Microsoft’s second gaming showcase of the year airs later this week. The Xbox Partner Preview will have updates on games like The Expanse: Osiris Reborn, but also reveals for unannounced games. Plus, it’ll be the first broadcast since new gaming CEO Asha Sharma has taken over for Phil Spencer.
The event is scheduled for Thursday, March 26 at 1:00 p.m. ET and will have gaming news from Sega, GSC Game World, Owlcat Games, and more. While Microsoft is teasing updates on Yakuza studio Ryu Ga Gotoku’s new game Stranger Than Heaven and sci-fi RPG The Expanse: Osiris Reborn specifically, we’ll also probably get news on other big franchises and some fresh releases coming to Game Pass.
It’s a very odd time for Xbox as it teases plans for its next-gen hardware but confuses everyone with its ever-evolving messaging about the future of its gaming platform and what, if anything, will meaningfully distinguish Xbox as a brand from Windows PC gaming. New Microsoft Gaming CEO Asha Sharma has yet to act as a spokesperson for the platform in a fan-facing video appearance. It’s unclear if she’ll play any role in the showcase, but it’ll be the first introduction to a post-Phil Spencer era at Xbox.
2026 is going to be a big year for the console regardless of the company messaging, as Forza Horizon 6, the Halo: Combat Evolved remake, Gears of War: E-Day, and Fable all punctuate the platform’s 25th-anniversary celebrations. But the rest of the release calendar for the second half of this year is looking light at the moment as companies navigate the Grand Theft Auto 6-sized hole near the end of it. Maybe the Xbox Partner Preview will give us some more dates to fill in those gaps.