Category: Xbox
My Little Universe: the Explorer’s Survival Guide
Summary
- Explore nine vibrant planets with just a pickaxe, axe, and sword – expand territories hex by hex.
- Harvest resources, unlock new worlds, and defend against alien threats.
- Team up with four-player local co-op to explore your universe together.
In My Little Universe, you’re the architect of your own cosmos. Armed with three trusty tools (pickaxe, axe, and sword), you’ll brave nine unique planets, each filled with mysteries, resources, and monstrous threats. Every hex of land you summon unlocks new biomes – from misty grottos to towering mountains – each holding secrets and challenges waiting to be uncovered.
Here the trees regrow faster than you can chop them, sharks have a personal vendetta against swimmers, and that broken spaceship of yours isn’t as useless as it looks. Whether you’re a lone explorer or teaming up with friends, these essential tips will transform you from a clueless castaway into a universe-dominating pro.
Booster Cards & the Art of Cosmic Privilege
Think of Booster Cards as your golden tickets to bending the rules of the universe. Every action – mining, chopping, or smacking enemies – brings you closer to unlocking these game-changing perks. Want to swim like a torpedo? There’s a card for that. Prefer enemies to ignore you until you strike first? That’s an option too. Just remember: death (or those overzealous sharks) will strip them away, so use them wisely.
And speaking of death – don’t stress. Unlike most survival games, My Little Universe treats your demise like a quick coffee break. You’ll respawn instantly, keeping all your resources and upgrades. The only penalty? Losing one random Booster Card. So if you’ve stacked three incredible buffs, maybe rethink that lava dive.
Secrets, Shortcuts, and That Suspicious Spaceship
Early players make one critical mistake: ignoring their wrecked starter ship. Big oversight. Once you’ve found your tools, use a pickaxe against that “useless” hunk of junk and see what happens. Trust us – it’s worth the effort.
Meanwhile, keep an eye out for resource piles scattered around planets. These freebies are a lifesaver when you’re short on materials. And if you’re drowning in wood but desperate for coins, track down the mysterious trader NPC. He’s your go-to guy for resource swaps.
Don’t forget to collect twinkling stars – they unlock flashy cosmetics.
Bosses, Sharks, and Other Bad Decisions
Let’s get one thing straight: you can’t block attacks. Dodging is your best friend. Master the timing, and you’ll dance through enemy strikes like a space-faring ninja. Mess up? No worries – your health regenerates automatically after a few seconds.
Now, about those sharks. Sure, you could attempt an early swim to distant islands. But the universe loves punishing overconfidence. Get eaten and kiss your Booster Card goodbye. Pro tip: Swim faster than your co-op partner. It’s every explorer for themselves. Super Pro Tip: you can catch a shark!
Bosses? They’re no joke. A Level 1 sword will make fights feel like a dental appointment. Upgrade to Level 5, and you’ll slice through enemies like a cosmic blender. Same goes for tools—higher tiers mine twice as fast. Prioritize upgrades unless you enjoy watching progress bars crawl.
Co-Op Chaos: Teamwork or Betrayal?
Playing with friends? Shared resources and universal upgrades mean you’ll blaze through planets – when you’re not sabotaging each other. Assign roles: one mines, one fights, and one “volunteers” as shark bait.
For an extra challenge, toggle Manual Controls in the settings. Now every action – chopping, mining, dodging – requires precise button presses. Suddenly, spiders feel like personal enemies, and mining becomes a rhythm game.
The Credits Trick (No Waiting Required)
Unlike most games, you don’t have to beat My Little Universe to uncover its secrets. Head to the Credits section in the menu anytime – there’s more there than just a list of names.
My Little Universe is out now on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows PC.
My Little Universe
SayGames
$14.99
$11.99
Go above and beyond the cosmos!
The universe is vast and filled with adventures, mysteries to solve, and enemies to fight… who knows, you might even meet a few friendly faces along the way. Better yet, invite up to three of your friends to join you in the split-screen local co-op mode because it’s always more exciting with friends!
The universe is vast and filled with adventures, mysteries to solve, and enemies to fight… who knows, you might even meet a few friendly faces along the way. Better yet, invite up to three of your friends to join you in the split-screen local co-op mode because it’s always more exciting with friends!
EXPLORE!
9 mythical worlds and 65+ different dungeons, from mythology-inspired lands to hostile alien worlds await you and your friends. Filled with wonder and plunder, challenges and adversaries, your task is to restore these beautiful worlds to their former glory!
GATHER RESOURCES!
The worlds are filled with rich minerals ready to be harvested by your trusty tools, and mythical artifacts of untapped power guarded by powerful foes. Use more than 70 different gatherable resources to recreate lands long lost to a mysterious threat.
RISE UP TO THE CHALLENGE!
The universe won’t be restored that easily, and each challenge requires the proper tools for the job. Equipped with your trusty pickaxe, sharp sword, and sturdy axe, you’ll be thrown against 150+ different adversaries including mythical creatures, alien horrors, and even demigods!
UPGRADE YOUR GEAR!
With each planet comes new challenges and because of that, you have to stay prepared by upgrading to the newest and freshest tools, which will always keep you one step ahead of your opponents! Improve your weapon, tools, and armor up to 30+ levels!
Just Enjoy The Adventure.
Get entranced by the game’s cozy atmosphere, enjoy the relaxing soundtrack, and fall in love with the simplistic yet charismatic visuals. After all, it’s all about the journey and the friends we make along the way!
The post My Little Universe: the Explorer’s Survival Guide appeared first on Xbox Wire.
Learn How Milestone Taught Its Neural AI to Race Off Road
Summary
- The new installment of the Supercross franchise uses for the first time Milestone’s Neural AI, A.N.N.A.
- Learn how A.N.N.A. mastered the dirt and all the typical Supercross maneuvers and jumps to be as fast as possible.
- Monster Energy Supercross 25 – The Official Video Game – Special Edition and Monster Energy Supercross 25 – The Official Video Game – Dirt Master Edition are out now in early access on Xbox Series X|S; Standard Edition available April 10, 2025.
Monster Energy Supercross 25 – The Official Video Game – Special Edition and Monster Energy Supercross 25 – The Official Video Game – Dirt Master Edition are out now in early access for Xbox Series X|S and the Standard Edition will be available for everyone on April 10, 2025. I can’t wait to see all of you take the route for the Supercross elite in this new and completely improved game. Today, I want to talk to you about one of the most ambitious and challenging aspects of the game, which made us sweat but filled us with pride once the results started to arrive: Neural AI.
We started using our Neural AI, A.N.N.A (Artificial Neural Network Agent), in our games starting from 2019, but research began before then. Neural AI is a specific kind of AI that can simulate realistic behavior. To do that, it must train and test the tracks to learn the best trajectories to become as fast as possible. Over the years in Milestone we have seen incredible results, with AI capable of controlling vehicles in a realistic manner. But up to this Supercross chapter, A.N.N.A. has only been on tarmac surfaces.
Teaching an AI to Run in a New Environment
As mentioned before, A.N.N.A. was used in the past in the MotoGP
and RIDE franchises, to race in situations that were intense and crowded. But tracks were made of tarmac, a very regular surface. Supercross tracks are much more compressed, short, and full of tight corners. They have a completely different rhythm thanks to the variety of jumps, like steps up, tabletops, walls, and more. Each jump has its own best way to do it, and once they are inserted on a track, riders must figure out the order of things and adjust based on what comes after those jumps, with the goal of being the fastest.
When we had to set the AI to handle all the different elements that make up Supercross tracks, we were worried it wouldn’t be able to deal with all the variables it had to calculate during a lap around a dirt track. But right after the first tests, we knew that we were in the right direction. Programming a Neural AI takes a lot of time, and implementing A.N.N.A. in Supercross 25 is one of the factors that made us take two years to develop the next game.
How We Made It
When our AI is running during a race, it has to take into account a bunch of different factors, like track design, speed, balance, trajectory, other AI controlled riders, and, most importantly, players, who are the main unpredictable element on the track. It can handle all that complexity thanks to a lot of rigorous training. We wanted to include in the game the current Supercross season for the first time, but we had to start working on the AI way earlier due to timing reasons.
First, we calibrated the Agents on the new physics system, then we introduced tracks from the past to the AI so it could learn what a Supercross track is and what makes it up. To achieve the best level of realism, we immediately added an extra obstacle to our Agents: dynamic terrain. In real Supercross, ruts are deep furrows in the ground created by the bikes’ passage. They change the feel and the looks of the track significantly. Usually, if you change one thing about a track after the AI has learned it, it can’t find the original layout, and it gets lost. But with dynamic ruts, the tracks evolve every lap, so we had to teach A.N.N.A. how to handle this extra challenge, and it responded really well. Now it can adjust its trajectory and strategy based on the ruts present at that specific moment of the race.
When the 2025 Supercross tracks arrived, we made A.N.N.A. run on them and we had amazing results. It was already a Supercross expert, able to handle and interpret the modules and variations of the tracks. The only exception was with elements it had never seen before, because every year the sport evolves, and track designers introduce original and interesting sequences. We had to teach it those extra modules, even making it go against its previous learnings. We were so impressed by the results we have achieved with this training system. Of course, we still made some fine-tuning, especially adjusting the difficulty of the AI based on the player’s skill, but we had confirmation of how intelligent A.N.N.A. is, and this Supercross chapter is just the beginning for even more spectacular achievements.
See A.N.N.A. Flying
The air section is a huge part of Supercross, and in Supercross 25, we gave to both players and AI full control of the in-air motion thanks to the dual stick, which allows managing both the rider’s and the bike’s weight. We have taught A.N.N.A. the technique and made it train on all kinds of jumps. We were surprised when we saw that it could find and apply the best technique on a jump before we could! For example, there was a jump where the quickest way to make it was through a scrub — a particular bike maneuver that slices the air and allows shorter airtime. While I was still trying to understand how to perfect this trick for maximum efficiency, A.N.N.A. had already figured it out, with a top-notch execution. This has pushed us to become even better while playing against it!
