10 biggest moments from the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase: Kojima partnership, Starfield gameplay, and more

The Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase in June gave audiences a ton of release dates, a host of new games, and some much-needed gameplay for a few highly anticipated releases.

With such a large number of titles being the subject of gossip, the sheer amount of video game news can become overwhelming. This list aims to streamline the flow of information from the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase by serving up the various key highlights from the events.

From Riot games coming to Game Pass to an extended look at the gameplay from Starfield, here are 10 of the most important moments from the latest Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase in June 2022.

Note: This article reflects the writer's opinions.

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10 notable announcements made during the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase

1) Riot Games showcase

During the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase event, developer Riot Games took to the stage to highlight a few of their games, such as League of Legends, Valorant, Legends of Runeterra, and Team Fight Tactics. However, the main takeaway from their showcase was one that few could have predicted: a partnership with Xbox.

All of the games mentioned above are now being included in the Game Pass. Since Riot Games’ products are free-to-play anyhow, this might not seem like a big change, but the hook here is that Game Pass subscribers will get access to paid content as well. This means that all legends and agents will be unlocked for League of Legends and Valorant, respectively.

While this partnership is only limited to PC and Mobile, it's still a rather interesting development. It was not mentioned when exactly it would be made available. Some time in 2023 was what was hinted at by the end of the event.

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2) New trailer for Hollow Knight: Silksong

Hollow Knight is a fan favorite indie action-adventure side scroller. Developed by Team Cherry, this video game was released to quite a lot of adoration in 2017.

In the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase event, Team Cherry finally showcased a new trailer for the sequel, titled Hollow Knight: Silksong. This time around, players will take control of Hornet, a character from the previous game, who must ascend to the top of the Kingdom of Pharloom to uncover its secrets.

The gameplay sees Hornet take on various enemies and navigate through platforming puzzles. It is not yet known when her story takes place in relation to the previous game. Silksong does not have a set release date either. However, it will be available on Xbox Game Pass on day one, whenever that may be.

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3) Cinematic trailer for Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty

From developer Team Ninja comes this new release called Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty. Set in a fictional Chinese history during the Later Han Dynasty, players take control of a nameless soldier as they take on both supernatural and human threats. With no release date set, the game arrives in early 2023 and will be available on the Game Pass on launch.

Team Ninja are the minds behind the Nioh series, so players should definitely expect a Soulslike system of gameplay, with combat possibly being the highlight of the game. Producers from both Nioh games as well as Bloodborne are behind this new IP.

From the looks of the trailer, the game appears to be heavily inspired by Sekiro, with the main character wielding a single blade and taking on a foe with a heavy weapon. However, it should be noted that no actual gameplay has been shown, and only a cinematic trailer was played during the event.

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4) Persona is coming to the Xbox Game Pass

Some of the most famous JRPGs are now coming to the Xbox Game Pass. Persona 3 Portable, Persona 4 Golden, and Persona 5 Royal will be making the jump to PC and Xbox via the subscription system, and P5R will be available on October 21, 2022.

Persona started off as a spinoff of the highly successful video game Shin Megami Tensei If… from 1994. The games are part dungeon crawlers and part social simulators. While the former incorporates combat and boss battles, the latter relies on forming bonds between teammates and progressing the larger narrative.

Shown during the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase, the three games were featured in a trailer highlighting their gameplay, including the social interactions and characters in combat. Most of the Persona games were not previously available to Xbox players, making this a welcome announcement.

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5) Diablo IV is getting a new class

Diablo IV also got a new trailer at the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase, setting itself up for a 2023 release date. The trailer also showed off the iconic playable class known as the Necromancer, bringing up the total number of classes available to players to five (including the Barbarian, Sorceress, Druid, and Rogue).

This is the fourth title in the Diablo series that features procedurally generated dungeons and loot-based character-building. This new installment will also add an open-world element along with a PvP mode for players to go toe-to-toe against each other for the first time.

The trailer for the game showed off new gameplay in the open world that players can explore at their leisure. The game also highlighted its local multiplayer support, a much-appreciated feature in modern times when games are increasingly relying on online multiplayer.

