Juliet Niczewicz, Senior Director, Corporate Communications, EA
From Dec 15-24, we’re shining the spotlight on titles in The Play List and trials — with unique benefits and challenges. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass members receive EA Play with their subscription, so make sure to check out all your rewards starting today.
EA Play’s Holiday Picks
Sports games dominate days 1 to 4, with EA Sports UFC 5 ringing the starting bell. Set up your favorite matches from 2025 to relive iconic wins or change their outcomes.
Then switch gears for day 2, and play up to 10 hours of EA Sports College Football 26. Plus, grab this month’s reward, the EA Play Loyalist Ultimate Team Pack (now through December 31), if you haven’t claimed it yet. Replay one of last year’s memorable bowl matchups, and see if you can flip the results.
On day 3, we’re highlighting EA Sports FC 26 with a 10-hour trial and Holiday Header Blue Boots (now through December 25). Show off your festive flair in Clubs, and recreate iconic matches between the league’s biggest rivals.
Then it’s off to gridiron greatness in Madden NFL 26. Try it out for up to 10 hours and pick up a MUT EA Play December Pack (now through December 31). Test your skills by playing your favorite NFL team’s latest matchup, or take them on a historic postseason run ahead of the upcoming NFL playoffs.
Step out of the sports arena on day 5 with 2 Star Wars titles available on The Play List. Play as iconic characters from the movies in Star Wars Battlefront II. A fan of the Light or Dark side? Try fighting for the opposite side! Or launch Star Wars Jedi: Survivor to take on a single-player narrative where you wield the Force as Cal Kestis.
Next up on day 6 is Battlefield 6, the new standard for FPS combat. Save 10% on the Standard or Phantom Edition as a member, and receive an EA Play Deployment Pack and Season 1 Pack (now through January 19). Can you harness Tactical Destruction and destroy 10 structures in one match?
Next up on day 7, celebrate the end of the racing season with a 5-hour trial and 5,000 XP Boost (now through December 31) in EA Sports F1 25. Up for a challenge? Break the fastest lap record on your favorite track.
The holidays aren’t complete without a little bling, so log in to Apex Legends on day 8 to redeem a Gold Topper Weapon Charm (now through January 5). Update your loadout today.
On day 9, pay a visit to your Sims in The Sims 4 — did we mention it’s free to play? — and add to their adventures with packs (10% off for members). Design a year-end retreat, city loft or creative build that captures your favorite vibe.
All roads lead to play on day 10. Get 10% off San Van Bucks, and use them to unlock the Premium skate.Pass, cosmetics, and more. Skate in style, and drop in to San Vansterdam now.
To learn more about EA Play, check out X and Instagram, or visit here. For more details on all the EA Play member benefits this month, visit the EA Play Member Benefits site. Conditions, limitations and exclusions apply. See EA Play Terms for details.
Members can experience the world of EA with unlimited access to a collection of top titles, trials of select new games, in-game member rewards, 10% on EA digital purchases and more.
Erangel: Subzero — A New Chapter of Survival Arrives in PUBG This December
June Yang, PUBG IP Franchise
Erangel, PUBG’s most iconic battleground, is about to face transformation unlike anything players have seen before. With the Erangel: Subzero update, the familiar landscapes of the island are plunged into a deep freeze, reshaping not only the map’s atmosphere but also the core survival experience. This update is more than a visual refresh; it expands the lore of the PUBG universe, evolves gameplay in meaningful ways, and marks the beginning of an ongoing environmental shift that will continue to unfold over time.
A Frozen New Chapter for PUBG’s Most Legendary Battleground
Since its debut, Erangel has been the heart of PUBG. It’s a battleground rich with stories, memories, and iconic skirmishes. Erangel: Subzero takes that legacy and reframes it through a dramatic environmental shift, introducing climate-driven gameplay changes that challenge players to adapt in real time.
Erangel: Subzero is not just a seasonal event. It is the start of a persistent environmental evolution, one that will grow harsher and more unpredictable as winter progresses. Players will revisit Erangel in a new atmosphere — and they will have to survive it.
Behind the Freeze: Tythonic’s Experiment Gone Wrong
What caused Erangel to plunge into a sudden and unnatural winter? The answer lies in the unfolding lore of the PUBG universe.
Tythonic, a shadowy corporation operating the Battlegrounds, initiated a secret climate-control experiment, “Project Zeus,” designed to make the battlefield more extreme purely to heighten the spectacle for the viewers. Their plan involved launching satellites into orbit to establish a weather-modification system capable of altering local climates on command.
But something went wrong.
