On this episode of the Official XBOX Podcast, we’re so excited to have Kazuhisa Wada in studio to talk about Persona 4 Revival! Wada-san discusses the history of the legendary franchise while diving into how Revival reimagines the classic game with updated graphics, gameplay, and so much more.

TRANSCRIPT

SPEAKER 1: Games in this podcast range from E to M. [ XBOX Sound ]

JEFF RUBENSTEIN: Hey, everybody, welcome to the Official XBOX Podcast. The only podcast coming to you from right here inside XBOX. I am so excited about today. People who know me, they know I love my RPGs, and the Persona franchise is one of my all-time favorites. As in, I’ve spent hundreds of hours over the past 20 years playing through Persona titles, so when I saw we were going to be talking about Persona 4 Revival, you know I immediately jumped in at the chance to host this episode. That’s because, joining me today, here in the studio, is General Producer of the Persona team, Kazuhisa Wada. Wada-san, thank you so much for joining us here today.

KAZUHISA WADA: Hello everyone watching the show, I’m Kazuhisa Wada, General Producer of the Persona team at ATLUS. Today, I’d like to share a variety of insights about Persona 4 Revival. Thank you for joining us, and I hope you enjoy the conversation.

JEFF RUBENSTEIN: That is why we are here. The Persona series is legendary and is celebrating 30 years here in 2026. You’ve been a part of this team for over two decades, and gaming has changed a whole lot during that time. Yet, based on the rapturous reception whenever you all make a new announcement from your team, Persona remains as popular as ever. I’m really curious what it’s been like in the studio seeing Persona gain greater and greater prominence over these last two, three decades — more relevance, more relevance in different parts of the world. How has it changed how you all create games?

KAZUHISA WADA: This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Persona series, a major milestone, and I’m truly grateful that it has continued to be loved by so many people for so many years. Personally, I’ve been involved with the series for more than 20 years, dating back to Persona 2 Eternal Punishment, and I have been in the position of General Producer of Persona 5 Royal. To see it grow into a franchise embraced by players all over the world fills me with both pride and gratitude. We’ve been fortunate to receive an incredible response to each new announcement, not only from fans in Japan, but from players around the globe. It’s something that reminds me every day that Persona has reached people across countries and cultures. At the same time, our philosophy for making these games has never changed. At the heart of our development is a commitment to carefully crafting stories that stay with players, memorable characters, and gameplay experiences that truly draw people in. Of course, today we also develop our titles with a simultaneous worldwide release in mind, so we have greater emphasis than ever on localization, quality assurance, and our overall development structure. That said, our goal has never been simply to make games for the global market. Instead, we’ve always believed in creating the games that we ourselves genuinely find exciting. The fact that this approach has resonated with players around the world is what makes us happiest.

JEFF RUBENSTEIN: It very much has. I’d like to ask you about a quote from earlier this summer where you described your goal as giving players something like a poison that leaves a strong impression, something that shakes people’s values or gives them something to think about. Persona 4 was always the sunny and warm entry in the series. I’m curious, where’s the poison hiding under Inaba’s small-town charm, and how does Revival sharpen it?

KAZUHISA WADA: When I previously spoke about the “poison of Persona,” I wasn’t referring to shock value or provocative content. What I meant is something that lingers with you long after you finish the game, something that makes you wonder, what did that really mean, or what would I have done in that situation? If it encourages players to reflect on themselves, then that’s the kind of poison that lies at the heart of the Persona series. Among the games in the series, Persona 4 is often remembered as one of the brightest, thanks to the bonds between its characters and the warm, welcoming atmosphere of Inaba. Beneath that warmth are themes that ask fundamental questions: How do we confront the parts of ourselves we’d rather not see? Can we look beyond public perception and rumors to discover the truth in our true selves? I believe these themes resonate even more strongly today than they did when the original game was released. We live in an age where information is everywhere. It’s easy to form judgments based only on appearances or what we just see. Because of that, I feel these themes have become even more meaningful over time. With Persona 4 Revival, our goal was never to change those themes or make them more sensational. Instead, we wanted to preserve the heart of the original while enhancing the visuals, presentation, and overall sense of immersion so players can engage with its themes on a deeper level. If, as a result, the poison that has always been part of Persona 4 leaves an even more natural and lasting impression on players, then I would be very happy.

