Category: Xbox News

Hello, Xbox fans!

I’m from Freejam, makers of Robocraft Infinity, and I’ve been tasked to introduce the game to the lovely Xbox audience. Robocraft Infinity is the second game to launch straight into Xbox Game Pass, following a trail blazed by Sea of Thieves (hey, Rare!) and our unique multiplayer shooter allows players to build awesome-looking highly customisable robots and then take those creations into fast paced 5 vs 5. battles online.

Our game retails for $19.99 / £14.99 / €19.99 on the Microsoft Store and active Xbox Game Pass subscribers can play the game as part of their subscription starting now! Pretty cool, right?

If you’ve never heard of Robocraft Infinity, essentially our game is a unique take on the multiplayer vehicular shooter subgenre, where you can build any type of robot you can imagine from ice cool looking mechs to flying ostriches with top hats – the only limit is your imagination. You can build your robot from scratch, or you can utilise the Body Builder and snap together different classes of bodies together to find something that speaks to you. We cater for all different skill sets and we’re confident that all those who like building-orientated sandbox games like Minecraft and Crossout will really thrive in our game.

We have two explosive game modes for you to exercise your creative muscle as well as your trigger finger: the capture point-based Battle Arena and Team Deathmatch.

Team Deathmatch is the simplest mode on offer. Like all Robocraft Infinity game modes, it’s 5 vs 5. and the first team to achieve 25 kills wins. If the score isn’t reached in 10 minutes whichever team has the highest score wins. If the score is tied, when the time expires, the game enters a sudden death scenario where the next kill wins!

Battle Arena is a more strategic experience. It’s a capture point based game mode, where you need to fill your reactor with protonite energy by capturing and keeping three mining points on the map for as long as as possible. The more points your team controls, the faster you gain energy, and the less progress the enemy contributes to their score. Once one team has filled their reactor to 100%, indicated by the percentage bar at the top, they claim victory and the game is over. In the event that neither team has fuelled their reactor within the time limit, the team with the most protonite energy wins by default.

Oh, and if that wasn’t enough, you can also share your robots online for free but simply uploading them to the Factory and for every download you receive some currency which allows you to download other robot designs or unlock new parts to build with. We give you all the tools you need to be a superstar creator in the Robocraft Infinity community.

Speaking of tools, we’re also super excited to confirm that all those who play Robocraft Infinity during the month of launch (April 2018) get a super cool Retro Pilot Seat cosmetic.  This item doesn’t give you any benefits in battle, it’s really just a way to make your robot look a bit nicer.

Launch is just the beginning for us as we have lots of updates planned for Robocraft Infinity heading into the future, including new weapons, movement types, and loads more.

If you’d like to be with us on that journey, start playing the game today and tell us your thoughts about the game. We’re looking to hear from players as much as  possible so if you’d like to give us your feedback be sure to ping us a message on Twitter at @RobocraftINF or on Facebook. Alternatively if you’d like to learn more about the game before jumping in visit RobocraftInfinity.com.

We can’t wait to see what you’ll create!

Many of gaming’s most compelling stories come from those who’ve helped to create our favorite Xbox One games. In our Inside Xbox One X Enhanced series, these creators will share the behind-the-scenes accounts of the work involved in enhancing these epic games for Xbox One X, how they’ve helped chart the course of the world’s most powerful console, and what that means for the future of gaming. Today, we’ll be chatting with Ninja Theory’s Dominic Matthews, Commercial Director on the epic adventure game Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice.

What specifically is your development team doing to enhance Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice for Xbox One X?

We’ve put a lot of work and care into making the Hellblade really sing on the console. We’ve given players the choice of three enhanced modes to choose from: Enhanced Visuals mode, High Framerate mode and High-Resolution mode.

How do these enhancements impact the gaming experience, and why did your development team choose to focus on these enhancement areas?

We wanted to give players the option to enhance Hellblade in the way that they want. Different players care about different things. Enriched Visuals mode offers increased visual richness throughout the experience, such as additional fog, foliage density, shadow quality, and higher resolution textures. High Framerate mode runs the game at a silky smooth 60fps. This is for players who choose smoothness of the action over higher resolution. High Resolution mode runs the game with dynamic resolutions that scale throughout the game up to 4K. This is for players who are happy with 30fps and want to see just what their Xbox One X can do when partnered with a 4K TV.

