Lori WrightCorporate Vice President, Gaming Partnerships and Business Development
We’re focused on bringing more games to more people around the world, on the devices you choose to play with. Millions of Game Pass Ultimate members are already using Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta) to play great games from the Game Pass catalog on various devices.
Today, we’re excited to announce our collaboration with LG Electronics to bring the Xbox app to their new LG Smart TVs later this year. This means Game Pass Ultimate members will be able to play their games directly from the Xbox app on supported LG Smart TVs via Xbox Cloud Gaming. This gives players even more choice in how they enjoy their favorite games.
Soon, players with LG Smart TVs will be able to explore the Gaming Portal for direct access to hundreds of games in the Game Pass Ultimate catalog, including popular titles such as Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, and upcoming releases like Avowed (launching February 18, 2025).
Stream Your Own Game
We also recently announced that Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members can stream select games they own, outside the Game Pass catalog. This feature will also be available on the Xbox app with LG Smart TVs, allowing Game Pass Ultimate members to stream over 50 games they own, including NBA 2K25, Hogwarts Legacy, and more.
We’ll share more details on the Xbox Cloud Gaming experience with LG TV in the coming months. To learn more about Xbox Cloud Gaming and how you can play across TVs and browsers on supported devices like smartphones, PCs, and tablets, visit xbox.com/cloudgaming.
Say hello to our newest Agent, Tejo, who’s joining our roster from Colombia.
As part of the Initiator class, Tejo specializes in flushing out enemies with a unique kit consisting of information gathering, explosions, and a concuss.
Those who have strategic game sense and understand how the enemy plays will be able to thrive on this Agent.
“This should be simple enough. I flush them out. You finish them.” This statement from Tejo perfectly encompasses our newest Initiator-class Agent, the well-dressed man of action.
Hailing from Colombia, Tejo will undoubtedly shake up the gameplay with his unique kit that flushes out enemies using a top-down approach. Tejo will require you to think proactively and strategically–analyzing the situation mid-round and using his abilities to help clear the way for your team.
Tejo’s abilities, which revolve around flushing out enemies, consist of 3 outputs: information gathering, damage, and concuss effects:
Stealth Drone: Throw and possess a stealthed drone that, upon activation, creates a small sonar pulse at its location.
Guided Salvo: Pull up a map to target one or more missiles towards a location. Upon reaching their location, the missiles explode twice, pushing enemies off of angles.
Special Delivery: Toss a grenade that bounces once (sticks to players immediately), sticks, then winds up and explodes. Explosion concusses.
Armageddon: Cast a wave of explosions, forcing enemies to move in the direction of your choosing.
The perfect teammates for Tejo will be those who can quickly follow up on the space he creates. Let’s take a closer look at how that’s done.
Stealth Drone
Whether your team is attacking and attempting to take a site or defending and playing retake, having a drone can be extremely impactful. Especially on maps where there are a lot of corners to clear, it allows your team to take space safely or be prepared to fight for that space. Since drones are great pieces of utility, the enemy team is often prepared to shoot down whatever you’re using to take space. Tejo’s Stealth Drone is unique in that it’s invisible at long range, giving you more time to grab information about where the enemy team could be.
“Drones typically give a lot of baseline value of information gathering, but we wanted to give this drone a little spin where the information is secondary, and the effect of suppressing an enemy is why you take this drone over others,” Game Designer Ryan Cousart tells us.
Guided Salvo
When we asked the devs, “Why rockets?”, Cousart smiles and says, “Because rockets are sweet.”
In addition to rockets being sweet, they made sense thematically for what the devs were trying to accomplish.
“When you start putting things like a map targeter or world placements on Agents, you force people to think about the game more proactively and more strategically. We wanted something to lead your team in and show you the effect of telling your team, ‘Hey something is going to happen.’ We could’ve used anything but we landed on rockets for these reasons,” Cousart adds.
Tejo’s abilities, which revolve around flushing out enemies, consist of 3 outputs: information gathering, damage, and concuss effects. “There’s a lot to consider and be careful about when deciding the output of an ability. Damage as an output is a lot more permanent than a concuss or a flash. It’s worthwhile to explore though and I think we’ve landed in a pretty good spot but that’s one we’ll need to keep a really sharp eye,” states Cousart.
Special Delivery
“With how naturally ‘guns down’ his other abilities are, Tejo really needed something that was just simple to understand and simple to cast but still captured that feeling of being explosive but directed. I wanted Special Delivery to be a quick, like, ‘Let’s fight’ button”, states Cousart.
Unlike the other abilities where Tejo needs time to set up the play, Special Delivery allows him to initiate a fight quickly in the moment. Whether or not an enemy is there for the concuss, using the ability there will give them the confidence they need to take that space. One thing is for certain – even if players can use the ability quickly, we won’t be surprised when players are making fancy lineups to get that perfect angle to land on that perfect circle.
