The post Pillars of Eternity: New Turn-Based Mode Beta Announced appeared first on Xbox Wire.
Category: Xbox
Full Screen Experience Expands to More Windows 11 Handhelds via Windows Insiders Program
The post Full Screen Experience Expands to More Windows 11 Handhelds via Windows Insiders Program appeared first on Xbox Wire.
Next Week on Xbox: New Games for November 3 to 7
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!
1000xResist – November 4
Game Pass / Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Xbox Play Anywhere
The three-time IGF award nominated 1000xResist is a thrilling sci-fi adventure. 1000 years in the future, humanity is all but extinguished and a disease spread by an alien occupation keeps the survivors underground. You are Watcher. You dutifully fulfil your purpose in service of the Allmother, until the day you learn a shocking secret that changes everything.
Farming Simulator 25: Highlands Fishing Edition – November 4
Farming Simulator 25: Highlands Fishing Edition bundles both the acclaimed main game and the Highlands Fishing Expansion. Enjoy 26 crops, 4 maps, 400+ machines, over 150 real brands and aquaculture in addition to agriculture, forestry, and animal husbandry. Build a farm along winding rivers and historic grain elevators in North America, surrounded by ponds in Central Europe, in a lush East Asian landscape filled with rice paddies, or in the Scotland-inspired town of Kinlaig – a lush paradise of rolling green hills and open waters!
Football Manager 26 – November 4
Game Pass
New foundations set the stage for you to define your football destiny. Built on the Unity engine, FM26 is the legacy, redefined and where storytelling evolves, placing you at the heart of the beautiful game. A reimagined interface and more immersive matchday experience brings you closer to the action and combine to elevate every decision and match-defining moment. Transform your squad with advanced transfer tools and craft your footballing philosophy like never before with new innovations that deliver unrivalled game-changing tactical realism.
Football Manager 26 Console – November 4
Game Pass / Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Xbox Play Anywhere / Smart Delivery
New foundations set the stage for you to shape your football destiny. Built on the Unity engine, FM26 Console places you at the heart of the beautiful game. This is the legacy, redefined. Delivering effortless, instinctive console control, a redesigned user interface combines with the most immersive matchday experience in series history to bring you closer to every match-defining moment.
Egging On – November 6 – Game Pass / Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Xbox Play Anywhere
You’re an egg – and you’ll feel every wobble, roll, and crack. Master the art of egg physics as you navigate challenging climbing environments with a twist. Synchronize your jump with your roll-cycle, and when you’re at the tip, leap for maximum height! Miss a jump, and you could be back at the bottom, dripping yolk.
Syberia – Remastered – November 6
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
More than 20 years after its original release, Syberia is reborn in a fully modernized version. Rediscover its iconic locations and unforgettable characters through a stunning visual overhaul, redesigned gameplay, and the same captivating storytelling that made it a classic. Kate Walker, a brilliant lawyer from New York, is sent to a remote village in the French Alps to finalize the sale of an old automaton factory. But what begins as a routine assignment soon turns into an extraordinary journey across Eastern Europe and its snow-covered landscapes.
Whiskerwood (Game Preview) – November 6
Game Pass
Carve mountains, traverse seas, and explore untamed new lands as you build grand cities – the ingenuity of the humble mouse is on full display in Whiskerwood as you establish elaborate automation systems to efficiently run complex production chains, all while dealing with the oppressive demands of your cat overlords.
Dark Deity 2 – November 7
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
Dark Deity is back! A quarter of a century has passed, as Irving and the Eternal Order carefully rebuilt Verroa to protect it against a future war. Their efforts will be put to the test far too soon as a new threat looms on the horizon. The neighboring Holy Asverellian Empire needs new lands to grow, and the fractious, fragile Verroa seems ripe for the taking. All that stands in its way is the Order and twenty scrappy heroes-to-be.
Voidtrain – November 7
Game Pass / Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Xbox Play Anywhere
You are an engineer thrust into the strange and mysterious Void, a world with its own history, rules and future. Build and upgrade your own train, craft powerful weapons, fight various enemies and survive the surreal landscapes of the Void alone or together with friends.
Another Bar Game – November 4
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
Have you never worked in a bar? No problem – Frank has! Help him serve craft beer to thirsty and picky clients, wash glasses, clean tables and keep everybody happy! Remember to check which beer the bar guests order. Is it the new IPA on tap, that weird pineapple milkshake sour or just a pilsner? Somebody has waited too long and is complaining? Serve popcorn to keep them happy.
The global karaoke party returns with Let’s Sing 2026, your ultimate ticket to fun-filled nights and unforgettable performances. Whether you’re warming up your vocal cords solo, teaming up in duets, or competing with friends, Let’s Sing 2026 delivers an unbeatable playlist, and endless entertainment! Featuring 35/40 chart-topping songs there’s something for everyone — from modern hits to timeless classics.
Lucha Align – November 4
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
Get ready for the most exciting fight of your life in Lucha Align, the puzzle game where every piece is a luchador ready for action! Your mission is clear: fit the champions and completely fill the ring to claim victory in style. With 40 levels full of action, each match brings new shapes, new challenges, and even more excitement. From the first training sessions to the ultimate battles, you’ll need strategy, quick thinking and the spirit of a champion to master every grid and earn the special stars.
Master Lemon: The Quest for Iceland – November 4
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery
Master Lemon is a tribute to my polyglot friend who tragically passed away in an accident while pursuing his dream of living in Iceland. Experience his legacy in this narrative adventure. Harness the power of words and creativity to transform reality and save the world.
Biped 2 – November 5
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery
Biped 2 is the sequel to the exciting game about two charming bipedal robots, Aku and Sila, who have each other’s backs and embark on incredible adventures side by side. Dive into this groovy co-op action-adventure game, full of puzzles, friendship, support and fun!
Boxes: Lost Fragments – November 5
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery
As a legendary thief, your next assignment lures you into a grand and lavish mansion. There you find a series of puzzle boxes, designed for an unknown purpose. Inspired by the cryptic atmosphere, intricate machinery and smooth controls of the best room escape games, we have created a diverse set of original puzzle levels that will test your resolve and skills to navigate this mysterious and compelling journey. Each level is beautiful, unique and a true delight to explore and figure out.
Cairn puts you in the boots of Daisy, a brave explorer whose mission is to climb an immense, never-ending tower. As you ascend, you encounter strange creatures that grant you the power to manipulate the terrain. This unique ability lets you literally shape the path, leaving your mark on the tower itself. The core of the game is a moral choice: will your alterations help future climbers, or will they just add more chaos to the towering structure?
Dark Quest returns with its fourth installment – a turn-based strategy adventure inspired by the legendary HeroQuest board game. Enter a realm of perilous dungeons, cunning traps, and powerful magic as you lead your party of heroes against the forces of the Dark Sorcerer.
Dead Static Drive – November 5
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Xbox Play Anywhere / Smart Delivery
Dead Static Drive is Grand Theft Cthulhu—a survival-horror road trip through a nightmare version of 1980s Americana. Scavenge, fight, and sneak your way across small towns and eerie highways as reality begins to unravel.
Heroes of Mount Dragon – November 5
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Xbox Play Anywhere
Step into the mystical world of Üna, where ancient power stirs and chaos rises. As one of eight dragon-bound champions, battle through monster-infested lands, master unique fighting styles, and transform into awe-inspiring dragons to reclaim balance. Whether you’re flying solo or brawling alongside friends, prepare for a fiery showdown!
My Life: Farm Vet – November 5
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery
Your job as a passionate vet is to examine sick farm animals, make the right diagnosis, treat them accordingly and nurse them back to health. Build up trust with the small and large two- and four-legged friends so that they soon feel better again. Your help is called for on the farm!
Spot the Pup – November 5
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
Get ready to put your eyes to the test and your heart on full display in Spot the Pup, the ultimate hidden object adventure for dog lovers! Each scene bursts with charm, color, and chaos as you hunt for ten mischievous pups tucked into unexpected places. Whether you’re racing the clock in Challenge Mode or taking a relaxed stroll through Casual Mode, every level promises a delightful mix of discovery, relaxation, and pure puppy joy.
