7 bombshells Xbox could drop at its June showcase to regain some trust

Key Takeaways

Confidence in Xbox is low due to layoffs, games on rival platforms, studio closures.
Few games this generation paint a bleak Xbox future, but hope remains.
Xbox to host its showcase on June 9. Success at the event could regain fan loyalty.

Fan confidence in Xbox is at an all-time low. This year alone, the company has laid off thousands of people, released once-exclusive games on competing platforms, and shut down beloved studios. Additionally, the scarcity of new games throughout the generation paints a dire picture for Xbox’s future. However, Xbox has not given up the fight. There is still a chance for the company to turn things around, but it will have to regain much of the trust it has lost in recent months.

With E3 no longer held, Xbox will host its own showcase this summer on June 9. This event is when the company unveils its biggest announcements of the year, aiming to generate excitement while all eyes are on it. Several showcases are scheduled around this time, but Xbox will face the most scrutiny. Some observers want to see it fail, while others hope it marks the beginning of its redemption. I believe this showcase will be a make-or-break moment for Xbox’s future. If it can deliver key announcements and present them effectively, it could begin to regain some fan loyalty.

What the heck is going on with Microsoft Xbox?

If you’re wondering whether we are witnessing the death of the Xbox in real time, let me break it all down for you.

1 Drop the price for the new model

Cut your loses

Xbox hasn’t been announcing hardware sales itself for years, but we know from other sources that it is trailing behind PS5 sales by almost 30 million units. At this rate, that gap is likely only going to grow. Thanks to an accidental leak from Microsoft itself during the FTC trial, we know that there was at least plans to make and release a new Series X model codenamed Brooklin. Now is the time to not only reveal it, but give it a date for this fall and cut the price down to at least $400. That will make its system the same price as the cheapest PS5, but also ensure it is far cheaper than any potential PS5 Pro that is very likely to be coming this fall as well. Xbox needs players more than anything, so take the loss on the console to bring people into the ecosystem.

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2 Commit to new hardware

Show us a roadmap

Even if Xbox is the cheaper console, people won’t buy in if they doubt its existence after this generation. I don’t believe that will happen, even if things continue as they are, but I can’t blame the average person for thinking so. Xbox has already hinted at working on a new console, but now is the time to ensure as many people as possible know about it. Normally, this would be a bad strategy because it could dissuade people from buying the current systems and just waiting for the next one, but Xbox doesn’t really have much left to lose. Giving confidence that Xbox isn’t abandoning hardware is more important for the long-term health of the brand than any short-term gain from current console sales. We don’t need to know any specifics about its specs, or even when it will be released, but a strong statement is needed to let current and future Xbox fans know it isn’t going away anytime soon.

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3 Shattered Space release date

A layup

Starfield was possibly Xbox’s biggest launch this generation. It may not have suited everyone’s tastes, but it sold well and brought a ton of people into Game Pass. We’ve received some minor updates and patches since then, but not nearly enough support compared to other Bethesda games. The first major DLC, “Shattered Space,” is supposed to drop this fall, so now is the last chance to showcase it and give a firm release date. Considering how close it is, we still know very little about what it will entail. This should be a blowout showing that addresses as many of the criticisms people had with the base game as possible. I would also suggest a surprise announcement that the promised mod support for consoles would go live that day. That would bring people back to the game and hopefully keep them there until the DLC is released.

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4 Gears 6 + collection

Double-down on Gears

Gears was once one of Xbox’s flagship franchises but has been completely MIA since Gears 5 in 2019. Unlike Halo, Gears hasn’t experienced nearly the same decline after transitioning to Xbox’s management and could reignite excitement for the brand like it did during the 360 era. There are many rumors that Gears 6 will be announced here, and I think that’s essential, but it shouldn’t end there. After the Master Chief Collection, fans expected Gears to receive similar treatment, but we only got a remake of the first game. Whether they’re all remade or just remastered, it’s time to release a collection of the original trilogy to remind fans why we love Gears and to build anticipation for the eventual release of Gears 6.

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5 Perfect Dark

Shed some light on this reboot

Perfect Dark was revealed with a CGI teaser in 2020, but there has been nothing but bad news about the project since then. With talent leaving the studio and other teams taking over the project, many believe this game is vaporware. I’m not saying this specific game is so important that it can save the brand, but it is emblematic of Xbox’s larger issues. Xbox needs to prove that it can keep its promises and deliver the games it announces. Just like with hardware, fans need to trust that Xbox isn’t just going to abandon them and not deliver games. If this game is going to show up, it has to be done right. We need to see what the game is actually going to be like and receive at least a year when we can expect its release.

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6 Don’t mention PlayStation

Save it for the press releases

We all know those Xbox games that migrated to PlayStation were huge hits, and it was always the plan for more to follow. However, this showcase is not the time to discuss that. Even if some games being shown are planned for PlayStation release, that information should be kept in the fine print and in the press releases. The wider Xbox audience does not want to see the word “PlayStation” on the Xbox stage. It would be viewed as a complete capitulation and bury any excitement under angry comments and news pieces focusing on the PlayStation angle rather than the games themselves. Xbox is going to put more games on PlayStation, there’s no doubt about it, but there’s a time and a place to talk about that.

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7 Apologize

No corporate speak

I’ve looked through as many statements and emails as I could find regarding the recent studio closures and haven’t found a single direct instance of anyone from the Xbox team apologizing to the teams it shut down. There’s been plenty of noncommittal and corporate PR speak about strengthening the brand and refocusing, but no one has taken accountability and apologized to all those people who lost their jobs. Don’t hide behind what happened when this showcase starts. I’d like to see Phil Spencer, Matt Booty, and Sarah Bond all take the stage to deliver a real, human statement to those who no longer have jobs because of them. Don’t pass the blame or use it to promote future plans. Just say you’re sorry.