Microsoft has announced that they will not be attending Gamescom this year, and will instead be hosting a "more intimate" Xbox FanFest. Xbox One Fanfest will be in a new location from its traditional press conference room, Hall 8 of the Koelnmesse.
Any fans attending will get the chance to play upcoming hits like Gears of War 4, ReCore, Halo Wars 2, and Sea of Thieves, as well as smaller titles like Cuphead.
Xbox FanFest will run from Aug 18-24. Here are the opening times thus far:
Wednesday, August 17 – 9:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. CEST (press/trade only day)
Thursday, August 18 and Friday, August 19 – 10:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. CEST
Saturday, August 20 – 9:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. CEST
Sunday, August 21 – 9:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. CEST
This comes as a change from last year, as with the absence of a Sony Presence, Microsoft was able to dominate the News-O-Sphere, while Sony held their own conference during Paris Games Week. So far, we've not heard plans from Sony, but the ball is in their court.
