Microsoft and Bethesda Games Showcase, E3 2021: How to watch and what to expect

By Andrew Zucosky June 13, 2021

E3 is here, and all of the big video game developers are unveiling their livestreams for the event. Microsoft will join companies like Nintendo and Square Enix in hosting a digital showcase highlighting its games. The 90-minute event is a joint Xbox and Bethesda stream detailing new games and content from Bethesda Softworks, Xbox Game Studios, and some third-party developers.

Contents

When can I watch the Xbox Showcase?
Where can I watch the Xbox Showcase?
What announcements will be made at the Xbox Showcase?

We can expect to see Starfield, Halo Infinite, and possibly an expansion to the library found in the Xbox Game Pass. Of course, completely new game announcements are expected as well, and perhaps even plans for the next line of Xbox Series consoles.

When can I watch the Xbox Showcase?

Games, Games, Games 🗣️
World Premieres 🎬
New titles on @XboxGamePass ⏫

Save the date for the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase: https://t.co/ezcMtO6JM6 | #XboxBethesda pic.twitter.com/WHVbgZl5Fo

— Xbox (@Xbox) May 26, 2021

The E3 2021 Xbox Showcase broadcasts at 10 a.m. PT today. That’s similar timing to other showcases, which begin mid-morning on the West Coast and in the afternoon on the East Coast. It’s the perfect thing to watch while you drink a morning coffee or have a lunch break (which might just be more coffee).

Where can I watch the Xbox Showcase?

Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase

The showcase can be viewed on Xbox’s YouTube channel and Twitch page, as well as Facebook and Twitter. So, regardless of your preferred platform, you will be able to watch the showcase this year.

What announcements will be made at the Xbox Showcase?

We can expect to see plenty of new game announcements, follow-ups on already announced games, and possibly something about the Xbox Game Pass. However, we don’t really have anything confirmed, so this is all speculation. We can make some safe guesses, though. Starfield and Halo Infinite feel like shoo-ins, as these games are the biggest games from Microsoft and Bethesda that are expected to come out this year.

We might also get more information about Psychonauts 2, which is set to release this year. It wouldn’t really be E3 if we didn’t get new Forza news. Elder Scrolls 6 is also a possibility, but it’s unlikely we’ll get any extensive information about it — expect another teaser, if anything.

Make sure to check out our E3 event guide, which breaks down all biggest livestreams worth watching during the show.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Andrew has been playing video games since he was a small boy, and he finally got good at them like a week ago. He has been in…

Gaming

Xbox and Bethesda’s Developer_Direct: how to watch and what to expect

Redfall Cover

Microsoft has confirmed rumors that it will be holding a game showcase later this month. Called a Developer_Direct, this livestream will take place later today and feature updates on Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda games launching over the next few months, like Redfall. Xbox doesn't typically do that many games showcases outside of events like E3, so this Developer_Direct seems like Microsoft's own take on the Nintendo Direct or State of Play formula.
That said, it's being a bit more transparent that it will be a bit slower-paced than Nintendo or PlayStation's shows typically are. For those planning to watch the show live today, this is how to watch Xbox's Developer_Direct Showcase as well as what you can expect from games like Redfall, Forza Motorsport, Minecraft Legends, and The Elder Scrolls Online at the event.
When is Xbox and Bethesda's Developer_Direct?
Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda's first-ever Developer_Direct will air live and for free later today, January 25, at 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT.

How to watch Xbox and Bethesda's Developer_Direct
The Developer_Direct showcase will be officially livestreamed by Bethesda and Microsoft in the following four places:

Gaming

Xbox and Bethesda’s Developer_Direct is their most important showcase ever

A screen capture from the Redfall gameplay reveal.

Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda just announced that their first-ever Developer_Direct showcase will be held January 25, giving Microsoft footing in the game showcase space outside of events like E3 and Gamescom. After a rough year for Xbox first-party studios, this Developer_Direct will finally give us another very deep look at games like Redfall, Forza Motorsport, and Minecraft Legends, whichwill start to form its game lineup for this year, whetting our appetites for what's to come to Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and Xbox Game Pass in 2023. Although the seeming lack of any brand new first-party announcement might make this Developer_Direct not feel that exciting to the average player, this is a critical showcase for Microsoft if it wants to win jaded fans back.
So far this console generation, Microsoft has been inconsistent in terms of both content and transparency about the state of its games. We've gotten a couple of exhilarating bursts of info on new upcoming exclusives at the past couple of Xbox summer showcases, and fall 2021 had a solid lineup of releases in Deathloop, Forza Horizon 5, and Halo Infinite. But these flurries of excitement are overshadowed by large droughts in terms of releases and reports that cast doubt over the state of some first-party games' development. That's why Developer_Direct will be so crucial for Microsoft. This show will allow it to refocus players on a (hopefully) more consistent release lineup and start to give fans a consistent showcase cadence to be excited for.

The content factor
Digital Trends has done plenty of writing highlighting how 2022 was a very weak year for Microsoft. The delay of Redfall and Starfield in 2022 really ruined that year, even though Pentiment and As Dusk Falls were good games. For more mainstream gaming fans, though, Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda's 2023 looks way more exciting. Games like Redfall, Forza Motorsport, Minecraft Legends, and Starfield have 2023 release windows, while long-announced games like Senua's Sacrifice: Hellblade II, Contraband, and Avowed seem like they've been in development long enough to not be too far off. However, Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda haven't shown us how this year will be paced out in terms of releases, and players were not pleased with Microsoft's lackluster presence at The Game Awards 2022
That's the first major task of Developer_Direct. While no release dates were technically promised in its announcement, this show is a prime spot to let Xbox fans know precisely when they can get their hands on these long-awaited first-party titles. One of the most exciting parts of a Nintendo Direct is consistently seeing Nintendo's lineup for the next few months take form in real time, giving fans a bunch of neat titles to experience before the next inevitable showcase. Xbox is sorely in need of something like that, and Developer_Direct provides the perfect opportunity to do so, mainly because it seems to be focused less on the number of announcements and more on delivering info about games people are already interested in.

Gaming

Summer Game Fest returns just before E3 2023 next June

The official artwork confirming Summer Game Fest's return on June 8, 2023.

Geoff Keighley has confirmed when Summer Game Fest will return in June 2023. It will begin with a live kickoff show on June 8, 2023, placing Keighley's game announcement alternative less than a week before E3's grand (intended) 2023 return.
Unlike past years, Summer Game Fest Live Kickoff 2023 will feature a live audience, like Geoff Keighley's The Game Awards. It will take place in the YouTube Theater at Hollywood Park, with tickets going on sale in early 2023. It will still be livestreamed across platforms like YouTube and Twitch, though. It's currently unknown who's participating, how long Summer Game Fest will run afterward, or if it will feature a Summer Game Fest Play Days-like element for fans. Still, Keighley says all of that info will be revealed ahead of the event next year, teasing what people can expect.
"In keeping with tradition, we'll have tons of exciting announcements from the developers that are pushing the games industry forward, and will once again highlight other publisher digital events, demos, and more surprises to be announced in the coming months," Keighley says in a press release.
That June 8 start date, and the other Summer Game Fest events likely to follow, put Keighley's show just ahead of E3 2023. The ESA and ReedPop plan to bring E3 back between June 13 and June 16, 2023. With five days of lead time on E3, Summer Game Fest can coexist with the long-running gaming conference and encompass the plethora of publisher showcases that tend to precede E3.
Geoff Keighley made it clear that he wants Summer Game Fest and E3 to coexist for a while. "We've had extensive conversations with ReedPop about E3," he said in an interview with Epic Games Store. "I think it'll kind of fit together and flow kind of from what we're doing into what they're doing and stuff. E3, to me, is this kind of master brand that represents gaming news in June."
With the start date of Summer Game Fest confirmed, the coexistence of these two summer gaming events is a reality. Summer Game Fest returns on June 8, 2023.