Upgrading weapons can take ages in Black Ops 6 which is why it’s important to take advantage of Double XP Weekends. So, here’s what you need to know about the next Double XP Weekend, including the start and end date.

It’s impossible to climb up the Ranked ladder or rack up Killstreaks without having the best attachments for your weapons. And to get those attachments, you’ll have to level up individual guns which can be an arduous process. Slow weapon leveling has been a common complaint among CoD fans for years, and among the only methods to speed things up are Double XP tokens.

Players can occasionally get these tokens for free, but they’re mostly tied to promotions or paid bundles. This is where Double XP Weekends come in, allowing you to get additional weapon XP for no added cost. So, here’s when the next Double XP Weekend starts in Black Ops 6.

BO6 Double XP Weekend start time

The next Double XP Weekend is expected to start on Tuesday, December 24th. While the date is yet to be officially confirmed, it was leaked by the in-game ‘Events’ tab.

Quote:Double XP and Double Weapon XP live in Black Ops 6 and Warzone starting Tuesday, December 24th per the in game event tab pic.twitter.com/AjKckzKJ2S

— CharlieIntel (@charlieINTEL) December 22, 2024

Our Devourer DH writer, Voodoosaurus, breaks down all the Devourer DH changes in Patch 12.1.5 and how it'll impact gameplay when the next patch launches on October 13th. Devourer DH Overview

Devourer 12.1.5 Changes
Devourer Demon Hunter is the newest specialization in World of Warcraft, joining the roster with 12.0 and the launch of Midnight. Despite being so new, Devourer has already received multiple rounds of large changes, and this trend continues in 12.1.5, featuring even more sweeping changes to Devourer. In this article, I aim to dive into what the problems facing Devourer are, the changes coming in, and the impact of these changes.

How did we get here?

Coming into 12.1, targeted changes were made to reduce the power of Void Metamorphosis, reducing the scaling of Collapsing Star through a targeted nerf to Impending Apocalypse, and a reduction to the inside Void Meta component of our Mastery, Mastery: Monster Within. Coupled with the loss of our S1 tier set, Demon Hunter Devourer 12.0 Class Set 4pc, this amounted to a large loss of damage from inside Void Metamorphosis, and a large hit to Annihilator. These changes, plus our Reap empowering tier set in season 2 (Demon Hunter Devourer 12.1 Class Set 4pc), pushed us into playing Void-Scarred, although last-minute buffs to Collapsing Star and small nerfs to Reap and Eradicate maintained Annihilator's viability in keys, especially in higher, more coordinated groups.

This shift to Void-Scarred led to us focusing more on the melee-oriented playstyle, focusing our damage around abilities such as Hungering Slash, The Hunt, Voidsurge, and Reap. This playstyle saw us aim to jump into and out of melee often, rapidly cycling our Void Metamorphosis to leverage more resets of abilities. This offered an entirely new playstyle, although one which was divisive in the player base. It also highlighted many issues with Devourer, separate from those that Annihilator already had. So what are those?

AFKing: Due to the power of Rolling Torment and the strength gained from entering Void Metamorphosis, it's correct for Void-Scarred to AFK when fighting 2 or more targets once you've gotten to your second Eradicate. This allows you to cycle quicker, trading fairly weak damage at the end of your Void Metamorphosis for more entrances of Void Metamorphosis. This behavior is something that most players, and Blizzard themselves, do not like.

Ignoring Collapsing Star: Collapsing Star is billed as the core button for Devourer, building up to it in your Void Metamorphosis, and having it be a satisfying and powerful component of your rotation. Our entire apex talents (Midnight,Midnight, and Midnight) are even built around empowering it! However, Collapsing Star was weakened significantly going into 12.1, and has anti-synergy with Void-Scarred. Rolling Torment converts souls you consume in Void Metamorphosis into its powerful buff, but Collapsing Star uses those collected souls, reducing the overall buff gained from Rolling Torment. This loss in buff does not make up for how weak Collapsing Star is, especially since Void-Scarred plays with Soul Glutton, meaning they get one Collapsing Star at most. Collapsing Star being so weak also means that Void-Scarred builds do not take our Apex talents.

180 Playstyle Difference: Devourer's two hero talent options, Void-Scarred and Annihilator, feature incredibly different playstyles, to the point where they are essentially different specs. This leads to almost whiplash in playstyle, where players who are playing Devourer, and who seek to play the best options, can be playing different specs from patch to patch, or even boss to boss, even though they are still a Devourer. While many enjoy the current playstyle, Blizzard has communicated to us that the large changes between the two trees are not something they like.

Bottom Gate Points: Devourer's bottom gate is incredibly rich with points that are needed for the spec to function: Eradicate is needed whenever fighting 2 or more targets, the entire left side leading to The Hunt is needed for Void-Scarred to function, Calamitous is needed for all builds, Devourer's Bite is needed for any builds using the melee talents, and the Apex, Midnight, is needed for all Collapsing Star builds. This puts a large amount of pressure on our talent choices and cost, needing to give up large parts of playstyle or identity to make builds function.

Collapsing Star QOL: While Collapsing Star is our large flashy button, it also comes with annoyances. It's designed with a long cast time to amplify the weight of this cast. To offset the downside of casting this during our cooldowns, where our resources are constantly drained, the cast of Collapsing Star incurs a short window where the constant drain is slowed considerably. To get in front of the edge cases where someone would look to constantly cast and cancel Collapsing Star to take advantage of this slow, Blizzard implemented a 5s lockout on Collapsing Star as soon as you have started the cast. This means that if your cast were to fail due to your target dying, if your target were to move out of your 25 yard range, if you had to cancel it due to a mechanic occurring, or even if you collected enough souls to cast 2 back to back, you would not be able to. It would incur a hard 5s cooldown no matter what, and constantly lead to over-capping of souls. This behavior is incredibly frustrating for many players, and has been a constant source of friction.

Knowing what issues players have been facing, what changes are coming down the pipeline?

What's Changing?