Twilight Parade: Moonlight Mononoke – November 5
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery
Crash the yokai party in Twilight Parade: Moonlit Mononoke! Play as the uninvited oni twins and their friends in this bullet-hell shooter with vibrant pixel art. Choose from four unique characters, each with distinct abilities and assistants, then blast through 5 chaotic stages across Japan. Dodge enemy swarms, battle massive bosses, and get revenge in style!
Dollmare – November 6
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery
Not in the mood to be chased and screamed at by monsters? Tired of jump scares and endless fights for survival? Dollmare is just for you. It’s still a horror game – you’ll get scared, feel uneasy and constantly sense that something is watching you. There’s no telling what might happen … but something definitely will.
Kanjozoku Game & Turbo Dash Kart – November 6
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
Kanjozoku Game & Turbo Dash Kart brings together two radically different racing experiences for those who live for challenge and control. Whether you’re sliding between traffic at night or battling rivals on wild, unpredictable tracks, this collection offers variety, excitement, and pure velocity.
Kentum – November 6
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Xbox Play Anywhere
Stranded in the year 10,000, Kent—an average Joe turned clone—must survive, explore, and rebuild civilization with the help of his quirky robot companion. Craft, farm, and automate in this 2D craftervania adventure as you uncover Earth’s secrets and kickstart humanity, one machine at a time.
Saving Princess of Mars – November 6
Saving Princess of Mars is a stylish action platformer featuring puzzles to solve and ton of enemies to eliminate. Our main protagonist is lumberjack Jack from Earth who surprisingly spawns on Mars where he’s trying to save its princess.
Toad Slide – November 6
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
Get ready to slide into an enchanted swamp full of magical puzzles! In Toad Slide, a Sokoban-inspired 2D pixel-art puzzle, you control a mystical toad who must move runic stone blocks and place them onto magic circles to restore balance to the swamp. With 30 carefully crafted levels, 15 by day and 15 by night, the game blends clear logic, smooth gameplay and gradually increasing challenges that invite you to think precisely and act strategically.
Unbeatable – November 6
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
Unbeatable is an anime-juiced rhythm adventure where you (figuratively) destroy on stage while you (literally) destroy on stage. During rhythm gameplay, you only need two buttons: a button for up and a button for down. Simple to understand! The complicated part is doing it. Try not to get destroyed yourself.
Anima: Gate of Memories I & II Remaster – November 7
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
Experience the original Anima: Gate of Memories and its companion story Anima: The Nameless Chronicles — both fully remastered with improved visuals and gameplay. Explore a rich fantasy universe inspired by the Anima Beyond Fantasy tabletop RPG saga, filled with deep lore, fast-paced combat, and branching storylines shaped by your choices. Whether you’re new to the saga or returning, this is the ultimate way to discover the world of Anima.
A Pizza Delivery – November 7
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Xbox Play Anywhere
A Pizza Delivery is a narrative exploration game with puzzle elements focused on connecting with people. Share pizza with charming characters to uncover their stories—and your own. Drive and explore a strange, meditative world filled with secrets. Step into the dreamlike journey of “B”, a pizza delivery rider on her final order of the day. Ride through a surreal world, navigating strange landscapes, sudden shifts in scenery and moments of quiet introspection.
Build a Bridge! – November 7
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Xbox Play Anywhere / Smart Delivery
Test your engineering and improvisation skills in a puzzle game where the stakes are as high as they get. It is you who will construct bridges for cars, trucks, buses … and sometimes even monster trucks. Gather your wits and get on with the construction!
Carrot Smash – November 7
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
Take control of a brave carrot on a mission to protect its territory in this exciting pixel art platformer. Face challenging enemies and obstacles, using powerful punches, double jumps and the Dash to overcome action-packed, precise levels. With fast-paced gameplay, responsive controls, and appealing retro visuals, Carrot Smash delivers a fun and addictive platforming experience from start to finish.
Celestial Fall – November 7
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
In this game, you follow the protagonist who initially fell from heaven back into the sky. The game is a unique combination of a third-person platformer and a light-hearted exploration game with philosophical storytelling. It is highly stylized and surprises with breathtaking environments, a surreal world full of beauty and grace and a couple of small environmental puzzles that blend perfectly into the peaceful yet stunning environments. Will you be able to make it back into heaven? Find out.
Contraband Police – November 7
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
The year is 1981, and as a young officer trainee, you are assigned to work at a border post in the mountainous region of Karikatka. Entry into the Acarist People’s Republic is strictly regulated by the party and your every move is monitored! The situation at the border escalates when your comrade is killed during one of the interventions … Always be ready to intervene in an emergency. Solve crime puzzles, support your comrades and thwart the Blood Fist rebels. Make decisions that will determine the future of Acaristan.
Hide ‘N Seek! – November 7
Xbox Play Anywhere
Remember the good old game of hide and seek? Prepare for something a little more extreme! Dive into classic gameplay where you can hide or seek. Count down before setting off to find the Hiders, or blend into the environment, stay silent and outsmart the Seeker to win!
Hop’n’Hoard is an addictive platform game where your goal is to collect all the coins scattered across the level to unlock the exit. But be careful! Deadly traps are everywhere, ready to stop you from completing your mission. You’ll also need to use all your wits to navigate through mysterious portals and create magical boxes under your feet, allowing you to reach places that would otherwise be impossible to climb.
House Fighters: Total Mess – November 7
House Fighters: Total Mess is a PvE aerial arcade shooter where toy planes battle in everyday spaces. Weave between furniture, lamps, and engage in fast-paced dogfights in a vibrant, nostalgia-filled world. No complicated controls, just pure, lighthearted aerial chaos.
Ion Shift – November 7
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery
Ion Shift delivers fast, high-stakes gameplay with precision controls and a unique sandbox-style approach to combat arenas. The campaign progressively challenges the player through evolving level design, tight mechanics, and a focus on player-driven mastery.
Peachy Derby – November 7
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery
This is a casual racing game where the girl Natsuki is forced to join the “Ninja Racing Tournament” to pay off her debt. Include 10 playable girls, 600 Japanese voices, 16 story chapters.
Square Brothers – November 7
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery
Two sly siblings, one crazy platforming heist- ready to steal everything that shines? Team up with two green-skinned burglar brothers on a quest for glittering gold. Switch between the tall, lanky thief to reach elevated platforms, and his short, stocky accomplice to slip under narrow gaps. Only by using their unique shapes together can you collect every shiny treasure, snag the key, and escape to the exit.
Static Effect: The Lighthouse – November 7
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery
Play as a lighthouse keeper and guide ships safely into the harbor using your radio. Survive the presence of something impossible, and don’t let the shadows consume you! In the aftermath of a global cataclysm, the harbor authorities reactivated an ancient lighthouse, hoping to keep the seas navigable amidst the growing chaos. A lone keeper is dispatched to the forsaken island, tasked with manning the beacon. The fate of passing vessels and the nearby town now rests in his hands. Far away, a wife and daughter wait for his return.
The Visitor Effect: Not an Experiment – November 7
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
You are R3D, an alien robot trapped in a strange simulation. You don’t know who’s pulling the strings—or why—but something feels off. Every move you make might lead you closer to the truth… or deeper into the deception. How far are you willing to go to break free?
The post Next Week on Xbox: New Games for November 3 to 7 appeared first on Xbox Wire.
Setting the World Stage for Virtua Fighter’s Return to Xbox
Ready? Go! Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage officially launches today for Xbox Series X|S, marking its triumphant return to the Xbox platform after an almost 20-year absence. A lot has happened with Virtua Fighter over those many years, and the timing couldn’t be more perfect for Xbox players to get back into the ring to compete in what we feel is the most refined Virtua Fighterentry yet.
Not only did we add some long-awaited features that fighting game fans have been asking us for, such as cross-play support, rollback netcode, an expanded training mode, and the return of series antagonist Dural as a downloadable character. But we are also adding a brand-new single-player mode to the game – World Stage!

