The post War Game: The Making of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 – Available October 3 appeared first on Xbox Wire.
Category: Xbox
Coming Soon to Game Pass: Ara: History Untold, Frostpunk 2, and Wargroove 2
We have games for all kinds of people, and in this batch, we especially have games for people who are ready to build their own city or civilization (and maybe watch it burn, who knows?). We also have games, Perks, and updates for adventure, sports, and more. Let’s jump in!
Coming Soon
Wargroove 2 (Cloud, Console, and PC) – September 19
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
Embark on an all-new adventure filled with unlikely friendships, unknown adversaries, and ugly revenge plots. Wage war against your foes with a cast of new Commanders. Design and share maps, cut-scenes, and campaigns with easy-to-use editors and in-depth customization tools.
Frostpunk 2 (PC) – September 20
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
Coming day one to PC Game Pass: Take the role of a Steward and lead your city through a cascade of calamities taking place in a postapocalyptic, snowy setting. Develop, expand, and advance your city in a society survival game set 30 years after an apocalyptic blizzard ravaged Earth. In Frostpunk 2, you face not only the perils of never-ending winter, but also the powerful factions that watch your every step inside the Council Hall.
Ara: History Untold (PC) – September 24
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
Coming day one to PC Game Pass: From Oxide Games and Xbox Game Studios, Ara: History Untold is an evolution in historical grand strategy, featuring beloved classic PC strategy mechanics alongside innovative gameplay. Build a nation and lead your people throughout history as you explore new lands, develop arts and culture, conduct diplomacy, and go head-to-head with your rivals to prove you are the greatest ruler ever known. It’s your world now. Pre-install today to get ready to play on day one.
Unlock In-Game Loot In Overwatch 2 with Game Pass
Starting today, Game Pass members will receive six awesome hero skins and an instant one-time grant of 30 Mythic prisms to spend on Mythic unlocks. These items will be yours to keep, but you’ll need to login and ensure that your accounts are linked by October 21 to claim them. Members will also earn ongoing rewards, including a stackable XP boost and access to Overwatch 2 Shop cosmetics from prior seasons. Overwatch 2 benefits are available to Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass for Console members.
DLC / Game Updates
Fallout 76: Milepost Zero – Available now
Escort caravans across the Shenandoah and recruit a diverse crew of merchants to build your caravan empire. Customize your dream arsenal with the revamped Legendary Crafting system. Submit and upvote player C.A.M.P.s on the paper map with Best Builds.
EA Sports FC 25 Early Access Trial – September 20
Starting September 20, PC Game Pass and Ultimate members can try EA Sports FC 25 for up to 10 hours via EA Play and win for the club. Members unlock a Welcome Pack available until Oct 31, Football Ultimate Team
Draft Tokens, and seasonal Clubs Rewards. Plus, save 10% on pre-orders, FC Points, and more.
Starfield: Shattered Space – September 30
Game Pass members save 10%! Shattered Space is a new story expansion for Starfield, Bethesda Game Studios’ epic role-playing game and first new universe in more than twenty-five years. A mysterious power stirs in the city of Dazra on House Va’Ruun’s hidden homeworld. Investigate a frightening cosmic threat, explore a new planet, and find unique weapons, spacesuits, and gear in this all-new adventure.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perks
Persona 3 Reload: Expansion Pass – Available now
The final story chapter just launched! Dive deeper into the world of Persona 3 Reload with this Expansion Pass featuring an extra story DLC “Episode Aigis -The Answer-”, offering over 30 hours of additional gameplay, new costumes, and BGM. All 3 waves are available now – dive into Episode Aigis today! This Perk content requires Persona 3 Reload to use.
The First Descendant: Season 1 Invasion Bundle – Available now
Enhance your gameplay in this co-op action RPG looter shooter with the Season 1: Invasion Bundle! Featuring a stylish pink back accessory, unique weapon skins, vibrant sprays, custom makeups, and bold paints.This bundle lets you stand out in every battle!
Apex Legends: Bright Idea Weapon Charm – Available now
Add some flair to your arsenal with the Apex Legends Bright Idea Weapon Charm, available with your EA Play Membership!
Hawked: Plunder Pack 2 – Available now
Daring adventures await in Issue #2: Dark Arrival, so load up on new loot for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members to use in this free-to-play online extraction shooter. Claim the intrepid Evergreen Outfit, blaze by on the Halcyon Green Hoverboard, and make your mark with the Slash Weapon Pattern!
Leaving September 30
The following games are leaving the library soon, so be sure to jump back in before they go. Remember you can save up to 20% off your purchase to keep them in your library.
- Gotham Knights (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Let’s Build a Zoo (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Loop Hero (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- My Time At Portia (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- PAW Patrol Grand Prix (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Pheonix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- The Walking Dead: The Complete First Season (PC)
- The Walking Dead: Season Two (PC)
- Valheim (Cloud, Console, and PC)
It was great seeing everyone jump into the Beta last weekend for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6! Now we just need to (im)patiently wait for October launch. In the meantime, we’ll be here with more games to play, or you can tune into @Xbox, @XboxGamePass, and @XboxGamePassPC on social for what else is coming to your download queue next. Cheers!
