According to CN Community Contributor Elspeth, NetEase is cracking down on paid WoW Addons, possibly even leading to legal action. Paid addons have been a very controversial topic in the WoW community, with many players feeling that the enforcement of paid addons is severely lacking in the West. The rules of the UI Addon-On Development Policy can be found here and state many rules, including addons being free of charge, addons not soliciting donations in-game, and more.

Blizzard expands the "free of charge" rule with the following:

World of Warcraft User Interface Add-On Development Policy

1) Add-ons must be free of charge.
All add-ons must be distributed free of charge. Developers may not create “premium” versions of add-ons with additional for-pay features, charge money to download an add-on, charge for services related to the add-on, or otherwise require some form of monetary compensation to download or access an add-on.

This is controversial in the community, as there are addons out there that seem to violate it. Some addons seem to enter a grey area where they give away the base version for free, but then sell a premium upcharge for the pre-built data. In addition, some streamers and content creators have sold UI packs, customizations of addons, to their subscriptions, which also falls into a grey area.

According to Elspeth on X (Twitter), China is cracking down on paid and monetized addons for CN realms. They note that addons must be free with no paid unlocks, VIP tiers, subscriptions, etc., but also note "no paid WA/config sharing", which seems to imply that addon/streamer packs and free addons with paid settings cannot be monetized either.

Some of the biggest notes from this are:

They encourage players to support free addons and encourage a healthy addon ecosystem that promotes sharing and free access.

They strictly oppose any form of paid addon, including, but not limited to, paid purchases, VIP versions, and pay-per-use services.

They support platforms providing authors with reasonable incentives through a tipping system. Tipping should be purely voluntary and not linked to add-on functionality. Otherwise, it will be considered a paid service.

After this announcement, any platform or individual that continues to engage in paid addons will be subject to legal action.

In this episode of the Official XBOX Podcast, we’re bringing a bit more style and design to our lives, as we’re sitting down with the teams behind the collaboration between XBOX and IKEA. We’re checking out some of our favorite pieces of the collection including chairs, stools, ways to display your controllers, and so much more.

TRANSCRIPT

SPEAKER 1: Games in this podcast range from E to M.
[ XBOX sound ]
MALIK PRINCE: What’s going on, everybody?
Welcome back to the official XBOX podcast.
It’s the only podcast coming to you from inside XBOX.
My name is Malik Prince and I will be your host for today.
And we’ve got a very special episode for you because we are in the Human Factors Lab here on Microsoft Campus.
Talking not with game devs, but furniture devs, as we detail the collaboration between XBOX and IKEA.
We’re going to be talking about gaming chairs.
We’re going to be talking about places for you to put your controller.
We’re going to be talking about the cutest D-PAD you’ve ever seen.
You’re going to want to stay tuned for that one.
So without further ado, let’s get to it.
[ Music ]
All right.
I am here with Philip Dile from IKEA and Carl Ledbetter from XBOX.
Gentlemen, how are you doing today?
CARL LEDBETTER: Fantastic.
PHILIP DILE: Fantastic.
MALIK PRINCE: See, you answered the same.
We’re starting this off the right way.
OK, love it.
We’re going to get into all of the design stuff because this is going to be really interesting conversation.
But I want to start with XBOX and IKEA.
I’m so excited for this collection, which I have not been able to pronounce it.
Can you tell me how to say it?
PHILIP DILE: X-TAB-I.
MALIK PRINCE: X-TAB-I.
OK, the YXSTABY collection.
CARL LEDBETTER: Yeah?
YXSTABY.
PHILIP DILE: Oh, yeah.
Carl’s got it.
CARL LEDBETTER: It’s pretty good.
MALIK PRINCE: Can you tell me a little bit about how this partnership and this collaboration came to be?
PHILIP DILE: So in IKEA, we’re very curious about how people live.
Like, life at home is what we do.
And gaming is such a big part of people’s lives.
Almost everyone does it in almost every home throughout the world.
This time around, we really wanted to team up with experts in playing games at home who really understand the players, who understand, you know, the hardware, the frustrations and the games.
So XBOX, we reached out and we had our first conversations, and it turned out a very natural fit.
MALIK PRINCE: Well, just to jump on that.
I actually, so I visit IKEA very often.
In fact, and I’m not just saying this because you’re on here.
If you saw a picture of my living room, I have a coffee table, TV stand, my bookshelf, all from IKEA.
I just love walking around and getting inspiration.
But every once in a while, you’ll see, like a gaming setup and stuff like that.
And so it’s interesting to hear that you wanted to team up with experts.
Carl, expert, what was it like knowing that you were going to do this partnership and knowing the amount of different ways you could go about it?
Like, what was the feeling internally?
Well, CARL LEDBETTER: I can say honestly my whole team was excited about this.
Our design ethos is very similar.
The way we make products, the way we understand, you know, who the user is.
In our case, it’s players, people who want to game.
It doesn’t stop there.
It’s the environment that you play in.
Like, the environment that we’re sitting here talking right now is part of the experience and an important part of the experience.
So as soon as this got brought up, everybody’s like, oh, yeah, this is natural.
We just got to do something.

