Xbox Wire - Your source for news, information, product releases, events, sports, entertainment & exclusive content relating to Xbox

Games

Gaming Must Promote and Protect the Safety of All

by Phil Spencer, Head of Xbox Posted on May 20, 2019May 20, 2019

Today, in an opinion article I published on the Official Microsoft Blog, I shared my views on gaming as one of our society’s great unifying forces. We are a 2.6 billion-person strong community of parents playing with our kids, adventurers exploring worlds together, teachers making math wondrous, grandmothers learning about their grandchildren through play, and soldiers connecting with their folks back home. Most gamers today are adults; nearly half are women. For many people around the world, gaming is the first entry point into technology. This widespread embrace of gaming and its global communities have turned video games into the world’s leading cultural industry, bigger than... Read more

Introducing the New Xbox Game Bar

by The Xbox Game Bar Team Posted on May 22, 2019May 23, 2019

At Xbox, we put gamers at the center of our vision - enabling them to play the games they want, with the people they want, and on the devices they want. As part of our efforts and commitment to improve the gaming experience on Windows 10, we want to bring PC players highly requested features based on their feedback. The first step in that is understanding how gamers engage on Windows and making the features and experiences they want easier to access, including social, music, performance and more. Today, we are excited to release a host of new features for PC gamers to the new Xbox Game Bar on machines running the updated versions of Windows 10. Xbox Game Bar is the customizable... Read more: Introducing the New Xbox Game Bar

Games

Coming Soon to Xbox Game Pass: Dead by Daylight, Metal Gear Survive, and Many More

by Megan Spurr, Community Lead, Xbox Game Pass Posted on May 22, 2019May 22, 2019

Hello, Xbox Game Pass members! It’s me again. Forgive me for taking up your precious internet moments, but I think it’s worth it because we’re bringing you even more games. Good thing you can install directly to your console from the Xbox Game Pass app while at work (I promise not to tell your boss – she’s probably doing it too), because you won’t want to wait to install these. By the way, if you need something else to distract you at work while you daydream of all the video games you’re going to play once you get home, check out our Twitter and Instagram accounts. We’ll love you 3000 if you share your favorite memes with us. Some quick tips to prep you for this next... Read more

Games

Warface Adds Battle Pass and New Themed Content

by Ivan Pabiarzhyn, Warface Franchise Producer, My.com Posted on May 21, 2019May 21, 2019

The Blackwood corporation has been quiet as of late… too quiet. In the latest big Warface update, out on Xbox One today, you’ll take the fight to them in our reimagining of Japan and find out exactly what they’re up to! The Sunrise update also introduces the first ever Battle Pass, with over 100 tiers of fantastic rewards to be earned. Before you gear up and head out, allow us to brief you on everything you’ll be facing with your squad. Battle Pass: Season 1 The Battle Pass is one of the biggest additions to Warface to-date. This new system gives you the opportunity to earn massive rewards, including exclusive weapons and gear, just for playing the game the way you like it.... Read more

Games

World of Warships: Legends Brings Reinforcements to Xbox One with the Atlanta Cruiser

by Alena Terekhova, Product Marketing Director, World of Warships Posted on May 21, 2019May 21, 2019

After a month since World of Warships: Legends entered its Xbox Game Preview phase globally, Wargaming Saint Petersburg is ready with reinforcements for Xbox One players, with the all-new Atlanta Premium Tier VI cruiser! The team behind World of Warships: Legends are happy to launch their first in-game instalment and share some insights into what you can expect from it with a large variety of tasks and missions in the new Atlanta campaign to keep you busy at sea. To access the Atlanta Premium Tier VI cruiser, players must complete each campaign trial to unlock milestones and receive in-game rewards. You’ll get opportunities to promote your commanders' thanks to the three insignias that... Read more

5 Reasons How Just Cause 4’s Spring Update Brings More Destruction Than Ever Before

by Robbie Palmer, Community Manager, Just Cause 4 Posted on May 21, 2019May 21, 2019

Get ready for the biggest update ever to the explosive world of Just Cause 4. Xbox One players can get the Spring Update for free starting on May 21 -- here’s an exclusive first look at what to expect from this free update to Solìs: Improvements to World Lighting Bringing more vibrancy and visibility to the world of Just Cause 4, lighting has been significantly improved to ensure better visibility and lighting effects. See below some visual examples of the improvements we’ve made: Black Hand units are far easier to identify in low light conditions and the world lighting is far more dynamic. Vegetation and the various biomes in Just Cause 4 feel significantly more... Read more

Games

How to Customize Your Car’s Stats in Team Sonic Racing, Available Now on Xbox One

by Alan Hadaya, Senior Marketing Manager, Sega of America Posted on May 21, 2019May 21, 2019