How do you expect fans of Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice will respond to playing it on Xbox One X with these enhancements?

Xbox One X players are looking for an experience that gives them an opportunity to showcase what the console can do. Hellblade’s Xbox One X enhancements, combined with HDR support, will give them just that.

What enhancement were you most excited about to explore leveraging for Hellblade: Senua’s on Xbox One X?

We always like to see where we can push resolution and framerate, but for Xbox One X being able to add additional richness in the Enriched Visuals mode was particularly exciting. Hellblade is a very cinematic experience and the additional touches of quality help to immerse you in the game even deeper.

What does 4K and HDR mean for your game, games in the future and development at your studio?

We see 4K and HDR as being important steps in improving the cinematic experience that games can offer. In the case of Hellblade, we took the Xbox One X release as an opportunity to great our first 4K HDR trailer, which can be seen at the top of this post.

Thanks to Dominic for taking the time to chat with us about Xbox One X Enhanced. We’ll bring you more interviews with more developers in the future, so stay tuned to Xbox Wire!

Extinction is launching today and we’re extremely excited for people to get their hands on a video game that gives players a true experience of going toe-to-toe against enemies of tremendous scale: the Ravenii.

Ravenii are a monster race only previously mentioned before in fairytales, legends passed on throughout generations. No one really believed they were still in existence…until now. These bloodthirsty beasts were once close to ending mankind, and only a specialized group of warriors known as Sentinels could hold them back.

Unfortunately, the Sentinels, much like the Ravenii, are a rare breed that has long been absent in society. Only one man carries on the Sentinel name, a man who has been trained in the ways of the ancient order – a man humanity must call on now to save the world from extinction.

In this epic action-adventure game, you’ll be tasked with defeating a variety of Ravenii, along with their pesky minions – all while saving as many civilians as possible.

Taking on gigantic foes can feel a bit daunting, so we’re here to relieve some of that stress with five tips to help your ogre-slaying adventure.

Build Rune Energy Efficiently

The only way to slice off a Ravenii’s head is with a fully-charged Rune Strike (indicated by the Rune Meter) with your blade. Killing minions and saving civilians are the best ways to charge your weapon. You can also charge your meter by destroying the armor of a Ravenii and cutting off its limbs, but that route is not nearly as effective.

Always keep an eye on your rune meter, as engaging a Ravenii with an empty tank may not be the smartest tactic. These beasts are large, to say the very least. And while you are must faster and far more nimble, the Ravenii are extremely powerful and wear an assortment of different protective armor, which brings us to our next tip…

Keep your Observation Skills Strong

The Ravenii have an extremely talented tailor. The different types of armor they construct are seemingly impenetrable. However, lucky for you, they have weak points. Some armor requires a Rune Strike to break it while others degrade as the battle progresses.

There are also Ravenii that love to mix and match. Some like to wear iron leg guards with their golden helmets, while others like their helmets to contrast with the red accents of their spiked gauntlets. The Ravenii’s fashion prowess may make your life a bit more complicated than you would like.

Taking the time to identify the type of armor, weakness and placement on each Ravenii is crucial for ogre dismemberment.

Traverse Anything and Everything

Trained by the ancient Sentinels, Avil is extremely nimble. He can perform double jumps, dashes, vertical wall-runs, and horizontal wall-runs. His mobility also helps him utilize the environment, as he can bounce off treetops and roof awnings. His arsenal also consists of a trusty grappling whip. It can be used to travel a large distance in a short amount of time, get out of harm’s way, and even scale the Ravenii. The whip is even able to grapple onto buildings to maximize parkour efficiency.

What’s more…you can fluidly string all movements together to run circles around your enemies.

Position Yourself for Success

Taking on a towering foe head-on may not be the greatest idea. Positioning is extremely important when engaging Ravenii, as these enormous monsters will destroy everything in their path. Take advantage of Avil’s agile abilities to position yourself out of Ravenii sight to safely incapacitate them when the perfect moment calls.

We recommend severing the ogre’s limbs from its backside to give you the greatest advantage from the get-go.

