Category: Xbox News

We know you’re busy and might miss out on all the exciting things we’re talking about on Xbox Wire every week. If you’ve got a few minutes, we can help remedy that. We’ve pared down the past week’s news into one easy-to-digest article for all things Xbox! Or, if you’d rather watch than read, you can feast your eyes on our weekly video show above. Be sure to come back every Friday to find out what’s happening This Week on Xbox!

Play Conan Exiles Free with Xbox Live Gold This Weekend on Xbox One
Conan Exiles first released on Xbox One back in August 2017, then as an Xbox Game Preview title before releasing in May 2018. And just a few days ago we introduced the biggest update to the game since launch, introducing the new concept of taming and owning pets – plus a whole lot more. Now we’re excited to finally… Read more

Hera, Queen of the Gods, Makes Her Royal Entrance to Smite
The Queen of the Gods has arrived in Smite: Battleground of the Gods. Smite features over 90 playable Gods and Goddess from global mythology. Hera, Queen of the Gods, is an iconic character from Greek mythology and a long-requested addition to the Smite universe. Hera has descended from her throne to restore order to the pantheons… Read more

Buy a Double Chalupa Box for a Chance to Win a Limited-Edition Xbox
When combined, few things are better than tacos and Xbox. Calling all Taco Bell fans – here’s one you won’t want to miss. That’s right, in the United States, Taco Bell is partnering with Xbox again to give fans the chance to win limited-edition Xbox One X consoles each time they buy a $5 Double Chalupa Box starting October 18… Read more

Learn About the Inspiration Behind The Jackbox Party Pack 5
Our team has been so excited to bring The Jackbox Party Pack 5 to Xbox One players. We feel that this Party Pack showcases the fun gameplay you’ve come to expect from us while throwing in some major surprises that we think you’ll love. We made it our goal to home in on the things that players (and streamers) would appreciate… Read more

Sinner: Sacrifice for Redemption Available Today on Xbox One and Xbox Game Pass
We started working on Sinner: Sacrifice for Redemption because we wanted to make something for ourselves. We’d worked for bigger studios for years and with the rise of indie games around the world, we decided that we wanted to join the party and make our own indie game. Sinner: Sacrifice for Redemption came about… Read more

Watch the Red Dead Redemption 2 Launch Trailer
America, 1899. The end of the Wild West era has begun. After a robbery goes badly wrong in the western town of Blackwater, Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang are forced to flee. With federal agents and the best bounty hunters in the nation massing on their heels, the gang must rob, steal and fight their way across… Read more

Classic Valve Titles Now in Enhanced Xbox 360 Backward Compatibility Collection
The Backward Compatibility program has quickly become a hallmark feature of the Xbox family, and we love seeing people discover (or rediscover!) games they may have missed the first time around. Gamers have played over 1 billion hours of Xbox 360 and Original Xbox games on Xbox One – and we think our new release… Read more

Explore a Haunted Amusement Park in Roblox’s Hallow’s Eve Event on Xbox One
Roblox’s annual Hallow’s Eve event has officially begun on Xbox One. Play millions of free, user-created games today by downloading Roblox and start earning limited-time Halloween-themed rewards! Discover What Lurks in Sinister Swamp Underneath the ghostly glimmer of a full moon, the pale visage of a forgotten amusement… Read more

Starter Tips for SoulCalibur VI, Available Now on Xbox One
Welcome back to the Stage of History and prepare to take part in a story of souls and swords! SoulCalibur VI stands as the standard of 3-D weapon-based fighting and continues its long-standing tradition of iconic characters, including new ones, such as Geralt of Rivia as a special guest character. The formidable protagonist from The Witcher series… Read more

A Guide to Weapon Specializations in Battlefield V
The weapons of Battlefield V are powerful, deadly, and adjustable. You read that right; you can modify your primary weapons by using them in battle and spending the in-game currency you’ll earn by playing the game. Want more accuracy when you’re lining up your next target? How about a faster hipshot in the thick of battle… Read more

Next Week on Xbox: New Games for October 23 – 26
Welcome to Next Week on Xbox, where we cover all the new games coming soon to Xbox One! Every week the team at Xbox aims to deliver quality gaming content for you to enjoy on your favorite gaming console. To find out what’s coming soon to Xbox One, read on below and click on each of the game profiles for pre-order details (dates are subject to… Read more

Watch the Forza Racing World Championship 2018 – Oct. 20 & 21
This Saturday Oct. 20 and Sunday Oct. 21, the Forza Racing Championship (ForzaRC) 2018 season races to the finish line with its final and most exciting event of the year – the Forza Racing World Championship (ForzaRWC) 2018. After months of competition, the top 24 global drivers will take the stage at Gfinity Esports Arena…. Read more

Creating Rhyme Without Reason in Kingdom Come: Deliverance DLC Amorous Adventures
Honeyed Words, the first quest in our Kingdom Come: Deliverance: The Amorous Adventures of Bold Sir Hans Capon DLC, was one of my favourite quests to work on – the design nicely develops the relationship between Henry and Hans Capon. It’s a classic buddy relationship, beginning with antagonism, slogging through an unwilling… Read more

Welcome back to the Stage of History and prepare to take part in a story of souls and swords! SoulCalibur VI stands as the standard of 3-D weapon-based fighting and continues its long-standing tradition of iconic characters, including new ones, such as Geralt of Rivia as a special guest character. The formidable protagonist from The Witcher series joins our cast of the legendary fighters and is prepared to battle all those who stand in his way. However, before we get into battling with these brave warriors, lets train with our souls and learn the skills, movements, and what it takes to end the struggle between sword and soul!