Quote:

Quote:So we’re going to get into all these pieces and kind of learn more about the collection.
But before we get into it, I want to know from each of you, pick your favorite child from this collection, starting with you, Philip.
PHILIP DILE: So I really like the TV stand.
I’m so happy how it came out.
When I game, I really want to have the best seat in the house.
And that’s not necessarily, you know, the TV on the wall.
So I want to just roll it up.
I also like the fact that the best part of it is actually not what you’re seeing.
It’s what’s behind the TV.
It’s that organization.
It’s the cable management.
And that’s where we brought a little bit of, like, IKEA organizational smarts, then working with Carl and the team to make it a great thing for gaming and how to organize all the gear and make sure that it fits, you know, the consoles and controllers, your headphones can hang back there.
It’s a great piece and at a really good price, I would say, as well.
MALIK PRINCE: There you go.
Always selling.
I love that.
You should see the cord management or lack thereof that’s happening in my apartment.
Carl, your favorite.
CARL LEDBETTER: Well, if it’s not just about the innovation and something like the TV stand, like what just feels good.
And I happen to have one right here.
It’s the pillow.
MALIK PRINCE: Is it an X?
CARL LEDBETTER: It’s inspired by the D-PAD, for sure.
There’s a lot to talk about with it.
It feels good.
We’re going to get into the entire collection, so let’s check it out, shall we?
Yeah.
PHILIP DILE: Let’s do it.
MALIK PRINCE: All right.
We’re back with Carl and David.
David, great to see you.
What you have in your hand is self-explanatory but also probably pretty intricate.
Tell me a little bit about this.
DAVID WAHL: So what we have here is the D-PAD cushion, and it’s really a favorite of mine.
It’s basically an enlarged version of the D-PAD that we find on the controller.
MALIK PRINCE: Again, another example of really thoughtful design taking cues from gaming.
As you all were ideating on this, I’m sure there were tons of iterations, tons of different prototypes, if you want to call it that.
How did you land on what we have here today?
CARL LEDBETTER: Well, one of the things that’s really cool about this cushion is when we were developing it and prototyping it, we started to watch people interact with it.
So there’s, of course, the cushiness of it, but people started to use it to play.
And what it does is it puts you in a more upright posture.
MALIK PRINCE: With a little extra support.
CARL LEDBETTER: Yeah, a little extra support.
And so then we started to really look at the materials inside to give it a little bit more structure so it holds up to play.
It’s too bad Daria isn’t here.
She’s the textile designer from IKEA, and she was really integral in designing this cushion as well.
But one of the things that she was just a stickler about was getting this piping just right.
The shape is actually fairly complex, but keeping this shape consistent required doing some special tricks to this piping.
MALIK PRINCE: It’s been here.
I haven’t touched it.
May I?
DAVID WAHL: Go ahead.
CARL LEDBETTER: Give it a try.
MALIK PRINCE: Ooh, I like it.
It’s comfy.
Maybe like Friday night when I’m playing Life is Strange in my feels, crying, like a cup of coffee, cup of coffee at night.
No, this is really nice.
If you don’t mind, I’m just going to — you didn’t see anything.
You didn’t see anything.
We’re going to go on to the next one.
All right.
Back with Elliot and David to talk about this gaming stool that you have right here in front of me.
I’ve been sitting on it the entire episode, by the way, if that’s a testament to its comfort.
But you two designed this.
How — I hate to ask the question this way.
But how do you design something for a butt that’s typically designed for a thumb?
ELLIOT HSU: Well, that was one of the things we wanted to do, especially with this collection is bring something that was very, very iconic in XBOX into the world of furniture.
We spend enormous amount of development on making the thumbstick as comfortable as possible for a long play, gaming play.
And then we handed over the CAD to our partners at IKEA, and then we said, how do you make this into a seating product?
DAVID WAHL: So I received the CAD and immediately scale it up and found it looks really funny once you kind of scale.
It’s totally out of proportion.
So really the task was to find the sweet spot between making it a stool but still looks like a thumbstick.
MALIK PRINCE: It’s a statement piece, I feel like it’s a statement piece.
But in addition, I’ve been sitting on it.
It rocks a little bit.
What was the decision like to make it rotate?
DAVID WAHL: Yeah, I mean, the thumbstick moves and we like the active seating of a stool that also moves.
We were in Helmholtz having the workshop together where we tried out 3D printed samples.
We had, like CNC samples, tried different materials, different curvature of the seat.
Like you mentioned, the diamond pattern.
If you scale that up, it would be really uncomfortable to sit on.
So kind of smoothing it out, making sure that it have the right curvature, and also making it rock just enough to make it comfortable.
MALIK PRINCE: So, Elliot, what other details kind of transferred from the controller over to the stool?
ELLIOT HSU: One of the great things that David did was actually take a lot of the spirit and additional details in XBOX.
