Tag: Xbox

Stemming from Xbox’s partnership with ELEAGUE, the six-part docu series focused on the stories and players behind the world of Gears Esports on TBS aired its third episode last week. In Episode 3 of The Bonds & Betrayals of Brotherhood, the series dove into what it takes to be the most successful team in esports history. The episode focused on Gilbert “Xplosive” Rojo’s, the in-game leader of Optic Gaming’s Gears of War team, who has over 17 trophies to his name and a nearly undefeated record of success in the Gears Esports scene. The episode proved the value of strong leadership and consistency, as the rest of the series’ primary professional Gears of War players (Yadiel “Sleepytime” Hildago, Victor “Powerz” Mateo, Justin “Kenny” Kenny, Kyle “Kyle” Mason, and Danny “Identivez” Santillana) revealed what they have learned going up against Gilbert time and time again and what they think makes him so unbeatable.

To continue the Gears Esports journey, be sure to tune-in to the fourth episode airing on TBS today, Friday, July 5, at 8 pm PT/11 pm ET. The docu series will continue to explore each player’s intense connection to the game and each other as they navigate to become the best players in the world on Gears 5 Esports.

In Episode 4 of The Bonds & Betrayals of Brotherhood, fans will get their first taste of the Gears 5 multiplayer mode Escalation 2.0. Through the lens of professional players Justin “Kenny” Kenny and Victor “Powerz” Mateo, Gears 5 multiplayer developers will reveal never before seen Gears 5 gameplay features- setting an exciting stage for the upcoming ELEAGUE Gears 5 Invitational event July 13-14.

In addition to the TBS episodes, ELEAGUE will host Gears 5’s first-ever esports tournament, with new Versus gameplay, from July 13-14 (Saturday to Sunday), live on Twitch and the premium live sports streaming service B/R Live. The ELEAGUE Gears Summer Series tournament will feature eight of the world’s top teams – many of which will star in the TBS series – competing live within The ELEAGUE Arena at Turner Studios in Atlanta. The final two episodes of the TBS programming will showcase the most exciting moments from the live tournament.

To stay updated, follow @EsportsGears on Twitter and visit Gears.gg. Be sure to also check out ELEAGUE’s channels; @ELEAGUETV and www.ELEAGUE.com.

At E3, we unveiled a brand new way to fight the Swarm in Gears 5: Escape. We wanted to show how we’re pushing the envelope by doing new things never seen in a Gears game before, and that throughout the summer, we’ll reveal more about Gears 5 ahead of its September 10 release. We said that we’d talk more about the Versus Multiplayer Technical Test in July, and today we’re happy to provide more details on how you can be among the first to play Gears 5 and help create the future of Versus multiplayer.

Multiplayer fans of all types can enjoy these weekend test sessions, as you’ll get to play Escalation (our updated competitive gametype) along with Arcade (a new and approachable multiplayer gametype) and a longtime fan favorite: King of the Hill. For players new to Gears or those that want to practice their skills and learn new mechanics we’ve added our new training mode – Bootcamp. The Tech Test also features a short Tour of Duty, which is a series of challenges for players to earn content – completing all of these challenges unlocks an exclusive Tech Test Banner. Players can also unlock three Versus Weapon Skins by completing some additional challenges. For a closer look at Escalation, be sure to check out the ELEAGUE Invitational next weekend (July 13-14) and stay tuned for additional details about Arcade next week.

Included with your Xbox Game Pass membership or as part of your Gears 5 pre-order (whether as a separate 5×5 code from a participating retailer or bundled in your digital pre-order), the Tech Test will be available to download starting July 17 with online play being active from July 19 (starting at 10 a.m. PDT) through July 21, and then active again on July 26 (at 10 a.m. PDT) through July 29.

As mentioned earlier, starting on July 17 at 10 p.m. PDT, you can search for “Gears 5” to pull up the Technical Test on your Xbox One console or Windows 10 PC. If you’re an Xbox Game Pass member, you will see the Tech Test available to download in your library – same as any of the 100+ great games in the catalog. Note that between the weekend test periods, the Tech Test itself will be available for download, but servers will be offline. We also wanted to remind you that online multiplayer will require Xbox Live Gold on console, and that because this Tech Test is to help test our servers, you might encounter some queueing as you start to play. We hope to make Gears 5 a great online experience for all players and Xbox Game Pass members on launch, and this Tech Test will help.

For players on Windows 10 PC, we have the below chart that outlines minimum and recommended specs for the Tech Test:

Thanks for your support and we look forward to seeing you online starting July 19 ahead of sharing more about Horde and Campaign in the months to come!

