Xbox at gamescom 2026: 25 games playable including Modern Warfare 4, Gears E-Day, and Metro 2039

Xbox is heading back to Cologne for gamescom 2026, and it's going big — 25 upcoming games, 140 gaming stations, and a full FanFest to mark 25 years of Xbox. The event runs in-person with a live stream on YouTube and Twitch for anyone who can't make it to Germany.

The playable lineup is stacked. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 takes the headline slot, letting players jump into Core 6v6 Multiplayer on Xbox Series X — whether they caught the Early Access Beta or are coming in fresh. Gears of War: E-Day gets its first-ever public campaign hands-on ahead of its October 6, 2026 release, putting players at the brutal start of the Locust War and the early bond between Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago. Minecraft Dungeons II is playable for the first time, promising tougher enemies and better loot. Stranger Than Heaven — an action-adventure spanning 50 years across five Japanese cities and eras — debuts its demo showcasing the game's split-control combat system, where players independently manage the left and right sides of protagonist Makoto Daito. Metro 2039, the next FPS from 4A Games, gets its first public hands-on ahead of a February 2027 release. Halo: Campaign Evolved, the faithful but modernized remake of Halo: Combat Evolved, is also on the floor with updated visuals, refined gameplay, and expanded combat options. Fable gets a live demo theater presentation by Playground Games — the first time the game has been shown in live gameplay to the public. Alien: Isolation 2 and new Forza Horizon 6 content round out the confirmed lineup.

Xbox hasn't had a gamescom presence at this scale in years, and the timing is deliberate — 2026 marks the platform's 25th anniversary. The booth will also feature interactive retrospectives covering every Xbox generation, letting attendees revisit hardware, games, and moments from the original Xbox through today. FanFest returns alongside it, giving community members exclusive access and experiences beyond the standard show floor.

For players watching from home, the live stream promises developer interviews, gameplay reveals, and new trailers. With Gears of War: E-Day just weeks from launch by the time gamescom opens and Metro 2039 still months out, the show looks like one of Xbox's most game-dense public events in recent memory.