Microsoft, synonymous with gaming innovation and an industry pillar, has plans to supersize its booth this year. It plans to chart its biggest-ever presence at the event, promising a larger-than-life experience with over 30 titles splashed across 150 stations.
The behemoth booth, packed with photo ops, immersive experiences, and a specially designed 300-seat theatre, has been painstakingly constructed to provide an immersive experience.
The highlight of this year’s show is the 10th-anniversary celebration of ID@Xbox. Microsoft will commemorate the decade-long journey of the program with a special section at Xbox’s booth, featuring upcoming titles such as Paradox’s Lamplighter’s League, Thunderful’s SteamWorld Build, and Amplifier’s Lightyear Frontier.
The gaming community is buzzing with anticipation as Gamescom 2023 prepares to unfurl its grand spectacle from August 23-27 at the Koelnmesse in Cologne, Germany. A week before the main event, the Gamescom Opening Night Live, which is produced and hosted by Geoff Keighley, is slated to drum up excitement on August 22.
With more than 300,000 attendees anticipated, this upcoming gaming extravaganza promises to put on a show like none so far.
Microsoft has also announced its full line-up of titles that attendees will have the chance to experience firsthand. However, to the surprise of many, hotly-anticipated titles like Starfield and Forza Motorsport will not be available for play. Instead, it will shine in the spotlight during “exclusive theatre presentations”, offering tantalizing glimpses of the worlds yet to be explored.
This strategy seems deliberate, with speculation that Starfield’s enormous spotlight could detract attention from other titles in the roster. Despite its recent features at the Xbox Games Showcase and Starfield Direct, the game still cloaks many secrets that will hopefully be unveiled in the coming presentations.
Here’s a complete list of Microsoft’s booths at this year’s Gamescom:
Hall 8, Block A
- Towerborne
- Microsoft Flight Simulator
- The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom
- Jusant
- Infinity Strash: Dragon Quest – The Adventure of Dai
- Dungeons 4
- Under the Waves
Hall 8, Block B
- Payday 3
Hall 8, Block C
- Another Crab’s Adventure
- Antstream Arcade
- Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon
- Botany Manor
- Cocoon
- Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
- Dead Pets
- Ghostrunner 2
- Headbangers
- Immortals of Aveum
- Island of Winds
- Lightyear Frontier
- Little Kitty, Big City
- Mortal Kombat 1
- Mineko’s Night Market
- Naiad
- Party Animals
- Persona 5 Tactica
- Overwatch 2
- The Lamplighters League
- Sonic Superstars
- Stalker 2
- SteamWorld Build
- Stumble Guys
- Worldless
In keeping with the tradition of connecting gamers and fostering a sense of community, the Xbox Fan Fest is coming back to this year’s GamesCom. The after-hours event promises early access to the Xbox Gamescom booth, trivia sessions, and opportunities to engage with Team Xbox and fellow Xbox enthusiasts. An online ticket lottery on the Xbox Fan Fest website adds a dash of chance to this vibrant fan-centric event.
The three-day, three-hour live streams scheduled for August 23-25 will further amplify the excitement, featuring gameplay showcases, developer insights, and community segments. The gaming giant’s first-party studio output, including the latest from Microsoft Flight Simulator and The Elder Scrolls Online, will also be featured in some capacity.
As the gaming world converges on Cologne, the palpable anticipation underlines the fact that despite some key titles being absent from the playable list, Gamescom 2023 has a lot to offer. It may indeed be that the lack of hands-on experience with some flagship titles, like the much-awaited Starfield set to launch on September 6th, only adds to the allure. The crescendo of anticipation and the ripples of excitement that Gamescom 2023 is creating are a testament to the power and influence of the gaming industry.
