Forget the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One - at least 10 major games are already being made for 'next generation' game consoles
1. "Starfield"
The team behind blockbusters like "Fallout 4" and "The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim" have an entirely new game franchise in the works. "Our first wholly original franchise in 25 years," studio director Todd Howard said during Bethesda Softworks' annual briefing at the E3 2018 trade show in Los Angeles last year.
Howard called "Starfield" a "brand-new, next-generation, single-player game."
There's no release date, or release window, for the game just yet.
"Everyone should be very, very patient," Howard said when asked by GameSpot about when to expect "Starfield." When asked specifically about what "next-generation" means in the context of "Starfield" — whether it refers to the game's engine, or to the next generation of console hardware — Howard said, "It's a bit of both."
We've yet to hear more about "Starfield" since 2018, but we expect it to sneak out of the shadows in the next few years.
2. "The Elder Scrolls VI"
"We're also building toward the game after that," Howard said at the same event. "And it's the one you keep asking about."
In a brief video depicting a sprawling landscape, Bethesda teased "The Elder Scrolls VI" — the next game in the "Elder Scrolls" series, and the first since 2011's "Skyrim."
"The Elder Scrolls VI" is planned for after "Starfield," which is itself years away.
"It's very early. Very early," Howard told GameSpot. "It's in the concept and design [stage] — this is what it is, this is what it will be, these are some of the parts it will have."
There is no announced launch window for "The Elder Scrolls VI," but we can guess based on Howard's statements that it's anywhere from two to four years away.
3. "Halo Infinite"
The legendary "Halo" franchise helped make Microsoft's Xbox a household name back in 2001. In 2020, the next game in the series — "Halo Infinite" — will help launch the next-generation Xbox.
In mid-June, Microsoft announced that Project Scarlett, the code-name for its new Xbox hardware, will be ready to launch during the 2020 holiday season. Alongside that announcement came important news: you'll be able to play "Halo Infinite" on the new console on day one.
The game stars the usual super-soldier hero, Master Chief, and his friendly AI, Cortana, and it appears to take place on a new halo ring.
More than just a new "Halo" game, "Infinite" represents a re-boot of sorts for the franchise. That it's launching alongside the new Xbox is certainly a statement unto itself as well.
4. A new "Forza" game
Like "Call of Duty" and "Madden," the "Forza" racing franchise is an annual one. You might've noticed that it's another year, yet there's no new "Forza" game. What gives?!
We've got a pretty good guess: The next "Forza" game, expected to be "Forza Motorsport 8," is almost certainly on track for the next-generation Xbox.
Microsoft has yet to confirm anything about the game, let alone announce it — but given the last several years of "Forza" releases, and given the lack of a new "Forza" this year for the first time in years, it's extremely likely that the next "Forza Motorsport" game is currently in production for Microsoft's Project Scarlett.
5. Next year's "Call of Duty" entry.
As previously mentioned, the "Call of Duty" franchise is an annual one. As such, barring any precedent-changing shifts in strategy, it's a pretty fair bet that the "Call of Duty" game coming in 2020 is coming to the next PlayStation and Xbox consoles.
Moreover, it's entirely likely that this game will be ready for both consoles at launch — the "Call of Duty" games usually launch in the October/November time frame, which is when new consoles are expected to arrive as well.
6. The next major "Assassin's Creed" game.
Major blockbuster franchises like "Assassin's Creed" are no doubt headed to the next Sony and Microsoft game consoles, but "Assassin's Creed" is an especially good contender, given that the game's main development teams intentionally spaced the next game to not come out in 2019.
In fact, French publisher Ubisoft — which produces "Assassin's Creed" — has yet to even announce the next game in the franchise.
But with "Watch Dogs Legion" set to arrive in early 2020, we expect a new "Assassin's Creed" to follow not too long afterward. Perhaps as early as holiday 2020? Perhaps!
7. "Grand Theft Auto 6"
It's been well over five years since the last major "Grand Theft Auto" game launched, 2013's "Grand Theft Auto 5."
The game studio behind "Grand Theft Auto," Rockstar Games, has since released a massive sequel in "Red Dead Redemption 2." And now that the long-awaited Western is out from Rockstar Games, the next game in the pipe is widely expected to be the next major "Grand Theft Auto" game.
Notably, "Grand Theft Auto 5" remains a top-selling game well after its 2013 launch. All of which is to say one thing: It may be awhile before we see anything on the next "Grand Theft Auto." By the time we do, the new Xbox and PlayStation consoles will likely be old hat.
8. The sequels to "Horizon Zero Dawn," "Marvel's Spider-Man," and "God of War."
Though the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles are remarkably similar in terms of horsepower and capability, Sony's PS4 distinguished itself this generation with an absolutely killer line-up of exclusive games.
Stuff like "Horizon Zero Dawn," "God of War," and "Marvel's Spider-Man" are all highlights of that line-up, and it's beyond likely that all three are getting huge sequels on the PlayStation 5. (Job listings have already popped up indicating as much for "God of War," one of the original PlayStation franchises.)
None of these games has been announced, so you'll have to take this one with a pretty heavy grain of salt. That said, all three are extremely good bets — it's almost certain that all three sequels are currently in varying stages of production.
9. "Diablo 4" and the sequel to "Overwatch."
The next major entries in the long-running, classic "Diablo" franchise and the new-classic "Overwatch" franchise are expected to arrive on next-gen consoles.
But first, both games have to be announced!
Kotaku reported in early June that both games are in production, and are even the focus of production after a first-person shooter based on "StarCraft" was scrapped. Moreover, both games are expected to unveiled at this year's Blizzard Entertainment fan convention, BlizzCon 2019, in November.
10. Every major annual sports game, from "FIFA" to "Madden" to "NBA 2K" and "MLB The Show."
Yes, as always, you can fully expect the 2020 iteration of every major annual sports franchise to arrive on the PlayStation 5 and Project Scarlett.
These games don't need to be announced, because they're as dependable as the sun rising in the morning. Though none have been announced just yet, you can bet your bottom dollar that every annual sports franchise is currently being produced in some form or another for next-gen consoles.
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