So even, you know, this detail underneath the rubber rings here that help for grip and stability were actually taken from another thumbstick topper from our Elite Series 2 controller.
And also, David was able to take the spirit of XBOX.
We love Easter eggs.
We love putting little surprises.
There are several details and Easter eggs molded into this thumbstick stool.
DAVID WAHL: One of them is an Easter egg that you will only find before you assemble it.
After that, it’s too late.
It’s gone forever.
MALIK PRINCE: It’s gone forever.
All right.
Well, all of you out there, before you put your stool together, be sure to take a quick and thorough look.
You might just find out some secrets around.
I love the idea of making it fun.
And I love that it transferred over into the stool.
ELLIOT HSU: Yeah, and the stool is just, you know, it’s probably the most playful, the most delightful product and iconic for XBOX.
So it’s a great centerpiece for the collection.
MALIK PRINCE: Elliot, David, thank you so much for showcasing the thumbstick controller.
I feel like I can take this one and this one and we find a giant controller and fix it, put it together.
No?
That was a joke.
It’s fine.
I’m excited.
Be sure to pick this up.
It is going to be a nice statement piece for your home.
Thank you, guys, so much for showing it.
DAVID WAHL: Thanks for having us.
MALIK PRINCE: All right, I am here with Ryan and Lucas, because we’re going to be talking about gaming chairs.
Gentlemen, typical gaming chairs, they have a very distinct look.
I think everyone can kind of — if you say gaming chairs, people have an idea of what that means in their heads.
You all got together to design what I think is something new and innovative in the scene.
Tell me about it.
RYAN WHITAKER: Yeah, I think we wanted something that didn’t scream gaming chair, that would fit basically into any home or living room, but that would still solve a lot of the problems that you have when you’re trying to game, get comfortable, and really get into — be immersed in your game.
LUCAS BAZLE: Like problems we wanted to solve with it is, of course, the ergonomics.
So in gaming, that’s also what I learned.
It’s about like cozy and leaning back.
So here we have a really good angle.
We have the cushion, but then it’s also like leaning forwards and be like really active in the game.
And then also, of course, the active seating.
So we have the counter lever, so it has some movement.
You can be in the game, and it’s quite nice to have that.
MALIK PRINCE: Which is so important because when I’m playing, especially a first-person shooter, it’s like I’m in the game.
I’m moving all around, like getting that feedback and making sure that the chair has a little give is really important, which gets to the point of functionality in addition to just design, right?
You all have like a magic trick.
LUCAS BAZLE: Yeah, exactly.
If we go under, we have a pocket where you can store away controller, but of course also other things, remote controls, whatever you have.
MALIK PRINCE: Yeah, it’s part of the gamer’s sort of cycle of, hey, where do I put this when I need to set it down for a second?
Where can I put it for storage for the next time I want to pick up a gaming session, which is probably super important for you all to implement.
RYAN WHITAKER: Yeah, I mean, you don’t want to set this on the floor and it gets damaged or anything like that.
So you want to make sure that it’s safe.
MALIK PRINCE: It’s nice and (inaudible).
LUCAS BAZLE: We also had a lot of people in mind, like maybe a couple where one is a gamer, the other one is not really.
So how to do that, how to organize that in every day.
So it’s easier to store things away, have a different setup, and then come back to it again.
RYAN WHITAKER: Yeah, and it’s nice and light too, so you can just like move it around pretty easily.
Just one-handed, just take it from one end of the room to the other.
MALIK PRINCE: I don’t think we talked about the green stitching.
LUCAS BAZLE: Yeah, we have the stitching here.
We want to bring in some green, but of course like a full-on green chair is maybe a bit hard in a living room.
So we worked with these stitching lines and we have some other details on the pocket under the seat.
RYAN WHITAKER: It’s pretty subtle, but if you know what you’re looking for and if you know, you know, it’s there.
MALIK PRINCE: That’s – if you know, you know.
I think that’s like the ultimate summary of this segment.
This is incredible.
I will take two of these.
Thank you.
And let’s go to the next one.
[ Music ]
All right, back with Ryan and David, and we are going to be talking about something that’s been hiding in plain sight.
It’s the gaming D-PAD controller platter here in front of us.
Gentlemen, tell me about this product and where’s the inspiration coming from?
RYAN WHITAKER: The inspiration for this one came from the Elite faceted D-PAD.
MALIK PRINCE: One of my favorites.
RYAN WHITAKER: Yeah.
So here we’ve got the Call of Duty Elite controller.
That’s got the D-PAD on there.
And we went through quite a bit of iteration on this one, right?
DAVID WAHL: Yeah.
I mean, to begin with, we thought this would be nice as a stool, but then we already had the stool in the collection, so there were a little bit too many stools.
And then we thought like, hey, this is really nice shape.
We should keep this and maybe turn it into a nice object.
MALIK PRINCE: And there it is.