Team Sonic Racing is a colorful and competitive style kart racer where racers can go online and compete with players around the world - the competition is going to be fierce on day one. You’ll find that there’s a few ways to victory including improving your driving skills, working with your teammates, finding the perfect balance between character types on your team and finally customizing your car to maximize performance. As you journey through Team Adventure Mode and win other races, you’ll see that your credit count will start to stack up. This is your in-game currency, spend it wisely. Once you’ve won a few races, head over to the Mod Pod section to spend your credits.... Read more

Games

Gears of War 2019 Funko Pop! Collection Available May 23

by Jerry Chu, Director of Licensing, The Coalition Posted on May 21, 2019May 21, 2019

The next wave of Gears of War Funko Pop! figures are about to hit store shelves this Thursday, May 23! As we announced earlier this month, the mainline collection includes Kait Diaz in her winter gear from last year’s Gears 5 trailer, Marcus Fenix in his classic gear, Queen Myrrah, the Locust Boomer and the GameStop exclusive Skorge. But that’s not all! Also releasing on Thursday is a limited-edition Collector's Box which includes four Gears Pop! pins, a Gears Pop! baseball hat, a Gears Pop! artbook and four limited release Pop! figures: a red Skorge with shaded details, a gold-dipped of Marcus Fenix, a patinaed Myrrah, and Anya Stroud. The Collector's Box is available exclusively at... Read more

Games

ID@Xbox Game Fest Super Sale Starts Today

by Tao Sila, ID@Xbox Product Marketing Manager Posted on May 21, 2019May 21, 2019

Thank you for following ID@Xbox Game Fest, hopefully along the way you have had some fun discovering new content, creators, and ways to game. To close out the last week of Game Fest we're excited to kick off the ID@Xbox Super Sale. From now until May 27, you can save up to 60% on over 40 of the most popular ID@Xbox games. Here are a few that will be on sale this week: No Man’s Sky (25% off) – Winner of the 2019 SXSW Most Evolved Game award, No Man’s Sky brings a constantly evolving open world space exploration game to your fingertips. In No Man's Sky, every star is the light of a distant sun, each orbited by planets filled with life, and you can go to any of them you choose. Fly... Read more

Games

Dauntless Hits Xbox One Today with 10 Tips to Slaying with Style

by Hunter Howe, Design Director, Phoenix Labs Posted on May 21, 2019May 21, 2019

The team here at Phoenix Labs is excited to welcome the Xbox One community into Dauntless, our co-op action RPG launching today! Dauntless is all about teaming up with your friends to take down larger-than-life behemoths, crafting epic gear, and taking on larger and more difficult challenges to forge your legend as a Slayer in the Shattered Isles. Dauntless has been in development for over four years now, and we spent a great deal of time taking in feedback from the community. Because so much has changed in the last year alone, I wanted to take the opportunity to provide some tips for rookie Slayers to get the most out of their Dauntless experience. 1. Never Stop Dodging: We designed... Read more

Games

The Biggest Backward Compatibility Sale Ever Begins Today

by Will Tuttle, Xbox Wire Editor in Chief Posted on May 21, 2019May 21, 2019

The Xbox Backward Compatibility Sale is back again this year, and this time we’re celebrating by discounting more games in the catalog than ever. Starting today through May 27, Xbox gamers around the world can take advantage of awesome discounts where you can save up to 75 percent on over 240 Original Xbox and Xbox 360 titles playable on Xbox One via the Backward Compatibility program. Available deals include titles from the storied franchises of Call of Duty, Gears of War, Grand Theft Auto, Fable, Bioshock, Assassin’s Creed and many more. Select titles such as Red Dead Redemption and Splinter Cell Blacklist are Xbox One X Enhanced, so they have been updated specifically to take full... Read more

This Week on Xbox: May 17, 2019

by Mike Nelson, Xbox Wire Editor Posted on May 17, 2019May 17, 2019

We know you’re busy and might miss out on all the exciting things we’re talking about on Xbox Wire every week. If you’ve got a few minutes, we can help remedy that. We’ve pared down the past week’s news into one easy-to-digest article for all things Xbox! Or, if you’d rather watch than read, you can feast your eyes on our weekly video show above. Be sure to come back every Friday to find out what’s happening This Week on Xbox! New Iron Throne Console Revealed for Xbox’s Game of Thrones Giveaway Last week, we announced a new Game of Thrones sweepstakes featuring custom House Targaryen and Night King designed consoles, and you didn’t think we’d just stop there, did... Read more: This Week on Xbox: May 17, 2019