On that topic, we have asked the Legacy Virtua Fighter Project producer, Seiji Aoki, to talk more about World Stage mode and what it adds to Virtua Fighter 5’s enduring legacy.
“When we originally released Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. earlier this year, a lot of fans who bought the game really wanted to see single-player content get added to the game. The new World Stage mode was created in response to this. In a way, we wanted to prove to fans that we are always listening to them, and to that end, we wanted to make this new release the best Virtua Fighter yet.
“Perhaps the older Virtua Fighter fans may remember that in Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution, a game I worked on, there was this feature called Quest Mode which quickly became a fan favorite. There, you had to fight your way through these arcades inside this city. From there, you would then start to make a name for yourself by competing in local tournaments. The CPU players you faced were based on real-life player data taken from Japanese game centers (or arcades).

“World Stage mode was directly inspired by Quest Mode. Here, you will participate in this huge tournament where you can name your opponents and play against CPUs based on real-life professionals, with real names you may recognize!
“On top of that, the team spent a lot of time packing this new mode with plenty of content so they can stay engaged for a very long time. For example, there is a list of challenges featured in this mode that includes objectives such as climbing through the many ranks, that will unlock in-game items that players will be able to customize their characters with. There are also side tournaments that will feature their own unique rivals you can compete to win exclusive titles you can use online.

“In our eyes, this mode is an easy recommendation both for those new to the franchise and those returning to the game, so the team is really excited to see how players will react to it.
“Features like the World Stage mode and multi-platform cross-play support (a first for the Virtua Fighter franchise) are all thanks to our amazing community which has been supporting us all this time, giving us all this great feedback and comments that allow us to improve upon the game. We would love it if they kept sharing us their thoughts, and we will continue to appreciate their support as always.”
Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage 30th Anniversary Edition
SEGA
30th Anniversary Edition contains:
“Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage” Base Game
VF 30th Anniversary Swimsuit Costume Set
VF 30th Anniversary Soundtrack Collection
VF Pre-Production Artwork
DLC: Legendary Pack & Yakuza Series Collaboration Pack
VF 30th Anniversary Ranking Titles
The pioneer 3D fighting series continues to evolve as Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage arrives on Xbox Series X|S.
Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage takes the gameplay of Virtua Fighter 5 to new heights:
Rollback Netcode and Cross-play support let you take on any challenger, anywhere, across the globe in the most intense battles yet.
A brand-new single-player mode, “World Stage”: Challenge powerful rivals on a solo quest to become the ultimate fighter
Enhanced replay functionality and improved training tools.
The post Setting the World Stage for Virtua Fighter’s Return to Xbox appeared first on Xbox Wire.
Arc Raiders Invites Us Into the Extraction Shooter
Summary
- PvPvE extraction shooter Arc Raiders is available today for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox on PC as an Xbox Play Anywhere title.
- The risk of losing your stuff, the danger of the robots, and the unpredictability of other raiders makes for an overall tense experience.
- But thoughtful quality-of-life enhancements and a charming ’70s retrofuturist aesthetic help it go down more easily, inviting in genre-curious players.
My favorite shooters accommodate a wide range of players. I didn’t have the fastest twitch reflexes as a teenager, let alone now nearing 40, so I’ll never do well in a straight battle of headshots and KDR. But I’ve poured hundreds of hours into Overwatch and Helldivers 2 because they reward strategic thinking and offer an interesting range of different playstyles, which in turn produces a more compellingly wide range of stories. They also allow me to play alongside more skilled friends without feeling like anyone is compromising their fun.
Arc Raiders may be the next shooter to pull me in. I played for 3 hours across 3 different maps, both solo and in a squad, in a recent closed preview event of the whole game for journalists and influencers. This upcoming PvPvE extraction shooter is set in a future reminiscent of “The Matrix” – rogue robots called Arc have devastated humanity, driving the survivors to hide deep underground in a last stronghold city, Speranza (“hope”).