Visit www.gears5.com and follow @GearsofWar on Twitter to keep up-to-date with the latest information about Gears of War.

Gears 5 will release on September 10 for Xbox One, Windows 10, and with Xbox Game Pass. Pre-order details here on the Microsoft Store.

Welcome back, Agents!

Last month, we gave you Crackdown 3’s Keys to the City, providing a deep menu of Campaign tools and cheats to unleash unprecedented havoc, alongside a new vanity progression system for Wrecking Zone. Today, we’re excited to announce the free Flying High Campaign update, available with Xbox Game Pass and on Xbox One and Windows 10 PC.

With Flying High you have new gadgets to collect, new Achievements to earn—and a whole new way to explore the expansive, vertical world of New Providence.

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s you soaring above the city with the Agency Wingsuit! Reach new heights, attack enemies from above, and test your flying skills in one of seven Wingsuit races.

Eager to bring even more boom? Try the Clusterduck grenade and its chain-reaction explosions. If that doesn’t fit the duckbill, make it rain with the Hellstorm Flare to call in air-strikes from the Island Defense Turrets or deploy the Agency Peacekeeper Beacon to summon Civilian Militia backup.

But that’s not all! Unearth the Elemental Forge gadget to summon four over-the-top melee weapons, each with its own unique environmental damage effects. Light up your foes with the Flaming Sword, give them a shocking send-off with the Electric Hammer, keep it cool with the Ice Mace, or be the toxin of the town with the Chimera Axe. Swing, smash and throw each weapon to unleash chaotic fun.

We can’t thank you enough for your continued support of Crackdown 3. With a total of 14 new Achievements and 500 Gamerscore, the free Flying High update is yours for the taking, so get to it Agents!

Crackdown 3 is available now with Xbox Game Pass and on Xbox One and Windows 10 PC. For the latest on Crackdown 3 and all things Xbox stay tuned to Xbox Wire.

Calling all Fortnite fans and sports fanatics! Former NFL running back Marshawn Lynch and NBA point guard Lonzo Ball will join us for the next episode of Xbox Sessions. The superstar athletes will go head-to-head in Fortnite today, June 27 at 4:00 p.m. PDT on the Xbox Mixer, Twitch and YouTube channels.

Each player will need to bring their A-game to find loot, build huge forts and battle to be the last one standing. Pick up some tips and tricks from the pros, learn how Lonzo’s win in Fortnite compares to his wins on the court and see if Chug Splash will help Marshawn in the battle as much as his “power pellets” have on the field.

Hosted by Brittney Elena, you won’t want to miss Marshawn and Lonzo in the next Xbox Sessions on Xbox One X, the world’s most powerful console. Tune in today, June 27 at 4:00 p.m. PDT on the Mixer Xbox Channel, Twitch Xbox Channel and YouTube Xbox Channel to see who comes out on top.

Stay tuned to Xbox Wire for future episodes of Xbox Sessions!

Stemming from Xbox’s partnership with ELEAGUE, the six-part docu series focused on the stories and players behind the world of Gears Esports on TBS aired its second episode last week. In Episode 2 of The Bonds & Betrayals of Brotherhood, the primary professional Gears of War players in the series (Yadiel “Sleepytime” Hildago, Gilbert “Xplosive” Rojo, Victor “Powerz” Mateo, Justin “Kenny” Kenny, Kyle “Kyle” Mason, and Danny “Identivez” Santillana) established what it takes to build a brotherhood, and how difficult it is to maintain it. Through Kyle “Kyle” Mason’s emotionally compelling backstory, the unique bonds within the Gears esports community were clearly showcased. Growing up in rural Oklahoma, Kyle’s Gears brotherhood has always meant the world to him and he shared his stories of the times they showed up for him – and the times they didn’t.

To continue the Gears Esports journey, be sure to tune-in to the third episode airing on TBS tomorrow, Friday, June 28, at 11 pm ET/8 pm PT. The docu series will continue to explore each player’s intense connection to the game and each other as they navigate to become the best players in the world on Gears 5 Escalation 2.0, the mode designed specifically for Gears Esports. Episode 3 of The Bonds & Betrayals of Brotherhood will examine what it takes to be the most successful team in esports history. The episode will feature Gilbert “Xplosive” Rojo, the in-game leader of Optic Gaming’s Gears of War team, who has over 17 trophies to his name and a nearly undefeated record of success in the Gears Esports scene.

