How the Xbox Games Showcase reveals can impact the esports scene

This year’s Xbox Games Showcase (XGS) revealed exciting new details, from major titles to cutting-edge tech reveals, that are sure to shake up the gaming industry and potentially have esports implications.

From new games that could become an esport, to the revival of old competitive scenes, here is all the esports-related headlines from this year’s Xbox Games Showcase.

One of the biggest announcements from XGS was the new Invincible VS, a 3v3 tag-team fighting game based on the iconic yet brutal superhero show.

Fighting games are no stranger to competitive play, as fans around are eager to see what the highest level of play looks like for one of gaming’s oldest genres. From Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Tekken and more, Invincible VS may end up being the next fighting game to add to that list.

The announcement of Invincible VS also comes during a FGC renaissance, with my developers and brands launching new fighting games. Earlier this month, it was announced that Marvel and Arc System Works (Arc) will launch a 2D tag-team fighting game called MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls. Moreover, Riot Games’ own fighting title, 2XKO, is likely to be released in 2026.

Characters revealed in Invincible VS so far include Invincible, Omni-Man, Atom Eve, Rex Splode, Bulletproof and two Viltrumites, with more to be revealed in due time. Invincible VS is set to release sometime in 2026 for both PC and Xbox consoles.

Call of Duty Black Ops 7 was the final reveal in this year’s XGS, marking the first time Activision has released Black Ops titles back to back.

The reveal trailer unveiled some key details, including futuristic tech such as wingsuits, invisibility and potential hints towards the return of heightened movement mechanics.

Call of Duty esports is one of the longest-running esports scene to date. Moreover, the Call of Duty League (CDL) is a franchise esports league for one of the most popular first-person shooter games of all time. Only time will tell how the introduction of Black Ops 7 will shake up the esports scene, as fans will have to wait for gameplay reveals later down the line.

For more information, check out Esports Insider’s coverage of Black Ops 7’s reveal ahead of Championship Weekend.

Gears of War: Reloaded is the highly anticipated remaster of the original 2006 shooter that kickstarted the series. In addition to modernised graphics, the game will also be going multi-platform, meaning PlayStation users outside of Japan will get to experience the iconic shooter for the first time.

Due to having online multiplayer, Gears of War: Reloaded could also prove to be the much-needed revitalisation of the franchise’s esports scene, which hasn’t seen activity in some time.

According to Esports Charts, the last major Gears of War event was the Gears Pro League 2021-22 Split 4. It saw 118,000 hours of watch time, a prize pool of $17,500, and a peak viewership of nearly 5000 users.

Gears of War: Reloaded will bring a lot of eyes to the franchise again, and also help to build up interest in its bigger game release, Gears of War: E-Day, later down the line.

Arguably, the biggest announcement from XGS was the unveiling of Xbox’s new handheld console, the ROG Xbox Ally. The Ally X variation in particular boasts powerful specs, including an AMD Ryzen AI Z2 CPU, 1 TB of storage and a 120Hz refresh rate.

The main attraction with this new handheld is the ability to play both Xbox and Steam titles on it, which makes playing PC games more accessible to a wider audience of players.

Are fans likely to see the handheld console used for tournaments surrounding Counter-Strike or Overwatch? Unlikely, as other handhelds, like the Steam Deck, have yet to see professional use by top esports players.

However, with more players getting involved, it could prove to further foster interest in the esports scene. The more people play these competitive games, the more chance those fans will explore what the highest levels of play look like.