Microsoft had a good showing at this year’s iteration of E3, and the company returned to show off its upcoming slate of games at Gamescom 2021. There were the usual suspects — like Forza and Flight Simulator — along with a few surprises like cloud streaming coming to Xbox consoles. (Curiously, Halo Infinite did not make an appearance.) And the company continues to put a big focus on its Game Pass subscription service.
If you weren’t able to check out the nearly 90-minute-long event live, here are the best trailers and biggest announcements you missed.
xCloud coming to Xbox consoles this holiday
Microsoft revealed that it’s bringing its cloud gaming service xCloud to both the Xbox One and Series X / S this holiday season, which will let users stream Game Pass titles before they’ve even downloaded them.
Forza Horizon 5 adds some slick cars — and a controller
We already know that the landscapes of Forza Horizon 5 will be beautiful, and now we know there will be some cool cars, too. That includes the 2021 Bronco Badlands, alongside the Mercedes AMG One; one for the streets, the other for off-roading. In addition to being in the game, the two vehicles will grace the cover as well. Horizon 5 launches on November 9th for Xbox and PC. Oh, and you can pick up a sick translucent controller, too.
Game Pass gets another flood of new titles
As has become routine for Microsoft, the company used its showcase as a chance to show off its Game Pass subscription service. Most notably, the company announced a handful of brand-new titles that will debut on the service, including a slate of indies from Humble Games.
A closer look at Dying Light 2
Microsoft opened up the show with an in-depth look at zombie parkour game Dying Light 2. The gameplay trailer featured plenty of zombies, and — according to developer Techland — it will have twice the number of parkour moves compared to the original. The game launches on December 7th.
Flight Simulator is getting plenty of updates
The team behind the startlingly realistic Flight Simulator detailed a number of updates coming to the game which include a new racing mode; a series of historic planes; a world update covering Germany, Switzerland, and Austria; and even the addition of electric air taxis that will pave the way for helicopters in a future update.
A history lesson via Age of Empires IV
Things took a turn for the low-tech during a segment focused on medieval weaponry. The developers behind strategy sim Age of Empires IV took some time out to talk about the trebuchet and how it will fit into the game. Age launches on October 28th on PC — including Game Pass.
A new action RPG for 2022
One of the few new game reveals was Stray Blade, described as “a brutal action RPG with intense combat & adventurous exploration.” It’s launching next year on Xbox Series X / S, and you can get a glimpse of it in the trailer above.
Crusader Kings comes to console
PC strategy game Crusader Kings III is making its way to console with a port for the Xbox Series X / S. Microsoft says that “the UI has been customized to work with the Xbox Wireless Controller, including the addition of radial menus, ensuring that none of the depth and detail of the Crusader Kings III experience has been lost in translation.” The release date should be announced “soon,” and the game will be available through Game Pass when it does launch, and developer Paradox says it’s coming to PS5 as well.
