Category: Xbox

As a tremendous fan of baseball, I was thrilled to see the news that MLB The Show 23 is bringing a new feature to the upcoming game known as “Storylines: The Negro Leagues.” For this first season, many of the league’s greatest stars will be profiled in a new interactive mode in partnership with the Negro League Baseball Museum and their President Bob Kendrick, a national institution dedicated to preserving the rich history of Black baseball and its impact on America.

Because of racist segregation laws at the time, Black Americans were not allowed to play alongside white players or participate in Major League Baseball. To counter that, Rube Foster — an amazing player in his own right and founder of the Chicago American Giants — lead the formation with other Black club owners to create the Negro National League in 1920, giving an avenue for Black people to play organized baseball. The result gave us some of the greatest legends to ever play the game, many of which we as gamers will learn more about in this new Storylines feature for MLB The Show 23.

We had a chance to catch up with Communications and Brand Strategist at San Diego Studio, Ramone Russell and talked about how MLB The Show 23 plans to use an interactive medium to tell this powerful piece of American history, the ways in which it fits within the framework of the game, and what future iterations of this mode may look like in following seasons.

“The Negro Leagues are an important part of baseball and American history, whose iconic figures are not nearly as well-known as other baseball players of the era,” explains Russell. “We plan to use MLB The Show and the interactive medium which is gaming as a gateway; a gateway to expose new generations of baseball fans to these historic figures and their stories of triumph over adversity.”

“Storylines is a new game experience in MLB The Show 23,” continues Russell. “It will lead gamers through a sequential narrative focusing on a single player, watching short informational videos about the player. After which they will play as them in Moments to reflect on important events in that player’s career.”

Obviously, part of what makes this such an incredible journey for these players are the social hardships they endured, overcoming significant adversity in their professional and personal lives. It was refreshing to hear that this ‘gateway’ to the past aims to be very honest in its telling of these players’ history.

“We don’t gloss over the adversity they faced or the ugliness of American segregation during that time,” says Russell. “But MLB The Show is an E-rated game and 100% of the storytelling is done by our narrator, Negro League Baseball Museum President Bob Kendrick.”

Founded in 1990, the Negro League Baseball Museum, as described on its official site, is “the world’s only museum dedicated to preserving and celebrating the rich history of African-American baseball and its profound impact on the social advancement of America.” Bob Kendrick, who first began working with the NLBM as a volunteer in the early ‘90s and was later named President in 2011, has been responsible for many of the museum’s educational programs, events, and more.

As part of his role with the museum, Kendrick has been a tremendous advocate for telling the history of the Negro Leagues and sharing stories about many of its legendary players, many of which will be featured in the Season 1 Storylines roster that will include Leroy “Satchel” Paige, Jackie Robinson, Andrew “Rube” Foster, Hilton Smith, Hank Thompson, John Donaldson, Martín Dihigo, and John Jordan “Buck” O’Neil. Having someone like Kendrick front and center will lend a degree of authenticity to this feature that fans of baseball are sure to appreciate.

In addition, as part of this historic partnership with the NLBM, MLB The Show and San Diego Studio are donating $1 to the museum for every MLB The Show 23 Digital Deluxe Edition or The Captain Edition sold in the United States through December 31, 2023.

In talking more about how this partnership came to be, Russell indicated that this has been something the San Diego Studio, which has been developing MLB The Show for nearly two decades, has wanted to do for a very long time — it was just a matter of finding the right partner to tell the story the team envisioned and to do it the right way.

“The Negro Leagues are not only an important part of baseball history; more importantly they are crucial part of American history,” explains Russell. “The inspiration to introduce the Negro Leagues into MLB The Show has always been there, however we never had a good grasp on how to do it and that’s always been the conundrum. The stars aligned and we finally figured out a way to do it the right way.”

Best of all, this is just the beginning of this new Storylines feature for MLB The Show. Next year’s release will feature a new group of Negro League Legends and will profile their unique stories of grit, grace, and triumph in the face of adversity.

“The Storylines feature is a vehicle we created to tell meaningful stories in the baseball universe with a controller in your hand,” says Russell. “The possibilities are endless; however, our focus right now is on the Negro Leagues. It’s going to take us years to properly tell their stories with the respect, dignity, admiration, and appreciation they deserve.

In asking what he hopes people will take away from this new gameplay feature, Russell summed it up succinctly.

“We hope everyone who plays Storylines walks away feeling inspired, educated, and enlightened by these stories,” he says. “Anything past that is a bonus.”

MLB The Show 23 is available for pre-order today for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and will be available day one with Xbox Game Pass on March 28, 2023. We’ll have more exciting news to share soon about MLB The Show 23 here on Xbox Wire, so stay tuned!