I love the idea of that thought process, because I could think of that as like a side table.
There’s probably so many ways that you could land on a piece like that and how it shows up in the collection.
But let’s check this out.
Let’s see it.
Now, this is stainless steel.
I’m sure there were different materials that you all thought about for this.
Why did you end up landing on stainless steel?
RYAN WHITAKER: Man, we tried so many different materials, right?
DAVID WAHL: Yeah.
From the start, we had the pressed wood, so wood veneer.
We tried felt.
We had clear glass, colored glass.
And I think this is really the best choice.
MALIK PRINCE: Yeah.
The stainless steel really makes it kind of feel high-end.
RYAN WHITAKER: I love that.
That is so nice.
MALIK PRINCE: Can I check it out?
RYAN WHITAKER: Yeah, go for it.
MALIK PRINCE: I haven’t picked it up yet.
Ooh.
Got that mirror finish.
It’s got kind of the disco ball effect.
If you get enough lights on it.
RYAN WHITAKER: Oh, yeah.
MALIK PRINCE: I see.
I kind of get that feel.
Love it.
I’m just going to put that right back here.
[ Laughter ]
Okay.
Ryan and David, thank you so much for showing us this controller platter.
Great job on it.
RYAN WHITAKER: Yeah, thanks.
DAVID WAHL: Thanks.
MALIK PRINCE: All right.
This next item, I’m personally the most excited for.
All of them are great, but this is something I’ve been looking forward to for so long as someone with 30 controllers.
I know Carl’s like 30, what a junior.
But no, this is something I’m really excited for, the gaming controller display box.
Lucas, Carl, tell me all about how this came to be.
LUCAS BAZLE: I mean, that was one big thing I learned when we talked to you and your team, that the controller is such an important piece.
It’s also such a personal piece, so people collect it and have many.
So we wanted to do something to highlight and showcase the controller.
CARL LEDBETTER: So, you’re right.
Your junior collection.
I’ve got a few more on you.
MALIK PRINCE: Probably like a couple hundred, maybe.
CARL LEDBETTER: I just happen to have one right here, the Doom, the Dark Ages controller.
MALIK PRINCE: Should we show how it works?
CARL LEDBETTER: Yeah.
So maybe, Lucas, you can put it in there.
But what’s really cool is people get these controllers, and they’re a personal expression of who they are and what they care about.
And then there needs to be a place for it.
But now there’s an actual curated product that’s designed for showing your controller.
And one of my favorite things, I don’t know if you can see it, but like this controller, it actually has a leather-inspired back to it that you can’t see from the front.
But because there’s a mirror surface on the back, you can just see it.
MALIK PRINCE: I think players who end up picking this up are going to love to hear that that level of thought went into making this, because a lot of what’s going to be going into this are controllers that people have real sentimental feelings towards, and a lot of controllers that you and the team have made.
So I love this.
But I’m sure you can display other things in here if you want.
It doesn’t have to just be controllers, right?
LUCAS BAZLE: Exactly.
I mean, that was one big, other topic.
People have so many objects that they really like and want to showcase.
So you can take out that hook here, and then it’s just a box.
You can have it like this or like this, and then your collective pieces.
CARL LEDBETTER: So you could have your Halo-inspired controller and maybe a Master Chief figurine right next to it.
MALIK PRINCE: I love it.
I love it.
I’ll take three.
(Laughter.) RYAN WHITAKER: Also comes in white.
MALIK PRINCE: And it comes in white.
Okay.
And so you can mix and match and make it really nice.
I love this.
This is great.
The gaming controller display box in the IKEA collection.
Pick it up.
[ Music ]
All right, Carl and Philip, we’ve seen all the products.
Incredible.
And again, as someone who has nothing in their apartment, I call it minimalist.
It’s just to be a little positive.
I’m really excited for this collection.
I genuinely am.
It’s just to add a little bit of pop to my apartment and my space.
And so as we go into this landing in people’s living rooms and their spaces, how are you feeling knowing that it’s going to start to show up and start to become a part of people’s lives?
PHILIP DILE: I’m feeling great.
I’m very much looking forward to seeing it in people’s homes, making their gaming experience better and also their homes more personal, beautiful.
That’s really important.
MALIK PRINCE: It’s the IKEA way.
PHILIP DILE: Yeah.
CARL LEDBETTER: It’s been a long journey working together on this.
And the whole team is really looking forward to seeing them land in people’s homes, and to see how it impacts the way they play, and who they play with, and the environment that they’re playing in.
MALIK PRINCE: This is like a match made in heaven.
You know, we talk about how passionate players are and the experiences that they have.
And almost just as importantly is the space around them.
And you all have done an incredible job coming together and building out a collection that I know people are going to love.
So, like I said, you’re going to love it.
So be sure to check it out when it hits your IKEA very soon.
Thank you so much for watching the official XBOX podcast.
Carl, Philip, thank you for joining me today.
And we will see you all next time.
[ Music ]
[ XBOX sound ]