In addition to the TBS episodes, ELEAGUE will host Gears 5’s first-ever esports tournament, with new Versus gameplay, from July 13-14 (Saturday to Sunday), live on Twitch and the premium live sports streaming service B/R Live. The ELEAGUE Gears Summer Series tournament will feature eight of the world’s top teams – many of which will star in the TBS series – competing live within The ELEAGUE Arena at Turner Studios in Atlanta. The final two episodes of the TBS programming will showcase the most exciting moments from the live tournament.

To stay updated, follow @EsportsGears on Twitter and visit Gears.gg. Be sure to also check out ELEAGUE’s channels; @ELEAGUETV and www.ELEAGUE.com.

Stemming from Xbox’s partnership with ELEAGUE, the first episode of the six-part docu series focused on the stories and players behind the world of Gears Esports aired on TBS last week.

This premiere episode introduced a diverse set of Gears of War pro players – Yadiel “Sleepytime” Hildago, Gilbert “Xplosive” Rojo, Victor “Powerz” Mateo, Justin “Kenny” Kenny, Kyle “Kyle” Mason, and Danny “Identivez” Santillana.

Each player, connected to each other through past teams, roster changes, and relationships, brings a different angle to the series. Episode 1 focused on Yadiel’s. Through his lens, the Gears Esports scene player and game dynamics were established, and the lines of brotherhood began to be pushed. Yadiel’s personal story of overcoming challenging language barriers and pushing himself for years to grow into a strong player and leader, only to be betrayed by friend and teammate Danny, set the stage for a groundbreaking human interest esports story.

To continue the Gears Esports journey, be sure to tune-in to the second episode airing on TBS tomorrow, Friday, June 21, at 11 pm ET/8 pm PT. The next five episodes will continue to explore each player’s intense connection to the game and each other as they navigate to become the best players in the world on Gears 5 Escalation 2.0, the mode designed specifically for Gears Esports. Episode 2 of the series dives into Kyle “Kyle” Mason’s emotional backstory as a player who has overcome both personal and professional adversity throughout his Gears Esports career.

In addition to the TBS episodes, ELEAGUE will host Gears 5’s first-ever Esports tournament, with new Versus gameplay, from July 13-14 (Saturday to Sunday), live on Twitch and the premium live sports streaming service B/R Live. The ELEAGUE Gears Summer Series tournament will feature eight of the world’s top teams – many of which will star in the TBS series – competing live within The ELEAGUE Arena at Turner Studios in Atlanta. The final two episodes of the TBS programming will showcase the most exciting moments from the live tournament.

To stay updated, follow @EsportsGears on Twitter and visit Gears.gg. Be sure to also check out ELEAGUE’s channels; @ELEAGUETV and www.ELEAGUE.com.

School’s out for summer! That’s a refrain that your kids likely will be singing for a couple of days, right before they launch into “We’re bored!” or “It’s too hot to go outside!” Trust us, we get it: you’ve got them signed up for summer camps and fun activities galore, but there comes a time when you just need to let them enjoy some quality gaming time at home. Well, we here at Xbox have got you covered thanks to Xbox Game Pass. You may already know that Xbox Game Pass features over 100 great games for the, low price of $9.99  a month, but did you know that over 75 of those games are rated E or E10+? As a public service to you, we’ve put together a handy-dandy list of titles for whatever type of gamers you’ve got in your family. Oh, and the first month is just $1.

The Young Ones – Great games for kids who are just starting to play on Xbox One.

Minecraft

This massive block-based game is the perfect introduction to games for both kids and adults. Creative mode allows players to safely experiment with navigating a digital world using a controller, and once they get the hang of the controls, there’s so much to create and explore. From building the home of their dreams (or the Greek Parthenon, if they’re feeling ambitious) to attempting to survive through a Creeper-filled night, there’s something in Minecraft for every gamer in your life.

de Blob

THQ’s bright and beautiful platformer drops players into a world devoid of color (thanks to the efforts of the nefarious INKT Corporation) and in control of an amorphous blob, tasking them with bringing Chroma City back to life through the joy of painting. Well, painting might not be the best way to describe splattering buildings, landmarks, and even Chroma City’s denizens with color. de Blob is a sleeper hit that everyone in your family is sure to love.

Snake Pass

You might be tempted to think of this as an update on the classic “avoid eating your own tail” mobile game, but it’s actually a highly enjoyable physics-based puzzle platformer. You’ll need to help the heroic serpent Noodle navigate around 4 unique environments by coiling his body around and through obstacles. Snake Pass is cute, colorful, and a lot of fun for kids who want just a bit of challenge.

