E3 is long dead but Xbox is returning in early June with its regularly scheduled press conference. The gaming showcase will feature a bonus Gears of War: E-Day Direct, setting it up as one of Microsoft’s big fall releases of 2026.
The news was announced by new Xbox boss Asha Sharma who said the Summer Game Fest-adjacent event was part of “the return of Xbox.” There will also be a live component and fan audience for this year’s show. While common in the past, Microsoft had been relying more and more on the pre-scripted Nintendo Direct formula in recent years rather than having executives reveal things live.
Sunday, June 7 is locked in.
Xbox Games Showcase 2026 is almost here with a deep dive into Gears of War: E-Day Direct.
In my first month, I heard clearly that our community values Xbox FanFest. As part of the return of Xbox, we made the decision to bring it back to LA to… pic.twitter.com/NYIzJ1kzVb
— Asha (@asha_shar) March 30, 2026
“In my first month, I heard clearly that our community values Xbox FanFest,” Sharma wrote on X on Monday. “As part of the return of Xbox, we made the decision to bring it back to LA to recognize the players who’ve been with us over the years.”
If Sharma takes the stage for a live portion of the presentation, it would be the first Xbox summer showcase in over a decade that wasn’t helmed by recently retired Microsoft veteran Phil Spencer. The company has a lot of games to tee up this year for Xbox’s 25th anniversary, including a remake of Halo: Combat Evolved and a new Fable.
I suspect we might also get our next tease for Microsoft’s next-gen console platform called Project Helix. Maybe a silhouette of the hardware or a launch date. Definitely not the price tag, which is expected to be painful as the AI-fueled RAM shortage accelerates.
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