E3 2019: The 6 Biggest Xbox Announcements From Microsoft's Press Briefing

Microsoft's E3 2019 press conference has come and gone--and a lot happened. Not only did the company take the opportunity to show off around 60 games, big and small, but they also unveiled its plans for a streaming future in Project xCloud, provided some details about its next-gen Xbox Scarlett system, acquired yet another prestigious development studio, and more. Here's is a quick rundown of the biggest announcements to come from the presentation.

Project xCloud, New Xbox Scarlett, And Halo Infinite

Perhaps the biggest piece of news out of Microsoft's E3 2019 presser was the unveiling of Xbox Scarlett and Project xCloud. The company's all-in on a streaming future, with Project xCloud launching this October. And to go with a streaming future is a more powerful system in the form of Xbox Scarlett, which Microsoft says is "four times" more powerful than the Xbox One X. The next-gen Xbox launches holiday 2020. Along with that announcement was the cherry on top: Halo Infinite will be an Xbox Scarlett launch title.

Elden Ring Is Real

What would have been the biggest game reveal was leaked ahead of time but was notable nonetheless: Elden Ring is a collaboration between From Software and George RR Martin. From is best known for Dark Souls--which seems to have inspired Elden Ring heavily--Bloodborne, and Sekiro, while Martin is the author of A Song of Ice and Fire, the basis for Game of Thrones. We don't know much yet about the game, but it will be open-world.

Four-Player Competitive Multiplayer Game From Ninja Theory

Developer Ninja Theory, which was snatched under Xbox Game Studios' wing in June 2018, has announced a new, melee combat-focused game. Bleeding Edge is 4v4, competitive multiplayer game in a similar vein as Ubisoft's For Honor. Rahni Tucker, who was DmC: Devil May Cry's director of combat, serves as the project's creative director. A technical alpha starts on June 27 and signs up are happening now.

Finally, A New Battletoads

We finally saw Battletoads on Microsoft's E3 2019 stage. Much like the original, this new Battletoads will be played from a 2D perspective but with a more stylized look. While the game will land on Xbox Game Pass at launch, no release date has been confirmed as of yet.

Cyberpunk 2077 Gets Official Release Date

CD Projekt Red's stylish first-person shooter, Cyberpunk 2077, now has a release date. The open-world, sci-fi adventure from The Witcher developers will land on consoles and PC on April 16, 2020. Prolific action star Keanu Reeves will appear in the game as "legendary rockerboy" Johnny Silverhand, though his role in the story remains a mystery. Pre-orders are available now, and the game comes with a swanky Collector's edition, which includes a cool-looking box, a 10-inch statue of the game's main character, a steelbook, an art book, and more.

Double Fine Joins Xbox Game Studios

Zany developer Double Fine Productions has announced an acquisition by Microsoft's Xbox Game Studios. Immediately following the announcement, president and CEO Tim Schafer hopped up on stage to show off a new Psychonauts 2 gameplay trailer. To assuage concerns about Double Fine selling out, Schafer posted a separate YouTube video in which he confirms all prior commitments will be fulfilled. "Nothing about us is going to change at all," Schafer said.