At Microsoft’s June 2022 Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase, the publisher made a lofty promise. It said that every game shown off would be released within a year of the showcase.
That’s not exactly how things panned out, though. During a May 4 interview on Kinda Funny’s XCast podcast, Head of Xbox Phil Spencer admitted that Xbox “didn’t deliver” when that promise was mentioned. Though there are still a few weeks left for Xbox to make good on its promise, it seems unlikely that every game shown at its 2022 presentation will indeed launch as planned.
This admission inspired me to revisit the lineup of 43 new games and ports — I’m not counting Game Pass collaborations, updates, or expansion — featured to see how many of them will actually be out by the Xbox Games Showcase and Starfield Direct Double Feature begins on June 11. Going chronologically through the showcase and games featured on an image released after the event, here are the games that did and did not come out on time.
Redfall — Released
The first game of the 2022 showcase was Arkane Austin’s vampiric co-op shooter Redfall. After some delays, the game was released on May 2, 2023. Sadly, it was a disappointment, with Digital Trends’ two-star review stating, “a design identity crisis and a bevy of technical issues make this a surprising disappointment from a development team that’s capable of so much more.”
Hollow Knight: Silksong — Not Released
After years of silence, the highly anticipated indie Metroidvania Hollow Knight: Silksong appeared during the showcase, suggesting it would launch within the next year as a day-one Xbox Game Pass title. Sadly, we haven’t heard much more about this game since, so it seems like it won’t release before June 11.
High On Life — Released
Squanch Games revealed High on Life during the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase. Although it got delayed from October to December, the game did manage to release on December 13, 2022, and became a sleeper hit for Xbox Game Pass.
A Plague Tale: Requiem — Released
Asobo Studios’ A Plague Tale: Requiem, which was a day one Xbox Game Pass title, was shown off next. This game eventually did release on October 17, 2022. It got glowing reviews and was even nominated for Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2022.
Forza Motorsport — Not released
Turn 10’s next Forza Motorsport game was featured in the showcase and received a spring 2023 release window. When the game reappeared at January’s Developer_Direct, it dropped that release window, and a Microsoft representative told Digital Trends that “we’re not ready just yet to share our release date, and the wait will be worth it when we launch this year.” As such, it does not look like Forza Motorsport will be out before June 11.
Overwatch 2 — Released
Blizzard Entertainment used Xbox’s 2022 showcase to reveal that Overwatch 2 would be released as a free-to-play early-access title on October 4, 2022. Although Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard has been blocked in the year since the show, a decision the companies are now appealing, Overwatch 2 did release on that date and has steadily received post-launch updates since then.
Ara: History Untold — Not released
One of the showcases brand new reveals was Ara: History Untold, a grand strategy game where players build up a nation across several eras of history. Although Oxide Games and Microsoft Game Studios have held playtests for the game over the past year, Ara: History Untold is still not released, one year out from its announcement.
Ark 2 — Not released
Ark 2 got a cinematic trailer that promised a 2023 release, but the game will miss that mark by a lot. The studio confirmed in a March 2023 blog post that the game has been pushed all the way back to the “end of 2024.” Obviously, that means it will launch nowhere near the release window that Microsoft promised for it.
Scorn — Released
Kepler Interactive’s disgusting first-person horror-puzzle game Scorn got a release date during the showcase and launched as expected on October 14, 2022. The console-exclusive game proved to be quite divisive, as Digital Trends gave it two-and-a-half stars and said that the game’s “artistic ambitions and its video game obligations are often at odds with one another.”
Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn — Not released
Kepler Interactive also showed off Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn, a Souslike action game with a gunpowder fantasy aesthetic. Although its trailer ended by promising an “early 2023” release, it’s nearly June and we have not heard anything about a release date yet. As such, it probably won’t release before the next Xbox Games Showcase.
Minecraft Legends — Released
Mojang used the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase to reveal Minecraft Legends, a strategy game utilizing the popular sandbox game’s IP. It was ultimately released on April 18, 2023. Phil Spencer said in his Kinda Funny Xcast interview that the game has seen a healthy player base since launch.