Test It With Your Tracks
Neural AI is going to be available also on UGC tracks for the first time and we have applied the same principle we used for the 2025 season. The Agents are smart and, as I like to say, they have studied a lot of textbooks. They have the knowledge and the ability to adapt to a new environment using the skills they have obtained through training just like a real rider. We are super happy with how they have responded, and we will keep working to make them even more prepared and precise.
Thank you for your time. It’s always great to talk about these amazing achievements. The game is now available for everyone, and we can’t wait to see what spectacular stunts you will pull off. See you on the track!
Monster Energy Supercross 25 – The Official Video Game – Special Edition and Monster Energy Supercross 25 – Dirt Master Edition are out now in early access on Xbox Series X|S; Standard Edition available April 10, 2025.
Monster Energy Supercross 25 X Monster Jam
Showdown – Dirt Master Edition
Milestone S.r.l.
$99.99
Get the ultimate off-road experience, pre-order now Monster Energy Supercross 25 X Monster Jam Showdown – Dirt Master Edition!
Showdown – Dirt Master Edition!You will get:
– Monster Energy Supercross 25 Full Game
– Monster Jam Showdown Full Game*
– Monster Energy Supercross 25 – Season Pass to make your Supercross experience jump higher and higher, as soon as its content becomes available
– 2 Customization DLCs: Stars & Stripes Pack and Touchdown Pack
– 3-day early access
*playable from April 7th 2025
Get ready for the official 2025 Supercross season with Monster Energy Supercross 25!
Experience the thrill of racing on newly designed tracks that replicate real-world events and compete against the latest roster of professional riders: forge your path in a revamped career featuring intense competitions, rivalries, and strategic choices.
Thanks to Unreal Engine 5, enjoy a renewed gameplay experience with realistic physics and dynamic track evolution, making every lap unique and challenging. Master the flow with open tutorials, a comprehensive wiki, and Neural Technology riding aids.
Customize your experience with advanced editors and share your creations across platforms.
Plus, enjoy full crossplay support for global competition in immersive online multiplayer modes regardless of the platform, whether you’re competing in casual races or battling for the top spot in ranked leaderboards.
All contents included in the Season Pass will be released by September 2025.
Monster Energy Supercross 25 – Special Edition
Milestone S.r.l.
$79.99
Be the first out of the gate! Pre-order the Monster Energy Supercross 25 – Special Edition and get:
– Full Game
– Season Pass to make your Supercross experience jump higher and higher, as soon as its content becomes available
– 2 Customization DLCs: Stars & Stripes Pack and Touchdown Pack
– 3-day early access
– Full Game
– Season Pass to make your Supercross experience jump higher and higher, as soon as its content becomes available
– 2 Customization DLCs: Stars & Stripes Pack and Touchdown Pack
– 3-day early access
Get ready for the official 2025 Supercross season with Monster Energy Supercross 25!
Experience the thrill of racing on newly designed tracks that replicate real-world events and compete against the latest roster of professional riders: forge your path in a revamped career featuring intense competitions, rivalries, and strategic choices.
Thanks to Unreal Engine 5, enjoy a renewed gameplay experience with realistic physics and dynamic track evolution, making every lap unique and challenging. Master the flow with open tutorials, a comprehensive wiki, and Neural Technology riding aids.
Customize your experience with advanced editors and share your creations across platforms.
Plus, enjoy full crossplay support for global competition in immersive online multiplayer modes regardless of the platform, whether you’re competing in casual races or battling for the top spot in ranked leaderboards.
All contents included in the Season Pass will be released by September 2025.
Monster Energy Supercross 25 – The Official Video Game
Milestone S.r.l.
$59.99
Supercross riders don’t hold back—why should you? So, pre-order Monster Energy Supercross 25 now and get the Full Game plus the Stars & Stripes Pack!
Get ready for the official 2025 Supercross season with Monster Energy Supercross 25!
Experience the thrill of racing on newly designed tracks that replicate real-world events and compete against the latest roster of professional riders: forge your path in a revamped career featuring intense competitions, rivalries, and strategic choices.
Thanks to Unreal Engine 5, enjoy a renewed gameplay experience with realistic physics and dynamic track evolution, making every lap unique and challenging. Master the flow with open tutorials, a comprehensive wiki, and Neural Technology riding aids.
Customize your experience with advanced editors and share your creations across platforms.
Plus, enjoy full crossplay support for global competition in immersive online multiplayer modes regardless of the platform, whether you’re competing in casual races or battling for the top spot in ranked leaderboards.
The post Learn How Milestone Taught Its Neural AI to Race Off Road appeared first on Xbox Wire.
Celebrating 11 BAFTA Nominations for Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II with Ninja Theory
Each year, the BAFTA Games Awards celebrate the best of gaming, both inside and outside the UK, and it was a delight to see so many games available on Xbox platforms make their mark on the nominations list for this year’s awards, which take place on Tuesday, April 8. From games by our own first-party studios, like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Diablo IV, Sea of Thieves and World of Warcraft, to pioneering ID@Xbox titles like Animal Well, Balatro, Botany Manor, and more, there’s a huge range of BAFTA-nominated games available on Xbox platforms right now.
But today, we wanted to shine a light on Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, which picked up a staggering 11 nominations across a wide variety of categories, covering practically every element of the art of making games, and beyond. It’s a major moment for developer Ninja Theory (which previously picked up 9 nominations, winning in 5 categories, for Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice), a testament to the hard work and care that went into creating this singular experience.
To celebrate this moment, we spoke to developers across the studio about the work that went into their nominated category, and what it means to see this recognition.
Animation
“The whole animation team was thrilled to be specifically recognised in the Animation category. We’re glad that the all the hard work, love and specific vision for Hellbade II: Senua’s Saga has been received so well.
“Our aim was to bring Senua, her cohort and adversaries to life as vividly as possible , whether it was the up-close nuance of an intimate moment between friends or life and death struggle against her deepest fears.”
Guy Midgley, Ninja Animation Director
Photo Credit: Gareth Dutton
Artistic Achievement
“The team at Ninja Theory has always had such a passion for taking the art to new places in our games, but to have the recognition from BAFTA is incredible and means so much to everyone here.
“For Senua’s Saga we learnt so much on the journey, whether it was getting to grips with new features of UE5 and understanding how they could allow us to present our vision like never before, working with costume designers to build the real-life outfits for us to scan and understand their movements, or training how to fly professional drones so that we could capture meaningful data from the beauty of the Iceland landscape.”
Mark Slater-Tunstill, Ninja VFX Director
Audio Achievement
“To bring to life the world, the reality of Senua through sound is a privilege, a journey that requires a strong vision and a certain bravery that leads to finding a unique voice.
“Receiving this nomination brings a lot of joy to the whole Ninja audio team, who have worked tirelessly and with such craftsmanship to deliver an experience like no other.”
David García Díaz, Ninja Audio Director
Photo Credit: Gareth Dutton
British Game
“We’re very proud to receive a nomination for Best British Game and have Hellblade II sit alongside such a diverse and creative group of nominees in the category. Best British Game is a particularly special category for me, as I see it as a vehicle for inspiring the next generation of developers in my home country.
“I like to think that there will be a kid out there somewhere that will see the wonderful games being created in the UK and it will spark in them a dream to one day feel the same pride that I do in receiving a BAFTA nomination of their own.”
Dom Matthews, Ninja Studio Head
Photo Credit: Gareth Dutton
Game Beyond Entertainment
“In Senua’s Saga, Ninja Theory have represented one of the most misunderstood of conditions with incredible skill, respect and sensitivity. Their depiction of psychosis was crafted with unerring attention to the underlying clinical neuroscience and, more importantly, to the personal experiences of those who have themselves carried the burden of psychosis.
“Ninja Theory have told the story, and amplified the voice, of people who are frequently unheard or dismissed. It has been an enormous privilege to play a small part in their work and to observe the depth and range of its impact in challenging stigma.”
Paul Fletcher, Bernard Wolfe Professor of Health Neuroscience, University of Cambridge
Photo Credit: Gareth Dutton
Music
“To tell a story without words that connects the emotions with the listener, that is the quest of all the musicians involved in the creation of the soundtrack for the game.
“At the core of it is the word ‘collaboration’: From Heilung, Ren and Arunka, the fantastic voices and talent of Helen and Abbi, plus our own composers here at Ninja. It’s an honour for us to receive this nomination for a work that is done with great passion and care.”
David García Díaz, Ninja Audio Director
Photo Credit: Gareth Dutton
Narrative
“Our heroine Senua faces down both inner and outer conflicts with persistence and strength of heart, and I feel fortunate to be part of the team sharing her unique perspective with the world.
“Storytelling is always foremost in our minds with all of Ninja Theory’s games, and I’m deeply honoured and grateful that the team’s work in this area has been recognised by BAFTA with a nomination in the Narrative category.”
Lara Derham, Writer and Stage Director
Photo Credit: Gareth Dutton
Performer in a Leading Role – Melina Juergens as Senua
“I am deeply honored to be nominated at this year’s BAFTA Games Awards as ‘Performer in a Leading Role’ for my portrayal of Senua for the second time. It means the world to have my work as a performer recognized in such a meaningful way.
“BAFTA Games Awards play a vital role in elevating gaming as an art form, putting it on the same cultural stage as film and television. Their commitment to celebrating creativity, storytelling, and innovation in games is incredible, and their charity work, supporting new talent and making the industry more accessible is truly inspiring.