The post Coming Soon to Game Pass: Ara: History Untold, Frostpunk 2, and Wargroove 2 appeared first on Xbox Wire.
Overwatch 2 is Coming to Xbox Game Pass
The post Overwatch 2 is Coming to Xbox Game Pass appeared first on Xbox Wire.
Sea of Thieves & Xbox in NYC to Kick Off New York Liberty’s Push to Playoffs
As the New York Liberty charts a course to the 2024 WNBA Playoffs, Xbox and Sea of Thieves are landing on the shores of Brooklyn to add their fearless seafaring energy to the fandom. We’ll spread fun and pirate shenanigans across the five boroughs, finally coming together at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on International Talk Like a Pirate Day – Thursday, September 19 – to celebrate the New York Liberty’s final home game of the regular season. The Liberty are marauding their way into the playoffs, and the Sea of Thieves crew will bring all the trappings of a proper pirate send-off as the team pursues their first championship.
The Liberty’s mascot, Ellie the Elephant, will serve as “Pirate Queen” for the week, leading the Sea of Thieves’ pirate crew as they make landfall across New York City today, sharing their signature swashbuckling excitement with fans. Once the pirates land, from September 16-18, Ellie will send her crew out to the five boroughs to hide various pirate treasure such as New York Liberty VIP tickets and one, three and six-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscription token codes (in the form of Gold Doubloons) around the city. Follow Ellie the Elephant on social media for clues on where to find the treasure!
The adventure continues September 19 at the Liberty’s Fan Appreciation Game, where Ellie and her pirate crew will host more Xbox giveaways and help fans perfect their “arrrgh”s and “aye matey”s—just in time for International Talk Like a Pirate Day. For the ultimate nautical flair, this game will feature a custom Xbox and Sea of Thieves-themed court at Barclays Center.
The continuation of the Liberty and Xbox’s award-winning and innovative partnership allows both brands to reach and engage with new fans in unique ways, while also creating synergy between the WNBA and gaming communities.
This collaboration continues Xbox’s commitment to women’s sports. In past seasons, we have teamed up with the Liberty to bring the excitement of Roblox and Starfield to the team’s loyal fanbase, and now the adventure continues with Sea of Thieves, marking yet another innovative partnership.
In Sea of Thieves, the fun of International Talk Like a Pirate Day lasts all week long! Check out discounts in a Pirate Emporium sale beginning September 19, stream your adventures on Twitch and give out Twitch Drops to your viewers, and set course for a Community Weekend full of login bonuses and boosted rewards. Check out the Sea of Thieves website and social channels for all the dates and details!
The post Sea of Thieves & Xbox in NYC to Kick Off New York Liberty’s Push to Playoffs appeared first on Xbox Wire.
How Jackbox Games Took a Beloved Party Game and Made a New Remote Play Version
Back in The Jackbox Party Pack 3, Jackbox Games unleashed a social deception game called Fakin’ It that had friends and family pointing at each other, throwing their hands up, and ultimately accusing each other of lying. At the beginning of the game, we let players know the best way to sit and enjoy the game so you can have the best view of your fellow players. Now, in Jackbox Naughty Pack, we are bringing it back, but is it possible to have this explosively funny game work remotely? Spoiler alert: Hell yeah it is!
Hi, I’m Tim Sniffen, the director of Fakin’ It All Night Long. When we started making this new version, one of the team’s biggest hopes (and a request we’ve heard from Jackbox players over the years) was to have the game work in a purely remote setting.
Since the game relies on carefully studying your fellow players to see who might be Fakin’ It, we made the player avatars (designed by lead artist Owen Watson) more present in the game so they could raise their hands, point at each other, etc. All of the moments that would traditionally be enacted by players in the room are done by selecting options on your controller, and then those actions are shown on the game screen.
We also paid a lot of attention to the timing and order of operations when things are revealed in the Remote Play version to make sure that it was easy to process all the information on screen. And both Same Room and Remote Play contain the same round categories, including one of our new ones, Emojional Damage (who doesn’t love deception through emojis?), so ultimately the game plays the same, even with the adjusted interactions.
This way, having your camera on isn’t mandatory… even though it’s always satisfying to watch someone’s face as they wiggle out of an accusation.
So even if you’re feeling like staying in, you can Fake It with the best of them! And for all you original Fakin’ It lovers… the original “in the same room” playing style is present in the Jackbox Naughty Pack too. Because sometimes you just need to honk the nose of the person calling you a dirty liar for the third time.
The Jackbox Naughty Pack
Jackbox Games, Inc.
$21.99
Bring the heat with a threesome of fun in Jackbox Naughty Pack.