The wait for Godot 4.8 has gotten two steps closer with the Dev6 and Dev7 releases, presumably the final dev releases before we begin the beta process. You can learn more about other Dev releases features in our earlier Dev1, Dev2+Dev3, Dev3, Dev4 and Dev5 coverage.

Highlights of Godot 4.8 Dev6:

• Add screen-space contact shadows for directional lights
  
  
• Clean and simplify 3D toolbar[/url]
  
  

• Symbol renaming
  
  
• Game view
  Code:

  CanvasItem
  manipulation
  
  
• Animated decals
  
  
• Add non-allocating query methods for
  Code:

  PhysicsDirectSpaceState2D
  /
  Code:

  3D
  [url=https://godotengine.org/article/dev-snapshot-godot-4-8-dev-7/#physics-add-non-allocating-query-methods-for-physicsdirectspacestate2d3d]
  
  
• Native touch support for
  Code:

  TabBar
  and
  Code:

  PopupMenu
  
  
• Add theme sound items and playback on common UI events
  
  
• AccessKit for iOS and Android
  
  

Since the launch of PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) on PS5 Pro, players and developers have asked whether similar image-quality improvements could be brought to the PS5 console. PSSR analyzes game images pixel by pixel and uses AI to upscale them with more detail and stability than conventional approaches; until now, its computational demands made bringing that experience to PS5 impossible.

Today, we’re excited to announce Quick Spectral Super Resolution (QSSR): a new performance tier of AI upscaling. Born from Project Amethyst, our AI graphics collaboration with AMD, this quick new evolution of PSSR is built on two key innovations:

• A streamlined neural network architecture
  
  
• A hand-tuned implementation that maximizes performance on PS5
  
  

Quote:

Quote:“Our team at Insomniac works hard to make sure each of our games is a showcase of PlayStation hardware, and we’re excited for Marvel’s Wolverine to be one of the first titles to bring this new QSSR technology to players.

Quote:QSSR adds more pixel-level clarity and stability to our environments, bringing out extra detail amidst the busy streets of Madripoor, the dense alleyways of Shinjuku, and many other areas across Logan’s epic journey. It’s a perfect companion to the launch of Marvel’s Wolverine, and it brings a great taste of the PS5 Pro experience to our players on PS5.

Quote:Personally, I love seeing how the PlayStation tech teams continually improve the PS5 platform, and I’m excited for more games to make use of QSSR in the future!”

Quote:“At Sucker Punch, we’re excited to bring QSSR to Ghost of Yōtei players so that they can experience the world we’ve created with even more clarity and detail. QSSR excels at resolving the fine details in our characters and environments and does so with a level of temporal stability that hasn’t been possible on the PS5 console until now. We’ve long wished that all PS5 players could experience the incredible image quality that PSSR brings to PS5 Pro, and QSSR is a positive step towards that goal!”

IKEA and XBOX have partied up to launch a new gaming-inspired collection, YXSTABY, designed for gaming at home. Whether locking in or lounging out, in-game or on the sofa, the collection makes room for gaming everywhere without sacrificing function, comfort, or style.

The nine-piece collection was co-developed by IKEA and XBOX, with designers from each team working together on every piece, combining performance, comfort, and storage solutions for new everyday wins.

 “At IKEA, we believe gaming deserves a place in the home that feels just as thoughtful, comfortable and personal as any other everyday activity,” said Philip Dilé, Product Developer at IKEA. “With YXSTABY, we worked closely with XBOX to reimagine familiar forms into playful, functional pieces that make it easier for people to bring their love of gaming into the spaces where they live.”



The XBOX controller is a recurring source of inspiration for the collection, shaping how several pieces look, and how they work. The classic D-pad becomes both a comfortable cushion and a decorative platter in shiny stainless steel.

A mirrored display box showcases a controller from every side, alongside figurines and other collectibles worth showing off.  The collection also includes a gaming lounge chair, monitor stand, TV stand on castors, side table on castors, and laptop support with storage and accessories.

But the thumbstick stool takes the idea furthest. Developed from the XBOX Wireless Controller’s original 3D design files, provided by XBOX device designers, it seamlessly transforms an object moved by a thumb into one designed to sit on. Even the grip texture has a new purpose, helping to keep a person in place just as it keeps a thumb from slipping.

















“We started with the Xbox controller—one of the most recognizable objects in gaming—and looked at how its familiar forms could inspire the collection,” said Carl Ledbetter, Head of Design, XBOX Devices. “By translating elements like the D-pad and thumbstick into functional furniture, we created pieces that celebrate Xbox design while feeling completely at home in everyday living spaces.”

To learn more about the collaboration behind the collection, check out .

The YXSTABY collection launches in IKEA stores today; and online later this year. Availability may vary by market. For more information, contact your local IKEA.

The post IKEA and XBOX Team Up on YXSTABY, a New Collection Made for Gaming at Home appeared first on XBOX Wire.

Your weekend plans are officially set with Ubisoft’s Free Play Days takeover!

FARCRY 6, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, Skull and Bones, and The Crew Motorfest are free for all XBOX members to try from Thursday, October 1 until Sunday, October 4 (XBOX Game Pass Game Pass Ultimate, Premium and Essential membership not required).

