Xbox Games Showcase 2024: all the news, trailers, and announcements
What can players expect from Fallout 76’s map expansion, Skyline Valley, and its new gameplay feature set for 2025?
The Skyline Valley update for Fallout 76 will introduce a map expansion set in the Shenandoah region, featuring a unique weather type with a reddish, other-worldly lightning effect. This new area will include 26 named points of interest and various new enemies, such as the electrified and ghoul-ified members of Vault 63 called "The Lost" and giant mutated turkeys called Thrashers4.
In addition to the map expansion, the update will bring a new main questline that will have players investigating the cause of the electrical storm circling overhead and unveiling the mystery around Vault 63. There will also be two new public events, "Dangerous Pastimes" and "Neurological Warfare," which will require players to work together to complete them.
As for the new gameplay feature set for 2025, players will finally be able to play as a ghoul, although more information about this feature is yet to be revealed.
What details are available about the new Gears of War: E-Day game announced by Microsoft?
Microsoft has announced a new Gears of War game titled "Gears of War: E-Day." The game is being developed by The Coalition, Xbox's internal studio dedicated to the Gears of War franchise. Gears of War: E-Day is set 14 years before the first Gears game and tells the story of the first Locust emergence on Sera. It will once again feature Marcus Fenix as the protagonist and is being billed as an origin story. The game does not currently have a release date, but it is being built on Unreal Engine 5. The announcement trailer harkens back to the classic "Mad World" commercial for the original Gears of War.
How does the number of first-party Xbox games showcased in 2024 compare to the previous year?
The number of first-party Xbox games showcased in 2024 is expected to be more than 15, which is an increase compared to the previous year. In 2023, there were several notable games shown, such as Starfield, Hellblade 2, and Forza Motorsport, but the number of games showcased was not specified. This year's event is expected to be even bigger, with more than 15 first-party games being presented, including new Doom and Gears of War installments.