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:

• Three races in a match
• Two matches every week
• Two weeks make up one round

Let’s look at Round 1 of competition:

For this season, racing will be multiclass, meaning a mix of cars in each race, which teams must build within the week between shows, with one car from every division represented by each team.

In week 1, every team must have a car from the ForzaGT, HyperCar and ExoticGT divisons.

The tracks for Week 1 are:

1. Circuit De Catalunya Grand Prix Circuit
2. Silverstone Racing Circuit Grand Prix Circuit
3. Hockenheimring Full Circuit

Week 1 will see races between:

1. Ryze Motorsport
2. Williams Esports
3. Lazarus
4. Fast Racers Forza

Followed by:

5. Team Highlands Racing
6. Red Bull Racing
7. Raging Dragons Esports
8. the winner of Match 1

The winner of the first match will progress to the second, and so on, accumulating points as they race. Points are calculated based on finishing position, with points lost for any penalties accrued during the race. Points are cumulative across rounds, determining who makes it to the finals, and who has one last chance to qualify in the final week of online competition.

Once seven teams qualify for the finals, and an eighth team emerges from the Last Chance Qualifiers, the action moves to our live Finals hosted in Burbank, California.

There’s a lot of new stuff in this season, which guarantees it will be unlike any other ForzaRC in history, and an esports competition that raises the bar for competitive racing.

Will the heavy hitters dominate, or will smaller teams better navigate the new format?

Will drivers and coaches be able to cooperate, or will solo driving instincts kick in?

Who will excel in building cars to spec, and who will struggle to get it just right?

We can’t wait for this season to begin. We’re unbelievably excited to see how this Series plays out. And we hope that you’ll join us for every minute of the action, starting at 10 a.m. PDT on Sept. 21 at mixer.com/forza and twitch.tv/forza.

See you there!

System Update Details:

• OS version released: 19H1_RELEASE_XBOX_DEV_1910\18363.7172.190918-1945
• Available: 2:00 p.m. PT – September 20, 2019
• Mandatory: 3:00 a.m. PT – September 21, 2019

NEW FEATURES:

Today we will be enabling this new feature for flighting:

Wish List Notifications

We’re so happy to see everyone enjoying the Wish List feature on the Microsoft Store! The October update is adding more to this feature, starting with notifications that alert users when an item in their Wish List has a price discount. We know how exciting it is when a game you want goes on sale. The new Wish List notifications will make sure you never miss a great deal.

Fixes for Beta

We’ve heard your feedback, and we’re happy to announce the following fixes have been implemented for this 1910 build:

Accessibility

• Various improvements to Narrator function in Guide.

Guide

• Fixed an issue where the Friends list was not displaying the correct online status.

YouTube App

• Fixed an issue where the app would not launch unless uninstalled and re-installed.

System

• Various updates to properly reflect local languages across the console.

Known Issues for Beta

The data we’ve collected from your reports have helped us work with Xbox engineers who are investigating the issues below. We understand some issues have been listed in previous Xbox Insider Release Notes. If you have one of the below experiences, these issues aren’t being ignored, but it will take Xbox engineers more time to find a solution. We appreciate your patience at this time!

Audio

• Users who have Dolby Atmos enabled and console display settings set to 120hz with 36 bits per pixel (12-bit) are experiencing loss of Dolby Atmos audio in some situations.
  • Workaround: Disable 120hz or set Video Fidelity to 30 bits per pixel (10-bit) or lower.

Dolby Access

• Users are unable to complete the setup for Dolby Atmos in the app and the app is not recognizing Dolby Atmos headphones.
  • Note: This is an issue with the Dolby Access app and the app developers are aware and investigating.

Profile Color

• Sometimes users may encounter the incorrect Profile color when powering on the console.

Not seeing your issue listed? Make sure to use Report a problem to keep us informed of your issue. We may not be able to respond to everyone, but the data we’ll gather is crucial to finding a resolution.

Learn more about feedback and how each ring is differentiated in the following links:

• All About Xbox Insider Preview Rings
• Where Does Your Feedback Go?
• Xbox Insider Program FAQ

For more information regarding the Xbox Insider Program follow us on Twitter and join the community subreddit for support and updates. Keep an eye on future Xbox Insider Release Notes for more information regarding your Xbox One Update Preview ring!

System Update Details:

• OS version released: 19H1_RELEASE_XBOX_DEV_1911\18363.8040.190916-1945
• Available: 2:00 p.m. PT – September 20, 2019
• Mandatory: 3:00 a.m. PT – September 21, 2019

Fixes for Alpha

We’ve heard your feedback, and we’re happy to announce the following fixes have been implemented for this 1911 build:

Guide

• Fixed an issue where the Friends list was not displaying the correct online status.