Games

Join the Fishing Sim World: Pro Tour in July on Xbox One

by Des O’Connor, Producer, Fishing Sim World Posted on May 17, 2019May 17, 2019

The challenge of man versus beast, the thrill of the hunt, the adrenaline of competition, Fishing Sim World: Pro Tour lets you feel it all. Fishing Sim World: Pro Tour introduces a brand-new career mode where you can take part in carp, bass or predator tournaments (or all three) and progress through the ranks from amateur to elite angler. Not only will you need to overcome the challenge of finding and catching the fish, but you will also be up against over 100 professional anglers from across the world in your pursuit of glory. You will gain social media followers and career earnings as you progress which will trigger sponsorship opportunities from over 50 licensed partners featuring in... Read more

Games

How Rocket Arena Created its Blend of Explosive FPS Fun

by Matthew McCullough, Rocket Arena Production Manager Posted on May 17, 2019May 16, 2019

We’re happy to announce that Rocket Arena, our unique 3-on-3 first-person shooter, that invites you to choose a unique competitor and rep your region in a variety of modes, is coming to Xbox One later this year -- we can’t wait for you to play it. I remember the first time I played Rocket Arena about three years ago. I was one of six employees asked to playtest a game that Nexon had just signed on to publish for Final Strike Games. The game was very early in development, but the fun was immediate and infectious. By the time we were two rounds in, we were having a great time, yelling at each other to stop the other team from scoring, and taunting one another for getting blasted out of... Read more

Games

Hidden Horror: The Essence of Layers of Fear 2, Coming Soon to Xbox One

by Rafal Basaj, Brand Manager, Bloober Team Posted on May 17, 2019May 17, 2019

All stories need to have a beginning and for Bloober Team, it was the creation of Layers of Fear. It was not the first game we developed, nor was it made during the first years of our existence. It did, however, become the hallmark for our company. It was our leap of faith into a genre we always wanted to work with and after years of gathering experience we were finally able to pull it off. In 2015, we sat down and started work on reimagining the philosophy of what we do. We knew we wanted to work with horror, but we didn’t want to create another shooter or survival game. We wanted it to be more personal. Monsters can be frightening, as is a need to constantly run for your life, but... Read more

Games

Samurai Shodown Returns This Summer on Xbox One

by Jonathan Campana, Community Manager, SNK Corporation Posted on May 17, 2019May 16, 2019

Samurai Shodown is considered one of the major fighting games that helped shaped the genre with its nail-biting weapon play. The newest installment coming June 25 in the US and June 26 in Europe will take players back to the battlefield where they can sharpen their blades on the bones of their fallen enemies. Adding on top of the already robust cast of characters comes three more characters completely new to the series: Darli Dagger: A strong-willed shipwright always looking for the next adventure and another drink. Her weapon, the Libertalia, is actually the tool she uses to repair ships. It changes form depending on the task, whether it’s hammering in a nail or sawing her... Read more

Games

Super Saver Deals: Save up to 85% This Weekend Only

Games

Free Play Days: Build a Red Planet Colony This Weekend in Surviving Mars

by Nikhat Ali, Lead Producer, Surviving Mars Posted on May 17, 2019May 16, 2019

Greetings fellow Earthlings! I hope you’re just as excited as we are about building a new home on Mars now that Surviving Mars is free for Xbox Live Gold members this weekend. If you were waiting to try it out, you can start building your first colony on the Red Planet starting at 12:01 a.m. PDT on Thursday, May 16 through 11:59 p.m. PDT on Sunday, May 19. For the new recruits, Surviving Mars is a survival management game where players must build a colony capable of supporting human life on Mars. Easier said than done considering the Martian atmosphere is hostile to humans and kills anyone directly exposed to it. The mission begins the moment you land on the Red Planet. Using... Read more

Games

Next Week on Xbox: New Games for May 21 to 24

by Mike Nelson, Xbox Wire Editor Posted on May 17, 2019May 16, 2019

Welcome to Next Week on Xbox, where we cover all the new games coming soon to Xbox One! Every week the team at Xbox aims to deliver quality gaming content for you to enjoy on your favorite gaming console. To find out what’s coming soon to Xbox One, read on below and click on each of the game profiles for pre-order details (dates are subject to... Read more

Celebrating 10 Years of Minecraft

by Saxs Persson, Creative Director, Minecraft Posted on May 17, 2019May 21, 2019

This is an incredibly exciting time for Minecraft. Ten years ago today, the game launched on PC. Now, Minecraft has sold more than 176 million copies to-date in virtually every country in the world. As a way to celebrate 10 years for the franchise, we announced today a brand-new Minecraft game – Minecraft Earth. Minecraft Earth is an all new free-to-play augmented reality game for mobile that will bring the creative nature of Minecraft to the real world. The game’s mechanics are simple: explore your neighborhood to find blocks and unique mobs for your builds. Once you have them, any flat surface is an opportunity to build. Team up with friends to create amazing builds on Build... Read more: Celebrating 10 Years of Minecraft

Event

Announcing MINECON Live