Lightyear: Frontier — Not released
Indie game Lightyear: Frontier gives the farming genre a sci-fi spin as players build a new homestead on an alien planet in giant mech suits. While its trailer at this showcase promised a Spring 2023 early access release, in March, the developers at Frame Break pushed back its launch indefinitely. While we don’t know how much longer we’ll have to wait for it now, we do know Lightyear: Frontier won’t be out before 2023’s Xbox Game Showcase.
Gunfire: Reborn — Released
Gunfire: Reborn is a roguelike shooter where players control cute-looking animals. Its Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S ports were announced last year at the Xbox showcase, and they came out as planned on October 27, 2022.
The Last Case of Benedict Fox — Released
Creepy Metroidvania indie The Last Case of Benedict Fox made a strong first impression at the 2022 Xbox showcase. That said, it had a somewhat muted launch on Xbox Game Pass when it finally released on April 27, 2023.
As Dusk Falls — Released
Interior Night’s interactive narrative experience As Dusk Falls got its July 17, 2022 release date at Xbox’s show and came out on that date. That made it one of Xbox’s few exclusives to release in 2022.
Naraka: Bladepoint — Released
Chinese battle royale game Naraka: Bladepoint announced its Xbox Series X/S port at this event and came out just a couple of weeks later on June 23, 2022. It would then be released for Xbox One on December 22, 2022.
Pentiment — Released
One of the showcase’s most significant announcements was Pentiment, a smaller narrative adventure game with a very distinct visual style based on medieval art. It would be one of Microsoft’s very few Xbox first-party releases in 2022, as it was released on November 15 of that year to very positive reviews.
Grounded — Released
Obsidian Entertainment also confirmed that Grounded would come out of Xbox Game Preview in September 2022 during last year’s showcase. The game would go on to do so on September 27, 2022.
Ereban: Shadow Legacy — Not released
Stealth action game Ereban: Shadow Legacy was announced by Raw Fury during the showcase. It’s possible that the game will still make the wider 2023 release window confirmed during the show, but as we’ve not gotten any updates on the game since last year, it seems clear that the game won’t be out by 2023’s Xbox Games Showcase.
Diablo IV — Will release
Diablo IV, which Blizzard Entertainment also showed off with the help of Xbox last year, will just barely make the release window promised by Microsoft. Diablo IV is set for release on June 6, just five days before 2023’s Xbox Games Showcase.
Ravenlok — Released
Cococucumber revealed Ravenlok, a gorgeous-looking RPG with a voxel aesthetic, during this showcase. It would eventually be released on May 3, 2023.
Cocoon — Not released
Limbo and Inside’s lead gameplay designer, Jeppe Carlson, used the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase to reveal Cocoon, a puzzle game where players push around orbs that contain entire worlds within them. It still has not gotten a release date, so it’s probably not going to be out before Microsoft’s June 2023 show.
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty — Released
Team Ninja and Koei Tecom used last year’s showcase to unveil Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, a NioH successor set in China during the Yellow Turban rebellion. The game would eventually hit Xbox Game Pass when it launched on March 3, 2023.
Persona 3, 4, and 5 on Xbox — Released
Atlus showed up during Xbox’s presentation to confirm that Persona 3 Portable, Persona 4 Golden, and Persona 5 Royal would all eventually be released for Xbox and be available on day one with Xbox Game Pass. Persona 5 Royal’s port would launch on October 21, 2022, while Persona 3 Portable and Persona 4 Golden wouldn’t arrive until January 19, 2023.
Hideo Kojima’s Xbox Cloud Gaming title — Not released
Hideo Kojima announced his intentions to create a game using Microsoft’s cloud gaming technology during the showcase last year. He admitted that the game’s development would take “some time” while confirming it, so it’s unlikely that the project was ever intended to release before June 2023. Still, it’s a game from last year’s showcase that didn’t make the deadline that Microsoft set for games featured.
