Xbox Games Showcase in June to be followed by Gears of War: E-Day Direct, promising a "deep-dive" into the publisher's return to the franchise after 6 years

The Xbox Games Showcase 2026 will take place on June 7 at 10am PT / 1pm ET and be immediately followed by the Gears of War: E-Day Direct, which should offer a magnifying glass look at the shooter – and Xbox's return to the red-blooded Gears of War franchise after years away.

Xbox explains in a news post on the Microsoft website, the Gears of War: E-Day Direct will be a "deep-dive" into the prequel, while its annual Games Showcase includes "first gameplay looks and huge news on upcoming titles from our first-party studios across the Xbox family, as well as our third-party partners around the globe – from the biggest franchises to soon-to-be indie darlings."

After, the Gears of War: E-Day Direct will go granular on "new details, gameplay and insights," Xbox says, "about the hugely anticipated origin story to the Gears of War saga." The game was originally announced in 2024 – but it notably does not yet have a precise release date, only a general, "2026" release window. It'll be Xbox's first new Gears of War title since it released spin-off Gears Tactics in 2020, and its first main Gears game since Gears 5 launched in 2019.

The Xbox family also brings good tidings through Xbox FanFest, the 2016 in-person community event Microsoft is now dusting off for June 7. Xbox explains in its post, "To help celebrate the Xbox 25th anniversary, we're excited to bring back Xbox FanFest at Showcase. This year's experience will include a look back at the last 25 years, alongside a forward view of what’s next." The publisher is currently hosting a sweepstakes for a trip to FanFest in Los Angeles.

Save yourself a flight: there are already a few confirmed upcoming Xbox Series X games.