Entertainment Archives - Xbox Wire

Hitman 2 Now Available on Xbox One

by Jacob Mikkelsen, Game Director at IO Interactive Posted on November 13, 2018November 13, 2018

Agent 47 is back in Hitman 2, and we’re getting ready to celebrate! Hitman 2 is now available around the world for everyone to play. We’re very happy and excited to release the next adventure for Agent 47, and we’re especially proud to build on the success of our previous game, while also incorporating brand-new, franchise-first features and game modes! In Hitman 2, we’re taking you around the world to Hawke’s Bay (New Zealand), Miami (Florida/U.S.), Santa Fortuna (Colombia), Mumbai (India), Whittleton Creek (Vermont/U.S.) and the mysterious Isle of Sgàil (North Atlantic). Each new location is hyper-detailed and packed to the brim with opportunities to discover, characters... Read more: Hitman 2 Now Available on Xbox One

The Visual Storytelling Behind the Spyro Reignited Trilogy on Xbox One

by Josh Nadelberg, Art Director, Toys for Bob Posted on November 13, 2018November 13, 2018

Bringing Spyro the Dragon to life on Xbox One in the Spyro Reignited Trilogy was an incredibly fun project for the art department at Toys for Bob. We wanted to take the opportunity to do more than just give the world and the characters a shiny new coat of paint. We had to literally re-design and build everything (over 100 levels and over 500 characters) from scratch, so while being faithful to the original spirit of the designs was our primary concern, we tried to add a rich new layer of visual storytelling wherever we could to bring even more personality and charm to the world. A great example of this approach can be seen in the 80+ Elder Dragons that Spyro rescues in the first game of... Read more

Xbox Game Pass Gets 16 New Games Including PUBG. Get the Mobile App & $1 Deal Today

by Ashley McKissick, Head of Xbox Game Pass Posted on November 10, 2018November 12, 2018

Today, Microsoft officially brought back X018, a global celebration of all things gaming and especially our fans. With the return of X018, we wanted to ensure that Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft’s monthly gaming membership that delivers the freedom to discover and play over 100 great games including new Xbox exclusives, was front and center, delivering even more awesomeness by bringing you more amazing games. Here’s a rundown of all the Xbox Game Pass news at X018. Xbox Game Pass Catalog of 100+ Games Delivers Heavy Hitters Ahead of Holiday We know that having a diverse catalog of games is important to Xbox Game Pass members so today, we are excited to announce new blockbuster games... Read more

Black Friday Deals: Biggest Black Friday Sale Ever With Lowest Price Yet for Xbox One X, Xbox Game Pass & More

by Larry Hryb, Xbox Live’s Major Nelson Posted on November 10, 2018November 10, 2018

The holidays are almost here, and Xbox is back this year with our biggest Black Friday sale ever There will be loads of deals on Xbox consoles and accessories, Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Live Gold, and must-have games, including the lowest price ever for Xbox One X at $399.99.* We’ve got all of these and more exciting offers for our fans around the world, so get ready to jump in! We’re offering a $100 discount on select Xbox One devices, allowing you to choose between Xbox One X, the most powerful console with immersive true 4K gaming, or Xbox One S, the best value in games and entertainment. Can’t decide what gift to get the gamer in your life this holiday? With Xbox Game Pass, you... Read more

X018: Crackdown 3 Announces Xbox Game Pass Launch on February 15 with Explosive Debut of Wrecking Zone Multiplayer

by Joseph Staten, Senior Creative Director, Crackdown 3 Posted on November 10, 2018November 10, 2018