Somerville — Released
Toward the end of the showcase, Microsoft showed an image featuring games that it expected to be out in the next twelve months. This next string of games, which include titles like Somerville, was only featured in the image and didn’t get trailers during the showcase. To start, Somerville was successfully released on November 15, 2022.
Valheim — Released
Another game featured in that image was the Xbox port of the survival game Valheim. It would be added to Xbox Game Pass for PC on September 29, 2022, before releasing for Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S on March 14, 2023.
Warhammer 40K: Darktide — Not released
Fatshark’s Warhammer 40K: Darktide was meant to release in September 2022. After a delay, the PC version eventually came out on November 30, but the Xbox Series X/S port of the game was delayed indefinitely and still isn’t out nearly one year after it was featured in the end-of-showcase image.
Atomic Heart — Released
Mundfish’s Russian BioShock-like Atomic Heart was originally slated for 2022 but ultimately came out on February 20, 2023.
Gotham Knights — Released
WB Games Montreal’s Gotham Knights was given a 2022 release window in the image and did release on October 21, 2022, to mixed reviews.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II — Released
Call of Duty is an annual mainstay for the video game industry, so it’s no surprise that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 came out on October 28, 2022.
Hogwarts Legacy — Released
Although it’s featured with the 2022 games in the image, Hogwarts Legacy would ultimately come out in 2023. The Xbox Series X/S version was released on February 7, while the Xbox One port launched on May 5.
Party Animals — Not released
Party Animals was given a 2022 release window during the 2022 showcase, but it’s still not out and does not have a release date. That’s a shame, as it’s a pretty fun-looking game multiplayer game featuring cute animals.
Slime Rancher 2 — Released
Monomi Park’s sci-fi ranching game Slime Rancher 2 hit early access on September 22, 2022, falling within the launch window it was given in Microsoft’s image.
The Callisto Protocol — Released
Dead Space spiritual successor The Callisto Protocol, got a spot alongside other games coming to Xbox in 2022 in that image, and it would come out to mixed reviews on December 2, 2022.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 — Not released
Developer GSC Game World is based out of Ukraine, so it’s understandable that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 could not meet the first half of 2023 release window that it had. Currently, the game’s Steam page is promising a December 2023 release.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes — Not released
This Suikoden spiritual successor will be on Xbox Game Pass the day it releases, but it will not release in the first half of 2023 as Microsoft promised.
Resident Evil 4 — Released
The remake of Resident Evil 4 came out for Xbox Series X/S on March 23, 2023.
Replaced — Not Released
Replaced is a 2D action platformer with very pretty pixel art. It was pushed to 2023 as its Belarussian developer was impacted by the war between Russia and Ukraine. Although it got a new trailer at The Game Awards 2022’s pre-show, it is not coming out before June 11.
Dead Space — Released
Finally, the image also featured the remake of Dead Space from EA Motive. It was released to rave reviews on January 27, 2023.
Starfield — Not released
The Xbox & Bethesda Game Showcase ended with our first look at Starfield gameplay. For a long time after this, Microsoft was adamant that this game would be out in the first half of 2023. That’s not the case though, and we’re now getting a Starfield Direct directly following 2023’s Xbox Games Showcase because it won’t come out until September 6 of this year.
Final score: 28/43 games released
During the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase last year, 43 games were promised to release on Xbox over the course of the next year. Of those, only 28 would launch (assuming Diablo 4 makes its release date), so the other 15 still aren’t released. That means over a third of the games featured didn’t meet the metric Microsoft set for themselves in the 2022 showcase. Even worse, the games that missed the release window were more notable titles like Starfield, Forza Motorsport, Hollow Knight: Silksong, and Ark 2.
As such, it’s understandable why Phil Spencer is a bit frustrated by the fact that not all of the games came out when they were promised. We don’t know what the main hook of the Xbox Game Showcase this year will be just yet, but this assessment demonstrates that basing your showcase’s gimmick around release dates in this dynamic, delay-filled gaming market is always a big risk.
