Category: Xbox News

Grab your mech suit: Realm Royale is heading to the next frontier! The all-new, sci-fi themed Battle Pass blasts off with 50 levels of content — including the HL-1700 Motorcycle Mount, which you can see above. The fantasy world of Realm Royale is about to collide with a futuristic set of out-of-this-world items!

If you’re new to Realm Royale, The Next Frontier Battle Pass is the perfect time to jump in! Face off in a battle royale of up to 99 opponents in Solo, Duo, or Squad game modes. Choose from one of four classes, then loot – or forge – weapons and abilities throughout the course of each match to claim the coveted Crown Royale. Summon your mount at any time to charge into (or away from) battle, and attempt to escape from certain doom in chicken form if you lose a fight!

No matter what class you prefer, The Next Frontier Battle Pass has an unlockable class skin for you. Get the drop on your enemies as the half-man, half-robot, all-amazing Six-Shooter Cyborg Assassin, or blaze a trail of vanquished opponents as a futuristic biker with the Cyber Rider Hunter. If you’re looking for something a little more tactical, the Hi-Tek Trooper Warrior has arrived from the battlefield of tomorrow to take up arms in the Realm. Finally, the Radon Flux Mage combines technology and magic to dominate the battlefield in style.

In the past we’ve offered everything from unicorns to velociraptors as mounts, but The Next Frontier Battle Pass adds an entirely new mount type: The HL-1700 motorcycle. Engineered to traverse the Realm with style and power, the new motorcycle mount pairs well with some of the class skins we’re offering with this Battle Pass. On the chicken side, we have two all-new techno-chicken skins: The robotic R0B0K chicken, and the cyber-armored BattleBok chicken.

We’re also introducing an all-new item in this Battle Pass, with two earnable map markers – place these markers on your mini-map and your in-game marking beam will transform into a column of colorful voxels or a futuristic beam of energy! Plus you’ll unlock a selection of titles, avatars, sprays, and more – this Battle Pass features a huge assortment of sci-fi themed items which you can use to tech-out your Realm Royale experience.

If you’re interested in earning some rewards before going all-in on The Next Frontier Battle Pass, we’re also offering 10 completely free rewards that can be earned just by playing during this Battle Pass, including the first tier of the Six-Shooter Cyborg Assassin skin.

Whether you’ve played through the previous Battle Passes and are eager to see what The Next Frontier holds, or you’re new to Realm Royale and are ready to start forging your legend for the first time, we hope you’ll join us in exploring undiscovered territories in The Next Frontier!

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!

Xbox Game Pass at PAX East 2019
The Xbox Game Pass team is excited to announce we’ll be packing up and heading to Boston for PAX East from March 28-31, where we’ll showcase an array of new gaming experiences so you can discover your next favorite game! Whether you’re joining us in person or following along… Read more

State of Decay 2 Free Choose Your Own Apocalypse Now Available
Starting today, the ever-growing State of Decay 2 community can take the ultimate zombie survival game to its deadliest level with the launch of the Choose Your Own Apocalypse Update. This update introduces the Dread Zones and Nightmare Zones as two new difficulty modes… Read more

Classic RPG Final Fantasy VII Now Available on Xbox One
When it was released in 1997, Square-Enix’s Final Fantasy VII was lauded as an instant classic by gamers all over the world. Combining a deep turn-based combat system, never-before-seen character and party customization options, gorgeous full motion video cutscenes, cutting edge 3D graphics… Read more

All The News from ID@Xbox Game Pass
Today, during the first-ever episode of ID@Xbox Game Pass, we gave fans a closer look at upcoming ID@Xbox program titles set to arrive with Xbox Game Pass the same day as their global launch, as well as shared new details of ID@Xbox and Xbox Game Pass activities at PAX East… Read more

New Games with Gold for April 2019
Welcome to another Games with Gold reveal for Xbox One and Xbox 360! In April on Xbox One, survive Mars as a feared mage-warrior in The Technomancer, then experience the remake of a sci-fi classic in Outcast: Second Contact. On Xbox 360, and Xbox One via Backward Compatibility… Read more

Enter the World of Demons and Magic in DC Universe Online: Justice League Dark
Have you sensed the coming darkness? The DC Universe is full of threats – some tangible, visible, straightforward – and the superheroes who rise to face them are well known. But there are other threats, darker threats, dangers more nebulous, arcane, and ancient… Read more