How to Start Playing

Scroll down and find and install the games on each of the individual game details page on XBOX.com. Clicking through will send you to the Microsoft Store, where you must be signed in to see the option to install with your XBOX Game Pass Ultimate, Premium and Essential membership. To download on console, click on the Subscriptions tab in the XBOX Store and navigate down to the Free Play Days collection on your XBOX One and XBOX Series X|S.

Keep the Fun Going

Purchase the game and other editions at a limited time discount and continue playing while keeping your Gamerscore and achievements earned during the event! Please note that discounts, percentages, and title availability may vary by title and region.

Free Play Day For All

FARCRY 6
Take down Castillo’s regime in this first-person open world guerrilla shooter set in the island nation of Yara. Lead the revolution alone or with a friend, fight with improvised weapons, travel however you can, and build your rebel network to take down Castillo’s regime. Now up to 85% off!





FARCRY 6

Ubisoft

☆☆☆☆☆
6974

★★★★★

$59.99

$8.99

Get it now

Ultimate Game Pass

Xbox Game Pass

Free Trial

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
Travel to Ancient Greece and forge your own destiny as a Spartan warrior in this epic action-adventure game. Forge your own odyssey in a world on the brink of chaos and become a legendary Spartan hero, fighting mythical creatures along the way. Charge into epic clashes between Sparta and Athens, with battles pitting 150v150 soldiers against each other.





Assassin's Creed Odyssey

Ubisoft

☆☆☆☆☆
7208

★★★★★

$59.99

$11.99

Get it now

Xbox One X Enhanced

Ultimate Game Pass

Xbox Game Pass

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
Experience the epic wonders of the Western Frontier, a never-before-seen continent of Pandora. Journey through beautiful yet unpredictable open world regions, where lowering your guard can lead to deadly mistakes. Reconnect with your lost heritage, discover what it truly means to be Na’vi and join other clans to protect Pandora.





Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora

Ubisoft

☆☆☆☆☆
2303

★★★★★

$29.99

$16.49

Get it now

Ultimate Game Pass

Xbox Game Pass

Skull and Bones
Skull and Bones is free to play during Xbox Free Play Days, the perfect time to jump into Year 3 Season 2: Crimson Waters. Take command of the new large ship, the Junk, built for relentless fire damage, face new challenges including the Abyssal Fleet and Abyssal Envoy, and experience new progression features like Modification Transfer and Mastery Loadouts. Whether you’re returning to the helm or sailing for the first time, there’s never been a better time to jump in.





Skull and Bones

Ubisoft

☆☆☆☆☆
2273

★★★★★

Get it now

Ultimate Game Pass

The Crew Motorfest
The Crew Motorfest is an action-driving celebration of car culture, set against the breathtaking landscapes of the Hawaiian archipelago, now available at its best price yet! Race, explore, and cruise through Hawaii with 800+ dream vehicles.





The Crew Motorfest

UBISOFT

☆☆☆☆☆
447

★★★★★

$59.99

$47.99

Get it now

Don’t miss out on these exciting Free Play Days for XBOX Game Pass Ultimate, Premium and Essential members! Learn more about Free Play Days here and stay tuned to XBOX Wire to find out about future Free Play Days and all the latest XBOX gaming news. 

The post Free Play Days – FARCRY 6, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, Skull and Bones, The Crew Motorfest appeared first on XBOX Wire.

Satya Nadella, Chairman and CEO, and Ryan Roslansky, [i]Executive Vice President of LinkedIn and Microsoft 365, shared the below communications with Microsoft and LinkedIn employees this morning.[/i]

SATYA NADELLA MESSAGE

After nearly 18 years at LinkedIn and Microsoft, Ryan Roslansky has decided to leave Microsoft and embark on his next chapter.

As Ryan and I have been discussing our roadmap and work ahead, we felt this was the right moment for this change. Ryan will stay through the end of the calendar year as an advisor to me and will support on the transition.

Ryan leaves the organization in a strong position. With Copilot, we are executing rapidly against our vision to build a new OS for work that spans every model, every form factor, and every task, with Office fully embedded in Copilot and vice versa! Over the past year, Ryan’s team has done critical work bringing together the product, engineering, and design foundations that have made this next phase possible. Last week’s launch was an important milestone in that journey, and the strong response from customers, partners, and the broader ecosystem reinforced both how far we’ve come and how much opportunity remains ahead.

At LinkedIn, we remain focused on our core vision of creating economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce, helping our 1.3 billion members access the knowledge, insights, and opportunities they need to navigate rapidly changing professional and labor markets.

Effective today we will make the following changes:

• Sumit Chauhan and Lan Ye will report to Charles Lamanna.
  
  

• Jon Friedman will report to Jacob Andreou.
  
  

• Dan Shapero will continue as CEO of LinkedIn and Mohak Shroff will continue in his role, both reporting to me.
  
  

Take the punchy, fast-paced combat of a brawler, the tight platforming and exploration of a search-action game, and a cute dragon companion (who’s also the millennia-old god you worship), and blend everything together with a dash of anime flair. That is the recipe for Elta: Defy All Gods, our upcoming game here at Afterburner Studios, launching February 2nd, 2027.