“In Senua’s Saga, we managed to push the performance tech further than ever before, which gave me the freedom to pour everything into my performance, knowing that every emotion and every little nuance would come through on screen. It was an incredible and rewarding experience.”
Melina Juergens
Photo Credit: Gareth Dutton
Performer in a Supporting Role – Aldís Amah Hamilton as Ástríðr
“It’s hard to put into words how much this nomination means to me and how grateful I am to everyone involved in creating this beautiful game, and for allowing me to be a part of that creation. Every step of the process has been an unforgettable experience. I’ve made dear friends, learned new skills, worked abroad for the first time, and taken part in making something meaningful. As a gamer from the age of 5, I couldn’t have imagined what my future would hold. And to receive this recognition for our work goes beyond what I could ever have dreamed of. Thank you dearly dear Ninjas and Xbox for giving me the honor of working with you.”
Aldís Amah Hamilton
Photo Credit: Thelma Arngrims
Performer in a Supporting Role – Abbi Greenland and Helen Goalen as The Furies
“We are delighted to be jointly nominated for our role as the Furies. Working on Senua’s Saga was a joy thanks to the brilliance of David García Díaz and his dream team.
“We are a theatre company who work a lot with vocal improvisation and it was really exciting to collaborate with David in this way. It was fascinating for us to get an insight into how games are made. Everyone works so incredibly hard and it’s wonderful to see the team receiving such recognition for this.”
Helen Goalen and Abbi Greenland
Technical Achievement
“It’s a great honour to receive a Technical Achievement BAFTA nomination for Hellblade II, alongside a shortlist of excellent and varied nominees. This nomination celebrates not just the technology itself, but the vision and perseverance of the entire team; it’s a testament to the detail, artistry and technical effort we poured into crafting Senua’s world and its inhabitants, as part of our dedication to pushing the boundaries of interactive storytelling. We’re immensely grateful to BAFTA for this acknowledgement, and it fuels our passion to continue creating experiences that aim to resonate on a profound level. Thank you.”
Gavin Costello, Ninja Technical Director
Congratulations to everyone at Ninja Theory for their work on Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, and to all the recipients of BAFTA nominations this year.
You can watch the BAFTA Games Awards live on Tuesday, April 8 at 11am Pacific / 2pm Eastern / 7pm UK via YouTube and Twitch.
The post Celebrating 11 BAFTA Nominations for Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II with Ninja Theory appeared first on Xbox Wire.
A Minecraft Movie – Out Now!
The post A Minecraft Movie – Out Now! appeared first on Xbox Wire.
Next Week on Xbox: New Games for April 7 to 11
Welcome to Next Week on Xbox! In this weekly feature we cover all the games coming soon to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows 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!
Age of Empires IV: Knights of Cross and Rose
Xbox Game Studios
$14.99
$12.74
Age of Empires IV: Knights of the Cross and Rose – April 8
Console & PC
Embark on an epic journey with Age of Empires IV: Knights of Cross and Rose, the newest DLC that puts you in command of two well-known armies inspired by history. Whether you’re a seasoned strategist or new to the series, this DLC delivers rich, historically inspired content that can be enjoyed across a variety of modes.
Faircroft’s Antiques: The Mountaneer’s Legacy Collector’s Edition
Ocean Media
Faircroft’s Antiques: The Mountaneer’s Legacy Collector’s Edition – April 8
It’s summer in the French highlands for Mia Faircroft! Discover a picturesque mountainside town in this Hidden Object game. Explore breathtaking locations, restore priceless treasures, and help the various residents of Mont Cache!
IXION
Kasedo Games
IXION – April 8
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
With Earth on the brink of ecosystemic collapse, DOLOS A.E.C. leads to efforts to find a new home for the human race. Whether by chance or fate, its prototype space station, the Tiqqun, finds itself cast adrift, a disintegrating ark upon which the remnants of humanity must find sanctuary – and you, Administrator, are at its helm.
South of Midnight
Xbox Game Studios
$39.99
South of Midnight – April 8
Console & PC / Game Pass / Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Xbox Play Anywhere /
A spellbinding third-person, action-adventure game set in the American Deep South. As Hazel, you’ll encounter creatures of Southern folklore and explore a macabre, fantastical world. You can play early starting today, April 3, by picking up either the South of Midnight Premium Edtion or the Premium Upgrade Edition for Game Pass members.
Anima Flux
JollyCo
A co-op metroidvania with two genetically enhanced soldiers, special agents of a theocratic dictatorial regime. Fight your way through swarms of mutants through a desolate, dystopian space city and save humanity’s last stronghold, if, of course, anyone is still alive… You can also check out the free Anima Flux demo.
Commandos: Origins
Kalypso Media
$59.99
$53.99
Commandos: Origins – April 9
Game Pass / Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
Witness the very beginning of the legendary elite WWII force in Commandos: Origins. The long-awaited sequel to the Commandos series brings you right back to the foundation of the real-time tactics genre. And to the days where Jack O’Hara, the Green Beret, and his five companions met to form the infamous unit sent to complete missions which no others would dare to accept.
Detective From The Crypt (Xbox Series X|S)
Sometimes You
$9.99
$7.99
Detective From The Crypt – April 9
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
A mystical Victorian detective story in which you play as a ghost girl helped by a ghost cat. Jane wakes up in a crypt as a ghost and begins investigating the death of her family. Seeking and researching evidence, you’ll build a case by utilizing a laboratory to research evidence.
Ellphaser
Afil Games
Ellphaser – April 9
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
Ellphaser throws you into a frozen world where every jump reshapes reality. In this 2D platformer with puzzle mechanics, platforms disappear and reappear with each jump, creating dynamic challenges at every move. Control a fearless elephant and plan each jump carefully to escape traps — sharp spikes, electric orbs, and unstable platforms are waiting for a misstep.
Little Droid
Stamina Zero LLC
$5.99
Little Droid – April 9
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery / Xbox Play Anywhere
An adventure platformer that takes you to a world of mysteries, tough enemies, and hidden dangers. The journey is packed with challenges, requiring careful battery management to keep the droid energized at crucial moments.
Secrets In Green
Eastasiasoft Limited
Secrets In Green – April 9
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery
Following an unfortunate episode of mental illness, Alma is sent to a cottage in the countryside where she finds peace tending to the overgrown garden. However, while admiring the large ivy growing across its fence, she discovers a leaf bearing a single written word – hello. Her father and caregiver brush it off as nothing but a hallucination, a symptom of her hysteria. Can you help Alma find her power and solve this dangerous mystery before it’s too late?
Suika And Dragons (Xbox Series X/S)
Synnergy Circle Games
Suika and Dragons – April 9 – Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
The moment of destiny has arrived — the dragon eggs are ready to hatch! As the revered Elder Dragon, it is your sacred duty to guide these young hatchlings, ensuring they grow, evolve, and rise to become majestic, unstoppable forces of nature. Will you lead them to greatness, forging a new era of dragonkind in this puzzle game inspired by Suika?
Blue Prince
Raw Fury
Blue Prince – April 10
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Xbox Play Anywhere
Welcome to Mt. Holly, the mysterious manor with shifting rooms. In Blue Prince, you embark on a genre-defying experience, filled with a unique mix of mystery, strategy, and puzzles that weave together to create an unpredictable journey. Will your explorative steps lead you to the rumored Room 46?
Hook: Complete Edition
Ultimate Games S.A.
Hook: Complete Edition – April 10
Experience the ultimate relaxing puzzle game collection with Hook: Complete Edition, featuring both Hook 1 and Hook 2 in one package. A minimalist puzzle game where your goal is to remove all hooks from the board using intuitive mechanics. No timers, no scores, just pure, stress-free gameplay complemented by a calming ambient soundtrack.
HordeCore Console Edition
E-Home Entertianment Development Co., Ltd
$11.99
$9.59
HordeCore – April 10
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
Become the leader of an ever-expanding group of survivors. Manage supplies, upgrade your team, and craft deadly contraptions to defend yourself! Remember, exploration is vital in this harsh new world. Prepare to forge bizarre alliances and, together, face the many dangers of the wastelands.
Monaco 2
Humble Games
Monaco 2 – April 10
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
Monaco is a city overflowing with luxury and greed, which makes it a perfect target for you and your international gang of criminal masterminds. The best of the best has been assembled, and they’ll need to work together using their unique abilities to rob the city blind. Do you and your friends have what it takes to bring the city of Monaco to its knees?
Monster Energy Supercross 25 – The Official Video Game
Milestone S.r.l.
$59.99
Monster Energy Supercross 25 – The Official Video Game – April 10
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
Get ready for the official 2025 Supercross season with Monster Energy Supercross 25! Experience the thrill of racing on newly designed tracks that replicate real-world events and compete against the latest roster of professional riders: forge your path in a revamped career featuring intense competitions, rivalries, and strategic choices.
Pilo and the Holobook
©RedDeer.Games
Pilo and the Holobook – April 10
An exploration-based adventure game set in a colorful galaxy where you guide Pilo, an apprentice explorer, on a journey to document the universe’s wonders and solve mysteries. Using the Holobook, a powerful encyclopedia-like tool, Pilo collects stickers to record his discoveries and uncover the story behind a mysterious dark force known as the Tar.
Pocket Bravery Demo
PQube Ltd
Pocket Bravery – April 10
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery
Inspired by classic fighting games from the ‘90s such as Street Fighter, Fatal Fury, and The King of Fighters, Pocket Bravery channels the Neo Geo Pocket aesthetic for a modern fighting game with a retro twist! With original characters, vibrant colors and an impressive combat system, Pocket Bravery is designed with high-level players in mind, while making it easily accessible for beginners to pick-up-and-play!
