Microsoft was a no-show at E3 2023, which subsequently got canceled, but it's planning on having a huge presence at Gamescom in Germany later this month.
As Xbox Wire reports, Microsoft is set to have its largest ever booth at the trade fair in Cologne this year, along with a specially constructed 300-seat theater.
The theater will be used for a number of exclusive game presentations, including one for Starfield, Forza Motorsport, Ara: Untold History, and Towerborne. There's also the promise of new content announcements for The Elder Scrolls Online and Microsoft Flight Simulator.
The biggest draw to the Microsoft booth, however, will be the opportunity to play more than 30 games using one of over 150 gaming stations. Wheelchair access will be possible in all areas of the booth and Microsoft is making Xbox Adaptive Controllers available on request.
Although Microsoft hasn't shared the full list of playable titles yet, it has confirmed the following games will be there:
S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2
Payday 3
Jusant
Amored Core VI: Fire of Rubicon
Party Animals
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
Under the Waves
Persona 5 Tactica
Lamplighter’s League
SteamWorld Build
Lightyear Frontier
Microsoft will be running a PC Game Pass Challenge event, which offers participants a chance to win PC Game Pass and Nvidia GeForce Now Ultimate memberships, HP OMEN gaming laptops, HyperX headsets, and "thousands of exciting prizes."
Gamecom 2023 runs from Aug. 23-27 and Microsoft's booth will be located in Hall 8 of the Koelnmesse, North entrance. Consumer access to the trade fair begins at 10am CEST (4pm ET) on Aug. 24 and day tickets cost $30 to $40 depending on the day you attend.
As well as showcasing new games, Microsoft will no doubt take the opportunity to advertise its Xbox Live Gold replacement service called Game Pass Core. We could also have some last-minute changes to the booth if Microsoft manages to finalize its Activision Blizzard acquisition in the next couple of weeks. Don't hold your breath for that, though.
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