As the eponymous raiders, players make runs to different zones on the surface, pillaging the ruins of civilization for usable materials while navigating the threats of both Arc robots and their fellow raiders, then making it safely home with whatever they can carry back to base to sell, scrap, craft, or use on subsequent raids.
It’s chasing the microgenre du jour, extraction shooters, which are built around the same general risk/reward loop of going into a hostile area, completing objectives, and extracting with goodies that will fuel future runs. If you’ve enjoyed the likes of Escape from Tarkov and Hunt: Showdown, Arc Raiders is aiming to be your next obsession – and if you haven’t dipped a toe into extraction shooters yet, this is shaping up to be a gorgeous entry point.

Tension Management
As befits the genre, the dominant feeling throughout my time with Arc Raiders was tension. Any encounter going wrong could mean not just the opportunity cost of whatever new spoils we hoped to take home, but also losing all the equipment we brought in with us. That kind of high-stakes resource pressure, where one’s ability to make progress depends on building and maintaining momentum that can be easily lost, is part of the appeal for the genre’s hardcore fans, but also adds a certain prickliness that could deter other prospective players.
Arc Raiders graciously smooths this out with free loadouts that let you jump into a raid with a minimum viable kit and no risk of loss, helping players that might be stuck treading water while they get their bearings in the game. Every raider also has “Scrappy,” a pet rooster that collects a steady drip of basic materials for them while out on raids, ensuring they can always craft basic necessities like bandages and bullets.
Completing objectives during a raid, whether they extract or not, also nets skill points that can be distributed between three different trees. This all allows for a baseline of progression and character growth/specialization, even if players are struggling to survive most of their runs.

The greatest source of tension, however, was from other people. Unlike a conventional PvP competitive shooter, where the constant pressure of other players is the engine driving gameplay, the rate of encounters was much more variable here. Individual raids across my session varied widely based on the map and happenstance. Some were dominated by long, quiet stretches of scavenging through buildings and sneaking past robots, punctuated by a handful of staccato encounters. Other times we found ourselves stumbling from firefight to firefight as robot engagements drew the attention of opportunistic raiders, and vice versa.
Besides never quite being sure exactly when we would encounter other players, another juicy source of tension was whether our fellow raiders would be hostile or friendly. Over my session I experienced a full spectrum of interactions, from being shot on sight to having lighthearted chats, leading sometimes to them giving crucial help later in the match, other times to betrayal. In that way it reminded me of Sea of Thieves, which cultivates a similar sense of vulnerability by pairing the possibility of losing all your new stuff with the black box of strangers’ intentions. Granting that a closed session of journalists and influencers is likely to be as friendly as the game is going to get, I’ll be very curious to see how the player community’s norms develop once the game is released to the wider public.

The Enemy of my Enemy
One element that might help encourage players to work together is the genuine threat posed by the Arc robots. Far from being rote cannon-fodder, the non-human enemies are dynamic and dangerous, keeping us on our toes throughout, even when other human players weren’t in sight. Developer Embark is no doubt helped here by the fact that Arc Raiders started as purely PvE experience before settling into its current extraction form, which means real development time and resources went into making Arc enemies feel like the star of the show, and not just a supporting player.
Part of this that really stood out to me was how, as the developers have discussed previously, the movement and behaviors for the Arc were not traditionally keyframed and hand-crafted by animators, but rather trained through machine learning applied to physics simulations. It’s essentially the same kind of process used by many real-world roboticists to train their creations in the complex task of navigating physical space, like the robot apocalypse abettors at Boston Dynamics.

The Arc were lively and unpredictable. Shooting out an assault drone’s rotor didn’t send it crashing down like I’d hoped, but rather it awkwardly swung down before compensating with the others and swooping back around to continue the fight in a way that felt compellingly organic.
Stray, small Arc were easily manageable in isolation, but add a few more (or just a single large one) and the situation could quickly get out of hand. The genuine threat posed by the Arc will hopefully help keep pressure on players to at least consider temporary alliances and keep the game more socially vibrant and variable.

Yesterday’s Tomorrow, Today!
Arc Raiders needs no help being aesthetically vibrant, however. Following from the graphic design of the logo, the game has a charming ’70s retrofuturism look. This is especially true in the character cosmetics, which were fun and colorful, and had a nice variety of silhouettes – I gave my raider a bright green motorcycle helmet, leather flight jacket, and tight jeans with a stripe up the side. Compared to its peers in the genre, Arc Raiders’ more colorful and playful design sensibility (like unlockable hats for Scrappy – he got a matching little motorcycle helmet) goes a long way to piquing my interest.
It doesn’t approach the full dayglo hyperpop palette of fellow upcoming extraction shooter, Marathon, though, and grounds it with a realistic layer of post-apocalyptic wear and tear. Light and sound do a lot to support immersion as well; stalking our way through flashlight-lit underground tunnels crammed with rusted-out cars while muffled gunfire echoes above, or darting from shadow to shadow of bombed out apartment buildings across a plaza lit brightly by the midday sun, keeping an ear out for the ominous beeps of Arc sentries in the distance. The spaces were evocative, with a pleasing range of environments (residential, industrial, claustrophobic, open, flat, vertical, etc.), both within and between maps, which helped fuel the interesting variety of encounters we had.

Smoothed Edges
Arc Raiders has definitely caught my attention, as I’m always on the lookout for good session-based co-op games that I can use for catching up with friends. The game’s fun visual design, tight core loop, and quality-of-life mechanics have smoothed over some of the extraction shooter’s sharper edges, which may give it a real shot at bringing the genre to a wider audience.
Arc Raiders comes to Xbox Series X|S and Xbox on PC as an Xbox Play Anywhere title today on October 30.

ARC Raiders – Deluxe Edition
Embark Studios
– “G-suit” Legendary Outfit,
– “Salvager” Backpack,
– “Spaceship Souvenir” Backpack Attachment,
– Outfit color variants.
ARC Raiders Deluxe Edition includes the base game and the following content:
The Wanderer Cosmetic Pack, including the following cosmetic items:
– “Valente” Legendary Outfit
– “Pathfinder” Backpack
– “Blanket Roll” Backpack Attachment
Plus:
Character Cosmetic
Finger Gun Rapid Fire Emote
Scrappy Skin
2 400 Raider Tokens