The changes for Devourer came mostly in two sections, with the first bringing us the largest portion:

DEMON HUNTER
Devourer

Developers’ notes: Cancelled casts of Collapsing Star have been a noted pain point since Devourer’s introduction, and the changes in this update are aimed at alleviating some of that frustration.
Until now, there has been a cooldown enforced on Collapsing Star after it was interrupted or cancelled; this was in place to discourage gameplay that would capitalize on the slowed Fury drain during its cast to extend Void Metamorphosis and land a Collapsing Star at the ‘right’ time. While it was effective at that primary goal, the cooldown was also jarring for players when a cast was interrupted or manually cancelled for very normal gameplay reasons. We hope the changes to Collapsing Star in this update will be able to find a middle ground where normal gameplay will not be punished and rarely notice the new underlying restriction, while still minimizing the opportunity and incentive to manipulate its slowed Fury drain mechanic.
Second, because of Collapsing Star’s long cast time combined with its medium range, the circumstances where Collapsing Star would be cancelled by its target moving out of range were too common. We’re giving Collapsing Star more wiggle room to finish its cast by giving it extra range after its cast begins.

Collapsing Star now has increased range after it starts casting, reducing the circumstances where it will fail from the target moving out of range.

Collapsing Star no longer goes on cooldown for 5 seconds when its cast is cancelled.

Collapsing Star will now only slow Fury drain during its cast for a limited time.
if Collapsing Star’s cast is cancelled then cast again, it will only be able to slow Fury drain for a total time of approximately 1.5 full casts.

After that time limit has been reached, Fury drain will resume in full regardless of whether or not a cast is interrupted or starts again.

Void-Scarred

Developers’ notes: The Void-Scarred talent tree had multiple powerful bonuses that all centered around entering Void Metamorphosis, which was discouraging players from casting Collapsing Star because doing so would delay how long it would be until entering Void Metamorphosis and benefiting from those bonuses again. Collapsing Star is intended to be a feature ability of Devourer’s rotation regardless of which Hero Talents are selected, so some of Void-Scarred’s bonuses will now be granted by casting Collapsing Star instead of only being granted by entering Void Metamorphosis.

Demonic Intensity now causes Collapsing Star to reset the cooldown of The Hunt.

Demonic Intensity’s empower effect for The Hunt now increases its damage by 30%.

Violent Transformation now resets the cooldown of Soul Immolation.

Violent Transformation no longer resets the cooldown of The Hunt.

Violent Transformation no longer increases the damage of The Hunt (was 25%) or causes it to reset the cooldown of Soul Immolation.

Monster Rising now increases Intellect by 10% while not in demon form (was 15%).

Monster Rising now increases Collapsing Star damage by 20% (was 15%).

These changes were broadly targeted at Void-Scarred and Collapsing Star, and aimed to address a few of the concerns raised in the first section. The Collapsing Star changes are huge QOL improvements and make the ability function and feel incredibly good. It's much less punishing with the range increase and the removal of its cooldown, allowing you to quickly cancel a cast if something were to interrupt you. The changes to fury drain ensure that no small edge cases can occur where it's correct to repeatedly cast and then cancel Collapsing Star, while still maintaining the fury drain should you need to cancel to reposition.

The Void-Scarred changes are much more wide reaching, aiming to break the quick melee cycle playstyle and reintroduce casting Collapsing Star. On live, The Hunt is currently reset upon entering Void Metamorphosis, allowing you to use your empowers at the start of your window. This is being changed to be reset by casting Collapsing Star, all but ensuring the ability will be used in our rotation. This does mean that long Void Metamorphosis windows, using Emptiness would get significantly more casts of The Hunt, and as such it was nerfed to compensate (Demonic Intensity went from 25% to 30%, but the 25% from Violent Transformation was removed fully). Additionally, they aimed to reduce the frequency of Soul Immolation resets that would happen from casting The Hunt this often, moving its reset to entering Void Metamorphosis. The idea behind these changes is to unify the playstyles of Annihilator and Void-Scarred, giving Void-Scarred a reason to press Collapsing Star, and no reason to AFK due to this increased power behind it. These changes did accomplish this, as Void-Scarred loves to cast Collapsing Star, but further increased the friction in the bottom gate, leaving it impossible for Void-Scarred to take all the points needed to fill out its various packages. Thankfully, Blizzard came through with additional notes the week after.

DEMON HUNTER
Devourer

Soulforged Blades now increases the critical strike chance of Hungering Slash and Voidblade by 18% (was 15%).

Voidpurge now reduces the cooldown of Void Ray during Void Metamorphosis by 2.5 seconds (was 2 seconds).

Developers’ notes: In addition to the Void-Scarred changes, we are shuffling some talents around to make it a little easier for builds to access core functional effects. The final gate was very dense and two of its talents are moving to the middle gate. The final gate’s capstone talents also notably included effects that are core building blocks: The Hunt is featured for Void-Scarred builds, and Eradicate is a key component of any build’s AoE damage. Those two talents are moving to more accessible locations in the middle gate of the tree, with other talents moving into their capstone positions.

Many talents have changed positions.

Demonic Instinct now connects to the talent one row down and one column to the left.

Devourer’s Edge now connects to the talent one row down and one column to the right.

The changes to the talent tree are actually quite extensive, and seek to alleviate pressure in the base of the tree. Rather than going over every change, see the talent tree below, where moved nodes and new connections are highlighted in green

By moving nodes like Eradicate and The Hunt higher in the tree, these options are now MUCH more accessible for all builds, and even open up additional options, such as Annihilator taking The Hunt. The additional connections now also provide more pathing options, especially since one of Demonic Instinct or Devourer's Edge would be taken due to pathing to Emptiness. These changes also make it much easier to take our Apex, and the movement of Star Fragments adds additional power to Collapsing Star.

