No Xbox Briefing at Gamescom This Year, Microsoft Confirms

Microsoft will not host a briefing at Gamescom this year, the company announced today.

Instead, the Xbox company will focus on a "new and more intimate Xbox FanFest experience for our fans." More details will be announced soon.

This is a big change, as Microsoft's Gamescom 2015 briefing was packed with news. This news was announced by marketing executive Aaron Greenberg in an Xbox Wire post, but he did not provide any information on why Microsoft is skipping a briefing this year.

However, he did mention that Microsoft had a "record-setting" E3 in June. Indeed, the company made some huge announcements, including the reveal of two new Xbox devices, the Xbox One S and the Project Scorpio console. Microsoft also revealed the Xbox Play Anywhere feature at E3.

Sony did not hold a Gamescom briefing last year, instead eyeing Paris Games Week. Electronic Arts did have a briefing at last year's Gamescom, but it remains to be seen if either of these companies will host events this year.

Also in the blog post, Microsoft revealed some of the games that Gamescom attendees can get their hands on during the show. These include:

• Gears of War 4
• Forza Horizon 3
• Halo Wars 2
• ReCore
• Sea of Thieves
• We Happy Few
• Everspace
• Cuphead

Greenberg also confirmed that Microsoft's Gamescom booth location has moved to Hall 8 in the Koelnmesse hall, near the north entrance.

We'll bring you more news on Gamescom 2016 as it becomes available.