We’ve Seen How You Play Our Games
We know you’ve been begging to burst out of the box. It’s time to set your party aflame with a brand new pack of three adult party games that will bring some harmless heat to your next weekend hang with friends. It’s the perfect pack for your next college party, grown-up game night, bachelor/ette celebration, or hump day gathering.
Play with your phone or tablet – no special controller required. All three games support 3 to 8 players and 10,000 audience members.
We’re spreading the love around the world. All Jackbox Naughty Pack games can be played in English, French, Italian, German, Castilian or Latin American Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese.
A Threesome of Fun
Fakin’ It All Night Long (Social Deduction): Fakin’ It returns and this time we’re putting it all out there. Everyone gets a secret task except the Faker, who tries to blend in. Find out which of your friends is the best liar… and SO much more! Featuring new categories like “Finger Blasting” and a brand new “remote play” mode. Who doesn’t like a good Finger Blast with their friends?
Dirty Drawful (Drawing, Guessing): It’s Drawful, but dirty… It’s Dirty Drawful. Hosted by the one and only Drawful Owl, as you’ve never seen her before. We’ve taken the game that you love and added prompts to ensure your drawings are both terrible and titillating. This game has everything:, sex, drugs, blasphemy, you name it! Also, if you can’t commit to a relationship, or a drawing, we added an undo button just for you.
Let Me Finish (Presentation): Let Me Finish is Jackbox’s new presentation game that examines life’s serious questions like, “Where is the mailbox’s butt?” or “How does this avocado get aroused?” Everyone gets a chance to speak their mind, but will others pick up what you’re putting down?
Content Warning
Jackbox Naughty Pack contains mature themes and explicit content. It is not intended to be played by children. This game contains references to consensual sex acts, light drug use, non-graphic violence, and crude language
The post How Jackbox Games Took a Beloved Party Game and Made a New Remote Play Version appeared first on Xbox Wire.
How Ubisoft Built an Authentic New World for Star Wars Outlaws
Star Wars Outlaws is a game that invites you to meander. If you move through its various locations, orbits, cities and homesteads at a considerate pace, you’ll spot all kinds of thoughtful props, quirks and details that are meticulously placed to showcase a part of the Star Wars galaxy through Kay Vess’ scoundrel eyes. While some locations featured in the game are known favourites from the Star Wars galaxy, other spots are lesser known.
In fact, Toshara – the savanna moon serving as a bubbling crime hotspot that you’ll visit early in the game – was designed by Massive Entertainment, in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games, marking a new entry into the Star Wars galaxy. Adding a brand-new creation to this established world is no mean feat – and we had the chance to speak to two Massive Entertainment designers about how the team went about building Toshara, right down to its inhabitants, wildlife, and even plants, as well as bringing other popular locations to life through a new lens.
With countless pre-established locations on offer within the Star Wars galaxy, Massive Entertainment had to carefully consider which places felt fitting to tell Kay Vess and Nix’s story. The team wanted to showcase diversity in its settings, ranging from classic, recognizable areas like Tatooine, the desert home of Luke Skywalker, to lesser-shown planets like Kijimi, briefly seen in “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” as a snow-coated haunt for the galaxy’s rogues. Akiva, meanwhile, is a jungle planet that has never been seen, only described in the Aftermath series of Star Wars tie-in novels.
Building Toshara
But Massive Entertainment crafted something entirely new in Toshara, the inhabited moon designed and purpose-built by the studio to act as a core component of the Star Wars Outlaws journey. After escaping her home city of Canto Bight, on Cantonica, Kay finds herself temporarily grounded on the moon, which is home to the Pyke Syndicate, as well as a host of other syndicates, ambiguous characters, hidden treasures and prosperous opportunities for a budding outlaw.
“We wanted to bring something entirely fresh to Star Wars that had never been seen before, and really embrace that as our playground for telling this exact story,” says Matthieu Delisle, Lead Systems Designer on Star Wars Outlaws. “This was the place where we could experiment the most and set a benchmark for the rest of the game.”
Toshara serves as a space where the different Syndicates in the underworld can come together, and, while it is controlled by the Pykes, it’s a location where The Empire is willing to let some things slide in exchange for some credits. Among its points of interest are Mirogana, a bustling major city that plays host to several Syndicate districts and Jaunta’s Hope, a smaller settlement. Off the beaten paths of Toshara, you’ll also uncover numerous points of interest – flyer nests containing valuable items stolen from locals, fields full of grazing wildlife, or Pirate Camps with treats ripe for the taking.
“This is where we had the most freedom to define what feels good in terms of an open world experience,” Delisle says. “We considered the speeder distance between different activities, how we could create points that will catch your eye and lead to something interesting.
Not only is Toshara an entirely new experience for Star Wars fans, it’s also the first truly open world area that you can freely explore in a Star Wars game. As soon as you land here, it feels like an authentic Star Wars location you’ve seen in a classic movie, but what’s most impressive is that everything on Toshara, from its sweeping, dusty vistas to the flora and fauna that inhabit it, has been designed by Massive Entertainment in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games.
