Category: Xbox News

World of Warships: Legends celebrates Halloween early with a new Campaign! Players can get started on the way to earning a free Halloween-themed premium ship and tons of rewards throughout October!

The Wicked Waves Campaign features the Jackal, a steampunk war machine with a unique playstyle. As a Tier III German Battleship, Jackal carries twelve 11-inch guns in a hexagonal layout used in early battleship designs. Jackal will also come with additional modification slots to help customize her playstyle. All this combined with solid armor, the Jackal is surprisingly flexible for a Tier III battleship, able to engage enemies all around her! On the way to earning her, players will receive plenty of other rewards to help them in-game—but the rewards don’t stop there!

If the player has Admiralty backing, they will also receive a ton of extra rewards and a unique event commander! Featured as a German Battleship Commander, Henry J. Hide is the perfect partner to Jackal! Hide brings new and unique skills to further optimize the Jackal, making them the perfect dynamic duo: Jackal & Hide.

There are 45 levels in the Wicked Waves campaign and two weeks to complete it! Jackal, Hide, and the other rewards are permanent, so go have fun and get yourself these unique items!

However, there’s more to Halloween than events and steampunk ships….

During Halloween the veils between the worlds are thin and can be easily parted to steal glimpses of the other side, or even cross over… It is a night of horror, mystic tales, and chilling stories. So why not start such a mystic journey right in World of Warships: Legends?

Starting October 28, World of Warships: Legends will allow players to take part in a special event. After selecting one of three event warships and their commander partners, players can take part in a cooperative operation where they must defend the Transylvania, a ship set to save Halloween! Things will quickly go downhill, as you will be fighting against a swarm of monstrous zombie ships! Surely you and your teammates will be up to the challenge, but will you be able to complete the extra objectives and defeat the final boss too? There are special rewards for participating in the mission, but these rewards become even greater when players complete the extra objectives and the entire mission! Earn Halloween containers, premium account time, and the coveted universal commendations!

In addition to Jackal & Hide, there will be more Halloween themed commanders and ships available in the in-game store. These ships and commanders will only be available during the Halloween season, so be sure to add them to your fleet! There will be more bonuses in event containers too! Holding anything from various boosters to universal commendations for your commanders, these containers also give you a chance to receive permanent Halloween camouflage for the Wakatake or the St. Louis!

The Halloween celebrations come alongside the recent release of the French Navy, a powerful and unique tree of Cruisers and Battleships. The French cruisers are likened to evasive sharpshooters—able to deal damage from a distance, and keep that distance thanks to their speed. They are normally fitted with engine boost to help get them out (or into) sticky situations. French battleships had some of the most unique designs of the era, and have intense firepower and speed in-game, allowing them to flank enemies and rain shells from their epic quadruple-gun turrets. At higher tiers, the French battleships also get engine boost, making them some of the most flexible battleships in the game.

World of Warships: Legends is building steam and making headway, with more to come! Come join the fun and experience epic naval action today!

Hey there, Xbox fans! We are a mom-and-pop indie studio from Toronto, Canada, and we’ve been making spooky, story-rich and thoughtful games for a decade now. Our newest title, Worse Than Death, launches today and is our first foray into the Xbox family.

Worse Than Death is an action-adventure horror game about a high school reunion that goes horribly wrong. It combines brain-tickling puzzles with tense, side-scrolling exploration and stealth. As the game’s main character, Holly, you must find your best friend Flynn, escape dangerous monsters that you can’t quite see, and uncover the terrible secrets of your home town.

It’s all designed to play super-smooth and freak you out. So if this is the first time you’ve heard of the game, here are five solid tips to make sure you and Holly make it out alive:

1) Be a good listener

At the beginning of the game, Holly will — begrudgingly — speak with some of her former classmates at her high school reunion. These moments kick off some important plot points — many of which will be key for you achievement-seekers who want to uncover every secret the game has tucked away.

2) Mind your surroundings

You may not be face-to-face with a creepy, wailing something that is roaming the halls just yet, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pay attention — a well-placed hiding spot that you come across (like a locker to squeeze into, or a desk you can crawl under) might just save your life in the next few moments. Look for the action prompts that let you know you can hide somewhere, in case you have to make a mad dash to safety!

3) Follow your heart

As Holly encounters the unseen horrors that have infested her home town, she’ll let you know all sorts of useful information — when a monster is near, the room will get cold, and she’ll become apprehensive. The closer the monster is, the faster her heart will beat. The game’s main UI element — the “panic bar” — at the bottom of your screen will become increasingly crimson and thump in time with Holly’s heartbeat, alerting you to immediate danger. You’ll even feel Holly’s heart beat through your controller!