System

• Additional fixes for issues where the console are shutting down unexpectedly while playing games and using media apps such as Netflix.
  • Note: If for some reason you experience this behavior after today’s update, make sure to submit a report from the console as soon as it has rebooted.

• Various updates to properly reflect local languages across the console.

Known Issues for Alpha

The data we’ve collected from your reports have helped us work with Xbox engineers who are investigating the issues below. We understand some issues have been listed in previous Xbox Insider Release Notes. If you have one of the below experiences, these issues aren’t being ignored, but it will take Xbox engineers more time to find a solution. We appreciate your patience at this time!

Audio

• Users who have Dolby Atmos enabled and console display settings set to 120hz with 36 bits per pixel (12-bit) are experiencing loss of Dolby Atmos audio in some situations.
  • Workaround: Disable 120hz or set Video Fidelity to 30 bits per pixel (10-bit) or lower.

Dolby Access

• Users are unable to complete the setup for Dolby Atmos in the app and the app is not recognizing Dolby Atmos headphones.
  • Note: This is an issue with the Dolby Access app and the app developers are aware and investigating.

System

• Some users have reported the console shutting down unexpectedly while using Netflix.
  • Note: The console may take longer to reboot/shut down than normal. This is expected behavior, please do not power off the console manually.  There is essential information being collected to investigate the cause of the issue.

• Some users have reported the console shutting down while playing games.
  • Note: The console may take longer to reboot/shut down than normal. This is expected behavior, please do not power off the console manually.  There is essential information being collected to investigate the cause of the issue.

YouTube App

• Sometimes users may encounter an error on launch of the YouTube app.
  • Workaround: Uninstall and reinstall the app as a workaround while we investigate.

Profile Color

• Sometimes users may encounter the incorrect Profile color when powering on the console.

Not seeing your issue listed? Make sure to use Report a problem to keep us informed of your issue. We may not be able to respond to everyone, but the data we’ll gather is crucial to finding a resolution.

Learn more about feedback and how each ring is differentiated in the following links:

• All About Xbox Insider Preview Rings
• Where Does Your Feedback Go?
• Xbox Insider Program FAQ

For more information regarding the Xbox Insider Program follow us on Twitter and join the community subreddit for support and updates. Keep an eye on future Xbox Insider Release Notes for more information regarding your Xbox One Update Preview ring!

System Update Details:

• OS version released: RS_XBOX_RELEASE_2004\18987.1200.190918-1920
• Available: 2:00 p.m. PT – September 20, 2019
• Mandatory: 3:00 a.m. PT – September 21, 2019

Fixes for Alpha Skip Ahead

We’ve heard your feedback, and we’re happy to announce the following fixes have been implemented for this 2004 build:

Guide

• Fixed an issue where the Friends list was not displaying the correct online status.

Mixer Broadcasting

• USB webcams should now be recognized when attempting to broadcast.

System

• Various updates to properly reflect local languages across the console.

USB Keyboard

• Fixed an issue where the Razer Turret keyboard was not recognized by the console when connected.

YouTube App

• Fixed an issue where the app would not launch unless uninstalled and re-installed.

Known Issues for Alpha Skip Ahead

The data we’ve collected from your reports have helped us work with Xbox engineers who are investigating the issues below. We understand some issues have been listed in previous Xbox Insider Release Notes. If you have one of the below experiences, these issues aren’t being ignored, but it will take Xbox engineers more time to find a solution. We appreciate your patience at this time!

Audio

• Users who have Dolby Atmos enabled and console display settings set to 120hz with 36 bits per pixel (12-bit) are experiencing loss of Dolby Atmos audio in some situations.
  • Workaround: Disable 120hz or set Video Fidelity to 30 bits per pixel (10-bit) or lower.

Dolby Access

• Users are unable to complete the setup for Dolby Atmos in the app and the app is not recognizing Dolby Atmos headphones
  • Note: This is an issue with the Dolby Access app and the app developers are aware and investigating.

My Games & Apps

• Users have reported seeing an “Xbox Events” app in their collection.
  • Note: This app will be used to experiment with a new Events experience to showcase in-game events. We’ll have more to share when the feature is ready for Preview.

Sign in

• We are tracking an issue in which some users may be prompted for their password or PIN even if they have the option to not prompt.
  • Workaround: Perform a cold boot of the console.