“Since we designed Toshara from scratch, we could create its entire history, from when it formed, to when it was first settled on, and how that fits into the wider Star Wars timeline,” says Benedikt Podlesnigg, Art and World Director.
“We created all of the wildlife, the architecture, what Toshara’s inhabitants eat, what they wear, their relationship to the Empire, and how all of these things are connected to each other. If you look really close, you’ll find food that characters are eating growing out on a tree somewhere, for example.”
Massive Entertainment hasn’t just considered the visuals of Toshara, either. The team went as far as to define the planet’s gravitational forces and surrounding solar winds, so that pilots will struggle to navigate and land their ships without crashing unless they are very familiar with its orbit and layout. This in particular feels like an extremely cool detail that ties into Toshara’s presence as a hideaway for criminals with minimal Empire presence.
“It’s really in the DNA of Massive to create this logic of a world where things make sense,” Delisle adds. “There’s always a reason for something existing, and that’s really a trademark for us – to try and establish all of these locations and details to make them as believable and lived in as possible.”
An Overview of Kijimi
Later in the story, Star Wars Outlaws sees Kay Vess travel to Kijimi, a dark, frigid planet housing Crimson Dawn and the Ashiga Clan, another criminal syndicate, developed by Massive Entertainment in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games. Similar to Toshara, Kijimi is largely ruled by anarchy, but the Empire has a much greater presence here. Unlike Toshara, Kijimi has been seen in previous Star Wars media, which gave Massive Entertainment a jumping off point in how to build the planet’s eponymous main city into an interactive space, with a unique spin, of course.
“We worked closely with Lucasfilm on Kijimi – we were given access to a big bank of concepts and behind the scenes footage, as well as the references they used for the location, these Japanese mountain towns that served as inspiration,” Podlesnigg tells us.
“We also got to see the 3D model of Kijimi that they used as an overview shot of Kijimi City in [Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker], to also get a sense of orientation – where buildings are placed, for example.”
Kijimi City is a densely packed area, a stark comparison to the open vistas of Toshara and Tatooine. The urban environments are comprised of small streets and alleys brimming with questionable figures – walking through the city breeds a real sense of unease, as though anything could jump out at you.
“There’s a struggle here between The Ashiga Clan and Crimson Dawn, and there’s this a mood of cloak and daggers going on throughout,” Delisle adds. “We’re telling some of the main story here, but what was interesting for us was the smaller stories we could tell about people that ended up on Kijimi. It felt like a nice palette cleanser compared to the other more open environments in Outlaws.”
The Secret Ingredient is the Underworld
While all of the locations shown in Star Wars Outlaws vary in terms of familiarity, they’re all chosen with one primary focus in mind – depicting the underworld. Each place acts as another flavor of the dodgy dealings that Kay and Nix (mostly) voluntarily take part in – from the very first moment. Kay herself hails from Canto Bight, an Outer Rim gambling destination famously shown in Star Wars: “The Last Jedi”.
The location is a hotbed for the wealthy to be frivolous with their earnings – a situation that Kay has learned to take full advantage of as a thief. The contrast between Canto Bight’s setting and Kay’s upbringing sets the immediate tone for Outlaws – this story wants to show you these locations not through the eyes of a known hero, but as a scoundrel, desperate and hopeful. In the sandy dunes of Tatooine, Kay is not looking at the home of Jedi Luke Skywalker, she’s focused on opportunities, skulking down alleys, surveying buildings, perpetually on the hunt for something to give her an edge.
“One of the big ambitions when we started [Outlaws] was to show what is behind the curtain,” Delisle says. “Our generation grew up watching those movies and wondering ‘what would it be like to go there? You see things in the movies, but you never really get off the rollercoaster to really look at the world, see the wildlife, talk to the people that live there, and it was really important to us all to let players be someone that can just live in this world.”
“Every time I step out of the Mos Eisley Cantina, jump on my speeder, I just have a big smile on my face,” Podlesnigg adds. “This is just a love letter to everything Star Wars.”
The post How Ubisoft Built an Authentic New World for Star Wars Outlaws appeared first on Xbox Wire.
Next Week on Xbox: New Games for September 16 to 20
Next Week on Xbox: New Games for September 16 to 20
Welcome to Next Week on Xbox! This weekly feature highlights all the games arriving soon on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, and Game Pass. Discover more about these upcoming titles below and visit their profiles for additional information (note that release dates are subject to change). Let’s dive in!
Paladin’s Passage
Bent Vector Studios, Inc.
Paladin’s Passage – September 17
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
Embark on an epic journey in this challenging 2.5D precision platformer with over 100 hand-crafted dungeons filled with monsters. Become a master of block manipulation in your quest to restore harmony to the realm. The passage beckons; dare to answer the call!
