Events Archives - Xbox Wire

Xbox Game Pass and Spotify Team Up to Deliver the Ultimate Value in Gaming and Music

by Will Tuttle, Xbox Wire Editor in Chief Posted on October 1, 2019October 2, 2019

Everyone has a favorite gaming song. Say you’ve got iconic video game music playing while you’re hunting the elusive side-quests, or you’ve got another jam playing to keep you amped while you and your buddies decide where you’re going to drop – either way, listen to what makes your gaming more fun, and we’re going to make that even better. Starting today and for a limited time only, gamers in the U.S. and U.K who join Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or Xbox Game Pass for PC (Beta) for the first time will also receive 6 months of Spotify Premium. With all the benefits of Xbox Live Gold, access to a curated library of over 100 great games on console and PC, and millions of songs... Read more

Bound by Blood: Gears 5 Now Available Worldwide

by Will Tuttle, Xbox Wire Editor-in-Chief Posted on September 10, 2019September 10, 2019

Today, we welcome Gears 5 fans to Sera as Gears 5 officially releases around the world. Gears 5’s Early Access period began on Thursday at 9pm local time and has been has been a hit with critics, who have describe the game as “a spectacular return to form” and "the best Gears of War game yet." In addition to buying the standard edition, you can also play it now with Xbox Game Pass. If you haven't already joined Xbox Game Pass, you get your first two months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for $2 (and if you are already an Xbox Game Pass for Console or Xbox Live Gold member, you can also upgrade your existing pre-paid months and still get two months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for... Read more

Celebrating the Minecraft Community at MINECON Live

by Saxs Persson, Creative Director at Minecraft Posted on September 28, 2019September 30, 2019

Last month, more than 112 million people played Minecraft around the world. The size and passion of the Minecraft community continues to amaze us, and more importantly, inspires us to give players new and interesting ways to play the game that brings us all together. Each year at MINECON Live, we look forward to giving the community a peek into what’s new, what’s happening behind the scenes, and what’s to come in the months ahead. Updates on Minecraft Earth Some of what we shared today is about Minecraft Earth – a free-to-play mobile game that blends state-of-the-art technology with a new version of Minecraft built on the Bedrock engine. It’s a game that first got its... Read more

The Forza Racing Championship Invitational Series Kicks Off on Saturday

by Jacob Norwood, Community Manager for ForzaRC Posted on September 20, 2019September 20, 2019

We are one day away from the start of the most exciting season of Forza Racing Championship yet. That means it’s time to drop some last-minute details about how the ForzaRC Invitational Series 2019 is going to play out. This season is all about teams – three drivers and a coach. The decision to move to a teams format was a huge one, and we knew it would open the doors to a whole new level of competition. Being the fastest racer on the field is no longer a guarantee of victory, and everything you think you know about these drivers and teams can change in an instant. First off, we’ll be hosting six weeks of online competition. Here’s the structure of each match and round: ... Read more

Gears 5 Rockstar Energy Vending Machine Tour

by Joshua Chen, Xbox Games Marketing Posted on August 30, 2019September 7, 2019

Starting today, The Coalition and Rockstar Energy are teaming up to reward Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members with free Gears 5 Collector’s Edition Rockstar Energy cans and exclusive giveaways as part of the Gears 5 Rockstar Energy Vending Machine Tour. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members, who can play the Gears 5 Ultimate Edition four days early on September 6th, simply need to visit one of the Luke Preece designed Vending Machines to enter their Xbox Live Gamertag and claim their prize. Each vending machine features original Kait inspired art from the Rockstar Collector’s Can Set. In addition, the first Xbox Game Pass Ultimate member to visit a Rockstar Vending Machine in each city will... Read more

gamescom: Gears 5 Debuts Campaign Story Trailer, Named “Best Xbox One Game”

by Will Tuttle, Xbox Wire Editor-in-Chief Posted on August 19, 2019August 19, 2019

