Call of Duty returns to the Xbox Showcase stage

Microsoft has announced the timing of the next Xbox Games Showcase, which will air live on June 9 at 1:00 PM ET. Just like last year, the event will take place on the Sunday of Summer Game Party, which kicks off June 7 via livestreams and in-person events in Los Angeles. Also similar to last year, where the Xbox showcase was followed by the Starfield Direct livestream, this year’s showcase will be followed by a deep dive into an upcoming game – and according to The edge‘s reporting, that’s Call of Duty.

While it hasn’t been confirmed yet, Call of Duty fans online have speculated extensively about the upcoming game Call of Duty Black Ops Gulf Warwhose development has been rumors for quite some time. The Call of Duty fandom has been invigorated by this news, with many highlighting how long it has been since the franchise was highlighted in this way.

“The last time Call of Duty was part of Xbox Showcase was Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare in June 2014,” wrote CharlieIntelmainstay of the Call of Duty community, on X (formerly Twitter).

It’s also an interesting time for Call of Duty to return to the forefront of the Xbox portfolio, as last year marked the first time the annual franchise entry was surpassed by another game. The best-selling game of 2023 was Hogwarts legacy, breaking Call of Duty’s long streak. However, those are worldwide sales; in the United States, Call of Duty still tops the list, making it a reliable and low-risk choice for this year’s Xbox showcase.

As for the rest of the showcase, Microsoft’s announcement says it will include its “portfolio of studios across Activision, Blizzard, Bethesda and Xbox Game Studios, in addition to titles from our third-party partners.”