At THQ Nordic, we think of ourselves as a true variety publisher. No matter what kind of gamer you are, there’s a home for you in one of our digital worlds.

For our 2024 Digital Showcase we wanted to demonstrate exactly that, with games including a remake of a beloved Disney classic, a new IP from a team of horror legends, an adrenaline-fuelled wreck racer, and much more. Here’s what is coming to Xbox.

The Eternal Life of Goldman

This year’s stream opened with a new 2D adventure platformer from Weappy Studio, developers behind This Is the Police.

Navigate a mysterious archipelago as Goldman, realized in expertly-crafted 2D animation, every frame bursting with the passion injected by devs creating the game they have always wanted to make.

Weappy have put player freedom and a sense of wonder at the core of their design philosophy, rewarding players for exploring the archipelago’s many hidden nooks and crannies. Platforming sections pose a challenge, but a fair one – focused on helping you find the solution that works for you through experimentation.

We’ll have more news on The Eternal Life of Goldman to share before the year is out – until then, make sure to wishlist the game on Xbox to be among the first to receive updates.

Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed

The time has almost come to pick up your brush and decide the fate of Wasteland! When Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed releases on September 24, the power to shape the world will be in your hands.

Use paint and thinner to restore harmony to a mysterious world and uncover its secrets in classic 3D platformer action, spending time with beloved characters and exploring side-scrolling levels inspired by Mickey Mouse’s history.

Whether you first journeyed to Wasteland fourteen years ago or it’s your first time taking up the brush, Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed is unmissable for any Disney fan. We can’t wait for you to join us on this adventure later in the year.

Wreckfest 2

Customize your ride and take your own personal wrecking machine online in a range of events designed for maximum vehicular mayhem! With never-before-seen damage modelling fidelity thanks to the power of Xbox Series consoles, you’ll leave every event with your car’s bodywork telling its own story.

The team at Bugbear Entertainment are devoting themselves to giving you the freedom to wreck how you want – whether it’s trading paint with other speed demons in a traditional race, bombing through obstacle courses, or settling scores in a classic destruction derby grudge match.

Keep the engine running, we’ll be back with more on Wreckfest 2 soon.

Titan Quest II

When we announced Titan Quest II a year ago, the support we received from the community was incredible, with the reveal trailer quickly becoming one of our most watched ever. We want to thank all of you who have expressed your excitement for the long-awaited sequel to the original mythological ARPG by taking you on the next step in Titan Quest II’s journey to release – our debut gameplay trailer.

In today’s broadcast, we gave ARPG fans their first glimpse of what awaits in the gorgeous Ancient Greek landscapes of Titan Quest II, and the legendary powers you’ll use to fight your way through Nemesis’ vengeful hordes. The team at Grimlore Games are hard at work crafting a world that feels rewarding to explore, with adversaries waiting around every corner, ready to drop meaningful loot that can completely alter your playstyle.

Your hero in Titan Quest II should feel personal to you, with deep customization at the heart of the experience – from how your hero looks, through to their own unique choice from thousands of different skill and equipment combinations. Whether you’re a solo adventurer or you team up with friends online to weave your legend together, Titan Quest II will take you on an odyssey unlike any other, offering a fresh experience for ARPG veterans and newcomers alike.

Gothic 1 Remake

Since our reveal back in 2020, the support for Alkimia Interactive’s Gothic 1 Remake has been nothing short of amazing. Seeing that not just die-hard Gothic fans, but also RPG players as a whole are excited for Gothic’s return has been the best motivation for the team.

Today, we showed you how Alkimia are crafting a world that feels like it extends far beyond the player, with a fully realized ecosystem and influential groups warring for control of the land.

Gothic 1 Remake will feel familiar to longtime fans, but some crucial updates have been made to harness the power of new gen consoles. Gameplay and visuals have been overhauled, with deeper progression and crafting systems, as well as varied NPC routines and interactions.

No matter which camp you lend your allegiance to – the ore-rich Old Camp, the plotting New Camp, or the Brotherhood of the Sleeper, who swear fealty to a strange new deity – the mysterious, unforgiving world of Gothic 1 Remake will soon be ready to explore.

Way of the Hunter: Lintukoto Reserve

As with last year, the THQ Nordic Showcase marks release day for the latest DLC for Way of the Hunter, this time taking the hunt to the Scandinavian wilderness. 