MLB® The Show™ 23 Digital Deluxe Edition – Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S

MLB

☆☆☆☆☆
25

★★★★★

$99.99

Pre-order

Pre-order to get the Gold Choice pack and four days’ early access to start playing MLB® The Show™ 23 from March 24 2023

This edition includes:
• Four Days Early Access.
• Full game for Xbox Series X|S.
• Full game for Xbox One.
• One Captain’s Choice Pack.
• One TBA Choice Pack.
• One TBA Uniform Choice Pack.
• Five Gold Choice packs.
• 20 The Show packs.
• One Ballplayer pack.
• Double daily login rewards.
• 30K Stubs™.

MLB® The Show™ 23 gets you closer than ever to living your Baseball dreams on the diamond. Shock The Game and Own The Show with your favorite players, your favorite rivalries, and all your favorite MLB moments.

Get the next-generation MLB The Show 23 experience when you play on Xbox Series X|S, including the return of Stadium Creator mode, and face your friends with cross-platform play* or continue your progress on other platforms with cross progression**.

MLB® The Show™ 23 Xbox Series X|S

MLB

☆☆☆☆☆
25

★★★★★

$69.99

Pre-order

Pre-order to get the Gold Choice pack.

This edition includes:
• Full game for Xbox Series X|S
• Full game for Xbox One
• Five The Show Packs.
• 10K Stubs™.

MLB® The Show™ 23 gets you closer than ever to living your Baseball dreams on the diamond. Shock The Game and Own The Show with your favorite players, your favorite rivalries, and all your favorite MLB moments.

Get the next-generation MLB The Show 23 experience when you play on Xbox Series X|S, including the return of Stadium Creator mode, and face your friends with cross-platform play* or continue your progress on other platforms with cross progression**.

MLB® The Show™ 23 Xbox One

MLB

☆☆☆☆☆
25

★★★★★

$59.99

Pre-order

Pre-order to get the Gold Choice pack.

This edition includes:
• Full game.
• 5K Stubs™.

MLB® The Show™ 23 gets you closer than ever to living your Baseball dreams on the diamond. Shock The Game and Own The Show with your favorite players, your favorite rivalries, and all your favorite MLB moments.

Buy the MLB® The Show™ 23 digital version for Xbox One and when ready, upgrade to the MLB® The Show™ 23 digital version for Xbox Series X|S for an additional cost.

Related:
Miami Marlins Star Outfielder, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Will Grace the Cover of MLB The Show 23
MLB The Show 22 Is Now Available For Xbox One And Xbox Series X|S (Game Pass)
MLB The Show 22 Deluxe And MVP Editions Are Now Available For Xbox One And Xbox Series X|S

Courage. Grit. Heroism. If you have these qualities, then you belong on the World of Tanks battlefield. And if you’ve got those qualities in spades, then our latest season, Valiant, is just the opportunity for you to prove it!

The Valiant season starts on February 14 and runs through April 10. It gives you eight weeks to take on challenges, earn points, conquer 100 levels, and claim reward after reward as you go.

Like our previous seasons, Valiant lets you choose one of three paths you can follow to earn your rewards:

The Free Rewards path gives you rewards every few levels and is automatically open to every player.

The Season Pass gives you all the Free Rewards plus additional rewards at every level.

The Ultimate Season Pass gives you everything from the Free Rewards path and the regular Season Pass, plus 25 levels already completed and bonus content that you receive as soon as you purchase it.

You’ll start out on the Free Rewards path, but you can upgrade to a Season Pass or Ultimate Season Pass at any time and get all the rewards you’ve earned up to that point, no matter when you get it. And we think the temptation to upgrade will be hard to ignore!

Get the Season Pass, and you’ll be on your way to earning not one but two new Premium tanks that are making their debut this season: the perfectly named Valiant medium tank for World War II, and the CATTB “Thumper” tank destroyer for Cold War. No matter which game mode you prefer, the Season Pass gives you options.

Want more? Then don’t miss the Ultimate Season Pass, which comes loaded with the newest British bastion, the FV4003 Centurion Mk. 5 AVRE medium tank. This is a powerhouse top-tier (Tier X) vehicle that makes the Ultimate Season Pass an unbelievable deal!

If all this wasn’t enough, Valiant also marks the beginning of Resolutions, a bold, year-long event that rewards our most dedicated tankers for each season they complete throughout 2023. Keep an eye out for more information – this is the year to pursue your tanking legacy.

Valiant was designed to satisfy your hunger for new thrills in your console battles. However, we can’t ignore this game’s history. After all, World of Tanks is celebrating nine years on Xbox this February! To commemorate the occasion, the Valiant season also arrives packed with features that are a salute to our longtime players.

The Garage Swap option lets you choose the look of your garage from several styles that have existed in the game over the past nine years. Whether you prefer the classic hangar or a rugged outdoors scene, the choice is yours as to how you display the powerful tanks under your command.

Similarly, the return of the Classic HUD brings back player-requested features like repositioned enemy target info and a clearly visible base capture status bar to make you more informed and more effective in every match you play.

As you explore these and other updates, keep an eye out for events this season that put you at the center of the game’s own history as well as its historical connections. In store for you are a community event that leads to the return of the classic Swamp map, an in-game Challenge that commemorates the historic Battle of Kasserine Pass, the Mary the Mechanic 3D Commander, vehicle skins inspired by vintage pin-up posters, and so much more.

