If Xbox‘s first Gamescom 2026 presentation was about the big hitters, day two was all about the surprises.
The second Xbox broadcast from Cologne may not have delivered quite as many blockbuster announcements as the first show, but it was arguably even more interesting for anyone who enjoys discovering games they might otherwise have missed.
Across roughly three hours, Microsoft showcased new games, previously announced projects, release dates, Xbox Game Pass additions and substantial gameplay demonstrations.
There was everything from a bizarre new PUBG spin-off and a supernatural detective mystery to dinosaurs, survival horror, medieval strategy, open-world survival and a game in which you apparently have to deal with a gigantic policeman.
Yes, really.
Here are the biggest announcements and reveals from Xbox’s second Gam escom 2026 showcase.
Rogue Fortune Is a Roguelite With a Puzzle Twist
One of the show’s first surprises was Rogue Fortune, a single-player top-down roguelite that combines fast-paced combat with a rather unusual progression system.
Instead of simply picking upgrades from a conventional menu, the game uses geometric puzzle mechanics to determine how players develop their character.
That means building a powerful run isn’t just about choosing the biggest damage upgrade available. Players need to consider how different pieces fit together and when sacrificing one advantage might create a much stronger build later.
As with many roguelites, failure is part of the process. Each run provides another opportunity to experiment, find better combinations and push further into increasingly dangerous encounters.
Rogue Fortune is currently planned for 2027.
It may not have been one of the biggest games shown, but the puzzle-driven progression could give it a distinctive identity in an increasingly crowded roguelite market
PUBG: DED.NET Takes Battle Royale Somewhere Very Strange
Krafton appears to be taking PUBG in a rather unexpected direction with PUBG: DED.NET.
Rather than simply creating another conventional battle royale, DED.NET combines multiplayer FPS combat with roguelite progression.
The game is set in an alternate version of 1990s Cascadia, giving the project a deliberately grungy, strange and slightly unsettling aesthetic.
The gameplay revolves around surviving runs, scavenging resources and developing your character’s capabilities as you go.
The idea is to give players more freedom to experiment with how they approach each run, rather than simply dropping onto a map, grabbing weapons and attempting to be the last player standing.
Krafton has already opened registrations for a closed beta, although a full release date hasn’t been confirmed.
The game is particularly intriguing because it appears to sit somewhere between a traditional multiplayer shooter, extraction game and roguelite.
And yes, it is still recognisably PUBG — just considerably stranger.
Cassette Beasts 2002 Takes the Series to London
The world of Cassette Beasts is getting another adventure with Cassette Beasts 2002.
This time the action moves to London in 2002, where players become involved in a supernatural mystery involving the worlds of humans and beasts.
The game’s signature transformation mechanics return, allowing players to collect creatures and transform into them during combat.
The new game also introduces new characters and an occult storyline centred around an enigmatic figure threatening both worlds.
As with the previous Cassette Beasts experience, there is a strong emphasis on exploration, experimentation and discovering new creatures.
The game will support single-player and online multiplayer, making it possible to explore its world with another player.
Cassette Beasts 2002 is scheduled for March 2027.
The move to early-2000s London also gives the sequel a very different atmosphere from the original, and could make it an especially appealing adventure for players who enjoy supernatural mysteries mixed with creature collecting.
Planet Zoo 2 Introduces Wildlife Reserves
Frontier Developments gave us a closer look at one of the biggest new features coming to Planet Zoo 2: Wildlife Reserves.
These areas expand the game’s conservation focus by allowing players to explore and manage much larger natural environments.
One of the most interesting additions is the Research Vehicle, allowing players to physically travel through these reserves rather than experiencing everything purely through management screens.
The idea is to make conservation feel more hands-on, with players able to observe animals and investigate their environments more directly.
Planet Zoo 2 launches on October 13, 2026, for Xbox Series X|S and PC.
For existing Planet Zoo players, the reserves could represent one of the biggest changes to the formula, moving the game beyond simply designing individual habitats and towards managing broader ecosystems.
Stuntman: Hollywood Meets Jurassic World
Remember Stuntman?