Venture to Lintukoto Reserve, a fictionalized vision of tranquil forests glowing with magical moonlight, vast meadows bustling with wildlife, and snow-dusted hills. A range of new endemic wildlife populates the beautiful scenery – lynxes, arctic foxes, and many others each with their own range of unique behaviors.

The team at Nine Rocks have spent months meticulously sculpting every inch of this new DLC – we can’t wait to welcome you to Lintukoto Reserve, out now!

A New Tale From Tarsier Studios

They’re coming.

A new vision of horror from the team behind Little Nightmares I & II.

Want to know more? Tune in to Gamescom Opening Night Live, Tuesday August 20, 11am PT/8pm CEST.  

It wouldn’t be our yearly showcase without one last tantalizing reveal…

The Future of Darksiders

The foreboding rumble of caverns eons old. Embers swirl through the air, cast up from pools of bubbling lava.

Three enormous heads, hewn from otherworldly stone suddenly burst into life with mystical flame. The Charred Council roar a single word in unison: HORSEMAN.

It won’t be long until we reveal more about where the Darksiders series is going next, but for now, know this… the Four Horsemen will ride again.

That concludes our wrap-up for the THQ Nordic Digital Showcase 2024! From the whole team at THQ Nordic and our dev partners – thank you all so much for your passionate support over the last year. We hope to see you soon in one of our digital worlds!

Valorant is now live on Xbox Series X|S– with some serious benefits for Game Pass members. So grab four of your friends and hop into our 5v5 tactical shooter where you’ll need creative strategy, effective communication, and clutch aim to climb up the ranks.

But launch is only the beginning for Valorant on console – here’s how we’ll be supporting the game going forward.

Our Philosophy

Riot Games was founded with the idea that competition should be enjoyable at any level – whether it’s your first Valorant Competitive game after hitting level 20 or you’re grinding to Radiant, competing in our games should feel fair. Competitive integrity is at the heart of everything we do, and it’s one element that sets Valorant apart from other shooters on console.

One thing we’ve learned after 4+ years of Valorant on PC is that y’all are pretty cracked. The Valorant playerbase constantly innovates around the meta and comes up with new strats that surprise even us. Players consistently find new ability synergy between Agents, new line-ups, new flank watches, new ways to use a weapon, better smoke placements – you get the picture. Honestly, we love to see it. And now we’re so excited to welcome the console community into that space and see what you’ll come up with next.

Because of the ever-changing landscape, we’re constantly monitoring how our maps, Agents, weapons, and abilities are performing across different skill levels.

Sometimes an Agent might skew too powerful as players learn and master their abilities. Or maybe a map becomes one-sided as teams figure out how to optimize Agent utility. Or maybe a certain weapon becomes too strong as players hone their aim and learn how to better synergize with Agent abilities.

Over time, seemingly small imbalances can make a game start to feel stale and predictable. And that’s just not Valorant.

What That Means for Players

So, what does all this mean for the game long term? For our devs, it means their work is never done. For our players who aren’t familiar, it means live service and live balance.

We put out patches every two weeks across all platforms to address things like game balance, bug fixes, or QoL improvements. And a few times per year, we release larger updates to an Agent’s entire kit when there’s an opportunity to bolster or tamp down their strength. These kinds of updates typically aren’t needed very often and will only be implemented at a time that won’t affect active Pro play schedules.

So far, since Limited Beta started on console two months ago, Valorant has already seen four patch updates. We’re updating the game frequently, but paying attention to the unique needs of each platform. Balance parity between PC and console isn’t necessarily guaranteed.

Why? While the level of competition and skill-expression is the same for Valorant on PC and console, the game needs to be balanced independently between platforms. With different input methods (controller vs. mouse and keyboard) comes different playstyles. Some Agents shine on console but aren’t as effective on PC and vice versa. So our game developers have to test each extensively and adjust only when it makes sense.

Beyond game balance, Valorant features a rotating map pool for Competitive queue to ensure players get more variety while ranking up, and even occasionally to make changes to a map when it’s out of the competitive rotation.

Ultimately, it’s up to you – our passionate community – to let us know how we’re doing and show us how you’d level up the game. We’re so grateful to those of you who helped us prepare for this day by participating in our Limited and Open Beta periods, and we can’t wait to see what you’ll do next. So hop on, queue up, and frag out.