The Impacts

These changes together seek to address almost all of the issues which were raised at the start of this article. Eradicate and The Hunt are much easier to take, Collapsing Star has had large QOL changes applied to it, Void-Scarred now seeks to use Collapsing Star, no longer wants to AFK, and has a playstyle much more unified with Annihilator, meaning there won't be large differences patch to patch. The rotation is also just FUN, as it combines all the best parts of Devourer, incorporating the melee combo, Reap, long Void Metamorphosis with Emptiness, and Collapsing Star! You'll see yourself rushing into and out of melee, dealing damage before running back out and dropping large Collapsing Stars on your enemies. It maintains some of the feel that current Void-Scarred has, while still feeling like it shares a spec with Annihilator, rather than being its own thing. Unfortunately, it is not all sunshine and roses.

The introduction of Collapsing Star and the multiple resets to The Hunt lead to situations where you are immobile or in forced movement incredibly often. You can often get 4-5 casts of Collapsing Star in your Void Metamorphosis windows, meaning that you will cast The Hunt directly before it 4-5 times per cooldown. This leads to windows where you have no control over your character (due to the long cast + rush of The Hunt, and the long cast of Collapsing Star) for roughly 5s at a time, most of which is spent in melee. Void-Scarred currently suffers from its difficulty to play on live servers, with the melee combo being dangerous for players. This new iteration seeks to have you do this more often, with The Hunt's rush being much longer than Voidblade. Additionally, the fury pause from Voidrush only triggers on The Hunt's cast completion and is quite short, leading to situations where Void Metamorphosis can and will drop during your cast.

The talent tree changes also leave the talents in the base of the tree pretty subpar. Aside from Devourer's Bite, Calamitous and Emptiness, many of the talents down here are fairly weak. Soulforged Blades, Voidglare Boon, Voidrush, and Rolling Torment are very subpar and are only taken for pathing in some situations. Singular Strikes is still bugged to give the 50% bonus to a random target. The Apex is still fairly weak, due in part to reducing Collapsing Star's ability to crit. While there are strong talents, moving Eradicate and The Hunt out of this gate leaves many of these options not desirable, and future iteration will likely be needed to improve the options down here, or to introduce and offer new ones.

With the release date of 12.1.5 now announced, we won't be seeing changes to Devourer for this patch cycle, but the steps they've taken are steps in the right direction, and further iteration on the spec in the future sets up an exciting future where Devourer can successfully incorporate all aspects of its kit, without having to sacrifice parts of its kit or fun.

Summary

• Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection will be available on November 18, 2026 for XBOX on PC, with XBOX Play Anywhere support.
  On October 8, Monster Hunter Stories celebrates its 10th anniversary – get acquainted with three titles to date in the series, each featuring a carefully crafted story for players to enjoy.
  Monster Hunter Stories and Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin, both available now, will be featured in Free Play Days from October 22 through October 25, 2026.
  

Blizzard has announced massive nerfs to Ula'tek on Heroic and Mythic with the weekly reset. Hello raiders!

The following Ula’tek raid encounter adjustments will arrive with scheduled weekly maintenance (October 6 in this region).

Dungeons and Raids

The Venomous Abyss

Ula’tek

General

Spectral Coils damage reduced by 20% on Heroic and Mythic difficulties.

Stage 02

Warden’s Protection damage reduced by 80%.

Reduced the number of ground targets during Virulent Spit.

Grasping Fangs periodic damage reduced by 30% on Heroic and Mythic difficulties.

Blight Vein duration reduced to 4 seconds on Heroic and Mythic difficulties (was 6 seconds).

Stage 03

Blightscale Shrieker health reduced by 20% on Heroic and Mythic difficulties.

Blightscale Clutch health reduced by 20% on Heroic and Mythic difficulties.

Slithering Clutch health reduced by 20% on Mythic difficulties.

Circling Prey raid damage reduced by 30% on Heroic and Mythic difficulties.

Adjusted the Drain Rate of Serpent’s Bite so you no longer need more than 3 people to soak regardless of raid size.

Toxic Burn damage reduced by 30% on Mythic difficulty.

The number of waves that emit from a tail during Caustic Waves reduced to 3 on Mythic difficulty (was 7).

Fortnite Winterfest 2024 is here bringing the festive cheer to Epic’s battle royale alongside a bunch of quests and free rewards.

Every year, the event is highly anticipated thanks to the skins, wraps, emotes, and other goodies that are handed out for free. This year’s Winterfest saw the return of the fan-favorite cabin and was kicked off by a rendition of ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ by Mariah Carey herself.

To keep the festivities going, the devs have released a selection of challenges to complete. So, here are all the Winterfest quests and rewards in Fortnite.

All Winterfest 2024 quests and rewards

Epic Games

• Guff’s Daily Assignment: A random challenge each day – 25,000 XP
  
  
• Talk to SGT. Winter, about his Wintervestigation (1) – 25,000 XP
  
  
• Talk to Noir on the top floor (1) – 25,000 XP
  
  
• Talk to Noir to accept the first case (1) – 25,000 XP
  
  
• Pick up the trail near the Cabin (1) – 25,000 XP
  
  
• Follow the trail (3) – 25,000 XP
  
  
• Question the unknown traveler and find out what’s going on (1) – 25,000 XP
  
  
• Return to Noir with your findings (1) – 25,000 XP
  
  
• Talk to Noir to get your next assignment (1) – 25,000 XP
  
  
• Investigate tampered basketball equipment (3) – 25,000 XP
  
  
• Go to the address listed on the charity receipt (1) – 25,000 XP
  
  
• Question the mysterious sponsor (1) – 25,000 XP
  
  
• Return to Noir with your findings (1) – 25,000 XP
  
  
• Talk to Noir to accept the next case (1) – 25,000 XP
  
  
• Investigate Canyon Crossing, collecting info about the suspected cat burglar (3) – 25,000 XP
  
  
• Confront the sick and twisted individual (1) – 25,000 XP
  
  
• Return to Noir with your findings (1) – 25,000 XP
  
  
• Talk to Noir to accept the next case (1) – 25,000 XP
  
  
• Investigate Twinkle Town, collecting info about the yeast supplementing faker (3) – 25,000 XP
  
