The Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase 2022 was one of the most anticipated events of Summer Game Fest, thanks to the blockbuster power of both game companies. Between them, Xbox and Bethesda have an incredible raft of iconic characters, stories, and video games – and they were all in the spotlight in the latest company showcase.
Here’s everything announced during the show.
This article has been updated since its original publication.
Redfall: Debut Gameplay Trailer
The first trailer of the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase 2022 was for Redfall – and it finally got its first gameplay trailer! Layla led this reveal, exploring an abandoned church covered in blood and guts.
Inside, she finds a creepy vampire reciting scripture, and begins a frantic battle with a whole pack of churchgoing vampires, each wearing shiny leathers. These vampires are a little bit Buffy, and a little bit ‘spooky monster with elongated limbs’.
It appears cults and vampires rule the town of Redfall in this romp – with only a small squad of super-powered (and techno-powered) heroes to fight back against the tide.
Redfall launches in 2023 for Xbox and PC.
Read: Redfall – First gameplay shown at Xbox and Bethesda showcase
Hollow Knight: Silksong got a new trailer
Hollow Knight: Silksong by Adelaide’s Team Cherry finally got a brand new gameplay trailer – although not much was revealed beyond the fact that it’s still coming, and it’ll be available on Xbox Game Pass.
Read: Hollow Knight: Silksong returns at the Xbox and Bethesda showcase
Squanch Games is back with High On Life
Justin Roiland led a wild gameplay trailer for High On Life, a new game from developer Squanch Games. It appears Roiland will play one of several talking guns in this wacky adventure, which takes place across a number of alien planets.
In addition to guns, there’s also a very Australian knife that appears to be a main character.
It arrives October 2022, and will be available on Xbox Game Pass.
Read: High On Life is a new shooter from Rick and Morty creator
This was followed by a flashy reel for Riot Games, including looks at League of Legends and Valorant, as well as Legends of Runeterra and Teamfight Tactics. It appears every major game from the company is coming to Xbox Game Pass this Summer 2022 (Southern Hemisphere).
A Plague Tale: Requiem is coming in 2022
The next trailer kicked off with a walk through a medieval village, and a tense encounter in a forest. This is A Plague Tale: Requiem, a game with adventure and stealth mechanics. It appears you’ll be able to push people into rat hordes to kill them, which already has us sold on this sequel.
It arrives in 2022 for Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5,
Forza Motorsport is back to claim the racing crown
The next trailer was for Forza Motorsport, a brand new entry in the long-running series. While the Forza franchise has long been dominated by the photo-real Horizon series, it appears Motorsport will be back in Autumn 2023 (Southern Hemisphere).
A developer interview following the new trailer described the game as the most ‘technically-advanced’ racing game of all time.
The gameplay demo that followed depicted a sparkling autumn world filled with brilliant orange and green hues, and very shiny, fast cars. It appears weather, time of day, car damage, and many other factors will influence your time in the game.
Read: New Forza Motorsport revealed at 2022 Xbox and Bethesda showcase
Microsoft Flight Simulator is getting new planes, helicopters
Helicopters and gliders are coming to Xbox’s longest-running game franchise, Microsoft Flight Simulator, with players able to jump in with a range of new controls and methods of transport. Whether it’s a small glider, or a funky little helicopter, there’s now a bunch of new ways to explore the skies.
These arrive in the game on November 2022.
Also coming to the game is a pelican from Halo Infinite, so players can explore space. It’s available now.
Overwatch 2 is coming in October 2022
Overwatch 2 has finally been dated after a truncated release cycle. A fresh gameplay trailer showed off new heroes in action, and plenty of melee madness.
Early access begins 4 October 2022 – and it will be free to play.
The newest hero of the game was also introduced in this trailer – an Australian hero named Junker Queen. They appear to be a post-apocalyptic brawler who wields a gun and heavy armour.
Read: New Australian Overwatch 2 character revealed, Junker Queen
Ara: History Untold is a brand new 4X strategy game
A new turn-based strategy game is coming to Xbox – it’s Ara: History Untold, and it has an impressive pedigree in the 4X space as it comes from Oxide Games (Ashes of the Singularity).
Read: Xbox reveals Ara: History Untold, a new turn-based strategy game
This was followed by a flash reel for The Elder Scrolls Online: High Isle, which arrives on Xbox in June and is now available on PC.