Promise Mascot Agency
Kaizen Game Works Limited
Promise Mascot Agency – April 10
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
From the creators of Paradise Killer comes a mind-bending open-world narrative adventure mascot management simulator where mascots are more than just symbols – they’re unpredictable forces of nature! Step into the chaos, unravel the conspiracies, drive a tiny truck and try to keep it all together in Promise Mascot Agency!
Steel Seed
ESDigital Games
Steel Seed – April 10
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
Steel Seed is a single-player, stealth action-adventure game set in a dark sci-fi world. In her epic journey inside a hostile underground facility run by AIs, Zoe is alone with Koby, a flying drone, as her only companion.
The Sekimeiya: Spun Glass
Viridian Software
The Sekimeiya: Spun Glass – April 10
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery
In the rural town of Yushibana, the Ashiya family holds much of the wealth. After they discover a rare gemstone, a showing is scheduled in Ashiya Tower, drawing the attention of many of the townspeople. However, during the exhibit, the tower is flooded with smoke, activating emergency shutters that trap eight people inside. With twelve hours until their release, they must grapple with an increasingly complex series of unnatural events.
The Talos Principle: Reawakened
Devolver Digital
The Talos Principle: Reawakened – April 10
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
Step back into a world of thought-provoking puzzles, philosophical intrigue, and breathtaking visuals with The Talos Principle: Reawakened. This definitive edition revisits the groundbreaking narrative of The Talos Principle, immersing players in an expanded and remastered journey through the world of the Simulation.
BEAR ESCAPE MISSION
YUME GAME STUDIO
Bear Escape Mission – April 11
A casual platformer designed to be simple and relaxing. With 40 short and challenging levels, you’ll guide a cute bear through obstacles at a light and pressure-free pace, thanks to infinite lives. Easy to play, fun to master – perfect for any player, anytime!
Big Buck Hunter: Ultimate Trophy
GameMill Entertainment
$39.99
$35.99
Big Buck Hunter: Ultimate Trophy – April 11
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Xbox Play Anywhere
Get ready to lock, load, and dominate the wild like never before with Big Buck Hunter: Ultimate Trophy! This groundbreaking experience takes the #1 arcade hunting game to thrilling new heights, delivering over 3X the content of its hit predecessor.
The Black Within
Dolores Entertainment
The Black Within – April 11
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
A single-player, first-person psychological horror game that takes players on a chilling journey into the depths of the human psyche. When selling her soul for fame and fortune, Laila Rose faces the consequences of her actions. A tale where greed, fear, and change intertwine.
Capy’s Quest
ChiliDog Interactive
$4.99
Capy’s Quest – April 11
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery
Become the best chef on the summer islands! Play as a Capybara named Capy, a young chef who is out to prove that your culinary talent can outshine even the most renowned chefs in the world! Embark on a journey full of obstacles and puzzles and cook the most delicious dishes in exciting mini-games to delight as many residents of the summer islands as possible!
Mayhem Mail
Ratalaika Games S.L.
Mayhem Mail – April 11
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
The mail has been scattered! Take on the mail route from hell, recover and deliver mail to its rightful place! Mayhem Mail is a classic single screen arcade platformer with some added puzzle elements.
Mob Control
QubicGames S.A.
$4.99
$3.99
Experience the strangely satisfying thrill of watching your mob multiply as you aim and shoot at the gates. Witness your army grow to massive proportions! Strategically deploy your mighty champions to break through enemy mobs and reach their bases. Choose the best combo to win!
Mortisomem
Sometimes You
$9.99
$7.99
Free Trial
Mortisomem is an adventure, mystery, and horror game with retro visual aesthetics. The game takes place in the year 1917, in the vast forest of inland Brazil. Explore the forests of inland Brazil, meet people, uncover the region’s history, and escape from Mortisomem alive.
West Escape
QubicGames S.A.
$5.99
$4.79
West Escape throws you into a chaotic frontier where the law is on your tail and alien invaders are wreaking havoc. As a fugitive desperate to reunite with your lost love, you’ll need to collect scrap, upgrade your gear, and face off against relentless extraterrestrial threats.
Windborn – Concrete Jungle
EpiXR Games
$6.99
Xbox One X Enhanced
Windborn – Concrete Jungle – April 11
Xbox One X Enhanced
Embark on an exhilarating journey as a bird navigating the skies alongside your flock. In this beautifully crafted adventure, you will soar through 11 vibrant and diverse levels, each offering unique challenges and breathtaking landscapes. Your mission isn’t just about speed—it’s about staying connected with your flock as you all journey together, guided by instinct and unity.
The post Next Week on Xbox: New Games for April 7 to 11 appeared first on Xbox Wire.
South of Midnight: 6 Tips to Help You Thrive in This Dark, Fantastical World
South of Midnight: 6 Tips to Help You Thrive in This Dark, Fantastical World
Summary
- South of Midnight launches on April 8, or play now with the Premium Edition.
- The game arrives for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox app for Windows PC, Steam, cloud, and will be available day one with Game Pass. And with Xbox Play Anywhere, play on Xbox consoles, Windows PC, and cloud with full cross-entitlements and cross-saves.
- To celebrate release, we’ve put together 6 tips to help you in both exploration and combat.
South of Midnight invites you into a dark, fantastical world drawn from tales of the American South – and while this might look like a fairytale, both the stories it tells and the challenges it poses are far from simplistic.
Telling the tale of Hazel, who gains the magical power of Weaving after her mother is swept away by a supernatural flood, you’ll need to cross a warped take on the South in your hunt to find her mother, and answers to what exactly is going on. Along the way, you’ll battle Haints – corrupted enemies borne from the sorrow of the world – and cure the wounds of Mythical Creatures, the subjects of real-life folktales brought to life by developer Compulsion Games.
Premium Edition owners can play from today (ahead of an April 8 release date for all players), and to celebrate we’ve put together some tips that cover both exploration and combat, which will help you prepare for this very unexpected journey:
Look Everywhere
Navigating each of South of Midnight’s chapters could be as simple as following your Guiding Strand – a feature that sees magical threads guide you to your next goal. But that’s far from all there is to discover. Each location is stuffed with hidden areas – some require platforming to reach, others need you to use your spells, while others will lead you into battles you might never have otherwise had. All of them will require a keen eye to find.
Your rewards for doing this usually come in the form of Floofs – the game’s upgrade currency – and we hugely recommend you take the time to look for them. With just a bit of concerted exploration, you can add upgrades to your skill tree (more on those later) much faster than by simply running from one objective to the next.
Even better, you may also find Life Filaments as you go. Most chapters contain one of these – usually in its most hidden side area – and collecting three offers a permanent upgrade to your health bar.
Expand These Stories
South of Midnight is all about stories – from the tale of Hazel’s search to find her mother, to the tragic backstories of the Mythical Creatures you’ll find along the way. But if you want to dig really deep, make sure to search each chapter for items, notes, and more. You’ll see these marked by small circles as you approach, often in out-of-the-way locations.
Far from your regular world-building, each chapter’s hidden notes add even more detail to the characters and stories you’re learning about along the core questline. You may discover hidden motivations for why characters are the way they are, simply because you took the time to read about their lives. It’s an enriching way to add to the wider tale.
Upgrade Early and Often
As mentioned above, you can speed through the upgrade tree with a bit of exploration – and when you start hitting harder combat sequences, you’ll thank yourself for doing it. Even on its regular difficulty level, South of Midnight’s combat packs a punch, with even the most basic Haint enemies removing whole chunks of your health bar after a single hit – never mind when you come up against a Mythical Creature. Upgrades are your means of turning the tables.
Upgrades tend to focus more on offering you added perks, rather than simply buffing an ability’s existing stats. When you Unravel a downed enemy to claw back some health, for example, you can add an area of-effect blast to stagger any nearby Haints before you get back into the fray. Adding a quick double-dodge to your repertoire, meanwhile, will come in very handy when you start meeting enemies that can quick-fire multiple projectiles. Take the time to explore the skill tree, and prioritize upgrades that look like they’ll solve problems.
Use Dodges as Attack and Defence
Hazel doesn’t have the ability to block attacks – but she more than makes up for that with a powerful bonus to her dodge. Hitting the dodge button will help you escape in any direction (with some invulnerability frames thrown in) – but hitting a perfectly timed dodge, just before you’re hit, comes with a nasty surprise for whoever was trying to hurt you.
Perfect Dodges send out a blast of energy, staggering any enemy around you and doing some nice damage, too. It’s worth paying attention to not just what attacks enemies can do, but the time it takes to pull them off – pretty soon, you can be doing almost as much damage by not attacking.
Use Spells as Interrupts
As we mentioned, getting hit in South of Midnight can get very nasty, very quickly – and while Hazel has that handy dodge, it can sometimes be easier simply to stop an attack in the first place. Against most enemies, throwing out a spell – whether that’s a Pull, a Push, or a Weave (which incapacitates most Haints) – will break them out of an attack completely.
While it’s tempting to spam your spells as soon as they’ve cooled down, we’d recommend keeping one in reserve as an emergency interrupt – if you see an enemy winding up during your combo, simply hit them with a spell and keep thwacking.
Chain Your Spells
If you really want to keep an enemy locked down, you can use your full spell repertoire to keep attacks going without interruption. This is particularly useful once you have a few upgrades under your belt.
For example, you could Pull an enemy towards you, with an added Weave effect (which you can also upgrade to have them take more damage while tied up). As soon as they break free, Weave them again with that core spell – and when they break free again, use Push to deal some damage and keep your distance, before charging up your ranged attack to deal the killer blow.
With a bit of practice, enemies that felt like they took an age of dodging and poking to beat in the early game can begin to go down in a single combo – it’s extremely satisfying.
South of Midnight will be available on April 8, 2025, on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox App for Windows PC, Steam and cloud, and arrives on day one with Game Pass. Play from today by purchasing the Premium Edition, and get access to digital extras.
