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(Image credit: Pfangirl.com) Along with the Summer Game Fest show, arguably the most high-profile stream of the former E3 exhibition period is the Xbox Games Showcase, typically paired with a developer deep dive into one of Xbox’s biggest upcoming games.
In the case of the latter, this year’s Direct was split between two Obsidian games: the already announced sci-fi RPG
style="font-weight: 400;">The Outer Worlds 2 (set for release on 29 October this year), and the surprise reveal of co-op adventure sequel
style="font-weight: 400;">Grounded 2 (Think Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The Game), which enters Early Access next month, from 29 July.
style="font-weight: 400;">full two-hour Xbox Showcase and Direct double, or read a thorough summary of the various announcements here. What you’ll find below is a singling out, on the basis of personal preference, of the top five most intriguing game announcements from the event.
Read more: Gaming adventure — America’s Deep South in action with ‘imaginative presentation’
Out of nowhere, we got a reveal trailer for Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy, from Asobo Studio and Focus Entertainment. Amicia and Hugo’s story is done, but action-adventure Resonance shifts the spotlight onto one of their Requiem allies, the smuggler Sophia. Set 15 years before the events of the last game, Resonance follows Sophia as she journeys to the Minotaur’s Island, overcoming deadly trials, puzzles and a relentless army as she uncovers ancient secrets, and a curse that has a powerful connection to her.
Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy comes to Xbox Series consoles, PC and PlayStation 5 in 2026. It’s also going to be a day one Game Pass release.
Still talking sequels and fresh franchise additions, charming puzzle platformer
style="font-weight: 400;">Planet of Lana is getting a follow-up in 2026 (for all gaming platforms), and future-set military shooter
style="font-weight: 400;">Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 was teased. Blops 7 is out later this year, apparently (on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, and PC). Both titles will be immediately playable with Game Pass.
Fresh off their success with Silent Hill 2’s remake, Bloober Team, the same developer behind the likes of Layers of Fear and The Medium is back in survival horror territory with Cronos: The New Dawn — which we can probably consider their Dead Space. You play as the Traveller, sent by the mysterious Collective to salvage what remains of humanity. That means harnessing a time travel mechanic that can transport you to 1980s Poland, among other things, as well as facing the monstrous Orphans, creatures that can fuse together to create even deadlier foes.
Revealed last October, Cronos: The New Dawn is out this northern hemisphere autumn, coming to PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
On matters of horror, special shoutout to Bandai Namco and Rebel Wolves’ already announced The Blood of Dawnwalker, a Witcher-esque pitch-black fantasy out in 2026 for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Dawnwalker received
style="font-weight: 400;">a new gameplay trailer during the Xbox Showcase.
Keeping things space-centred, but with more of a hard sci-fi angle (it’s made in collaboration with the European Space Agency), is Aphelion. From Life is Strange makers DON’T NOD, this narrative-driven adventure seems to be taking a cue from the studio’s 2024 releases, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden and Jusant, in that you’re exploring and delving into the mysteries of a hostile world. In this case, you’re astronaut Ariane, trying to reach your wounded partner Thomas on Persephone, a frozen ninth planet discovered on the edge of our solar system. The game promises a cinematic experience with traversal and stealth gameplay.
Aphelion comes to Xbox Series X|S, PC, PS5, and Game Pass in 2026.
It’s been four years since the release of Psychonauts 2, and now we know what’s next from Double Fine Productions. With Stacking project lead and Brutal Legends art director Lee Petty driving development, Keeper is described as a “beautiful and surreal third-person, atmospheric puzzle adventure… told without words”. Players take control of a battered lighthouse (yes, a lighthouse) that awakens in a post-human world and totters off across the island with a seabird companion. The lighthouse’s beam and the bird’s agility will be key tools in completing their odyssey.
Keeper is coming to Xbox Series X|S and PC on 17 October this year. You’ll also be able to play it day one with Game Pass.
Finally, there’s the genre-spanning and completely unpredictable There Are No Ghosts at The Grand, the debut title from indie developers Friday Sundae. By day, you’ll be restoring the dilapidated English hotel you inherited from your estranged father, and exploring the local seaside village with its many secretive inhabitants. By night, though, you’ll be facing supernatural threats with the aid of a sassy talking cat. Either way, There Are No Ghosts at The Grand is a kooky, cosy blend of mystery, music, and environmental puzzles with an in-game deadline of 30 days and nights.
There Are No Ghosts at The Grand releases in 2026 for PC and Xbox Series X|S. It’s also a day one release with Game Pass. DM
This article was first published on PFangirl.
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