Upgrades are your Friend

Each time you perform tasks such as saving civilians, completing side missions, and disposing of Ravenii you earn Skill Points (SP). SP are used to upgrade abilities and these are some of our early game upgrade recommendations:

1) Hasty Portals: Get civilians out of the way faster so you can go back to ogre slaying

2) Light Foot: Travel to greater heights from bouncing off trees and canopies

3) Health Upgrade: Build resistance from ogre smacks

We can go on and on about strategy, but we’d hate to give away too much. As you become more proficient, you will be able to chain all the abilities together to develop your own style of play. Remember, don’t be too enamored with taking down Ravenii — your goal is to prevent humanity from extinction, which means you must also save civilians!

Extinction is available now on Xbox One. For more info on the game and all of the latest news about Extinction, follow us on Twitter and Facebook @ExtinctionMG.

Starting at 2 p.m. PDT today, members of the Xbox One Preview Update Preview Rings (Beta, Delta and Omega) will begin receiving the latest Xbox One system update (1804.180407-1335). Read on for more about fixes and known issues in the latest system update and to learn about another opportunity to notify Team Xbox about potential audio issues.

Fixes:

Activity Feed

• Fixed an issue in which users would receive a “Something went wrong” error message when sharing game clips and captures through Twitter.

App Stability

• Fixed an issue in which a user would be using an app such as Netflix or Hulu would logout then unable to launch the app again until they power cycled.

Audio

• Fixed an issue in which some users would experience loss of system sounds on Home.

 Game Hub

• Fixed an issue in which users some users with High Contrast enabled could not see active Club counts and Looking For Group (LFG) post counts.

 Game Installation

• Resolved an issue which prevented some users from installing certain Games (Minecraft and Fallout Shelter), and received no notifications of the installation failure.

 Loss of Home Navigation playing Guitar Hero

• Fixed an issue in which users some users playing Guitar Hero with a Guitar Hero controller would return to Home and be unable to perform any navigation with their controller.

Mixer Crowd Control

• Fixed an issue when a user used the co-pilot for extended sessions the feature would stop working.

 My Games and Apps Collection

• You should no longer encounter an issue with My Games and Apps appearing empty or non-functional when launched.

 Settings – Privacy

• Fixed an issue in which some users could not view or change Privacy Settings.

 System Reliability

• Resolved a system stability issue that could result in apps crashing when multiple games or apps are running.

Video Playback

• Fixed issues with the UHD version of Disney’s latest BD-disc “Thor:Ragnarok” disc in which playback would hang towards the end of the movie.

Known Issues:

Pi-hole

• Pi-hole users may encounter issues signing in, creating, or recovering accounts upon downloading the 1804 update. This is due to a new configuration file which is downloaded from a URL Pi-hole blocks by default.
• Workaround: Add clientconfig.passport.net to the Pi-hole allowed IP address list.

Profile Color

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

Audio

• Hulu app volume is lower than expected—the Hulu team is working on an app update.

Audio Issues Help Needed

• We need your help if you are experiencing any audio issues on the console!
• If you experience any loss of audio on Home or in games and apps please use Report a problem and provide as much detail as possible please including:
  • TV make and model
  • Audio receiver or headset make and model
  • Duration and frequency of the issue (How long did the issue occur? How often?)
  • A video of the issue including audio if possible – please post a link to the video in your bug or we can direct message you for it.

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. This coming week we’ll have the brutal journey into myth and madness in Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, the classic arcade platformer RPG Ys Origin (making the Ys series first appearance ever on an Xbox console), and the console launch exclusive Robocraft Infinity that will also be available on Xbox Game Pass — and these are just a few of the excellent games coming to Xbox One next week! Read more below and click on their profiles for pre-order details.

Games

April 09, 2018

Xbox One X Enhanced – Play as Otto as you aspire to the rank of Master to marry your betrothed Ana – who is captive of the evil Zahr and his fearsome golems. Masters of Anima will take you deep into the magical world of Spark where you will battle against the forces of evil in strategic, action-packed battles.

Games

April 10, 2018

Battle gigantic, bloodthirsty monsters known as the Ravenii as one of the world’s last soldiers with the skills to defeat these challenging creatures. Use tactical skills to disarm and dismember your foes as you get in close for the kill while defending cities and rescuing refugees from the Ravenii. You’re the last, best hope for the survival of humanity.