South of Midnight Premium Edition
Xbox Game Studios
$49.99
Immerse yourself into the macabre and fantastical world of South of Midnight with the Premium Edition, which includes the full game, up to 5 days early access, and digital access (in English) to:
• South of Midnight Artbook
• Original Soundtrack composed by Olivier Deriviere
• The Boo-Hag Comic book by Rob Guillory
• Music Video: Songs & Tales of South of Midnight
• Documentary: Weaving Hazel’s Journey, Director’s Cut
• South of Midnight Artbook
• Original Soundtrack composed by Olivier Deriviere
• The Boo-Hag Comic book by Rob Guillory
• Music Video: Songs & Tales of South of Midnight
• Documentary: Weaving Hazel’s Journey, Director’s Cut
UNRAVEL THE PAST
From the creators of Contrast and We Happy Few, South of Midnight is a spellbinding third person action-adventure game set in the American Deep South.
As Hazel, you will explore the mythos and encounter creatures of Southern folklore in a macabre and fantastical world. When disaster strikes her hometown, Hazel is called to become a Weaver: a magical mender of broken bonds and spirits. Imbued with these new abilities, Hazel will confront and subdue dangerous creatures, untangle the webs of her own family’s shared past and – if she’s lucky – find her way to a place that feels like home.
A DARK MODERN FOLKTALE
When a hurricane rips through Prospero, Hazel is pulled into a Southern Gothic world of memory made real and must embark on a journey to rescue her mother and safeguard her hometown. In this folktale for modern times, Hazel will need to reconcile the weight of family, history, and legacy against her own identity.
CONFRONT MYTHICAL CREATURES
Wield an ancient power to restore creatures and uncover the traumas that consume them. Cast weaving magic to fight destructive Haints, explore the diverse regions of the South, and reweave the tears in the Grand Tapestry.
HAUNTING BEAUTY OF THE GOTHIC SOUTH
Discover the lush, decayed county of Prospero and its locals. Experience a crafted visual style, touching storytelling, and immersive music inspired by the complex and rich history of the South.
South of Midnight
Xbox Game Studios
$39.99
From the creators of Contrast and We Happy Few, South of Midnight is a spellbinding third person action-adventure game set in the American Deep South.
As Hazel, you will explore the mythos and encounter creatures of Southern folklore in a macabre and fantastical world. When disaster strikes her hometown, Hazel is called to become a Weaver: a magical mender of broken bonds and spirits. Imbued with these new abilities, Hazel will confront and subdue dangerous creatures, untangle the webs of her own family’s shared past and – if she’s lucky – find her way to a place that feels like home.
A DARK MODERN FOLKTALE
When a hurricane rips through Prospero, Hazel is pulled into a Southern Gothic world of memory made real and must embark on a journey to rescue her mother and safeguard her hometown. In this folktale for modern times, Hazel will need to reconcile the weight of family, history, and legacy against her own identity.
CONFRONT MYTHICAL CREATURES
Wield an ancient power to restore creatures and uncover the traumas that consume them. Cast weaving magic to fight destructive Haints, explore the diverse regions of the South, and reweave the tears in the Grand Tapestry.
HAUNTING BEAUTY OF THE GOTHIC SOUTH
Discover the lush, decayed county of Prospero and its locals. Experience a crafted visual style, touching storytelling, and immersive music inspired by the complex and rich history of the South.
The post South of Midnight: 6 Tips to Help You Thrive in This Dark, Fantastical World appeared first on Xbox Wire.
A Newcomer’s Guide to Verdansk for Call of Duty: Warzone Season 03
Summary
- Verdansk has been meticulously reconstructed to provide an amazing Battle Royale experience for up to 150 players.
- This Battle Royale experience contains adjusted movement mechanics paired with the signature gameplay from the original Call of Duty: Warzone.
- Season 03 of Call of Duty: Warzone drops on April 3, 2025.
This is something special. See, I didn’t get acquainted with Call of Duty: Warzone until recently, so I missed out on the initial launch of Verdansk back in March 2020, an iconic Battle Royale map that was released at a time when so many of us needed a place to play together online. For many of you, this is a return home – to where it all started. But for those of us, like me, who may have missed out on it the first time, we can rejoin the fray and discover what makes this map so special for so many people when it launches as part of Season 03 of Call of Duty: Warzone on April 3, 2025.
So, for us newcomers who are coming at this “new” map for the first time, I’ll cover some of the key things you need to know about Verdansk, the modes you can expect to play, iconic locations we should check out, and a deep dive into some of the new quality of life features that will be rolling out with Season 03.
What’s the Big Deal?
The iconic Verdansk map is back and has been meticulously reconstructed to provide an amazing Battle Royale experience for up to 150 players, mixing the iconic gunplay of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, adjusted movement mechanics, and the captivating, signature Warzone gameplay we’ve come to know and love.
Consulting the official Call of Duty Blog, some key areas newcomers should get acquainted with early on include the Lumber, Military Base, and the Train Station. That’s due to their sheer variety of engagement opportunities, like navigating through the maze of barracks looking for loot, hiding between pallets of timber, or battling across sky bridges above train tracks; these all sound like key areas we should check out to get a feel for Verdansk’s variety. You can find a full breakdown on many of the POIs here along with some suggested approaches to each of these key zones.
I’m sure my first couple of forays into these zones is going to be a challenge – many returning players likely have their favorite nooks and crannies on lockdown. But Verdansk was highly regarded for a reason. Even if I may stumble my first time exploring Train Station or Lumber, you can bet I’m going to be looking for ways to establish my own foothold in these “new” areas on repeated visits.
The official Call of Duty Blog also highlights that popular fan-favorite hot-drops will return, including the top of Dam, the roof of Hospital, the Superstore, and the remote Karst River Quarry. We’re told these are key spots to hit up if you’re looking to quickly get into battle and it feels like this is likely to be the case again — might be worth prioritizing these areas on your first drops into Verdansk if you’re looking for a fight. Personally, I’m a bit more cautious. You can find me looting on the outskirts avoiding these areas, at least until I’ve built up some confidence in the map’s layout. Check out the interactive Call of Duty: Warzone Tac-Map on CallofDuty.com to investigate these areas further.
There has also been fine tuning to bring movement more in line with what players experienced in the early days of Call of Duty: Warzone. Season 03 will fine-tune player movement by slightly scaling back some of the speed increases introduced with Black Ops 6‘s Omnimovement system, bringing it more in line with the early days of Call of Duty: Warzone.
We’ll also get access to the Heli along with four ground vehicles – Cargo Truck, Light Tactical Vehicle (LTV), Polaris RZR Pro R 4, and All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) — rebalanced in the spirit of the original iteration, with more rapid acceleration and handling. Alongside that, Circle Collapse mechanics (seeing a creeping cloud of acrid gas) will feature Loadout Drops at the second and fifth circles, like the original.
A Retro Refresh
If you’re wondering why all the loot is floating above ground – don’t worry, that’s completely normal. Floating loot makes a return to Warzone in what is being deemed as a “retro refresh” of how it initially behaved. Also, Lethal and Tactical Equipment have been adjusted to be closer to what was formerly available. Here’s a breakdown:
- Field Upgrades: Munitions Box, Heartbeat Sensor, Deployable Cover, P.D.S. (Decontamination Station), Trophy System, Loadout Drop Marker (Grenade and Crate), Armor Box, , Recon Drone.
- Killstreaks: UAV, Advanced UAV, Precision Airstrike, Cluster Strike, Bunker Buster.
- Equipment: Flash Bang, Smoke Grenade, Concussion Grenade, Decoy Grenade, Snapshot Grenade, Stim, Frag Grenade, Semtex Grenade, C4, Spring Mine, Molotov, Throwing Knife, Combat Axe.
You can look forward to additional content becoming available within these equipment types at mid-season and across future seasons as well. Get a full rundown on all the equipment here on CallofDuty.com.
Attend Bootcamp
Newer players can check out an updated version of Call of Duty: Warzone Bootcamp to refine their skills across Verdansk. While waiting for your squad to assemble – or if you want to earn some quick XP by completing missions and earning rewards – drop into a Resurgence-sized section of the map, like the Karst River Quarry, and take down bots of varying skill levels.
Progression is limited in this mode (results will not count against your stats) but expect to receive about half of the normal XP compared to standard Battle Royale. This is definitely an area I’m looking forward to checking out myself once Verdansk drops on April 3. Getting a feel for some of its key zones, and taking out some bots to build my confidence, seems like the perfect way to be introduced to this map – and collecting a bit of XP and earning rewards along the way is a nice bonus. You can get more details on Bootcamp here.
New Game Modes
Not everything old is new again – there is some new stuff coming in Season 03 for all types of players, with a wide variety of new Game Modes.
- Battle Royale Casual: This mode has 148 players, including 28 humans and 120 bots, ideal for warming up, or a less intense experience.
- Battle Royale Ranked Play: Available mid-season, this competitive mode lets 150 players in trios showcase their skills and earn rewards.
- Plunder Quads: This mode includes 100 players in 20-minute matches. The objective is to collect the highest amount of in-game money.
- Call of Duty: Warzone Bootcamp: This training mode includes 44 players, comprised of 12 humans and 32 bots, in 15-minute matches. It is intended to assist newer players or those seeking to improve their skills.
- Resurgence: This mode will be available on Rebirth Island during the launch window and includes 44 players in 15-minute matches. The objective is to survive and redeploy fallen teammates.
Look for mid-season to introduce additional modes, including the LTM: High Trip with resurgence potential, a special narrator on comms, and gameplay boosts. Full details can be found here on CallofDuty.com.