Movement

The key to mastering any fighting game is to first understand the movement of the characters. With the 8-way run system, SoulCalibur VI demonstrates itself as a true 3D fighter. Make use of the directional pad or analog stick to move across the ring with ease. A quick tap in any direction will perform a short step for precise movement, allowing for quick strikes or dodges. Holding a direction enables swift, continuous movement. Make use of these features to take a more defensive approach, or rush towards your foe with an all-out offensive of attacks.

Basic Attacks

SoulCalbur VI has three basic attacks: Horizontal, Vertical, and Kick. Combining these attacks with directional inputs, jumping, dashing, crouching, and sidestepping, opens-up even more attack strings and combos. Spend time experimenting with different combinations of Low, Middle, and High attacks to unleash deadly combos.

Guarding

It’s vital to keep up a good defense to avoid the opponent’s offensive attacks. Holding the Guard button allows you to block attacks, but you must pair this block by either standing or crouching.

There are three basic levels of attacks in SoulCalibur VI: Low, Middle, and High. Middle and High attacks can be blocked while standing, but this leaves you open to Low attacks, which can only be blocked while guarding in a crouch. However, this leaves you open to Middle attacks; High attacks will miss anyone that is crouching. So, when facing a skilled opponent, you must learn to anticipate when they will mix up their attacks so that you can block successfully and prepare for your counter-offensive.

Guard impacts are a unique move in SoulCalibur VI that allow you to repel an enemy attack and leave them open to a counter. You can execute a guard impact by pressing forward on directional pad and the A button. Just make sure that you time it correctly right when your enemy is beginning their attack!

Training

SoulCalibur VI is equipped with a fully-featured Training mode for you to study the many fighting styles in store for you. Hop in anytime to perfect your timing, combos, and spacing! See you in the ring!

SoulCalibur VI fighting mechanics through and through will keep you immersed in the game for a long time to come. Whether it’s the mastery of the basic attacks or the new feature and intricacies of the guard impacts, honing these skills will be vital towards challenging all fearsome foes old and new. Now take the stage, utilize and leverage your edge in battle, and claim your place in history in SoulCalibur VI today!

Conan Exiles first released on Xbox One back in August 2017, then as an Xbox Game Preview title before releasing in May 2018. And just a few days ago we introduced the biggest update to the game since launch, introducing the new concept of taming and owning pets – plus a whole lot more.

Now we’re excited to finally give Xbox One players the chance to play Conan Exiles for free for a limited time. From 12:01 a.m. PDT on Thursday, October 18 to 11:59 p.m. PDT on Sunday, October 21, Xbox Live Gold members can download and play our open world survival game for free, and if you decide to make the plunge and buy it we’re also offering a hefty discount – up to 40% off from October 18 to October 21 . And should you return to Conan Exiles after the free weekend event, all your earned achievements and saved progress will be waiting for you.

Want to make the jump into our savage world? Here are some tips on how to survive in Conan Exiles and what you can expect in the brutal world of Conan the Barbarian! When you start out, you will find that you have been banished to the Exiled Lands for crimes you may or may not have committed. If you wish to survive the harsh desert landscape and burning heat you must learn how to become a resourceful survivor.

• At the very start of the game, you should follow the road north. Behind the mountains, you see a big river, where you can find water and food. You should pick up all the resources you can, as they can be used to craft clothing and tools.
• Eggs from Shaleback nests offer a lot of nutrition but be careful of the big red males, as they attack on sight. As you play you will level up and grow stronger. You can increase your attributes like strength and agility and in addition, you get feat points which can be used to learn new recipes for crafting.
• You can fight enemies with simple tools but you should try and learn how to craft weapons early. Even if the swords and clubs you can make at first are made from stone they are still powerful enough to deal with most creatures by the river.
• You will need a place to rest, store your resources, and seek shelter from the brutal sandstorms which sweep across the Exiled Lands. Gather enough stone and wood to build your first house. It does not need to be large, just big enough to fit a bedroll, a fire and some chests for storage.
• The more you build, kill, craft and gather the more XP you will gain. The further north you travel the more powerful enemies you will face but you will also get access to better and better resources.

And this is just the beginning. The Exiled Lands are vast, from the burning deserts in the south, to the wet swamps in the east and the cold forests and mountains in the north. You can conquer them all and build great castles or even vast cities. Venture deep into dark dungeons, capture enemies and make them your pets or thralls, grow plants and keep bees, worship mighty gods and summon their avatars and build defenses against attacking NPCs who seek to purge invaders from their land.

