E3 2018 is officially underway. Electronic Arts kicked off the gaming industry's biggest show in earnest yesterday, showcasing games like Anthem, Battlefield V and FIFA 19, but it looks like they've been beaten out by Microsoft who had an extremely strong show. In total Microsoft showed 50 games, 15 world premieres, and 18 Microsoft exclusives - including some of the biggest announcements we wanted to see such as Gears of War 5, Tom Clancy's The Division 2, and Halo Infinite. Xbox head Phil Spencer even confirmed a new Xbox is in production.
Let's break down all the biggest reveals from the Microsoft Xbox conference
Halo Infinite
Halo 6, or Halo Infinite as it's formerly called, was confirmed with a teaser trailer showing a much more lush environment than we're used too (there's even animals.) We didn't get a confirmation date or any details but at least we know it's on the way.
Gears of War 5
Another expected announcement, we finally got confirmation that Gears of War 5 will land sometime next year. What's was less expected is that there are also two spin-off games on the way - mobile title Gears Pop! and Gears Tactics, a strategy game for PC. The cinematic trailer for Gears of War 5 gives us a bit more story and gives us a sneak peek at the expansive arctic world we'll be exploring.
Forza Horizon 4
Forza Horizon will be making its way to Britain later this year. That means you will have the chance to take on the cobbled streets of Edinburgh, lavender fields in the scenic countryside, and the snow-capped peaks of the highlands. Playground Games' Ralph Fulton let us have a look at how seasons affect the driving conditions, as well as the shared world experience. It looks to be a truly stunning experience. Forza Horizon will release on October 2, 2018.
Fallout 76
Bethesda dropped the first teaser trailer for Fallout 76 last week, but this was our first look at what the game will actually entail. We learnt the newest addition to the Fallout franchise is a prequel set in West Virginia, and you play as the first to emerge to the untamed wasteland. Bethesda's Todd Howard said the title is " our biggest one yet", and claims the Fallout 76 will be four times the size of Fallout 4. Pre-orders are available from June 15th on the Xbox Store.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
A new IP was announced from the developers of Dark Souls - FROMSOFTWARE. The first trailer doesn't tell us much, but seems to be set in a dark Japanese world of gore and monsters, however the beauty of ancient Japan is still captured wonderfully. Hopefully we'll see a bit more later this week.
Devil May Cry 5
Again, not a huge surprise, but Capcom confirmed Devil May Cry 5 is on the way with a stunning cinematic trailer. Director Hideaki Itsuno is back at the helm to bring us the "true" sequel to Devil May Cry 4. Devil May Cry 5 is due for release Spring 2019.
Tom Clancy's The Division 2
We already knew The Divison 2 was on the way, but we finally got a closer look at the gameplay in action. It doesn't seem to be set in New York anymore, but we did only see some of the location (which included a crashed airplane in water.)
Forza Horizon 4
As expected, here's the trailer for Forza Horizon - set in Britain. Some nice little British beauties in there along with some stunning scenery. We're zooming past windmills, lavender fields, snowy woods, and the cobbled streets of Edinburgh.
Ralph Fulton from Playground Games is on the main stage explaining it's a shared open world with seasons which change the world around you. The audience currently have autumn leaves falling on them to symbolise this. That'll be a pain to brush off.
Forza Horizon 4 is due for release October 2 and will be available on Xbox Games Pass.
Fallout 76 world premiere
"It is our biggest one yet," says Todd Howard. Fallout 76 is "four times the size of Fallout 4. It's a prequel set in West Virginia and you are the first to emerge to an untamed and different wasteland. Pre-order is available from June 15th on Xbox Store. There's definitely a more country vibe to Fallout 76 - could be because "Country Roads" is playing in the trailer.
Still looks like there's quite a queue to get in
Less than ten minutes to go and everyone still isn't in - including Hoggins, who's quickly turning into a lobster. Hopefully everything still kicks off on time. Make sure to grab your snacks, have a loo break, and get the kettle on, because it's going to be a late night.
Good evening from Los Angeles
Hello all. Tom Hoggins here, live from LA, where I will be shortly heading off to Microsoft's Xbox conference. There is plenty of chatter here in California that Xbox are about to have one of their biggest and best E3 conferences yet. Rumours of Halo, Gears of War and much more abound.
A good thing too, Microsoft are in need of a fresh slate of exclusives to compete with PlayStation's sterling first-party line-up. It has been relatively slim pickings on Xbox in comparison, but this could well be their year. Stay tuned to find out.