Call of Duty makes its return to the Xbox Showcase stage

Microsoft has announced the timing of the next Xbox Games Showcase, to be livestreamed on June 9 at 1 pm ET. Just like last year, the event will unfold on the Sunday of Summer Game Fest, which kicks off on June 7 via livestreams and in-person events in Los Angeles. Also similar to last year, where Xbox’s showcase was followed by the Starfield Direct livestream, this year’s showcase will be followed by a deep dive on an upcoming game — and according to The Verge’s reporting, that’s Call of Duty.

Although it’s not yet confirmed, Call of Duty fans online have extensively speculated that upcoming game will be Call of Duty Black Ops Gulf War, whose development has been rumored for quite some time. The Call of Duty fandom has been invigorated by this news, with many highlighting how long it’s been since the franchise has been showcased in this way.

“Last time Call of Duty was part of Xbox Showcase was Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare in June 2014,” wrote CharlieIntel, mainstay of the Call of Duty community, on X (formerly Twitter).

It’s an interesting time for Call of Duty to return to the forefront of Xbox’s portfolio, as well, given that last year was the first time that the annual franchise entry got outsold by another game. 2023’s best-selling game was Hogwarts Legacy, breaking Call of Duty’s long-running streak. That’s worldwide sales, however; in the United States, Call of Duty is still at the top of the heap, making it a reliable and non-risky choice for Xbox’s showcase this year.

As for the rest of the showcase, Microsoft’s announcement says it’ll include its “portfolio of studios across Activision, Blizzard, Bethesda and Xbox Game Studios, in addition to titles from our third-party partners.”