At X018 – our global celebration of all things Xbox – Commander Jaxon invited all prospective Agents to ‘Step Up Your Boom’ in preparation for Crackdown 3’s worldwide launch with Xbox Game Pass, Xbox One and Windows 10 on February 15, 2019! X018 also saw the debut of Crackdown 3’s all-new multiplayer mode, Wrecking Zone, where environmental destruction is your secret weapon. In Wrecking Zone, two teams of five, hyper-agile Agents tear down the opposition with their superpowered skills and an arsenal of boom-tastic weapons and equipment in fully destructible battle arenas. Microsoft Studios Senior Creative Director Joseph Staten provided an on-air walkthrough of the... Read more

This Week on Xbox: November 9, 2018

by Mike Nelson, Xbox Wire Editor Posted on November 9, 2018November 9, 2018

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! Xbox, Fallout 76 & the Philadelphia 76ers This past weekend, Xbox partnered with publisher Bethesda Softworks and the Philadelphia 76ers to reveal several unique collaborations to celebrate the upcoming launch of Fallout 76 on November 14. Watch... Read more: This Week on Xbox: November 9, 2018

Play the Black Desert Beta Free This Weekend on Xbox One

by Kwangsam Kim, Lead Producer, Black Desert Posted on November 9, 2018November 9, 2018

The journey to bring the fantasy world contained within Black Desert to Xbox One has been a long time in the making. Our team has learned a lot in our own quest to bring this fully-fledged MMORPG to Xbox One, and we’re so excited to offer all our hard work for you to play, available starting today in the Black Desert open beta. Read on to reveal more about the adventure we’ve prepared for each player that steps into Black Desert! Throughout the development of Black Desert, our team strived to make an experience that any player could enjoy and personalize with their own unique expression of themselves. The result is a world where every choice matter and you are allowed the freedom to... Read more

11-11: Memories Retold Launches Ahead of the Centenary of WWI Armistice

by Charles-Arthur Bourget, Product Manager, Bandai Namco Posted on November 9, 2018November 9, 2018

We’re excited to announce that 11-11: Memories Retold is now available worldwide for Xbox One. Created by the DigixArt committed to bringing meaningful gaming experiences to a wide audience and the Bristol-based animation studio Aardman, 11-11: Memories Retold begins in 1916. It is the intertwined story of two characters -- Kurt, a German technician searching for his son, and Harry, a naïve Canadian photographer enticed by the excitement of the war in Europe. They will discover the true realities of war, trying to preserve their humanity on opposite sides in the face of disastrous events. By focusing on the intimate stories of Kurt, Harry, and their animal companions, 11-11... Read more

Next Week on Xbox: New Games for November 13 to 15

by Mike Nelson, Xbox Wire Editor Posted on November 9, 2018November 12, 2018

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

Play Battlefield V Starting Today with EA Access

by Jeff Landa, Writer, Battlefield V Posted on November 9, 2018November 9, 2018

Get ready to enter mankind’s greatest conflict in Battlefield V with a World War II experience unlike any other, taking you to unexpected and previously unseen fronts. If you’re already a series fan you probably know that Battlefield V Deluxe Edition launches on November 15, and the Standard Edition on November 20. But did you know that EA Access subscribers can start playing today on Friday, November 9? Here’s how to start your 10-hour Battlefield V trial before the full game launches later this month. Get EA Access Today An EA Access subscription lets you play EA's best Xbox games as much as you want, exclusively on Xbox One. Subscribers get automatic access to a... Read more

Rock Band 4 Owners Can Play Rivals Expansion for Free Until November 14

by Daniel Sussman, Product Manager, Harmonix Music Systems Posted on November 7, 2018November 7, 2018

If you consider yourself a fan of music, you owe it to yourself to check out Rock Band 4 this week. Starting at 11:00 p.m. PDT on Tuesday, November 6 and running to 8:59 p.m. PDT on Wednesday, November 14, everyone who owns RB4 will have a week of free access to the Rivals expansion. That gives you access to Rockudrama, the hilarious campaign that sets you as the star of your very own live-action rock documentary, 44 free songs exclusive to the Rivals expansion, online Quickplay, and the eponymous Rivals mode, which is where the heart of the action is. As an added bonus for Rock Band 4 players, we’ll run a special one-week challenge that showcases the spirit of Rivals and awards... Read more

