E3 2021: Xbox and Bethesda Showcase live report
Here come the big guns! Join us live from 6pm BST.
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It's been a funny old start to the E3 shenanigans so far, but things promise to move up a gear or two tonight with Microsoft and Bethesda's showcase. Starfield, Halo Infinite, perhaps the next Forza and who knows what else? It's going to be fun! Join us from 6pm BST.
Our live coverage of this event has finished.
Oi oi!
Sorry, feeling a bit rowdy after an afternoon in the sun followed up by the football. It's all a bit 1996 isn't it?
Maybe we'll get a proper 1996 conference too with Quake and Tomb Raider and, er, some Elder Scrolls.
I'd be happy with that.
Also Phil Spencer getting wrecked in the dentist's chair. That'd be fun.
Anyway, what we will get is Starfield.
How much of it I don't know - I'd love to see it in action.
And of course some has leaked online already - I won't spoil it here.
I've just watched the trailer that's 'leaked' and I'll be honest, I'm none the wiser myself.
Kami: I'd be down with a Tomb Raider if we go back to old-school Lara. I miss her.
Bring back Keeley Hawes!
themightyant: Martin thankfully you didn’t have to cover the Koch media presentation, it was woeful
We were lucky enough to have a heads-up on that. And to steer well clear.
In another example of my terrible taste in films - and why we still don't write about films and such on Eurogamer - I really like Prometheus.
Well, maybe not *really* like. It's pretty and it's interesting.
I am 100 per cent here for the new look at Halo Infinite.
As an example of my terrible taste in video games and why I shouldn't be allowed to write about them - I didn't think Halo Infinite looked that bad in that infamous showing.
The action looked on point and that's enough for me really.
So yeah, I'm easily impressed - and I'm looking forward to being wowed by whatever 343 will be sharing tonight.
I'm also hopeful of a glimpse of the next gen of Forza - and also whatever is next for Forza Horizon.
Plus Microsoft has a whole load of new studios to keep us updated on.
And it's a safe bet that family of studios will have expanded before the end of the night.
Well, less than a minute to go - buckle up, it should be a fun ride!
Should something be happening about now?
Ah, I've just got to the countdown.
How can you be late to your own scheduled video premiere?
Quite impressive really.
Anyway I'm getting some funky 70s testcard vibes from this countdown screen so we're all good.
Would be up for the Just Dance opener we were robbed of last night.
Also I'm reminded how good it was for Ubisoft to switch the comments off its show last night.
NO SPOILERS!
Here's Todd fronting up the show!
Well that is surprising!
And his t-shirt is carefully concealed behind a hoodie that looks ready to be unzipped at any point.
Hopefully to reveal 'ROGUE WARRIOR 2'.
Until then here's that teaser of Starfield that leaked about an hour ago.
I was actually well-behaved and skipped watching the leaked trailer.
This doesn't give away much, but it does seem like an enjoyably grounded branch of sci-fi.
Starfield is a next-gen exclusive.
And it's coming 11th November 2022.
And it's Xbox exclusive too - so no PlayStation versions.
Well that answers that particular query around the Xbox/Bethesda deal!
30 titles being shown tonight - 27 for Game Pass.
Sorry, I just got so excited for this look at Stalker 2 I shut down the tap I was live reporting in.
I'm whooping and hollering here from home if that's any help?
This looks simply phenomenal.
It's got the bleak, weary tone down pat, and it's matched with artwork that's melancholy in its beauty and oh please when can I play this.
Malek86: It does look like next gen Stalker and that's all I need tbf
Indeed!
Read the book! Watch the film! Play the games!
They're all winners. This looks like an excellent extension of them too.
Another 2022 game - 28th April this time.
Yourtoastisonfire: Is that the game based on roadside picnic?
It is indeed!
That was an electric look at Stalker 2 there - I'm sure it's put the game on a lot of people's radars.
Here's the meaty looking Back 4 Blood, which is looking set for a day one release on Game Pass.
Which will help its chances over something like Evolve, of course.
Also helps that this is a heap load of chunky co-op fun - I really enjoyed what I played of it earlier this year.
October 12th release - and it is indeed coming to Game Pass on day one.
Onto an Xbox console exclusive!
From Avalanche Studios - who may well have just joined the Xbox family.
Avalanche being the lovely Swedish bunch behind Just Cause and the brilliant Mad Max.