The Tweens – Games for the older kids in your life.

LEGO Games

It’s next to impossible to just pick one great LEGO game, especially since there are a bunch in Game Pass to choose from. Want to channel your inner Caped Crusader? Enjoy all three LEGO Batman titles! Love antiquities but hate snakes? Take LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures for a spin. Feel like everything is awesome? The LEGO Movie Game is just right for you. Best of all, these titles all support local co-op play, so your tween can invite a friend or sibling along on the adventure.

‘Splosion Man

One of the most unique puzzle platformers ever made is perfect for helping your tween exercise both their mental muscles and their reflexes. Twisted Pixel’s over-the-top hero, the titular ‘Splosion Man, is a botched science experiment that is trying to escape from the labs of Big Science. However, rather than jump or shoot, our hero instead uses his own exploding body to launch himself through the air (hopefully through the game’s wide variety of traps and obstacles) or destroy enemies. As an added bonus, you can play with a friend and launch off each other’s explosion.

Max: The Curse of Brotherhood

If you’ve got a tween with a younger (possibly annoying) sibling, there’s a good chance they’ve daydreamed about making them disappear. That’s precisely what happens in Max: The Curse of Brotherhood, as our eponymous hero wishes for his brother Felix to disappear, only to learn that losing someone you love is terrifying. An entertaining blend of platforming and puzzles, the game’s gameplay hook revolves around Max’s enchanted magic marker, which your kid can use to do everything from drawing vines and branches to controlling fire and water.

The Sporty Kids – They can’t play outside all the time, but they can bring the action indoors.

Forza Horizon 4

Hailed by many as one of the best racing games ever made, our own Playground Games has created the ultimate open world driving adventure. Your budding driver can hop into one of hundreds of real world cars and make their way around a stunningly realistic British landscape, battling the elements as the seasons change weekly. With numerous things to do and collectables to grab, as well dynamic events popping up frequently across the world, you’ll never run out of stuff to do.

Descenders

Even the most dedicated adrenaline junkie will want to strap on a helmet for this joyous downhill racing experience. Hop on a mountain bike and take off down the hill, jockeying for position with fellow riders and pulling off mammoth tricks along the way. Thanks to the game’s procedurally-generated worlds, your favorite extreme sports fan is guaranteed to have a fresh new experience every time you get to pedaling.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2019

Are you ready for some soccer?!? One of gaming’s longest-running footy franchises is available on Xbox Game Pass, with the latest iteration offering up the most photo-realistic and lifelike players to date. In addition to many improvements on the field itself, there are a number of big changes off the pitch as well. From new leagues to MyClub updates for the general manager in your family, there’s a something here for football fans of every stripe.

The Life of the Party – Does it seem like every kid in the neighborhood is at your house? We’ve got you covered.

Rocket League

With its four-player split-screen action, this unique hybrid of soccer and driving is the perfect game for a big group of kids. As intense as it is fun, Rocket League is a prime example of “easy to learn, tough to master” gameplay. Kids might start off doing basic driving maneuvers and hitting the giant ball willy-nilly, but it won’t take long before they’re performing daring aerial “headers” and drawing up complex team plays. For those moments when your kid is playing solo, there’s a variety of AI-controlled opponents with multiple difficulty settings, as well as a plethora of game modes.

Fuzion Frenzy

An absolute classic from the original Xbox era that still feels fresh and new today with tons of competitive play for up to four-players via local multiplayer. With more than 45 mini-games to pick from, Fuzion Frenzy is perfect for groups of friends for after baseball practice or during sleepovers (if you don’t mind the occasional screaming teenagers after lights out). This is one of those timeless games that feels like it’ll never go out of style.

#IDARB

While this game started off as a crowd-designed goof titled “It Draws a Red Box,” it has since morphed into one of the best family-friendly multiplayer games around. Supporting anywhere between two and eight players, IDARB is sort of a cross between a platformer, action game, basketball game, and pop culture explosion, all thrown together on one chaotic battlefield. Success requires quick reflexes and solid teamwork, but this is one of those rare games in which you’ll have a great time even if you’re not quite sure what’s going on.

The Summer Schooler – School might be out, but that doesn’t mean the creating and experimenting has to end.

Cities Skylines – Xbox One Edition

Encourage your kids to embark on a fulfilling career in planning and community development by learning the ins and outs of city management this summer. Cities Skylines – Xbox One Edition is a critically acclaimed city builder that lets them create (from the ground up) their very own budding metropolis complete with a host of micromanagement features, public policies, and crisis management. It’s way more fun than it sounds, honest.

