It’s that time of year where Gamescom rolls back around – and today, Xbox are set to take center stage. After collaborating with Bethesda for E3 earlier this summer, you can expect to see upcoming titles like Halo Infinite, Forza Horizon 5, and maybe even some surprises sprinkled in. To keep track of all the announcements and news, we’ve got our Xbox Gamescom roundup, that’ll detail all the exciting events.
How to Watch Xbox Gamescom Conference 2021
The Xbox conference takes place at 13:00 PM ET. Luckily, the conference is on YouTube, which you can find below.
If you keep reading, you’ll find our full Xbox Gamescom 2021 roundup.
Xbox Gamescom 2021 Live Blog
Grab a drink and a snack and strap in, as we cover all the big news and announcements at Xbox’s 2021 Gamescom conference, as the new breaks!
Dying Light 2: Stay Human
First up is a chat with the developers of the upcoming zombie game Dying Light 2: Stay Human. Next is a gameplay video, exploring the game’s ravaged setting, an unnamed city. Next, we get clips of hulking zombie bosses, feuding factions of survivors, and a glimpse at the game’s engaging parkour mechanics. Most excitingly, it teases the player’s ability to pick which faction they fight alongside. You’ll either be able to fight against the brutal criminals who murder and steal – or join their ranks.
Dying Light 2 doubles the amount of parkour moves at the player’s disposal. This should provide a useful skillset in climbing the skyscrapers within the city, and can be used in conjunction with other equipment like a paraglider.
Microsoft Flight Simulator
Next is an update on what’s coming soon to the incredibly popular Microsoft Flight Simulator. Alongside preservations of planes from German history, and a tie-in with the upcoming Top Gun: Maverick movie, there’s a new expansion coming, too. World Update VI introduces Germany, Austria and Switzerland. It’ll release later this year.
Game Pass sizzle reel
Next is a brief look at some exciting indie games coming to Xbox Game Pass soon.
This includes a look at Into the Pit, a Doom-inspired first person shooter that takes place in the depths of Hell. Like the Humble games in the above trailer, this comes to Game Pass on Day 1.
Xbox Cloud Gaming
Good news for Xbox owners here, as the Cloud Gaming system available on PC is coming to Xbox consoles. You’ll be able to transfer game files and storage across devices, making it much easier to drop in and out of games without installing everything. The goal is 1080p graphics at 60 FPS, making it nearly indistinguishable from having the game installed. Incredibly, Xbox One players will also be able to play games on Series X|S, via the cloud. This feature will be exclusive to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate owners.
Wasteland 3: The Cult of the Holy Detonation
Next up is a trailer for the new Wasteland 3 DLC. It follows a new in-game cult, called the Holy Detonation. Unsurprisingly, they’re obsessed with all things explosive, experimenting with nuclear material to pose a new threat. This expansion releases on October 5.
Next is a chat with developer Dave Rogers from InExile. He discusses how consistent the game’s post-launch content has been, as well as exploring the new DLC. Their base is within a snowy Colorado mountain, and they’re vying for nuclear research to extend their grip on the region. In classic Wasteland fashion, you can choose which members of your team live and die, and tweak every part of the battle experience. Rogers says that the new DLC is the closest we’ll ever get to a Wasteland dungeon-crawler, which is certainly an exciting concept.
Sea of Thieves x Borderlands
Next up is a trailer for the latest Sea of Thieves crossover event, this time with Borderlands. It involves a new ship set, called Mayhem, as well as equipment with the design of classic Borderlands characters. To unlock the ship, you have to dive in-game and talk to Lorino, who will give you the quest to complete. Most excitingly, the event starts tomorrow (August 25), meaning there really isn’t long to wait at all.
State of Decay 2: Homecoming
Following this is a trailer for the upcoming expansion for State of Decay 2, called Homecoming. It’ll introduce a brand-new map to the game, with five new bases to set up, too.  There’s all-new locations, including a crashed airplane, a traditional diner, and a murky police station, too. Alongside this is exclusive content in the new map, including twelve new weapons, and a range of cosmetic items to try out. The update comes out on September 1, and is free to State of Decay 2 owners.
Stray Blade trailer
This is a brief look at the upcoming hack-and-slash fantasy game. Developed by Point Blank Games, it takes place in the valley of Akria. You play as a mysterious wanderer with a chatty, furry sidekick, exploring the fantasy world together. Â There’s a heavy focus on blade-based combat, with fluid dodges and brutal finishers. Details on plot are thin on the ground at the moment, but this looks set to be a definitive fantasy RPG experience. No release date yet, but it’ll launch at some point in 2022.
Psychonauts 2Â trailer
Next, we get a look at the much-anticipated sequel to 2005’s Psychonauts. Nearly two decades in the making, the game is finally around the corner. This launch trailer shows off the colorful combat and wacky design, with a James Bond parody running throughout. It gives a brief look at the espionage-style plot, and the enormous monsters Raz will have to battle throughout the game. Coupled with a slow-dance ballad, this is one of the most inventive trailers of the conference so far.
This is followed by a discussion with two developers from Double Fine Productions. They confirm that this sequel takes place just after the first Psychonauts game, and discuss how they’ve preserved the original’s legacy with this release. Most interesting is the game’s take on mental health – where the enemies you fight are bad moods, worries, and anxiety. It’s a really clever way to tackle a difficult concept, as Double Fine get into. The game launches this week, on August 25.
The Gunk trailer
This is a unique one. This trailer mixes Dead Space with WALL-E, as you play as an intergalactic cleaner tasked with removing a mysterious dark gunk from an interstellar planet. The world is murky, dark and lonely, but this looks set to be a very unique release. No news on a release date yet, as this is still in the production stages.
Forza Horizon 5
Next is a detailed look at the upcoming Xbox exclusive racer, Forza Horizon 5. First off is a glimpse at the newly-announced Forza Horizon Xbox controller, with a clear yellow body, and colorful buttons and triggers. After this, we head to Playground Games to get into the details around the new Forza game.
What you need to know is that the game takes place in Mexico, what they call the “largest, most diverse open world” in the franchise’s history. All sorts of terrain will be included, with volcanoes, caves, beaches, deserts, and cities. Â There’s also a look at the cover art, followed by an eight-minute gameplay trailer of the game’s most exciting cars in action.
That concludes Xbox’s conference at Gamescom 2021 – and it was one packed with content. What was your favourite reveal of the conference? Be sure to let us know on Twitter.