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6) Forza Motorsport gameplay footage

After a long time spent in development, Forza Motorsport is finally coming out in the spring of 2023 and is looking better than ever. Turn 10 Studios offered quite the in-depth look at their upcoming game, which seemed visually more stunning than even the Forza Horizon series of games.

Motorsport took to the stage and captivated the audience during the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase for quite a while, highlighting the many features set to be incorporated into the gameplay. With track wear and tear, realistic vehicle damage, a time of day progression mechanic, and ray tracing, this new game seems to have justified its long development period.

The game will serve as a full reboot of the series, taking it in a new direction. The gameplay served to showcase a returning track known as Maple Valley, showing in-engine gameplay of various cars racing around the track and also pointing out the various graphical improvements. Traffic cones will be the most realistic they’ve ever looked, as players mow them down when they miss a corner.

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7) Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn gameplay reveal

This is a completely new IP from developer A44 that is set in a fantasy world where players take on the role of protagonist Nor Vanek, who has set out on a particularly difficult task: to kill the gods themselves. The protagonist is also aided throughout the game by an animal companion known as Enki, who enables Nor to use various magical abilities.

With a brand new gameplay trailer featured during the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase, Flintlock showed off some phenomenal gameplay and combat mechanics. Using a mix of an ax and a gun seems like a Bloodborne-esque mechanic, but seeing the large amount of different supernatural abilities at the player’s disposal gives it a light seasoning of Elden Ring as well.

A44 is a studio that excels in Souls-like games, as seen in their previous hit product, Ashen. However, Flintlock seems to be taking a different direction, as its combat looks very fresh and does not immediately scream Soulsborne. It is set for a 2023 release on PC, Xbox, and PS consoles.

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8) Minecraft: Legends announcement trailer

Minecraft: Legends is another game set in the Minecraft universe and is slated for release in 2023. Premiering for the first time during the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase, this new outing by Mojang is set in the world of Minecraft, but it switches genres to an action-adventure strategy game.

With Minecraft being as popular as it already is, this comes as big news for many of its fans. The trailer for this new game showed off a large world to traverse through, providing a third-person perspective. The game retains the traditional aesthetic of Minecraft, although on an even larger scale.

Set to release sometime in 2023, Minecraft: Legends will evidently be a strategy game, but how exactly the strategic element will play into it was not made clear in the trailer. Side quests, player invasions, and boss fights are set to feature in this new game, highlighting the action-adventure elements.

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9) Hideo Kojima partnership

One of the more surprising reveals of the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase was a partnership with Hideo Kojima of Metal Gear and Death Stranding fame. The famous video game director appeared on screen to talk about an upcoming project that he is working on in partnership with Xbox Game Studios.

Details regarding the game are not clear, as Kojima merely stated that this was a game he had always wanted to make and that it was different than anything ever seen before. He also hinted that the game would incorporate Microsoft’s cloud technology, which he claimed was what made the concept for the game possible.

People hoping for a Silent Hill announcement will be disappointed, but this is still great news, provided it ultimately breaks even. Kojima’s games are known to be unique and occasionally divisive, but they are usually a new experience.

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10) Starfield gameplay

Todd Howard himself took to the stage to deliver something fans of Bethesda have been eagerly waiting for. Starfield received a much-needed news update in the form of an extensive gameplay reveal during the final moments of the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase.

The gameplay showed off a bit of the exploration on a derelict moon, where the player character was searching for a research base. Combat was also showcased, and it appeared to be quite different from the gunplay in the Fallout series, with Starfield’s encounters looking much more responsive. Some story elements were also highlighted, including some NPCs as well as the character creation menu.

One of the biggest reveals was that Starfield is quite a huge game, with players being able to land on any part of a planet's surface, as Howard himself claimed. He also stated that the same could be done on all 1,000 planets in the game. With such bold claims, it will be interesting to see if Starfield falls into the same hole that No Man’s Sky did upon launch or if it will deliver something truly astonishing.