ARC Raiders – Standard Edition
Embark Studios
Secure your copy of the game as the Standard or Deluxe Edition, and receive the Lucky Duck Bundle pre-order bonus at launch!
The Lucky Duck Bundle contains the exclusive Hatchling Backpack and Golden Rubber Duck Backpack Charm.
ABOUT THIS GAME
SCAVENGE, SURVIVE, THRIVE
In ARC Raiders, gameplay flows between the surface ruled by lethal machines, and the vibrant underground society of Speranza. Craft, repair, and upgrade your gear in the safety of your own workshop, before venturing topside to scavenge the remnants of a devastated but beautiful world. Play solo or in parties up to three, navigating the constant threat of ARC’s machines and the unpredictable choices of fellow survivors. In the end, only you decide what kind of Raider you are – and how far you’ll go to prevail.
EXPLORE AN IMMERSIVE WORLD
Explore four distinct maps at launch, with more to be revealed as the underground society evolves and expands its reach. Each destination carries the weight of a world twice-destroyed, and the scars of conflicts both old and new. Sift through the remnants for valuable loot, and piece together the past as it’s slowly reclaimed by nature. Evolving map conditions ensure that no two runs are the same, with varying weather, enemies, and mechanics adding unpredictability and danger.
STAKE YOUR CLAIM
In a society built on boldness and bravado, it is up to you to stake your claim as a Raider. The loot you scavenge can be sold for coin or crafted into all-new gear, allowing you take on increasingly lethal dangers head-on. Through both victories and hardships, you’ll gain valuable experience; unlocking varied skills that enable all-new ways of play. In addition, you’ll complete quests for Traders with differing motives and agendas; uncovering both the friction and comradery of a community under constant threat of collapse.
BEWARE THE MACHINES
Lethal machines known as ARC rule the surface, ranging from unrelenting drone swarms to mechanical giants that obliterate everything in their path. Their origins remain a mystery, but their ever-present danger is felt with every step you take. Each machine comes with distinct strengths and tactics, forcing you to pinpoint their weak spots and constantly think on your feet. And remember: the noise of battle carries. Other Raiders may be listening; eager to claim what you leave behind.
FORGE YOUR OWN PATH
Raiders survive by kitbashing scavenged materials; using long-lost tech and looted ARC parts to craft weapons, gadgets, and gear. Upgrade your workshop stations and learn blueprints to craft even more advanced items, or improvise quick fixes in the field to get yourself out of a bind. As you make a name for yourself, you’ll be able to measure your skill against other Raiders by taking on Trials; rising through the leaderboards to earn valuable rewards.
QUESTS
In Speranza, everyone has an agenda, and the Traders are no different. They’ll send you topside on missions in exchange for rewards, slowly revealing more about who they are and what they want for Speranza’s future. Complete quests to earn gear, crafting materials, and XP to level up your Raider and unlock new skill points.
SKILL TREE
The ARC Raiders skill tree branches into three paths: Survival, Mobility, and Conditioning. Spend your points to shape your playstyle. Loot faster and move quieter with Survival skills. Outmaneuver your opponents and threats with Mobility. And enhance your Strength and Stamina with Conditioning. Choose how you grow and what your Raider brings to the battle.
BUILD YOUR ARSENAL
Whether you’re preparing to take down specific ARC enemies or fend off rival Raiders, there’s a choice of weaponry for every fight. Cater to your style with a range of firearms including SMGs, rifles and shotguns, as well as more advanced options such as railguns and energy weapons. Grenades, traps, ziplines and deployables offer the tactical depth needed to outsmart your enemies, while augments allow you to tailor your loadout to your preferred playstyle; unlocking dedicated inventory slots and additional gameplay perks.”
The post Arc Raiders Invites Us Into the Extraction Shooter appeared first on Xbox Wire.
The Outer Worlds 2 Is Available Today
Summary
- The Outer Worlds 2 brings back its signature Perks and Flaws system, giving you the freedom to decide what you’re great at, and what you’ll regret later.
- The worlds of Arcadia are built on sprawling reactivity, bending the story to your every choice and making it nearly impossible for any two journeys to match.
- The Outer Worlds 2 is available today for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, ROG Xbox Ally handhelds, Battle.net, Steam, and PlayStation 5. It is an Xbox Play Anywhere title and available day one with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
It’s time, Commander. Arcadia’s waiting — and so is everything that’s trying to destroy it.
In The Outer Worlds 2, you step into the boots of an Earth Directorate agent sent to investigate how skip drives are causing rifts that are threatening all of the colonies, including Arcadia, and every faction has its own idea of how to control “fix” them. The Order of the Ascendant wants to study the rifts, believing they hold the key to solving the Universal Equation—for the good of all, of course. Auntie’s Choice wants to control them, seeing an opportunity to dominate trade routes across the galaxy and boost profit margins. And the Protectorate? They want to control the rifts to keep the others out. Fortunately, anyone who calls that out will be mentally refreshed into perfect agreement. Everyone thinks they’re right, and they’ve got the speeches to prove it.
Who is right or wrong is up to you to determine. This is your story after all…
The Outer Worlds 2 brings back its signature Perks and Flaws system, giving you the freedom to decide what you’re great at, and what you’ll regret later. Perks sharpen your edge; Flaws keep you humble, offering tempting trade-offs that can turn a weakness into an opportunity… or just a funny story. The worlds of Arcadia are built on sprawling reactivity, bending the story to your every choice and making it nearly impossible for any two journeys to match. And if they do, you can be mentally refreshed until they don’t.

For those who want something extra from their experience with The Outer Worlds 2, the Premium Edition and Premium Edition Upgrade are available now. They include the Moon Man’s Corporate Appreciation Prize Pack, a digital artbook, the game’s soundtrack, and an Expansion Pass featuring two upcoming story add-ons. Consider it your official Earth Directorate field upgrade — because in Arcadia, even heroes need a little help from marketing.
The rifts are unstable, the factions are restless, and your choices will shape the colony’s fate. Whether you stand with order, faith, or profit, one thing’s certain: Arcadia won’t survive without interference.
Good luck, Commander. The Universe needs a hero, but you’ll have to do.
The Outer Worlds 2 is available today for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, ROG Xbox Ally handhelds, Battle.net, Steam, and PlayStation 5. It is an Xbox Play Anywhere title and available day one with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

The Outer Worlds 2 Premium Preorder Upgrade
Xbox Game Studios
Upgrade* from Standard Edition and receive the following content:
– Up to 5 days early access
– DLC Pass for 2 future story expansions**
– Moon Man’s Corporate Appreciation Premium Prize Pack
– Access to The Outer Worlds 2 Digital Artbook & Original Soundtrack
*Requires base game or Xbox Game Pass membership (PC or Ultimate only), all sold separately.
The Outer Worlds 2 is the eagerly-awaited sequel to the award-winning first-person sci-fi RPG from Obsidian Entertainment (just look at the exciting number of dashes in this sentence!). Time to clear your calendar – get ready for an action-packed adventure with a new crew, new weapons, and new enemies in a new colony! So much newness!
As a daring and most likely good-looking Earth Directorate agent, you must uncover the source of devastating rifts threatening to destroy all of humanity. Your investigation leads to Arcadia, home of skip drive technology, where the fate of the colony, and ultimately the entire galaxy, rests on your decisions – your strengths, your flaws, your crew, and the factions you choose to trust.
Explore a New Frontier
The Arcadia colony is engulfed in a factional war, as the Protectorate’s so-called benevolent rule is challenged by the rebellion of their religious order and a corporate invasion. As destructive rifts spread across the colony, each faction fights to control or close them for their own ends. Navigate diverse zones, uncover hidden lore, and shape the fate of a system on the brink!
Your Commander, Your Way
Build your character with the abilities and choices that reflect your playstyle. The colony reacts to your every move, crafting a narrative that’s yours to own -whether you’re a disciple of diplomacy, an astute strategist, a crusader for chaos, or something different altogether. And yes, you can dumb!
Enlist Your Companions
Recruit companions with unique traits, backgrounds and goals. Whether you choose to help them achieve their ambitions or steer them toward your own objectives, your influence shapes their growth (or death), making them an integral part of the immersive story you create together.