The satellites malfunctioned and crashed back down to Earth, releasing a massive surge of cooling gas upon impact. The blast spread rapidly across Erangel, driving temperatures into freefall. As the cryogenic gas collided with the Blue Zone’s electromagnetic field, the zone itself began to crystallize, becoming colder, sharper, and more dangerous than ever before.
This catastrophic event sets the stage for Erangel: Subzero and hints at deeper connections within the expanding PUBG lore.
What’s New in the December Update
The Subzero update introduces a series of major world and gameplay changes designed to deliver a fresh-yet-familiar Erangel experience. These additions build on the frozen narrative while reshaping how players move, fight, and survive.
Satellite Crash Sites Across Erangel
Evidence of the fallen Tythonic satellites can now be found across several key locations. Areas such as Stalber, Shelter, Sosnovka Military Base, and Boatyard show visible signs of impact, along with additional scattered points across the island. These crash sites introduce new environmental details and tactical opportunities, challenging players to navigate altered terrain and unexpected structures
A Colder, Deadlier Blue Zone
The Blue Zone now carries a chilling new twist. A freezing effect is applied when players enter it, introducing layered visual and audio cues that intensify based on exposure time. While the underlying damage rules of the Blue Zone remain unchanged, the new freezing presentation heightens tension and clarity around the danger zone. This chilling mechanic also extends to the BZ Grenade, expanding its strategic utility in the battleground.
Introducing the BZ Grenade Launcher
Available exclusively in Erangel: Subzero, the BZ Grenade Launcher is a single-shot, break-action weapon that empowers players to manipulate the battlefield in new ways. Cooling rounds can reshape engagements, deny space, or pressure enemies into risky repositioning. The launcher deepens tactical possibilities within the frozen combat environment.
Dynamic Weather and Frozen Terrain
Erangel’s climate now evolves gradually throughout a match, with winter weather intensifying as the battle progresses and creating shifting visibility and atmosphere over time. Snowfall intensifies, clouds thicken, and winds grow harsher as temperatures fall. Portions of rivers and coastal waters have frozen over, opening new traversal routes and altering familiar choke points. Even the plane shows signs of frost as players begin their descent into the battleground.
A Living, Evolving Erangel
December is only the first step. The current freeze represents the opening stage of a deepening environmental crisis, and players can expect the island’s conditions to grow even more severe. As this lore arc progresses, the island’s appearance, hazards, and tactical landscape will continue to evolve, weaving Erangel into a broader PUBG narrative that connects maps, events, and characters through environmental storytelling.
Dev Comments
“With Update 39.1, Erangel, our most iconic battleground, is overtaken by a brutal winter. The frozen rivers, shifting weather, and frosty Blue Zone demand quicker decision-making and sharper adaptability.
You will find yourself crossing icy surfaces to access new routes, fighting in areas transformed by heavy snow, and experimenting with new tools like the BZ Grenade Launcher to craft strategies that didn’t exist before.
This update isn’t just about changing the scenery — it’s about reshaping the tension, pacing, and tactical choices that define the PUBG combat. As the season progresses, Erangel’s winter will continue to intensify. We hope players embrace the frigid challenge and carve out new strategies as they conquer Erangel: Subzero.
Drop into Erangel: Subzero This Winter
The cold is coming. Erangel’s new chapter has begun, with more updates on the way as the island plunges deeper into the freeze.
Stay warm, stay sharp, and survive the Subzero.
For players who want a deeper breakdown of gameplay changes and system updates, be sure to check out the full patch notes here. And to stay ahead of the winter-long events and upcoming announcements, make sure to follow PUBG’s official social channels for the latest updates.
LAND
Drop into an ever-growing and changing selection of maps to keep you challenged. Will you choose the safer outskirts and risk not getting enough loot or hot drop into the dense cities and fight from the moment you hit the ground? Every drop is different, it’s up to you to make the best with what you find.
LOOT
With unique weapons, a variety of supplies, and special tools to outwit your opponents, how you outfit yourself is up to you! Kit out your favorite weapons with powerful attachments or risk going after the hotly contested Care Packages for unique loot to give you the edge you need to win.
SURVIVE
Stocking up is only the beginning. With the Safe Zone growing ever smaller as time goes on, your risk of running into other survivors dramatically increases. Die and you’re out. You’ll need to outthink, outrun, or outshoot your opponents if you’re to be the last one standing and claim ultimate victory.
MANY WAYS TO PLAY,
Warm up in Team Deathmatch, try out constantly changing modes in the Arcade, drop into the latest seasonal event, or build your own custom lobby and challenge your friends to something unique.