The legacy of World of Tanks was always rich; we’re just giving you new ways to explore it!

They say that fortune favors the bold. We say that victory favors the valiant. Gear up, Commander: The Valiant season is waiting for you starting February 14!

World of Tanks – Valiant Starter Pack

Wargaming.net

☆☆☆☆☆
190

★★★★★

Get it now

Act boldly and charge toward victory with the FREE Valiant Starter Pack! This DLC bundle is packed with Boosters and Premium Time to increase your earnings as you prove your mettle in the latest season of World of Tanks. Fight with honor—good fortune awaits!

Bundle includes:
• 3 Days of Premium Time
• (5) x2 Silver Boosters
• (5) x3 Vehicle XP Boosters
• (5) x4 Commander XP Boosters

World of Tanks

Wargaming.net

☆☆☆☆☆
1603

★★★★★

Get it now

Xbox One X Enhanced

World of Tanks is a global online multiplayer free-to-play game dedicated to tank warfare in the mid-20th century. Custom built for Xbox, World of Tanks features realistic vehicles and environments, enabling players to command history’s most powerful tanks and experience combat on Xbox like never before.

Features:
• Strategic, fast-paced 15 vs 15 online action.
• Over 700 authentic tanks to choose from among 12 nations.
• Battle across a variety of environments with varying terrain and weather effects
• Built-in support for Xbox One X pushing the boundaries of graphic fidelity.
• Regular updates offer new content and frequent special events.

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While new monster-slaying RPG adventure Wild Hearts gives you an extensive arsenal of weaponry to play with, its most unique system is based around Karakuri, a collectable resource that allows you to craft tools and structures to deploy both in battle and around the world. Here, we’ll dive into how to get started with Karakuri, what it can do, and how you can use the skills to take down monsters in creative ways.

Karakuri is an ancient technology coursing through the land of Azuma, and you have the power to harness it. Karakuri can be used to build structures, coordinate attacks on vicious prey, and unlock more skills and tools that will help you take down the mightiest beasts. It will appear frequently along your journey as a glowing green substance detected with your Hunter’s Vision. You’ll need to stop and collect the resources in order to keep crafting objects that will help you take down the Kemono, the monsters overrunning the land. That ancient power also runs through your AI companion, which can aid you in battle and collect threads of Karakuri from your surroundings.

You’ll not be able to take on the treacherous battles ahead without grasping the fundamentals, so we’ve compiled a guide that will help you get started on the hunt.

Traversing The Wilds with Karakuri

Azuma is a vast, intimidating landscape, and the Kemono lurking within it move great distances. To make your hunts easier, Basic Karakuri can be used to craft items to get around, such as crates that can be used to climb to higher points, and springs that allow you to leap across broken bridges and cavernous chasms.

As you progress, Karakuri will unlock different ways to navigate and explore the world. Karakuri abilities give you the ability to craft Hunting Towers, which reveal Kemono hiding in the immediate area. The Flying Vine is a contraption that creates a zipline, allowing you to soar across great distances on a zipwire, perfect for scaling a cliffside or crossing a river.

Later on, use the Karakuri skill tree to harness even more useful upgrades, like the Wind Vortex to glide high into the sky, the Glider which can be used to gain vantage over an area, or the Launcher, which can fire smaller Karakuri objects (our yourself) into the distance.

Powering Up Your Camp

Karakuri can be used out in the wildness of Azuma to craft camps. When you discover a Dragon Pit, you can awaken it and turn the surrounding area into a camp. These spots serve as permanent resting points in the open world to gear up for a nearby battle, and a handy quick travel point in case you need to return some other time.

Here, Karakuri can used to whip up a few useful resources. A Hunter’s Tent lets you get some much needed rest before or after a figh while a Campfire helps you to plan your next hunt, and wait for fellow adventurers to join you if needed.

If you’re in need of a brand-new weapon or an armor upgrade, you can build the Field Forge, and immediately craft whatever you need for the fight ahead if you have the right materials, whether it’s poison-resistant gauntlets or a giant hammer. The Drying Rack can be used for food, and the Ingredients Chest will allow you to store resources gathered along the way.

Taking Karakuri into Battle

Your Karakuri powers can also be wielded to gain advantage over Azuma’s colossal Kemono. Swiftly place six crates together to form a Bulwark, which can serve as a wall between you and your foe or stun a charging Kemono out of their attack, leaving them open to be damaged.

Use Fusion Karakuri to awaken the Pounder, a powerful hammerhead that can unleash a punishing blow on any Kemono, and destroy any offensive objects it may spawn during an attack. Fusion Karakuri can also unlock the Elemental Lantern, a device that can protect you from the effects of any deadly elemental hits that your foe may strike with.

