Microsoft has announced a return to the Tokyo Game Show later this month with a special Xbox broadcast event.
The Xbox Tokyo Game Show 2024 Broadcast is set for Thursday, September 26 at 7pm JST / 3am Pacific / 6am Eastern / 11am UK.
In a post on Xbox Wire, Larissa Hazel, Director, Gaming Integrated Marketing, Asia, said Microsoft will share content from Xbox Game Studios, Activision, Blizzard Entertainment, and Bethesda, as well as an “exciting lineup of games from third-party partners primarily based in Japan and across Asia, including games coming to Xbox Game Pass.”
So, what can fans expect from the show? Microsoft has a long list of first-party studios currently working on various games due out across the next few years, but the mention of Activision, Blizzard, and Bethesda perhaps narrows down the list. Activision is set to release Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 in October, so perhaps the shooter will make an appearance. Blizzard, fresh from releasing World of Warcraft expansion The War Within, has Diablo 4 expansion Vessel of Hatred out in October, as well as ongoing updates for mobile game Diablo Immortal. Bethesda operates MMOs Fallout 76 and The Elder Scrolls Online, has Starfield expansion Shattered Space waiting in the wings, and is set to release MachineGames’ Indiana Jones and the Great Circle in December, and Id Software’s Doom: The Dark Ages in 2025. Obsidian’s Avowed, recently delayed to February next year, may also turn up.
As for the games from third-party partners based in Japan and across Asia, perhaps Square Enix will finally announce Final Fantasy 16 for Xbox, and maybe even the Final Fantasy 7 remakes for Microsoft’s consoles. Microsoft recently announced that MiHoYo’s megahit Genshin Impact is finally coming to Xbox, so maybe that game will make a big splash, too.
It’s worth noting that this year Microsoft closed its Japan developer Tango Gameworks, with the studio having released Hi-Fi Rush to critical acclaim, as part of significant cuts that resulted in 1,900 layoffs across its gaming business. PUBG publisher Krafton later picked up roughly 50 of the 100 staff members employed at Tango.
Microsoft is also heavily rumored to be working on an Xbox handheld, and has confirmed plans for next-generation consoles.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