Armageddon
“Tejo’s rockets are really only valuable if you’re following up on the pressure that’s created. But the sweet spot is when you fire your rockets and you force people to move and then while they’re moving, you’re able to capitalize on them having to reposition. Tejo would be great with another Agent that can go in very fast, like Neon, who can capitalize on the distance he casts his abilities from,” notes Character Producer, John Goscicki.
Tejo’s ult, Armageddon, is something enemies will need to be aware of round-to-round. Watch that scoreboard and check how many ult points he’s away from being able to use it, since it can heavily impact the flow of a round. The wave of explosions will force enemies to move in a direction of Tejo’s choosing or at least have players moving further back, since the site will be difficult to hold. This will give his team the perfect opportunity to follow up and take control of the space he just created.
Everyone can play Tejo but those with strategic game sense can make this new Agent really shine. All of Valorant’s Agents are unlocked for Game Pass members, so step up to the challenge learn to use him to your advantage before everyone else. In the words of Tejo, “We can stand around all day talking about killing them… or we just do it.” So what are you waiting for?
VALORANT is a character-based 5v5 tactical shooter set on the global stage. Outwit, outplay, and outshine your competition with tactical abilities, precise gunplay, and adaptive teamwork.
DEFY THE LIMITS
Blend your style and experience on a global, competitive stage. You have 13 rounds to attack and defend your side using sharp gunplay and tactical abilities. And, with one life per-round, you’ll need to think faster than your opponent if you want to survive. Take on foes across Competitive and Unranked modes as well as Deathmatch and Spike Rush.
CREATIVITY IS YOUR GREATEST WEAPON
More than guns and bullets, you’ll choose an Agent armed with adaptive, swift, and lethal abilities that create opportunities to let your gunplay shine. No two Agents play alike, just as no two highlight reels will look the same.
FIGHT AROUND THE WORLD
Each map is a playground to showcase your creative thinking. Purpose-built for team strategies, spectacular plays, and clutch moments. Make the play others will imitate for years to come.
Rewards with Xbox are our way of, well, rewarding you for your love of gaming, and today we’re thrilled to announce new ways for players to earn points. From expanding Quests to PC Game Pass, to reimagining the Game Pass Quests you use to earn points, to weekly Rewards for all Xbox players 18 and older, there are lots of new ways to earn points through your play time.
Lastly, today we’re sharing an important update on earning Rewards with Xbox. This update aligns more closely with our continued commitment to foster positive, age-appropriate gaming experiences by making points earned through play activities available only to players 18 years and older.
Game Pass Quests Arrive on Your PC
Previously exclusive to Game Pass Ultimate members, Quests unlock opportunities to earn even more Rewards with Xbox. Starting to roll out on January 7, Quests are also available for PC Game Pass members. Now you have more ways to earn Rewards points on PC in addition to console and mobile. The new Game Pass Quests will also launch in Japan, bringing the region the full Rewards with Xbox experience.
If you’re an active Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass member 18 years or older, starting to earn is simple:
Explore the new Quests by navigating to your Xbox profile and accessing the Rewards Hub, which is available across console, the Xbox app on mobile, and the Xbox app on Windows PC.
Earn points by playing your favorite games with Game Pass.
Claim your points on the Rewards Hub.
Once you’ve earned enough, redeem your points for Xbox gift cards to use for games, in-game content, donations to your favorite causes, and more.
As part of these changes, minimum playtime is required to earn points through gameplay. For now, Quests are only available for titles in the Game Pass catalog, and this does not include PC games that require third party launchers or are played on Battle.net. Check Xbox.com/Rewards for more details.
We have reimagined Game Pass Quests, making them easier to use, and more fun to play – we’ve made it possible to earn even more points, simply by playing games you love and discovering your next favorite games. Quests offer daily, weekly, and monthly opportunities to add to your Rewards, and we’ve also brought back a player favorite: weekly streaks.
Here’s how Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass members can now earn points (and remember, Rewards offers may vary by region and may change over time. Check terms and conditions here):
Daily Play – Earn 10 points a day by playing any game from the Game Pass catalog for at least 15 minutes.
Weekly Streaks – Play for at least five days a week to complete your streak. The more days you play, the more points you earn. Now comes the challenge: maintain your streak week over week to unlock bigger point multipliers. A 2-week streak will earn 2x the base streak points, a 3-week streak will earn 3x the base streak points, and anything beyond a 4-week streak will earn 4x the base streak points.
Monthly 4-Pack – Explore the Game Pass catalog by playing four different games (for at least 15 minutes each) every month.
Monthly 8-Pack – Push your gaming further and play eight different games (for at least 15 minutes each) every calendar month. Don’t worry, the 4 games from your 4-Pack count towards the 8-Pack, too.
New Ways to Earn Rewards for All
Beyond changes to the exclusive Quests for Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass members, we’re also bringing new ways to earn points for all players. Starting January 7, 2025, all Rewards members 18 years and older will be able to access the new PC Weekly Bonus, awarding them 150 points when playing (for at least 15 minutes) for 5 days or more.
With this update, we’re also rebalancing points from the current Console Weekly Bonus to 150 points and the Daily PC Play to 10 points.
