Studio acquisitions include the US-based Undead Labs (known for State of Decay), the UK-based Playground Games and Ninja Theory (known for the Forza Horizon series and Hellblade respectively), and the Canadian-based Compulsion Games. Microsoft's new studio, based in California, is called The Initiative. Taken together, this represents a doubling of Microsoft's wholly owned game studios.

The briefing began with the iconic Master Chief watching on as teams of soldiers drove Warthog jeeps across a ring planet in a tease for the new Halo game being developed by 343 Industries. No other details were given, apart from Spencer saying it would be "Master Chief's greatest adventure yet".

Microsoft also revealed several new Gears of War games. Gears Pop is a collaboration with Funko for mobile devices, while Gears Tactics is a turn-based strategy game coming to PC. Most excitingly, a lengthy trailer was shown for 2019's Gears 5.

Trailers were also shown for upcoming Xbox exclusives Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Forza Horizon 4 (which is set in Britain this time and features dynamically changing seasons) and Crackdown 3, with a brief tease also given for a 2D Battletoads revival. A new Xbox-exclusive game from Dark Souls developer From Software was shown, titled Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.

Meanwhile, Microsoft gave a first look at several games coming soon to multiple platforms, including Cyberpunk 2077 (from Witcher III developer CD Projekt Red), Tom Clancy’s The Division 2, Devil May Cry 5 and Dying Light 2.

The author travelled to California as a guest of Microsoft.