Farming Simulator 17

Instead of tracking in mud across your nice clean floors, let your kids get their virtual boots dirty in Farming Simulator 17. They can manage hundreds of acres of land, drive awesome farming vehicles, and tend to livestock like cows, sheep, and chickens. They can also hop online and download community created mods for an ever-expanding experience on Xbox One.

Zoo Tycoon: Ultimate Animal Collection

Let your kid’s imagination run wild. Build, manage and maintain your dream zoo alone up to four players. Design the optimal sanctuary with customized animal pens while learning about each of their inhabitant’s needs, behaviors, and what works best to entice visitors to their attractions. Get up close and personal with nearly 200 visually stunning animals. This experience let you do everything from adopting your favorite animals to releasing them back in the wild to adjusting and decorating enclosures to piece-by-piece road construction. In this zoo, the choice is yours.

The Budding Engineer – Fun and engaging STEM games

ScreamRide

Taking one part roller coaster designer and one part demolitions expert, ScreamRidelets your kids both learn the joy of creation and destruction – all for the sake of creating the most epic (and safe) rides for their virtual thrill seekers as they solve complex construction puzzles and lay down efficient demolition explosions to make way for the creation of the most impressive rides.

Robocraft Infinity

Build and battle and build some more. That’s the theme for Robocraft Infinity that lets your favorite designer combine blocks to build their own vehicles and robots and then put them into the arena against other players online to see who’s creation can come out on top. Make jets, cars, tanks, helicopters – they are all possible thanks to the easy-to-use in-game editor. They can also share their designs online or browse and download other creations for added inspiration.

Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts

Two iconic gaming characters return in a unique adventure that requires more brain than brawn. Like the aforementioned Robocraft Infinity, players will build unique vehicles to compete in a variety of challenges in this off-shoot of the classic Banjo Kazooie series. Impress the L.O.G. (Lord of Games), defeat B&K’s nemesis Gruntilda, and create the most awe-inspiring vehicles to win!

These are just a handful of the awesome family-friendly titles available via Xbox Game Pass (psst, there’s plenty for the grown-ups, too!), so we hope they offer you the perfect way to stave off those summer doldrums. Stay cool and game on!

Hey, Xbox Game Pass friends! E3 has come to a close and we’re still buzzing here like a kid with a king-sized candy bar. We’ve launched Xbox Game Pass for PC (Beta), brought over 100 new games to the Xbox Game Pass library across console and PC, and got called breathtaking by Keanu Reeves. We’re still reeling from that one.

There is so much more that went down so here’s the TLDR:

• At E3, we announced that Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will also include Xbox Game Pass for PC… with no increase in price. So you can get your first month of Ultimate for $1 right now and play over 100 high quality PC games with our new Xbox (Beta) app for Windows 10. Get started here, where you can download our handy installer which will make sure your PC is compatible and on the latest version of Windows 10, and will install the new Xbox (Beta) app.
• With Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, members will get access to Gears 5 Ultimate Edition, including all the benefits like the Ultimate Edition Character Pack, 30 Days of Boost, early access to play four days earlier than everyone else, and all Xbox Game Pass members have a hall pass to be the first to play Gears 5 via the tech test in July. Play the entire Gears of War anthology with Xbox Game Pass so you’re on top of your game when the time comes.
• State of Decay 2 dropped its biggest expansion yet with Heartland, and it’s 100% free to all Xbox Game Pass members! You can thank us after you survive the blood plague ferals…
• This isn’t new news, but since many of you may be new fans, we want to remind you that all Xbox Game Pass members get exclusive member discounts, like up to 20% off games in the library, and up to 10% off related add-ons and consumables. So, go snap up stuff like the brand-new Forza Horizon 4 LEGO Speed Champions for 10% less!

So yeah, lots of great things happened at E3, but we’ve still got more to come! We may have dropped a ton of games on you last week, but new games are kind of our thing, so we’ve still got a few more for you. Here’s what’s coming to console and PC in the next couple weeks:

June 20

• Resident Evil: Revelations (Xbox Game Pass for Console, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate)
• Rare Replay (Xbox Game Pass for Console, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate)

June 27

• Torment: Tides of Numenera (Xbox Game Pass for PC, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate)
• Goat Simulator (Xbox Game Pass for PC, Xbox Game Pass for Console, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate)

We add new games all the time, but to keep the library curated and fresh for you, we do have to let go of some beloved titles. Here is your warning that some of these games are leaving soon, so play them now! Or if you love them too much to part with them, don’t forget you can use your Xbox Game Pass member discount to buy them at up to 20% off before they go.

