It's been a tough few years for Microsoft, and while the company has led the way in terms of services, all eyes will be on the Xbox Series X and its cadre of games come 5 PM tomorrow. With the company looking to launch its fourth console, this might be the most important showcase yet. With almost twenty years of history leading up to this moment, here's what we expect to see from Xbox, what we hope to see, and our pipe dreams.
What We Probably Won't See
Microsoft has already set expectations somewhat by confirming the showcase will be focused squarely on games, so don't expect them to comment on those WB Interactive rumours, while they already discussed xCloud coming to Xbox Game Pass in a blog post last week.
What We Expect To See
Halo Infinite
Considering we've known about Halo Infinite for some time, it's impressive how little we really know about it. It'll launch alongside the console (or at least that's the intention), and it'll be on Xbox Game Pass on day one. The original reveal suggested the potential for an open world, although this isn't confirmed, while a tease on Twitter suggested we'll be fighting "The Banished".
Expect a gameplay deep dive for Microsoft's tentpole franchise, but a release date may wait until the console launch date is revealed.
Read More: Halo Infinite: Box Art Shows 343 Are Learning From Past Mistakes
Fable
It's possibly the worst-kept secret in gaming that something Fable-related is in development, with Playground Games widely believed to be working on the project. Considering just a few short months ago they were still staffing up, there's a good chance it's a little early for anything more than a tease, but given how much Xbox needs a win, we'd love to see the world of Albion on Series X.
Read More: Fable 4 LEAKS: Release Date, Trailer, Story, Features And Everything We Know About The Next Fable
Hellblade II: Senua's Saga
Bleeding Edge may have come and gone like a fart in the wind, but Hellblade's sequel being revealed at the Game Awards (alongside the console itself) was a statement by Microsoft.
Expect gameplay at the very least, possibly with a release date, too. And then watch this epic reveal all over again.
Read More: Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 Release Date, Gameplay, Trailer, And Everything We Know
Double Fine
The legendary studio is now under Microsoft's umbrella, so expect Psychonauts 2 to show up. It might not speak to everyone, but the franchise definitely has its audience.
Everwild
Rare's new game was shown off at XO19, and this colourful open-world adventure looks to be a little less cartoony than Sea of Thieves.
If it's coming to Series X, we'd imagine we'll see a trailer and perhaps a slice of gameplay.
Third Parties
Ubisoft showed off more of Assassin's Creed Valhalla at their recent event, while we think FIFA 21 is a shoo-in for a pre-show appearance.
Honestly, we've got a strange feeling that Activision will break its silence, releasing details of Call of Duty 2020. In truth, much of the mystery has gone thanks to plenty of leaks, and while Activision has been best mates with Sony for the current generation, they were Microsoft's buds the generation before. Is a reunion in sight?
The big question mark here is Bethesda. The publisher looks as though it's putting its support behind the PlayStation with the likes of Death Loop and Ghostwire: Tokyo. Could they have something for Xbox fans, too?
What We Hope To See
We asked the Gfinity team what their dream reveals would be. Here's what we have:
Toby wants to see Forza 8, which as our resident racing-game aficionado perhaps isn't too surprising.
Oliver, meanwhile, is hoping we'll see a Cuphead sequel, while Rob has his hopes on a sequel to Obsidian's Outer Worlds, although he'd be happy with another RPG from the team, too.
Henry is hoping the WB rumours are true and that Xbox will get an exclusive title from Rocksteady, while Harry is hoping for some news on Skate 4.
Me? I'll settle for just the small matter of a new Splinter Cell from Ubisoft, although a) they'd have announced it at their own event, and b) nobody cares what I want. Still, the franchise definitely has a history with Xbox.
What are you hoping to see from Microsoft's big event tomorrow? I'd be pretty content with an hour of Halo, really, but sign up to Gfinity Plus and let us know what you want to see.