EVERY MATCH IS UNIQUE
No two battles are the same, and everything hinges on the choices you make to land, loot and survive. Drop into the Battlegrounds where victory hinges on every move and every choice, and fight to be the last one standing.
Welcome to Next Week on Xbox! In this weekly feature we cover all the games coming soon to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Xbox on PC, and Game Pass! Get more details on these upcoming games below and click their profiles for further info (release dates subject to change). Let’s jump in!
They say the path to immortality is paved with hardship. But in your case, this hardship happened to take the form of seven dangerously beautiful women. You are Lin Fan, the chosen one of the Crane Illusion Sect. Born with a Pure Yang Lineage, you are destined to ascend to the heavens. However, no matter how hard you train, fate sends yet another challenge in your way… temptations in the shape of an unreliable master, a strict senior sister, or a saintess who seems far more interested in testing your heart rather than your skills.
Enter the abandoned workshop of Murray’s Costume Manor and unravel the mystery left behind by the reclusive inventor, Edwin Murray. In Five Nights at Freddy’s: Secret of the Mimic, you’ll step into a world where every dark corner holds a secret and every flicker of light hints at an ever-present threat. The Mimic, a prototype endoskeleton, can adapt to any costume and become any character, including what you fear most. Armed with only your wits, a few gadgets, and a heavily redacted corporate briefing, you’ll attempt to retrieve Fazbear’s prized prototype technology while grappling with cryptic clues and a relentless shadow determined to dispatch all unwanted company.
Frogo Deluxe – December 16 Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Handheld Optimized / Xbox Play Anywhere / Smart Delivery
Frogo Deluxe is the latest installment in the popular Frogo series. In this cross road game, players must navigate through various obstacles, collecting coins and special items along the way. The coins collected can be used to purchase new animals, each with more lives, enhancing the gameplay experience. The game is infinite, becoming more challenging as players achieve higher scores. How far can you go?
Step into the role of a Dungeon Monarch, a chosen guardian of your master’s dungeon. Equipped with formidable magic and an inexhaustible army of summonable troops that synergize with one another, your mission is to repel adventurers, envious rivals, and other deities seeking to invade and raze the dungeon.
Balloball – Ribbit & Rescue is a bright cartoon arcade game. You have to save all the frogs that the evil fairies have trapped in soap bubbles. Use your hero’s agility and speed to avoid all the traps and the power of physics to calculate the flight paths.
Let the ever-wandering Hidden Cats crew be your guide through colorful Istanbul! Explore the city’s iconic landmarks like the Blue Mosque, the Grand Bazaar, and Gülhane Park while relaxing to soothing Turkish-inspired music. Discover over 900 hidden objects, unlock special cats, and as always – enjoy cozy, no-stress gameplay in a city full of color, history, and charm!
Journey into the Forbidden Realms to reclaim a lost kingdom. Step into the role of Princess Lyria, a young royal whose once-prosperous realm has fallen to ruin. Its treasures have been stolen, its magic has faded, and dark forces now rule the land. To restore her throne, Lyria must venture into the Forbidden Realms — mysterious, dangerous lands filled with ancient power and hidden secrets. Armed with courage and emerging magical abilities, you’ll explore lush landscapes, forge powerful alliances, and uncover long-buried truths about your heritage. Each decision you make shapes Lyria’s destiny: become a wise and just ruler… or embrace the darker paths of ambition and power.
It’s mischief night at Billy’s haunted manor, and the host has quite the challenge in mind for all monsters invited! Partake in a competition of hide-and-seek with an original twist: the only place to hide is the crowd of monstrous guests of which you are part. Find who you are in the crowd and rise to the challenge to be crowned the sneakiest and most perceptive of all monsters! Figure out who you are discreetly, then fulfil your objectives and seek out other players without breaking character to avoid being caught.
The Axis Unseen is a heavy metal horror game created by one of the developers of Skyrim and Fallout. Track down nightmarish creatures from folklore in a mysterious open world, steal their enhanced senses, and discover arrows with immense powers. But beware — the hunter often becomes the hunted.
In a future ruled by steel and circuitry, humanity’s reign has ended. The machines we built to serve us have turned against us, deeming their creators unworthy to inhabit Earth. Cities lie in ruins, and the last remnants of humankind hide beneath the ashes of a fallen world. But hope isn’t dead — it’s armed to the teeth. Meet Explodera, a ragtag crew of reckless freedom fighters with one simple philosophy: if it sparks, it explodes. Fueled by chaos and defiance, they fight their way through mechanical armies to reach the ultimate target — the Mother Computer, the cold heart of the machine uprising. If they can blow it to pieces, humanity might just get another shot at survival.