Dive in with us as we explain how our action-platformer brings back the best from the classics while making it a fresh experience, what inspired us, and why you should jump into the free demo on PlayStation 5 today.

Play Video





A new take on action-platformers

Action-platformers have had a resurgence of interest in the last few years, providing an interesting mix of combat, exploration, and story, but few have tried blending explosive hand-to-hand fights with labyrinthian, non-linear exploration. Elta: Defy All Gods provides just that: impactful melee action, mixing martial arts and magic, broken up by flowing aerial platforming and discovery across three winding sci-fi worlds. The challenge lies in mastering both combat and navigation; juggling enemies in dynamic encounters across sprawling worlds that won’t always hold your hand.

The best way to explain our unique take on the genre is to coin a new term. We like to call Elta: Defy All Gods a “brawlervania”. Brawler enthusiasts will enjoy three martial art stances, each with their own skill trees, alongside magic systems to unleash built-up energy in massive attacks. Platforming players, on the other hand, will get a growing set of movement abilities with classic moves, such as the double jump, dash, wall run, and grapple. That’s not all though; Elta, your dragon, will be key, by giving you new unique abilities to hit harder and reach previously inaccessible locations.

The inspirations behind Elta: Defy All Gods

Veteran players will definitely catch nods to series we grew up with, like Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, God of War, Darksiders, and Jak and Daxter. We take a lot of pride in honoring these classics, but we wanted to do more than just rehash them. To carve out our own identity within that familiar formula, we traded traditional weapon-based hacking and slashing for fluid, hand-to-hand martial arts. By weaving your dragon companion’s abilities right into your fights and platforming acrobatics, we hope to bring something fresh to the table. To find that specific energy, we also sought creative inspiration outside of the gaming realm entirely.



Moving to TV screens, shōnen anime, and especially Dragon Ball Z, have been a massive inspiration for us, echoing the power fantasy you can experience playing the warrior monk Victus. With such a heavy focus on melee combat, we also turned to Hong Kong martial arts movies, ranging from the Ip Man saga to Shaw Brothers’ classics. These influences have been wrapped in a painterly art direction that makes each vista look like living concept art. The sense of power you get while playing echoes the sense of scale you feel when taking in each landscape.

Reaching high ambitions as an indie team

Despite the big-budget games listed above, we are not a large studio by any means. With three co-founders and a dozen core members, delivering on this game’s promise has been a real challenge for us at Afterburner Studios. It’s one that required us to lean heavily on our background in indie development. We’ve taken lessons from our previous game into Elta, finding clever ways to achieve bigger things with our small-sized team. While we’ve stayed true to our vision of a modernized take on classic mechanics, Elta has gone through constant iteration over the course of the last five years to allow us to deliver the best versions of this game to players – both in world, gameplay and tone.

This was also made possible through a partnership with Focus Entertainment, the folks behind Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 and Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy. By lending us their design, production, and QA experience, they allowed us to expand our vision and tackle a dream project – one that would only be possible with their support. Instead of getting slowed down by our ambitions, this fruitful partnership allowed us to double down on what we do best: crafting satisfying game feel.

Game feel as our main priority

At every stage of development, we’ve gotten the same feedback: this is a game that must be felt, controller in hand, rather than just watched. All our mechanics, in both combat and platforming, have been tuned to be as satisfying as possible. By using the haptics of the DualSense controller, landing punches and hitting platforms has a real tactile weight, resulting in a more immersive experience for PlayStation players. Ultimately, we want to create an action-packed adventure that puts fun first and continues to defy your expectations for what a small indie team can pull off.





And you don’t need to wait to try it out for yourself: our free demo is available today on PS5, allowing you to experience the very beginning of Elta: Defy All Gods. Retrieve the lost dragon-god you worship, brawl corrupted enemies in intense melee combat, and explore Lerna, a glacial world filled with hidden secrets, ancient ruins, and industrial remnants. The full game releases on February 2, 2027, and if you pre-order, you can get the Vanguard Armor, a special cosmetic skin for Victus.



Find Elta, face off against the gods and start the journey to bring salvation to your people with the free demo, available today on PlayStation 5.

Today, Gears of War: E-Day Early Access begins for Premium Edition players and Game Pass subscribers with the Premium Upgrade.

To mark the occasion, we’re releasing the Launch Gameplay Trailer, featuring Metallica’s “For Whom the Bell Tolls.”

Today is a moment we’ve been looking forward to for a long time. On behalf of everyone at The Coalition, thank you to the fans who have followed us on this journey. We can’t wait for you to experience Emergence Day for yourselves.

Early Access Is Live Now

Early Access for Gears of War: E-Day is live worldwide beginning today, October 1 at 8:00 a.m. PT / 15:00 UTC. The game launches worldwide on October 6 at 8:00 a.m. PT / 15:00 UTC.

Gears of War: E-Day is available on XBOX Series X|S, Windows PC, and Steam, with cloud gaming available through Game Pass Ultimate and GeForce NOW. Gears of War: E-Day will be part of the Disc to Digital program when the game releases for early access.