The cult classic driving and stunt series is making its return with Stuntman: Hollywood, and Gamescom revealed one of its more spectacular licensed scenarios.
Jurassic World is coming to the game.
Players will be asked to perform increasingly ridiculous movie stunts, combining precision driving with jumps, crashes and carefully timed manoeuvres.
The Jurassic World content provides plenty of opportunities for things to go spectacularly wrong, with dinosaurs, vehicles and cinematic set pieces all getting involved.
The concept remains faithful to what made the original Stuntman games entertaining: you’re not simply driving quickly — you’re attempting to perform a stunt exactly as the director demands.
There is currently no confirmed release date.
Deep Dish Dungeon Brings Food and Dungeon Crawling Together
Deep Dish Dungeon might have one of the strangest names in the showcase, but beneath the joke is a survival exploration game combining dungeon crawling, crafting and Metroidvania-style exploration.
Players explore a hand-crafted dungeon filled with puzzles, secrets and increasingly dangerous environments.
Rather than simply progressing from room to room, exploration gradually opens up as players acquire new abilities and equipment.
The game can also be played cooperatively online, allowing players to explore the dungeon together.
Deep Dish Dungeon launches October 13, 2026, and will be available through Xbox Game Pass.
For fans of smaller-scale co-op adventures, this could be a particularly interesting Game Pass addition.
Dune: Awakening Gets Ready for Its Xbox Launch
Dune: Awakening received a substantial amount of attention during the second showcase, and with good reason.
Funcom’s open-world survival RPG is finally arriving on Xbox on September 22, 2026, launching day one with Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Play Anywhere support.
Players are thrown onto Arrakis and must survive its brutal environment while exploring, gathering resources, crafting equipment, constructing bases and dealing with the political and environmental dangers surrounding them.
Unlike many survival games, Dune: Awakening places a significant emphasis on narrative.
The game features a substantial storyline involving characters and locations familiar to Dune fans while creating an entirely new scenario within the universe.
The Xbox version also includes a large amount of content that has been added to the PC version during its first year.
And there is more coming.
The Filmic Archive DLC launches on September 22, bringing outfits and building items inspired by Denis Villeneuve’s Dune films. The DLC includes film-inspired clothing alongside a sizeable 73-piece Sardaukar building set.
Xbox players will also get the benefit of cross-play at a later point, with Funcom confirming that the feature is planned following the console launch.
For anyone who has been waiting for a major Dune game on console, September is going to be an important month.
Kingdom 3: Rising Realms Expands the Micro-Strategy Formula
Kingdom 3: Rising Realms is the latest evolution of the atmospheric Kingdom strategy series.
The game combines micro-strategy and tower defence, asking players to build up settlements, protect their kingdom and manage resources while dealing with the ever-present threat of Greed.
The new game takes place in a shattered fantasy world, giving players a mixture of exploration and kingdom management.
Rather than overwhelming players with complex strategy systems, the Kingdom series has traditionally focused on accessible decision-making: build the right structures, manage your resources and make sure your defences are ready before night falls.
The new game is scheduled for 2027.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Gets a Gorgeous Italian Upgrade
It wouldn’t be an Xbox showcase without Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 making an appearance.
The latest update takes players over Italy, covering nine urban areas stretching from the north of the country to its southern regions, including Sardinia and Sicily.
The update isn’t simply about adding a few famous landmarks.
It covers coastal cities, inland metropolitan areas and locations surrounded by dramatic natural scenery, giving pilots a huge variety of environments to explore.
And there is another major feature coming.
The National Championship Air Races arrive on October 13, adding high-speed competitive flying to the simulator.
That should provide a very different experience from the slow, scenic flights that Microsoft Flight Simulator is normally associated with.
Armatus Turns Paris Into a Demon-Infested Battlefield
Armatus was one of the more immediately striking new games shown during the broadcast.
This third-person roguelite shooter transports players to a ruined version of Paris, where supernatural forces have overrun the city.
Players take on the role of the final supernatural warrior belonging to an ancient order.