We hope all Xbox Live Gold members have fun playing Conan Exiles for free on Xbox One for the next week. And don’t forget to take advantage of that great discount if you’d like to continue your adventures after the free play event concludes.

The weapons of Battlefield V are powerful, deadly, and adjustable. You read that right; you can modify your primary weapons by using them in battle and spending the in-game currency you’ll earn by playing the game. Want more accuracy when you’re lining up your next target? How about a faster hipshot in the thick of battle? We call those kinds of modifications Specializations, and they give you a variety of ways to specialize each of your primary weapons to best suit your playstyle.

Specializations Are Not a One-Way Street

Modifying your weapons is more about the journey than the destination. Specializations aren’t necessarily an endpoint, though some players may treat them that way. You can always go back and try different setups and take on fresh challenges when your weapon is fully specialized.

What About New Players?

Don’t worry if you’re coming into the game a little later; you’ve still got a good shot at both surviving and thriving in this system. There are four starter weapons (one per class) with Specializations already unlocked, though they will initially be on Rank 0. Use any of them on the front lines and at Rank 4 you can re-spec them however you want.

Weapon Specializations in Action

Let’s walk you through an actual Specialization tree for a specific weapon, in this case, the EMP. This submachine gun is perfect for close-range combat and comes with eight different Specializations and eight Specialization tree paths. Each choice you make will have pros and cons, and choosing one means you don’t get the benefits of another. But, again, nothing’s written in stone, and when your weapon is fully specialized, you can always go back and make changes if you want to.

So, what are some of the options you have for the EMP? Here are the kinds of trade-offs you’ll need to make: 

Specialization Path One	Specialization Path Two
Slings and Swivels: Allows swapping to your EMP or sidearm faster. Don’t have time to reload? No problem. And you can shoot sooner after sprinting.	Quick Aim: Zoom in faster when aiming down the sight. In a firefight, even a millisecond or two can make all the difference.
Enhanced Grips: Improves your base accuracy when firing without taking careful aim and gives you 33% better range.	Custom Stock: Stay on target by reducing bullet spread by 33%.
Polished Action: Decreases your hip fire inaccuracy by about 40%. Great for those who like to shoot first and ask questions later.	Lightened Stock: While aiming you can move 60% quicker. Makes shooting from behind cover or around a corner way faster.
Recoil Buffer: Diminishes vertical recoil by about 20% to keep your weapon steadier, so you end up hitting more than the scenery.	Barrel Bedding: Reduces spread by 75% when aiming, letting you line up a headshot (or two).

It’s up to you if you want to go all-in on one Specialization path or sample some of both, as you work your way through the unlocks.

Specializations are Just the Beginning

So, what happens when you’ve climbed your Specialization tree branch to the top and mastered your weapon? As we mentioned before, you can always re-spec to try new combinations. It’s a great way to challenge yourself and find other, different ways to achieve your Battlefield V goals.

In addition, you can also take on weapon-specific Special Assignments. These become available when the Specialization tree is completed. In-game challenges, Special Assignments help you unlock unique vanity items for that weapon. You can really go for the gold with these challenges.

Remember, Battlefield V is still in development and all game features may be subject to change. Battlefield V is now available for pre-order on the Microsoft Store. Stay tuned to Xbox Wire for the latest news and information for all things Xbox.

Honeyed Words, the first quest in our Kingdom Come: Deliverance: The Amorous Adventures of Bold Sir Hans Capon DLC, was one of my favourite quests to work on – the design nicely develops the relationship between Henry and Hans Capon. It’s a classic buddy relationship, beginning with antagonism, slogging through an unwilling partnership and maturing into mutual respect and affection. But the social divide between the blacksmith’s son and the young lord is a barrier that can never be quite demolished – the two just poke holes through it with teasing and sarcastic humour, and that makes for a nice tension that underpins all their conversations.

Actors Tom McKay and Luke Dale bring this relationship wonderfully to life, entering body and soul into their characters, although, ironically, they very rarely actually met in the studio! Most of the dialogue between them was recorded in separate sessions. (In general, editing and polishing their lines was easy – all I had to do was write down what their voices were saying in my head.)

This quest is all about helping Sir Hans Capon in his pursuit of “the love of his life” and one of the player’s tasks is to secretly prompt the bold Sir Hans with lines of poetry that he recites to the fair Karolina in a balcony scene mimicking that in 19th century French play “Cyrano de Bergerac.” With one slight difference – Capon mishears everything and instead treats the damsel to a recital of gibberish peppered with vulgarisms.

That part was just about the most difficult translation I’d ever done in my life. The poetry itself was easy enough. I translated the lines of these genuine medieval Czech poems more-or-less verbatim but retaining the rhyming scheme and meter. Then I had to take each line and mangle it into something less like love poetry and more like something you’d find written on a toilet wall.

To do that, I had to keep going back to the original and tweaking it to make the words easier to twist into something appropriately ludicrous and vulgar. It was a long, mind-boggling process (fortunately, I wasn’t getting paid per word, otherwise my family would have gone hungry for a month!) and one that seriously taxed my sanity. In the end, what comes out of Capon’s mouth is partly what he thinks he hears and partly his own inner monologue reflecting his ‘aristocratic’ interests – horses, booze, and wenches.