  
• Confront the suspect directly (1) – 25,000 XP
  
  
• Return to Noir with your findings (1) – 25,000 XP
  
  
• Talk to Noir to accept the next case (1) – 25,000 XP
  
  
• Collect info about The Suburban Saboteur in Hopeful Heights (3) – 25,000 XP
  
  
• Visit the grafitti’d home (1) – 25,000 XP
  
  
• Talk to Hope (1) – 25,000 XP
  
  
• Return to Noir with your findings (1) – 25,000 XP
  
  
• Talk to Noir to accept the final case (1) – 25,000 XP
  
  
• Find the Secret Files for Sgt. Winter’s Naughty or Nice list (3) – 25,000 XP
  
  
• Check the list one more time (1) – 25,000 XP
  
  
• Confront SGT. Winter (1) – 25,000 XP
  
  

Hello everyone! I’m Takeshi Yamanaka, Producer of MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls. Today, we’re excited to reveal the gameplay trailer for Phoenix Cyclops, the first DLC character included in the Year 1 Pass for MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls.

Arriving on November 2, Phoenix Cyclops (voiced by Ray Chase) brings a unique fighting style that combines a wide variety of Optic Blast attacks with the devastating power of the Phoenix Force. On the same day, Cyclops’ “Classic” and “Legacy” DLC costumes will also become available.

If you’ve been waiting for Cyclops to join MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls and haven’t picked up the game yet, now is a great time to jump in. The game’s first-ever sale on PlayStation Store begins today, ahead of his arrival with the Ultimate Edition available at a discounted price.

PlayStation Plus subscribers will also be able to try MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls with a 3-hour Game Trial starting today.

Today, I’d like to share more about why we chose Phoenix Cyclops instead of the traditional version of Cyclops, the thought process behind his character design, his gameplay mechanics, and the inspiration behind his DLC costumes.

Why Phoenix Cyclops?

Play Video





Early in development, Cyclops was one of the leading candidates to join the roster as a member of the Unbreakable X-Men team.

Cyclops has appeared in numerous Marvel fighting games over the years, and his visual identity and battle style have become firmly established through that long history. Because of that, we challenged ourselves to explore whether there was a way to present him in a style that felt different from what players had seen before. This became a major topic of discussion within the team.

During those discussions, our narrative team proposed the idea of using the Phoenix version of Cyclops. We felt this interpretation would allow us to create fresher visuals and a more exciting fighting style while offering something unexpected for players.

As a result, we made the difficult decision to continue working on the character until we felt like we were adding something new to his fighting game legacy. As a result, we’re excited to now release Phoenix Cyclops as our first post-launch DLC character.

Character design



Phoenix Cyclops hopes to tame a destructive power to save mutantkind from extinction. This version of Scott Summers believes in absolute justice and is willing to make difficult decisions and take extreme actions when necessary.

At the same time, we wanted to convey the inner conflict and emotional burden that comes with those choices. To help express that side of his personality, we intentionally gave him a somewhat younger appearance to contrast the incredible aura of the Phoenix Force. With Phoenix Cyclops’ transformed state, we wanted to illustrate his shift from idealistic leader to fiery corruption.  

While the overall Phoenix costume remains faithful to its source material, we incorporated details and visual touches inspired by the comics throughout the design process. Above all, our goal was simple: to make him look as cool as possible.

Gameplay and skills



Cyclops is designed as an all-rounder who excels at both long-range combat and close-range strikes through his versatile use of Optic Blasts.

Empowered by the Phoenix Force, he can also unleash wide-area fire-based attacks that control large portions of the screen. In addition to projectiles, rushing attacks, throws, and setup tools, he has access to a wide variety of Optic Blast techniques.

As players continue to use Optic Blasts, they accumulate Phoenix Force energy called Solar Shards. Once four Solar Shards have been collected, Cyclops can transform into his Dark Phoenix form.

This mechanic was inspired by the Avengers vs. X-Men storyline, in which Cyclops became one of the Phoenix Five and eventually absorbed the power of his fellow teammates, transforming into Dark Phoenix.

Entering Dark Phoenix form grants a significant temporary power boost, but it also comes with risks, including health depletion.

The Phoenix Force is both an incredible source of power and a path to destruction. Successfully managing and controlling that power will be one of the keys to victory.

DLC costumes



When we decided to make Phoenix Cyclops the base version of the character, we understood that many fans would prefer the classic appearance they have known and loved for years.

This isn’t unique to Cyclops. Anyone who grew up reading comics or watching animated adaptations has their own vision of what these characters should look like.

Because of that, whenever we significantly reinterpret a character’s design or choose a relatively uncommon version of a character, we approach development with the expectation that classic-inspired costumes should also be available.

The “Classic” and “Legacy” costumes were created with that philosophy in mind. We hope players enjoy experiencing Phoenix Cyclops in whichever style they prefer.

Play Phoenix Cyclops first at EVO France

It’s hard to believe that nearly two months have passed since launch. To everyone who continues to play the game every day, thank you for your incredible support.

Players attending EVO France from October 9-11 will also have the opportunity to be among the first in the world to try Phoenix Cyclops. If you’re attending the event, we hope you’ll stop by the MARVEL Tokon: Fighting Souls booth and give him a try.

Thank you again for your continued support, and we look forward to sharing more with you soon.

Welcome back friends! Hope you’ve been having fun digging in with Bravo Squad for Gears of War: E-Day or clearing the dungeons in Minecraft Dungeons II. When you’re ready for your next game, we’ve got more coming at you including some you might remember from our XBOX Games Showcase this past summer. Let’s get to the games!

Coming Soon

Echo Weaver (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, and PC) – October 8
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass

Available on day one with XBOX Game Pass! Time is your greatest resource, and secrets are your only upgrades. Master an unraveling time loop in this knowledge-based metroidvania. As the last Weaver, exploit time-altering anomalies and use what you learn to break the cycle. Explore what remains. Uncover the mystery. Perfect the loop.



