E3 2016: What to expect from Microsoft — Slim Xbox One and zombies

Microsoft’s Xbox One console is selling faster than the Xbox 360, but the company is trailing Sony’s PlayStation 4. At next week’s Electronic Entertainment Expo, Microsoft may have a few surprises in its efforts to rile up fans.

The pre-E3 Xbox briefing kicks off a Monday that includes events from Ubisoft and Sony as well. We know the company will have a lot of previously announced games to show off like ReCore and Crackdown 3, but we’re also anticipating a slew of never-before-seen announcements. And this is the one presentation that may still have some new hardware after Nintendo and Sony confirmed they’re not bringing the NX or the PS4 Neo.

We’ll go over all the rumors and confirmed games for Microsoft, but first let’s get the basics out of the way.

What: Microsoft will detail its upcoming products during a presentation live from Los Angeles.
When: 9:30 a.m. Pacific timeMonday, June 13
Where: Twitch

Confirmed for E3

Microsoft has a number of games it showed off at E3 in 2015 that still aren’t out, and those make up the bulk of the confirmed list for Microsoft.

• ReCore
• Crackdown 3
• Halo Wars 2
• Gears of War 4
• Scalebound
• Cuphead
• Minecraft
• Windows 10

When it comes to what we know about Xbox and Microsoft at E3, it doesn’t go far beyond the list of games above. The biggest thing to look out for here is how the company will present its PC-gaming strategy as well as any Minecraft news. We know Minecraft will have a place on the Los Angeles Convention Center show floor, but we don’t know if that means anything big for the massive franchise.

Everything else for Microsoft is firmly in the rumor category, but they are potentially massive. Let’s check those out.

Rumors and more

These are unconfirmed and could prove untrue, but rumors are a huge part of E3.

• Big third-party co-marketing deal: Microsoft doesn’t have the timed-exclusive on Call of Duty DLC anymore. Last year, it put that money toward a partnership with Bethesda for Fallout 4. It’s likely it’ll have a similar kind of deal this year. A likely candidate is Mass Effect: Andromeda.
• Xbox One Scorpio: Like Sony and the PlayStation 4 Neo, Microsoft has a rumored new console. But this system is likely not going to show up at E3 because Microsoft wants to focus on the Xbox One Slim.
• Xbox One Slim: Microsoft may introduce a compact version of the Xbox One that is 40 percent smaller than the current system.
• Xbox streaming stick and boxes: Xbox may grow as a brand. Reports claim Microsoft will introduce Roku- or Apple-style streaming sticks and set-top boxes that can play some games and watch movies. You can expect these devices to work with Microsoft’s Universal Windows Platform-powered app store.
• State of Decay 2: State of Decay from developer Undead Labs was a surprise hit on the Xbox 360 in 2013. Now, rumors suggest a sequel or a followup is headed to Xbox One.
• Dead Rising 4: Publisher Capcom may work with Microsoft once again following a successful partnership for Dead Rising 3 at the launch of the Xbox One.
• Forza Horizon 3: Microsoft has its driving games on an alternating schedule between Forza Motorsport and Forza Horizon. That’s likely going to continue.
• Sea of Thieves: We know this game exists, but we haven’t heard if it’ll show up at E3. It likely will, and it may play a lot like Destiny.