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Microsoft has revealed that the next Xbox Games Showcase will stream live on June 9th at 1PM Eastern, with a follow-up Direct event for a “beloved franchise” immediately afterward.
The main event will be the first presentation to cover Activision Blizzard, Bethesda, and Xbox Game Studios titles, as well as some third-party selections. It’s launching a week of extended game coverage on “a ton” of titles. You can watch through the official Xbox channels on Facebook, Twitch, and YouTube.
Microsoft didn’t say what the Direct event would involve, but the Cerberus-like image strongly suggests the stream will cover the next release in the Call of Duty series. Leaks suggest it will be called Call of Duty: Black Ops Gulf War and focus on more conventional combat. It’s expected to ship this fall.
This is the first Xbox Games Showcase to take place since Microsoft completed its acquisition of Activision Blizzard, and it comes at a critical moment for the tech giant. While its profit grew sharply during its latest quarter, Xbox hardware sales plunged 31% due largely to weak Series S and X numbers. Nintendo and Sony have largely dominated the current console generation, and there’s no indication this will reverse in the immediate future.
The Activision Blizzard deal theoretically improves Microsoft’s chances. Call of Duty remains one of the most important gaming franchises, and Microsoft’s ownership gives it a chance to make the military shooters shine on the platform. The Xbox Games Showcase could illustrate just how the series could stand out on Microsoft hardware.
That’s not guaranteed, however. Microsoft had to make numerous concessions to address regulators’ worries about anti-competitive behavior, and that includes 10-year deals to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo and Sony consoles. While Microsoft might prioritize the next game on Xbox, it can’t count on exclusives to boost sales.