Forever Ago (Cloud, Console, and PC) – October 8
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass

Available on day one with XBOX Game Pass! Following a tragic stroke of fate, Alfred embarks on a journey north in search of redemption. In this single-player road trip adventure, you’ll travel to beautiful places, capture memories with your camera, meet interesting characters, and even make some new friends.

Neon Abyss 2 (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, and PC) – October 8
Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass

A love letter to roguelike action platformers, Neon Abyss 2 thrusts you into a pixelated cyberpunk world where ancient and modern gods rule. Struck down in New Athens, battle through The Abyss to claim revenge. Death comes easily, survival is punishment, and every defeat demands one more run.



Battlefield 6 (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, and PC) – October 13
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass

Jump into the definitive Battlefield experience with all-out warfare, fast-paced close-quarters combat, and tactical destruction in Battlefield 6. EA Play members can unlock the EA Play Deployment Pack, claim the Season 5 EA Play Pack, and earn recurring seasonal rewards. Game Pass Ultimate subscribers get EA Play included, plus 10% off eligible EA digital purchases.

Deep Dish Dungeon (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, and PC) – October 13
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass

Available on day one with XBOX Game Pass! Deep Dish Dungeon is a survival exploration game where you navigate through a puzzly hand-crafted dungeon, with metroidvania and crafting elements. Unravel the enigmas of the dungeon’s depths solo or online co-op multiplayer.



Valor Mortis (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, Handheld, and PC) – October 13
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass

Available on day one with XBOX Game Pass! Valor Mortis is a first-person action soulslike from the creators of Ghostrunner. Rise from death as a former soldier of Napoleon’s army. Wield supernatural powers, battle horrifying monsters, and unravel a conspiracy that threatens all of humanity.

Bluey’s Happy Snaps (Cloud, Console, Handheld, and PC) – October 15
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass

Available on day one with XBOX Game Pass! Explore Bluey’s world like never before! Play, explore, and capture moments with Bluey and Bingo in Bluey’s Happy Snaps, a photo-powered adventure across familiar spots from the show. Snap memories solo or side-by-side with a second player, discover Australian wildlife, and turn in-game moments into real fun for real life.

Chained Beasts (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, and PC) – October 15
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass

Available on day one with XBOX Game Pass! Chained Beasts is a 1-4 player co-op gladiator roguelike. Fight chaotic battles chained to your friends. Use your chains or the arena to beat up foes in creative ways and win over the bloodthirsty crowd. Endure physical and mental injuries to defeat fearsome bosses and survive the day.  

Beyond These Stars (PC) – October 16
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass

Available on day one with XBOX Game Pass! Build a city on the back of a Space Whale and learn to coexist as you journey through the stars. Manage intricate supply chains and the needs of your people as you build outposts, meet aliens, and uncover the mysteries of the universe.

In Case You Missed It

Shape of Dreams (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, Handheld, and PC) – Available Now
Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass

Shape of Dreams delivers fast-paced top-down roguelite action with chaotic projectile-filled battles, fluid combat, and high-stakes co-op. Play solo or with up to three friends as you dodge overwhelming attacks and unleash devastating builds. The Starless Path anniversary update offers even more content and enhanced gameplay. 



Minecraft Dungeons II (Cloud, Console, Handheld, and PC) – Available Now
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass

Gear up and team up to enter a new dimension in Minecraft Dungeons II! Journey into the Sift to explore uncharted lands and fight unfamiliar threats that will test you like never before. Uncover new ways to customize your gear and prepare for the toughest battle yet. Are you ready to face what awaits beyond the rifts?



Gears of War: E-Day (XBOX Series X|S, Handheld, PC, and Cloud) – Available Now
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass

Experience the horror and brutality of Emergence Day. 14 years before the original Gears of War, join Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago in a gripping origin-story campaign as the Locust Horde first erupt from below, igniting a desperate fight for survival.

In-Game Benefits

Asphalt Legends (Cloud, Console, and PC) – Available Today
Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, Game Pass Essential, and PC Game Pass

Spark your competitive soul with Asphalt Legends and feel the collective heartbeat of the road in this arcade-style racing game! Unlock the Ford GT MKII, 250 tokens, and 250,000 credits to upgrade your collection and take the lead on the track!

Leaving October 15

The following games are leaving the Game Pass library soon. Don’t want the fun to end? Save on these games now before they leave Game Pass!

• A Plague Tale: Requiem (Cloud, Console, and PC)
  
  
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Cloud, Console, and PC)
  
  
• Crime Scene Cleaner (Cloud, Console, and PC)
  
  
• Donut County (Cloud, Console, and PC)
  
  
• Evil West (Cloud, Console, and PC)
  
  
• Nova Roma (Game Preview) (PC)
  
  
• Pacific Drive (Cloud, Console, and PC)
  
  
• Superball (Cloud, Console, and PC)
  
  
• The Casting of Frank Stone (Cloud, Console, and PC)
  
  

Blizzard has posted upcoming class tuning which includes a nerf to Unholy DK and a buff to Mistweaver. The following class adjustments will arrive with scheduled weekly maintenance (October 6 in this region).

CLASS CHANGES

Death Knight

Unholy

Developers’ notes: A recent bug fix resulted in Blightfall dealing significantly more damage than we expected. Alongside this tuning change, we’re also making sure the damage is represented accurately when an Augmentation Evoker is present in the group.

Blightfall now deals 100% of the remaining plague damage (was 200%).

Resolved an issue causing Augmentation Evoker Reattribution damage from plague erupt effects to be attributed to the Death Knight.

Demon Hunter

Devourer

Developers’ notes: Many of Devourer’s single target damage sources are receiving buffs that will match their output more closely with our expectations.

Consume/Devour damage increased by 8%. Does not affect PvP combat.

Reap/Cull damage increased by 8%. Does not affect PvP combat.

Eradicate primary target damage increased by 8%. Does not affect PvP combat.

Collapsing Star primary target damage increased by 8%. Does not affect PvP combat.

The Hunt initial damage increased by 10%. Does not affect PvP combat.

Voidblade damage increased by 10%. Does not affect PvP combat.