Today, Xbox welcomed fans to the start of Europe’s biggest gaming show by taking part in gamescom: Opening Night Live. Rod Fergusson, Studio Head of The Coalition, joined host Geoff Keighley to present the worldwide debut of the Gears 5 Campaign Story Trailer, titled “Kait, Unleashed.” The trailer, set to the critically acclaimed industrial rock song “Head like a Hole” by Nine Inch Nails, features the first in-depth look at the next chapter of the Gears saga. War has come to Sera, and in its midst Kait Diaz struggles with a personal journey to uncover her mysterious connection to the enemy. While her squad struggles to fight the Swarm, she must face the dark truth that the most... Read more

The ID@Xbox Open House Returns on August 29

by Lisa Trott, ID@Xbox Community Manager Posted on August 13, 2019August 19, 2019

We’re calibrating our TVs and charging our controllers as we get ready to host you at our home in Redmond, Washington for an afternoon of games (lots), fun (also lots) and much, much more for our sixth annual ID@Xbox Open House on August 29 from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. PT. Over 50 hand-picked gaming gems from a global roster of independent developers will be joining us, including 13 new announcements, and every-single-one will be playable. We’re bringing you a whole host of diverse, game-centric content and activities - not to mention some of the extended Xbox family will join the festivities too! Here’s what to expect: Talk to the independent developers bringing their games to... Read more

Tune-In Tomorrow to the ELEAGUE Gears Summer Series: The Bonds and Betrayals of Brotherhood Finale

by Rose Gunson, Esports Creative Program Manager, The Coalition Posted on August 1, 2019August 1, 2019

Tomorrow night, ELEAGUE Gears Summer Series: The Bonds and Betrayals of Brotherhood concludes on TBS with the sixth and final episode of the docu series focused on the stories and players behind the world of Gears Esports. If you’d like to catch up with the entire series of The Bonds and Betrayals of Brotherhood ahead of the finale, you can watch all five aired episodes through VOD on the Gears Esports website. Stemming from Xbox’s partnership with ELEAGUE, the six-part docu series focused on the stories and players behind the world of Gears Esports on TBS, the ELEAGUE Gears Summer Invitational was held three weeks ago, crowning Tox Gaming as the inaugural champions of the first... Read more

QuakeCon 2019: Celebrate with New Releases, Updates, Sales, and More

by Parker Wilhelm, Associate PR/Marketing Manager, Bethesda Softworks Posted on July 26, 2019July 26, 2019

Pull up your comfiest chair, grab some snacks and check your connection settings – QuakeCon 2019: Year of Doom is underway! Even if you can’t attend the QuakeCon festivities in person, you can still celebrate North America’s biggest LAN party with new releases on Xbox One, sales on Bethesda titles, fresh details on Doom Eternal and more. Wolfenstein: Youngblood – Out Now The time has come to liberate Paris in Wolfenstein: Youngblood – available now on Xbox One. Join Jess and Soph, twin daughters of legendary Nazi killer BJ Blazkowicz, as they fight together to find their father and save an alternate history 1980s Paris from Nazi occupation. Fighting for freedom is... Read more

Basketball Superstar Anthony Davis Unveils the Xbox One X NBA 2K20 Special Edition Bundle

by Jeff Gattis, General Manager of Platform and Devices Marketing Posted on July 16, 2019July 16, 2019

Today in Los Angeles, California, in partnership with 2K, basketball superstar and this year’s NBA 2K20 cover athlete Anthony Davis unveiled three new Xbox One NBA 2K20 Bundles available for pre-order today and hitting store shelves starting September 6. With these new Xbox One NBA 2K20 Bundles, gamers can experience what’s next in basketball culture and hit the court as their favorite athletes just in time for them to face off IRL in the upcoming regular season kicking off in October. In addition to a standard edition Xbox One X NBA 2K20 Bundle ($499 USD) and Xbox One S NBA 2K20 Bundle ($299 USD), Davis – the newest power forward for the iconic Lakers – showed off the latest... Read more

All the Details for Gears of War at San Diego Comic-Con

by Jerry Chu, Director of Licensing, The Coalition Posted on July 8, 2019July 8, 2019