Now Available on Xbox One with Xbox Game Pass, Operencia: The Stolen Sun from Zen Studios
Hard to believe, but we’re finally here – launch day for Operencia: The Stolen Sun! On behalf of all of us at Zen Studios who have poured our hearts and souls into this first-person dungeon crawler for the last two years, I’d like to invite you to check out our launch trailer…and then perhaps… Read more

Control Time as Paladins’ Newest Champion, Today on Xbox One
Paladins’ new Champion, Atlas, the man out of time, joins the Realm today! For the past few months, the team here at Evil Mojo Games has been hinting at Atlas’ existence as part of an ongoing lore story that brought the Paladins and the Magistrate to the Shattered Desert… Read more

Control is Available Now for Pre-Order on Xbox One
Hi, Xbox fans! Today is an incredibly exciting day for the teams at 505 Games and Remedy Entertainment. We’re thrilled to announce that the Xbox One community can now pre-order Control digitally on the Microsoft Store. Set in a unique and ever-changing world… Read more

Keep Farming Like Never Before with the Anderson DLC for Farming Simulator 19
We’re exceptionally proud of Farming Simulator 19, the biggest and best game we’ve ever made at Giants Software, but that doesn’t mean we can’t keep making it better. We’ve been improving the game with great free features and patches, but now we’re releasing on Xbox One… Read more

Enter for a Chance to Win a Pair of Custom Xbox One X Consoles inspired by Shazam!
When you were a kid, did you ever wish you could be a super hero – or at least be best friends with one? With the upcoming release of New Line Cinema’s new DC movie “Shazam!,” from Warner Bros. Pictures, we’ll get to see this wish come true for Freddy Freeman, whose best friend… Read more

Killing Floor 2: Cyber Revolt Seasonal Update Bolts onto Xbox One Today
The cyberpunk revolution is back this year in Killing Floor 2 and we’re packing heavy new Horzine tech hardware to push back the relentless Zed horde, fresh new cyber gear and outfits, a brand-new map, and a litany of quality of life improvements. Have you ever wanted to hold the power… Read more

Some Secrets to Success in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Well, they’ve done it again. With Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, FromSoftware has succeeded in creating a game that pairs highly technical risk/reward combat and ultra-tough foes to craft a game that is at times very challenging, but always extremely rewarding. Much like their previous games… Read more

Celebrating Latinx in Gaming 2019 Recap
Moving into the middle of the week of Game Developer’s Conference the show gets into the general sessions of talks and the expo floor opens up. It’s also the busiest day for our Gaming for Everyone team as we throw three community events in one day! Starting the day with brunch… Read more

Build Your Own Cars, Planes, and Hovercrafts in Trailmakers
Have you ever played a racing game and thought to yourself: “I wish I could put a jet engine on this car. Maybe two … or five?” If you just said “YES!” out loud, then today is your lucky day because Trailmakers is launching onto Xbox One Game Preview. In Trailmakers you build your own… Read more

Multiple Adventures Await as Stories: The Path of Destinies Arrives on Xbox One
If you’re yearning for adventure you’ll be thrilled to hear that the award-winning action-RPG Stories: The Path of Destinies from developer Spearhead Games is now available on the Microsoft Store for Xbox One and it contains an array of daring escapades for you to embark upon… Read more

Metro Exodus Adds New Game+ and More with the Free Ranger Update
Metro Exodus owners get a free update today – the Ranger Update adds a New Game + mode as well as a host of new features, improvements, and fixes. New Game+ is a new mode that unlocks on completion of the story and allows you to start a new campaign with all the weapons… Read more

Introducing Miles & Kilo, Out Now on Xbox One and Windows 10
When playing a platformer, do you ever find yourself throwing caution to the wind and start racing through it masterfully like an unstoppable daredevil? That feeling and playstyle are what I really wanted to tap into when I first started making games. Before Miles & Kilo… Read more

Next Week on Xbox: New Games for April 2 to 5
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… Read more

Starting at 2:00 p.m. PST today, members of the Xbox One Preview Delta Ring will begin receiving the latest 1904 Xbox One system update (19H1_RELEASE_XBOX_DEV_1904\18362.2006.190325-1920). Read on for more about the new features, fixes and known issues in the latest 1904 system update.

DETAILS:

• OS version released: 19H1_RELEASE_XBOX_DEV_1904\18362.2006.190325-1920
• Available: 2:00PM PDT 3/28/19
• Mandatory Date/Time: 3:00 AM PDT 3/29/19

New Features:

A complete feature list for 1904 is published here https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2019/02/21/new-features-rolling-out-to-xbox-insiders-this-spring/

New Power center Layout: Based on end user feedback we are flighting a variation today on the layout of the Power center.