4) Don’t worry if you forget something

Did you just return to the game after taking a break? Not entirely sure what you should do? Pausing the game with the Menu Button will also bring up Holly’s thoughts — which will usually include a reminder of what you were just doing as a little hint. Worse Than Death is designed to keep you moving, and this tiny nudge can help put you right back on track.

5) Play in the dark

Though it’s got humor and some real heartfelt moments, Worse Than Death is, of course, a horror game! So turn off the lights, turn up the sound, and don’t worry — we won’t tell anyone if you get scared.

We hope this helps you enjoy our newest indie title, and we hope you enjoy hunting down those achievements and surviving Holly’s story. See you at the reunion!

Hey Alpha ring users! Today’s Xbox Insider Release Notes highlight the latest fixes, known issues, and features coming to your console. Starting at 2:00 p.m. PT today, users will receive the latest 1911 Xbox One system update (build: 19H1_RELEASE_XBOX_DEV_1911\18363.8079.191004-1945). Keep reading for more details.

System Update Details:

• OS version released: 19H1_RELEASE_XBOX_DEV_1911\18363.8079.191004-1945
• Available: 2:00 p.m. PT – October 7, 2019
• Mandatory: 3:00 a.m. PT – October 8, 2019

Fixes for Alpha

We’ve heard your feedback, and we’re happy to announce the following fixes have been implemented for this 1911 build:

Home

• Fixed an issue where content blocks would not display in the correct order.

Settings

• Various UI fixes to Capture & share settings.

System

• Various updates to properly reflect local languages across the console.

Known Issues for Alpha

We understand some issues have been listed in previous Xbox Insider Release Notes. These issues aren’t being ignored, but it will take Xbox engineers more time to find a solution. We appreciate your patience at this time!

Audio

• Users who have Dolby Atmos enabled and console display settings set to 120hz with 36 bits per pixel (12-bit) are experiencing loss of Dolby Atmos audio in some situations.
  • Workaround: Disable 120hz or set Video Fidelity to 30 bits per pixel (10-bit) or lower.

Dolby Access

• Users are unable to complete the setup for Dolby Atmos in the app and the app is not recognizing Dolby Atmos headphones.
  • Note: This is an issue with the Dolby Access app and the app developers are aware and investigating.

Profile Color

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

Are you not seeing your issue listed above? Make sure to use Report a problem to keep us informed of your issue. We may not be able to respond to everyone, but the data we’ll gather is crucial to finding a resolution.

Learn more about feedback and how each ring is differentiated in the following links:

For more information regarding the Xbox Insider Program follow us on Twitter and join the community subreddit for support and updates. Keep an eye on future Xbox Insider Release Notes for more information regarding your Xbox One Update Preview ring!

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!

Ghost Recon Breakpoint Launches in Early Access on Xbox One
Ghost Recon Breakpoint players with Gold or Ultimate editions can now explore the vast archipelago of Auroa as a lone Ghost trapped behind enemy lines, or as a co-op team of up to four Ghosts via Xbox Live. Ghost Recon Breakpoint standard edition will launch October 4… Read more

Neverwinter: Uprising is an Exciting Story from the D&D Universe Featuring a Rebellion and Dragons in Space
A never-ending war between the fierce Githyanki and their former overlords – the powerful Illithid – has overflowed into the iconic dungeon of Undermountain. Both groups are searching for a powerful and ancient artifact that allows entry into a fortress city contained… Read more

Coming Soon to Xbox Game Pass for Console: Dishonored 2, Fallout: New Vegas, World War Z, and More
It’s a rainy day here at the Microsoft offices and that tells me one thing: it’s time to swap my summer shirts for winter coats and prepare for the eventual blanket of leaves. It’s also time for lattes that my pumpkin spice-loving co-worker insists are simply the best… Read more

Realm Royale Goes to War With New BokOps Battle Pass
Realm Royale is once again looking to the future – the future of combat, that is! Our new BokOps Battle Pass, available now, features 50 levels of earnable content themed around the next generation of military technology. The BokOps forces are the best of the best – the next generation… Read more

State of Decay 2 Introduces the Outfit Customization Update
Everyone knows that the hardest part of surviving the zombie apocalypse is losing your favorite hoodie or flannel. Never again will you lose that cherished puffy vest when a survivor meets an untimely end because today we’re introducing outfit customization for all State of Decay 2 players… Read more