Plan Your Emergence Day

Whether you’re jumping in today or getting ready for October 6, you can check out the full Gears of War: E-Day achievement list and start planning your path through the game.

Beyond the Game

There’s more happening beyond the game to celebrate the launch of Gears of War: E-Day.

• Wear Gears. New launch apparel is available from the Gears of War XBOX Game Studios Shop, Roots of Fight XBOX Game Studios Shop and our partners and Affliction.
  
  
• Drink Gears. Pick up a Liquid Death Energy and upload your receipt to unlock an in-game chainsaw pose for your character.
  
  
• Eat Gears. Prince Street Pizza is celebrating with the Emergence Pie, a Gears-themed pizza available at locations across the United States and Canada, now for a limited time only.  
  
  
• Read Gears: Go behind the scenes with The Art and Making of Gears of War: E-Day from Insight Editions, the official companion to the game. Featuring developer interviews on art, story, sound, and design, it is the most comprehensive single volume ever published about Gears of War.
  
  
• Listen Gears: The Gears of War: E-Day Original Soundtrack by Adam Lastiwka launches October 6 and is available to pre-save now. Stream “Emergence,” the first track released from the album, today on Spotify and other digital music services.
  
  
• Take Gears beyond the game with the Gears of War: E-Day Limited Edition Xbox Wireless Controllers, available now. Pre-order the controller dock, launching October 9, and for PC players, pre-order  8BitDo’s E-Day Retro 87 Keyboard & Retro R8 Mouse, targeted to launch October 30.
  
  

Telltale’s The Wolf Among Us Remastered launches October 29. To get ready for Bigby Wolf’s enhanced tale we sat down with Telltale’s Matt Saia, the game director of The Wolf Among Us Remastered, and VP of Creative at Telltale, to talk about returning to Fabletown.

The Wolf Among Us is one of Telltale’s most beloved series. Do you remember the first time you played it? What resonated most and stayed with you since? 

Matt Saia: I came to it as a fan of Telltale having played The Walking Dead and Back to the Future. Wolf had a killer look and a werewolf in it, that was enough to get me in the door. From the first scene, the story, the contrast of these fables characters in the 1980s, and the neon noir style had me hooked. Their stories touched human emotions and stuck with me forever.

What was the goal with remastering The Wolf Among Us? 

We wanted to honor the Telltale legacy. This is a classic title, and it needed a respectful update. We avoided touching the story, the directorial choices, and the overall art style, those are sacred to us. The goal is to introduce new players to Wolf in the best way possible and create a fun experience for returning players by packing it with updated art and behind the scenes features. Ultimately, it was a love letter to fans. We’re all fans and we took time to make sure it is the best version of The Wolf Among Us that stays true to the original.

Telltale added Noir Mode to The Wolf Among Us Remastered. What do you think this brings to the game? 

Coincidentally, I was the person who added Shadows Mode to Telltale’s Batman series. We’ve treated it differently in Remastered. Unlike Batman, where we had highlights of color we’ve kept Wolf with a pure noir film vibe. The tone feels different when it’s black and white. I love the colors of the main game but, in Noir Mode, the shadows feel a little darker.

Play Video





Let’s talk about some of the technical improvements. How was it working with the original Telltale engine? 

The old Telltale engine is quirky but cool. We started by moving it up to the latest engine used in the Batman series. Next, we created new shaders for things like shiny bottles, and inverted lines on moving objects like the ghost ship.

The biggest challenge was lighting. It wasn’t something we intended to do but we realized anything we changed in any scene required that we redo the lighting. By the end, every scene in the game was relit.One of the biggest testaments to how good we got with the old engine is we built the entire Summer Games Fest trailer in engine.

How about the Character art? 

Our choice was to elevate the game that everybody loved. The remastered characters have amazing detail but when you look at Bigby, he looks like Bigby. I think that’s the balance beam you walk; we wanted people to say “That’s the Bigby I remember”, but if you go back and look at the original, the remastered one is unmistakably more refined. 

Every single character went through concept to high-end model to final in-game model. All the textures and models are new and multiple times more detailed than the original game. If you did a simple up-rez, all you’re really doing is taking the curves and lines that are already there and making them smoother.

Our process provoked more aggressive choices with how you treat the characters without losing who they are because you’re taking them from scratch. It was a big lift, but worth it.

Is there anything from this remastering process that exceeded your expectations?  

The werewolf. I think everybody wanted to change him in a big way, and we did. He is ferocious, so much more feral and powerful than the original but still true to The Wolf Among Us.

Is there anything else you’d like people to know?  

It was amazing to revisit Fabletown. The team was incredible. We love every dusty apartment and lit cigarette and, more importantly, the characters and story they tell. To me, that’s what makes a great remaster; when you know people poured their soul into it.

We want existing fans to show up and know they are in good hands. For new fans, it’s an opportunity to be captivated by a fully-realized version of this amazing universe just as we all were. To everyone out there, thank you for sticking with Telltale and believing in us. 

 The Wolf Among Us Remastered launches October 29 and is available to wishlist now.