Fixes:

Audio

• We have fixed the issues of No Audio heard from Non-Spatial Audio games when using Dolby Atmos for Home Theater with the LG SJ9 soundbar.

My Games and Apps

• We are have fixed the issue with the Assassins Creed Enzio Collection loading to a black screen.

System

• Narrator Fixes for Collections App: Shortcut for Menu + Titles in Queue/Membership Section.
• Localization fixes.

Known Issues:

Game Pass Mobile App

• Issue/Impact – After pushing a remote installation of a game from the Game Pass mobile app, customers will not see progress of the installation on in the mobile app and may not receive install notifications. The game will still successfully install if there is sufficient available space on the console.
• Affected audience – must be in 1904 preview, must be a GP subscriber, must be using the GP mobile app, must be pushing game installations from the app.
• Workarounds – None. A fix is coming in the next version of the mobile app in March.  Customers interested in getting early access to the fix can download the Game Pass Beta app.

Home

• We are aware that the clock/time is missing from home and the dashboard.

My Games and Apps

• Updates section is blank which is not correct as you may have a update pending. Fix is incoming.  Workaround – Simply launch the title and take the update on launch.

Profile

• Users are unable to change the profile status (from online to offline) in the Main Profile page as you cannot get focus on the change icon.  Workaround : You *are* able to change your status using the Guide.

Profile Color

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

Virtual Keyboard

• On Screen Keyboard in Hebrew – We are aware that the onscreen keyboard in Hebrew the period or semi-colon no longer works. Workaround: A physical usb keyboard works.

Starting at 2:00 p.m. PST today, members of the Xbox One Preview Alpha and Preview Beta Rings will begin receiving the latest 1904 Xbox One system update (19H1_RELEASE_XBOX_DEV_1904\18362.2006.190325-1920). Read on for more about the new features, fixes and known issues in the latest 1904 system update.

DETAILS:

• OS version released: 19H1_RELEASE_XBOX_DEV_1904\18362.2006.190325-1920
• Available: 2:00PM PDT 3/27/19
• Mandatory Date/Time: 3:00 AM PDT 3/28/19

Fixes:

Audio

• We have fixed the issues of No Audio heard from Non-Spatial Audio games when using Dolby Atmos for Home Theater with the LG SJ9 soundbar.

My Games and Apps

• We are have fixed the issue with the Assassins Creed Enzio Collection loading to a black screen.

System

• Narrator Fixes for Collections App: Shortcut for Menu + Titles in Queue/Membership Section.
• Localization fixes.

Known Issues:

Game Pass Mobile App

• Issue/Impact – After pushing a remote installation of a game from the Game Pass mobile app, customers will not see progress of the installation on in the mobile app and may not receive install notifications. The game will still successfully install if there is sufficient available space on the console.
• Affected audience – must be in 1904 preview, must be a GP subscriber, must be using the GP mobile app, must be pushing game installations from the app.
• Workarounds – None. A fix is coming in the next version of the mobile app in March.  Customers interested in getting early access to the fix can download the Game Pass Beta app.

Home

• We are aware that the clock/time is missing from home and the dashboard.

Messaging

• We are aware users with the new Xbox Live messaging framework In Preview Alpha and Beta are not seeing all messages January 2019 and before on Xbox One consoles. We are working to mitigate this issue before GA. Workaround: You are able to access all your messages on the PC Xbox App or on www.xbox.com

My Games and Apps

• Updates section is blank which is not correct as you may have a update pending. Fix is incoming.  Workaround – Simply launch the title and take the update on launch.

Profile

• Users are unable to change the profile status (from online to offline) in the Main Profile page as you cannot get focus on the change icon.  Workaround : You *are* able to change your status using the Guide.

Profile Color

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

Virtual Keyboard

• On Screen Keyboard in Hebrew – We are aware that the onscreen keyboard in Hebrew the period or semi-colon no longer works. Workaround: A physical usb keyboard works.

Well, they’ve done it again. With Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, FromSoftware has succeeded in creating a game that pairs highly technical risk/reward combat and ultra-tough foes to craft a game that is at times very challenging, but always extremely rewarding. Much like their previous games in the Dark Souls series, Sekiro can be a tough nut to crack for new players, and even Dark Souls veterans like myself will be forced to unlearn almost all of the strategies that made them successful in those titles. After 20 some-odd hours and a dozen mini-bosses and bosses under my belt, I feel like I’m still learning the ropes. In an effort to help ease you into this wholly unique gaming experience, I thought it would be helpful to share some tips I’ve picked up during my time with Sekiro.