Your Flying Vine can also be used offensively with the Impaler upgrade; instead of zipping to solid ground, fire the contraption straight into a Kemono to injure them as you move in. All of your basic Karakuri can be crafted in battle too, so be sure to make the most of the mysterious technology in every scenario. Over time, all of your Karakuri resources can be powered up in order to take on bigger, stronger and more rewarding Kemono located all over Azuma.

With that, you should be prepared to embark on your own epic hunts and get to know your prey when Wild Hearts is released for Xbox Series X|S on February 17.

WILD HEARTS™

Electronic Arts

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

WILD HEARTS™ is a unique twist on the hunting genre where technology gives you a fighting chance against fearsome beasts infused with the ferocious power of nature itself. Take on these creatures alone or hunt with friends in seamless co-op.
No one remembers why the Kemono began their rampage through a once prosperous Azuma. Fueled by desperation, they wield the power of primal nature at its most destructive. For a while, it seemed that none could stand against their overwhelming might. But hope arrives in the form of a formidable hunter, armed with deadly weapons and ancient technology called Karakuri that could turn the tide of battle.

HUNT GIANT NATURE-INFUSED BEASTS
Survive their attacks, learn from their behaviors, and use your Karakuri and your weapons in combination to cut these creatures down to size.

CRAFT YOUR HUNTING GROUNDS
You are the only one in Azuma able to wield the Karakuri technology. This ancient tech enables you to adapt your environment into creative hunting grounds ideal for taking down the giant Kemono.

HUNT IN A PACK, OR BE A LONE WOLF
In WILD HEARTS™ you can face the Kemono alone or unite with up to two friends (or fellow players) to stalk and hunt your prey.

GEAR UP TO HUNT, HUNT TO GEAR UP
The more you hunt, the more you progress. Create your character, then gather materials from each hunt and build an array of armor and weapons to bring down even bigger beasts.

EXPLORE A FANTASY FEUDAL JAPAN
Experience four season-based hunting grounds – each region with its own beautiful landscapes and dangers.

Developed by Omega Force, the Japanese studio behind the DYNASTY WARRIORS franchise, WILD HEARTS™ takes you on an epic adventure set in a fantasy world inspired by feudal Japan.

Conditions & restrictions apply. See ea.com/wild-hearts/wild-hearts/disclaimers for details.
©KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD. All rights reserved.

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The Wizarding World Awaits: Hogwarts Legacy is Available Now
How Elder Scrolls Online Is Adding a New Class, 8 Years After Launch
Next Week on Xbox: New Games for February 13 to 17

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, 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!

Ten Dates – February 14
Xbox Play Anywhere

Ten Dates is the sequel to the interactive rom-com, Five Dates, taking place in the post-pandemic world. Throughout the game, your choices and interactions will either strengthen or weaken your relationship with your date. Amidst a branching, multi-directional chain of conversation topics and deep-dive questions, Misha and Ryan are faced with ice-breaker games, awkward scenarios, and unexpected truths. Will either find love?

Wanted: Dead – February 14
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

A new hybrid slasher/shooter from the makers of Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive. The game follows a week in life of the Zombie Unit, an elite Hong Kong police squad on a mission to uncover a major corporate conspiracy. Play as Lt. Hannah Stone, a hardboiled Hong Kong cop, and plow through mercenaries, gang members and private military contractors in a spectacular cyberpunk adventure.

Cities: Skylines – Remastered – February 15
Game Pass

An award-winning, best-selling management game now remastered for Xbox Series X|S with all its robust city-simulation gameplay and unique charm along for the ride. Design, build, and manage the city of your dreams, from public services to civic policies, and challenge yourself to grow from a simple town to a bustling metropolitan hub. Available on Cloud and Console.

Geometric Sniper – Blood in Paris – February 15

As a sniper, you’ll have to pay attention to the details and find the perfect moment to shoot. Your targets know they are wanted and will try to hide in a variety of ways. Have the patience to establish a clear shot, memorizing the information for each mission.

Launcher Heroes – February 15
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

A tactical, artillery, party game where you try to knock your opponents off the world. Use an assortment of items such as bombs, rockets, and jetpacks to help you navigate and destroy the terrain. Play locally or online (up to 6 players in total) in a variety of game modes.

Pocket Witch – February 15
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

A little witch has been locked away in a dungeon filled with traps and deadly roving enemies — and it’s up to you to help her escape! Pocket Witch is a precision platformer presented in retro pixel art style, where the little titular witch must overcome a series of brainteasing challenges to thwart the evil sorcerer who imprisoned her.

W.A.R.P. – February 15

Face inertia, acceleration, and gravity in a challenge that requires pinpoint accuracy. Use each weapon and even the space hazards to your advantage and face the most difficult trials across three different modes: Adventure, Landing, and Survival (Arena) for different challenges!

Gigantosaurus: Dino Kart – February 16
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Race around Cretacia in a prehistoric kart championship for up to 4 players of all ages, where you can play as your favorite dino friends and even bump into the mysterious Giganotosaurus himself! Outrun dangers like hot lava eruptions from Mount Oblivion or feel the power of the famous Giganotosaurus Roar. Charge through the pack by picking up special skills that give you a shortcut, or a jetpack-powered boost… or a way to knock out your rivals.