Games

April 10, 2018

Owlboy is a story-driven platformer where you can fly and discover a world in the clouds. Pick up your friends and bring them with you as you explore the open skies, overcome obstacles (like sky pirates!) and greater enemies in one of the most detailed adventures of this console era.

Games

April 10, 2018

Console Launch Exclusive / Xbox One X Enhanced / Xbox Game Pass – Build, drive, fight! Create fully customizable robots block-by-block that can drive, hover, walk, and fly in the multiplayer combat game, Robocraft Infinity. Combine blocks in an easy-to-use editor to create whatever robot you desire, equip weapons from the future, and jump into the driver’s seat as you battle for supremacy in 5 vs 5 game modes against players from across the world.

Games

April 11, 2018

Bomb your way through hordes of enemies and master the classic art of bomb-slinging in a solo adventure with procedurally generated levels, character progression with skill upgrades, and a variety of offensive and defensive items. And when you want a break from the solo adventure of a ruthless bandit on a quest for revenge, take the fight to your friends in hectic 4-player deathmatch battles.

Games

April 11, 2018

An arcade platformer RPG with Metroidvania elements mixed with an engrossing story, Ys Origin is a great mix of action, exploration, and narrative. Tremendous boss battles will fill your screen, challenging platforming elements will test your reflexes, and unique puzzles will test your resolve as you battle your way through the Devil’s Tower.

Games

April 11, 2018

Xbox One X Enhanced – From the talented game designers behind Heavenly Sword and Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, comes a brutal journey into myth and madness. As a broken Celtic warrior who embarks on a haunting vision quest into Viking Hell to fight for the soul of her dead lover, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice will pull you deep into your character’s mind on a journey you’ll never forget.

Games

April 11, 2018

Join the scavenger Amon and other heroes in this turn-based fantasy RPG on an unforgettable journey across the world of Umbra; a mysterious, harsh planet that stopped spinning thousands of years ago. With unique customizable characters, explore and fight your way from the everlasting day-side and into the darkness of perpetual night.

Games

April 11, 2018

Xbox One X Enhanced – The Deep Ones is a retro arcade-platformer inspired by the ZX Spectrum and the works of H. P. Lovecraft. After surviving a crash in your submarine you’ll scour the bottom of the ocean for survival, exploring its darkest corners, and fight creatures as you work to get your submarine up and running to escape the great red octopus.

Games

April 12, 2018

A tactical RPG about the restoration of a fallen kingdom to its former glory, Regalia: Of Men and Monarchs will send you on a JRPG-inspired adventure where you will assemble a party of valiant individuals, forge alliances, and vanquish your foes in challenging turn-based combat. The Royal Edition includes additional in-game content and The Unending Grimoire DLC.

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!

Inside Xbox Episode 2 Debuts on April 10
Last month we debuted our first episode of Inside Xbox, our monthly premiere Xbox broadcast show. We shared news, such as support for Freesync displays in the upcoming Xbox Spring Update, went behind-the-scenes with our friends at Rare to celebrate the launch of Sea of Thieves, enjoyed an update on all things PUBG, watched the internet enjoy a healthy laugh at Major Nelson’s white-glove treatment of our giveaways, and even created an impromptu Twitter Moment thanks to Seamus Blackley and the Hyperkin Duke controller, plus much more. We had a blast, and we hope you did too, but more importantly, we learned a lot from what you enjoyed in the show and what you’d like to see more of in… Read more

Divinity: Original Sin 2 is Coming Soon to Xbox One
Greetings from Larian Studios! In September 2017, we launched Divinity: Original Sin 2 on PC, hoping to push the boundaries of creative roleplaying into new, weird shapes. Since that launch, we’ve been swarmed with daily letters and messages from players asking us to bring the game to Xbox One. Those players weren’t alone: we’ve had it in our minds for some time that we wanted to see our game played on Xbox One, so we went to work figuring out how to make that happen. Encouraged by the community’s enthusiasm, we’re happy to say we’re almost there. For anyone who hasn’t played the game yet, first of all: welcome! We really hope that this version of the game will introduce a world of… Read more

