Microsoft has locked in Sunday, June 7 for its annual Xbox Games Showcase, with the event kicking off at 10:30 PM IST. A dedicated Gears of War: E-Day Direct will follow immediately after, giving the upcoming prequel its own extended spotlight.
The showcase will feature first gameplay reveals and announcements from Xbox Game Studios as well as third-party partners. Microsoft is promising everything from major franchise updates to indie reveals. The Gears of War segment, meanwhile, will dig into the origin story set around Emergence Day—the moment the Locust burst out of the ground and changed everything in the Gears universe.
First major showcase under new Xbox boss Asha Sharma
This is a significant one for Microsoft’s gaming division. It’s the first Xbox Games Showcase since Asha Sharma took over as CEO of Microsoft Gaming in February, replacing the now-retired Phil Spencer. Sharma has already made her mark—she scrapped the widely criticised “This is an Xbox” marketing campaign and has talked about pressing reset on how the brand presents itself.
Xbox has a stacked 2026 lineup that’s likely to feature prominently. Playground Games’ Fable reboot, confirmed for a fall launch, should get stage time.
So should Halo: Campaign Evolved, the remake of the original Halo campaign, and Mojang’s Minecraft Dungeons 2—both slated for this year. There’s also Clockwork Revolution, State of Decay 3, and Hideo Kojima’s horror project OD waiting in the wings.
Project Helix hardware reveal could steal the show
The elephant in the room is Project Helix, Microsoft’s next-gen console that’s confirmed to run PC games alongside console titles. Whether Sharma uses the showcase to pull back the curtain on the hardware remains to be seen, but the timing feels right.
Xbox is also bringing back FanFest as an in-person event in Los Angeles, tying into the brand’s 25th anniversary celebrations. The showcase streams live on YouTube, Twitch, and Facebook.
