Microsoft announced that Xbox and Bethesda will host a showcase together this summer to update players on the studio's upcoming Starfield, a new space-set RPG that has been likened to Skyrim. Fans can also expect to see news regarding other Xbox and Bethesda projects in the works. Its June date also hints that the Xbox showcase could be an E3 replacement, beginning a new annual tradition.
Microsoft's Xbox is having its best-ever, non-holiday sales quarter leading up to the summer showcase with Bethesda. In the US, UK, Canada, and Western Europe, the Xbox Series X console outsold all its competitors since the start of 2022. Not only that - but the hours also played using the Xbox Game Pass are up by 45% in the last twelve months. This is positive news for the company and has helped to set up an ambitious stage of hype for the upcoming showcase; it'll undoubtedly spark even more interest in the public's eye. While Bethesda titles are the focus of the event, other anticipated 2022 games will have a part in the discussion.
Starfield is set to be the front and center at the 2022 summer showcase, but that doesn't mean it'll be the only game talked about. Bethesda and Xbox have many more intriguing releases in the works, and this is the perfect time to update the public on where these ambitious projects are at. Additionally, Xbox usually discusses future games coming to Game Pass, so fans can except to hear more about that too.
Xbox & Bethesda 2022 Showcase Needs To Show Starfield Gameplay
Currently, Starfield is Bethesda's biggest project set to be released in late 2022. With much anticipation for the game, some fans have already used Skyrim mods to create Starfield-like space experiences in the engine. Starfield's first tease was all the way back in 2018, and until recently, much about the game was still unknown. On June 13, 2021, however, Bethesda put out the official teaser trailer with in-game cinematics and promised a set 2022 launch date. Unfortunately, the studio hasn't shown off any gameplay, so its current state is a mystery. Bethesda needs to use the upcoming summer showcase to finally let fans see what the game is looking like. In June, the game will only be six months away from release. Hopefully, the studio will also put out a live beta test for Starfield so that players can test it out for themselves.
As of now, Starfield does have a confirmed release date. And, if the project has come along as well as Bethesda hoped it would - the game should keep its promised November 2022 date. It'll be crucial for the studio to show that the game is in a decently polished state this summer because there's been no gameplay up until this point. Starfield is easily one of 2022's most anticipated games of the year, especially given the fact Skyrim's and Fallout's development team made it. Seeing this title pushed until 2023 would be a huge disappointment.
Xbox & Bethesda 2022 Showcase Announcements - Elder Scrolls 6
Aside from Starfield, other upcoming Bethesda titles like The Elder Scrolls 6 have a chance of being featured - even if it's a small amount of information. Right now, the only thing confirmed about the next Elder Scrolls game is that it's coming at some point in the future. Starfield had a possible Elder Scrolls Easter egg in its most recent trailer, which many interpreted as hinting toward the set location of the game. This is one piece of information that could be revealed at the upcoming summer showcase, and if it were, it would be huge. The current mainstream speculation is that the next Elder Scrolls is going to be located somewhere in western Tamriel (Hammerfell or High Rock), but that speculation might turn into fact soon.
Bethesda Could Have New Announcements For Redfall & Fallout 76
Redfall is another Bethesda title that could launch this year, so it's a no-brainer that it'll get a big feature during the summer showcase. In the announcement trailer uploaded to Bethesda's YouTube channel back in June 2021, Redfall's co-op looked better than Left 4 Dead, and it presented a lot of interesting game mechanics. At the end of the trailer, it said "Summer 2022" but there wasn't any indication of what that meant. Now given the knowledge of the 2022 summer showcase for Xbox and Bethesda, it was probably pointing to this event, not necessarily giving a launch date. Like Starfield, it would be nice to finally see some live gameplay for Redfall and possibly a confirmed release date.
Fallout 76 is also expected to have some information at the showcase this summer, albeit not very much. The open-world multiplayer RPG has already released its spring Invaders From Beyond update, and the summer Test Your Metal event is up next. Again, with the Xbox and Bethesda showcase being in the summer, there's a good chance Fallout 76's 2022 roadmap will get a small feature. With Bethesda set to release more games soon, this might be one of Fallout 76's last major announcements.
2022 Showcase - Xbox Exclusives & Game Pass Announcements
Xbox Games Studios will also be showcasing some of its other titles in production, one of which could be the highly anticipated Fable game. The Xbox website states that "This show will feature amazing titles coming from Xbox Game Studios, Bethesda, and our partners around the world." With such a lack of information regarding Fable - other than the official announcement trailer back in 2020 - it's about time to show the public how far along it's come, and the summer showcase is the perfect time to do so. Some news already indicated that the Fable reboot has taken longer to make than expected due to Playground Games also working on Forza Horizon. Hopefully, some positive progress has been made since the first trailer was released and it'll be shown this summer.
There are plenty of other games that can get a feature at the upcoming summer showcase for Xbox and Bethesda. Both studios have some big projects on the way. Xbox Game Pass's massive success during the past 12 months may also receive some kind of attention. Future Game Pass titles and new deals are likely to be on the top of the list for discussion. It's already been reported that FIFA 22 and Battlefield 2042 could make their way to Game Pass soon, which shows how much the service has grown. With the current information at hand, however, it's clear that Starfield is the main focus of the 2022 Xbox and Bethesda summer showcase, but that many other games will be a part of the event too.
Sources: YouTube/Bethesda Softworks, Xbox