Explore The Elder Scrolls Online: Elsweyr Together and Earn Exclusive Rewards During Dragon Rise
Visit Elsweyr’s most beautiful sites, slay Dragons, and complete the Dragonhold Prologue quests to unlock exclusive rewards during this new in-game event. Don’t have The Elder Scrolls Online: Elsweyr yet? It’s on sale right now! Explore Warm Sands The Dragon Rise event begins… Read more

New Tricks and Treats in the Killing Floor 2: Grim Treatments Halloween Update
Halloween returns this year for Killing Floor 2 and the spectral terrors of the night abound with new Grim Treatments content update. This time we’re packing five new weapons, a brand new official community map, an objective map, a new outfit, new weapon skins… Read more

In Driven Out the Protagonist is Not the Main Attraction
Enemies in games have always fascinated me. Their design, their animations, their moveset and the underlying AI that rules them are all important facets that creates something that almost feels alive. The main protagonist is often the focus of any game, but I find that it is more… Read more

Free Play Days: NHL 20
To celebrate the start of the NHL season, NHL 20 is available now through Free Play Days for Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members this weekend! With more customization, new modes, and gameplay innovation, you can experience even more ways to demonstrate your skills… Read more

Building Your Scrappy Motoring Masterpiece in Jalopy
Who likes a road trip? Visiting places new, visiting places familiar, spending time with family, keeping an eye on petrol and maybe even getting your hands dirty to repair the car – this is exactly what Jalopy’s all about. You’ll set out on a grand journey through the former Eastern Bloc… Read more

Become an Eldritch God and Punish Heretics That Defy You in Sea Salt
The beauty of video games is that you can do whatever you want, so for our game we went for two things that are hard or not recommended to do in real life: being a God and being a bit evil. Sea Salt takes place in a setting inspired by HP Lovecraft and European folklore… Read more

Sally’s Law Brings You a Tear Jerking Story of a Daughter and a Father to Xbox One
The story begins when Sally learns that her father has become ill and heads to her home, where she has left a very long time ago. Sally’s Law explores the relationship between Sally and her critically ill father. As the game unfolds, the relationship between daughter and father… Read more

On the Verge of a Meltdown in Apex Legends Season 3
Welcome to Apex Legends Season 3 – Meltdown. Drop in hot and stay cool as you explore an all-new Apex Arena, World’s Edge. Meet the newest Legend, Crypto, a brilliant hacker with the ability to reveal others’ secrets. And get kitted with a powerful new weapon, the Charge Rifle… Read more

New Tamer Class Added to Black Desert
The divine beast Heilang is the loyal companion of Tamer, the newest character class in Black Desert on Xbox One. Available to play today as part of a free update, Tamer wields a Shortsword and Trinket, hunting enemies alongside her legendary protector. To fully understand… Read more

See the World in Microsoft Flight Simulator
It took a couple of flybys, and dusting off the memories of the street layout from my hometown of Kailua, Hawai’i, but I can successfully report that I found my childhood home while buzzing palm trees in a Cessna 172 during a recent hands-on preview with Microsoft Flight Simulator… Read more

Lonely Mountains: Downhill Releases October 23 on Xbox One
Hello everyone! We are Megagon Industries, a 3-person team from Berlin, and today we’re happy to present Xbox One players with our new launch trailer and the October 23 release date for Lonely Mountains: Downhill. Better yet, it’s also coming to Xbox Game Pass… Read more

Xbox Game Pass and Spotify Team Up to Deliver the Ultimate Value in Gaming and Music
Everyone has a favorite gaming song. Say you’ve got iconic video game music playing while you’re hunting the elusive side-quests, or you’ve got another jam playing to keep you amped while you and your buddies decide where you’re going to drop – either way, listen to what… Read more

Get Ready for the Next Esports WRC Season with WRC 8
Following an intense season involving 12 challenges over eight months, the time has come for the final of the esports WRC Powered by Hyundai, with nine qualifiers vying for the title, including Jon Armstrong, 2018 World Champion, and Lohan “Nexl” Blanc, the 2017 winner… Read more

Next Week on Xbox: New Games for October 8 to October 11
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 more

Hunt: Showdown is Available Now on Xbox One
Crytek is releasing its online multiplayer bounty hunting game Hunt: Showdown today on Xbox One! It is available in the Microsoft Store for $39.99. To celebrate the launch, we’re also really excited to be releasing a brand-new DLC pack, Legends of the Bayou… Read more

How many lost Antarctic explorers can one sinister castle hold? In the case of Castle Rock in our series of cooperative puzzle adventures, the answer is at least six! We Were Here Too is the second game in the series, following We Were Here which released in September!

