Microsoft has officially released its booth program for gamescom 2026, marking the 25th anniversary of the Xbox brand. This year, the IT giant’s gaming division will be in full swing: the entertainment area in Cologne will feature 140 gaming stations, where visitors will be able to try out 25 titles firsthand. Key announcements include the first public demo of Gears of War: E-Day and the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 multiplayer mode. The exhibition itself will be held at the Koelnmesse exhibition center from August 26 to 30, 2026.
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What will be shown at the Xbox booth – the main games of gamescom 2026
The main focus of Microsoft’s next booth will be the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 multiplayer. Visitors will be able to test the 6v6 online mode on Xbox Series X consoles before the official release.
Fans of story-driven games can look forward to a larger event. The Coalition will show the first public gameplay demo of Gears of War: E-Day. The developers will give players a glimpse of the beginning of the war against the Locust from the perspective of Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago. The full release of the project will be on October 6, 2026.
Playground Games hasn’t been left behind, preparing a theatrical, real-time gameplay demo of the new Fable, featuring a breakdown of the combat system. The project will be released on February 23, 2027. Speed enthusiasts will be able to seize the initiative in the new Drift Attack mode for Forza Horizon 6, and aviation fans will be able to try out the competitive National Championship Air Races mode in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024.
Full list of all 25 games at the Xbox booth
To save readers from having to sift through the internet to gather information piecemeal, a single set of the presented projects is provided below. The list is divided into internal Microsoft studios and third-party partners.
Xbox Game Studios and internal divisions:
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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 (Activision) — multiplayer test run on Series X;
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Gears of War: E-Day (The Coalition) — playable campaign demo (release October 6, 2026);
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Fable (Playground Games) — gameplay presentation (release February 23, 2027);
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Forza Horizon 6 (Playground Games) — Drift Attack mode demo;
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Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 (Asobo Studio) — National Championship Air Races;
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Halo: Campaign Evolved (Halo Studios) — remaster of the classic story campaign;
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Minecraft Dungeons II (Mojang Studios) — first public build.
Third-party publishers and indie partners:
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METRO 2039 (4A Games) — release tentatively scheduled for February 2027;
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STRANGER THAN HEAVEN — playable demo;
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Alien: Isolation 2 — project presentation;
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Alien Deathstorm — gameplay demo;
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The Blood of Dawnwalker — announcement and gameplay;
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Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse — public demo;
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Crowsworn — test demo;
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Genigods: Nezha — action demo;
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Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy — demo;
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STAR WARS Zero Company — tactical action;
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Terrible Lizards — project demo;
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Turok: Origins — reimagining of a classic;
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Valor Mortis — playable builds;
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Bad Magpie — indie project.
In addition to the screenings, the traditional Xbox FanFest fan event is planned at the booth, featuring giveaways and meet-and-greets with game designers.
How and where can I watch Xbox livestreams from gamescom 2026?
For those unable to visit Germany in person, Microsoft will host a series of official livestreams. The broadcasts will take place on August 26 and 27, 2026, starting at 5:00 PM Moscow time (MSK) (UTC−4).
The streams will be distributed on the official Xbox YouTube and Twitch channels. The screenings promise in-depth interviews with developers, new trailers, extended gameplay segments, and several unannounced surprises.
