Microsoft’s Gamescom briefing started off with a montage of games coming to Xbox One this year. After an introduction to the event in German, Phil Spencer took to the stage to talk about what the future holds for the console and the company’s recently released operating system, Windows 10. What was surprising was that Phil confirmed Sea of Thieves is coming to Xbox One and Windows 10 next year. The show then went on to showcase different games. There were so many announcements, including a bombshell at the very end, so we’ve broken them down here based on when they were revealed.
Quantum Break
The final cast of Quantum Break has been finalized and the title features talented actors like The Following’s Shawn Ashmore. Ashmore will be taking over the role of Jack Joyce and Lost’s Dominic Monaghan and Aiden Gillen from Game of Thrones will also play important roles. A new trailer for the show was also revealed and it looks fantastic. The best part of the reveal was that the game is coming out on April 5, 2016. We won’t have to wait long.
Crackdown 3
We finally have an answer. Crackdown isn’t a reboot of the franchise but a sequel. The whole city is destructible and the scale of building crumbling was just insane. This title is also coming out in 2016.
Scalebound
We finally saw Scalebound gameplay and it looks incredible. The title features a protagonist named Drew along with his dragon. Both are searching for a powerful artifact. Along the way, they fight through the soldiers of an evil empire. Drew appears to be infected as his hand is more like a dragon’s claw. He also has the ability to change into a dragon hybrid. The title features four-player co-op so you and your friends can wreck havoc with your dragons. The game is releasing holiday 2016 and the wait for this title just became unbearable. I want it now!
Xbox One
Mike announced that TV DVR functionality is coming to Xbox One in 2016. He previewed the feature using the new Windows 10 Xbox One experience which his set to launch this November. The software feels super fast and super smooth. Hopefully it’ll come to Preview members soon.
Apart from that, an Xbox One Chat Pad was announced. The pad is coming out in November as well and will make typing messages and filling search fields much easier. It’ll also make using the browser faster.
Backwards Compatibility
This has been a requested feature since backwards compatibility was announced. Mike confirmed that all future Xbox 360 titles in the Games with Gold will be backwards compatible so Xbox One owners will get four free games every month.
Killer Instinct
Killer Instinct: Season 3 will launch in March 2016. Today though, an update will roll out that adds Rash from Battletoads to the game. It should start rolling out in a few hours so be sure to check if Killer Instinct has an update. Rare Replay and Killer Instinct content owners get access to the content for free from what I understood.
Indie Games
Chris Charla came on and stated that more than a thousand studios are making games for Xbox One and Windows 10. A Bloodstained developer then stated that the title would feature cross-play between Xbox One and Windows 10. The title managed to raise $5.5 million on Kickstarter so we should expect a stellar title.
More than 150 games are launching on Xbox One and Windows 10 in the coming months and many are coming first to Xbox One. Cities: Skylines looks amazing. Beyond Eyes is coming out today in a few hours.
Ark: Survival Evolved and We Happy Few are two highly-anticipated and both will be coming first to Xbox One through Game Preview. While we didn’t get any release date for Ark, We Happy Few is coming to Game Preview in holiday 2015.
Mojang
Minecraft developers thanked fans for their support and announced that Cobalt would be coming to Xbox One in October. I’ve played Cobalt on my computer and it’s a blast. I can’t wait to experience it on my console.
Dark Souls III
Gameplay was shown from Dark Souls III and it looks fantastic and more refined. I’ll definitely check it out when the title launches in 2016.
Homefront: The Revolution
Homefront was one of the biggest surprised for me at the conference. The trailer was fantastic and the gameplay looked even better. I’m intrigued and will definitely get this game next year. The developers also announced that Xbox One would get exclusive access to a multiplayer beta this winter.
FIFA 16
Many gamers around the world love FIFA and FIFA 16 will feature 60 new legends in the Xbox One version. The FIFA 16 bundle releases September 15 but you can pre-order is today. The bundle comes with EA Access so everyone who gets it can play the title early.
Halo 5: Guardians
Halo 5 looks and plays fantastic but we finally got to learn more about the e-sports side of the game. Presenters announced the Halo World Championship which includes a prize pool of over $1 million. This will definitely make Halo 5 one of the most popular e-sports titles there is. A new multiplayer map was also revealed.
Apart from that, a new Halo 5 console and controller were announced. The console and controller are both available to pre-order now.
Just Cause 3
Just Cause 3 includes Just Cause 2 for free and is playable on Xbox One through backwards compatibility. Just Cause 2 was a free Games with Gold title a month ago so if you didn’t download it, you’ll get the chance to get it for free with the purchase of Just Cause 3 on Xbox One.
Forza Motorsport 6
Forza got a great demo talking about the features of the game. The title looks amazing and Ultimate Edition owners can get access to the game early on September 10.
Rainbow Six Siege
Rainbow Six Siege comes with the first two Xbox 360 games for free.
Rise of the Tomb Raider
Rise of the Tomb Raider got an amazing new gameplay video. Instead of a climbing sequence, we saw gameplay and it was stunning. New mechanics are introduced and stealth plays a major part now. You can also hide in bushes and dark areas to avoid detection.
Halo Wars 2
The surprise announcement of the conference would have to be the confirmation of Halo Wars 2. The title will launch on Xbox One and Windows 10 in fall 2016. The trailer looked fantastic and I can’t wait to play it.
Xbox One already has an amazing lineup for next year that will be hard to beat. I can’t wait to see what other surprises the company has in store for us in the coming months. The conference ended with the bombshell Halo Wars 2 announcement.
Asher Madan is a games journalist, former News Writer (Gaming) at Windows Central. They contributed 182 articles to ICXM in 2015, focused on Windows and PC, and Xbox news: joined Future plc’s Windows Central in 2017 covering Xbox news, hardware, and reviews.