So after meeting the first two explorers in We Were Here, you will run into two more explorers in We Were Here Too! The premise for the game is the same, at first glance: two explorers find themselves trapped inside a mysterious castle by a fierce blizzard. Once inside, they become split up. Only their walkie-talkies and their wits will enable them to work together and find a way out…

But don’t be fooled! We Were Here Too is still about solving puzzles, but you won’t be re-treading any of your steps from the first game. Every puzzle is new, and the parts of the castle you are exploring haven’t been seen by living eyes for a long, long time. Have a look at some of the new areas in the trailer.

You will need to stay sharp and keep your eyes open as you progress through the icy hallways of Castle Rock. Details that might seem insignificant or random to you might be the key to making sense of something your partner sees! As you play We Were Here Too you can expect to start thinking a little differently about your surroundings. Instead of looking for good cover spots, sniper nests or traps, you’ll be seeking patterns, hidden messages, and clues.

This isn’t to say that there’s no danger lurking within Castle Rock. You should still be cautious if you value your life, but you’ll need fast thinking rather than a fast trigger finger to keep yourself in one piece. Hopefully you found someone smart to play with! Playing with a friend has all the usual advantages, but we’ve heard enough stories about people playing with strangers and forging real connections in their time spent in Castle Rock.

Perhaps the most important thing though – do you trust your partner? You’ll need to work together to make it to the exit, but once you’re there, what happens if one of you has an easy way out? Would you wait to try and help your friend escape, or would you leave them to rot? If the tables are turned, do you trust your friend not to abandon you…? Better find out in We Were Here Too!

So for those that paid great attention, you might think we made a mistake by mentioning six explorers at the start of the post. Well not really… we’re very excited to announce that our upcoming new title We Were Here Together has also been confirmed as getting an Xbox One release – that’ll bring the total up to six explorers. Unlucky for them, but very lucky for puzzle fans!

Happy escaping!

Both We Were Here and We Were Here Too (in fact, all the We Were Here games for that matter) are standalone entries, meaning you can play them in any order you please.

We Were Here Too is available now for Xbox One on the Microsoft Store. Click here for purchase details.

Hello folks!

This week is a particularly exciting one for us here at Studio MDHR. This past Sunday, September 29, Cuphead officially turned two. It’s truly surreal to look back on the release of our little animated adventure, and all that’s transpired in the two years since.

The outpouring of support, fan art, letters, and hilarious playthrough streams have continued to warm our hearts. Both Jared and I have been public about the fact that we poured ourselves into Cuphead because it was the kind of game we knew we’d love to play, and we were perfectly prepared to go back to our day jobs if that’s what it came to. For us, the journey is – and always has been – about trying to create something special for people who loved classic action-arcade titles and 2D hand animation. Your ongoing support is genuinely the biggest gift of all.

With that said, we’re so very humbled that the game continues to resonate with audiences out there, and this anniversary is also an unbelievable milestone of another sort for Cuphead — it has officially gone five-times platinum, crossing five million copies sold. We hadn’t even dared to dream of this kind of support for the game when we were developing it, and our pie in the sky goal was always for the game to be just successful enough to allow us to continue making things we loved. With this latest milestone, we’re thrilled that we can continue to grow a team of talented people to help us craft what comes next.

In all this reflection, it really is no exaggeration to say that we could not have gotten to where we are now without the support of the Xbox team and community. Some of our favorite stories about Cuphead to this day are from Xbox players who discovered the game in 2014, and who buoyed us up with their excitement and support during those years of development on the road to release. The passion and dedication of the Xbox community really is second to none, and that continues to show today in the interactions we have with fans across social media and at events.

It’s on that note that we’re exceedingly excited to highlight a special event we’re running to celebrate this 2nd anniversary of Cuphead that we think Xbox fans will love. In collaboration with our friends at Xbox Design Lab, we’ve crafted 3 custom controllers, each one themed like one of our core Cuphead trio — Cuphead, Mugman, and Ms. Chalice. We iterated on a lot of different concepts of these in-house but ultimately settled on a minimalist color scheme for each one that really allowed the signature elements of each character to pop. We’re so happy with how they turned out so, head to the Design Lab homepage where the team has created an easy-peasy link to order your own!