Contraband, it's called - it looks Just Cause-y in spirit and tone, but I guess we'll have to wait a while until we find out what it's really about.
Here's an update on Sea of Thieves - one of the dozens of truly exceptional games as a service available right now that I feel terrible for not keeping on top of.
Miyamotosan: I continue to be absolutely fascinated by the concept of game pass.
There's a good piece on Eurogamer.com about it all if you ever want to find out more!
Oh it's a Pirates of the Caribbean crossover! That makes a lot of sense!
I don't think that's Johnny Depp tho.
Sea of Thieves: A Pirates Life - coming on June 22nd for ABSOLUTELY NOTHING YOU SPOILT BRATS.
Here's more Yakuza coming to game pass! There's so much Yakuza!
I really enjoyed Like a Dragon but I bounced off after about 30 hours. It's so much Yakuza!
Here's your first look at Battlefield 2042 in action.
I was fortunate enough to see this a couple of week's ago - it's much more convincing than the CG trailer they put out.
Although I'm still not convinved by the hero characters.
iconld: Yakuza 7! Be sure to play with original Japanese voices.. it's magnificent!
Seconding this!
barchetta: I hadn't realised Y7 was so balls out weird. Are they all like that?
Yes.
Anyway, this looks a lot like Battlefield 4 right?
Like Paracel Storm and Siege of Shanghai mashed up together. With moar graphics.
I think it looks like a lot of fun.
And here's Psychonauts 2!
A brief arty interlude for Twelve Minutes from Annapurna.
That's what I wrote right?
(Thank heavens for the edit button).
Pete Hines, who I'm not afraid to say I'm slightly afraid of, is here for an update on Bethesda.
It is quite something to have the two conferences smooshed together.
Doom Eternal is coming to Game Pass - and it's getting a Series S/X update towards the end of the month on June 29th.
120fps, raytracing, 4K - all that jazz.
Oh and there's Fallout 76 too.
Apparently it's quite good now!
Sorry I closed my tab again, but not because I was overexcited this time.
I thought that might be Fallout 5 but of course it was an expansion for Fallout 76! Looked decent!
Onto The Elder Scrolls Online - again, supposed to be very good, again I feel terrible for not having the time to play it - gets a new trailer.
Here's an unexpected party game announcement! And what looks like Gang Beasts prettied up.
And Hades! Which you really shouild play if you haven't already.
It's coming to Xbox on August 13th!
A console launch exclusive up next.
It's Somervile - which, as you might have already guessed, comes from some former Playdead people.
Beautiful, moody, apocalyptic. It ticks all the right boxes!
God it does and that is high praise indeed.
That's coming in 2022 - and to Game Pass.
Oh my! I think we might be about to see Halo!
Halo Infinite multiplayer will be free-to-play.
I believe that was expected.
Or it could be a really short conference!
But yes it is promising.
Well here are those graphics you asked for.
I agree 100 per cent!
There's a new blue lady!
Already the internet is doing fanart of the new blue lady and why is the internet like this.
The multiplayer and campaign are launching together, contraty to some other reports.
Though there's still no commitment to a date beyond 'this holiday'.
Well I'm looking to book a couple of days off next week so it might be then!
Grapples are really back in fashion aren't they?
This year's bow and arrow.
Anyway, they do make a fine addition to Halo's multiplayer,. which looks frankly outrageous.
And of course both the campaign and the multiplayer will be on Game Pass.
But the multiplayher is already free-to-play. Does that count?
Anyway, I'm looking forward to that.
HERE'S DIABLO!
Really bringing the 1996 vibes I'm after.
Moody as hell.
Now here's the next game from the developers of Microsoft Flight Simulator!
It's a new A Plague Tale!
This is captured in-engine, apparently - it looks damn pretty.
It's Game Pass day one - and coming to Series S/X and Xbox Cloud gaming. So a next gen exclusive, I guess?
Here's some of the Far Cry 6 gameplay that was seemingly missing from last night's Ubisoft show.
It looks like a very pretty Far Cry.
AquinasBatman: Far Cry more like 'Far Cry From Having a Map Editor' God I won't let that go
It's okay to have a bit of a scream every now and then.
Next is something from Monomi Park - the devs behind Slime Rancher.
And it looks like more Slime Rancher!
Or Slime Rancher 2, as it's also known. Another one coming to Game Pass on day one.
And another console launch exclusive!
It's Steep!
Oh no hang on it looks more like a spiritual successor to SSX.