This is one of the few quests in Kingdom Come: Deliverance that is primarily played for laughs, and I hope gamers have as much fun playing it as much as I had working on it.

Starting at 2:00 p.m. PDT today, members of the Xbox One Preview Alpha Ring will begin receiving the first 1811 Xbox One system update (181012-1920). Read on for more about the New features, fixes and known issues in the latest 1811 system update.

For those north of the equator, the weather outside may be starting to cool off, but we have an exciting system update with new features coming in hot that will begin to roll out to Xbox Insiders today! Not all the features below will show up immediately but will begin to roll out in the coming weeks. As always, the team at Xbox is striving to improve the platform, and these features developed from fan feedback will continue to be shaped by Insider previewers. Enjoy these new features and giving your valuable feedback as you get cozy on the couch for some quality gaming time.

What’s New for Users:

 

Mouse and Keyboard support

As revealed last month, we are bringing Keyboard and Mouse support to Xbox One! With this new input support at the platform level, developers can now build mouse and keyboard support in their games if and how they choose. It’s important to note that mouse and keyboard support for games is added on a title-by-title basis, entirely at developers’ discretion.

Warframe will be the first title for you to give mouse and keyboard a try and we are looking forward to your feedback. This feature will be rolling out in the coming weeks and we will be sure to let you know once it is available for you to test.

Be sure to tune into XO18 on November 10th to learn about more games supporting mouse and keyboard input and our partnership with Razer.

Search will now include more sources

Search in guide is expanding to include assist info and games you have “Ready to Install” or currently own as part of your memberships, including Xbox Game Pass, EA Access, and more! It makes it easier than ever to find the game you are looking for and start playing.

Experiments

A subset of Xbox Insiders may see some experimental features in addition to what’s listed above.  These are designed to gauge interest and solicit feedback from a more focused group.

As always, thanks to all the Xbox Insiders for your feedback.  Your insight and input is both critical and crucial to making a better Xbox experience for gamers around the world.

Fixes:

My Games and Apps

• Fixed navigation issues in My Games and Apps that caused some users not able to select certain tiles in their collection.
• We have fixed the issue users were experiencing with the crashing of games or the Youtube app when you are either launching or resuming the Youtube app and switching between games and the app.

System

• System Memory and Performance fixes in this build to help with system and spatial audio performance.

Known Issues

Avatars

• It can take up to 10 seconds to view an Avatar on the profile screen after creating a new Avatar.

Media remote

• The volume up and down is not functioning when using the media remote. Workaround – Use your TV remote or voice controls.

My Games and Apps

• We are tracking an issue in which game and app updates are not automatically downloading and installing.

Power

• We are tracking an issue in which the console is fully powering off when it is placed into Instant On mode.

Profile Color

• Sometimes users may encounter the incorrect Profile color when powering on the console.

Virtual Keyboard

• Predictive text in not working in the Virtual Keyboard.

We know you’re busy and might miss out on all the exciting things we’re talking about on Xbox Wire every week. If you’ve got a few minutes, we can help remedy that. We’ve pared down the past week’s news into one easy-to-digest article for all things Xbox! Or, if you’d rather watch than read, you can feast your eyes on our weekly video show above. Be sure to come back every Friday to find out what’s happening This Week on Xbox!

Forza Horizon 4 Sees Two Million Players in Its First Week
It has been one week since we launched Forza Horizon 4 and we are humbled by the overwhelmingly positive feedback we continue to receive from players around the world. We are proud to say that in this first week alone, there are currently two million players driving around Forza Horizon 4’s Britain… Read more

October 2018 Xbox Update Rolling Out Today
If we could pull your attention away from exploring the beautiful scenery and becoming a Horizon Superstar in historic Britain with Forza Horizon 4, we have some new Xbox One features to share. The October 2018 Xbox Update adds new ways to express yourself with Avatars, interact with your console… Read more

The 10 Coolest New Features in Fallout 76
“War. War never changes.” While that phrase has been part of Fallout’s lore since the very beginning, the same can’t be said about the Fallout series itself. Each game in the venerable post-apocalyptic RPG series has expanded and improved upon features in the entry before it, to the point that the changing locales… Read more

Darwin Project Has Reached 2 Million Inmates on Xbox One – Here’s What’s in Store
Hey Xbox players! Ever since we launched Darwin Project on Xbox One via Xbox Game Preview, your support has been incredible. So much of your feedback has helped shape Darwin Project into what it is today, from Duo Mode to customization to new Tools, Powers, and Tiles―and this is just the beginning… Read more

Available Now: Victrix Pro AF Wired Gaming Headset for Xbox One
When it comes to Xbox accessories, we believe in providing choice for gamers. Our Designed for Xbox program enables collaborations with top-tier hardware partners to deliver not only choice but also the best possible gaming experiences. The newest device from one of our top partners is the Victrix Pro AF… Read more