As we look back on these last two years, we also can’t help but look forward. We’re so thrilled that folks will get to experience more Cuphead in 2020 in the form a new appetizing DLC adventure — The Delicious Last Course! So definitely keep your peepers on our official channels, as we’ll have more to share about Cuphead and Magma’s quest to help their friends Ms. Chalice in the months to come.

And, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you to anyone at all who has visited the Inkwell Isles, and found a little bit of adventure there. For us, it has been the adventure of a lifetime.

The story begins when Sally learns that her father has become ill and heads to her home, where she has left a very long time ago. Sally’s Law explores the relationship between Sally and her critically ill father. As the game unfolds, the relationship between daughter and father will be unveiled.

Along the way to her home, Sally experiences great luck and extraordinary fortune which she has seen throughout her life, with the help of a secret supporter: her father.

The game play controls are simple – Roll left and right, and jump. But there are many challenging stages which players must make Sally and the father cooperate to solve the puzzles.

After playing the game as Sally, players can then experience the story through the visions of her father. By going through their journey, players will find the family relationship of a father and a daughter.

To add depth to the touching stories, music, and art that were popular in the smartphone version, we have added the stories about Sally and her parents when she was little and original epilogues after completing the game to the console version.

In addition, we have added couch co-op mode to the game. We have developed this mode so that while in single mode players would be able to enjoy the storyline, in the couch co-op mode players could enjoy the game differently cooperating and having conversations with family, friends and partners.

For Xbox One, in addition to the couch co-op mode, players can enjoy the game while streaming on MixPlay, where audiences could support the players by letting the father jump or letting Sally jump twice. The audiences can also cheer the players by launching fireworks!

As producer for the console version, I appreciate this opportunity to work on this project as a game developer just like Sally working hard to achieve her dream to become a picture book writer.

Through this project, I have been feeling happy and excited being able to ask composer Mr. Shiiba to create brand-new opening and ending music, to work on the project of a picture book which Sally has created while she was little, and to see the kids and families play the game happily together during the game shows around the world.

After all these years of challenges, we are very proud and excited to release on Xbox One this Summer!

I played games together with my family and friends for my initial gaming experience. Although smartphone games provide personal enjoyment, I wanted to produce something that would provide the excitement which people could play together on a big screen with someone next to you for the console version.

The reason why this became so important to me was the actual voices from several parents and children visitors at Tokyo Game Show. When I was showing the smartphone version on a large screen, they told me that they want to play the game together.

In addition to the couch co-op mode, players can enjoy the game while streaming through Mixer on Xbox One, where audiences could both help and/or interrupt the game play. We will add variations to action effects in the future.

Sally’s Law is available now for Xbox One on the Microsoft Store. Click here for additional purchase details.

Hey Alpha ring users! Today’s Xbox Insider Release Notes highlight the latest fixes, known issues, and features coming to your console. Starting at 2:00 p.m. PT today, users will receive the latest 1911 Xbox One system update (build: 19H1_RELEASE_XBOX_DEV_1911\18363.8072.190930-1945). Keep reading for more details.

System Update Details:

• OS version released: 19H1_RELEASE_XBOX_DEV_1911\18363.8072.190930-1945
• Available: 2:00 p.m. PT – October 2, 2019
• Mandatory: 3:00 a.m. PT – October 3, 2019

Fixes for Alpha

We’ve heard your feedback, and we’re happy to announce the following fixes have been implemented for this 1911 build:

Home

• Various fixes to improve the performance of Home on console boot.

 

Parties

• Fixed an issue where some users would not be able chat in parties after joining.

Known Issues for Alpha

We understand some issues have been listed in previous Xbox Insider Release Notes. These issues aren’t being ignored, but it will take Xbox engineers more time to find a solution. We appreciate your patience at this time!

Audio

• Users who have Dolby Atmos enabled and console display settings set to 120hz with 36 bits per pixel (12-bit) are experiencing loss of Dolby Atmos audio in some situations.
  • Workaround: Disable 120hz or set Video Fidelity to 30 bits per pixel (10-bit) or lower.

Dolby Access

• Users are unable to complete the setup for Dolby Atmos in the app and the app is not recognizing Dolby Atmos headphones.
  • Note: This is an issue with the Dolby Access app and the app developers are aware and investigating.

Profile Color

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

Are you not seeing your issue listed above? Make sure to use Report a problem to keep us informed of your issue. We may not be able to respond to everyone, but the data we’ll gather is crucial to finding a resolution.