Scout Your Surroundings

While Sekiro is more of a straightforward action game than the Dark Souls series, it’s also got some heavy stealth elements baked in. Like most stealth games, it pays to take some time to scan the area you’re approaching to figure out enemy patrol routes and ensure there are no surprises waiting for you. Once you get the lay of the land, you can go in and figure out the best route for taking out maximum enemies while reducing your risk as much as possible. Even in areas with seven or eight enemies, you can plot out a route that allows you to stealth attack many of them.

Always Rely on Stealth

As I mentioned above, it pays to scout out areas in order to find the best approach. More often than not the best approach is a stealthy approach, as you’re limited to a set number of hits from your healing gourd and (more importantly) lives. The vast majority of the time, there’s a stealthy option available to you. When I’m not sure how to approach a situation, I look to use my grappling hook to gain a height advantage. In addition to offering more options for dropping down and insta-killing your foes, it also provides a better look at the battlefield than you’ll get on the ground. The stealthy approach is always the best play for bosses, too. Since they all require two assassinations to take down, it pays to perform an instant one right off the bat.

Whittle Away That Vitality

Much of Sekiro’s combat mechanic revolves around poise, as maxing out your enemy’s poise meter gives you the opening you need to perform an assassination (that is, when the red dot appears). However, there are times when trying to keep the pressure up and working their poise is just too tough. In these cases, your best bet is to steer clear of the boss, instead working to get off one or two quick hits before dodging away. This will gradually whittle down their vitality, which in turn will keep their poise from regenerating. And eventually, if you take their Vitality down far enough it, opens them up for an instant kill. This is especially true for bosses!

Don’t Be Afraid to Run Away

As the saying goes, sometimes the best offense is a good defense. Or, in Sekiro’s case, the best offense is straight up running away from a fight. You see, when you leave an area, enemies will stop chasing you and reset to their original positions. This means that sometimes your best bet is to go in, take out one or maybe two enemies, and hightail it out of there before going back to rinse and repeat once your foes have calmed down. This is especially true for boss battle areas, as it will allow you to take out all of the lesser enemies before facing off against the boss. At times, it also pays to run away if you hit the next XP level, so you can upgrade your skills instead of running the risk of losing half when you die.

Embrace the Grind

In many ways, Sekiro is a lot like the Dark Souls games. One way in which they are distinctly different, however, is the way you use the experience you earn. In Dark Souls, experience you gained could be put into different categories like Strength or Vitality that helped you create a build that fit your style of play. In Sekiro, those experience points are instead spent on a variety of skills, from different types of combat attacks to different prosthetic-based moves to latent abilities that will make your battles easier. In both types of games, the best way to earn experience and improve your character is to occasionally grind the same area over and over again to load up on experience points. There’s nothing wrong with spending an hour taking out an easy group of five or six enemies, running back to the Sculptor’s Idol, resting, and then doing the same thing again. Trust me, that time investment will pay off in a big way as you progress through the game.

Sometimes Blocking is Best

Early on in Sekiro, as you’re learning the basic combat, you’ll be taught how to time your blocks to deflect your enemy’s attacks and give you a wide opening for an easy (and powerful) counterattack. While this is all well and good, it can at times be too tempting to go for these grandiose deflections when your best bet is just to hold down the block button and let your enemy flail away at you. I found that constant blocking worked particularly well against a lot of the bosses, as it gives you a chance to learn their moveset with minimal risk. In fact, sometimes you’ll just want to withstand a barrage of attacks and let your enemy tire himself out so you can slash away for a few seconds to take down their health.

When in Doubt, Take a Break

While it probably sounds counterintuitive, sometimes the best way to beat a boss in Sekiro is to put down the controller and walk away for a bit. Studies have shown that our mammalian brains are able to solve puzzles and complex tasks after having some time to think about them. Speaking from experience, there is nothing more satisfying then banging your head against a boss wall, then taking an extended break and coming back to beat it on the first or second try. Sometimes your brain just needs a little time to work things out, particularly some of the complex combat patterns that the bosses offer. You know how you have “A ha!” moments when you stop thinking about a topic and focus on some other task for a bit? It’s a lot like that.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is available now in the Microsoft Store for Xbox One and is enhanced for Xbox One X. Click here for purchase details.