Hoomanz! is a stealth-adventure game packed with coziness and humour, featuring non-combat gameplay & family-friendly content. Play as Shoo, the mythical guardian of Planet Erf with a hidden dual nature, to scare away all the ignorant invading Hoomanz. Darkness is nature’s friend, light is its enemy.
Humble Haunted House is an action tower defense video game. You act as Succubus, who disguised as a haunted attraction manager for a theme park. By setting up scary props, or popping out as a live actor, it’s a matter of time before the long line of visitors get scared. Little do they know, they have faced some real monsters.
Join Scott Whiskers on his new adventure and plunge into a colorful and family-friendly experience in a class of its own! Sun, beach and sea – sunken pirate treasures, mystical Mayan rites, a bubbling volcano – and lots of puzzles and lovable characters make for the vacation of a lifetime!
Zumba – The Dragon’s Marble Trial invites you into an enchanting world where a charming dragon wields colorful marbles in mouth and tail! Pick a stage, aim your dragon-launched marbles at winding paths, and match three or more identical colors to trigger explosive combos before they invade your lair. Rack up high scores and up to three stars per level by clearing waves quickly and precisely.
Krampus is Coming! Grab your shotgun, finish your hot punch and don’t forget your mission: Save Christmas! Big Trouble in Little Chimney is a fast paced arena bullet-hell shooter. Survive endless hordes of creatures lurk from the dark chimney and save Christmas! Try to beat your high score!
Step into the whimsical world of Cup Heroes, where everyday cups turn into mighty heroes on an epic quest to save their beloved Queen! Collect coins and gems to unlock a diverse cast of characters, each with unique abilities. Upgrade their skills to make them even more powerful and adaptable to different challenges.
In Escape From Crypt, you take on the role of a warrior determined to prove your worth by facing a deadly crypt filled with treacherous traps and relentless enemies. Can you make it out alive? Use your Wall Jump with precision, unleash powerful sword strikes, and overcome every challenge as you venture through the dark depths. Conquer your fears, defy the impossible, and reach the end of Escape From Crypt!
Responding to an unusual emergency call from a remote mining base, Jack arrives at the dark and desolate Fort Solis. With storm warnings imminent, he heads inside to make desperate contact. As the night grows longer, events spiral out of control, and the mystery of what happened to the crew begins to reveal itself. The storm is approaching, limiting Jack’s escape as he looks to hold out until morning arrives.
Leap, dodge, and conquer deadly gauntlets in Frog Hero DX a precision platformer where every jump could be your last. Take command of our determined, brave hero: a fearless frog on a perilous trek through lush swamps, blazing caverns, and clockwork fortresses. Bounce off enemies to defeat them, thread the gap between spinning blades and bursts of fire, and stick perfect landings across collapsing bridges and molten pits.
Welcome to the co-op shooter where the end of the world has never looked so… tasty! The end of days is near, with the city infested by ravenous, greasy food creatures, bringing total chaos and destruction. Our last hope lies with a band of skillful, trigger-happy cooks who are determined not to end up as the main course.
Outbreak: Shades of Horror is inspired by retro survival horror from the ’90s and ’00s! The title blends bleeding edge tech and modern gameplay mechanics with archaic concepts from the roots of survival horror, like a restricted inventory, heavy resource management, and crushing difficulty. If you’re an old hat, or a lover of the past, you’ll find a lot to love in the janky but crushing experience. If that’s not your jam, proceed with caution as this nightmare is unforgiving!
Thank You for An Unforgettable Year with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Guillaume Broche, Founder & Creative Director at Sandfall Interactive
What a year we’ve had together, right? Starting the year with the Xbox Developer_Direct team visiting our studio in Montpellier, launching the game onto Game Pass, Xbox consoles and PC in April, and the crazy months we’ve had since then has been a dream. And for that, we want to say:
Thank you.
We couldn’t have achieved any of this without the love and support of players around the world, and we genuinely want to thank our fans for everything they’ve given us. So, for that reason, we’ve been working on a brand-new free game update with several requested new features and content that we think fans will love. And best of all, it’s available right now.
Welcome to Verso’s Drafts
In our new update, players can explore a brand-new environment: Verso’s Drafts. It’s a whimsical storybook adventure with ties to a young Verso, and something that I think fans would not have expected. Bright colored fields of flowers, an enormous overflowing toy box, a Gestral fairground and more, we wanted to create an area that fans will think is refreshing, intriguing, and most of all fun.
After we launched our game, we noticed a lot of fans reaching out and asking us to make something that will let them spend more time with the characters they love – something with the whole party, including Esquie! So, when we were thinking about what kind of content we should work on as a thank you to the fans for this update, we figured we should do something that’s cheerful and feels like a welcome reunion with old friends.