JEFF RUBENSTEIN: Well, great. We’ve got a lot of things to talk about in that realm. Looking at Persona 4 Revival, you actually just released a trailer breakdown, which was very informative. One thing I was hoping is that we could talk a little bit more about the visuals, since they are really very stunning and quite a dramatic leap. When I first played Persona 4, it was on the PS Vita, on Persona 4 Golden. Of course, tech has come a long way since that time, so let’s start with the characters. Anyone who’s played Persona 4, Persona 4 Golden, Arena Ultimax, and Dancing All Night, is going to know these characters very, very well. How do you make changes to these beloved characters for Persona 4 Revival, but still maintain their original spirit that people love?

KAZUHISA WADA: When refining the characters, our highest priority wasn’t to make them feel new. It was to express what makes each character uniquely themselves in a richer, more authentic way. The characters of Persona 4 have been beloved by fans for many years. Because of that, rather than dramatically changing their appearances, we focused on preserving the image players already have of them, while enabling us to portray their expressions, gestures, and mannerisms with greater nuance and naturalism. Take Yosuke Hanamura, for example. We deliberately retained the defining elements that make him instantly recognizable, such as his silhouette and color palette. At the same time, we’ve refined details such as the texture of his hair and his school uniform, as well as the way lighting interacts with them, so that the charm of the original illustrations translates naturally into 3D. In story scenes, we’ve also put great care into his performance and facial animation. Beyond his trademark energy and easygoing personality, we’re now able to convey more serious expressions and subtle emotions he reveals in quieter moments with much greater fidelity. Our goal wasn’t to create a new Yosuke. It was to portray the Yosuke everyone knows and loves with a level of richness and detail that’s only possible with today’s technology. Now, since we have the opportunity, I’d also like to introduce the newly revealed visuals for Teddie, Kanji Tatsumi, and Naote Shiragane. Teddie is, of course, beloved for his charm as a playful mascot, but he’s also a character with surprisingly delicate emotions. While preserving his familiar, lovable silhouette, we’ve expanded the range of his facial expressions and animations so that both his cuteness and his slightly mysterious presence come across more vividly. For Kanji Tatsumi, we wanted players to see not only his intimidating appearance, but also the kindness and awkward sincerity that define who he is. His powerful physique and imposing stance remain intact, while subtle refinements to his expressions and body language allow his humanity and inner conflicts to come through more naturally. As for Naote Shiragane, we were careful to preserve the intelligent, composed impression that makes the character so distinctive, while also revealing the vulnerability and sensitivity appropriate to someone Naote’s age. The sharp silhouette and calm demeanor remain unchanged, but through more nuanced eye movement and facial performance, we’re able to convey the emotional complexity beneath the surface in a much more natural way. Through countless refinements like these, we’ve been able to deepen each character’s presence without fundamentally changing who they are. I think players will find each of them more lifelike and more compelling than ever before.

JEFF RUBENSTEIN: Yeah, it is really cool seeing how these characters have evolved, but of course these changes and updates, they extend far beyond just the characters. What can you tell us about the overall visual direction and art style for the game? What was the goal when visually presenting a game in a world, again, so familiar to so many people, but also introducing it to a brand-new audience as well?

KAZUHISA WADA: Our overall visual goal for Persona 4 Revival was to make players feel as though they were truly spending an entire year living in the town of Inaba. That doesn’t mean our objective was simply to pursue realism for its own sake. Instead, we asked ourselves how we could faithfully recreate the warmth and subtle sense of nostalgia that define Persona 4, while, of course, expressing them naturally through today’s technology. That became one of the guiding principles for the entire development team. Inaba isn’t a large town, but its shopping district, school, riverbank, and beautiful evening scenery are all integral to its identity. Those everyday locations are part of what makes Persona 4 so memorable, so preserving those feelings players associate with them was one of our highest priorities. At the same time, we’ve completely reworked the lighting, environmental rendering, material textures, and atmospheric effects from the ground up. The town now changes naturally, depending on the time of day and the weather, helping players feel that the characters are truly living their daily lives within this world. We pay close attention to even the smallest details to create that sense of immersion. We’ve also preserved the vibrant colors and distinctive visual styles that are so characteristic of Persona 4. Rather than simply increasing the level of graphical detail, it’s more accurate to say that we’ve refined every aspect of the presentation to express the game’s unique identity more richly and authentically. For longtime fans, I hope it immediately feels like, yes, this is the Inaba I remember. For those experiencing Persona 4 for the first time, I hope they’ll naturally enjoy the unforgettable year they spend in this town.