Next Week on Xbox: New Games for October 16 – 19
Welcome to Next Week on Xbox, where we cover all the new games coming soon to Xbox One! Every week the team at Xbox aims to deliver quality gaming content for you to enjoy on your favorite gaming console. To find out what’s coming soon to Xbox One, read on below and click on each of the game profiles for pre-order details (dates are subject to… Read more

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Has Arrived on Xbox One
It’s finally here! Ever since Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 was announced earlier this year, we’ve been counting down the months, weeks, hours, minutes, and yes… even the seconds until this moment. But that wait is over, and players around the world are immersing themselves into the game-changing world of Black Ops 4… Read more

How My Memory of Us Meets its Players
The greatest joy that a game developer can have is to watch players who are playing your game at the moment and to talk to them. During the pre-release presentations and travels of My Memory of Us to fairs and gaming events, we had an incredible pleasure to see various players and a wide array of their reactions to the game… Read more

For Honor Graphical Remaster Launching with Marching Fire on October 16
For Honor Marching Fire is coming to Xbox One, bringing the four new heroes of the Wu Lin faction into the fray, the new PvE Arcade mode to test your mettle, and the new 4v4 Breach mode to challenge your team strategy as you siege or defend a castle. The October 16 launch also coincides with a massive free update… Read more

Don’t Miss the Fourth Annual Game4Paul Fundraiser on Oct. 11, Live on Mixer
On Thursday, Xbox will partner with Reach Out WorldWide (ROWW) to host the fourth annual Game4Paul charity fundraiser, a livestream full of games, exclusive sweepstakes and more that will support ROWW’s mission to provide natural disaster relief across the globe. The livestream will also honor… Read more

Announcing the Minecraft Creators Bundle
Create your ultimate Minecraft adventure and be a part of the global phenomenon with the Xbox One S Minecraft Creators Bundle, available soon at select retailers globally for $299 USD / £249 GBP. The Xbox One S Minecraft Creators Bundle includes: Xbox One S with 1TB hard drive, 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player… Read more

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice Coming to Retail Stores on December 4
Just in time for the holidays, we’re excited to announce Ninja Theory’s critically-acclaimed Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is hitting shelves in retail stores on Dec. 4. Since first launched, the game has taken over a million fans worldwide on a journey with Senua, a Celtic warrior who embarks on a haunting vision quest… Read more

Grand Theft Auto Online: GTA$ Gifts, Red Dead Redemption 2 Pre-Order Bonus, and More
Los Santos is awash with money making opportunities this week. Play GTA Online any time through October 15 to earn GTA$300,000 bonus cash and instantly unlock the Green Wireframe Bodysuit. All GTA$ gifts will be deposited into your Maze Bank account by October 22. Plus, the Stone Hatchet and Double-Action Revolver… Read more

Pinball FX3 Welcomes Williams Pinball: Volume 1 and a New Free Table
We at Zen Studios are excited to welcome tables from the iconic Williams and Bally collection to our Pinball FX3 library, live now! The release of Williams Pinball Volume 1 is significant, as this new three-pack represents Zen’s first true digital simulations of real pinball machines – specifically, Medieval Madness, Junk Yard, and The Getaway: High Speed II… Read more

Making Choices Matter in The Shapeshifting Detective, Coming Soon to Xbox One
Hello Xbox fans! We’re D’Avekki Studios, a game studio run by myself, Lynda Cowles, and my husband Tim Cowles. We made our Xbox One debut earlier this year with The Infectious Madness of Doctor Dekker and now we’re excited to be back with The Shapeshifting Detective, a new supernatural FMV murder mystery… Read more

Warface Now Available for Free on Xbox One
Great news! Warface is available for free on Xbox One! Gather your friends and set off together on exciting raids and PvE missions. Take the pedestal of honor in ranked matches and fight together in fast-paced PvP modes! Exclusively on Xbox The Cyber Horde raid – In a Blackwood laboratory, where experiments… Read more

For Honor Marching Fire is coming to Xbox One, bringing the four new heroes of the Wu Lin faction into the fray, the new PvE Arcade mode to test your mettle, and the new 4v4 Breach mode to challenge your team strategy as you siege or defend a castle. The October 16 launch also coincides with a massive free update that all For Honor players will benefit from: a graphical remaster that implements a revamped lighting system, improved textures, new sky gradients, and more to make the game look better than ever.

A “remaster” in the world of video games usually involves a game from a previous console generation, but according to Art Director Christian Diaz, live games like For Honor present a unique opportunity. “We wanted this game to be alive and to ensure players keep enjoying the game,” says Diaz, “so for me it was natural that we would do anything we can to improve the game on each level. So on my side, on the 3D programming team, this is what we came up with: ‘What can we do to improve the visual experience of the player?’”

Together with his team, Diaz began to investigate data- and tech-related improvements they could make. What started as a side project soon blossomed into a complex effort involving multiple branches of the development team, and once they were able to test the results, the team saw notable improvements.

“What we achieved with this remaster is that we can convey a better feeling of what you are seeing and experiencing,” says Diaz. He cites the example of the Valkenheim PvP map, the frosty northern home of the Viking faction. With the improved lighting and snow effects, you feel more strongly that you are doing battle in a frozen, forbidding place where the cold is severe.