The Return of Spyro: Bringing an Iconic Platformer Back to Life
Here at Toys for Bob, we are incredibly excited to announce that Spyro, the world’s favorite purple dragon, will be returning to console on September 21, 2018 in the Spyro Reignited Trilogy. For the first time ever, Xbox players will be able to explore the enchanted Dragon Realms of the original three games, experiencing, in remastered glory, the magic of an iconic platformer that has endeared itself to millions of fans over the years. We are deeply honored to have the responsibility of updating this historic trilogy and thrilled to do so in time to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the release of Spyro the Dragon. 20 years is a long time, but as we’ve seen around the gaming… Read more

Overwatch: Flash Ops Comes to Microsoft Store!
Local gaming communities across North America are in for a special treat with the introduction today of Blizzard’s Overwatch: Flash Ops, a new series of in-person celebrations that brings together Overwatch fans of all ages, interests and skill levels. Microsoft Store will be hosting Overwatch: Flash Ops community nights every Thursday at all stores in North America as part of our ASUS ROG Arena program. Meet up with other players and spectators in your local community for Arcade format matches. High-powered ASUS Republic of Gamers PCs will be provided, so all you have to do is show up! Sign up today to reserve your spot on an elite local taskforce near you starting Thursday, April… Read more

Play WWE 2K18 Free This Weekend Only with Xbox Live Gold
This weekend only, all Xbox Live Gold members can enjoy WWE 2K18 for free and get a chance to be in the virtual ring. The Free Play Days event will begin at 9:00 a.m. PT on Thursday, April 5 and run through 11:59 p.m. PT on Sunday, April 8 in Xbox One markets. During the week, you’ll also have the option to purchase WWE 2K18 and the WWE 2K18 Digital Deluxe Edition through the Microsoft Store at a 50% discount and continue your gameplay experience. Should you decide to return to the ring later, all saved progress and earned achievements will be waiting for you. Draft your Xbox Live friends and get ready for action — because competing in a WWE ring is always better with a… Read more

WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair and NXT Women’s Champion Ember Moon Join Xbox Live Sessions on April 8 to Play WWE 2K18
Calling all wrestling and WWE fans! This weekend is WrestleMania 34, and Xbox is thrilled to join the excitement by having WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair and current NXT Women’s Champion Ember Moon join Xbox Live Sessions to play WWE 2K18 prior to the big event in New Orleans. Xbox and WWE fans will not want to miss this interactive livestream hosted on the Mixer Xbox Channel Sunday, April 8, starting at 12:00 p.m. PT. Ric Flair, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest WWE competitors of all time, will join the show first, answering fan questions and talking all things WWE in front of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome where WrestleMania 34 will take place that evening. Ember Moon will… Read more

2nd Annual LGBTQIA in Gaming Reception at GDC Celebrates Industry Professionals
Team Xbox was proud to host the 2nd annual LGBTQIA in Gaming reception during GDC 2018. This year we hosted over 200 industry professionals and the event continues to be a place where this vibrant community can come together, network, hear from their peers and celebrate their accomplishments. Held at the beautiful Minna Gallery, the reception featured fireside chats hosted by Xbox team members Clark Ly and M Rawlings and included industry veterans Gordon Bellamy, Leena van Deventer and Rebecca Heineman. Starting off the event, Clark and M chatted with Gordon Bellamy who has a long and impressive resume in the industry. He discussed “coming out” at work when he was at Spike TV…. Read more

Get Ready for UFC 223 with the UFC 3 Free Trial on Xbox One
Master the promotion and performance of becoming a professional fighter, inside and outside the Octagon. From the walkout to the knockout, EA Sports UFC 3 delivers a deep, authentic, and exciting experience. Starting today, Thursday, April 5 at 10 a.m. PST to Monday, April 9 at 10 a.m. PST, Xbox Live Gold members will be able to enter the Octagon during the UFC 3 free trial on Xbox One. Get Hyped for the Women’s Strawweight Title Fight: Rose Namajunas vs Joanna Jedrzejczyk 2  Call the first match between Rose and Joanna what you want, but this is one of the most highly anticipated rematches in female MMA history. Joanna is hungry to get her belt back and will end up putting a… Read more