‘The Pitt‘ was also announced as DLC for Fallout 76 – a game that has been in hot water lately. This is a spooky, monster-filled area that first appeared in Fallout 3. It arrives in the game in September 2022.
Forza Horizon 5 is getting new Hot Wheels content
New content is coming to Forza Horizon 5! It’s Hot Wheels, and it looks super wild – players will be able to take to twisty skybound tracks that loop and twirl everywhere.
It’s available 19 July 2022.
Ark 2 got a brand new trailer
The next trailer is for a gorgeous dinosaur-themed adventure, narrated by a little girl. Vin Diesel stars as a post-apocalyptic warrior in Ark 2, and leads the action of this brief snippet.
Read: Ark 2 revealed at Xbox and Bethesda showcase
Ark is coming in 2023.
Scorn is coming to Xbox and PC in October 2022
Ooft, the next trailer was pretty gory, so don’t look too closely if you’re squeamish. This was for Scorn, a slimy body horror adventure inspired by the works of H.R. Giger.
It’s coming on 21 October 2022 to Xbox and PC.
Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn is coming in early 2023
The next trailer was for Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn, a game starring a warrior intent on killing gods and monsters with a rifle and axe – a noble cause in a hostile world.
It’s coming in early 2023, and will be available day one on Xbox Game Pass.
Read: Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn gets showing at Xbox and Bethesda showcase
Minecraft is getting a new spin-off: Legends
Minecraft is getting a brand new spin-off featuring the same block-y gameplay everyone knows and loves. It appears this will be a narrative adventure where players must fight back against an invading army. There’s a touch of classic fantasy in this trailer, with players seemingly drawing the overworld of Minecraft together for a singular cause.
Epic battles await.
Minecraft Legends is coming in 2023, and will be available day one with Xbox Game Pass.
Read: New Minecraft spin-off, Minecraft Legends, revealed
Lightyear Frontier is a new space farming simulator
Lightyear Frontier is a colourful space sim that sees players crash-land on an alien planet, and attempt to build a life for themselves. It appears there’ll be elements of farm simulators and action-adventures in this strange tale – which, as you might expect, also features a major mystery to uncover.
Lightyear Frontier arrives in Autumn 2023 (Southern Hemisphere).
Gunfire Reborn is coming to Xbox
Stylish first person shooter game Gunfire Reborn is coming to Xbox following its successful launch on PC.
It arrives in October 2022.
The Last Case of Benedict Fox: Reveal Trailer
A jazzy beat introduced the next game, The Last Case of Benedict Fox, a spooky haunted house platformer. In this 2D-3D sidescroller, players will be able to explore an Eldritch realm as they work to uncover the mystery of what happened to their family, and why untold horrors are haunting them.
It arrives Autumn 2023 (Southern Hemisphere).
As Dusk Falls is a new game written ‘like a TV Show’
As Dusk Falls is a rotorscoped video game written like a TV show. It’s described as an interactive experience players will be able to influence with unique choices.
The gameplay trailer that followed this reveal showed off a tense hybrid action sequence that used full 3D graphics and 2D motion graphics to depict a highway crash. It’s a game that doesn’t quite look like anything we’ve seen in gaming as yet – and innovation is no small thing in the modern games landscape.
It arrives 19 July 2022.
Next up, the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase 2022 revealed battle royale game Naraka: Bladepoint is coming to Xbox consoles on 23 June 2022.
Pentiment: Reveal Trailer
A gameplay trailer for Pentiment followed. This is a 2D, medieval adventure that features a storybook-style aesthetic, and plenty of choices for players to make. It’s a narrative game described as ‘most unexpected’, and it’s coming from Obsidian Entertainment.
It arrives November 2022.
Obsidian also presented a new look at the ‘complete’ gameplay of Grounded, an adventure game starring young kids who’ve been shrunk down to bug size. It exits early access in September 2022.
Read: Obsidian reveals Pentiment, a medieval art narrative game
Ereban: Shadow Legacy: Reveal Trailer
The next trailer was for a stealth game where mech androids roam the streets, and your player character moves through shadows to escape their fate. This adventure features darkness-based traversal, and plenty of flashy moves.
It arrives in 2023.