GL HF.

In Closer the Distance, you play as Angela, who observes the village of Yesterby from afar. Angela soon discovers there’s been a fatal car accident in which she perished. Mysteriously, Angela’s sister Conny hears Angela after her death and begins to follow her guiding voice to help the other villagers. Miraculously, the sisters are able to work together to mend the villager’s grief, bringing hope back to Yesterby. Over time, they discover other villagers are also connected to Angela who also guides them in their lives.  However, this isn’t as simple as it sounds. The villagers of Yesterby have desires and dreams that are not easily achieved.

All of this combines to make Closer the Distance a slice of life-sim that combines a compelling dramatic narrative with fully simulated characters that act on their own – if you let them. Characters have “wishes,” big or small goals they want to achieve, and “needs,” which represent their physical and mental requirements. Fulfilling these Wishes and Needs is your main task in the game, but both vary greatly between characters.

Take Zek, for example: Zek is Angela’s boyfriend and a carpentry apprentice. He’d been fed up with Yesterby for a while and planned to leave, but stayed out of love for Angela. These desires are reflected in two of Zek’s core needs: “Achievement” and “Belonging.”

At the start of the game, Zek mourns Angela and wants nothing more than for her to be alive. His Belonging need is extremely high, making him feel directionless and lonely. We can try to fulfill his needs by looking at the overview that shows all interactions connected to any selected wish or need. From there, you the player can send Zek to play a song he wrote for Angela on the beach. Reminding him of Angela will partially fill his Belonging needs and stabilize his emotions. The better his needs are met overall, the better he will feel, which in turn affects his behavior and decisions throughout the game.

But just performing a song won’t make Zek’s grief magically disappear, nor will it quell his desire to leave Yesterby. Parts of his Belonging need will remain locked, so it can never be fully satisfied.

That’s where wishes come in. Wishes reflect things a character wants to achieve. With Angela gone, it’s no surprise that Zek eventually develops a wish to move to the city. Following the steps to complete this wish and helping Zek achieve this goal not only fulfills his needs but also affects his personality. When this happens, the limits on his Belonging and Achievement needs can change or be removed altogether, allowing Zek to feel happy again.

While Zek is mostly focused on himself, Galya is another story. Galya is the village doctor, a busy bee who feels responsible for everyone in Yesterby. She has a strong sense of loyalty to her best friend Pia, Angela’s mother, but also doesn’t want to neglect her partner, Leigh. Fulfilling her wishes and needs often hinges on social interactions and deciding whom to help or spend time with. On top of that, her “Diligence” need ensures that slacking off is not an option, as Galya will feel stressed quickly if she hasn’t been productive in a while. Luckily, Galya also has some emotional “Resilience,” which she can build up by working out, for example.

As you can see, no two characters are quite the same, and their wishes and needs shape personalities that feel and play differently. Often, there’s more than one way to tackle a wish or need, and sometimes wishes of characters will be intertwined with those of others or may even contradict them.

How you have them spend their days matters in Closer the Distance, as time progresses constantly. But if juggling multiple characters sounds stressful, don’t worry; the villagers are mostly pretty good at taking care of themselves, even if you’re not constantly looking after them. Still, the actions you choose for the characters will determine not only their own stories but the fate of Yesterby as a whole.

How will you guide the people of Yesterby? Will you have them overcome their grief and be able to feel happy again? Find out today, as Closer the Distance comes to Xbox Series X|S today.

Closer the Distance

Skybound Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$19.99

Get it now

Closer the Distance is a deeply moving, slice-of-life sim that tells a story about the connections between family and friends in the face of tragedy. Following a fatal car accident, players take on the role of Angela, a young girl from the town of Yesterby, who finds herself watching over her loved ones as they navigate the grieving process. Using her ethereal ability to influence the townspeople she once knew, Angela’s choices will ultimately determine the fate of Yesterby. Closer the Distance combines several key gameplay features for an immersive playthrough. The game's compelling narrative is emotionally charged and highlights themes of empathy, community, friendship, grief, and closure. Choices-matter gameplay allows players to make decisions that affect the outcome of the story, making each playthrough unique. Closer the Distance offers something for everyone, and its emotional depth and engaging gameplay will leave players wanting more.