Play PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds and Pro Evolution Soccer 2019 Free This Weekend

by Will Tuttle, Xbox Wire Editor in Chief Posted on November 7, 2018November 8, 2018

A great weekend awaits all our customers. Xbox is happy to invite all Xbox Live members without a Gold membership to play online with all their friends for free during our Free Play Days For All event from November 8 to 11 on your Xbox One. This is a great opportunity for players to experience the most popular benefit of an Xbox Live Gold membership: playing together with friends or making new ones on the most reliable and advanced network. Log in now to play with others on a network that delivers as well as you do. Great Games Unlocked for a Limited Time. For this event, we will have two amazing Xbox One games to play for free. We are giving ALL Xbox Live members free access to... Read more

Celebrate X018 with Inside Xbox at FanFest: Mexico City on November 10

by Will Tuttle, Xbox Wire Editor in Chief Posted on November 7, 2018November 7, 2018

Inside Xbox: Live from X018 presents a special two-hour show Saturday, November 10 at 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT on Mixer, Twitch, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. We’ll be celebrating an incredible holiday season for gamers with our biggest episode of Inside Xbox yet, including news, interviews, great deals, and much more. Guests include Head of Xbox Phil Spencer, Head of Microsoft Studios Matt Booty, Minecraft Studio Head Helen Chiang and many, many more. Tune in for games including Crackdown 3, Minecraft, Sea of Thieves, State of Decay 2, Forza Horizon 4 and of course, we’ll have a surprise or two as well. Xbox Game Pass Will we have Xbox Game Pass news? Do we ever! We’ll be... Read more

Surviving Mars’ First Expansion Coming to Xbox One November 15 with a Free Weekend

by Bisser Dyankov, Producer, Surviving Mars Posted on November 6, 2018November 6, 2018

Surviving Mars is certainly not your average console game. Sure, it’s set in a sci-fi future where humans must fight to survive in the arid wastelands of space, but you’ll find that surviving our Mars is more about keeping tabs on your colonists’ mental health than flying spaceships. It’s a city-building game where players lead a colonization effort on behalf of a sponsor back on earth. You must manage resources, research scientific anomalies, and build your own life-supporting dome on the red planet. And now with our first-ever expansion, Space Race, launching on November 15, you’ll have to contend with rival colonies too! Space Race puts you up against other sponsors who... Read more

Warface Gets Battle Royale Mode and a New Raid

by Michael Khaimzon, Creative Director, Warface Posted on November 6, 2018November 6, 2018

Today we would like to take a closer look at the first major update for Warface that is now live on the Xbox One. The update will feature a bunch of new content that includes new maps, a new raid, and most importantly - the long-awaited battle royale mode that we hope will provide Xbox players with an unmatched experience of fast-paced FPS gaming. Let’s take a closer look. First, let’s look at the most important part of the update - the all-new battle royale PvP mode. Today the battle royale mode can be found in almost every shooter. It has become a sort of a common element by which numerous extremely different (gameplay-wise) projects can be compared and measured against each... Read more

Descenders Update Adds New Trick System

by Pip Hoskins, Head of Operations, No More Robots Posted on November 6, 2018November 6, 2018

Pip from publishing label No More Robots here! I'm wheelie excited (sorry) to bring you the latest update about Descenders that will see you pulling sicker runs than ever before – the Trick or Treat Update! Made by Dutch team RageSquid, Descenders is a downhill mountain biking game that sees you bombing across five environments at high speed, from open fields to fiery crags. This new update will see you step up your game with a whole new trick system, as well as a replay feature to capture your best moments from their best angles. The team has been listening to all your feedback, and one of the main things you’ve been screaming for is tricks – we’re talking nac nacs, no... Read more