Monk

Brewmaster

Developers’ notes: We’re finding Brewmasters’ death rates in dungeons is higher than we’d like, so we’re adjusting some rotational sources of damage reduction to help improve baseline durability.

Quick Sip now purifies 8% of current Stagger amount each time you gain 3 seconds of Stagger duration (was 5%).

Pretense of Instability grants 10% dodge for 8 seconds after drinking a Brew (was 5 seconds).

Mistweaver

Developers’ notes: We’re making a few raid focused adjustments to Mistweaver with the aim of increasing their overall performance in that content.

Invigorating Mists healing increased by 15%.

Enveloping Mist healing increased by 15%. Does not apply in PvP combat.

Rogue

Subtlety

Trickster

Developers’ notes: We’re buffing Trickster for Subtlety to reduce the performance gap between it and Deathstalker. We want Trickster to be a more viable alternative for players who prefer its gameplay and thematic identity.

Fazed now causes enemies to take 7% more damage (was 5%). Does not affect PvP combat.

Unseen Blade damage increased by 15%. Does not affect PvP combat.

Coup de Grace damage increased by 10%. Does not affect PvP combat.

Shaman

Enhancement

Developers’ notes: We’re aiming to increase Enhancement Shaman’s throughput all around as they have been underperforming this season, while additionally increasing Lava Lash’s contribution to its overall breakdown.

All ability and auto-attack damage increased by 4%. Does not affect PvP combat.

Lava Lash damage increased by 35%. Does not affect PvP combat.

PLAYER VERSUS PLAYER
Developers’ notes: With this pass, we’re buffing several underperforming PvP Talents to increase your breadth of options as you play.

Tank Specializations

Increased the effectiveness of Tank specialization PvP talents that apply Focused Assault: Death Knight’s Murderous Intent, Demon Hunter’s Tormentor, Druid’s Alpha Challenge, Monk’s Admonishment, Paladin’s Inquisition, and Warrior’s Oppressor.

Focused Assault now stacks to 6 times (was 5).

Duration increased to 10 seconds (was 6 seconds).

Cooldown reduced to 15 seconds (was 20 seconds).

Range increased to 15 yards (was 10 yards).

Death Knight

Dark Simulacrum (PvP Talent) cooldown reduced to 15 seconds (was 20 seconds).

Blood

Death Chain (PvP Talent) now affects 4 targets (was 3).

Death Chain (PvP Talent) initial damage increased by 500%.

Price of Progress (PvP Talent) now causes the Death Knight to be unable to be slowed under 100% of normal speed (was 90%).

Price of Progress (PvP Talent) now sacrifices 1% health every 1.5 seconds (was 1 second).

Frost

Death’s Cold Embrace (PvP Talent) now increases the damage of Remorseless Winter by 450% (was 400%).

Demon Hunter

Cover of Darkness now increases Darkness duration by 4 seconds (was 2 seconds).

Havoc

Illidan’s Grasp damage increased by 50%.

Vengeance

Illidan’s Grasp damage increased by 50%.

Druid

Balance

Moon and Stars radius increased by 60%.

Moon and Stars now displays as important on player nameplates.

Tireless Pursuit duration increased to 6 seconds (was 3 seconds).

Restoration

Ancient of Lore: Mass Blooming is now affected by Wild Growth talents like Improved Wild Growth and Early Spring.

Ancient of Lore: Mass Blooming healing increased by 30%.

Evoker

Dreamwalker’s Embrace damage increased by 140%.

Augmentation

All spell and ability damage increased by 8% in PvP combat.

Seismic Slam stuns enemies for 5 seconds (was 4 seconds).

Hunter

Hunting Pack (PvP Talent) radius increased to 40 yards (was 30 yards).

Beast Mastery

Dire Beast: Hawk (PvP Talent) damage increased by 200%.

Mage

Fire

World in Flames now empowers Flamestrike to deal up to 75% more damage (was 50%).

Glass Cannon now increases the damage of Fireball, Scorch, and Ignite by 25% (was 20%).

Frost

Frost Bomb damage increased by 25%.

Icy Feet now grants snare immunity for 4 seconds (was 3 seconds).

Monk

Mighty Ox Kick (PvP Talent) cooldown reduced to 20 seconds (was 30 seconds).

Mistweaver

Healing Sphere (PvP Talent) now allows maximum of 5 Healing Spheres to be active at a time (was 3).

Healing Sphere (PvP Talent) healing increased by 100%.

Windwalker

Perpetual Paralysis (PvP Talent) now spreads to 3 targets (was 2).

Perpetual Paralysis (PvP Talent) now prefers player targets.

Perpetual Paralysis (PvP Talent) spread range increased to 15 yards (was 10 yards).

Paladin

Spellbreaker damage increased by 50%.

Retribution

Ultimate Retribution’s duration increased to 20 seconds (was 12 seconds).

Priest

Absolute Faith absorption increased by 113%.

Improved Mass Dispel reduces the cooldown of Mass Dispel by 75 seconds (was 60 seconds).

Rogue

Thick as Thieves duration increased to 10 seconds (was 6 seconds).

Death from Above now increases damage by 30% (was 15%).

Outlaw

All damage increased by 5% in PvP combat.

Shaman

Electrocute damage increased by 50% and is now a rolling periodic.

Restoration

Developers’ notes: We’re increasing the effectiveness of Earth Shield as its importance has felt lackluster and we would like its placement and management to influence gameplay to a higher degree for both Restoration Shamans and their opposition.

Call of Al’Akir now increases the cooldown of Nature’s Swiftness by 20 seconds (was 30 seconds).

Earth Shield healing increased by 15% in PvP combat.

Earthen Harmony now causes Earth Shield to reduce damage taken by 8% in PvP combat (was 5%).

Earthen Harmony now increases Earth Shield healing received by 200% based on its target’s missing health (was 150%).

Warlock

Bonds of Fel damage increased by 100%.

Bloodstone duration increased to 18 seconds (was 12 seconds).

Bloodstone now has a unique visual and updated sound effect.