Games Leaving Xbox Game Pass for Console

• Next Up Hero (June 27)
• Dead Island Definitive Edition (June 30)
• Devil May Cry 4 Special Edition (June 30)
• Shadow Complex Remastered (June 30)
• Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (June 30)
• Zombie Army Trilogy (June 30)

My last reminder is that you should grab your first month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for $1 while you can. Download the Xbox apps for PC and the Xbox Game Pass app for Mobile to stay up to date on the latest games. For more memes, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and for news about PC gaming, follow our new PC Twitter handle @XboxGamePassPC. And don’t forget that you are all breathtaking.

Today’s special E3 edition of Inside Xbox was chock-full of world premiere trailers, developer interviews, exclusive gameplay and general celebration of all things gaming and E3.

We delved deep into the hectic, strategic and violent new game mode for Gears 5, Escape, with Rod Fergusson and showcased the fast and fluid 4v4 competitive gameplay of Ninja Theory’s brand new IP, Bleeding Edge. We welcomed Phil Spencer to the stage to discuss Team Xbox’s vision for gaming, plumbed the depths of Halo Infinite’s moving new trailer with Chris Lee, got details on the incredible partnership with Smilegate to bring Crossfire X to Xbox One, and gave a hearty welcome to Double Fine’s Tim Schafer, the newest member of the Xbox Game Studios Family.

Also highlighted on stage were Sea of Thieves, including their brand new Halo-themed livery – available now until June 15 at 4:00 pm PT – Watch Dogs: Legion, Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order, State of Decay 2’s new story-focused expansion Heartland (Trumbull Valley lives!), and Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, along with world premiere trailers for The Surge 2, Code Vein, Age of Wonders: Planetfall, Zombie Army 4, Journey to the Savage Planet, and Phoenix Point.

Of course, it wouldn’t be Inside Xbox if it didn’t break some news along the way.

Backward Compatibility Announcement

Inside Xbox revealed the final wave of backward compatibility announcements for Xbox One, as the engineering team that brought one of the most beloved Xbox One features to life moves on to ensure your Xbox One library is backward compatible on Project Scarlett.

The team announced eight new original Xbox game entries into the backward compatibility catalogue: Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Double Agent, Unreal Championship 2: The Liandri Conflict, Armed and Dangerous, Indiana Jones and the Emperor’s Tomb, and Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy.

The newly announced Xbox 360 backward compatibility titles are Asura’s Wrath, Battlefield 2: Modern Combat, Enchanted Arms, Far Cry Classic, Far Cry Instinct Predator, Infinite Discovery, Peter Jackson’s King Kong: The Official Movie of the Game, Prince of Persia: Forgotten Sands, Skate, Star Ocean, Super Puzzle Fighter Turbo, The Syndicate, Unreal Tournament 3, and Too Human, which is available right now for free in the Microsoft Store.

Finally, eight Rare classics have received the Xbox One X Enhanced treatment: Banjo-Kazooie, Banjo-Tooie, Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, Kameo: Elements of Power, Perfect Dark and Perfect Dark Zero.

For all the details on this backward compatibility wave, check out our full blog post here.

Gamertag Updates

The team also announced some exciting new updates coming to Gamertags! First, you’ll now be able to use character scripts to represent over 200 languages, with even more support coming in the future. This means you can use characters native to your own language in your Gamertag.

You’ll also be able to now select any name you like for your Gamertag. If someone else has selected the same Gamertag, you’ll be assigned a 3-4 digit ID suffix separate you from those that have chosen the same Gamertag.

Finally, if you like your current Gamertag, nothing changes. Yours will always be the original version of that Gamertag and will not include a numerical suffix. For all the details on the coming updates to Gamertags, check out the blog post here.

X019

Phil Spencer announced the return of our global celebration of all things Xbox, with X019 slated for November 2019 in London. The event will be filled with news, first looks and plenty of surprises, all kicking off with the biggest Inside Xbox episode of the year. Thousands of fans will join in person, and we’ll have more details on how to participate in X019 at gamescom in August.

Inside Xbox may be done, but the there’s plenty more left in store during E3 week. Keep your eyes peeled on Mixer.com/Mixer for wall-to-wall E3 coverage throughout the week, and don’t forget to check out the full episode of Inside Xbox.