Pinball FX – February 16
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Discover brand new exclusive tables created for Pinball FX, or find your favorites among more than 80 unique and visually enhanced favorites from Zen’s extensive digital pinball library. Relive the most iconic moments from entertainment powerhouses like Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Marvel, Universal Studios, and many more. Enjoy accurate re-creations of the most famous pinball machines of all time with Williams Pinball, or have fun with Zen’s original creations.

Shadow Warrior 3: Definitive Edition – February 16
Game Pass

Trek across a mythic Asian land infused with the magic and technology of ancient samurai, now overrun by the demonic yokai from Japanese folklore. Experience the Definitive Edition of Shadow Warrior 3 with tons of new features and modes with fast-paced gunplay, razor-sharp melee combat, and a spectacular free-running movement system. Available on Cloud, Console, and PC.

CometStriker DX – February 17
Xbox Play Anywhere

An arcade action shooter featuring dodging, strategic power-ups, and intense boss fights! A world devouring, living space station has set its sights on your planet. Help Lt. Comet Striker on his journey to recover the Ancient Power Cores from various worlds to power the Planetary Defense Cannon, his world’s only hope against this cosmic menace!

CyberHeroes Arena DX – February 17
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Choose your robot, create your build, and destroy all cyber monsters to survive in this mecha-themed rougelite. Collect money to buy skills and items to complete missions and unlock other playable robots.

Dark Burial: Enhanced Edition – February 17
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

A retro-styled puzzle platformer where you play as a sentinel who must fight his way through enemies and light signal fires, warning people that a dark army that is fast approaching. The Enhanced Edition includes 8 new levels, 1 new boss, partially improved graphics and gameplay.

Rise of the Fox Hero – February 17 – Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

A colorful 3D platformer with fun combat and puzzle elements. Armed with a sword and a shield, you will help the fox jump, fight, and solve puzzles throughout four different chapters and 32 different levels. Explore colorful and beautiful environments and find all the collectibles while battling tons of different enemies. And beware — by the end of each chapter, an epic boss fight awaits!

Road Stones – February 17

Become the savior in this action-packed strategy combining arcade and strategy gameplay inspired by the tower defense genre. Stop the hordes of undead monsters whose sole aim is to destroy any living thing. Can you be the brave and bold hero that is desperately needed in this monster-infested kingdom?

Rooftop Renegade – February 17

An action platformer all about speed and flow. Evade capture by navigating through futuristic skyscrapers, channeling powerful abilities from your hover blades. Boost through levels under constant bombardment, avoid dangerous hazards and make split second decisions that mean the difference between a new personal best or total wipeout.

Tales of Symphonia Remastered – February 17

Dive back into Tales of Symphonia, an exciting and beloved action RPG, now with enhanced graphics and improved gameplay! In a dying world, legend has it that a Chosen One will one day rise from amongst the people and the land will be reborn. The line between good and evil blurs in this epic adventure where the fate of two interlocked worlds hangs in the balance. Follow the journey of Lloyd Irving as he and his friends try to save both worlds.

Wild Hearts – February 17
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

Experience a unique twist on the hunting genre where technology gives you a fighting chance against fearsome beasts infused with the ferocious power of nature itself. Take on these creatures alone or hunt with friends in seamless co-op. Pre-order the Karakuri Edition to receive six pre-order exclusive items, the Ferocious Kemono Emote, and five Chat Stamps.

Related:
Coming to Xbox Game Pass: Madden NFL 23, Atomic Heart, Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord, and More<br>
Next Week on Xbox: New Games for February 6 to 10
Next Week on Xbox: New Games for January 16 to 20

Enthusiast Gaming, EA Sports, Nike, and the Arizona Cardinals partnered with Xbox to deliver incredible gaming experiences and to give back to the community.

Here at Xbox, we love sports just about as much as we love video games. In commemoration of Super Bowl LVII, Xbox partnered with Enthusiast Gaming, TurboTax, EA Sports, Nike, and the Arizona Cardinals to celebrate the gaming and the sports community.

As part of these activities, Xbox joined with Enthusiast Gaming on the season finale of NFL Tuesday Night Gaming during their All-Star Game to reveal that Madden NFL 23 is coming to The Play list on February 9.

Xbox is committed to amplifying representation in sports and gaming. On February 8, Microsoft, Nike, EA Sports, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and the Arizona Cardinals joined forces with the Phoenix Union School District at Camelback high school to host “Field the Future,” a community event focused on inspiring local youth around their shared love of football. In all, it was an exciting week full of activities, community engagement, and fun. Learn more about all the week’s activities below.