JEFF RUBENSTEIN: I have no doubt about that, and part of that, I think, is that over the summer, you shared more about the cinematic elements of Persona 4 Revival as well, everything from the animated cut scenes to in-engine scenes, camera cuts. Everything’s been pretty significantly enhanced, yeah?

KAZUHISA WADA: The cinematic presentation is one of the areas we’ve invested the most effort into for Persona 4 Revival. In the original game, we pushed the hardware of its time to deliver the strongest cinematic experience possible. Now, with far greater expressive capabilities at our disposal, we’ve been able to revisit every event scene from the ground up. That said, our goal was never to simply make the cinematics more spectacular. What mattered most was allowing players to experience the characters’ emotions and the atmosphere of each scene more naturally. We’ve carefully refined countless details, from facial animation and eye movement to the distance between characters, their body language, and even the timing of pauses in conversation. These nuances can completely change how a scene is perceived, even when the dialogue itself remains the same. Even if you’ve already played Persona 4 or Persona 4 Golden, I think you’ll find yourself noticing things you hadn’t before, such as, “so this is the expression they were wearing in that moment”; “so this is what they were really feeling as they said those words.” The footage we revealed already includes scenes that represent this approach. For example, in the opening scene where the protagonist first arrives in Inaba, we’ve completely reimagined the staging and camera work. Every shot has been rebuilt to naturally convey the mixture of anticipation and quiet uncertainty that comes with stepping into an unfamiliar town for the first time. The story itself hasn’t changed, but I believe the emotions players take away from those moments will feel fresh, even for those who know the original by heart.

JEFF RUBENSTEIN: In the original Persona 4, the camera angles were locked, but in Persona 4 Revival, as we’ve seen in these videos, we’re getting to really explore the towns and areas like we never have before, as we are here on the street in Inaba, because now the camera is controlled by the player. What types of things were added to the world that we just couldn’t see previously, and what do they bring to the experience?

KAZUHISA WADA: There were certainly scenes in the original that worked precisely because they were framed with fixed camera angles. At the same time, however, there were limits to how much of the world players could actually see. Now that players can move the camera freely, I think you’ll feel much more like you’re truly walking through the town of Inaba yourself. Of course, we didn’t simply change the camera. To support a free camera, we’ve rebuilt the environments from the ground up. Whether it’s the storefronts along the shopping district, the everyday details of the residential neighborhoods, the hallways and classrooms at Yasogami High School, or the depth of scenery along the riverbank, every location has been designed to feel natural, no matter where you choose to look. Giving players the freedom to look wherever their curiosity takes them also creates opportunities for discovery that happen naturally. Moments where you think, “They even went to the trouble of building this.” I believe that’s one of the biggest differences in the exploration experience this time around.

JEFF RUBENSTEIN: I’d love to hear a little bit more about that. As you’re exploring Inaba and the nearby Okina City a little more, what are some little details that players can expect to find and see as they traverse these areas, and I’m sure, are looking at everything and spinning that camera around?

KAZUHISA WADA: Our goal wasn’t simply to add more visual detail. It was to make the town feel like a place where people genuinely live. For example, the quality of the light changes naturally throughout the day, giving the town a very different atmosphere in the daytime than it has at night. The feeling of the environment also shifts with the weather, and the mood of the shops and other locations subtly evolves as the day goes on. With the freedom to look around, players can now appreciate details that were much harder to notice before; for example, the depth of the buildings, the way the side streets open up, and all the little touches that make the town feel alive. Okina City has received the same level of attention. Its bustling urban energy and larger scale now come across much more naturally and provide a clear contrast to the quieter atmosphere of Inaba. Rather than serving simply as places where the story unfolds, we wanted to create locations that are enjoyable to explore in their own right, worlds where simply walking around is part of the experience.

JEFF RUBENSTEIN: Thanks for talking about the visuals here. I want to talk about the game as a whole. Previously, you had said that the challenge of making Revival, you wanted to make it new and different, and not just more. Now that we’re in a period of time where you can really talk specifics, what’s a change you think will surprise even veteran players the most?

KAZUHISA WADA: Well, it’s difficult to choose just one, but I think the biggest appeal is the experience of playing a game you thought you already knew and discovering it all over again with fresh eyes. We haven’t changed what lies at the heart of Persona 4, its story, its characters, or the themes that define the experience. At the same time, the way players experience the game has evolved dramatically through its visuals, cinematic presentation, exploration, and overall gameplay feel. Because of that, even those who played the original years ago will find themselves thinking, “I never noticed this before,” or “I remember this scene differently.” I believe they’ll be able to immerse themselves in the story with a renewed sense of discovery. Even I, when I played it as a test player, experienced this as well, and that is also why we chose the title Revival. Our goal wasn’t simply to remake Persona 4. We wanted to bring the Persona 4 experience itself vividly back to life for a new generation of players, while allowing long-time fans to experience it anew. That has been the central vision behind this entire project.