With Gears Pop! and Gears 5 releasing this year, join the developers and minds behind the Gears of War Universe as they discuss the past, present, and future of this storied franchise at San Diego Comic-Con on Thursday, July 18th from 1:00 p.m. PST – 2:00 p.m. PST in Room 5AB. Studio Head Rod Fergusson (The Coalition) along with editor Steve Saffel (Gears of War: Ascendance, Titan Books), author Jason M. Hough (Gears of War: Ascendance, Titan Books), editor Chase Marotz (Gears of War: Hivebusters, IDW Publishing), and author Arthur Gies (Gears of War: Retrospective, Udon Entertainment) share their views on the Gears Franchise. The panelists will discuss their approach to storytelling and... Read more

Tune-in Today to ELEAGUE Gears Summer Series: The Bonds and Betrayals of Brotherhood: Episode 4

by Rose Gunson, Esports Creative Program Manager, The Coalition Posted on July 5, 2019July 5, 2019

Stemming from Xbox’s partnership with ELEAGUE, the six-part docu series focused on the stories and players behind the world of Gears Esports on TBS aired its third episode last week. In Episode 3 of The Bonds & Betrayals of Brotherhood, the series dove into what it takes to be the most successful team in esports history. The episode focused on Gilbert “Xplosive” Rojo’s, the in-game leader of Optic Gaming’s Gears of War team, who has over 17 trophies to his name and a nearly undefeated record of success in the Gears Esports scene. The episode proved the value of strong leadership and consistency, as the rest of the series’ primary professional Gears of War players... Read more

Gears 5 Versus Multiplayer Tech Test Kicks off on July 17

by Dana Sissons, Director of Communications, The Coalition Posted on July 5, 2019July 12, 2019

At E3, we unveiled a brand new way to fight the Swarm in Gears 5: Escape. We wanted to show how we’re pushing the envelope by doing new things never seen in a Gears game before, and that throughout the summer, we’ll reveal more about Gears 5 ahead of its September 10 release. We said that we’d talk more about the Versus Multiplayer Technical Test in July, and today we’re happy to provide more details on how you can be among the first to play Gears 5 and help create the future of Versus multiplayer. Multiplayer fans of all types can enjoy these weekend test sessions, as you’ll get to play Escalation (our updated competitive gametype) along with Arcade (a new and approachable... Read more

“Imagine Dragons’” Dan Reynolds to Compete in LOVELOUD Xbox Game Pass Challenge for LGBTQ+ Charities

by Aaron Greenberg, GM of Games Marketing Posted on June 27, 2019June 27, 2019

You may know Dan Reynolds best for commanding the stage as the lead singer of “Imagine Dragons,” but he is also a passionate advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. In 2017, Dan founded the LOVELOUD Foundation to help ignite and progress the relevant and vital conversation of what it means to unconditionally love, understand, accept, and support LGBTQ+ youth in an effort to keep families together. To celebrate individuality and convene communities in support of LGBTQ+ youth, LOVELOUD hosts the annual LOVELOUD Festival Powered by AT&T, featuring a showstopping lineup of musical guests and inspiring speakers. For the second year in a row, Xbox is honored to partner with LOVELOUD and... Read more

E3 2019: Tune-In Tomorrow to ELEAGUE Gears Summer Series: The Bonds and Betrayals of Brotherhood

by Rose Gunson, Esports Creative Program Manager, The Coalition Posted on June 13, 2019June 17, 2019

Last month, Xbox and ELEAGUE announced the “ELEAGUE Gears Summer Series: The Bonds and Betrayals of Brotherhood” – a six-part event series focused on the stories and players behind the world of Gears Esports. During our special E3 Edition of Inside Xbox on June 10, we teased the show with a two-minute trailer. If this left you wanting more, you’re in luck! The first episode will debut on TBS tomorrow, Friday, June 14, at 11 pm ET/8 pm PT. With one-hour long episodes, the series will provide an unprecedented look into the uniquely passionate world of Gears Esports through the lens of six of the most well-known professional players, including Gilbert ‘Xplosive’ Rojo... Read more