Madden NFL 23 drops into The Play list on February 9

Are you ready for some football?! Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members with EA Play can now hit the gridiron with Madden NFL 23 as it drops into The Play list… today! What better way to get excited for the Big Game than taking your favorite NFL team on the virtual field and seeing if you can guide them to the championship. Or if you’re throwing a party, make Madden NFL 23 the centerpiece of your get-together while stuffing your face full of chips and queso. Celebrate with a limited-time reward for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members by giving your Ultimate Team a boost with the EA Play Supercharge Pack — just head to the Game Pass Ultimate Perks page between February 9, 2023, and March 9, 2023, to claim the pack (terms and conditions here). Requires Madden NFL 23 (sold separately), all game updates, internet connection, and an EA account.

Madden NFL 23’s all-new FieldSense gameplay system on Xbox Series X|S delivers consistent, ultra-realistic gameplay and gives players much more control at every position, resulting in competitive WR and DB battles, skill-based passing attacks, and more. Beyond the gameplay, you can call the shots in Franchise mode with free agency and trade logic updates and assemble the most powerful roster in all of Madden NFL Ultimate Team. Learn more here about Madden NFL 23.

Xbox and TurboTax join Enthusiast Gaming for NFL Tuesday Night Gaming All-Star Game

NFL Tuesday Night Gaming (NFL TNG) is the only place to watch popular gaming content creators and NFL stars from all 32 NFL teams compete live in your favorite video games. NFL TNG was created in partnership between the National Football League and Enthusiast Gaming to attract younger audiences to the NFL by connecting the worlds of gaming and sports. Featuring epic Madden NFL show matches, nail-biting Fortnite battles, obstacle course chaos in Fall Guys, acrobatic game-winning goals in Rocket League, and more!

Earlier this week, fan favorite talent from season one competed in a series of epic live matchups (you can see an archive of the livestream even here). As presenting sponsors of the All-Star Game, Xbox and TurboTax were on hand with the Xbox Series X and Series S, announcing that Madden NFL 23 will be available in The Play list for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members starting on February 9.

Also, starting on January 31, be on the lookout for TurboTax banner ads on Xbox for a chance to win exclusive prize packages including custom Madden NFL 23 Xbox Series X|S consoles and more!

Field the Future

In the background of one the biggest sporting events on the planet in Super Bowl LVII, EA Sports Madden NFL, Microsoft, Nike, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and the Arizona Cardinals showed the power of football to bring people together by hosting the Field the Future event in collaboration with the Phoenix Union School District at Camelback High School with a focus on empowering local youth within the Hispanic and Latino communities and beyond.

The Field the Future event united some of the biggest brands in sport around a shared mission to give back to the local community welcoming the global NFL family into their city, while also inspiring the next generation through a day of meaningful experiences around the love of football.

Thanks again to our partners at Enthusiast Gaming, TurboTax, EA Sports, Nike, and the Arizona Cardinals in celebrating the gaming and the sports community with us.

Madden NFL 23 Xbox Series X|S

Electronic Arts

☆☆☆☆☆
586

★★★★★

$69.99

$20.99

Get it now

Introducing the FieldSENSE™ Gameplay System in Madden NFL 23

Providing the foundation for consistent, ultra-realistic gameplay, and available on Xbox Series X|S Madden NFL 23’s new FieldSENSE™ Gameplay System equips players with more control at all positions in every mode. FieldSENSE leverages animation branching technology and a suite of new user control mechanics for a seamless gameplay flow with authentic results on every play.

360° Cuts
Whether you’re a running back, wide receiver after the catch, or returning a kick, new 360° Cuts give you the freedom and fluidity as the ball-carrier to hit the gaps you want to hit, plant-and-go, and elude defenders to break more big plays.

Skill-Based Passing
Lead your receivers open, drop back-shoulder throws into tight windows, and place every pass where only your receiver can catch it with surgical accuracy thanks to this all-new way to pass. New skill-based passing introduces an accuracy reticle and passing meter.

Hit Everything
Redefining defensive pursuit, new Hit Everything mechanics let you be more disruptive on defense. New animation branching technology in Madden NFL 23 enables next-gen Hit-Stick physics so you can perform mid-air knockouts, hit the pile to assist in tackles already in progress, blow up blocks, and force turnovers with stand up tackles.

Face of the Franchise: The League
The League drops you into your fifth NFL season at a skill position of your choice (QB, WR, RB, CB, MLB) and you’re seeking a fresh start with a new team. Negotiate a one-year “prove-it” contract with one of 32 NFL teams and show out with great on-field performance to earn rewards and level up. New position-specific mechanics brought to life by FieldSENSE* and player-focused cameras bring you closer to the action and add to gameplay depth by allowing you to dominate every snap, from anywhere on the field. The addition of New Drive Goals and Drive Summaries allow you to tweak your experience throughout a game and get feedback and rewards based on how well you play. Get performance boosts from weekly activities and training between games while Madden Ratings Adjustor Chad Johnson guides your career development by providing ratings updates as you strive for the highest level of prestige on your Road to 99. Will your NFL career rank among the all-time greats? It’s up to you.