Additional Quality of Life Improvements for All Players
Season 03 isn’t just about the return to Verdansk, although that is a big part of it. There will also be several additional gameplay enhancements coming to the game. Check out the Call of Duty: Warzone Patch Notes for more information on these and other improvements.
Squad Redeploy at Buy Stations: Got multiple Squadmates ready to return but only a moment to buy them back? Select “Redeploy All” at the Buy Station to bring everyone back with sufficient funds. If short on cash, choose specific players to rejoin the match.
Weapon Inspect to View Attachments: When you acquire a weapon from ground loot, a fallen enemy, or a Loadout Drop, you can now view a list of the attached Attachments at any time by inspecting it. During the inspection, the icon and name of each Attachment are displayed in the bottom-right corner of the screen. This feature can be toggled on or off in the Settings > Interface > Gameplay HUD Menu.
Prioritize Favorite Loadout in Gunsmith: Once you have completed your preferred Loadout in the Call of Duty: Warzone Gunsmith and designated it as Favorite within the Loadout Options, the selected Loadout will be prioritized and positioned at the top of the list.
Tac Map Zoom and Centering Settings: The new Tac-Map settings under “Map Assist” provide various control options: Auto Zoom & Center, Auto Center, Zoom & Center Once, Center Once, and Off. These options offer you different ways to manage your map during the match.
Detailed Death Recap Widget: When you’re eliminated in a match, you see your opponent and a brief HUD message about how they defeated you. The Death Recap will now include more details on gameplay elements used by the attacker. Current and new recaps cover:
Throughout the season, this feature will roll out additional gameplay tracking elements, helping you better understand how you were defeated in combat – and prepare for your next encounter.
- List of attackers with their name, weapon, damage and hits (this appears currently in Call of Duty: Warzone).
- Affected by Live Ping: If the enemy had you pinged via line-of-sight.
- Affected by UAV: If the enemy had you pinged in the minimap via a UAV, UAV Tower (if available), or Advanced UAV.
- Affected by Unsuppressed Weapon: If firing your weapon revealed your location on the minimap to nearby enemies.
Updated Squad Widget (Field Upgrades): In Duos, Trios, or Quads, quickly check the Squad Widget in the bottom-left HUD to see your teammates’ Armor Plates, Gas Mask, Killstreak, and Field Upgrade (or a white dot if none) — this will be more efficient than asking over comms.
Ping Duration Settings: You can now control how long pings stay on your screen, with options to make them disappear quickly or remain longer.
Play the Return to Verdansk Event
On April 3, 2025, you can unlock free rewards in the Return to Verdansk Event that include the infamous Kali Sticks Melee Weapon, and if you’re lucky you can potentially unlock a special Verdansk-themed Operator Skin for Caine as the ultimate reward! Learn more here.
There will be six weapons available to unlock within Season 03 including the Kali Sticks — as new players let’s be sure to check out additional Verdansk-era originals: the Kilo 141 Assault Rifle (Call of Duty: Warzone download & launch reward), CR-56 AMAX Assault Rifle (Battle Pass Reward), and the HDR Sniper Rifle (Battle Pass Reward).
All-up, there will be a variety of quality-of-life updates for Call of Duty: Warzone like Squad Redeploys at Buy Stations, attachment descriptions at Weapon Inspects, detailed Death recaps, and later in the season, a HUD flag so you know when your Loadout is available to buy. Naturally, there are plenty more revelations, Easter Eggs, and hidden clues to uncover that will be fun for newcomers and veterans alike in Verdansk once it launches April 3, 2025, for Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, Battle.net, and with Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta).
Call of Duty®: Warzone
Activision Publishing Inc.
Welcome to Call of Duty®: Warzone, the massive free-to-play combat arena. Experience thrilling modes & new gameplay features in Area 99, Urzikstan and Rebirth Island.
, the massive free-to-play combat arena. Experience thrilling modes & new gameplay features in Area 99, Urzikstan and Rebirth Island.Turn the Heat Up
Welcome to Area 99. This fast-paced and frenetic Resurgence map is ready for nuclear-powered action.
Prepare to take the battle to a massive metropolis in Urzikstan, the Battle Royale map.
Or jump into the fan favorite Resurgence map, Rebirth Island.
No matter where you land, these locales are sure to excite veterans and newcomers alike.
Loot For Rewards
Discover supply boxes and complete contracts to build your arsenal and gain a tactical advantage.
A Game Pass Core subscription is not required to play Call of Duty®: Warzone. All other online modes still require Game Pass Core.
A mobile phone number may be required to be linked to your Activision account to play Call of Duty®: Warzone.
For more information, please visit www.callofduty.com.
© 2025 Activision Publishing, Inc. ACTIVISION, CALL OF DUTY and CALL OF DUTY WARZONE are trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners. This product contains software technology licensed from Id Software (‘Id Technology’). Id Technology © 1999-2025 Id Software, Inc.
Call of Duty®: Black Ops 6 – Vault Edition
Activision Publishing Inc.
$99.99
$79.99
The Vault Edition includes:
– Cross Gen Bundle of Call of Duty®: Black Ops 6
— Includes Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S versions of the game
– BlackCell (1 Season)*
— Includes: Battle Pass, 20 Tier Skips, 1,100 CP and more
– Hunters vs. Hunted Operator Pack
— 4 Operator Skins: Adler, Park, Brutus and Klaus
– Mastercraft Collection
— 5 Mastercraft Weapons
– Woods Operator Pack
— Includes 3 Operator Skins
– GobbleGum Pack for Zombies
— 12 GobbleGums of high rarities
– Reflect 115 Camo Pack for use in Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® III and Call of Duty®: Warzone**
— Unlock the Reflect 115 Weapon Camo. Plus, get access to 9 acquisitions for Modern Warfare® Zombies
Forced to go rogue. Hunted from within. This is Call of Duty®: Black Ops 6.
Developed by Treyarch and Raven, Black Ops 6 is a spy action thriller set in the early 90s, a period of transition and upheaval in global politics, characterized by the end of the Cold War and the rise of the United States as a single superpower. With a mind-bending narrative, and unbound by the rules of engagement, this is signature Black Ops.
The Black Ops 6 Campaign provides dynamic moment-to-moment gameplay that includes a variety of play spaces with blockbuster set pieces and action-packed moments, high-stakes heists, and cloak-and-dagger spy activity.
In a best-in-class Multiplayer experience, players will test their skills across 16 new maps, including 12 core 6v6 maps and 4 Strike maps that can be played 2v2 or 6v6.
Black Ops 6 also marks the epic return of Round-Based Zombies, the fan-favorite mode where players will take down hordes of the undead in two brand-new maps. With additional content still to come, players can look forward to even more exciting maps and groundbreaking experiences dropping into both Multiplayer and Zombies.
*Battle Pass / BlackCell redemption applies to one Season of Black Ops 6 Battle Pass only.
**Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® III or Call of Duty®: Warzone on Xbox One / Xbox Series X|S required to redeem. Sold / downloaded separately. Must be redeemed by October 25th, 2025.
Activision may modify or discontinue online service in the future, which may impact the continued availability of online gameplay. Online services may be discontinued due to factors including number of players.
Additional storage space may be required for mandatory game updates.
For more information, please visit www.callofduty.com.
© 2024 Activision Publishing, Inc. ACTIVISION, CALL OF DUTY, CALL OF DUTY BLACK OPS, CALL OF DUTY WARZONE and MODERN WARFARE are trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. All other trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners. This product contains software technology licensed from Id Software (‘Id Technology’). Id Technology © 1999-2024 Id Software, Inc.
Call of Duty®: Black Ops 6 – Cross-Gen Bundle
Activision Publishing Inc.
$69.99
$55.99
Xbox Game Pass
Includes:
– Cross Gen Bundle of Call of Duty®: Black Ops 6
— Includes Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S versions of the game
Forced to go rogue. Hunted from within. This is Call of Duty®: Black Ops 6.
Developed by Treyarch and Raven, Black Ops 6 is a spy action thriller set in the early 90s, a period of transition and upheaval in global politics, characterized by the end of the Cold War and the rise of the United States as a single superpower. With a mind-bending narrative, and unbound by the rules of engagement, this is signature Black Ops.
The Black Ops 6 Campaign provides dynamic moment-to-moment gameplay that includes a variety of play spaces with blockbuster set pieces and action-packed moments, high-stakes heists, and cloak-and-dagger spy activity.
In a best-in-class Multiplayer experience, players will test their skills across 16 new maps, including 12 core 6v6 maps and 4 Strike maps that can be played 2v2 or 6v6.
Black Ops 6 also marks the epic return of Round-Based Zombies, the fan-favorite mode where players will take down hordes of the undead in two brand-new maps. With additional content still to come, players can look forward to even more exciting maps and groundbreaking experiences dropping into both Multiplayer and Zombies.
Activision may modify or discontinue online service in the future, which may impact the continued availability of online gameplay. Online services may be discontinued due to factors including number of players.
Additional storage space may be required for mandatory game updates.
For more information, please visit www.callofduty.com.
© 2024 Activision Publishing, Inc. ACTIVISION, CALL OF DUTY and CALL OF DUTY BLACK OPS are trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. All other trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners. This product contains software technology licensed from Id Software (‘Id Technology’). Id Technology © 1999-2024 Id Software, Inc.
The post A Newcomer’s Guide to Verdansk for Call of Duty: Warzone Season 03 appeared first on Xbox Wire.
Coming Soon to Game Pass: South of Midnight, Blue Prince, Borderlands 3, and More
It’s time to confront some magical creatures (or maybe just your backlog) with these games coming soon! Some surprise benefits and announcements you might have missed, day one games (with some amazing music; looking at you South of Midnight), and more. Let’s get to it!