Play and Earn Update
We are constantly evaluating the Xbox platform to ensure our continued commitment to foster positive, age-appropriate gaming experiences for our players to enjoy. Starting today, earning Rewards points via gameplay will only be available to Xbox players 18 years and older. With these changes, the Rewards Hub used for tracking and earning points on Xbox console, the Xbox app for Windows PC, and the Xbox app for mobile will no longer be available to players under 18 years old.
This update will not impact existing Rewards and points previously earned by players, and going forward players under 18 will still be able to earn Microsoft Rewards points via parentally approved purchases of eligible items on the Microsoft Store, eligible searches on Microsoft Bing and other non-gameplay activities, such as completing the Microsoft Rewards Daily Set. They can continue to track and redeem their available Microsoft Rewards at Rewards.Microsoft.com.
We can’t wait to see all the great Rewards you’ll redeem, simply by playing with Xbox. You’re already playing, so now start earning!
Haunting, atmospheric soundtrack from Nicolas Gasparini (Myuu).
Fully voice-acted cast including Togo Igawa as Roman.
While it’s almost time to say farewell to 2024, with a new year on the horizon comes an undiscovered, terrifying and twisted reality to explore.
In 2025, Post Trauma launches on Xbox, bringing a whole host of unimaginable nightmares along for the ride.
Post Trauma comes from the imagination ofRoberto Serrag and Red Soul Games, designed as a celebration of classic horror titles like Silent Hill and Resident Evil.
Built with Unreal Engine 5, Post Trauma is set in recognizable environments – such as an abandoned hospital and a neglected Metro – within “The Gloom” and depicts them in unusual, but suitably horrendous ways. Whether its tentacles creeping through the walls, ghastly creatures lurking in the shadows, or buildings that could collapse at a moment’s notice, it’s anyone’s guess what’s around the next corner.
At the heart of it all is Roman (voiced by Togo Igawa), a retired train driver who awakes to find himself dazed, bewildered, and haunted by all he can see.Alongside voice acting, Red Soul Games also use Motion Capture so that Roman’s facial reactions and movements feel natural and authentic, really bringing the character to life. The way he reacts to the horror all around him and processes this fantastical, wild world, really grounds Post Trauma. As a result, players will truly be able to see what Roman is thinking and feeling throughout the game.
Much of the horror in Post Trauma comes from setting a scene and building tension rather than going in for quick jump scares. Post Trauma’s soundtrack plays an important role in this with moody piano solos softly building in the background while Roman moves along train tracks and corridors. Then during battles and confrontations, the beat kicks in to reach heart-pounding crescendos.
As you continue to explore the environment and uncover its secrets and inhabitants, it will be important to pay close attention to every scenic detail as theymay hold clues to some of the game’s trickier puzzles. Perhaps a pad and paper could come in handy, too.
The Gloom is a dangerous place , and there are times Roman will need to defend himself in life or death situations. Fortunately, there’s a variety of items at your disposal, like an all-powerful sledgehammer and a trusty crowbar. Roman will even find a pistol and a shotgun on his travels and can store them on his person or in chests found in safe spaces. Every little bit of room will help!
As with all good Survival Horror games, though, this is a game that changes the questions just as you’re discovering the answers. We can’t wait for players to unearth its secrets when Post Trauma launches in 2025 for Xbox Series X|S. Wishlist it today!
Post Trauma is a modern interpretation of genre-defining survival horror classics. As you venture deeper into the unknown, you’ll strive to solve the mysteries of your unfamiliar surroundings, hoping to discover hidden truths while trying to stay alive.
Players will explore a terrifying, twisted reality that constantly unsettles as its story shifts and unravels.
Fight or Flight?
In Post Trauma, players control Roman (Togo Igawa), a tormented train conductor who awakes to find himself in a surreal dimension following a terrible panic attack. Faced with horrifying architecture and nightmarish abominations, Roman can choose to defend himself with an array of weapons or try to find the path of least resistance.
A new world of horror that pays homage to the greats
Inspired by key staples of the Survival Horror genre, Post Trauma blends fixed camera angles with stunning visuals through Unreal Engine 5 to create a truly unsettling, yet familiar horror experience. But just when you think you have the answers, this hellscape changes the questions as you enter the unknown to face your greatest fears.
Can you find a way home?
To survive this cruel world, you must piece together an ongoing mystery across several, seemingly unrelated settings. Deducing your environments to find unlikely hints and discovering precious tools in unexpected places will help you make continued progress.
As you find clues and solve puzzles, you’ll gradually learn more about where you are and how you can escape, using a delicate mix of patience and cunning to stay alive. And maybe a pad and paper too.
Built and enriched by world-class talent
Featuring a fully voice acted cast (Togo Igawa, Autumn Ivy, Hyoie O’Grady) and a captivating, ambient audioscape, elevated by a hypnotic score from Nicolas Gasparini (Myuu), Post Trauma has been crafted to be a homage to beloved franchises and a new merging of playstyles. The intent is to create a truly special, unforgettable horror experience fuelled by pure passion and incredible talent.
