included, to KEEP EXPECTATIONS IN CHECK.
@GunValkyrie If I was to put money on Square Enix's strategy... They would put FF7R on Game Pass for 6-12 months, but probably only the last gen version. And then add next gen + Intergrade after the Game Pass period expires. (similar to what they did to PS+)
I love them... but they're *****!
In all honesty, Xbox's 'could' have a massive end to the year here vs the competition.
Sony literally have nothing apart from Horizon FW and that could still slip to 2022 based on Herman Hulst's interview.
Xbox could have Flight Sim, Psychonauts 2 (next-gen version is exclusive), Halo Infinite, Forza Horizon 5, Age of Empires IV, Crossfire X etc.
And that's before we talk about indie stuff like Scorn, The Gunk, Tunic, Stalker 2, The Ascent, Bright Memory Infinite etc.
Throw in some day one Game Pass additions, and I'd say Xbox could have an amazing end to the year.
@BlueOcean
I think Rare/ Microsoft should just sell the rights to Banjo-Kazooie if they are not going to make new games for it.
@Don i think that they are going to do something. They know people want it.
@blinx01 That would be great for Christmas sales.
I like the predictions, but I'll be happy enough as long as they acquire Asobo and finally announce that the Bethesda/ZeniMax games are going to be exclusive to Xbox. I'm more excited about the smaller studios that they've acquired like Team Ninja and Obsidian, and Asobo definitely qualifies after A Plague Tale: Innocence.
Still, it's time for Microsoft to finally say something about the Bethesda/ZeniMax games other than the same thing twice. The last time they said something, it was just the same thing they said before, just in different words. It's time to get serious, grow a pair, and just come out and say what they should have already.... "Yes, we are looking to compete with Sony's exclusives finally and not just tease you with timed exclusivity."
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