And the graphical remaster doesn’t just affect the PvP maps like Valkenheim. The entire campaign is enhanced as well, including the real-time cinematic scenes that tell the story of the warring factions fighting for survival.

Diaz is excited to get the improvements into the players’ hands and see what they think. “The graphic updates we did help to create a more harmonious image,” says Diaz, “and a more convincing natural look and feel while improving overall image quality. They will bring better readability of what you see on screen, which can help gameplay as well, and overall immersion will be increased.”

You can see the details for yourself when the graphical remaster of For Honor goes live at the launch of the Marching Fire on October 16. The remaster will be free for all players, and Xbox Live Gold members will have free access to Marching Fire’s 4v4 Breach mode. You can be among the first to try out the new PvE Arcade mode and put the new Wu Lin heroes to the test by purchasing the Marching Fire expansion from the Microsoft Store.

It’s finally here! Ever since Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 was announced earlier this year, we’ve been counting down the months, weeks, hours, minutes, and yes… even the seconds until this moment. But that wait is over, and players around the world are immersing themselves into the game-changing world of Black Ops 4.

This game is the latest installment in the Black Ops series, which is the best-selling in Call of Duty history. It also represents a landmark for the series, delivering the most tactical multiplayer modes in a Black Ops game, an unprecedented three Zombies adventures at launch, and the all-new battle royale mode Blackout. This new experience brings together iconic locations, characters, and weapons from the Black Ops universe and puts them into play across the biggest map in franchise history.

Today is just the beginning, as Treyarch plans to support Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 with new and free content along with the most active calendar of events in studio history. This free content will be available across multiplayer, Zombies, and Blackout, and will include things like:

• Nuketown: It’s not a Black Ops game without Nuketown — this free map will drop for all players in November
• Specialists: A new Specialist will join the fray in December, with more to come
• Blackout: Be on the lookout for map updates, expansions, and new modes

There is so much action packed into every edition of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, that the hardest decision you’ll have to make will be where to start.

Multiplayer – Choose a Specialist and Get Tactical

Multiplayer in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 features gritty, grounded combat in the most tactical, team-based experience in the series. The iconic Pick 10 system is back, allowing players to customize loadouts that can perfectly fit their style of play, along with innovations in weapons, combat flow, player movement, and a new health regeneration system. The game also features new and returning Specialists, each with their own unique weaponry and equipment. New to Black Ops 4, be sure to visit the Specialist HQ where you will find tutorials for each Specialist, and how you can best utilize their skills across different game modes.

At launch, players will be able to pick a Specialist, put together a loadout, and then jump into one of the following game modes:

• Control: Teams alternate in attacking and defending multiple capture zones. All zones must be captured to end the round
• Team Deathmatch: Straight up Team Deathmatch on all maps. Use teamwork to eliminate the enemy players and reach the score limit
• Domination: Three areas in the level must be captured. Your team gets points for having control of an area. The more areas your team holds, the more points you gain
• Kill Confirmed: Collect enemy Dog Tags to score for your team
• Free-For-All: Every man and woman for his or herself
• Hardpoint: Capture and hold the Hardpoint to earn points
• Search & Destroy: Defend and destroy the objective. No respawning
• Heist: Grab the cash and get it to the extraction site. The first team to extract the cash or eliminate all enemies will win the round. Earn cash throughout the match to purchase Weapons, Perks, and more at the start of each round

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 launches with 14 multiplayer maps and will add the fan-favorite Nuketown when it becomes available to all players for free in November. Here’s a quick look at the maps you can play at launch.

• Arsenal: Hostile covert ops on a manufacturing facility of a powerful North American military defense contractor means someone may have stolen the keys to the castle
• Contraband: Surveillance of an international arms smuggling operation has uncovered this shipping hub on a remote, uncharted island off the coast of Colombia
• Firing Range: Black Ops Flashback: U.S. forces gear up for red team/blue team combat exercises in this Guantanamo Bay military base
• Frequency: A covert listening station deep in the mountainous region of Hunan Province is being used to track strategic targets across the globe
• Gridlock: A Japanese metropolis whose city center has been jammed up by a bank heist gone wrong
• Hacienda: A lavish vineyard estate situated on a quiet lake in the Spanish countryside, home to a high-ranking crime syndicate boss
• Icebreaker: A long-lost U.S. nuclear submarine in the Arctic houses a uranium supply which a Russian unit has come to salvage
• Jungle: Black Ops Flashback: The heat is on as Cold War forces collide in the sweltering depths of the Vietnam jungle
• Militia: Anti-government extremists backed covertly by a Russian cell is stockpiling weaponry in a remote region of Alaskan wilderness near the Bering Strait
• Morocco: Rebels in a small Moroccan village are using government military supply planes as target practice as they fly over the surrounding Sahara Desert
• Payload: A defensive ICBM launch facility deep in an Icelandic mountain range has been infiltrated by hostile forces attempting to steal a nuclear warhead
• Seaside: An anti-government protest in this quaint coastal Spanish town grew out of control and forced a military shutdown
• Slums: Black Ops Flashback: Street battles rage in head-to-head heat through the center of a run-down Panama neighborhood
• Summit: Black Ops Flashback: Cold War surveillance is at its peak above the clouds in this mountaintop listening post in the Ural Mountains

Zombies – Three Unique Adventures, Each with Their Own Stories and Secrets to Unlock 

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 features the largest day one offering of Zombies content in Call of Duty history. At launch, players will have access to three complete Zombies adventures, each with their own epic storylines, special weapons, and hidden secrets.