System

• Some users are reporting that HDR is not working with games/apps on the console.
  • Workaround: Restart the console to get HDR working again.
• Some users have reported the console shutting down unexpectedly while using Netflix.
  • Note: The console may take longer to reboot/shut down than normal. This is expected behavior, please do not power off the console manually.  There is essential information being collected to investigate the cause of the issue.
• Some users have reported the console shutting down while playing games.
  • Note: The console may take longer to reboot/shut down than normal. This is expected behavior, please do not power off the console manually.  There is essential information being collected to investigate the cause of the issue.

Wireless Networking

• Users have reported that the console is losing their wireless network settings when the console is updated.

Profile Color

• Sometimes users may encounter the incorrect Profile color when powering on the console.

Not seeing your issue listed? Make sure to use Report a problem to keep us informed of your issue. We may not be able to respond to everyone, but the data we’ll gather is crucial to finding a resolution.

Learn more about feedback and how each ring is differentiated in the following links:

• All About Xbox Insider Preview Rings
• Where Does Your Feedback Go?
• Xbox Insider Program FAQ

For more information regarding the Xbox Insider Program follow us on Twitter and join the community subreddit for support and updates. Keep an eye on future Xbox Insider Release Notes for more information regarding your Xbox One Update Preview ring!

DETAILS:

• OS version released: 19H1_RELEASE_XBOX_DEV_1910\18363.7168.190916-1945
• Available: 2:00 p.m. PST – September 20, 2019
• Mandatory: 3:00 a.m. PST – September 21, 2019

FIXES:

Accessibility

• Fixed an issue with the power menu not displaying correctly with Light Theme enabled.
• Various fixes to Narrator when reading content on the console.
• Fixed an issue where the narrator would not read some items in the Gamerscore Leaderboard.

Games

• Fixed an issue where declining a game’s request for permissions can cause the prompt to appear repeatedly.

Guide

• Fixed an issue where the Guide would show a game installing when it has been cancelled.

My Games & Apps

• Fixed and issue where some users were not seeing games appear in Ready to Install.
• Various improvements while navigating collections.

System – Controller

• A new version of controller firmware (4.8.1908.0) has been released for certain controller models.  Users may be prompted to update the controller automatically when it is connected to the console. You can also go to Settings>Devices & streaming> Accessories with the controller connected, then select the ellipsis button to see if a firmware update is available.
  • Changes in this firmware include:
    •       Reliability improvements for wireless connectivity on console.
    •       Improvements to Bluetooth pairing.
    •       Nexus behavior changes over Bluetooth on Android.

System

• Fixes for issues where the console are shutting down unexpectedly while playing games and using media apps such as Netflix.
  • Note: If for some reason you experience this behavior after today’s update, make sure to submit a report from the console as soon as it has rebooted.
• Fixes to the console setup process when selecting to Apply account settings.
• Fixed an issue when manually closing games and apps via the menu.
• Various updates to properly reflect local languages across the console.

KNOWN ISSUES:

Audio

• Users who have Dolby Atmos enabled and console display settings set to 120hz with 36 bits per pixel (12-bit) are experiencing loss of Dolby Atmos audio in some situations.
  • Workaround: Disable 120hz or set Video Fidelity to 30 bits per pixel (10-bit) or lower.

Dolby Access

• Users are unable to complete the setup for Dolby Atmos in the app and the app is not recognizing Dolby Atmos headphones.
  • Note: This is an issue with the Dolby Access app and the app developers are aware and investigating.

Guide

• Users are reporting that their Friends list is not updating with correct status.

Profile Color

• Sometimes users may encounter the incorrect Profile color when powering on the console.

This title’s “Arrow-Time” tactical combat mechanics afford players a variety of skills and abilities. Take down enemies by slowing or pausing time; position your party advantageously, and you’ll set off a chain of spells and attacks to counter your enemies! Each level is played like a puzzle, and this game allows players a chance to find the playstyle and difficulty that works best for them. Event Horizon want you to delve as far as you can to test out the new features for Xbox One.

How to Participate: 

1. Sign-in and launch the Xbox Insider Hub on Xbox One (or install the Xbox Insider Hub from the Store first if needed).
2. Navigate to Insider content > Tower of Time.
3. Select Join.
4. Wait until the registration completes to be redirected to the Store and install Tower of Time!