The Plucky Squire
Devolver Digital
The Plucky Squire – September 17
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
The Plucky Squire follows the magical adventures of Jot and his friends – storybook characters who discover a three-dimensional world outside the pages of their book. When the malevolent Humgrump realizes he’s the villain of the book – destined to lose his battle against the forces of good for all eternity – he kicks the heroic Jot out of its pages and changes the story forever.
STAR WARS Jedi: Survivor
Standard Edition Xbox One
Electronic Arts
$49.99
$44.99
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (Xbox One) – September 17
The story of Cal Kestis continues in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, a third person galaxy-spanning action-adventure game from Respawn Entertainment, developed in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games – now available on Xbox One! This narrative-driven, single-player game picks up five years after the events of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and follows Cal’s increasingly desperate fight as the galaxy descends further into darkness.
Train Sim World® 5: Standard Edition
Dovetail Games
$49.99
Train Sim World 5 – September 17
Game Pass / Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery
Available on day one with Game Pass! The rails are yours in Train Sim World 5! Take on new challenges and new roles as you master the tracks and trains of iconic cities across three new routes. Immerse yourself in the ultimate rail hobby and embark on your next journey.
World of Outlaws: Dirt Racing 24
iRacing.com Motorsport Simulations, LLC
$49.99
World of Outlaws: Dirt Racing 24 – September 17
Smart Delivery
World of Outlaws: Dirt Racing 24 features 49 tracks, including all your favorites like Eldora Speedway, Knoxville Raceway, and Volusia Speedway Park, with new additions like Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway, and Millbridge Speedway.
Cozy Designer
Lucky Raccoon Games
Position furniture and objects however you prefer and decorate 60 incredibly cozy environments. Without right or wrong, the only limit is your imagination. Photograph the finished spaces and create your own design gallery.
Dark Elven Legacy
Old School Vibes
Dark Elven Legacy – September 18
You are Elynar, the strongest archer in the Kingdom, who must face terrible creatures in the Great Dark Forest. Shoot with your bow, use a special power, or obtain power-ups during the game to fight various types of enemies.
Elasto Mania II
Infinite Zone
Elasto Mania II – September 18
The long-awaited sequel is still a 2D enduro simulator with a nostalgic feel, but it’s also about giving you more bang for your buck than ever, with more challenges, extra collectibles, updated physics and new graphics.
Hidden Cats in Berlin
Silesia Games Sp. z o.o.
Hidden Cats in Berlin – September 18
Take a little pleasant trip through a big and lovely illustration! Start with monochrome scenery and fill it with color! Kick back, relax, and find all the cats to reveal the final, colorful landscape.
Keylocker
Serenity Forge LLC
$19.99
Keylocker – September 18
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
A cyberpunk turn-based rhythm JRPG where you play as the singer and songwriter, B0B0. Fuel your moves with the electric power of music on this unforgiving planet by using real-time execution of moves in rhythm game style! Choose a unique class, battle the authorities, unlock the secrets of Saturn, play in your own bands’ concerts, and hack into the network to bring an end to this corrupt system, for better or worse.
The Last Shot (Xbox Series X|S)
Sometimes You
$9.99
$7.99
Free Trial
The Last Shot – September 18
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
A platforming adventure game set in a war-ravaged, diesel-punk world. Militaristic cities fight endlessly with massive weaponry, all striving to be the last one standing. When your comfortable routine is interrupted and you are thrust into the outside world on a dangerous journey, you must uncover a terrible conspiracy and find a way to put an end to a nefarious plan.
A Night on the Farm
Eastasiasoft Limited
A Night on the Farm – September 18
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery
Following a sudden car crash, you’re stranded out in the country at night and all alone. A nearby farm might offer help or refuge, but there’s something very unsettling about the place, and exploration only leads to greater fears. A Night on the Farm is an atmospheric retro-inspired horror adventure with unpredictable plot twists and deep lore to discover.
Andromeda Survivors
Afil Games
Andromeda Survivors – September 19
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery
Prepare yourself for an epic journey in Andromeda Survivors, a casual game with rogue-lite elements that will challenge your skills and strategy! In a universe threatened by thousands of enemies, you are the last defender of Andromeda. Command your ship and destroy endless waves of adversaries while collecting skills and powerful upgrades to create the most incredible and invincible builds!
Atama
Indie Games Starter
Use psychic powers in Atama to see through the eyes of your pursuers to avoid detection as you investigate a cursed rural Japanese village. You can’t fight back; you must rely only on your abilities and your wits to avoid your enemies.
Between Horizons
Assemble Entertainment
Between Horizons – September 19
Between Horizons is a modern 2.5D pixel art adventure that brings a branching narrative into a semi-open world. Set aboard the Zephyr, humanity’s first-generation ship enroute to another star, you assume the role of Stella, born on the ship 24 years ago and recently inherited her father’s post as Chief of Security. Dive into a conspiracy behind the incident that threatens to disrupt Zephyr’s social order and foil its mission.