Exploring this new area should feel kind of like returning to a childhood memory, only this time with your fellow Expeditioners. There are new secrets to uncover, new weapons and Pictos to unlock, and a lot more we think fans will really get a kick out of discovering for themselves, including a particularly dastardly new encounter with the most villainous of villains! We can’t wait for you to discover more about him…
Powerful New Adversaries
Players looking for more challenges after their adventure in Verso’s Drafts will find even more to look forward to with the new content. We’ve updated the Endless Tower with a few new enemies that should challenge players to rethink their strategies and test their parrying skills to the absolute limit. Our team has spent a lot of time spicing up these encounters, so we hope high-level players who feel like they’ve overcome all of our hardest encounters will get a kick out of what we’ve made here. And of course, if you manage to defeat these souped-up enemies, there are new rewards to unlock, because that’s kind of a given, right?
So, for every player who mastered fighting Simon and perfected their no-hit run strategies before… well, here’s a new set of challenges. Good luck – we think you’re going to need it.
And That’s Not All
We’ve really poured our hearts into this update to make it something major for fans to dig into. Verso’s Drafts, new end-game bosses, a whole new Photo Mode (that’s right, we didn’t even go into that here!), new costumes and haircuts to collect, new text localizations into seven additional languages, Lumina loadouts (yes, that too!), and more… the list goes on. We really want this update to say thank you to our fans for an incredible year.
Let us know what you think about the new update or share your best Photo Mode pics at @Expedition33 on X and @expedition33official on Instagram – we can’t wait to enjoy this with you.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a ground-breaking turn-based RPG with unique real-time mechanics, making battles more immersive and addictive than ever. Explore a fantasy world inspired by Belle Époque France in which you battle devastating enemies.
Get the ultimate Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 experience with the Deluxe Edition!
The Deluxe Edition includes:
·Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Base Game
·The “Flowers” Collection – Six outfits and hairstyles inspired by the Flowers of Lumière, along with six additional “Gommage” outfit variations. One for each playable character.
·“Clair” – A custom outfit for Maelle
·“Obscur” – A custom outfit for Gustave
Lords of the Fallen II: Introducing the Bosses Revealed in the First Ever Gameplay Trailer
Ryan Hill, Lead Creative Strategist, CI Games
Summary
Lords of the Fallen II revealed its first gameplay trailer at The Game Awards 2025.
Find out more about three new bosses included in the trailer in our article.
The final major patch for Lords of the Fallen (2023) is also now live, bringing major updates – including a new Veteran Mode.
The next chapter in this dark fantasy saga is gathering strength. Revealed today at The Game Awards, we unveiled the first ever gameplay trailer for Lords of the Fallen II, the long-awaited new soulslike RPG, arriving in 2026.
The trailer offers a first glimpse at three colossal bosses, a host of new foes, refined combat, and story-driven moments that pull players deeper into the battle-scarred land of Axiom. Cinematic glimpses of torment are woven with brutal combat, giving a glimpse of the merciless journey ahead, in a world sharpened by suffering, shaped by ruin, and ready to strike back.
Bosses are a huge part of Lords of the Fallen II so, once you’ve watched the trailer, join us as we break down the Heartroot Warden, Koydreth, and Lingao, the Souring Storm, as well as some of the smaller enemies you’ll meet in between.
Strange New Foes
The trailer opens with the Dark Crusader stepping toward a four-armed horror with a hollowed head and a chest glowing with an eternal flame. This creature is the Ashen Skin Stealer, a new Rhogar foe born for dueling. These inhuman hunters carve and collect human skin as treasured trophies, though none know where this grotesque ritual began. They fight with single minded ferocity and take pleasure in the slaughter of their enemies.
Moments later, a knight in horned armour hurls himself across the arena with crushing force. This is a Heartroot Warden, the first of the three bosses revealed. His attacks are relentless and heavy, driven by a chain-wrapped great sword that punishes hesitation. Only the most honoured Trelisi warriors were chosen for the sacred rite that twisted them into these undying guardians, their bodies fused within enchanted armour and stripped of humanity.
Through trickery and evasion, a winged figure slips through a rune etched mirror. This is Koydreth, once the respected leader of the Crescent Host. He is the second boss introduced. Cursed for a sin so grave it reshaped him in body and spirit, he now rules the skies with a monstrous elegance. He moves like a predator, both majestic and savage.
The Dark Crusader then stands before a vast draconic head. Lightning splits the air as its jaws descend. This is Lingao, the Souring Storm, the third and final boss revealed. Lingao commands the fury of the skies, wielding wind and lightning with terrifying speed. His massive frame sweeps across the battlefield, attacking from every direction.