Demonology

Call Fel Lord’s Fel Cleave damage increased by 150%.

Warrior

Dragon Charge damage increased by 300%.

Every Wednesday, dive into the Indie Select Hub — your gateway to a fresh, curated indie collection plus four themed spotlights that rotate weekly! You can always find this collection hub in the XBOX Store and on XBOX.com/IndieSelects.

Halloween has never been just about scares. Sure, there’s plenty of room for heart-pounding frights, but it’s also a season that celebrates imagination, creativity, and stepping into worlds beyond the ordinary. This month, indie developers embraced that spirit in unforgettable ways.

For October, the ID@XBOX team has curated six standout Indie Selects that invite you to discover mysterious realms, conquer new challenges, and uncover stories waiting to be told. From epic battles and eldritch horrors to cozy puzzles and island adventures, each game offers a richly crafted world filled with surprises around every corner.

So, whether you’re seeking thrills, mystery, or a new adventure to get lost in, here are this month’s Indie Selects (in no particular order):



Mortal Shell II





Mortal Shell II

Playstack

☆☆☆☆☆
549

★★★★★

$49.99

Get it now



Mortal Shell II is still unapologetically challenging, but combat feels faster and more aggressive this time around. The removal of the traditional stamina gauge means encounters aren’t simply about waiting for a bar to refill. You can stay in the fight, combining melee weapons, sidearms, abilities and brutal executions. It makes combat feel considerably more fluid than before.

The world has grown too. Rather than simply pushing you down a predetermined path, Mortal Shell II encourages exploration across a compact, interconnected open world filled with hidden areas, dungeons, weapons, upgrades and, naturally, plenty of horrible things waiting to ruin your afternoon.

What I particularly enjoy is that exploration feels connected to progression. Finding another Shell isn’t just another collectible checked off a list. It can completely change how you approach the game. Weapons offer extensive upgrade paths as well, giving you plenty of room to shape your own approach to combat.

Mortal Shell II certainly isn’t interested in making life easy for you, but there’s something satisfying about gradually turning the tables. You go from cautiously approaching every new enemy to becoming the nightmare wandering through their world.

If you enjoy dark fantasy, exploration, challenging combat and the satisfaction of mastering a game that initially seems determined to destroy you, Mortal Shell II is absolutely worth having on your radar.

– Steven Allen

Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game







Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game

PM-Studios, Inc.

☆☆☆☆☆
56

★★★★★

$29.99

Get it now



If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to assemble your dream team of benders and settle legendary rivalries yourself, Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game is ready to make that happen. This 2D tag-team fighter brings together iconic characters from “Avatar: The Last Airbender” and “The Legend of Korra,” combining elemental bending, flashy special moves, and fast-paced team combat into an experience that’s easy to jump into and rewarding to master.

As a longtime fan of the Avatar universe, this game immediately grabbed my attention. There’s something incredibly satisfying about watching beloved characters leap from the screen into a fighting game that feels so true to the world they come from. From the first match, I found myself grinning at familiar abilities, character interactions, and bending styles brought to life in exciting new ways.

What impressed me most is how distinct every fighter feels. Experimenting with different team combinations kept me coming back for “just one more match” as I discovered new strategies and synergies. Fans of games like Dragon Ball FighterZ, Marvel vs. Capcom, and Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid will recognize the thrill of building a team and learning how each character complements the others.

There’s plenty to learn with its tag mechanics and assists, but the journey of improving feels rewarding and keeps every victory exciting. Whether you grew up with “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” fell in love with “The Legend of Korra,” or simply enjoy energetic team-based fighting games, Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game captures the heart of the franchise while delivering a fun and action-packed experience that’s hard to put down.

– Jessica Ronnell

Mewgenics





Mewgenics

Nicalis Inc.

☆☆☆☆☆
88

★★★★★

$39.99

Get it now



From the moment I started playing Mewgenics, I knew I was in for a wild ride. From Edmund McMillen, the developer behind The Binding of Isaac, Super Meat Boy, and The End is Nigh, Mewgenics is a roguelike tactical turn-based RPG presented in a unique and cartoonish macabre art style, filled with dark humor and clever references.

Mewgenics offers a staggering amount of content that easily demands over a hundred hours of playtime, complete with deep strategy and a generational breeding system (yes, you breed mutant cats).

The game hooks you right away with its chaotic setup, you’re managing a house full of mutated cats and sending them out on tactical, grid-based runs. Every item, skill, and attribute is randomized, meaning no two runs ever play out the same way. When your cats survive a brutal dungeon crawl, they bring back scars and mutations that you can pass down to future generations. Breeding the ultimate mutant cat squad and trying to balance their weird genetic traits became an obsession.

The dark and sometimes graphic humor and the relentless difficulty might not be for everyone, but for me, it hit the right buttons. Mewgenics easily eats dozens of hours, keeping you hooked on trying just one more run. Mewgenics creates something entirely fresh, endlessly repayable, and wonderfully grotesque, fur-real!.

– Oscar Polanco

The Sinking City 2





The Sinking City 2

Frogwares

☆☆☆☆☆
144

★★★★★

$49.99

Get it now

Free Trial



The Sinking City 2 takes the series in a bold new direction, delivering a third-person Lovecraftian survival horror experience set in a flooded 1929 Arkham. The story follows Calvin Rafferty as he searches for a way to save his fiancée, Faye, who has been trapped in a supernatural slumber after a ritual gone wrong.

From the moment I stepped into Arkham’s flooded streets armed with little more than a flashlight and a pistol, the game nailed its horror atmosphere. Traveling between districts by boat gives the city an open feel, while interconnected environments, puzzle-solving, investigation mechanics, and scarce resources keep the tension high.

What truly sets The Sinking City 2 apart, however, is its enemy design. Familiar Lovecraftian creatures provide plenty of frantic encounters, but the real stars are the Slither: parasitic worms that survive after their host dies. If ignored, they can crawl into nearby corpses, reanimate them, and force you to fight the same enemies all over again. This simple but brilliant mechanic transformed every multi-enemy encounter into a desperate scramble and created a constant sense of dread.