Broken Sword – Shadow of the Templars: Reforged
Revolution Software Ltd
Broken Sword – Shadow of the Templars: Reforged – September 19
Step out onto the streets of Paris in “Broken Sword – Shadow of the Templars: Reforged”, a substantially enhanced version of the multi-award winning, all-time classic adventure. Enjoy a globe-spanning story when intrepid American George Stobbart and fearless journalist Nico Collard are pitched into a gripping adventure, exploring exotic locations, solving ancient mysteries, and thwarting dark conspiracies to discover the arcane secrets of the Knights Templar.
Byte The Bullet
JanduSoft
$5.99
$5.39
Byte The Bullet – September 19
Get into an infected computer and restore every virus-ridden system by recovering game attributes like color or save functions. Enjoy this parody of multiple classic games from 80s & 90s.
Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster
CAPCOM CO., LTD.
$49.99
Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster – September 19
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
Dead Rising returns with modern graphics! More than just a remaster, this Deluxe Remaster is a full graphical overhaul of the first game in zombie-slaughtering action game series, fully voiced, auto-saves, and various quality-of-life features. Witness the unmatched mayhem and freedom for yourself.
DROS
©RedDeer.Games
DROS is a dark fantasy adventure where you’ll swap between a small gooey creature and her human bounty hunter shell. Explore freely through 40 unique diorama-like levels filled with strange characters, intricate puzzles, hidden rooms, and ancient collectibles.
The House of Da Vinci 3
Blue Brain Games
$24.99
The House of Da Vinci 3 – September 19
The grand finale to The House of Da Vinci trilogy is here! Solve numerous new puzzles and mind benders and explore new mystifying locations of ravishing beauty. Use your wits and observational skills to escape rooms and solve the mysterious story behind one of the world’s most prolific inventors in history. With sharp wits and an open mind, you will prevail.
Matchbox Driving Adventures
Outright Games Limited.
$39.99
Matchbox Driving Adventures – September 19
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery
Jump into an authentic Matchbox vehicle, show off those driving skills, and embark on larger-than-life quests as you explore six dynamic environments. Race against the clock to help citizens, complete deliveries, chase down runaway cars, and tackle exciting rescue missions.
Paper Plane Arena – Lost Places
EpiXR Games
$9.99
Xbox One X Enhanced
Paper Plane Arena – Lost Places – September 19
Xbox One X Enhanced
Paper Plane Arena is an interactive game experience that is designed to ease your mind and have fun popping innocent balloons. You jump into the role of a little paper plane that is supposed to rescue the world from evil balloon demons by dashing through them.
pureya
Mameshiba Games
Simple arcade games are great, but they can get boring quickly. What if they changed every 10 seconds? Pureya is a collection of arcade minigames that play with just 2 buttons. Every 10 seconds, the game will jump from one random minigame to another. Avoid obstacles and collect as many marbles as you can, then use them in the pachinko machine to unlock new mini games, music and skins.
EA SPORTS FC 25 Ultimate Edition Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S
Electronic Arts
$99.99
$89.99
EA Sports FC 25 Ultimate Edition (Early Access) — September 20
EA Sports FC 25 has the best players from the biggest clubs and competitions around the globe, with match data from the world’s top leagues powering how 19,000+ players move, play, and win in every match. New additions to Manager and Player Career let you live out the biggest storylines from the real-world with Live Start Points; rewrite the stories of past icons with today’s teams in Player Career; and for the first time, play an authentic Women’s Career experience, taking control of a club or player from the top five women’s leagues. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members with EA Play can experience a 10-hour trial of EA Sports FC 25 starting on September 20.
Home Safety Hotline
Torture Star Video
$19.99
Home Safety Hotline – September 20
Hearing noises? Seeing things? Call Home Safety Hotline! Our operators are standing by, waiting to give you the answers you need to protect your home from all manner of pests and household hazards.
The Karate Kid: Street Rumble
GameMill Entertainment
$39.99
The Karate Kid: Street Rumble – September 20
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery
Sweeping across iconic locations of the first three classic The Karate Kid movies from the 1980s, you’ll step out of the dojo and into the streets of the West Valley and Okinawa as you battle waves of enemies in this pixel art, side-scrolling, beat ‘em up adventure.
MindSeize (Xbox Series X|S)
Sometimes You
$16.99
$13.59
Free Trial
MindSeize – September 20
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
Fast-paced combat and extensive exploration await in this metroidvania-inspired game. Transfer your mind into a MAG (Mind Action Gear) and set out on an epic action-adventure to save your daughter from the leaders of the dangerous criminal organization called The Ascended.
Morkull Ragast’s Rage
Selecta Play
$17.99
Mordkull Ragast’s Rage – September 20
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
A 2D video game that combines platforming and action with a touch of exploration. You control Morkull, the villain of the story, who not only knows he’s a character in a video game, but is also aware of the player who controls him (i.e., you) and the developers who created him.