Elsewhere we witness the player fire a crossbow bolt into a frenzied attacker. This is the Man of Letters, once a scholar, now a feral shell consumed by Umbral corruption. They charge with no thought for survival, driven only by blind hostility.
Then emerges the Hysteric, wearing a wicked grin and carrying twin axes in elongated arms. Wild, erratic, and constantly shifting their style, they keep players guessing with every strike.
These foes are only the beginning. Each is bound to the histories, cultures, and tragedies that have shaped Axiom. With Lords of the Fallen II, the team at CI Games has pushed enemy design further than ever before.
Lords of the Fallen: New Veteran Mode
Today, Lords of the Fallen also receives its final major update, Version 2.5. This patch introduces extensive behavior upgrades to bosses, mini bosses, and enemies throughout Mournstead across both Normal and the new Veteran Mode. Veteran Mode heightens the challenge further, granting bosses new attack patterns, swifter transitions, and far more unpredictable assault chains. Several boss weapons have also been reforged with new signature animations.
Coming Next Year
Launching in 2026, Lords of the Fallen II aims to deliver a darker, more demanding experience than anything we’ve made before. With evolved combat, fearsome new bosses, and a world swallowed by ruin, the sequel promises to test the resolve of every player.
For Xbox fans, this marks a powerful evolution of the franchise. Greater threats, deadlier encounters, and more strategic combat await those willing to brave the horrors rising within Axiom.
Realm by realm, nation after nation, the Umbral darkness consumed all in Her path. Now, over 1,000 years later, only one Kingdom remains; a sacred land, shrouded by an ancient force. Or so it was…
Stolen by the Gods themselves, mankind is left forsaken, defenceless against the darkness. Unless this force is restored, the shadow of death will devour all. But how do you kill… an immortal?
A hero must rise, for a God to fall.
Explore a Broken World
Journey across a vast, war-torn kingdom crumbling from within, as the realms of living and dead begin to bleed into one. From moonlit citadels to time-ravaged temples, tread carefully, for each step forward may well be your last.
Master Tactical Combat
Engage in intense, soulslike battles where every strike counts thanks to a fast, fluid and aggressive combat system. Whether steel or sorcery, melee or ranged, experiment with countless builds to overcome each unique enemy encounter before delivering an arena-drenching execution.
Battle Monstrous Bosses
Confront colossal abominations forged in a world without hope and void of mercy. Each distinct showdown will prove a brutal test of skill, grit, and unyielding will. Though aid is at hand, should you seek it…
Harness the Umbral
As bearer of the Umbral lamp, you have the ability to pass between the realms of the living and the dead, each with its own pathways, treasures, and of course, nightmarish creatures. But even greater, darker powers await you on this journey…
Free Play Days – The Hunter: Call of the Wild, Spirittea and The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet of Chaos
Kyle OceanMarketing Manager, Xbox
Cozy up this weekend and try something new with Free Play Days! The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet of Chaos is available this weekend for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Premium and Essential members to play from Thursday December 11 until Sunday, December 14.
The Hunter: Call of the Wild and Spirittea are free for all Xbox members to try during this Free Play Days (Xbox Game Pass Game Pass Ultimate, Premium and Essential membership not required).
How To Start Playing
Scroll down and find and install the games on each of the individual game details pages on Xbox.com. Clicking through will send you to the Microsoft Store, where you must be signed in to see the option to install with your Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Premium and Essential membership. To download on console, click on the Subscriptions tab in the Xbox Store and navigate down to the Free Play Days collection on your Xbox One or Xbox Series X|S.
Keep The Fun Going
Purchase the game and other editions at a limited time discount and continue playing while keeping your Gamerscore and achievements earned during the event! Please note that discounts, percentages, and title availability may vary by title and region.
Free Play Days (Game Pass Membership Required)
The Dungeon Of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet Of Chaos – Chicken Edition
The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet of Chaos Optimized for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Play Anywhere Step into the wacky heroic fantasy universe of the Dungeon of Naheulbeuk. Lead a team of unlikely and clumsy heroes in an epic and challenging tactical RPG. Live an adventure filled with humor, surprises, and silly encounters. Buy now for 80% off and play for free between December 11 – 14.
The Hunter: Call of the Wild Discover an atmospheric hunting game like no other in this realistic, stunning open world – regularly updated in collaboration with the community. Immerse yourself in the single player campaign or share the ultimate hunting experience with friends.