Diablo IV: Cinematic and Gameplay Trailer
Then, we had some ritual sacrifice, in the form of a medieval fantasy game starring a spooky woman wearing bone armour. And hey, they’re an ultra-powerful necromancer, too. Good stuff.
‘The dead have no mercy,’ the trailer declares. It’s Diablo IV, the long-awaited Activision Blizzard action-adventure, starring the demon Lilith (she’s getting a workout this year).
The game is described as the ‘next generation’ of action-RPG games ‘not for the faint of heart’. It appears this entry will focus on player choice, as well as gruesome, bloody action. It’ll have robust character customisation and unique playstyles, and features an open world players can roam at their own place.
Diablo IV launches in 2023.
Read: Necromancer class revealed for Diablo 4
Sea of Thieves is getting fresh new content
The next trailer was an all-musical showcase for new content coming to Sea of Thieves, including the ability to captain, name and decorate your own pirate ship. It appears there’s new rewards, new ships, and whole lot more on the way in the next gameplay season.
Season seven of Sea of Thieves kicks off 21 July 2022.
Ravenlok is a new fantasy adventure
Ravenlok will whisk you off an a colourful fantasy adventure through woods, castles, glens, and more. In this game, which appears to be inspired by Alice in Wonderland, with a touch of MediEvil, you play as a young girl pushed into a strange and whimsical journey.
It looks supremely fun, and features a number of unique enemy designs that pop on screen.
It arrives in 2023, and is coming day one to Xbox Game Pass.
A new game from Jeppe Carlsen is on the way
The next game, from Jeppe Carlsen (Inside, Limbo), stars a bug-like person with insect wings, who hatches from a cocoon and sets off on a puzzle-platforming adventure through a strange, rocky planet.
It’s titled Cocoon, and it’s coming 2023 – day one on Xbox Game Pass.
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty: Reveal Trailer
The next game was a samurai-zombie adventure from Team Ninja and Koei Tecmo. It appears magic will be rife in this action slasher, with enemies and heroes able to exploit a strange ‘elixir’ for battle.
It’s coming in early 2023, and it looks very flashy.
Persona 3 Portable and other Persona games are coming to Xbox
Persona is finally making nice with Xbox – a number of games from the franchise will arrive on the console in future, including Persona 3, Persona 4 Golden, and Persona 5 Royal.
Read: Persona 3 Portable, 4 Golden, and 5 Royale coming to Xbox and PC
Notably, this will mark the debut of Persona 3 on modern gaming consoles.
Hideo Kojima is teaming up with Xbox Game Studios
Hideo Kojima appeared in a brief video to confirm Kojima Productions is working with Xbox Game Studios on a future title – which may or may not be titled Overdose – although not much could be revealed yet.
Read: Hideo Kojima and Xbox Game Studios team up for new project
Starfield: Extended Gameplay Reveal Trailer
Highly anticipated space adventure Starfield finally got a gameplay trailer at the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase 2022. It kicked off with a quote about exploring the stars, and some atmospheric music. Then Todd Howard appeared to introduce the meat of gameplay as the main character landed on the moon of Crete in 2330.
The scenery here looked stunning – rocky, glistening, and beautiful. The game can be played in third or first person perspective, as in past Bethesda titles like Skyrim – and exploration works much the same way as well. Players will be able to use meaty guns to take down enemies, and they’ll be able to lockpick using codes. One difference here is that players can now glide, via a special jetpack. This allows for greater traversal, and the ability to romp through planets at high speed.
Read: Starfield gameplay first-look shown at Xbox and Bethesda showcase
It appears there’ll be plenty of allies and enemies to meet in this title, with unique factions occupying planets around the game’s open worlds, and lots of mysteries to uncover.
Following this brief snippet, Todd Howard then introduced the game’s ‘flexible’ character creator, which allows for background and looks customisation. Players will be able to determine early traits within this system, which will guide their adventure later in the game. It turns out players will also be able to customise and fly their own ships through space, where combat encounters will ensue.
A final reveal showed off exactly how big the game’s world is – and the the answer is big. There’ll be plenty of planets to explore, and friends to meet, when Starfield launches for Xbox and PC in 2023.
This concluded the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase 2022.
You can also view our wrap-ups for all the news from the Summer Game Fest kickoff showcase, the Devolver Digital showcase, the Xbox and Bethesda showcase, the 2022 PC Gaming Show, and the Capcom Showcase.