Pneumata
PERP GAMES
Deep in the Missouri countryside, a small town is being ravaged by a series of murders at the old Clover Hill Apartments. After a traumatic brain injury and the passing of his late wife, homicide detective David Hernandez is determined to bury himself in his work and investigate the mysterious complex. Pneumata is a true Lovecraftian survival horror with disturbing and brutal gameplay, enveloped by the psychological horrors that exist somewhere between reality and the beyond.
They Came From the Sky 2
Ratalaika Games S.L.
They Came From the Sky 2 – September 20
Get ready for nostalgic arcade action inspired by 1980s vintage console classics, as terror from space throws world into panic once again! They Came From the Sky 2 is a fast paced arcade game wherein you take the role of one of the giant alien robot. The game offers infinite replayability, over 20 types of enemies, and 50 hidden artifacts to discover.
Welcome to Empyreum
Tapioca Games
Welcome to Empyreum – September 20
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery
Welcome to Empyreum, the video game that will transform your gaming experience into a fun-filled party for the whole family! This exciting cooperative party game for up to 4 players immerses you in the fascinating and wild universe of Hotel Empyreum.
The post Next Week on Xbox: New Games for September 16 to 20 appeared first on Xbox Wire.
Free Play Days – UFC 5, Rainbow Six Siege, Classified: France ’44 and Overcooked All You Can Eat
Get ready for an action-packed Free Play Day with an exciting lineup featuring the intense battles of UFC 5, the tactical operations of Rainbow Six Siege, the strategic warfare of Classified: France ’44, and the culinary chaos of Overcooked All You Can Eat! available this weekend for Xbox Game Pass Core and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members to play from Thursday September 12 at 12:01 a.m. PDT until Sunday, September 15 at 11:59 p.m. PDT.
Gamers can enjoy Rainbow Six Siege for an extra day with Free Play Days from September 12 until September 16.
Game Pass Core will give players access to our advanced multiplayer network, a select collection of over 25 games to play with friends around the world, and exclusive member deals! Read more about Game Pass Core at Xbox Wire.
How To Start Playing
Find and install the games on each of the individual game details page 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 Core or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate 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 and 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 Core or Game Pass Ultimate Required)
UFC® 5
Electronic Arts
$69.99
$34.99
Free Trial
EA Sports UFC 5
Powered by Frostbite, EA Sports UFC 5 is the next evolution of the fight game. From unrivalled graphics upgrades to all-new damage systems and doctor stoppages that affect gameplay in truly authentic fashion — this is as real as it gets.
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six® Siege
UBISOFT
Xbox One X Enhanced
Xbox Game Pass
Rainbow Six Siege
Play the new season of Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege in Operation Twin Shells. This season introduces the Skopós, an Operator who deploys modern robotics technology to outmaneuver her foes. Operation Twin Shells also brings enhanced player protection against cheating, Siege Cup (Beta) a new competitive playlist, improved player comfort with a redesigned After-Action Report, and new items in the Marketplace.
Classified: France ’44
Team17
$34.99
Classified: France ’44
Command an elite team of allied special operators in Nazi-occupied France wreaking havoc in the run up to D-Day in this ambitious turn-based tactics game. Take on the might of Germany’s war machine and launch daring raids in occupied territory. Can you do enough to ensure Allied victory?
Overcooked! All You Can Eat
Team17
$39.99
Overcooked! All You Can Eat
The Peckish have risen again and it’s your job to satisfy their hunger, are you ready to save the world again? Overcooked! All You Can Eat is a chaotic cooking game where players need to work together (or alone) to serve as many dishes as they can before the timer runs out. Travel through the land cooking up a variety of recipes in evolving and dynamic kitchens.
Don’t miss out on these exciting Free Play Days for Xbox Game Pass Core and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate 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.
The post Free Play Days – UFC 5, Rainbow Six Siege, Classified: France ’44 and Overcooked All You Can Eat appeared first on Xbox Wire.
New Xbox Friends and Followers Experience
Beginning this week, starting with Alpha Skip-Ahead users on Xbox consoles, and users that have joined the PC Gaming preview on Windows PCs and handheld devices, Xbox Insiders will be able to preview an updated friends and followers experience! With updated relationships, and new privacy and notification settings, you can start managing your social experiences with Xbox just the way you like, from any device.
Friends and followers
We’re thrilled to announce the return of friend requests! Now, you can easily send, accept, or delete friend requests, making it simpler to connect with others. Friends are now a two-way, invite-approved relationship, giving you more control and flexibility. Meanwhile, following someone remains a one-way connection, allowing you to stay updated with their shared content, whether it’s another player, club, or game.
Getting started is easy
Existing friends and followers will update automatically with this change. You’ll stay friends with people who had also added you as a friend previously and continue following anyone who hadn’t.