Visit Xbox and Mixer at PAX East
Xbox and Mixer are heading to Boston for PAX East this week, running April 5-8, 2018. If you have a PAX East badge, you’ll get the opportunity to play new Xbox games for the first time, interact with streamers through Mixer, and meet some of your favorite developers. Not able to make PAX East in person? Our biggest event will be streamed to you live on Mixer, and the Xbox Most Powerful Gamers Sweepstakes on the official @Xbox Twitter channel is open to everyone. Read on for all the information you need! Xbox Booth Booth #13019 Experience Xbox One’s largest, most diverse games lineup in the Xbox booth! Try your hand at nine different titles available to play, including Sea of… Read more

Xbox Live Sessions: deadmau5 Joins Xbox at PAX East to Play PUBG
Xbox has partnered with electronic musician deadmau5 for some of our most epic events, including the west coast launch of Xbox One. So, when we started planning an episode of Xbox Live Sessions from PAX East for PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, deadmau5 was the first person we thought of. Not only is he a gamer, he is a huge PUBG fan and player and we’re thrilled to have him join us for another epic Xbox event. On Saturday, April 7 at 10:30 a.m. PST / 1:30 p.m. EST, deadmau5 will be joined by PUBG Creative Director Brendan Greene (PlayerUnknown) and Xbox Live’s Major Nelson to play PUBG live in front of fans in the Main Theater at PAX East. Fans at home can tune in and watch on… Read more

TERA Available Now on Xbox One
En Masse is very proud to bring TERA’s vast MMORPG game world and true action combat gameplay to the Xbox One starting today. TERA’s emphasis on action within the MMO genre has always made it a good candidate for play on an Xbox One controller. In fact, TERA’s signature combat, with its emphasis on combo-building and active dodging, originally drew inspiration from console action games. How It Began During early development, a few folks at En Masse rigged up gamepad support on an Xbox 360 controller by manually assigning inputs. Even with this rudimentary setup, TERA still played quite well, and as a result Bluehole added official controller support to the PC version. As gamers… Read more

Six Months Later, Raiders of the Broken Planet is a Very Different Game
Roughly six months ago, we shared with you our vision for Raiders of the Broken Planet: an adventure in shooter form. An independent game with triple-A production values that would be delivered episodically, with a significant part of the game — the Eternal Soldier campaign — offered for free. Today we announced the release of Hades Betrayal, the third premium campaign available now on Xbox One and Windows 10, making Raiders of the Broken Planet a very different game from the one we launched in September last year. Content wise, Hades Betrayal delivers what we sincerely believe are the best missions for Raiders of the Broken Planet yet, introducing three fun new characters: noble… Read more

Microsoft Store Spring Sale Ending Soon
Our annual Microsoft Store Spring Sale is coming to a close April 9 so you only have a few more days to take advantage of savings up to 65% on a variety of digital games for Xbox One and Xbox 360. Don’t miss out on over 450 deals on popular Xbox digital games and add-ons, plus if you are an Xbox Live Gold member, then you save up to an additional 10% on games. Not yet an Xbox Live Gold member? For a few days more you can save and buy three months of Gold for the price of one during the Microsoft Store Spring Sale. Hurry and sign up and save before this offer expires on April 9 (promotional offer not valid for existing members). Save on popular titles like Call of Duty: WWII, FIFA… Read more

How to Make it in Esports: Pros at Esports Academy Are Sharing Their Strategies at Flagship Microsoft Store
The esports industry has a little bit of everything – fierce competition, last-minute victories and pure streaming showmanship. It might even offer the beginnings of a unique career! As part of an initiative to educate and kickstart future talent in games, the Esports Academy at the flagship Microsoft Stores in New York and Sydney will invite leading personalities and industry pros to share their knowledge in practical sessions, hands-on gameplay and much more. The Esports Academy is a great, authentic way to learn from leading industry talent, meet other gamers and have fun, whether you play casually, have questions about shoutcasting, or are simply curious as to where esports might go… Read more

Dive into an Epic New World of Tanks: War Stories Trilogy
Like the wings of a butterfly conjuring a devastating hurricane, what if a single moment in time could change the course of history forever? World of Tanks: War Stories is back, and history has been rewritten again in the epic Spoils of War trilogy. Delve into these brand-new adventures, and join a daring trio of German, American, and Soviet heroes as they fight for survival in an alternate timeline. Previous War Stories were set against the “what if?” backdrops of a deadly twist to the Cuban Missile Crisis, a desperate espionage operation by the French Resistance amidst the golden sands of Egypt, and a Nazi invasion of London. This time, the year is 1948, and the world is trapped in… Read more

