With Sony having surprised precisely no-one by announcing that, once again, PlayStation won’t be at this year’s Gamescom, Microsoft has seized the opportunity to let everyone know that, by Jove, Xbox will be at this year’s show.

Microsoft shared the news over on social media, inviting attendees to visit its “biggest booth yet” when Gamescom returns to Cologne, Germany, in August this year.

Microsoft will, of course, be the only major console maker to have at presence at Gamescom 2024; Nintendo confirmed it wouldn’t be coming along back in April, saying there would be opportunities for players to try Switch games at other events throughout the year, and PlayStation confirmed a no-show earlier this week. Sony’s absence hardly warrants a raised eyebrow, however, given it hasn’t showed up since 2019.

Gamescom should be a big one for Xbox, though, given its upcoming slate. First-party wise, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Avowed, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, and Age of Mythology Retold all launch before the end of 2024, so hands-on time seems likely. Microsoft might even tease a little more of next year’s releases – including Doom: The Dark Ages and Fable – following this month’s impressive Xbox Games Showcase.

Gamescom 2024 runs from 21st-25th August, and is preceded by Geoff Keighley’s glitzy Opening Night Live showcase on 20th August – which promises two hours of game announcements, trailers, and gameplay reveals. And maybe even a Kojima or two?