Tower of Time Beta Availability: 

• Begins: September 20, 2019 – 10 a.m. PT
• Ends: October 7, 2019 – 10 a.m. PT

This beta’s features include an updated control system, tutorial, and difficulty balancing. If you encounter any issues while playing, please submit feedback via “Report a problem:”

• Press and hold the Xbox button on your controller
• Select Report a problem
• Choose Add a new problem
• Select games for your category, then Tower of Time
• Include details of your issue, with screenshots or clips, if applicable

Want to keep up with Event Horizon and Tower of Time news? Follow them on Twitter. Keep up with everything ID@Xbox so you know what the next big game will be:

• Check out what ID@Xbox has to offer on their website.
• Keep up with ID@Xbox news on their blog.
• Follow ID@Xbox on Twitter for up-to-date announcements.

For more information on the Xbox Insider Program: follow us on Twitter at @XboxInsider and this blog for release notes, announcements and more. And feel free to interact with the community on the Xbox Insider subreddit.

The game mixes steampunk with frozen postapocalyptic setting and the player’s goal is to build and reign the last city on Earth. Heat means survival so the generator is the life-saving heart of our society. Radial shapes surrounding it have been established to be a pretty important factor of Frostpunk design process. Let me go a bit more into details.

The basic idea was to have a large, circular crater with a center-placed steam generating machine on the frozen-to-the-bone ground. Buildings are growing around the generator in circles too, streets are circular, and we got radial heat areas around the generator (heat is life in this game) so radial-based UI of Frostpunk: Console Edition, which was built from a scratch, is a very natural extension of the design philosophy behind the game itself.

We build a solid part of the UI around the circles. Command Hub, the main “area” of the menu screens, is a circle with a few smaller ones placed on its perimeter. Those lead you to the other tabs like City Info, a panel with essential information about the state of your society, or building options.

All building categories are also put onto circles and serve as separate sub-menus. Like for example healthcare facilities, coal-related constructions or the ones serving people’s needs like tents and bunkhouses. Players can easily and intuitively navigate between them and have all the essential options at a reach of their thumbs.

That was especially important while bringing a game from that genre to consoles. While re-designing those elements we not only make a complex strategy a smoothly playable experience on the console but embrace consistency of radial design that lays at the foundations of Frostpunk. We’re honestly proud of what we’re achieving with console adaptation of our game. You will be able to build the radial city in the frozen wastelands yourself too already on the October 11!

Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition is a unique action platformer that combines deep Metroidvania style gameplay with emotional storytelling. The game tells the story of Ori who is on a quest of self-identity, sacrifice and perseverance, all while solving the mysteries of a dying forest and escaping the clutches of Kuro, the dark owl.

Whether you are discovering Naru’s past for the first time, or revisiting the forest of Nibel on Xbox or PC, we’re thrilled to have you be a part of the Ori community. We can’t wait for you to enjoy Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition on Nintendo Switch!

A quick recap in case you haven’t heard about our game: In Afterparty, you play as two recently deceased best friends, Milo and Lola, about to be “processed” for an eternity in Hell. But they learn of a nigh impossible technicality: anybody who can outdrink Satan is granted re-entry to Earth. Time to pub-crawl through Hell.

I can’t think of too many games like it, but if I had to compare Afterparty to other media, I’d say it’s got elements of “Bill & Ted,” “Beetlejuice,” and “Rick and Morty.” But truly it’s its own ridiculous world, and every player’s experience will be different.

I’m hyped about bringing our next project to Xbox, and Xbox Game Pass in particular, as the service has been a huge shift for how players find, play, and get lost in Night School Studio’s games. With Afterparty, we’ve created something that feels like kicking back for the weekend and starring in your own binge-able adult animated show like “Rick and Morty,” which makes it a perfect fit for the service.

As a team who cares about making something uniquely “us,” with a super-specific voice, so much of the challenge for our crew is making sure we can find our audience. But it was truly eye opening when we made our last game, Oxenfree, available with Xbox Game Pass, because a whole new audience found us.

At Night School Studio, our mission is to make games that let you control a narrative in ways that you haven’t seen anywhere else. For our debut, Oxenfree, we created a dialogue and movement system that ensured you never had to watch a cut-scene. Everything that the lead character, Alex, said or did was an extension of the player in real time. In Afterparty, we’ve pumped that system full of new possibilities.

You’ll control two characters, Milo and Lola, for a reason. We want to explore not only the upside of long-term friendship, but the pitfalls of knowing too much about each other. The game will pay close attention to how you shape *your* Milo and Lola; who you relate to more, whose plans you follow through with, and ultimately how you navigate the benefits and compromises of their friendship. By the end of the game, their relationship will be completely formed by your choices, and subsequent playthroughs will yield wildly different results.

