Interested in what Microsoft is up to this year? We have all the information on the biggest reveals from Gamescom 2021.
If you didn’t manage to catch this year’s Gamescom live stream, or you just don’t have 90 minutes spare to watch the full event, you can pick up on the latest updates and game reveals right here.
Keep reading to find out what new games are coming out, which games are being ported over to the Xbox and the upcoming additions to Game Pass.
Dying Light 2
Techland has been working hard on its newest game, with new combat and parkour systems that will help players fight their way through a city infested with zombies and monsters, launching this year on December 7.
The 4K gameplay trailer also showed off the impressive open world. This RPG is said to be much bigger and more involved than the previous game, also showing us a couple of personas and side-quests that you will be able to delve into at launch.
Check out the official reveal trailer below.
Microsoft Flight Simulator
Microsoft Flight Simulator will be getting another free update, this time World Update 6, which will launch on September 6.
This update will give players the chance to explore enhanced versions of Germany, Austria and Switzerland, alongside a new elevation map.
We’ve talked about how accurate Microsoft’s Flight Sim likes to be, which shows in the update, as there will now be 100 of the most famous landmarks added for the aforementioned countries, giving players even more to explore.
The Flight Sim will also get its first major expansion, as Reno Air Races is being added, which will allow players to play against friends and pilots across the world.
This expansion will be available in Autumn and is based around the famous STIHL National Championship Air Races – the world’s fastest motorsport.
Plus, the developers are also adding some older plane models to the game, as well as accurate recreations of airports to add even more realism. Microsoft Flight Simulator is working with 40 museums to help preserve the history of these areas and keep the game as accurate as possible.
Forza Horizon 5
The Forza trailers are known for having a flair for the dramatic, and this year was no different. The new gameplay trailers show cars driving on the side of volcanoes, off-road jungle adventures and chasing after storms.
The cover cars for Horizon 5 are the glamourous 2021 Ford Bronco Badlands and the Mercedes AMG-1, which you will be able to get your hands on when the game launches on November 9.
Players will be able to drive around a digital recreation of Mexico on the Xbox Series X and Series S, Xbox One and PC.
You will also be able to enjoy the multiplayer mode and new single-player content with the limited edition Xbox wireless controller, which is available for preorder, to be launched alongside the game.
The controller sits at £64.99, and will also unlock some exclusive in-game content, including exclusive DLC, a classic Ford car, an emote and character cosmetics.
Into the Pit
This fast-paced retro-FPR rougelite will be hitting your screens October 19 and will be available to play on Game Pass from day one.
Nullpointer Games has been working on an intense game that is perfect for anyone who’s looking for more of a challenge when playing a roguelike, with new features including chaotic magic and shifting dungeons. Each playthrough should be completely different to keep players on their toes.
Into the Pit will be available to play on the Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and PC via Game Pass, and you can watch the official reveal trailer for the game below.
Age of Empires 4
Age of Empires 4 will feature 28 documentary-style videos, covering various aspects of medieval history and culture.
Scheduled for release on October 28, the game will take a deep dive into medieval weaponry, surgery practices, trebuchets and more, in a series called Hands on History.
Wasteland 3: Cult of the Holy Detonation
The new Wasteland 3 DLC gameplay trailer was released, showing off the dungeon crawling and boss battles we all expect, taking place in the Cheyenne Mountains in Colorado.
The DLC will be released on October 5, with the objective-based encounters putting a fresh spin on the tactical turn combat against dangerous new mutants.
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Sea of Thieves
Sea of Thieves has some exciting updates in the works, with developer Rare releasing the Mayhem ship into the game yesterday.
In this fun Borderlands crossover, all players will be able to earn the sunny symbol from August 24 until September 7, by accruing enough Favour in-game via the Making Mayhem event.
You can check out the official Making Mayhem Ship Set trailer below.
State of Decay 2
In the new Homecoming DLC, a new map has been added alongside six new bases with additional weaponry and achievements to collect. The DLC will take place in Tumble Valley, where the original game was set, but now it will be a fully remastered, open-world map to explore.
The DLC will be available on September 1, and for anyone interested who doesn’t own the main game, State of Decay 2 will also be available for download with Xbox Game Pass on the day of launch.
Crusader Kings 3
Heading straight over to Xbox from PC, console gamers can finally get a chance to play Crusader Kings 3. While no release date has been announced yet, Kings 3 is not a direct port to console but it has been reworked for better suited controller support.
Crusader Kings 3 will also be available on the PlayStation 5 with DualSense integration, with haptic feedback for stress mechanics taking full advantage of the PS5’s controller.
Xbox fans shouldn’t feel too left out either, as the UI has been customised specially for the Xbox wireless controller. You can check out the official Xbox announcement trailer for the game below.
Stray Blade
505 Games and Point Black Games have been working on a third-person action RPG that has a big focus on exploration and combat. This melee-focused game will feature a multitude of weapon choices and is set to release in 2022.
The game has been said to have Metroidvania elements and souls-like combat, with interesting game elements such as having time move forward in-game even if you die, which should create some interesting and challenging circumstances for players.
Stray Blade will be available to play on Xbox Series X/S, and we’ll be keeping an eye out for when the game will be released next year, so keep checking back here for more information. In the meantime, you can check out the official reveal trailer below.
The Gunk
The Gunk got a brand new gameplay trailer, showing off gunk cleaning on alien planets. The Gunk will be released in December of this year on Xbox Game Pass.
Players will follow Rani, travelling the galaxy to make ends meet by cleaning various gunk on various planets. The game will be playable on the Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S, as well as PC.
The Gunk also is aiming to have the Xbox One version run at 30fps, while higher-end PCs and the Xbox Series X/S should have 4K graphics and run at a smooth 60fps.
Psychonauts 2
The lovable Psychonauts 2 got an official launch trailer, which you can check out below.
Humble Games
Humble Games will be bringing a whopping 10 indie titles to Xbox Game Pass at launch, check out the list of games below.
- Archvale
- Next Space Rebels
- Midnight Fight Express
- Dodgeball Academia
- Bushiden
- Flynn: Son of Crimson
- Unpacking
- Signalis
- Unsighted
- Chinatown Detective Agency
You can also check out the trailer for a sneak peek of all these games below.
Xbox Cloud Gaming
Xbox Cloud Gaming will be coming to Xbox consoles later this year. You just need to click on the game you want to play in the Game Pass app and you’re away.
The target is to play games at 1080p with 60fps, and will be dependant on users having a stable internet connection to run.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
