Summer Game Fest: 5 Games to Watch for at the Xbox Showcase

It might not be E3, but 2024’s Summer Game Fest is sure to bring a lot of exciting announcements. After Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest Live on June 7, Xbox takes center stage on June 9. Here are five games to watch out for at the Xbox Showcase.

Summer Game Fest: 5 Games to Watch for at the Xbox Showcase

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

It’s been a long time since fans have gotten a really strong Indiana Jones game. It has been even longer if you don’t count the LEGO games. Bethesda’s MachineGames studio is taking a crack at creating an original Indiana Jones adventure that fits nicely into the original trilogy of films. The new game takes place between the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

MachineGames has taken a bold approach to developing Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. The first-person perspective will dominate throughout the game, with the camera only switching to third-person for animations like climbing. The decision is intriguing for a character as iconic as Indiana Jones. Second, a playable female protagonist will accompany Dr. Jones on this new adventure. How much players will control that character is unknown, but we should learn more about that and the release date at the Xbox Showcase.

Gears of War 6

There is nothing more than rumors so far, but it’s a near certainty that Gears of War 6 will be revealed at the Xbox Showcase. We haven’t gotten a new Gears game since Gears 5 in 2019, and it just feels like it’s time. One can only hope we get gems as good as Marcus fretting over his tomatoes in Gears of War 4.

Xbox has been trying to take popular franchises back to supposed “roots” while at the same time finding ways to monetize them in more of a live-service structure. It will be interesting to see what approach Gears of War 6 takes. Gears 5 introduced some open-world aspects, but Gears has always thrived when the focus was on intense, claustrophobic combat. A linear experience might lend itself to that more. Oh, and some really good multiplayer. Any good Gears of War game has it, and fans will want the shotgun-grenade experience to remain authentic.

Related: Kingdom Hearts 4 Won’t Have a Presence at Summer Game Fest 2024

Fable

For a game so pivotal to Xbox’s release strategy, we still know shockingly little about Fable. The first full trailer was shown off at the 2023 Xbox Showcase, so 2024 should bring a significant update. Playground’s first Fable trailer showed off some great humor and a little bit of gameplay, both of which were outstanding.

Aside from that, all we know is that it’s an RPG, we’ll once again create our own character, and there will be swordplay and magic. Playground is also using the same engine Forza Motorsport used. It might be time for a release window and a bigger slice of gameplay at the 2024 showcase.

State of Decay 3

State of Decay 3’s tagline is “Together We Survive,” but together, we’ve waited very patiently for more on this zombie survival game. After seeing the reveal trailer in 2020, fans of State of Decay just haven’t gotten many meaningful updates on the game from the Xbox team. That should change at Summer Game Fest.

The 2020 trailer was incredible. It indicated a shift in tone that had vibes of The Walking Dead and The Last of Us. Whether that’s what gamers get when State of Decay 3 is released remains to be seen, but an update on the game, and perhaps even a release date, seems long overdue. Undead Labs should be poised to take full advantage of current-gen hardware with State of Decay 3, and I’m excited to see where the franchise goes next.

Contraband

I could’ve taken the quick and easy path and put Avowed in this spot. However, not only is the quick and easy path the way to the Dark Side, but Avowed is a near certainty to get significant attention at the showcase. Instead, I want to see more on Contraband, the co-op heist game from Avalanche.

When Avalanche showed the debut trailer in 2021, they said that Contraband was the culmination of 18 years of work and experience. The “co-op smuggler’s paradise” should take the Just Cause experience to the next level. While the trailer had a lot of clues about what to expect, getting an actual gameplay trailer at Summer Game Fest would be a nice gesture for fans awaiting more on the game.

And those are five games to look out for at the Xbox Showcase at Summer Game Fest 2024.

Summer Game Fest 2024 kicks off on Friday, June 7.