When playing a platformer, do you ever find yourself throwing caution to the wind and start racing through it masterfully like an unstoppable daredevil?

That feeling and playstyle are what I really wanted to tap into when I first started making games. Before Miles & Kilo, I created a game called Kid Tripp for mobile devices; my pitch for it was simply “an old-school, speedrunner-friendly platformer where you never stop running.” I spent a few years making it in my free time after school, and eventually released it in 2013. Fortunately, it was super well-received (much better than I was hoping for!), so I immediately got to work on a bigger and better sequel.

The first game starred a character named Miles Tripp. His original move-set was simple: he could jump, sprint, and throw rocks. For the sequel, one of my main goals was to introduce a bunch of fun new abilities so I’d be able to design more varied and exciting levels.

Early in development, the idea was to create a large cast of new characters and give each of them a unique ability (for example, one character could slide, another could wall-jump, and so on); but as development progressed I decided to combine all those different moves into my favorite two characters: Miles, the title character from the first game, and his mischievous dog, Kilo. This resulted in two characters with very different movesets that feel really exciting and fluid to play.

The core gameplay loop in Miles & Kilo is simple: You’ll run through a level (sometimes playing as Miles, other times as Kilo), learning the different patterns of traps and enemies until you eventually reach the goal. Levels are designed to be short (usually around 25-30 seconds when perfected), though many of the later, more difficult levels will require dozens of attempts to master. Once you complete the game, you’re encouraged to go back and run through the game again in the Time Attack mode, where your overall time, number of deaths, and score will be uploaded to the game’s leaderboards.

For completionists, we’ve also included a sizable list of achievements to tackle, as well as a grading system to measure your mastery of each of the game’s levels.

Four Horses Ltd. and I are super excited about bringing Miles & Kilo to you now on Xbox One and Windows 10. The game is quite a challenge, so we’d like to wish you good luck, and we look forward to seeing you on the leaderboards!

P.S. Keep an eye out for Miles & Kilo’s predecessor, Kid Tripp, launching on Microsoft platforms later this year!

Miles & Kilo is available now on the Microsoft Store for Xbox One and Windows 10 as an Xbox Play Anywhere title. Click here for more details.

Hi everyone! My friend Alexander Ehlers and I made a little time-manipulating, first-person, platform game called Tyd wag vir Niemand and we are proud to announce that it is now available on both Xbox One and Windows 10 with Xbox Play Anywhere support.

We wanted to give you all an abstract adventure that will take you to another dimension, and that we hope gives you a fresh take on first-person platform games. We just really like trippy environments; they always feel so satisfying to explore and we’re pretty sure you’ll agree.

Tyd wag vir Niemand is set in a future where a major catastrophe has damaged Earth to the extent that it’s almost completely uninhabitable. You take on the role of a military engineer sent on a mission to a mysterious pyramid located in the Antarctic. There you must confirm the whereabouts of the first research team that has gone silent.

The pyramid houses a strange device that might hold the key to restoring the planet, however things get complicated when you get sucked into another dimension where the laws of time and space are completely distorted. Luckily, you pick up a mysterious device that allows you to slow down time and navigate this strange and dangerous dimension that’s ominously connected to memories and the psyche.

We know that saving the world and exploring alternate dimensions aren’t enough to make a fun game though, so when creating the different challenges, we wanted to incorporate different kinds of time-based tests. From lining up platforms creating pathways and dodging crazy traps, to protecting a moving object from hazards and working out a time-sensitive sequence to solve problems. We strived to introduce all these elements and angles one at a time before combining and developing them, to ensure that you always feel that the challenges are interesting and fun.

What inspired us throughout development was the desire to evoke that sense of wonder in having control over the environment and using that ability to overcome obstacles. We feel that this sense of control in a crazy environment adds an interesting dynamic, in having you feel empowered but keep you on your toes. This is when we discovered how much fun can be had with slowing down and normalizing time at will in out-of-control, abstract environments and we set out to create platforming challenges around this concept.

As our third commercial game release, with Tyd wag vir Niemand, we wanted to take everything that we learned from our previous games and refine our abstract, minimalist style to something that not only gives you interesting dream-like environments to traverse but to also craft gameplay mechanics from the ground up that go hand in hand with the environments, narratives and themes of the game.

I’d just like to close with a big thank you for showing interest in Tyd wag vir Niemand and taking the time to read this article. I hope that I’ve been able to intrigue you enough to consider picking it up and giving it a try. We can’t wait to hear what you think, and we hope you enjoy Tyd wag vir Niemand.

