Recap: Xbox & Bethesda Showcase 2022

This year’s Xbox and Bethesda Showcase was another strong showing for Game Pass and featured full reveals for Starfield and Diablo IV.

Taking notes from Nintendo, this year’s not-E3 Xbox showcase was focused on games due for release in the next 12 months.

It’s a welcome approach, although a glut of early-2023 release dates means there’s plenty of scope for slippage. It’s also confirmation that Xbox lacks significant first-party titles for 2022.

Once again, Game Pass was the main event, with every title on display coming to the service. Few of the best-looking games are due soon, but there’s a lot to look forward to.

Redfall made for an effervescent opening to a showcase that was heavy on game footage and thankfully light on chit-chat.

Forza Motorsport also made an expected but welcome return, with traffic cones that look spectacular and a dynamic time-of-day system that affects racing conditions. And although we’re still struggling to get on board with Activision Blizzard’s output, Diablo IV had an impressive full reveal.

Scorn, As Dusk Falls and Hollow Knight: Silksong were among the other games in this year’s spotlight. There’s also new content on the way for existing games, including Fallout 76, The Elder Scrolls Online, Sea of Thieves, and Forza Horizon 5.

The showcase concluded with a ten-minute look at Bethesda’s Starfield. The ambitious sci-fi RPG promises an adventure on a cosmic scale, albeit one based on tired cliches like mysterious artefacts, space pirates, and EPCOT-evoking colonies. However, the ship creation tools, space combat, and overall scope look mouthwatering.

Here’s the complete list of games – with planned release dates – featured on the 2022 Xbox and Bethesda Showcase. Scroll down to watch the show in full.