Armed with firearms and celestial abilities, the protagonist must fight through the ruins while searching for the Sunless Gate, a mysterious gateway said to lead to heaven.
The combination of firearms and supernatural powers gives the combat a very different flavour from the traditional fantasy roguelite.
Runs are designed to change as players progress, encouraging experimentation with different combinations of abilities and weapons.
Armatus launches January 7, 2027, and will be available with Xbox Game Pass.
The Séance of Blake Manor Looks Like a Perfect Halloween Game
If you’re looking for something suitably creepy to play around Halloween, The Séance of Blake Manor has arrived at almost exactly the right time.
Set in 1897 Ireland, the game places players inside a remote hotel where a young woman has mysteriously disappeared.
But this isn’t simply a missing-person investigation.
The manor is filled with secrets, supernatural events and people who may not be telling the truth.
Players investigate the disappearance by examining evidence, questioning residents and uncovering the history of the location.
The game combines detective work with supernatural horror, meaning observation and deduction are just as important as surviving whatever else is lurking inside the manor.
The Séance of Blake Manor launches October 27, 2026, on Xbox Series X|S and PC through Xbox Game Pass.
With Halloween arriving just days later, the timing couldn’t be much better.
DayZ: Badlands Takes Survival to the Desert
Bohemia Interactive is taking DayZ somewhere considerably hotter with Badlands.
The new expansion introduces Nasdara, a harsh desert province where water is potentially more valuable than ammunition.
The environment itself becomes an enemy.
Extreme heat, scarce resources and vast stretches of exposed terrain mean players have to think carefully about where they travel and what they carry.
The expansion also introduces new locations and gameplay systems designed around the desert environment, while retaining DayZ’s familiar combination of survival, scavenging and player interaction.
DayZ: Badlands launches October 15, 2026.
For veteran DayZ players, the change of environment could provide a welcome new challenge.
Son of Thanjai Brings the Chola Empire to Life
One of the games I found particularly interesting was Son of Thanjai.
Developed by Ayelet Studio in Chennai, the action-adventure game is inspired by the history and culture of the Chola Empire, which ruled large parts of South India for centuries and established extensive trade networks reaching as far as China and Rome.
The game follows a prince who is betrayed and exiled before returning as a much more dangerous figure.
Rather than simply using the setting as background decoration, the developers are building the world around Tamil culture.
Villages feature activities such as Therukoothu performances, toddy shops and traditional crafts, while different landscapes influence the communities that inhabit them.
Combat is also inspired by traditional South Indian martial arts.
The result is a game that feels considerably more distinctive than the usual medieval fantasy setting we see repeatedly in Western games.
Son of Thanjai is planned for Spring 2027 and will be available through Xbox Game Pass.
This is one we will certainly be keeping an eye on.
Arkheron Wants to Make Every Piece of Loot Matter
Arkheron is an isometric PvP looter that puts build experimentation at the heart of its gameplay.
Players enter matches, collect equipment and constantly adapt their character based on what they find.
The important part is that every item can fundamentally change your build.
Rather than deciding on one class and sticking with it, players have to react to the equipment available during a match.
That creates an interesting balance between preparation and improvisation.
The objective is ultimately to fight your way upwards through the game’s Tower while surviving encounters against other players.
Arkheron is scheduled for Fall 2026 and will be available through Xbox Game Pass.
Holstin Could Be One of the Horror Games to Watch
Of all the smaller games shown, Holstin may have been one of the most memorable.
The game is set in an isolated Polish town during the 1990s, where something deeply unnatural has begun consuming the area.
What makes Holstin particularly distinctive is its presentation.
The game can shift between a traditional top-down perspective and a much closer over-the-shoulder viewpoint, creating a deliberately uncomfortable sense of perspective.
Players investigate the town, speak with residents and attempt to understand what happened while dealing with grotesque manifestations of the thing infecting the area.
It is very much a psychological survival horror experience rather than a straightforward action game.
Holstin is coming in 2027 with Xbox Game Pass support.
The combination of its retro-inspired visual design, unusual camera system and disturbing setting makes it one of the indie horror projects I’m most interested in seeing more of.