Franchise
Utilize refined scouting, staff management, and weekly strategy features to take your Franchise to the top. New athlete motivations like team location and salary demands factor into contract negotiations and add to the drama of NFL free agency. Updated Trade Logic AI represents the value of star players more accurately for fair and more realistic offers.

Madden Ultimate Team
Develop your dream roster of current NFL superstars, Hall of Fame legends, and more. Always have something to play for with the first-ever Field Pass challenge and reward tracker in Madden Ultimate Team. Play to earn MUT Champions entry tokens and compete at your convenience. Simplified Set building lets you navigate your content binder more effectively so you can focus on improving your Ultimate Team roster all season.

This game includes optional in-game purchases of virtual currency that can be used to acquire virtual in-game items, including a random selection of virtual in-game items.

CONDITIONS AND RESTRICTIONS APPLY. SEE https://www.ea.com/games/madden-nfl/madden-nfl-23/buy/offer-disclaimers FOR DETAILS.

Madden NFL 23 Xbox One

Electronic Arts

☆☆☆☆☆
398

★★★★★

$59.99

$17.99

Get it now

Play your way into the history books in Madden NFL 23!

Control your impact with every decision in all-new ways. Call the shots in Franchise with free agency and trade logic updates, play your way into the history books in Face of the Franchise: The League, and assemble the most powerful roster in all of Madden Ultimate Team™.

Face of the Franchise: The League
The League drops you into your fifth NFL season at a skill position of your choice (QB, WR, RB, CB, MLB) and you’re seeking a fresh start with a new team. Negotiate a one-year “prove-it” contract with one of 32 NFL teams and show out with great on-field performance to earn rewards and level up. The addition of New Drive Goals and Drive Summaries allow you to tweak your experience throughout a game and get feedback and rewards based on how well you play. Get performance boosts from weekly activities and training between games while Madden Ratings Adjustor Chad Johnson guides your career development by providing ratings updates as you strive for the highest level of prestige on your Road to 99. Will your NFL career rank among the all-time greats? It’s up to you.

Franchise
Plan and strategize like an NFL head coach with refined scouting, staff management, and weekly strategy features to take your Franchise to the top. New athlete motivations like team location and salary demands factor into contract negotiations and add to the drama of NFL free agency within Franchise. Updated Trade Logic AI represents the value of star players more accurately for fair and more realistic offers.

Madden Ultimate Team
Develop your dream fantasy roster of current NFL superstars, Hall of Fame legends, and more. Always have something to play for with the first-ever Field Pass challenge and reward tracker in Madden Ultimate Team. Play to earn MUT Champions entry tokens and choose to compete at your convenience. Simplified Set building lets you navigate your content binder more effectively so you can focus on improving your Ultimate Team roster all season.

This game includes optional in-game purchases of virtual currency that can be used to acquire virtual in-game items, including a random selection of virtual in-game items.

CONDITIONS AND RESTRICTIONS APPLY. SEE https://www.ea.com/games/madden-nfl/madden-nfl-23/buy/offer-disclaimers FOR DETAILS.

Related:
Calling all Pilots: SD Gundam Battle Alliance comes to Xbox Game Pass!
Free Play Days – Scarlet Nexus, TT Isle of Man Ride on the Edge 2, and The Ascent
Coming to Xbox Game Pass: Madden NFL 23, Atomic Heart, Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord, and More<br>

Are you ready for intense, multiplayer mechanized combat? SD Gundam Battle Alliance is now available on Xbox Game Pass for you to push your pilot skills to the next level. Do battle in this action RPG where you take control of various Mobile Suits from the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise. Play with AI or squad up with 2 of your friends to smash foes head-on as you explore a brand new story featuring many familiar faces!

Correct A False World

The G-Universe needs help! Lead a 3-unit squad to correct this distorted timeline and repair the broken history. Along the way, you’ll be able to team up with Mobile Suits and pilots across the Gundam franchise and build the true Battle Alliance. It’s up to you to right the wrong history.

Customize Your Mobile Suit

Completing missions earns you Capital – allowing you to level up your suits and increase the stats that fit your playstyle. Additionally, you can swap parts to enhance various stats to further make your favorite Mobile Suit truly yours.

Launch Into Battle With Friends

Get extra assistance in missions from friends! Multiplayer allows you to play with up to 2 other players to form a 3-person team. Experience intense action with your friends and create the best team to take on foes. Venturing the battlefield is always more enjoyable with friends to back you up!

Featured Mobile Suit Gundam Series

Obtain Mobile Suits from different Gundam series and grab your favorite unit.

• Mobile Suit Gundam
• Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket
• Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team
• Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt
• Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory
• Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack
• Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack Beltorchika’s Children

Available Now

SD Gundam Battle Alliance brings Mobile Suits and characters across the Mobile Suit Gundam universe into one all-action RPG where you must rewrite the G: Universe and correct history. Build the Battle Alliance that stands the test of time and history with friends or solo.

SD Gundam Battle Alliance is available NOW on the Xbox Game Pass. We await you in the G: Universe, Pilots!