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!

GDC 2019: The Women in Gaming Rally 2019 Recap
Game Developer’s Conference (GDC) is always an exciting time of year for game developers and the week is already picking up steam. On Tuesday afternoon team Xbox hosted the 19th Annual Women in Gaming Rally in partnership with Activision, Facebook Gaming, Ubisoft, Unity, Women in Gaming International, and YouTube… Read more

GDC 2019: The Blacks in Gaming Green Room
As the Game Developers Conference (GDC) has continued we come to one of our last – but certainly not least! – community events of the week. Xbox was proud to host the 14th annual Blacks in Gaming Green Room. With over 260 gaming industry professionals in attendance, it was a night of connection, uplift and networking… Read more

GDC 2019: We Go Dungeon Crawling with Operencia: The Stolen Sun
After playing through many excellent open world fantasy adventures, I found it refreshing to be kept to a grid while exploring the dungeons of Operencia: The Stolen Sun. Earlier this week at GDC 2019, I finally got my first hands-on time with this dungeon-crawling Xbox One exclusive and it was great to see that it’s shaping up nicely to carry that mantle of classic dungeon crawlers… Read more

GDC 2019: LGBTQIA in Gaming Reception 2019 Recap
As Game Developer’s Conference (GDC) continues, so does our honor of being able to host incredible communities of gaming industry professionals. This year marked the 3rd annual LGTBQIA in Gaming reception with over 300 people in attendance, connecting and reconnecting gaming industry community members with each other… Read more

GDC 2019: Gaming & Disability Community Reception 2019 Recap
It’s March in the gaming industry and that means we have come to another Game Developer’s Conference (GDC). We have already kicked off the week with the 2nd annual Gaming & Disability Community Reception! Hosted in partnership with Games Accessibility Conference, a one day series of talks on accessible game design… Read more

GDC 2019: Evolving the ID@Xbox Program for Developers with Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Live
The Game Developers Conference is here again and I’m hecka stoked to join the ID@Xbox team in our annual trip to the San Francisco Bay Area. GDC is an amazing time to highlight new games, catch-up with other developers and friends in the industry and listen to their feedback to continue driving innovation forward for Xbox. 2018 was a fantastic year for developers in the ID@Xbox program… Read more

Turn-Based Survival Strategy Game Overland Coming Soon to Xbox One
Over the years, we here at Finji have helped bring radically different games to the Xbox family, including the ominous puzzle-platformer Feist and the award-winning narrative adventure Night in the Woods. We’ve always focused on bringing you beautiful games with wildly different play-styles, and with Overland, we’re changing things up once again… Read more

Free Play Days: NBA 2K Playgrounds 2, MX vs ATV All Out, and Vigor
During this weekend’s Free Play Days event, you can ball out in arcade style street ball, go off-roading in bikes and ATVs, and scavenge your way across a post-war Norway. There’s no shortage of fun and action that Xbox Live Gold members can immerse themselves in with NBA 2K Playgrounds 2, MX vs ATV All Out, and Vigor. The Free Play Days event begins… Read more

Vigor Xbox One Free Weekend Begins March 21 for Xbox Live Gold Members
Xbox Live Gold members can play Vigor for free on Xbox One starting today until March 24, which makes this the perfect time to explore the beautiful landscapes of post-war Norway, scavenge for loot amongst other Outlanders in tense map-based encounters and start rebuilding your safe haven amidst a fallen civilization. This free weekend hits shortly… Read more

Enter for Your Chance to Win a Custom Bumblebee Xbox One X Console
To celebrate the release of “Bumblebee” on the Microsoft Store, Paramount Pictures and Xbox are excited to announce the Bumblebee Custom Console Sweepstakes. In “Bumblebee,” Hailee Steinfeld stars as Charlie, a teenager who finds and befriends the iconic robot, disguised as a Volkswagen Beetle. The two must team up and protect Earth… Read more

Announcing ID@Xbox Game Pass, a Showcase of Indie Games Coming to Xbox Game Pass
We are excited to announce ID@Xbox Game Pass, a stream highlighting great indie games coming soon to Xbox Game Pass, premiering March 26 at 9:00 AM PDT. In this show, you can expect to learn more about some of the hottest ID@Xbox titles coming to Xbox Game Pass with new reveals, gameplay highlights, and conversations with the developers… Read more