What Goes Up Turns Construction Into Chaos
What Goes Up takes the idea of construction and throws it completely out of the window.
The game is a chaotic cooperative physics experience in which players have to build increasingly ridiculous structures from enormous pieces of junk.
The objective is simple: build as high as possible before time runs out.
Grav guns allow players to manipulate objects and position them, but physics quickly becomes the biggest enemy.
The result is the sort of co-op experience where one player carefully balances a gigantic piece of junk while another accidentally destroys the entire tower.
The game is coming to Xbox Game Pass in 2026.
Turok: Origins Brings Dinosaurs Back
Turok is back.
Turok: Origins received an extended gameplay demonstration showing the franchise’s return to third-person action.
Players take control of legendary Turok warriors and face an army of dinosaurs alongside a much more dangerous alien threat.
The game supports solo play as well as co-operative multiplayer, allowing players to tackle its campaign with friends.
One of the more interesting mechanics is the ability to harvest DNA from defeated enemies.
That DNA can be used to upgrade weapons and abilities, allowing players to evolve their combat style as they progress.
That gives Turok: Origins a progression system that goes beyond simply finding bigger guns.
And, thankfully, there are still plenty of dinosaurs to shoot.
Turok: Origins is planned for 2027.
Albion Online: Dragonfire Update Adds More to the Sandbox MMO
Albion Online also received attention with the upcoming Dragonfire update.
The major MMORPG has built its reputation around its player-driven sandbox, where gathering, crafting, trading, territory control and PvP all play major roles.
Dragonfire continues to expand that world while adding new content and reasons for players to return to Albion.
The update arrives on August 31, with Xbox Game Pass also supporting the experience.
For anyone who hasn’t tried Albion Online yet, the arrival of additional content provides another reason to investigate one of the more unusual MMORPGs on the Xbox platform.
Militsioner Has the Biggest Policeman in Gaming
And then there’s Militsioner.
This bizarre immersive sim places players in a strange dystopian world where their every movement is watched by a colossal policeman.
And yes, he’s enormous.
The player’s objective is to escape, but how you deal with the policeman is apparently entirely up to you.
You can anger him.
You can flatter him.
You can deceive him.
You can disappoint him.
You can even romance him.
The game describes itself as a Kafkaesque immersive simulation, and the footage certainly looks like something that doesn’t fit neatly into any conventional genre.
Rather than simply shooting your way through obstacles, the game is about manipulating characters, exploiting systems and finding unusual solutions.
Militsioner is planned for 2027 and is coming to Xbox Game Pass.
It may also be one of the strangest games we’ve seen at Gamescom this year.
And that’s saying something.
Xbox Gamescom Day Two Was All About Discovery
Xbox’s second Gamescom showcase didn’t need another huge Gears of War or Fable-sized announcement.
Instead, it did something arguably more useful: it put a spotlight on a huge number of games that could otherwise have slipped under the radar.
There were plenty of established franchises, including Dune, DayZ, Turok, Planet Zoo, Microsoft Flight Simulator and Albion Online, but some of the most interesting projects were the completely new experiences.
Holstin stood out with its unsettling retro horror aesthetic.
Son of Thanjai is attempting to bring an underrepresented historical setting to life.
PUBG: DED.NET is taking one of gaming’s biggest multiplayer names into roguelite territory.
Armatus combines guns with supernatural abilities.
And Militsioner has perhaps the most bizarre premise of the entire show.
Then there’s the continued importance of Xbox Game Pass.
A significant number of the games shown are coming to the service, including Deep Dish Dungeon, Armatus, The Séance of Blake Manor, Son of Thanjai, Arkheron, Holstin, What Goes Up and Militsioner.
That makes the second Xbox Gamescom broadcast less about convincing players to buy one particular blockbuster and more about demonstrating the sheer breadth of experiences heading to the Xbox ecosystem.
With the two-day Xbox presentation now complete, Gamescom 2026 has already delivered a surprisingly strong collection of upcoming games.
And, as usual, some of the games we’re talking about most aren’t necessarily the ones with the biggest budgets
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