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Xbox’s indie-focused showcase is back this week. The ID@Xbox April 2026 Showcase has been locked in for Thursday, April 23, with IGN once again hosting the livestream alongside Microsoft. The event will spotlight a fresh batch of indie titles heading to Xbox and PC, with a handful of games already confirmed and plenty more being kept under wraps until showtime.

It is the latest in a string of Xbox events the company has been lining up, sitting between the recently announced Xbox Games Showcase 2026 in June and the dedicated Gears of War: E-Day Direct that’s expected to follow. For indie fans, though, this Thursday is the one to circle.

When Is the ID@Xbox April 2026 Showcase

The showcase kicks off on Thursday, April 23, 2026 at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 5pm GMT. For local audiences, that lands at 5am NZST on Friday, April 24, which is admittedly a rough one for anyone hoping to watch live in New Zealand. A daytime catch-up via VOD is the more realistic option for most Kiwi viewers.

Runtime hasn’t been officially confirmed, but ID@Xbox showcases have historically run somewhere between 30 minutes and an hour, so expect a tight, trailer-heavy presentation rather than a sprawling Direct-style event.

How to Watch the ID@Xbox Showcase

The stream will be available across a wide range of platforms, with IGN leading the broadcast as the official partner. You can tune in via:

Microsoft’s own Xbox channels are also expected to carry the broadcast, as they have for previous ID@Xbox events.

Confirmed Games at the ID@Xbox Showcase

Four titles have been officially confirmed for the April 23 lineup so far. The rest of the slate is being held back as a surprise reveal during the show itself, which is fairly standard for ID@Xbox presentations.

Mistfall Hunter

An extraction-focused multiplayer title that has been building quiet momentum on the PC indie scene. Its inclusion suggests a console announcement or playable build update is on the cards.

There Are No Ghosts at the Grand

A narrative-leaning indie with a distinctive title that has been generating curiosity since its first reveal. Expect a deeper look at gameplay or a release window during the showcase.

Aphelion

Aphelion has already been confirmed as a Day One arrival on Xbox Game Pass as part of the April 2026 Wave 2 lineup, so a fresh trailer here would line up neatly with the launch push.

Solo Leveling Arise Overdrive

A console-flavoured spin on the wildly popular Solo Leveling: Arise mobile and PC action RPG. This one carries the most mainstream pull of the confirmed lineup, given the franchise’s anime crossover audience.

Read More: Xbox Game Pass April 2026 Wave 2 – Vampire Crawlers, Aphelion, Final Fantasy V And Every New Game

Read More: Xbox Games Showcase 2026 Set for June 7

What Else Could Be Featured

Beyond the four confirmed titles, ID@Xbox has a track record of using these showcases to surface games well outside the usual indie spotlight. The October 2025 event leaned on a mix of breakout hits and lower-profile reveals, with MOUSE: P.I. For Hire, Invincible VS, Vampire Survivors, TCG Pocket Simulator, and Sledding Game all featured. Several of those have since worked their way onto Game Pass.

That pattern is worth keeping in mind on Thursday. The unannounced portion of the lineup is usually where the more interesting reveals land, whether that’s a surprise shadow drop, a Game Pass announcement, or a first look at something genuinely new.

Where the Showcase Fits in Xbox’s 2026 Plans

This event sits at the lighter end of Xbox’s 2026 calendar, sandwiched between bigger beats. The Xbox Games Showcase 2026 is locked in for June and is expected to carry the major first-party reveals, while the Gears of War: E-Day Direct will follow with a focused look at one of the platform’s tentpole releases.

The ID@Xbox showcase is a deliberately smaller affair, but it’s also where Microsoft has historically used Game Pass leverage to sign Day One indie deals and surface games that might otherwise get lost in the noise. With Aphelion already confirmed for the Game Pass April Wave 2 drop, expect at least one or two more Day One announcements to land during the show.

The livestream goes live on Thursday, April 23 at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 5pm GMT, which is 5am NZST on Friday, April 24 for New Zealand viewers.