Capcom Shares the Secrets to Success in Devil May Cry 5
Dante and Nero are back for more demon-battling action, bringing with them a new character named V in Devil May Cry 5, available now on Xbox One. All three characters are playable in the story, and to make sure Nero has both hands available for hunting demons, Nico – his plucky engineer – has built him a wide range of prosthetic arms called Devil Breakers… Read more

A Guide to the Javelins of Anthem
Whether you like to rush headlong into battle or unleash destruction from a discreet distance, Anthem has the perfect javelin for your preferred playstyle. In this article, we’ll give you an overview of the strengths and weaknesses of each suit, their weapons and abilities, and how to get the most out of them. What Are Javelins? Let’s start with the basics… Read more

Enter the Nightmarish World of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Today on Xbox One
Xbox fans! It’s time to sharpen your blade, practice your counter-attacks, and prepare to die… a lot (where have we heard that one before?) Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, the latest epic from the team at FromSoftware, creators of the Dark Souls series, is out today on Xbox One and enhanced for Xbox One X — get it here on the Microsoft Store… Read more

Gears of War Exclusive Funko Pop! Revealed at ECCC 2019
This past weekend, Gears of War and Funko premiered an exclusive General RAAM Funko Pop! at Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle. As spotted on Instagram last month, the General RAAM Funko Pop! is real and will make your enemies fearful, your friends jealous and make your other Funko Pop! figures envious for how an evil leader… Read more

A Refined Cuphead Experience is Coming Soon as Free Content Update
As we’ve been hard at work on Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course, we’ve received so much love from all of our fans that we thought we’d drop one last free content update as just a little thank you. This free patch is coming April 18 and it features a bevy of new features, art, and back end changes readying Cuphead for the adventures ahead… Read more

Sea of Thieves Anniversary Update Celebrates the Start of Year Two on April 30
Today, we are celebrating a year of adventures in Sea of Thieves! It’s been both humbling and awe-inspiring to see millions of players from all over the world set sail and create their own stories on the Sea of Thieves. On behalf of everyone at Rare, I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who’s played and made Sea of Thieves what it is today… Read more

GDC 2019: Evolving the ID@Xbox Program for Developers with Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Live
The Game Developers Conference is here again and I’m hecka stoked to join the ID@Xbox team in our annual trip to the San Francisco Bay Area. GDC is an amazing time to highlight new games, catch-up with other developers and friends in the industry and listen to their feedback to continue driving innovation forward for Xbox. 2018 was a fantastic year for developers in the ID@Xbox program… Read more

Train Sim World: Main Spessart Bahn Takes You on a First Class Journey
We’re very happy to announce the latest expansion Main Spessart Bahn for Train Sim World is now available on Xbox One, featuring a 52km run through the forests and hillsides of central Germany. This has been a real labour of love for our team as we’re introducing a new type of operation, long-awaited new features, and of course… Read more

Big Boi of Outkast to Compete in Xbox Game Pass Challenge on Next Xbox Sessions on March 21
Seven-time Grammy® Award-winning artist, rapper, songwriter, record producer, actor and philanthropist, Big Boi, will be joining us for the next Xbox Sessions on March 21! In this episode, Big Boi will take part in the Xbox Game Pass challenge, playing two great games from the Xbox Game Pass library. Tune in on Thursday, March 21 at 4:00 p.m. PT… Read more

Coming Soon to Xbox Game Pass – Operencia: The Stolen Sun, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, Vampyr, and More
Hello fellow Xbox Game Pass fans! It’s only been a hot minute since we last dropped games into your ever-expanding library, but we’re ready to roll with even more (sorry not sorry to the titles waiting in your backlog). Since this is a blog post and not an infomercial, please use your best narrator voice and say, “but wait, there’s more!” right now… Read more

Play Overwatch’s Newest Hero Today on Xbox One
Suit up as Overwatch’s 30th hero, Baptiste, a versatile combat medic who’s not afraid to dole out a few bullets between bandages—available to play starting today. Jean-Baptiste Augustin was one of millions of children orphaned by the Omnic Crisis, the rebellion of robots against their human creators that plunged the planet into a catastrophic war… Read more

Apex Legends Season 1 – Wild Frontier, Live Today on Xbox One
Welcome to the Wild Frontier. The first season of Apex Legends starts today, and new Legends, loot, and mysterious surprises are dropping into the arena. Check out what’s in store if you play for free, and learn what you get when you grab the Season 1 Battle Pass. Seasons The Apex Games are just getting started, and expect plenty more good stuff coming through seasons…. Read more