The Outer Worlds 2 Standard Preorder Edition
Xbox Game Studios
The Outer Worlds 2 is the eagerly-awaited sequel to the award-winning first-person sci-fi RPG from Obsidian Entertainment (just look at the exciting number of dashes in this sentence!). Time to clear your calendar – get ready for an action-packed adventure with a new crew, new weapons, and new enemies in a new colony! So much newness!
As a daring and most likely good-looking Earth Directorate agent, you must uncover the source of devastating rifts threatening to destroy all of humanity. Your investigation leads to Arcadia, home of skip drive technology, where the fate of the colony, and ultimately the entire galaxy, rests on your decisions – your strengths, your flaws, your crew, and the factions you choose to trust.
Explore a New Frontier
The Arcadia colony is engulfed in a factional war, as the Protectorate’s so-called benevolent rule is challenged by the rebellion of their religious order and a corporate invasion. As destructive rifts spread across the colony, each faction fights to control or close them for their own ends. Navigate diverse zones, uncover hidden lore, and shape the fate of a system on the brink!
Your Commander, Your Way
Build your character with the abilities and choices that reflect your playstyle. The colony reacts to your every move, crafting a narrative that’s yours to own -whether you’re a disciple of diplomacy, an astute strategist, a crusader for chaos, or something different altogether. And yes, you can dumb!
Enlist Your Companions
Recruit companions with unique traits, backgrounds and goals. Whether you choose to help them achieve their ambitions or steer them toward your own objectives, your influence shapes their growth (or death), making them an integral part of the immersive story you create together.
The post The Outer Worlds 2 Is Available Today appeared first on Xbox Wire.
Turning the Moon into The Moon Man’s Playground with Snapchat for The Outer Worlds 2
Summary
- Fans can unlock a Snapchat AR Lens that uses celestial tracking and transforms everyday phones into portable The Moon Man spotters.
- We’ve also created a custom, one-of-a-kind, Snapchat-powered telescope — peer inside and you’ll see The Moon Man come alive.
- The Outer Worlds 2 is available today for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, ROG Xbox Ally handhelds, Battle.net, Steam, and PlayStation 5. It is an Xbox Play Anywhere title and available day one with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
What if we went where no brand has ever gone before?
That’s the question we asked ourselves as we geared up for The Outer Worlds 2. Because when your sequel is literally bigger, bolder, and more bizarre than the first, you’d aim higher. Much higher. You’d aim for the Moon.
So, in partnership with our friends at Snapchat, that’s exactly what we’re doing.
Fans can unlock a Snapchat AR Lens that uses celestial tracking and transforms everyday phones into portable Moon Man spotters leading up to the full moon on November 6, 2025. Point your device skyward, and suddenly the Moon isn’t just a big glowing rock—it’s a playground for our larger-than-life mascot.
Whether you’re in Tokyo, Toronto, or Timbuktu, you’ll be part of the same global spectacle as The Moon Man takes over the universe’s oldest billboard. He’ll wink. He’ll smirk. He might stir up a little cosmic chaos. And with every shift of the lens, you’ll uncover new stories playing out across the lunar surface—mini-moments of mischief and mayhem only The Moon Man could dream up.
But we didn’t stop there. We also created a custom, one-of-a-kind, Snapchat-powered telescope. This physical installation isn’t just any telescope. Peer inside and you’ll see The Moon Man come alive. Inspired by the in-game items from Auntie’s Choice – we have created something befitting of the game.

For us, this partnership is about more than AR wizardry. It’s about taking something familiar—the Moon we all grew up with—and giving it a new personality, one that can only exist in this universe. By blending Snapchat’s technology using celestial tracking with The Moon Man’s cheeky smile, we’re letting fans interact with The Moon Man in a way that feels as absurdly fun as the game itself.
So, grab your phone, look up, and prepare to laugh at the cosmos. Because in The Outer Worlds 2, even the Moon has jokes—and we can’t wait for you to see them.
The Outer Worlds 2 is available today for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, ROG Xbox Ally handhelds, Battle.net, Steam, and PlayStation 5. It is an Xbox Play Anywhere title and available day one with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

The Outer Worlds 2 Preorder Premium Edition
Xbox Game Studios
The Outer Worlds 2 Premium Edition includes:
– The Outer Worlds 2 base game
– Up to 5 days early access
– DLC Pass for 2 future story expansions*
– Moon Man’s Corporate Appreciation Premium Prize Pack
– Access to The Outer Worlds 2 Digital Artbook & Original Soundtrack
* Story expansions available as released
The Outer Worlds 2 is the eagerly-awaited sequel to the award-winning first-person sci-fi RPG from Obsidian Entertainment (just look at the exciting number of dashes in this sentence!). Time to clear your calendar – get ready for an action-packed adventure with a new crew, new weapons, and new enemies in a new colony! So much newness!
As a daring and most likely good-looking Earth Directorate agent, you must uncover the source of devastating rifts threatening to destroy all of humanity. Your investigation leads to Arcadia, home of skip drive technology, where the fate of the colony, and ultimately the entire galaxy, rests on your decisions – your strengths, your flaws, your crew, and the factions you choose to trust.
Explore a New Frontier
The Arcadia colony is engulfed in a factional war, as the Protectorate’s so-called benevolent rule is challenged by the rebellion of their religious order and a corporate invasion. As destructive rifts spread across the colony, each faction fights to control or close them for their own ends. Navigate diverse zones, uncover hidden lore, and shape the fate of a system on the brink!
Your Commander, Your Way
Build your character with the abilities and choices that reflect your playstyle. The colony reacts to your every move, crafting a narrative that’s yours to own -whether you’re a disciple of diplomacy, an astute strategist, a crusader for chaos, or something different altogether. And yes, you can dumb!
Enlist Your Companions
Recruit companions with unique traits, backgrounds and goals. Whether you choose to help them achieve their ambitions or steer them toward your own objectives, your influence shapes their growth (or death), making them an integral part of the immersive story you create together.