Following this year’s jam-packed Xbox Games Showcase, we’re excited to return to gamescom and connect with fans in Cologne, Germany from August 21-25 to show off even more of what Xbox players have in store. 

The community is what makes gaming – and gamescom – so special and there will be something for everyone this year, whether you’re on the show floor in Cologne or watching at home via our livestreams. This year the Xbox booth will be overflowing with exciting upcoming titles, one-off experiences and fantastic photo opportunities for games coming to Xbox, PC, and Game Pass this Holiday and beyond. We’ll also deliver three days of broadcasts live from the show floor, join up with our amazing community for another FanFest, and plenty more. Keep reading for more details on everything we’re up to at gamescom 2024.  

Xbox Booth 

This year the Xbox booth will feature over 50 gaming titles from Xbox Game Studios, Blizzard, Bethesda, and our amazing third-party partners – spread across more than 240 gaming stations – alongside amazing photo ops and experiences, and specially constructed theaters for exclusive looks at upcoming titles.  

Attendees will be able to go hands-on with upcoming Xbox releases, including: 

• Age of Mythology: Retold  

• Ara: History Untold 

• Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred 

• Fallout 76: Milepost Zero 

• The Elder Scrolls Online: Gold Road 

• Towerborne 

We will also host exclusive theater presentations of Avowed, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Starfield: Shattered Space.  

Joining the Xbox booth for the first time, Blizzard Entertainment will make their return to gamescom with multiple offerings for Diablo and World of Warcraft. Ahead of the launch of the Vessel of Hatred expansion in October, Diablo will bring an exclusive public hands-on gameplay demo of the Spiritborn class to the gamescom show floor, with a Diablo Immortal Helliquary boss tournament taking place as well. World of Warcraft celebrates the launch of The War Within on August 26 with the power of a special immersive experience, giving gamescom attendants the chance to feel the thrill of Skyriding in Azeroth.  

The Xbox booth will also have playable titles from our third-party partners, including Ubisoft’s Star Wars Outlaws, Saber Interactive’s Space Marine 2, Rebellion’s Atomfall, and the return of GSC Game World’s S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl with an all-new demo. And in our Indie Selects area – dedicated to diverse, exciting upcoming titles from independent developers – we’ll host games including Maximum Entertainment’s Squirrel with a Gun, Noodlecake’s Winter Burrow, 11 bit Studios’ Creatures of Ava, and more. 

The above is just a small selection of the titles playable on the Xbox booth. For the full list of playable titles visit here. Whatever you’re into, we’ll have something for you. 

You’ll be able to find us in Hall 7 of the Koelnmesse, North entrance. See below for the consumer show opening times:   

• Thursday, August 22 – 10am – 8pm CEST   

• Friday, August 23 – 10am – 8pm CEST   

• Saturday, August 24 – 9am – 8 pm CEST   

• Sunday, August 25 – 9am – 8pm CEST  

Beyond the Xbox booth, Overwatch 2 will also have a joint stand with Porsche, highlighting their new collaboration by featuring a life-sized D.Va statue modeled after the new all-electric Macan, along with an invitation for fans to enter a real-life rendition of an iconic Overwatch 2 map. 

Game Pass @ Gamescom  

This year at gamescom, Game Pass is turning up the fun with an exciting setup reminding players that they can discover their next favorite game across devices. Guests will have an opportunity to explore different sections dedicated to PC, Console, and Cloud as they learn about all the different ways to play their favorite games. In addition to exclusive gamescom 2024 prizes available through claw and gacha machines, guests have the opportunity to play the Big Green Button for a shot at winning exciting prizes like:  

• Game Pass tokens (PC and/or Ultimate) 

• NVIDIA GeForce Now cards 

• WD_BLACK PC and Console Storage 

• Cloud Gaming devices (e.g., Amazon Fire TV Sticks, and Meta Quest headsets) that can directly stream Xbox games 

• OMEN monitors 

• HyperX headsets, microphones, mice and keyboards 

Gaming for Everyone 

Xbox remains committed to the belief that gaming should be safe, inclusive, and accessible for all. We are ensuring that all areas of the booth are wheelchair accessible, Xbox Adaptive Controllers will be available upon request, and there will be select demo stations with adjustable-height desks and monitors. We also have multiple American Sign Language (ASL) and German Sign Language (DGS) interpreters and Audio Description tours in English and German for guests who are blind or visually disabled.