IX and Voyage of Despair follow the all-new Chaos crew through their time-spanning travels: tech-minded Scarlett, melee powerhouse Bruno, the debonair Diego, and master chemist Stanton. Blood of the Dead brings back the classic Primis crew, Dempsey, Nikolai, Takeo, and Richtofen, as they try and escape an undead-infested Alcatraz.

IX
The quest to find Scarlett’s father takes the crew back in time, where they’ll shoot and slash their way through a cavernous coliseum crawling with hordes of the undead.

Voyage of Despair
Was it an iceberg or the zombies? It’s 1912 on the infamous maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic, and our heroes have arrived to capture an artifact that may shed light on the mystery at the center of their adventure.

Blood of the Dead
The return of a fan-favorite! In their mission to ‘secure a better tomorrow’, Richtofen, Dempsey, Takeo and Nikolai journey to a secret laboratory beneath the iconic Alcatraz Penitentiary.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Zombies also features new innovations for the series, like adjustable difficulty settings, the ability to add bots to your squad, brand-new modes and ways to play, along with an in-game tutorial to help onboard players new to the Zombies experience.

Blackout – Drop, Loot, Survive

For the first time ever in a Call of Duty game, players will be able to compete in a brand-new, battle royale mode – Blackout. This exciting new way to play brings together characters, locations, weapons, equipment and gear from across the Black Ops universe, pitting player against player in all-out survival combat until the last soldier, or squad, standing wins it all.

All of this takes places on the largest map in Call of Duty history, a map so large that players who drop in will have access to land, sea and air vehicles to help you traverse the environment. You’ll also be able to scale new heights in Blackout, like the top level of the Construction Site, and then use your wingsuit to quickly drop back down.

Blackout also offers a variety of new and classic playable characters, such as Richtofen and Takeo; and Specialists like Crash, Battery and Seraph. Additionally, players will be able to spot locations inspired by fan-favorite Black Ops maps like Nuketown, Firing Range, Raid, Cargo, and more as the explore the map while constantly on the lookout for weapons and equipment.

Squad up in groups of four, two, or even play solo in this new mode that will challenge veteran players and provide new ways to play. We can’t wait to hear all of the epic stories that people will create when they team up and take it to the limit. Blackout truly needs to be experienced to be believed, and we can’t wait to drop in with you and make history.

Mixer: Welcome to the HypeZone Black Ops 4

Mixer is proud to introduce the latest addition to the HypeZone lineup – Call of Duty: Black Ops 4.

We’ve heard your feedback loud and clear – HypeZone Black Ops 4 has been one of the top requested channels since Blackout was announced back in May. You can safely expect nothing less than hype as you drop-in, gear up, and survive the largest map in Call of Duty history.

HypeZone Black Ops 4 is a can’t miss, action-packed destination filled with clutch victories and brutal defeats of all persuasions. We hope to see you streaming Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 and cheering on your fellow Mixer broadcasters in their quest to earn ultimate glory!

Remember, if you make it into the HypeZone, Mixer automatically records your HypeZone experience and saves the clip on your channel for future playback. Post your HypeZone Black Ops 4 victory clips on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram tagging @WatchMixer and #BlackOps4, and we’ll select the best moments to be featured on Mixer!!

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is available in the following editions on Xbox One.

• Standard and Digital Standard Edition – Suggested Retail Price, SRP $59.99.
• Digital Deluxe Edition – Black Ops Pass and more, SRP $99.99, includes:
  • Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Game
  • 2,400 Call of Duty Points
  • Digital Bonus Items
    • Specialist Outfit for all Specialists
    • Gesture
    • Calling Card, Emblem, Sticker and Tag inspired by the iconic Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
  • Digital Deluxe Bonus Items
    • “Patriot” Signature Primary Weapon
    • Dia De Los Muertos Specialist Outfit Token
  • Black Ops Pass*, includes:
    • “Classified,” a bonus Zombies experience, available at launch
    • Four additional all-new Zombies experiences
    • 12 Multiplayer maps
    • Four exclusive Blackout characters
  • Digital Deluxe Enhanced Edition – Black Ops Pass and more, SRP $129.99, includes:
    • Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Game
    • 8,500 Call of Duty Points
    • Digital Bonus Items
      • Specialist Outfit for all Specialists
      • Gesture
      • Calling Card, Emblem, Sticker and Tag inspired by the iconic Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
    • Digital Deluxe Bonus Items
      • “Patriot” Signature Primary Weapon
      • Dia De Los Muertos Specialist Outfit Token
    • Black Ops Pass, includes:
      • “Classified,” a bonus Zombies experience, available at launch
      • Four additional all-new Zombies experiences
      • 12 Multiplayer maps
      • Four exclusive Blackout characters

All versions of the game include the following at launch: Multiplayer with 14 maps, three new Zombies adventures, and the battle royale mode Blackout. However you choose to enter the world of Black Ops 4, we can’t wait to squad up. Good luck and have fun!

