Xbox at TGS 2026: Kojima, Modern Warfare 4 and Microsoft's Bet on Japan

Xbox returned to the Tokyo Game Show with its own broadcast dedicated to what its Japanese and Asian partners are working on. As reported by GameSpot, the showcase was hosted by Misuzu Araki and mixed exclusive content with new gameplay, in a compact format focused mainly on mid-sized productions, though with a couple of surprises nobody expected from such a low-key event.

Why does it matter to us? Because Japan remains the toughest ground for Microsoft. Sony and Nintendo play at home, and yet Xbox has spent roughly two decades trying to carve out a place in that market, as GameSpot points out. The fact that the brand still sets aside an entire broadcast for TGS says a lot about its refusal to give up. And since the stream aired at a rather unfriendly hour for those of us in the Americas and Europe, here's the rundown so you don't miss a thing.

What you need to know

• Gachiakuta: Breakout opened the broadcast with a new look at the game.
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 showed a trailer for its campaign.
• Crazy Taxi made another appearance and, according to GameSpot, still looks as unhinged as promised.
• Hideo Kojima dropped by the event to reveal the actors joining Physint, his new action-espionage game.
• It was a short stream, with most of the time devoted to smaller games from Japanese and Asian studios.

A small showcase with three big moments

The first thing to understand is the tone of the event. This was not a June Xbox Games Showcase or an avalanche of top-tier exclusives: GameSpot describes it as a compact stream designed to spotlight the region's studios. That approach makes sense if the goal is to win over the local audience, but it also explains why much of the broadcast went unnoticed outside Asia.

That said, three names broke that pattern. First, Physint: Kojima used the stage to introduce the cast of his action-espionage project, a very on-brand move in which film and TV talent becomes part of the draw. Second, the Modern Warfare 4 campaign trailer, which confirms that Activision wants to keep the spotlight on the story mode and not just multiplayer. And third, Crazy Taxi, which retains the chaotic arcade spirit already seen in previous appearances.

The rest of the lineup

Beyond those three headliners, the broadcast was filled with more modest offerings, starting with Gachiakuta: Breakout, which was tasked with opening the show. GameSpot offers a full breakdown of every trailer, so if you're interested in Japan's mid-sized catalog, the complete list is there.

Japan, Xbox's unfinished business

The context is well known, but it bears repeating. Microsoft has had a presence in Japan for around 20 years and has never managed to challenge Sony or Nintendo for the lead. Even so, TGS has become a fixed date for Xbox, and the strategy seems clear: rather than competing for the big Japanese exclusives, the brand is betting on cultivating relationships with small and mid-sized studios in the region and using the Tokyo window to stay visible.

That Kojima chose this stage of all places to talk about Physint is, in our view, the most interesting signal of the night. Not because of what was shown, which was a cast announcement, but because of what it says about the relationship between Xbox and Japan's most renowned creators.

Our take

Here at the Underworld Lordz newsroom we see the glass as half full, but without going overboard. For competitive players, the only truly relevant piece was the Modern Warfare 4 campaign trailer, and there's an obvious criticism there: the campaign isn't what drives our community. We want to see maps, weapons, time to kill, netcode and the season schedule. Showing cinematics at an Asian showcase is fine for general hype, but it doesn't answer the questions of those who compete.

For content creators the reading is different. Physint has all the ingredients to generate conversation for months, and Kojima knows how to turn every cast announcement into a trending topic. Crazy Taxi, for its part, is exactly the kind of game that works on stream: chaos, laughs and easy clips. If you stream, both deserve a spot on your radar.

What doesn't convince us is the format. A stream at awkward hours for the Americas and Europe, focused on small games and with no major dates or figures to note down, leaves the feeling of an event designed solely for the Japanese audience, which is understandable, but which pushes the Spanish-speaking community away. If Xbox wants these broadcasts to matter outside Asia, it needs at least one major global announcement per edition, not a last-minute star cameo.

What do you think?

Between the Physint cast, the Modern Warfare 4 campaign and the mayhem of Crazy Taxi, everyone will have their favorite, though we were left with the feeling that a real statement was missing. Tell us in the team chat or on our Discord: did the Xbox showcase at TGS do anything for you, or do you think Microsoft still doesn't know how to speak to the community outside Japan?