The Outer Worlds 2 Standard Preorder Edition
Xbox Game Studios
The Outer Worlds 2 is the eagerly-awaited sequel to the award-winning first-person sci-fi RPG from Obsidian Entertainment (just look at the exciting number of dashes in this sentence!). Time to clear your calendar – get ready for an action-packed adventure with a new crew, new weapons, and new enemies in a new colony! So much newness!
As a daring and most likely good-looking Earth Directorate agent, you must uncover the source of devastating rifts threatening to destroy all of humanity. Your investigation leads to Arcadia, home of skip drive technology, where the fate of the colony, and ultimately the entire galaxy, rests on your decisions – your strengths, your flaws, your crew, and the factions you choose to trust.
Explore a New Frontier
The Arcadia colony is engulfed in a factional war, as the Protectorate’s so-called benevolent rule is challenged by the rebellion of their religious order and a corporate invasion. As destructive rifts spread across the colony, each faction fights to control or close them for their own ends. Navigate diverse zones, uncover hidden lore, and shape the fate of a system on the brink!
Your Commander, Your Way
Build your character with the abilities and choices that reflect your playstyle. The colony reacts to your every move, crafting a narrative that’s yours to own -whether you’re a disciple of diplomacy, an astute strategist, a crusader for chaos, or something different altogether. And yes, you can dumb!
Enlist Your Companions
Recruit companions with unique traits, backgrounds and goals. Whether you choose to help them achieve their ambitions or steer them toward your own objectives, your influence shapes their growth (or death), making them an integral part of the immersive story you create together.
The post Turning the Moon into The Moon Man’s Playground with Snapchat for The Outer Worlds 2 appeared first on Xbox Wire.
Mouse: P.I. for Hire Is Much More Than It Appears
Combining classic 1930s “rubber-hose” animation, retro gunplay, modern mechanics and exploration, and a deeply bizarre setting, Mouse: P.I. For Hire is shaping up to be a truly unusual treat – but there’s more to this game than you might have realized from earlier trailers.
After announcing a March 19, 2026 release date during today’s ID@Xbox Showcase, we were treated to a deep-dive on the game, directly from the developers at Fumi Studios in Warsaw, Poland.
You can watch the full deep-dive above, or read on to find out the big new details we learned along the way:
“More Than Just an Old-school Shooter”

If there’s one thing to take away from today’s introduction, it’s that Mouse is far more than a retro shooter in even more retro clothing. While your core interaction is with the game’s gunplay (more on that later), this is a far more modern game than you might think.
For a start, your character – war veteran-turned-private investigator, Jack Pepper – doesn’t have just a single case to solve. From the very beginning, Jack’s presented with three separate cases to solve, each of which will take him across the city of Mouseburg to unravel their secrets.
Each case can be taken on in any order, asking you not just to take down the enemies in your way, but to find clues – whether those are physical objects, information learned by talking to NPCs, or photographs you might take. Clues can then be taken to your office’s classic string-adorned corkboard, and put in place to unlock new revelations and destinations.
With 10 biomes to explore, each containing multiple levels, this is very different to a Point A-to-Point B shooter.
The Hub

At the core of all that exploration is the game’s hub world – set at the centre of Mouseburg, the hub contains Jack’s office, his local pub, and a workshop where he can upgrade his weaponry before heading to the next case. But there’s far more here than a series of menus. NPCs might offer conversations, and a range of minigames are on offer to provide different gameplay experiences, and even rewards of new clues, or upgrades.
The biggest of these minigames will take you across the entire game – a classic collectible card game, themed around baseball, will see cards dropped across many of the levels you’ll be fighting through, letting you build a deck and take on increasingly difficult matches.
And once you’re ready to leave, you can jump in your car and take a trip across the beautiful overworld map to your next firefight.
Cartoon Combat

Mouse’s combat draws on classic shooters like DOOM, but with added touches that bring it right up to date. With a philosophy of “challenging but fair”, you’ll be pitted against hordes of enemies, collecting weaponry that ranges from the expected (Tommy guns, shotguns) to the gleefully insane (a brain in a jar that fires psychic waves).
Every gun comes with an alt-fire mode, and can be upgraded over the course of the game, helping things stay fresh. But beware – enemies themselves will see upgrades, too. As you progress, familiar enemy types will start to get their own modifications – a tank-like enemy you may have mastered can start coming equipped with a forcefield, for example, forcing you to change you tried-and-true approach.
Bosses might even throw in whole new mechanics, too – we saw a ghost-like boss named the Third Wife, which seems to require you to weaken her with a flashlight before you can start pumping lead.
Making the Past the Future