Spirittea Optimized for Xbox Series X|S, Smart Delivery, Xbox Play Anywhere Spirittea is a cute, cozy life sim inspired by Stardew Valley and Spirited Away! Humans have stopped worshipping spirits, and now they’re in danger of becoming lost. Run a bathhouse, make friends with people intown, take part in hobbies like bug catching and karaoke, and find all the spirits! Try Spirittea as part of Xbox Play Days for Free & grab the game for 50% OFF!
Don’t miss out on these exciting Free Play Days for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Premium and Essential members! Learn more about Free Play Days here and stay tuned to Xbox Wire to find out about future Free Play Days and all the latest Xbox gaming news.
Build a Bright Future in Frostpunk 2: Fractured Utopias
Alex Boiret – Lead Narrative Designer, 11 bit Studios
Build a Bright Future* in Frostpunk 2’s Fractured Utopias! (*definitions of ‘Bright Future’ may vary – ask your local faction representative).
Since the launch of Frostpunk 2, attention has mostly been on the ‘Story’ mode, the long-awaited follow-up to Frostpunk’s ‘New Home’ scenario, which focuses on the fate of New London thirty years after the Great Storm.
As much as we are proud of the six-part story, it somewhat overshadowed the ‘Utopia Builder’ mode. Unlike the first Frostpunk, where the ‘Endless Mode’ was added in a patch to answer the popular player demand to, well, play endlessly, Frostpunk 2 was engineered from the ground up as a sandbox to tell new emergent stories. In ‘Utopia Builder’, players are tasked with leading a new city made up of different communities and factions in pursuit of the titular, elusive ‘utopia’.
The ‘Fractured Utopias’ DLC logically doubles down on this theme, by giving each faction unique tools leading up to their ideal society. Here a peek at how it works, and how to make it work for you and your faction:
Each faction now has a ‘Utopia Tree’, with twelve unique nodes per faction unlocking faction hubs, laws, and a flurry of new perks and abilities. Move the City in the ideological direction a faction wishes and they will reward you with points to invest in their Utopia Tree. Unlock all the nodes in one tree and bring your faction’s vision to life (including remodelling the city to their liking by converting enough housing districts to their needs and building enough of their hubs), and you will forever unite your City behind their vision, solving Tension.
Whether you want to usher in the dawn of a ‘New Humankind’ with the Proteans, crave establishing a ‘Machine City’ through the power of compute with the Technocrats, or pave the way for any of the other six factions’ promised lands, ‘Fractured Utopias’ will allow you to reshape your society in fresh new (did someone say twisted?) ways.
Obviously, everyone’s utopia is someone else’s dystopia, so if you’re not quite ready to indulge factions, we have your back too The free content update we’re launching alongside the DLC adds thirteen so-called ‘moderate laws’ for you to try and tread the middle way. Pass all of them to try and appease the City.
That’s only a sneak peak of what we cooked up in Fractured Utopias. All this new content obviously comes with over one hundred new consequences and narrative events which will demand the type of difficult decisions the Frostpunk IP got you used to. And if you’re one of these people who only click on choices with blue gameplay effect text, then have fun making your bed and sleeping in it. But whatever you do, remember: the City must not fall!
The first DLC for Frostpunk 2 embraces the core concept of Utopia Builder mode, giving it more structure, expanding its scope, and emphasizing the weight of the player’s choices. New mechanics give each faction a bold ideological goal – and ways to pursue it. But a dream of a perfect society never comes without a cost.
Each faction now envisions its own unique Utopia, structured into a tree and powered by affinities. As you earn their trust, you’ll unlock specialized laws, buildings, and abilities that reinforce their distinct identity. Unlock all nodes of the Utopia Tree to enact a singular vision on the city – binding your entire society to a single path forward and permanently resolving all the Tension.
Your city may not fall. But whose future will it serve?
Key New Features:
8 unique faction Utopias, each with new systems, tools, and endgame
12 unique unlocks (laws / new HUBs / Abilities, etc.) per faction
8 new faction hubs (1 per faction)
8 new faction-specific variants of housing district
Why We Added a Cozy-Life MMO to a Battle Royale in Super Animal World
Michael Silverwood, Founder & Game Director, Pixile Studios
Summary
Super Animal Royale has received its biggest free expansion yet, Super Animal World, available now on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One.
Super Animal World adds a cozy Social Hub with fishing, bug catching, hamsterball races, and story quests alongside the game’s core competitive modes.
Xbox Game Pass members can also claim new Game Pass benefits for Super Animal Royale to celebrate the launch.
Can a combat game be … cozy? It may seem like a contradiction, but after spending over two years layering a cozy game on top of our existing battle royale game, Super Animal Royale, we think we have an answer. But why did we end up gambling on this approach in the first place?