I don’t think I sat down once while playing The Sinking City 2. Between its unsettling atmosphere, intriguing mystery, satisfying survival horror gameplay, and genuinely frightening enemies, it stands out as one of the genre’s most memorable experiences and a must-play for horror fans.

– Raymond Estrada

Woodo





Woodo

Daedalic Entertainment

☆☆☆☆☆
7

★★★★★

$19.99

Get it now



Woodo is that takes the cozy puzzle genre and turns it into something closer to a child’s toy box coming to life as it tells you a story. The puzzles put you in the position of assembling handcrafted wooden dioramas piece by piece, watching each empty, colorless scene slowly fill with detail, animation, and life as you click objects into their correct spots. It’s a small, tactile premise, but it’s executed with a level of care that makes every placement feel extraordinarily satisfying.

The narrative at the heart of Woodo is a story about Foxy, a city girl sent to the countryside for the summer, and her growing friendship with a local villager, who happens to be a frog named, well, Ben the Frog. The narrative unfolds across a series of interconnected dioramas, each one capturing a different moment from their shared adventure, guided by a warm, friendly narrator’s voice that makes the whole experience feel less like a puzzle game and more like a warm, cuddly bedtime story. And while the gameplay is generally pretty simple, there is some complexity to it. The assembly of the wooden pieces isn’t necessarily linear – you have to rotate and explore the 3D space to uncover hidden pieces, while watching the world react and transform with playful animations as you place each one. This instills in the gameplay an almost toy-like sense of discovery.

That nostalgic pull is really the whole point. Woodo doesn’t exist to make you wrack your brain or lose a hundred hours in layer after layer of puzzle mechanics. Instead, it elicits the particular kind of childlike wonder that comes from sparking an adventure out of the simplest object. It’s a game that adapts to your pace, offering help when you need it without breaking the spell, and by the time you’ve filled in its last diorama, it’s hard not to feel like a kid again.

– Glenn Gregory

Lou’s Lagoon







Lou's Lagoon

Megabit Publishing

☆☆☆☆☆
14

★★★★★

$24.99

Get it now



I honestly didn’t expect to dig into this one as hard as I have, but here we are. Lou’s Lagoon is a cozy exploration-and-crafting adventure where you play as an “up for whatever” helping-hand-style character who is just looking to lend some resourcefulness in the recovery efforts to reunite a series of tropical storm-hit islands via collecting, building, and resource gathering… And I may even discover where my missing Uncle Lou (a legend among the island denizens) went? Count me in!

To do all the things needed, you’ll wield everything from a two-way vacuum-like tool to a fishing rod (collect those fish scales!) and especially a handy glider to ride gusty currents. Roam the islands on foot while uncovering chests, befriend some in-need beach-faring folk, and complete quests that in turn let you upgrade your arsenal of gadgets to continue your journey. But the main hook for me is being able to pilot a little seaplane across the different archipelagos that dot your game world – the sense of discovery gave me that Skies of Arcadia feel (Dreamcast hive, rise up!). Add in busting through swag-filled air balloon loot drops and seeking out broken radio towers to repair to get comms systems up and running to fast-travel when you don’t want to fly – all of it feels gratifying in a way that hoovered up hours of my time and kept me up past my bedtime with no complaints.

Sure, some of the guidance and systems feel a little opaque or DIY at times, and man, the currency can sometimes be a bear to amass for purchasing new goods… but really, the joy in completing a goal or upgrading your “Swirler” (your two-way vacuum tool) to collect wool off of a grumpy island llama-like creature…totally worth it.

The post Indie Selects for October 2026: Discover and Progress Through Unforgettable Worlds appeared first on XBOX Wire.

As part of the announcement of Google Labs launching Google Playground, a new site for creating and sharing games, Unity spark was revealed. Unity Spark is a new Unity game engine, clearly powered by Unity technology, aimed at making game creation as simple as possible. As it stands now, Unity Spark only creates games for Google Playground, but it is an independent tool and could author stand alone games in the future. It is also a separate product with a separate target audience than the full Unity game engine.

On the Unity blog Unity CEO Matt Bromberg described Spark accordingly:

Quote:Today, together with our partners at Google, we announced Unity Spark – a new way for people to come together to make and share games right in their browser, no prior Unity or game development experience required.

This isn’t about “one-shotting”. Asking AI to regurgitate an already invented game does not make you the next Hideo Kojima, any more than re-typing the first paragraph of War and Peace in your word processor makes you Tolstoy.

Unity Spark is about being able to create real, unique interactive experiences. To build something worth working on, polishing, and sharing. It’s about using the new technology to enable more people to express themselves. And it all begins with the game art. Unity Spark connects directly to the Unity Asset Store, so you can build with thousands of high-quality, artist-created assets made by our community.

We made Unity Spark for the gamers who have spent a thousand hours inside a genre and know exactly what’s missing. The graphic artist who wants to bring their vision to life but doesn’t know how to code. Modders who now want to create something entirely new. That’s the opportunity we see: Folks with real creative conviction who can now fulfill their full potential.

Will some graduate to become professionals in our industry? Will some current professionals use Unity Spark as well to explore new ideas? We certainly hope both are true. We’ll see. One thing is certain: Trying to build a real game for yourself will only deepen the respect you have for the people who apply the art and craft of gamemaking at the highest level.

Making even rudimentary interactive entertainment is very hard, demanding expertise in many crafts – narrative, design, art, sound, UI, level design, front-and-back end development, systems design, scripting, just to name a few. Producing a polished experience of your own has long been beyond the capabilities of most people.

As a consequence, although about 3 billion people play a game made with Unity each month, almost none of them have ever made one. Electronic games are the last major form of entertainment that nearly everyone consumes but almost nobody creates. That’s something we’d like to help change.

We don’t know exactly who will walk through this door, or what they’ll make. That’s the whole point. Democratizing game creation is Unity’s founding mission. Unity Spark was incubated in that spirit. We can’t wait to see what you build together.