And, of course, we need to talk about how this game looks. While enivronments are rendered in 3D, every single character, enemy, and weapon has been painstakingly hand-drawn and animated to resemble classic 1930s “rubber hose” animation. The way everything in the world bounces, stretches, and bends is a tribute to that distinctive style (even shotgun shells seem to dance in their chambers during a reload), and took an enormous amount of work from Fumi.
To add to the challenge, the game is entirely black-and-white, which changed how Fumi approached traditional level design. Where most games use colour to subtly guide the player, Fumi needed to take that approach with light, giving the entire game a unique look from a player’s perspective. Even here, we’re seeing a tribute to classic cartoons – interactable objects dance in place, waiting for you to find them.
And to complete that tribute to the past, we even learned that Fumi has added customizable audio filters to the game – you can choose to play with crisp, modern sound effects and music, or add degradation to help it everything sound as if it’s being played off of old-school vinyl. The attention to detail – and to how players might want to experience it – is clear across everything Fumi has touched.
Mouse: P.I for Hire comes to Xbox Series X|S on March 19, 2026.
MOUSE: P.I. For Hire
PlaySide
DEADLY INVESTIGATIONS
Meet Private Investigator Jack Pepper, a former war hero-turned-detective in a world where danger lurks even in the smallest mouse hole. Uncover the truth when a simple missing persons case quickly escalates into a complex web of intrigue, with corruption, kidnapping and murder all on the docket. Investigate the seedy underbelly of Mouseburg, battle heavily armed gangs and crooked cops, and discover clues to reveal the conspiracy buried underneath the surface.
LOCK, LOAD & LAUGH
From crackling machine guns to explosive firepower, each weapon in Pepper’s arsenal is designed to deploy non-stop cartoon chaos. Arm yourself with an array of classic, creatively twisted and experimental firearms, and consume powerful upgrades when you need that extra spinach-loaded punch! Lethal encounters and manic boss battles await in this boomer shooter-inspired, retro-vibed adventure – and the denizens of Mouseburg never go down without a fight.
A CITY OF SECRETS
Explore a diverse city playground, from dark streets to classic film studios, opulent opera buildings, poisonous swamps and underground sewers. With a myriad of cases to solve and collectibles to find, Mouseburg is truly a detective’s delight! Use every tool at your disposal to wall-run, grapple-hook and double-jump through this unrelenting cartoon world.
FEATURES
– Black and white, hand-drawn rubber hose animation, inspired by cartoons of the 1930s
– Fast-paced FPS combat, where constant movement is key
– A thrilling single-player campaign that unravels a complex web of crime and corruption
– Over 20 noir-infused levels, teeming with mice, rats and shrews
– Fully-loaded arsenal of over a dozen unique weapons and equipment – with a cartoon twist
– Devastating consumable power-ups, capable of turning the tide of any battle
– Unlockable movement abilities and Metroidvania-inspired level traversal
– Original jazz soundtrack, featuring a big band orchestral ensemble
The post Mouse: P.I. for Hire Is Much More Than It Appears appeared first on Xbox Wire.
RedSec: An Epic Free-to-Play Destination Built on Battlefield’s Iconic DNA
The post RedSec: An Epic Free-to-Play Destination Built on Battlefield’s Iconic DNA appeared first on Xbox Wire.
Building the Foundation for Expansion in Crusader Kings III: All Under Heaven
Summary
- Crusader Kings III: All Under Heaven arrives today for Xbox on PC, the game’s biggest expansion yet. It will come at a later date to the Xbox Series X|S version.
- All Under Heaven adds China, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia to the map for the first time, building on existing systems in clever ways to incorporate new cultures.
- Paradox worked closely with historians and community members to ensure historical accuracy.
All Under Heaven is the biggest expansion we’ve ever made for Crusader Kings III, and, arguably, one of the most ambitious add-ons in Paradox history. It adds thousands of new provinces and characters, so it is large in pure numbers. But it is also big because of its scope and themes, adding a new region to Crusader Kings for the first time. Finally, the drama of medieval China, Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia is coming to the game!
The Crusader Kings titles have generally focused on the history of medieval Europe and the Mediterranean. Crusader Kings II expanded the map to India and North Central Africa, and these regions were in Crusader Kings III at launch. So, expanding the story of the Middle Ages beyond the titular crusade realms is not in itself new. But the differences between, say, medieval China and the Holy Roman Empire are so immense that simply adding a new map would not do justice to the history.

One of the immediate challenges is that the idealized feudal system we use to represent the political battles of Europe is entirely inappropriate for Tang and Song Dynasty China. There was no sense of mutual hierarchical obligations in the Chinese politics of the era.
Fortunately, we were able to test some ideas about how to model China in All Under Heaven in an earlier expansion, Roads to Power. That DLC introduced the idea of the Administrative Empire – a realm that had governors, not vassals (an important historical distinction). We used this design to further distinguish the Byzantine Empire from its Western counterparts. If this design worked here, it might be appropriate to adapt it to East Asia. Ultimately, the Byzantine model, where governors competed for influence with the ruler, proved to be a closer fit for medieval Japan, which is, like Byzantium, easily abstracted as noble families jockeying for position. China required something special.
Imperial Chinese bureaucracy was highly professionalized, with subjects competing in official examinations. Earlier Crusader Kings III expansions had introduced travel and tournaments, so couldn’t the exams be made into similar activities for characters? In the game, characters can organize or attend exams, traveling to the exam location and passing tests defined by the exam host. Good performance on these exams would then be tracked and make characters eligible for higher office. The better the performance, the better the job.

These are just two examples of how we adapted systems designed in previous expansions to bring a little more historical flavor and distinction to East Asia in All Under Heaven.
But the biggest challenge for us, I think, was facing the relative weakness of the team’s historical knowledge about the region. Coming from Europe, it is easy to absorb – or at least know where to find – reliable history for our own continent. How can we promise a plausible historical simulation if we are not starting from a strong historical foundation.
As with most Paradox grand strategy games, we start with what we have on the team. We are fortunate to have some trained historians with us – people who not only know a lot, but are very aware of what they do not know and what needs to be fleshed out.

Paradox is very fortunate to have a large global audience for its strategy games, and we were able to make use of that audience by inviting members of Asian communities to comment on design and art decisions. Working closely with our community members, we were able to avoid errors, both big and small, from making sure that we were using the proper terminology when referring to medieval Asian societies to double-checking the colors used in art and character clothing.
The simple fact is that, for the most part, the real authorities on a nation’s history have deep roots in that society and can point us to the correct sources. Even when some historical facts are a matter of debate – an inevitable fact of life when dealing with the Middle Ages – knowing the ground of that debate and the key issues at stake is very helpful in guiding our content team in the development of the game
All Under Heaven is the biggest expansion we’ve ever done for Crusader Kings III, and required a great deal of effort to design and complete. Having a strong development foundation has made this herculean task much easier than it could have been, given the ambitions we set for ourselves.
We look forward to our community digging into the expansion and writing new stories in exciting new realms.
Crusader Kings III: Starter Edition
Paradox Interactive
The Starter Edition gives you access to the base game, one Major Expansion, one Event Pack, and some cosmetic additions to make your first forays into Crusader Kings III a deep and filling experience.
The Crusader Kings III: Starter Edition includes:
– Crusader Kings III: Whether you start as a lowly count or a mighty emperor, no throne is safe as you compete for power against thousands of other nobles for prestige and dominance. Write your own histories, with a wide range of personality types, ambitions, and cultural preferences. Play as a haughty duke, a pious prince, or a cunning queen, and then play as their heir as the wheel of time grinds on.
– Tours and Tournaments: Host thrilling tournaments, grand feasts and splendid weddings to bolster your prestige or win new honors for your dynasty. Travel to distant lands on pilgrimage or inspect your vassals on a grand tour of your realm – whether to extort taxes or bolster loyalty.
– Friends and Foes: Deepen your relationships with those around you, forming lasting friendships with childhood companions, bitter rivalries with distant foes or eternal love with a beauty of your choosing.
– Garments of the Holy Roman Empire: Immerse yourself in the Holy Roman Empire with a collection of outfits for both commoners, warriors and rulers of Central Europe.
– Elegance of the Empire: Based on the garments and regalia of Emperor Henry II and the Empress Cunigunde, this pack includes not only new robes and dresses, but historically appropriate crowns and other items.
– Fashion of the Abbasid Court: Give your court a dashing new look with a set of outfits and cosmetic clothing options for the Middle East and North Africa.
The post Building the Foundation for Expansion in Crusader Kings III: All Under Heaven appeared first on Xbox Wire.








