Will Microsoft Deliver Another Bombshell At The Game Awards?
The wait for The Game Awards 2020 is finally coming to an end. On Thursday, Dec. 10, host Geoff Keighley will hand out accolades to this year's best games across a multitude of categories, including the coveted Game of the Year award. Plus, as always, the event will double as a hub for huge announcements about upcoming game releases, major game updates, and other news from the gaming industry.
Last year, Microsoft was one of many gaming giants to step up with huge news regarding its latest console. Is the Xbox developer going to drop another bomb this year?
As fans may recall, during The Game Awards 2019, Microsoft completely surprised viewers with a full-on reveal of the new Xbox Series X, formerly known as Xbox Scarlett. In addition to revealing the console's real name, Microsoft actually gave a glimpse at the hardware just under a full year before its official release, as well as some of the Xbox console's initial specs — 4K visuals at 60 FPS with possibilities of 120 FPS. Alongside the system, Microsoft showcased the newest Xbox controller, complete with the new Share button. It may not have been totally surprising for Microsoft to have some news about the console, but it was a shock to see an entire reveal.
Fast forward to one year later. Xbox Series X|S has now been on the market for a month. The consoles have done so well that Microsoft has experienced major shortages. What more could Microsoft have to announce?
It turns out Microsoft may have something up its sleeve. According to proven industry source Jeffrey Grubb of GamesBeat, "Microsoft has something coming to The Game Awards." Although this may not hint at anything major, Microsoft did also mention this year's award show in a recent Xbox Game Pass announcement, where it ended the post with "See you at the Game Awards friends!" Plus, Xbox has been adamant on Twitter about encouraging fans to tune into the show.
There are a few substantial things that Microsoft could announce on Thursday. Fans have been hoping to hear more from Xbox's new studio The Initiative, which began hiring last year but never provided insight on what projects it was working on. There's also potential for an announcement regarding Xbox's cloud gaming service, which is part of its Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Microsoft head Phil Spencer did tease recently that he sees a brighter future for Xbox Cloud Gaming.
At this time, there's no telling what Microsoft has in store for The Game Awards 2020, but it seems like something is coming. Tune in on Dec. 10 at 7 p.m. ET to find out.