Additionally, we’ll have sensory aids and a quiet room for everyone who needs them, as well as “Here to Help” staff to assist players of all abilities navigate our booth and game experiences. Please check out the Accessibility “Here to Help” desk at our booth for support. 

Other Booth Elements

Gear Shop 

Check out the official Gear Shop at the booth to get the latest with gear from Xbox Game Studios, Blizzard, Activision, and Bethesda! 

Can´t make it? Don’t worry, find your new favorite gear online in the following stores: 

• https://shop.callofduty.com/

• https://gear.blizzard.com/

• https://gear.xbox.com/  

Community Area 

This year the Xbox booth will also include the Community Hub! This more chilled out space within the Xbox Booth will be a perfect place for attendees to stop and hang out during the show, and will also feature special programming and activities from titles and teams across Xbox taking place throughout gamescom. Activities will include cosplay meetups, trivia games, meet-and-greets with game developers and voice actors, and more! Be sure to stop by and see what’s on! 

Live from the Showfloor with our Broadcast Teams 

If you can’t make the trip to Cologne this year, we’ll bring the show to you with a series of daily streams from the Xbox booth. Join Team Xbox and friends on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday for a deeper dive into some of the highly anticipated games at gamescom 2024, with first-look gameplay, developer chats, new trailers and more. The Bethesda team will also have daily content streaming live from the booth over on their Twitch channel: twitch.tv/bethesda_de.  

Whether you join us for every stream, or just dip in for the latest on your most anticipated titles, we’re looking forward to connecting with fans across the globe and showing off some of the amazing games coming to Xbox.

Wednesday August 21  

• Xbox @ gamescom 2024
  • Start: 6am PDT / 9am EDT / 2pm BST / 3pm CEST 
  • Featuring S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, Atomfall, Age of Mythology, plus others  

• Bethesda MainStream 
  • Start: 5am PDT / 8am EST / 1pm BST / 2pm CEST  

Thursday August 22  

• Xbox @ gamescom 2024 
  • Start:  6am PDT / 9am EDT / 2pm BST / 3pm CEST 
  • Featuring Star Wars Outlaws, World of Warcraft: The War Within, Towerborne plus others
• Bethesda MainStream 
  • Start: 5am PDT / 8am EST / 1pm BST / 2pm CEST

Friday August 23  

• Xbox @ gamescom 2024
  • Start: 6am PDT / 9am EDT / 2pm BST / 3pm CEST
  • Featuring Avowed, Ara: History Untold, plus others

• Bethesda MainStream 
  • Start: 5am PDT / 8am EST / 1pm BST / 2pm CEST 

Keep an eye on Xbox Social channels for the full content schedule in the days leading up to gamescom.  

The live English-language broadcast from Xbox’s gamescom booth will be available in German, Arabic, Traditional Chinese, Czech, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, Castilian Spanish, Mexican Spanish and Turkish, along with ASL and English Audio Descriptions. You can catch the Xbox @ gamescom Livestream on regional Xbox channels on YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, and elsewhere.   

Livestream Channels:  

• Twitch.com/xbox 
• Facebook.com/xbox 
• Youtube.com/xbox 

Xbox FanFest  

On Wednesday, August 21, Xbox FanFest is returning to host a special community event to kick off gamescom week! We’ll be bringing players together to connect around their shared love of gaming. If you’re planning to attend gamescom or will be in the Cologne area, you can enter for a chance to win tickets to attend.

Login at xbox.com/fanfest and use code FANFEST to unlock the sweepstakes. No Purchase Necessary. Open only to registered Xbox FanFest members. 18+. Ends 08:59 CEST on 5 August 2024. Click here for Official Rules. 

Xbox Coverage  

Our social media teams will be on the ground bringing you live coverage, updates, news, new videos, and lots of fun stuff too. And make sure to keep an eye on Xbox Wire for coverage of the Opening Night Live show, and articles about many of the games on show. 

For all the latest updates on Xbox at gamescom this year, stay tuned to the Xbox channels on X, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube social channels, or the @XboxDACH X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube social channels for German-language coverage. We’re using #Xboxgamescom as our event hashtag.  

Editor’s Note: ARK 2 was originally listed as playable on the Xbox booth – this mention was made in error, and has been removed.