Whereas our last game, Oxenfree, had a unifying dilemma that the whole cast was trying to overcome, the situations in Afterparty reflect a much larger cast with their own unique problems. Filling the game with all these characters and stories meant we had to design the narrative more like a season of a show.

Every bar or street corner can lead to another set of strange characters who can help Milo and Lola on their greater journey, and the order in which you take on the story will have a huge impact later in the game. Don’t give your number to a demon if you don’t want them texting you later that night, or maybe they can come help you when your luck’s running out?

As communication is a central ability for Milo and Lola, we’ve created a system to let you customize how your characters might speak – booze. There are over 30 hellish-themed drinks to pound throughout the game, each providing a different type of personality boost.

Think of it like equipping a weapon, but for your words… every bar has a few different drinks that, once imbibed, give extra dialogue choices. Want to talk like a raging psycho? Order a Global Extinction. Fancy some vaudevillian flair? Grab a Great Exhibitionist. Don’t even ask what a Jeffery Bomber does.

Hell’s bars are also full of activities. It wouldn’t be a night on the town if you didn’t get a chance to compete in games against the weirdos you meet. Beer pong, dance-offs, and shot stacking competitions will pop up when you least expect them, and they aren’t just sectioned-off minigames. These pub activities are interwoven with the game’s dialogue system, so you can trash talk, push the story in new directions, and branch the narrative based on not only your words but your actions.

By the end of the night, you’ll have created your own story arc for Milo and Lola. Will they escape Hell? Do they even want to escape if they’re having fun?

We can’t wait for you to explore our vision of Hell, dive bars, multi-story dance clubs and all, when it launches on Xbox One and with Xbox Game Pass for Console and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, on October 29.

Trailmakers is part creative vehicle-building sandbox and part racing game. Like playing with LEGO as a kid, you take simple blocks and put them together to make any kind of vehicle or machine you can imagine – racing cars, stunt planes, dinosaur robots, jet-powered bananas…anything! Once you’ve made your dream creation, you can take it out onto a whole load of different maps – you can race in rallies, battle it out against other players’ creations, mess around in the sandbox mode or just go out exploring the world around you, editing and tweaking your builds as you go.

And the coolest thing is that you can share blueprints for any of your creations through the Xbox Gallery, and all creations in the Gallery can be downloaded, modified, and piloted.

Since it’s launch day, we thought we’d take a look at a few of our favourite community creations we’ve seen since the game entered into Xbox Game Preview last year.

Fancy getting medieval? The Trailmakers community has you covered, as you can see with this amazing jousting knight one of our players put together. Charge!

One of our players decided it was time to take a break from it all and take the dog for a walk instead. He may not be the fastest of vehicles, but he is a very good boy.

This creation, affectionately known as Stunt Banana was taken into battle in our PvP Dethrone mode and absolutely smashed the competition to pieces – fruit isn’t always good for your health…

We’re constantly blown away by how creative our players are, and we’d love for you to join us in Trailmakers and show us what you’ve got – as well as all the amazing racing and creation stuff, we’re also adding a massive game-changing new campaign mode today! Also, come say hi to us over Twitter at @PlayTrailmakers.

Trailmakers is available now on the Microsoft Store for Xbox. Click here for more details.

Combining traditional turn-based strategy with brutal real-time combat, Rise of the Cartels’ two campaigns offer vastly different perspectives on the infamous 80s drug war. If you choose to enter the criminal underworld, form a team from a wide variety of class-specific roles and attempt to take over Colombia one block at a time, all under the watchful eye of El Patron himself. Choosing to side with the DEA, players will team up with Agent Steve Murphy as he fights to bring El Patron to justice and stop his ever-growing empire in its tracks.

Each campaign has its own iconic locations taken directly from the show, from Colombia’s impenetrable sun-drenched jungles to the damp streets of Medellin itself. Favourite characters such as El Mexicano, Peña, and Primo are ready and waiting to back you up – and each have their own unique perks to help turn the tide in battle.

Turn-based gameplay is fast, brutal, and satisfying, but just like the show itself, actions in Rise of the Cartel have lasting consequences. If you lose a member of your team during battle, they’ll be gone for good. As units on both sides of the war can move simultaneously, players will need to act quickly and change their tactics on the fly to stay in control of the battlefield.

In Narcos: Rise of the Cartels, there are no right choices. Join the Cartel and see your empire expand or fight with the DEA and stop the spread of terror – either way, there’ll be tough choices along the way.