5 Tips to Becoming the Ultimate Racer in Grip: Combat Racing on Xbox One

by Al Hibberd, Product Manager, Wired Productions Posted on November 6, 2018November 6, 2018

We’re super stoked to be celebrating the release of Grip on Xbox One, available now in the Microsoft Store and for Xbox Game Pass members later today. For those of you who don’t know the game yet, it’s a hardcore combat racer harking back to the arcade games of the early 2000s – most importantly though, it’s fast… really fast… with cars reaching above and beyond the speed of sound! Traveling at this sort of speed the race can be won or lost in an instant, you’ve gotta have all of your wits about you, making split-second decisions whilst reacting to the terrain and the other racers around you. To help with this we’ve prepared our top 5 tips to help you reach the top in... Read more

Let the Battle Begin with the Beat ‘em Up Shoot ‘em Up Sale

by Tao Sila, Global Product Marketing Manager, ID@Xbox Posted on November 6, 2018November 6, 2018

From the dawn of (video game) time there has always been a desire for one gamer to beat another. And with it a satisfaction that comes from knowing you defeated your friend in battle. The ID@Xbox team has harnessed this carnal pleasure and funneled it into discounting 50 of our favorite brawler and shooter games. From now through November 12 you can save up to 70% in the Beat ‘em Up Shoot ‘em Up Sale. Brawlout (50% off) With online play and couch co-op support, as well as a large roster full of characters each with their own unique style of play, Brawlout effectively blends platform and traditional fighting gameplay into a stylish, aerobatic game the whole family can enjoy, but is a... Read more

Fortuna: Journey into the Heart of Warframe’s Next Open World

by Douglass Perry, PR Director, Digital Extremes Posted on November 6, 2018November 6, 2018

Whether you’re new to Warframe or a grizzled veteran, the upcoming expansion, Fortuna, has probably crossed your Twitter feed once or twice -- something-something Venus, blah-blah hoverboards...giant mechanical spiders. Yes, that’s us! We introduced the new open-world landscape of Fortuna at our annual Warframe convention, TennoCon, this summer to a roar of excitement and positive crowd response, and since then our team has been working triple time to make it ready for Tenno around the world. In real life, Venus is a totally uninhabitable, stormy, toxic, cloud-covered planet, on which no human spacecraft has successfully landed. In Warframe, Venus is the planet where you’ll find... Read more

adidas Digital 6 Jerseys Available Now in NHL 19

by Mitchell South, NHL Writer, EA Sports Posted on November 5, 2018November 5, 2018

EA Sports NHL 19 and adidas have teamed up to create something special for hockey fans, with unique Digital 6 jerseys being introduced in-game. Methodically created to honor the Original Six NHL teams, these designs are fashioned with the history of each city in mind. Learn more about each of these innovative jersey designs below and how to get them first in-game. Boston Bruins With the fighting spirit of a bear and a storied history that has defined their legacy, the Digital 6 jersey for the Boston Bruins pays homage to the league’s first American team. The seven stripes and 13 stars surrounding their prominent logo represents the country's original 13 colonies, honoring the... Read more

Xbox, Fallout 76 & the Philadelphia 76ers

by Joshua Chen, Xbox Games Marketing Posted on November 5, 2018November 5, 2018

This past weekend, Xbox partnered with publisher Bethesda Softworks and the Philadelphia 76ers to reveal several unique collaborations to celebrate the upcoming launch of Fallout 76 on November 14. Watch the highlight reel above and keep reading to learn more about the Vault Suit walk-in, custom player kits, “Radioactive Edition” jerseys, a Markelle Fultz & Mascot video series, and more. Vault Suit Walk-in: As seen in the highlight reel and on Instagram, Markelle Fultz made a grand entrance to the 76ers game versus the Detroit Pistons on Saturday, November 3, donning a custom-made Vault Suit. Vault Dwellers, beware, Markelle will see you in the wasteland. Game Takeover:... Read more