To start managing your friends and followers on Xbox consoles, press the Xbox button to open the guide and head to the People tab. Here, you can find all your existing friends in the Friends list, accept (or delete) new friend requests, or find someone new and send a friend request of your own.
It’s just as easy from all the devices you’re already using! Starting with Xbox consoles, Windows PCs and handheld devices, and coming to the rest of your devices later, you’re never far from your friends.
Managing your social experience
With these updates, we are also adding new privacy and notification settings, letting you decide who can send you friend requests or follow your account and which notifications you receive.
You can manage who can send you friend requests, or follow your account, directly from your Xbox console by navigating to Settings > Account > Privacy & online safety > Xbox privacy, then select View details & customize > Friends, followers & clubs to customize your settings. You can also update your notification preferences on Xbox consoles from Settings > Preferences > Notifications.
Additionally, you can manage your settings online by navigating to Privacy & online safety and signing in. Here, you can customize all your privacy settings, then select Submit when you’re done.
To learn more about managing your settings, visit: Manage Xbox online safety and privacy settings.
Shape the future of Xbox
We want to thank all the Xbox Insiders for the feedback you share with us. Your feedback is a key part of our process.
If you’re an Xbox Insider looking for support, please join our community on the Xbox Insider subreddit. Official Xbox staff, moderators, and fellow Xbox Insiders are there to help. We always recommend replying to existing threads with the same issue before posting a new one. This helps us support you the best we can!
You can also provide direct feedback to Team Xbox by following the steps here: Provide feedback to Team Xbox, and follow the Xbox Insider Program on Twitter @XboxInsider to stay in the know.
If you’re not yet an Xbox Insider, and you’d like to help create the future of Xbox and get early access to new features, join the Xbox Insider Program today by downloading the Xbox Insider Hub for Xbox Series X|S & Xbox One or Windows PC.
For more information, and to keep an eye on future Xbox Insider Release Notes, visit the Xbox Insider Home.
The post New Xbox Friends and Followers Experience appeared first on Xbox Wire.
One Big Game: 24-Hour Football Match Returns in Aid of SpecialEffect
Soccer-based shenanigans return to St. George’s Park as the UK games industry once again comes together to raise crucial funds for charity! Taking place across September 25 and 26 2024 – a mere two weeks away – 24 hours of high-quality game dev football will be livestreamed on Twitch for everyone’s viewing pleasure, all in the name of raising money for SpecialEffect.
One Big Game has come a long way since its inception in 2020: what started off as a FIFA-based rivalry between Xbox Game Studios Rare and Playground Games evolved into a real-life football face-off between the teams in 2021, and has now transformed into a multi-studio, 24-hour effort played and broadcast live from the English FA’s national football centre. This will be the second time the One Big Game squad have attempted to pull off an event on this scale, with 2023’s event raising an astonishing £30,596 overall.
Building on the brilliant efforts of last year’s One Big Game, teams from games companies such as Activision, Jagex, Ninja Theory, Ubisoft and more will come together to decide once and for all (or for at least a year) who is better: Team Red or Team Blue. All teams taking part will be assigned to represent one of those colours and will play in a full 90-minute match, where the final score will contribute to the overall Team Red and Team Blue tallies.
The sporting showdown will kick off at 7pm BST on September 25, with coverage beginning on the Xbox On Twitch channel from 6:30pm BST – and then at approximately 7:15pm BST on September 26, the final score will be settled alongside the final whistle, when one brave band of players will emerge victorious. You can expect to see some familiar faces on the broadcast and commentary team too, with the Xbox On crew (and some special guests!) taking the reins on hosting the event.
We’re once again thrilled to have the support of so many studios across the UK, all of whom are remarkably enthusiastic about donating their legs, lactic acid and, in some cases, dignity to raise money for SpecialEffect. We’re so proud to be bringing so many people together both on and off the pitch, and this event promises to be an incredibly special show of skill, spirit and generosity amongst the games industry community.
As Xbox Game Studios, we couldn’t be prouder to support SpecialEffect’s mission to level the playing field for all gamers with disabilities. For many people, games are a vital form of recreation and games like Sea of Thieves and Forza Horizon 5 have a particular role to play in connecting gamers with additional needs. SpecialEffect uses innovative technology to make gaming accessible to all, and your donations will allow this charity to continue supporting disabled gamers well into the future.
So please, if you can, tune in from Wednesday, September 25 for competition, camaraderie and absolutely corking goals from the participating players. Rivalries will be born, heroes will be made and friendships will be forged on the immaculate astroturf of the Sir Alf Ramsey Pitch at St. George’s Park. And, most importantly, vital funds will be raised for charity. If you’d like to get the ball rolling with donations, please head over to the One Big Game ’24 Tiltify donation page to pledge your support.
See you on the 25th – and don’t forget your stretches!
The post One Big Game: 24-Hour Football Match Returns in Aid of SpecialEffect appeared first on Xbox Wire.