Community-led Coziness
When the first version of Super Animal Royale made its debut seven years ago, many players were drawn in more by the cute animals than the machine guns. For many, it was their first battle royale. This wholesome community turned our short, pre-match lobbies into surprisingly friendly social spaces. In the two minutes before each match, players chatted, danced, and invented their own rituals, including a banana-worshipping cult that’s now a canonical part of our lore.
The creativity and organic community building we saw in these tiny intervals between fights to the death made us wonder what would happen if we gave them a fully persistent social space without limits.
A Whole New World
The result is Super Animal World, an MMO-style Social Hub layered on top of the existing game. Instead of returning to menus and two-minute waiting rooms between matches, hitting play now brings you straight to the island in a 64-player space with fishing, bug catching, hamsterball races, shops, and story quests.
You can explore the Social Hub for as long as you like, chat with characters, accept quests, and then matchmake into Super Animal Royale or our other competitive modes. When you die (or do the winner dance), you respawn back in the Hub to regroup, claim rewards, and head out again for your next battle. We call this new loop the Circle of Super Life.
Find Your Own Pace
Rounds of battle royale in Super Animal Royale are quick, with a winning match often wrapping up in under seven minutes, so the game has always lent itself to that “just one more round” loop. Super Animal World keeps it easy to queue right back into battle, but it also makes the time between matches more meaningful.
You can relax with friends, add to your fish collection, explore new corners of the island, or push a questline forward before your next burst of adrenaline. And for players more interested in socializing and collecting than the competition itself, the Social Hub can be the main attraction. The new structure is both more immersive and more flexible, and we are excited to see the different ways people choose to play now that it’s finally in their hands.
Lore to the Fore
From the beginning, Super Animal Royale has had richer storytelling than you might expect from a multiplayer title, with every corner of the island intentionally crafted to hint at the contents of the secret lore bible we’ve maintained since 2018. Until now, all that lore has been confined to environmental details and external projects like our animated YouTube series, Super Animal Royale Tonight. Super Animal World’s new quest system brings all that storytelling front and center, with over 200 characters to meet, over 350 quests to complete, and over 140,000 words of dialogue to keep the lore hounds in our community busy.
These quests aren’t all talk, though: they’re also the best way to learn to play Super Animal Royale. From the early days, we’ve watched cozy gamers trying their first battle royale parachute onto the island without much instruction, only to be overwhelmed by experienced players. For new players, the quests offer a less punishing way to engage with our combat modes, complete with natural breaks for socializing and exploration.
Visit Super Animal World Today
Super Animal World is a big bet for a small indie team like ours, but it gives us a whole new foundation to build on for years to come. The expansion is available now on Xbox as a free update to Super Animal Royale. Xbox Game Pass members can also claim new Game Pass benefits to celebrate the release.
Layering a cozy game into a battle royale may sound like a mismatch, but we’ve found that these contrasting elements combine into a richer, more satisfying game. We can’t wait to see you give the game a try and step onto Super Animal World, the coziest place to kill your friends.
It’s a fight for furvival! Super Animal Royale is a 64-player, frenetic, top-down 2D battle royale where murderous animals fight tooth, claw, and machine gun across an abandoned safari park. Collect and customize your favorite critters and weapons, then put them to work in solo matches or team up as a squad of up to four players!
With the free Super Animal World expansion, the island has become a living Social Hub where you can relax between matches, meet NPCs, take on story quests, and enjoy cozy activities like fishing, bug catching, and hamsterball racing before dropping back into your next fight to the death. Never return to the main menu, with everything you need available in-world.
Key Features
– Survival of the Fittest: Scavenge a variety of powerful weapons, armor and items to become the apex predator in intense 64-player online matches.
– The Superest World: Explore a massive, beautifully illustrated 2D island and discover its hidden lore, by chatting with its inhabitants and scouring its rich environments for clues.
– Different Stripes for Different Fights: Collect hundreds of animal breeds and customize them with thousands of cosmetic items, weapons, outfits, and even umbrellas!
– Evolving Events & Updates: Enjoy an endless stampede of new content, including seasonal outfits, animals, and weapons to collect.
– The Fast and the Furriest: Flatten your foes while rolling dirty in a Hamster Ball, or mount a Giant Emu and peck your way to the promised land.
– Battle Beyond Royale: infect or be infected by The Cluckles in The Bwoking Dead, or join SAW Security Forces and SASR rebels to capture and control flags in SAW vs Rebellion, a control point mode.
– Cozy Life Between the Chaos: relax and explore Super Animal World with friends between rounds, with seamless matchmaking between the Social Hub and competitive modes, then respawn back to continue the Circle of Super Life.