SD GUNDAM BATTLE ALLIANCE

Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc.

☆☆☆☆☆
205

★★★★★

$59.99

$47.99

Get it now

PC Game Pass

Xbox Game Pass

In SD Gundam Battle Alliance, Mobile Suits and characters from across Mobile Suit Gundam history take center stage in this all-new action RPG.

• A Battle Alliance to Correct a False World
The story takes place in G: Universe, a world where Gundam canon twists and turns in ways no one can predict.
To correct this world’s distorted history, the player leads a 3-unit squadron consisting of Mobile Suits and pilots from across Gundam history – a true Battle Alliance.
What Awaits Beyond False History…

• Combo action with stunning visuals and dynamic animation
Indulge in a wide array of Mobile Suit weaponry to crush many foes with! Control Mobile Suits portrayed with realistic weathering that showcases them as weapons of war as they tear across the battlefield with dynamic animations.

• Strange phenomena known as Breaks are twisting legendary moments from Gundam history, and you’re in charge to fix them.
Experience Gundam history’s most famous scenes as you develop new Mobile Suits to add to your arsenal. Gather Capital and expansion parts to transform your favorite machine into the ultimate MS.

• Tackle missions with friends in multiplayer!
Launch into battle with 2 partners to back you up. In multiplayer, you can play through the game with up to 2 other players in a 3-person team. Enjoy this new SD Gundam action RPG solo, or with friends.

• Featured Series
Mobile Suit Gundam
Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket
Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team
Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt
Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam
Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ
Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack
Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack Beltorchika’s Children
Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn
Mobile Suit Gundam F91
Mobile Suit Crossbone Gundam
Mobile Suit V Gundam
Mobile Fighter G Gundam
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing
After War Gundam X
Turn A Gundam
Mobile Suit Gundam SEED
Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Astray
Mobile Suit Gundam SEED VS Astray
Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny
Mobile Suit Gundam 00
Mobile Suit Gundam 00 The Movie -Awakening of the Trailblazer-
Reconguista in G
Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans
Musha Knight Command: SD Gundam Scramble

Related:
Free Play Days – Scarlet Nexus, TT Isle of Man Ride on the Edge 2, and The Ascent
Coming to Xbox Game Pass: Madden NFL 23, Atomic Heart, Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord, and More<br>
Free Play Days – For Honor, Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising, and Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker

Video games can use many different styles to create a unique look and feel. For Clash: Artifacts of Chaos, we knew from the beginning that we wanted to use a very colorful and non-realistic one for many reasons: to set it apart from other games in the genre, to allow us to stylize and exaggerate the animation and color palette, and to approximate the illustrations and punk-fantasy art that inspired the creation of the world in the first place.

Stylized rendering is a powerful tool that highlights that “What to draw?” and “How to draw it?” are two different questions. This is the third time we have visited the surreal world of Zenozoik and its primitive humanoid animal inhabitants, but it is the first time we are approaching the “how to draw it” with a really different technique!

There are many ways we could have gone, and we tested several different styles before landing on the one we used. By choosing what to simplify and what to exaggerate, you get very different effects. One of the more interesting styles we tested was a painterly thick brushstroke look (above). It allowed very expressive shapes, a messy almost impressionistic look, and was certainly very different.

We eventually decided against this style because of the excessive simplification it produced: our artists always wanted to add more small details to characters and environments, details which would not really shine in this impressionistic style.

The rendering style we ended up going for is called hatching, or crosshatching. It is a drawing style that creates shading and conveys lighting by drawing closely spaced lines. The closer the lines are together, the darker the area will appear. This style is often used in traditional drawings, illustrations, and comic books, and gives the artwork a hand-drawn look. This technique allowed us to achieve an illustrated style while still preserving detail.

By separating the lighting information and conveying light intensity and detail mostly with the ink pencil linework, we can treat color as a separate layer. This allows us to use more artificial color schemes which would look strange in a realistic rendering style but feel consistent with the look of an illustration. Violet and orange skies, characters with blue or yellow skin, orange dirt, cyan and green mineral deposits in the mountain walls… we intentionally use saturated colors, or color combinations hard to find in nature to convey this is a different world.

One of the main challenges to make the hatching style work was to make sure that it worked at different distances and different levels of detail. It is not just drawing lines on the surfaces, because what works for small details up close might not work for a mountain at a distance. Also some features must be preserved more carefully, like character eyes which are a focus point and must always remain well defined and sharp. The linework needs to be consistent to seem like it was all done with the same tool.

Finally, while we have designed a very specific look for the game, we still chose to enable configuration options for players to personalize the look. Players can choose a cleaner look or add and remove effects. We even left in a comic book inspired black and white mode, which is not ideal for readability, but is still very cool to play with!

Clash: Artifacts of Chaos will be released on March 9 and is available now for pre-order on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One. If you are interested in keeping track of all future news, devs blogs and trailers, don’t hesitate to follow us on Twitter or join our official Discord server.

Clash: Artifacts of Chaos

Nacon

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

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