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Play it Now: Forza Horizon 4 LEGO Speed Champions

by Mike Brown, Principal Game Designer, Playground Games Posted on June 13, 2019June 13, 2019

Forza Horizon 4 LEGO Speed Champions is now available! In this all-new expansion for Forza Horizon 4 you are invited to explore a LEGO themed world, with full seasonal changes. You’ll complete LEGO Brick Challenges, build and race amazing new LEGO Speed Champions cars including the McLaren Senna, the Ferrari F40 Competizione, and the 1967 Mini Cooper S Rally. You can explore an entire LEGO city, stunt park, crashed UFO site, pirate’s cove, speedway and a dinosaur graveyard. For more information on Forza Horizon 4 LEGO Speed Champions be sure to check out the recent announcement. Forza Horizon 4 LEGO Speed Champions is available on Xbox One and Windows 10 PCs for $19.99 and is... Read more

E3 2019: Rahul Kohli of “iZombie” Joins Cast of Gears 5

by Bonnie Jean Mah, Franchise Narrative Lead, The Coalition Posted on June 11, 2019June 13, 2019

Sunday’s Xbox E3 2019 Briefing was packed with Gears 5 news, including a partnership with the film "Terminator Dark Fate," the unveiling of Escape mode, and the announcement that Gears 5 will be available for Ultimate Edition owners and with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members starting September 6, with a worldwide launch on September 10. Today’s Gears 5 panel at the E3 Coliseum hosted by WWE Superstar Austin Creed brought one more surprise to Gears fans, as Rahul Kohli joined Rod Fergusson and the rest of the Gears 5 cast on stage to announce that he’s joining the Gears 5 family. Kohli, known to fans of "iZombie" as Dr. Ravi Chakrabarti, steps into Gears 5 as the charismatic and... Read more

E3 2019: Xbox and Rockstar Energy Drink Unveil Largest Fan Promotion for Gears 5

by Will Tuttle, Xbox Wire Editor in Chief Posted on June 11, 2019June 11, 2019

Today, Rockstar Energy Drink and Xbox unveiled plans to launch the largest fan inspired game promotion to date in support of the upcoming Gears 5 release. The program will be coming to the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, and Mexico. The Can Collection will feature six original designs from UK-based illustrator Luke Preece. The first design -- inspired by Gears 5, all-new "Escape" mode -- was unveiled at the annual Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles. Five additional designs will be announced in the lead-up to the launch of Gears 5 late this summer (September 10), each inspired by a different aspect or character from the upcoming game. On-Can Code activated... Read more

Everything We Announced at the Xbox E3 2019 Briefing

by Will Tuttle, Xbox Wire Editor in Chief Posted on June 9, 2019June 27, 2019

Today, Xbox showcased a blockbuster lineup of 60 anticipated games for both console and PC in its Xbox E3 Briefing and shared a glimpse of the future with Project Scarlett, which launches alongside Halo Infinite in 2020. Headlined by the biggest game of 2019, Gears 5, along with over 30 games premiering with Xbox Game Pass, the Xbox E3 Briefing delivered 11 world premieres and a record 14 games from Xbox Game Studios, which will soon include legendary game development studio Double Fine Productions. “It’s great to celebrate with our incredible fans and show how we are delivering against our vision to empower gamers to play the games they want, with the friends they want, wherever... Read more

Register Now for the Girls Make Games Summer Camp at Xbox

by Jessie Thomas, Xbox Researcher for 343 Industries Posted on June 4, 2019June 4, 2019

Launched in 2014, Girls Make Games provides a service that’s near and dear to our hearts here at Xbox: inspiring the next generation of designers, creators, and engineers to change the world. As an organization, Girls Make Games aims to increase gender diversity in the both the video game industry and in STEM fields. To that end, the team offers a series of summer camps, workshops and game jams that have reached over 6,000 girls in 52 cities worldwide, and they’re growing every year. We are very proud to have been supporting them from the start, and we’re even more excited to share that we’ll be hosting another camp on the Xbox campus this summer. The camp will run from July 8... Read more

Microsoft Celebrates Pride