Burnout Paradise Remastered Tips and Tricks
Hey, Xbox gamers, welcome to Burnout Paradise Remastered! Originally released in 2008, Burnout Paradise was a treasure from the start. Sporting high-speed races, slow-motion crashes, and a huge roster of cars to choose from! Now with the remastered re-release featuring Xbox One X enhancements, the high-speed collisions never looked so good! And with these 5 tips, we welcome you to Paradise City where the drifts are clean and the speed limit is 250 mph! Check out the video above For even more strategies and tactics on today’s hottest games, plus plenty of other gaming-related fun, be sure to watch Mixer’s Tips and Tricks live every Tuesday at 3 p.m. PDT/6 p.m…. Read more

Get Ready for the Halo World Championship 2018 Finals on April 13
After months of incredible competition in Orlando, London, Mexico City, Sydney and Columbus, hundreds of teams have been whittled down to the final 16. From April 13-15, the very best professional Halo players from around the world will compete at the Halo World Championship 2018 Finals, the biggest and most prestigious event in Halo esports! Taking place at CenturyLink Field Event Center in Seattle, WA, players will compete for their chance at a $1 million prize pool and the title of Halo World Champion. There will also be a $10,000 Free for All tournament with free registration for ticket holders taking place Saturday morning, just before the tournament begins. If you’re… Read more

Local gaming communities across North America are in for a special treat with the introduction today of Blizzard’s Overwatch: Flash Ops, a new series of in-person celebrations that brings together Overwatch fans of all ages, interests and skill levels. Microsoft Store will be hosting Overwatch: Flash Ops community nights every Thursday at all stores in North America as part of our ASUS ROG Arena program.

Meet up with other players and spectators in your local community for Arcade format matches. High-powered ASUS Republic of Gamers PCs will be provided, so all you have to do is show up!

Sign up today to reserve your spot on an elite local taskforce near you starting Thursday, April 19, from 5:30 p.m. – 9 p.m. local time (we tried for high noon, but we couldn’t make it work).

You can also check out the Microsoft Store Facebook page and Mixer.com/MicrosoftStore for details on our gaming events and streams, as well as how you can join in on the action yourself at your local Microsoft Store.

Cheers, love!

Greetings from Larian Studios! In September 2017, we launched Divinity: Original Sin 2 on PC, hoping to push the boundaries of creative roleplaying into new, weird shapes. Since that launch, we’ve been swarmed with daily letters and messages from players asking us to bring the game to Xbox One.

Those players weren’t alone: we’ve had it in our minds for some time that we wanted to see our game played on Xbox One, so we went to work figuring out how to make that happen. Encouraged by the community’s enthusiasm, we’re happy to say we’re almost there.

For anyone who hasn’t played the game yet, first of all: welcome! We really hope that this version of the game will introduce a world of magic, exploration, mayhem, and relationships to anyone with a taste for the fantastical.

The game’s major philosophy is creativity: How can a world with set rules encourage experimentation and imagination? We’ve built the world to respond to a range of solutions and to shape – rather than prevent – the chaos that can follow.

Combat is fundamentally built on this idea, as players control the elements and combine them in battle to create new effects. Launch a fireball at an enemy, then summon rain to turn that fire surface into a blinding cloud of steam. Unleash a curse from the Void to weaken your opponent, then turn him into a literal chicken for good measure.

Though DOS 2 enjoyed critical acclaim at launch (it finished 2017 as Metacritic’s highest scoring PC game), we knew there was still plenty of room for improvement and features that would bring it to the next level. That’s why we are going to be working with you to improve the game as much as possible.

Stay tuned to Xbox Wire for future news about Divinity Original Sin 2.

Like the wings of a butterfly conjuring a devastating hurricane, what if a single moment in time could change the course of history forever? World of Tanks: War Stories is back, and history has been rewritten again in the epic Spoils of War trilogy. Delve into these brand-new adventures, and join a daring trio of German, American, and Soviet heroes as they fight for survival in an alternate timeline.