Coming Soon
Borderlands 3 Ultimate Edition (Cloud, Console, and PC) – April 3
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard
Borderlands 3 Ultimate Edition packs bazillions of guns and is a mayhem-fueled adventure, featuring the base game plus all four campaign add-ons, Director’s Cut content, and all cosmetic packs! Blast through worlds and enemies as one of four Vault Hunters, each with deep skill trees, abilities, and customization. Play solo or join with friends to take on insane enemies, score loads of loot, and save your home from the most ruthless cult leaders in the galaxy.
All You Need is Help (Console) – April 3
Now with Game Pass Standard
Dive into a quirky multiplayer co-op puzzle game where adorable, fluffy cube-shaped creatures collaborate to reach their goals. This cooperative-centric game is designed for enjoyment across generations – from children to grandparents – making it perfect for family and friends.
Still Wakes the Deep (Xbox Series X|S) – April 3
Now with Game Pass Standard
From the award-winning developers at The Chinese Room comes a terrifying tale of isolation. You are trapped on an oil rig in the North Sea, running from an unknowable horror that has come aboard. With no escape and no way to fight back, all you can do is survive.
Wargroove 2 (Console) – April 3
Now with Game Pass Standard
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.
Diablo III: Reaper of Souls – Ultimate Evil Edition (Console and PC) – April 8
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass Standard
This Ultimate Evil Edition contains both Diablo III and the Reaper of Souls expansion set, together in one definitive volume. Rise as one of humanity’s last defenders – crusader, barbarian, witch doctor, demon hunter, monk, or wizard – and collect legendary loot while mastering devastating new powers and abilities.
South of Midnight (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – April 8
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
Available on day one with Game Pass! South of Midnight is a new action-adventure from Compulsion Games. Explore the mythos and confront mysterious creatures of the Deep South in this modern folktale while learning to weave an ancient power to surmount obstacles and face the pain haunting your hometown. Game Pass members can save 10% on the Premium Edition Upgrade to unlock up to 5 days early access, plus digital access to the South of Midnight Artbook, the original soundtrack, and more.
Commandos: Origins (Cloud, PC and Xbox Series X|S) – April 9
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
Available on day one with Game Pass! Commandos: Origins revisits the six iconic commandos from the original series. Witness elite stealth-tactics gameplay, use your team’s unique abilities to execute complex strategies, and combine your forces in 2-player co-op multiplayer. The battlefield is calling. Do you have what it takes?
Blue Prince (Cloud, PC and Xbox Series X|S) – April 10
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
Available on day one with Game Pass! Welcome to Mt. Holly, the mysterious manor with shifting rooms. Blue Prince is a genre-bending, atmospheric, architectural adventure where you explore an ever-changing manor of 45 shifting rooms. Discover secrets and mysteries in a house you build one room at a time. As you discover more with each passing day, the question asked is – can you find the rumored Room 46?
Hunt Showdown 1896 (PC) – April 15
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
Available now on PC and coming soon to Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta) and Xbox consoles! Hunt: Showdown 1896 is a new era of the addictively unforgiving extraction shooter. In corrupted backwaters lost to history, fight back alone – or with friends – against timeless evil. Twisted monsters and other ruthless Hunters stand between you and your Bounty. Risk everything as Hunt consumes you.
In Case You Missed It
EA Sports College Football 25 (Cloud and Xbox Series X|S) – Available now
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
Step into iconic stadiums with unforgettable traditions and get unlimited access to EA Sports College Football 25. Members can chase college greatness with Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta), PC Game Pass or Game Pass Ultimate via EA Play. Plus, score a Supercharge Pack by April 24.
More In-Game Benefits for Free-to-Play Games
For Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass members, we announced we’re bringing even more benefits for select free-to-play games. You can expect in-game benefits like cosmetics, characters, in-game currency, and more with seasonal content drops. Starting today, members will get access to the following in-game benefits for Asphalt Legends Unite:
Asphalt Legends Unite (Console and PC) – link your Gameloft Club account
Speed into action with the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, 10 St. Patrick’s Card Packs, and 500,000 credits to upgrade, enhance, and dominate the track.
DLC / Game Updates
Dead by Daylight: Tokyo Ghoul – Available now
From anime to the horrific realm of video game horror, Tokyo Ghoul’s Ken Kaneki has come to Dead by Daylight. Feel the tear as your gruesome Kagunes spring from your back-flesh to propel you forward, teeth gnashing in anticipation.
Sea of Thieves: 2025 Edition Update – Available now
To celebrate Sea of Thieves‘ Seventh Anniversary, fresh 2025 Editions are now available. These new options contain the latest version of the full game and offer a range of choices at different price points, packed to bursting with bonuses including some of the game’s most popular items!
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 – Season 03 – Starting today
Season 03 Multiplayer and Zombies content kicks off today! Players can jump in and get locked and loaded prior to Verdansk officially launching in Call of Duty: Warzone tomorrow April 3rd. Game Pass members can save 10% and maximize their gameplay with Season 03 BlackCell which includes the standard Battle Pass with an added BlackCell Page Unlock with bonus unlockable content, 20 tier skips, 1,100 Call of Duty Points, and more. Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass members, stay tuned for in-game benefits dropping soon.
Age of Empires IV: Knights of Cross and Rose Expansion – April 8
Pre-order and save 15% on Age of Empires IV: Knights of Cross and Rose today and prepare to experience the stories and strategic warfare of the Knights Templar and House of Lancaster. These variant civilizations innovate upon the French and English, bringing new weapons, units, buildings, and technologies to the battlefield.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perks
New Perks are here! Check the Game Pass section on your console, Xbox mobile app, or Xbox app on Windows PC to find new in-game content, consumables, and offers included with your Game Pass Ultimate membership. Perks vary by region, platform, and over time.
The First Descendant: Beyond the Void Bundle – Available now
Enter Beyond the Void, the next chapter of Season 2 in The First Descendant! Claim the Episode 2 Bundle to gear up in style, customize your loadout, and join your fellow Descendants on new missions in the uncharted Sigma Sector!
Candy Crush Solitaire (Mobile): Sweet Starter Pack – Available now
The Sweet Starter Pack gives you the perfect edge to sharpen your strategy and sweeten every move. It includes 5,000 coins, 4 undo moves, 3 Color Bomb boosters, and 1 Wild Card.
Sea of Thieves: Seventh Serving Emote – Available now
For a limited time, celebrate seven years on the Sea of Thieves with this Emote and carve a slice of delicious dessert!
Leaving April 15
The following games are leaving the Game Pass library soon, which means it is time to re-shuffle your play list and check these out before they go. Remember to use your 20% membership discount on your purchase if you would like to keep them in your library.
- Botany Manor
- Coral Island
- Harold Halibut
- Homestead Arcana
- Kona
- Orcs Must Die! 3
- Shadow of the Tomb Raider Definitive Edition
- Turbo Golf Racing
We’re adding more games over time to the ‘Stream your own game’ collection for Game Pass Ultimate members. Go to Xbox.com/Play to see the list of available cloud playable games to stream on supported devices if you own them.
As always, love to chat with you about what games you’re playing and what you’re downloading next! Catch us at Game Pass, PC Game Pass, or Xbox, and we’ll remind you when these “coming soon” games turn into “available today”. Cheers!
The post Coming Soon to Game Pass: South of Midnight, Blue Prince, Borderlands 3, and More appeared first on Xbox Wire.
DOOM: The Dark Ages – Going Hands-on with Story, Sandboxes, Mechs, and Dragons
As the third part of what you might call a trilogy, I went into my first hands-on for DOOM: The Dark Ages with some expectations. While they have their differences, DOOM (2016) and DOOM: Eternal had lain the groundwork – I felt like I knew what id Software had in store for me, even if this prequel story and its new medieval sci-fi aesthetic might put it in a different context.
Three hours later, my expectations had been blasted to pieces like so much Arachnotron meat.
DOOM: The Dark Ages retains the core hallmarks of id’s recent games – pulse-pounding combat, gloriously Grand Guignol aesthetics, and music as ear-rattling as its guns – but it pushes the structure of DOOM far beyond what we’ve known before.
I was able to play slices of four distinct sections of The Dark Ages, each designed to show me a different facet of the game, and each revealing quite how wild this will get. Let me walk you through each one.
Story Mission
“Before he became a hero, he was the super weapon of gods and kings.”
So reads the text slate that opens DOOM: The Dark Ages. It’s an absurdly badass mission statement for the game that follows. But, playing just the opening stretch of the game, it pays off multiple times.
This section showed off the most familiar form of DOOM. A cutscene (yes, there are cutscenes for the story now, not just codex entries) introduces the demon-beleaguered planet of Argent D’Nur, the questionably benevolent god-race known as the Makyrs, and our familiar lead character kept captive to be unleashed on hellish threats. And from there, I’m handed a shotgun and a shield, and told to do what a DOOM Slayer does best.
You’ll feel right at home with this, until you don’t. Levels remain tightly knotted, oscillating from cramped corridors to wide-open arenas built for athletic combat. Your guns sre, of course, hideously powerful and there’s still a focus on attack being the best form of defence, with specific moves rewarding health and ammo, forcing you to fight to survive.
But begin digging deeper, and you’ll see how things have changed. That shield is the most evident example – enemy projectiles are now plentiful, forcing you to block as much as dodge. But don’t think this is a more static game as a result – blocking also opens up the ability to shield charge enemies, closing gaps and dealing huge area-of-effect damage.
Parrying is even better – certain enemy attacks are marked with green effects, and blocking within a parry window can stun enemies, shatter their defences, and earn more charges for your devastating melee attacks. Some fights effectively rely on a rhythm of parries and attacks, turning a fight with a Cyberdemon into a close-range slugfest – it feels magnificent.