Learn more about feedback and how each ring is differentiated in the following links:

For more information regarding the Xbox Insider Program follow us on Twitter and join the community subreddit for support and updates. Keep an eye on future Xbox Insider Release Notes for more information regarding your Xbox One Update Preview ring!

Enemies in games have always fascinated me. Their design, their animations, their moveset and the underlying AI that rules them are all important facets that creates something that almost feels alive. The main protagonist is often the focus of any game, but I find that it is more often the enemies that will have the biggest impact on me.

Driven Out is designed around the idea that the enemies should be the real stars of the show. This was done in several ways. The most obvious one is enemy variation. Most enemies show up in the game only around two times to try to keep every single encounter impactful.

However, the most important way I focused on enemies was that I tried to design to be as varied as possible and every single enemy to have more than one type of attack. Personally, one very satisfactory feeling in gaming is when you can observe an enemy’s action and try to respond correctly.

The main way Driven Out does this is with its game mechanics. The player can parry and attack in 3 different ways. Not only do you have to predict when the enemy attacks, but also how. Therefore, a lot of development time was spent on the build-up of the attacks since it is vital that the player understands from the animations how the enemy will attack.

We force the player into close melee combat. There is no roll or jump button in Driven Out so the player has to stay close to the enemy and constantly parry and attack. This is done intentionally since I find combat in games where the player needs stay close to a tough enemy who can end you in a heartbeat thrilling and rewarding. I hope that sense of dread but also excitement will materialize in Driven Out.

The main goal is that the reward for progress is not some arbitrary number that will go up but rather that the player will get the chance to face off against new exciting enemies. In the end, if this is enough of a reward you, the player will be the judge.

Driven Out is coming soon to Xbox One on the Microsoft Store. Stay tuned to Xbox Wire for further details on this ID@Xbox title.

Ghost Recon Breakpoint players with Gold or Ultimate editions can now explore the vast archipelago of Auroa as a lone Ghost trapped behind enemy lines, or as a co-op team of up to four Ghosts via Xbox Live. Ghost Recon Breakpoint standard edition will launch October 4.

Whether playing solo or co-op, either choice can give the game a different feel; in solo, there’s a sense of being hunted as you use every trick at your disposal to survive against overwhelming odds. In co-op, you’ll have greater firepower and a diverse range of tactical possibilities at your disposal. And having backup can make those overwhelming odds feel a little more even as you and your team match wits with advanced military drones and an elite spec-ops unit gone rogue.

In co-op, players can use their class abilities and preferred playstyles to each bring something different to the table, and the safety of teammates being there to revive you creates more freedom to experiment with different tactics. Also, while you’re driving, your teammates can pile in and lean out the windows to open fire, turning even the most innocuous ride into a mobile weapons platform.

Co-op players aren’t necessarily joined at the hip, either. In co-op sessions, it’s possible to wander as far as you want from your partners, although you can fast-travel to them at any time. Co-op players can even pursue different objectives – although if multiple players take on the same mission, they’ll share progression and regroup during each cutscene. Even in missions, splitting up can be a viable tactic; alerted enemies will only focus on players who’ve been spotted, which means undiscovered players can continue to sneak around while their teammates draw fire. Alerted enemies will take up strategic positions and can spot you instantly, however, so players who want to stay undetected should be extra careful.

Playing completely solo, on the other hand, is a different kind of experience altogether. Without backup or a way to revive yourself (unless you’re playing as the Field Medic class, which can self-revive), mistakes can be deadly, and frontal assaults are better avoided. Sure, you can rain down destruction with a rocket launcher and few grenades if you’re feeling brazen, but staying stealthy, scouting targets with your drone, and slowly clearing a path through your enemies (while being careful to hide bodies) is the surest path to success. And when in doubt, remember that it’s sometimes a better idea to avoid enemies than to take them out.

However you decide to play, keep in mind that Auroa’s drones are designed to adapt accordingly. Drones that see or hear solo players (or any players, really) will hunt them relentlessly. Certain drones – like the Ogre, armed with its twin machine guns, or the Behemoth, with its seemingly endless supply of mortars – can independently target two or more players at once, and will position themselves where they can be the biggest threat to as many players as possible.

Ghost Recon Breakpoint is available now with three-day early access for owners of the Gold and Ultimate editions and launches October 4 with the standard edition. Auroa is home to some of the deadliest adversaries the Ghosts have ever encountered, so whether you’re facing its dangers with a squad or as a stealthy solo operator, get ready to test your skills against the apex of military training and technology.