Previous War Stories were set against the “what if?” backdrops of a deadly twist to the Cuban Missile Crisis, a desperate espionage operation by the French Resistance amidst the golden sands of Egypt, and a Nazi invasion of London. This time, the year is 1948, and the world is trapped in an endless war. Delve into World of Tanks’ story mode on your own, or team up with up a friend to battle through a version of history where World War II never ended…

Save a doomed town in Sieben Ritter

As Germany prepares to make its final stand in Berlin, an incoming Soviet assault threatens to extinguish any hope a small town on the Germany-Poland border had of surrendering to the Allies. Faced with overwhelming odds and stuck in the crossfire, can Captain Karl Staupe and his ‘Sieben Ritter’ (Seven Knights) face down certain destruction long enough to save the town? This storyline was inspired by “Seven Samurai,” a Japanese film released in 1954 which saw a band of rōnin, masterless samurai, defending a small farming town from bandits.

Liberate priceless artifacts in The Connoisseur

World War II is finally beginning to wind down, but a renegade group of German soldiers has seized advantage of the uncertain times to steal priceless treasures from a war-torn Europe. Sergeant Frank Martinez is tasked with fighting off the thieves and recovering some of the world’s greatest works of art before they’re lost to the pages of history. Kunstschutz was the German practice of preserving art during times of conflict and was a major point of contention during the war. The Allies saw this as looting, and like the fabled Nazi gold, much of the art plundered by German agents remains missing to this day.

Rebel against Soviet high command in Potemkin

A Soviet artillery commander has been selling black market goods to a town on the German frontlines to save them from starvation. However, the illegal dealings have been discovered by Soviet high command, and they’ve scrambled an armored NKVD unit to restore order. Risking punishment for defying his orders, Captain Anatoly Petrov decides to fight back against destiny and rain hell on the incoming unit. The thrilling third and final chapter of the Spoils of War trilogy takes its name from the 1925 silent film “Battleship Potemkin,” which tells the story of the rebellious crew of a Russian battleship.

All eight War Stories, including the three new Spoils of War chapters Sieben Ritter, The Connoisseur, and Potemkin are available to play for free now in World of Tanks on Xbox One.

En Masse is very proud to bring TERA’s vast MMORPG game world and true action combat gameplay to the Xbox One starting today. TERA’s emphasis on action within the MMO genre has always made it a good candidate for play on an Xbox One controller. In fact, TERA’s signature combat, with its emphasis on combo-building and active dodging, originally drew inspiration from console action games.

How It Began

During early development, a few folks at En Masse rigged up gamepad support on an Xbox 360 controller by manually assigning inputs. Even with this rudimentary setup, TERA still played quite well, and as a result Bluehole added official controller support to the PC version. As gamers ourselves, we, at En Masse, recognized it would be a popular game on Xbox One and urged the developer to make it happen.

Challenge Accepted

TERA is developed in South Korea, and when the project was greenlit and development began, there were not many developers there with experience developing for Xbox One. Eager to add new skills and experiences to their arsenal, Bluehole wasn’t going to back down from the challenge of bringing TERA to the platform. At the time, Bluehole had never developed a console game before, so getting set up to develop an Xbox One game represented a challenge. Finding the right people to develop a massive game with complex systems and network support was another challenge and made progress slow at the start of development.

Totally Worth It

Just before PAX West in 2017, we had the game up and running at a good framerate with control assignments and behaviors developed specifically for Xbox One. Picking up the gamepad and controlling one of TERA’s 10 character classes immediately felt visceral and satisfying. Excitement about the build was so high internally that the team at En Masse immediately put together a sneak peek play session with members of the TERA community. The positive response of these players made it quickly apparent that all the time and effort poured into the project by the development team was well worth it.

Looking Forward

We’re excited for all Xbox One players out there to finally play and discover everything TERA has to offer! The development team took great care to fully adopt the complete MMORPG package of TERA for Xbox One. They even packed in some new features, including a lock-on system to help keep track of all the onscreen action, a fully re-designed and streamlined user interface, social features like integrated party voice chat and streaming support, and more! Everything from TERA’s vast game world, dozens of dungeons, hundreds of creatures, and unique combat encounters are reborn in a new and different way on Xbox One!

TERA is free to play on Xbox One right now.