For more intel about Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, be sure to visit CallofDuty.com/blackops4 and follow @CallofDuty and @Treyarch on Twitter.

If we could pull your attention away from exploring the beautiful scenery and becoming a Horizon Superstar in historic Britain with Forza Horizon 4, we have some new Xbox One features to share. The October 2018 Xbox Update adds new ways to express yourself with Avatars, interact with your console with Voice Skills, and enjoy your favorite streaming content. Here’s a rundown of what’s new:

New Xbox Avatars
The new Xbox Avatars are expressive, creative and, most importantly, bring to life the community of fans they represent. The Avatar Editor features a wide range of body types, and the entire Avatar closet supports all of them, enabling you to uniquely tailor your Avatar however you see fit.

Avatars will appear across your Xbox One.  You will see your own Avatar on your profile, as well as the profile pages of anyone who has chosen to represent themselves as an Avatars. You’ll also find Avatars on activity feed posts, Friend blocks on the Home screen, Gamerscore leaderboards, club headers, profile comparisons, and more. In addition to all the items that are available at launch, we also have a new Avatar Store where you can obtain even more new Avatar items, including licensed designs from Halo, Gears of War, and more. With new content every month, the Avatar Store is a diverse marketplace of clothing, outfits, props, and accessories to make your Avatar even more unique.

Once you’ve created your new Avatar, you can use the Photobooth feature to capture a great photo of your Avatar to use as your Gamerpic.  In addition to the mood that you set for your Avatar, you can also use the Photobooth to pose your Avatar using a multitude of different emotes, each of which can be paused and advanced frame-by-frame with more control than ever before. Rotate and zoom controls help you capture the exact pose that you’re looking for, and a wide variety of background colors enable you to set the scene.

If you prefer your Xbox Original Avatar, that’s okay too! The new Xbox Avatar Editor also enables you to compare and choose which version of the Xbox Avatar best represents how you want to be seen on Xbox Live. If you choose to represent yourself as an Xbox Original Avatar, all the content from your Xbox Original avatar’s closet continues to be available via the Xbox Original Avatars app on Xbox One and Windows 10.

Xbox Skill for Cortana and Alexa
The Xbox Skill for Cortana and Alexa is available today in the U.S. This feature enables people to use their voice to navigate and interact with Xbox through Cortana and Alexa-enabled devices – expanding voice navigation beyond previous Kinect and headset capabilities. With the Xbox Skill, people can use voice commands to power on/off their console, adjust volume, launch games and apps, start and stop broadcasts on Mixer, capture screenshots, and more. For example, if you have the Xbox skill enabled on your Echo just say “Alexa, launch Forza Horizon 4” and this command will automatically turn on your console, sign you in, and launch Forza Horizon 4. Look for the Xbox Skill in the Alexa Skill Store or the Cortana Skill Store to get started. To set up Alexa, just say, “Alexa, open Xbox” and to set up Cortana, just say, “Hey Cortana, open Xbox”, or search for “Xbox” in the assistant skill store. To learn more about this new feature, see our previous post.

Additionally, starting tomorrow in the U.S., anyone who buys a qualified Xbox One S or Xbox One X bundle at Amazon.com will also get a new Amazon Echo Dot, but don’t wait too long because this offer is only available while supplies last.

Dolby Vision video streaming on Xbox One
Xbox is committed to bringing rich entertainment options to our fans. Today we are excited to launch our latest entertainment option, Dolby Vision™ HDR video streaming support across Xbox One S and Xbox One X! Dolby Vision enables select TVs to deliver enhanced HDR with dynamic scene-by-scene precision and accuracy versus standard HDR, which is static for the entire movie/show you are watching. If you have a TV that supports the latest version of Dolby Vision and a Premium Netflix subscription, jump in and experience incredible brightness, contrast, and color for yourself today! Dolby Vision on Netflix with a premium subscription will be supported at launch with more Dolby Vision apps adding support in the coming months.

To enable Dolby Vision on your console, navigate to Settings -> Display and sound -> Video output -> Video modes -> Allow Dolby Vision. If you need more assistance setting up the feature or want more information on supported TVs, check out this blog post.

New languages for Narrator
Xbox is committed to being more accessible and inclusive. Today we are adding five additional languages to Narrator on Xbox One, including Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Swedish, and Dutch. We’re also adding an Australian version of English language for Narrator, so Australian users will no longer have to select U.S. or U.K. English to use Narrator.

These updates are available because of the Xbox Insiders who have helped shape these features, so big thanks to all of you for your valuable input. If you’d like to help create the future of Xbox and get access to early features, download the Xbox Insider Hub app on your Xbox One or Windows 10 PC today. You can also visit the Xbox Insider Blog here for the latest release notes and to learn more. We’ll have more to share soon on additional features releasing to Xbox One this fall. Until then, enjoy the October Update and happy gaming!