Soon, I’m given even more utility in the form of the Shield Saw – my shield can now be thrown like I’m some horrifically violent Captain America, bisecting weak enemies and stunning larger ones. It can also be used to solve puzzles, opening up DOOM’s classic secret areas.
And if all of this didn’t feel fresh enough, I’m then introduced to a full upgrade system. This is less about old-school RPG stat-buffing, and more about giving you extra options to take on the forces of hell. For example, I add the ability for my Shredder (a fully automatic gun that fires rail spikes) to embed its ammo in enemies, and then detonate them when I throw my Shield Saw into the target, building new abilities not just into my gun, but across my moveset. Every single weapon, both ranged and melee, has an upgrade tree – I want to see how gross these can get.
Taken all together, you can see how The Dark Ages lives up to the idea that you’re playing as a super weapon. This is pure power fantasy, placing you in the big, green boots of a one-man army who’s going to war with everything. And that’s before your super weapon gets into, well, an even bigger super weapon.
Mech Mission
If you’ve watched the trailers for The Dark Ages, then you know you’ll be getting a mech along the way. The Atlan, as it’s known, allows you to take an earthquaking step into the battlefield to take on Hell’s biggest threats – and in practice, it’s a way of transforming the on-foot experience into something new.
As you might expect, this is a slower, but stronger approach to DOOM combat. Your Atlan trades mostly in melee – basic attacks involve throwing punches at titanic demons, building up a combo meter that can be traded in for one of two special moves, a stunning stomp, or a knockout blow.
You’ll need to balance those combos with dodges – taking one hit from an enemy sets your combo meter back to zero so, with a rhythm familiar from the parry system, you’ll need to avoid what you can to keep the punishment coming.
And, just as I was getting used to all this, an orbital drop delivered me a set of Empire State Building-sized miniguns, to add some truly berserk flair to the end of the level. It’s ludicrous, in the best possible way. Think of the mech as a side dish to The Dark Ages’ main meal – it’s a complement to the regular on-foot combat, mixing things up while feeling similar enough not to feel out of place.
Dragon Mission
Here’s where things took an even less expected turn. My next mission involved me summoning a cybernetic dragon, hopping into a saddle equipped with heavy ordnance, and taking to the skies. In this section of the game, I’m defending a flying city under attack from a demon fleet, with the goal of taking down four separate Hell Carrier ships.
Your dragon is a free-flying beast, equipped with dodges and afterburners, able to maneuver through the skies however you see fit. Like, the mech, it’s strong enough to take on titans – but how you do it is quite different. After locking onto an enemy, you can strafe around them. Your basic attacks do a small amount of damage, but each successful dodge supercharges your guns, letting you stun your prey, before sending your dragon to perform a gruesome finisher.
Initially, it feels like this is another Atlan-like diversion, a way of providing a different kind of combat – but when it comes to the flagships themselves, it goes further.
Each ship needs to be taken down in a specific way – first you take out its various gun batteries, and subsequently its shield generator with your dragon’s moveset. This then opens up a landing spot. With a click of the right stick, your dragon lands, the Slayer hops off, and you realize that each ship is a miniature level to progress through on foot. You barrage through the innards of the ship, eliminating the demons inside, before reaching its engine. Shield charging the engine destroys the ship, and sees you skydiving through an explosion and back onto your dragon to repeat the feat.
This mix of flying and on-foot gameplay feels incredible – and each new ship changes the make-up enough that it doesn’t fall into a predictable pattern. I’d call this the most revolutionary change to DOOM’s make-up, if it wasn’t for the next section.
Sandbox Mission
This is where The Dark Ages truly breaks free from expectation. In my final (and longest) section of the demo, I’m placed into id’s take on a sandbox open zone and told to approach it however I’d like. My solitary goal is to close five demon-spewing portals, but how I do it, and what diversions I take, are entirely up to me. Over the course of an hour, I’m repeatedly reminded that I’ve never played a DOOM game like this before.
As you’d hope for, this sandbox sequence is stacked with optional goals – heavily protected artillery batteries to take out, caches of gold to spend on upgrades, and more. At one point, I’m simply running somewhere, when a cathedral-sized tentacle bursts out of the ground and begins to attack – this isn’t a scripted moment, or even an objective I’m given, it’s just another surprise hidden along the way.
But the core objectives themselves hold surprises, too. In that first story mission, closing portals was simply a case of clearing an arena, but it’s never quite the same in this case. Some portals transport me to a dungeon, requiring me to solve puzzles in order to find my way to the energy source powering them. Others introduce Leader enemies – overpowered beasts who are invulnerable to my attacks until I kill enough of their followers, and come with permanent upgrades after your victory. Along the way, I find new guns, augmenting my armory with new options. It’s restlessly, relentlessly inventive, as if id has been waiting for an opportunity to transplant new ideas into the DOOM format.
And that’s the key takeaway from my full session with DOOM: The Dark Ages – this feels like a developer brimming with enthusiasm, not just for DOOM itself, but for what DOOM could be. I was expecting a new story, new guns, and new demons – I wasn’t expecting new genres. I cannot wait to find out what else this team has in store.
DOOM: The Dark Ages launches for Xbox Series X|S, PC (via the Xbox app for Windows PC, Steam, and Battle.net), PlayStation 5, and cloud on May 15, 2025. It will be available day one with Game Pass.
DOOM: The Dark Ages Premium Edition
Bethesda Softworks
$99.99
Get a head start on slaying demons with the Premium Edition, including up to 2-Day Early Access* and the campaign DLC**. You’ll also receive the Digital Artbook and Soundtrack, and the Divinity Skin Pack, which includes matching skins for the DOOM Slayer, dragon and Atlan. Pre-order now to receive the Void DOOM Slayer Skin at launch.
INCLUDES:
– Base Game (digital code)
– Up to 2-Day Early Access
– Campaign DLC
– Digital Artbook and Soundtrack
– Divinity Skin Pack
*Actual play time depends on purchase date and applicable time zone differences, subject to possible outages.
**DLC availability to be provided at a later date.
BECOME THE SLAYER IN A MEDIEVAL WAR AGAINST HELL
DOOM: The Dark Ages is the prequel to the critically acclaimed DOOM (2016) and DOOM Eternal that tells the epic cinematic origin story of the DOOM Slayer’s rage. In this third installment of the modern DOOM series, players will step into the blood-stained boots of the DOOM Slayer, in this never-before-seen dark and sinister medieval war against Hell.
A DOOM FOR ALL SLAYERS
A dark fantasy/sci-fi single-player experience that delivers the searing combat and over-the-top visuals of the incomparable DOOM franchise, powered by the latest idTech engine. With a customizable difficulty system, it’s the perfect entry point whether you’re new to the franchise or a long-time fan.
REIGN IN HELL
As the super weapon of gods and kings, shred enemies with devastating favorites like the Super Shotgun while also wielding a variety of new bone-chewing weapons, including the versatile Shield Saw. Players will stand and fight on the demon-infested battlefields in the vicious, grounded combat the original DOOM is famous for.
THE ORIGIN OF YOUR RAGE
Experience the origin story of the DOOM Slayer’s rage in this epic, cinematic and action-packed story. Bound to serve as the super weapon of gods and kings, the DOOM Slayer fends off demon hordes as their leader seeks to destroy the Slayer and become the only one that is feared. Witness the creation of a legend as the Slayer takes on all of Hell and turns the tide of the war.
DISCOVER UNKNOWN REALMS
In his quest to crush the legions of Hell, the Slayer must take the fight to never-before-seen realms. Mystery, challenges, and rewards lurk in every shadow of ruined castles, epic battlefields, dark forests, ancient hellscapes, and worlds beyond. Armed with the viciously powerful Shield Saw, cut through a dark world of menace and secrets in id’s largest and most expansive levels to date.
DOOM: The Dark Ages Standard Edition
Bethesda Softworks
$69.99
Pre-order now to receive the Void DOOM Slayer Skin at launch.
BECOME THE SLAYER IN A MEDIEVAL WAR AGAINST HELL
DOOM: The Dark Ages is the prequel to the critically acclaimed DOOM (2016) and DOOM Eternal that tells the epic cinematic origin story of the DOOM Slayer’s rage. In this third installment of the modern DOOM series, players will step into the blood-stained boots of the DOOM Slayer, in this never-before-seen dark and sinister medieval war against Hell.
A DOOM FOR ALL SLAYERS
A dark fantasy/sci-fi single-player experience that delivers the searing combat and over-the-top visuals of the incomparable DOOM franchise, powered by the latest idTech engine. With a customizable difficulty system, it’s the perfect entry point whether you’re new to the franchise or a long-time fan.
REIGN IN HELL
As the super weapon of gods and kings, shred enemies with devastating favorites like the Super Shotgun while also wielding a variety of new bone-chewing weapons, including the versatile Shield Saw. Players will stand and fight on the demon-infested battlefields in the vicious, grounded combat the original DOOM is famous for.
THE ORIGIN OF YOUR RAGE
Experience the origin story of the DOOM Slayer’s rage in this epic, cinematic and action-packed story. Bound to serve as the super weapon of gods and kings, the DOOM Slayer fends off demon hordes as their leader seeks to destroy the Slayer and become the only one that is feared. Witness the creation of a legend as the Slayer takes on all of Hell and turns the tide of the war.
DISCOVER UNKNOWN REALMS
In his quest to crush the legions of Hell, the Slayer must take the fight to never-before-seen realms. Mystery, challenges, and rewards lurk in every shadow of ruined castles, epic battlefields, dark forests, ancient hellscapes, and worlds beyond. Armed with the viciously powerful Shield Saw, cut through a dark world of menace and secrets in id’s largest and most expansive levels to date.
The post DOOM: The Dark Ages – Going Hands-on with Story, Sandboxes, Mechs, and Dragons appeared first on Xbox Wire.