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Our outlook for Xbox in the second half of 2023
5 min. read
Published onJuly 12, 2023
published onJuly 12, 2023
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Let’s not mince words here—the first half of 2023 has been one to rememberin terms of groundbreaking AAA video game releases. This is true across all platforms, including Xbox. Just look at what the first six months of 2023 has given us:Dead Space Remake,Hi-Fi Rush,Hogwarts Legacy,Resident Evil 4 Remake,Minecraft Legends,Street Fighter 6,Diablo IV.
While 2022 was admittedly a lackluster year for Xbox, 2023 is without question going to make up for it and then some, and will go down as one of the best years in video games in recent memory. With that said, let’s have a glimpse into what the second half of 2023 will bring.
Notable upcoming games
The heavy hitters
While that was an exciting sneak peek at some of the more notable Xbox releases coming down the pipeline, below are the titles that will most likely define Xbox in the second half of what has been an exceptional year in video games so far across all platforms.
Stray (August 10)
This charming indie title and former PlayStation exclusive may seem like an unlikely addition to this list. ButStraywas one of the most popular games of 2022 on PlayStation withreportedly more than 4.4 million playersand over $50 million in sales. Not to mentionthe game was a darling of the critics and won various accoladesincludingPlayStation Game of the Year at the 40th Golden Joystick Awards.
And there’s no reason to thinkStraywon’t have just as big an impactwhen it comes to Xbox on August 10.
Starfield (September 6)
What else can really be said aboutone of the most anticipated video games everthat hasn’t already been said? Bethesda’s epic open world sci-fi action-RPG will have a lot of hype to live up towhen it releases on September 6, and the Xbox platform itself has a lot riding on Starfield’s success. It’s fair to say Starfield could in large part make or break the second half of 2023 (and really this entire console generation going forward) for Xbox.
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty (September 26)
This long-awaited first (and only) expansion forCyberpunk 2077will finally land in players hands as part of what is shaping up to bean absolutely stacked Septemberwith the likes ofThe Crew Motorfest,Lies of P,Mortal Kombat 1,Payday 3and of courseStarfieldall launching that month.
We got a closer look atPhantom Libertyduring last month’sXbox Games Showcase, and from what’s been revealed so far it looks like this will beanything but a by-the-numbers expansion.Check out the officialPhantom Libertytrailer right here.
Forza Motorsport (October 10)
The (almost) undisputed king of racing sims makes what will hopefully be a triumphant return in October with the release of the long-in-the-makingForza Motorsportreboot. Most Xbox fans will more-or-less know what to expect from the series…or will they? Following the Xbox Games Showcase in June we were treated toa demo of the gamewhich showed off thenewly-revamped career modeamong other things.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage (October 12)
The storiedAssassin’s Creedfranchise returns to its roots with the next installment. This after a more open-world, role-playing oriented departure for the previous three mainline entries that has been largely well-received from fans.
A newAssassin’s Creedrelease is always big news, and it will be interesting to see how this return to stealth-action form forMiragewill go down with players.
The fate of the ABK deal
It is very possible that the Activision Blizzard deal will be a done thing one way or the other very soon (can we get a bigHurray! on that?). In the wake ofMicrosoft’s triumph against the U.S. FTC in the latter’s preliminary injunctionto stop the deal from proceeding ahead of the August trial,the CMA in the U.K. has agreed to pause litigation to negotiate a compromisethat will address its concerns over how the acquisition could affect the emergent cloud gaming market.
How this will all shake out is anyone’s guess, but as it standsMicrosoft is closer to sealing the deal than it has ever been. If and when it does finally happen it can only mean good things for the Xbox platform and its users. How doesCall of Dutyand other Activision Blizzard games coming to Game Pass day one sound?
Looking beyond into 2024
It looks like 2024 will be no slouch either, going by what’s been announced so far during and since theXbox Games Showcase.
As we all know, it’s possible—if not likely, even—that some of these might not make it to release in 2024. Nonetheless, it’s good to know there are some exciting titles in the pipeline. Regardless, there is no question that the second half of 2023 will be an interesting time for Xbox gamers.
Featured image via Egames.news.
Robert Collins
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