Or a 1080 Snowboarding even.
It looks awesome - Shredders, it's called.
And it looks set for a release this December - and yes, that's another game coming to Game Pass on day one.
Batshit first-person shooter Atomic Heart is next - another candidate for Game Pass?
And now!
I mean I don't know what this is - it's from Coatsink who did Phogs and I thought it might be The Last Night but who knows.
All I know is that it looks absolutely chuffing brilliant with its 2D artwork mixed with swizzy camerawork and it's called Replaced and is coming out next year.
That was a banger.
A Grounded update!
Here's another game that looks great that I feel bad for not keeping on top of.
The Shroom and Doom update, which brings achievements and sitting, is coming on June 30th.
Among Us I guess IDK.
I'm guessing it's 90 minutes, at this pace.
This 3D/2D artstyle is really catching on isn't it? After Octopath Traveller it's seemingly everywhere - like in Eiyuden Chronicle.
There's a full game coming in 2023, with a lead-in prologue due in 2022.
That's new to me, and it looks lush. Now, The Ascent!
Another one for Game Pass on day one.
Now what is this?
A new Age of Empires perhaps?
Apologies, I had to go do some dad stuff - and I just missed The Outer Worlds 2 reveal!
But I sort of knew about that already so it's fine.
The most important thing is I'm here to see news of Microsoft Flight Simulator on console.
This really has been one of my favourite games of the last 12 months - it's a phenomenal thing.
A thing of endless beauty and wonder.
And also chill as anything.
Like how could you now want to play that?
It's coming to console on July 27th.
Along with some big boy jet planes.
I am so, so excited.
Ah, a Top Gun Maverick expansion. Yes please very much so.
Oh wow that was so awesome.
And they're going straight into Forza, becuase they know they're pushing all my buttons.
It looks like Forza Horizon goes South America.
Which oddly enough makes it look a lot like DriveClub. RIP you beautiful thing.
Big weather seems to be the new addition - storms that roll in across the horizon.
Oh and a volcano too why not.
It's coming November 9th. THIS YEAR.
It's down in Mexico - and we're going to be shown it in the fancy new Mercedes Hypercar.
Which makes me remember I just missed the end of the 8 hours of Portimao.
Anyway here's some gameplay!
Expeditions are new - they look like fairly chill co-op events.
Forza Horizon 4 is such a perfect game that I sort of don't know where they can take it next.
Of course, I'm excited to find out. More graphics is obviously the first point of order - and there are lots of graphics!
The map features the highest point in the Forza Horizon series so far - which is an excuse to show off some plentiful draw distance on Series S and X.
There are a lot of trailers shown tonight I can't wait to watch properly and not on a tiny window on my PC!
I would love to see it but I think it's a small while off - I think there might be room for one more surprise though!
And I'm probably wrong anyway.
Back to Horizon 5 - it's got a multiplayer suite you can edit, sort of like Dirt 5's recent efforts.
75 minutes in and Phil Spencer only just rocked up - fair play for not taking the limelight.
Lovely to see you anyway!
The t-shirt is a simple one celebrating the 20th anniversary of Xbox.
That was all you're going to see of Fable tonight I reckon - a brief glimpse as Phil runs through all the RPG talent in Xbox Game Studios.
I was hoping we might get to see a bit of the next gen of Forza Motorsport, but I guess that's still a way off.
And there is one more thing.
A new game from Arkane - one of the best devs out there, for my money.
This conference really has pushed all my buttons - getting to see the new Arkane is pretty much as good as it gets from me.
It's a punky sci-fi thing, by the looks of it.
Also it might be too early for gameplay as we're being treated to a strictly CG trailer.
Oh when I said sci-fi... It's got vampires in it!
It looks like a Left4Dead-esque affair from this trailer but who knows!
Well, vampires are more interesting than zombies at least.
It looks like someone has an exploding umbrella in it, so I'll take that.
And that is Redfall.
It's Series S/X, PC and in what's a trend tonight Xbox Cloud gaming - so no Xbox One.
That was a very good show.
And when you consider the background of the pandemic it's been produced against, it's mighty impressive - there's some great games on the horizon for Xbox.
A CG trailer took the wind out of the show's sails a bit, but Redfall still looks plenty decent.
And we get to play a new Forza Horizon this year!
Not bad, Microsoft, not bad.
I'm just going to log off quickly before Square Enix starts shortly - thanks for joining me here, and hope to see some of you again a bit later!