We’re just a week out from Gamescom’s big Opening Night Live stream. This year’s kickoff to the annual gaming conference is rumored to include some pretty big reveals. A few, including the first gameplay trailer for Dungeons & Dragons: Warlock, are even confirmed. Now, Xbox fans have reason to hope for a surprise sequel to one of the console’s franchises. Xbox insider Jez Corden recently shared his expectations that Xbox will announce a new game at Opening Night Live, and that it will be a “very unexpected sequel.” However, another reliable source quickly shot down hopes for one franchise revival.
Naturally, fans have been speculating about what Xbox could announce at Gamescom. Some of Xbox’s biggest franchises, including Halo and Gears of War, have games out this year. And of course, the long-awaited Fable reboot is on the way in 2027. That leaves many fans hoping to see the return of older franchises that Xbox has left on the shelf in recent years. But according to @Shpeshal_Nick, the rumored game reveal will not be for a Killer Instinct 2 remake. Fans have been hoping to see a new game in the iconic fighting game series for a while, but apparently, a remake of the second game isn’t in the cards.
Like many fighting games, the Killer Instinct franchise has its roots in the arcade. The franchise began back in 1994, but eventually made its way to home consoles, including the SNES and N64. It made a surprise return back in 2013 with a new reboot for PC and Xbox, which was also called Killer Instinct. At the time, it was intended as the first of a planned series of reboots for the franchise. Notably, the reboot launched alongside the Xbox One as a console exclusive. So, fans have reason to believe that the second game, if it were ever remade, would also come via Xbox. Naturally, that means that, upon seeing teasers of an “unexpected sequel,” some Killer Instinct fans got their hopes up.
Alas, it seems it’s not meant to be. In response to one fan’s speculation that Xbox could announce Killer Instinct 2 at Gamescom, Nick replied, “Not KI. That was cancelled.” This implies that the remake for Killer Instinct 2 was in the works at some point, but has since been scrapped. It’s unclear whether Nick means that the game was well underway at some point, or if he’s just referring to the fact that the first Killer Instinct reboot launched with the intention of sparking a series. Either way, though, it sounds like the insider might have reason to believe that Killer Instinct 2 isn’t happening. At the very least, it isn’t likely to be the rumored Gamescom reveal from Xbox.
Not KI
That was cancelled
A lot of rumors and speculation are flying around regarding this supposed announcement. That’s made it hard for any one theory about which game could be revealed to take center stage. However, Corden has supposedly teased that whatever it is, it’s a big game, and it will be unexpected. He also suggested that it might launch this year, though he’s less confident about that fact. It will reportedly also be based on a Microsoft IP, but developed by an external studio. That doesn’t give us a ton to go on. In fact, it sounds like it will be pretty hard for anyone to accurately guess what Xbox might be ready to reveal.
If you want to be among the first to find out whether the rumors are true and see what Xbox is cooking up, mark your calendar for Gamescom Opening Night Live. The event will be streamed via the Game Awards channels on YouTube and Twitch, starting at 2 PM ET on August 25th. Even if the rumored Xbox reveal doesn’t emerge, it’s shaping up to be a pretty packed showcase regardless.