New Details Revealed in Our Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Interview with Producer Robert Conkey
After its debut on our stage during the Xbox E3 2018 Briefing, From Software’s Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice quickly became one of our most anticipated games of 2019. After all, what’s not to love about a game that combines dynamic movement, challenging-yet-satisfying combat, just a dab of mythology, and a feudal Japanese setting that’s been underutilized… Read more

Sharpen Your Cues and Get Ready for Snooker 19, Launching This Spring on Xbox One
Can you believe it’s been almost a decade since there was an official World Snooker game? Games have advanced a lot in that time and we’ve been itching to bring snooker back for this generation, harnessing the full power of Xbox One and enhanced for Xbox One X to make it bigger and better than ever! We’re really proud to be bringing snooker back to the fans… Read more

Supercharge Your Hockey Ultimate Team with the Team of the Year in NHL 19
The best players in the NHL are ready to join your Hockey Ultimate Team (HUT), arriving in four rosters with the Team of the Year (TOTY). Celebrating hockey’s superstars playing at the top of their game this season, the most powerful players of the year are being introduced weekly from March 13 to April 10, giving you the best chance yet to give your dream team a boost… Read more

Next Week on Xbox: New Games for March 26 – 29
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

As Game Developer’s Conference (GDC) continues, so does our honor of being able to host incredible communities of gaming industry professionals. This year marked the 3^rd annual LGTBQIA in Gaming reception with over 300 people in attendance, connecting and reconnecting gaming industry community members with each other. The Gay Gaming Professionals group celebrated 13 years of their own event this year with increased sponsorship and a continued effort to build a more inclusive LGBTQIA gaming industry community. We took a moment during the event to honor two such people: Danielle Bunten Berry and David Gaider.

Danielle Bunten Berry insisted that the future of gaming was interconnectedness. Creator of the influential game M.U.L.E. in 1982, she was a pioneer in game design that influenced a generation. Her vision of the future of gaming as one of finding commonality through technology proved she was a visionary.

David Gaider has set the bar for LGBTQIA storytelling in the AAA industry. As lead writer for many incredible RPG’s, including Game of the Year 2014 Dragon Age: Inquisition, David has been the voice of countless gamers who have longed to have their stories told. His impact on the industry will be felt for years, if not decades, to come.

We look forward to continuing to host and honor this community, their stories, and their contributions to gaming.

We’re very happy to announce the latest expansion Main Spessart Bahn for Train Sim World is now available on Xbox One, featuring a 52km run through the forests and hillsides of central Germany. This has been a real labour of love for our team as we’re introducing a new type of operation, long-awaited new features, and of course the route and locomotives themselves are re-created in incredibly high detail.

Whether you’re an experienced rail fan or you’ve never tried a sim in your life, this route is definitely the choice for you if you’re interested in a new challenge. Here are just a few of the things we’re most proud of:

The route captures a particularly beautiful part of the German countryside, running from Aschaffenburg to Gemünden. Though the line has been partially replaced with flat tunnels in recent years to make things easier, for our sim we went back a few years to capture the challenges and sights of the original route. Banking operations, where one train joins another to help push it up a steep gradient, have been a huge part of the line for decades and are recreated here. And the historic station at Heigenbrücken was closed in 2017, but is now preserved forever in Train Sim World.

Two locomotives and one control car provide the excitement on the route. The DB BR 185.2 is a powerful freight-hauling engine that also waits on standby to assist in Banking operations. the DB BR 146.2 is a modern, speedy, passenger-oriented example of motive power featuring player-controlled destination boards and interior door controls. And if you driving the 146.2 and can’t turn around, never fear! At the other end of your train you’ll find the 766.2 DBpbzfa – a control car with separate controls for your double-decker passenger journey.

As Train Sim World grows, one of the things we’re most excited about is the ability to mix and match the locomotives from different routes. As in real life, the following swaps are available for owners of both Ruhr-Sieg Nord and Main Spessart Bahn expansions.

The DB BR 143 from Ruhr Sieg Nord can replace both of Main Spessart Bahn’s locomotives for passenger or light freight operations, and the DB BR 185.2 is featured in Ruhr Sieg Nord, but has a different livery in Main Spessart Bahn. Both liveries can now be used in either route!

So give the Main Spessart Bahn a try and let us know what you think of the latest installment in the ever-growing Train Sim World… world!

The Main Spessart Bahn add-on for Train Sim World is now available on the Microsoft Store. Click here to learn more.