JEFF RUBENSTEIN: Wada-san, it’s been awesome having you on the show so far. We have time for one last question, and this is a personal one for you. As you said, you have been playing through the game, of course you have. When Persona 4 Revival releases on February 18, 2027, what are you most excited for players to experience when they first pick up the controller and they dive back in there for the first time?

KAZUHISA WADA: What I’m looking forward to the most is seeing players spend another year in Inaba — or experience it for the first time. While Persona 4 is, on the surface, a mystery about a series of murders, I believe its true appeal lies in the year you spend with your friends, laughing and having a good time, facing hardships together, and sharing the everyday moments that gradually become unforgettable memories. To everyone who has supported this series over the years, I hope this feels like the Persona 4 I remember has come back. For those experiencing it for the first time, I hope you’ll discover firsthand why this game has continued to be loved for so many years. More than anything, once you’ve reached the end of your journey, and if you find yourself thinking, “I want to go back to that town,” then there will be nothing more rewarding for our dev team. On February 18, 2027, we can’t wait to welcome you back to Inaba and see each of you create a new set of memories there. Everyone on the development team is looking forward to sharing that experience with you.

JEFF RUBENSTEIN: I can tell you I’ve already carved out a solid hundred hours to be rejoining Inaba next February, and I cannot wait for that, especially with the look we had today. Wada-san, thank you so much for joining us on the show. I mentioned at the top how much I love the Persona series. It’s been an honor and a privilege to get to sit down with you, talk about the game, see all this new footage, and like I said, I just couldn’t be more excited to be playing early next year, so thank you very much.

KAZUHISA WADA: Thank you. I’m truly happy to hear you say that. Persona 4 is a very special game that has been cherished by so many people for so many years. It’s a tremendous honor for all of us to be able to bring it back in the form of Persona 4 Revival. There are still about six months to go until launch, and we appreciate your patience. Until then, we’ll continue polishing every aspect of the game to ensure it lives up to your expectations. We sincerely hope you’ll look forward to its release. Thank you very much for joining us today.

JEFF RUBENSTEIN: I will second that. Thanks to everyone for watching this episode of the Official XBOX Podcast. We’ll see you on the next one. [ XBOX Sound ]

The post Persona 4 Revival with Kazuhisa Wada: Rebuilding a Classic for Today | Official XBOX Podcast appeared first on XBOX Wire.

This week at gamescom, we finally revealed Gravhounds, the first game from our seven-person independent studio, Octopus Panic – it’s set to launch into Game Preview on XBOX Series X|S and XBOX on PC on November 2, 2026, and will be available day one with XBOX Game Pass.

We’re a small team, but between us we’ve spent years making much bigger games. Across the studio, we’ve worked on franchises like Halo, Battlefield, and Star Wars, along with games like Full Spectrum Warrior, Def Jam: Fight for NY, and The Saboteur. We started Octopus Panic to get small again: to experiment, have fun, and build systems that leave room for players to surprise us.

The dogs came early. We all love dogs, and their personalities and breed characteristics gave us a lot to work with. From there, it wasn’t hard to imagine a future corporation seeing those same qualities and deciding dogs would make the perfect workforce.

So, in Gravhounds, you’re a bio-engineered dog built for dangerous industrial work, stranded with your crew on the far side of the galaxy. Getting home means salvaging alien worlds, building questionable infrastructure, and surviving things considerably higher on the food chain than you are.

Unfortunately, being stranded in another galaxy does not get you out of work. Your shipboard AI supervisor, COSMO, still has jobs that need doing.

Another Day at the Office

Gravhounds is built around a simple loop: take a job, drop onto a hostile planet, build an operation, get what you came for, and try to leave with everyone still alive. That sounds organized; it usually isn’t.

Jobs might involve recovering alien technology, extracting valuable resources, or establishing infrastructure somewhere the local wildlife would strongly prefer you didn’t.  As the operation expands, so do your problems. The longer you stay and the harder you push, the more dangerous the planet becomes. Soon you’re repairing defenses, hauling resources, rescuing somebody who wandered off alone, and deciding whether you have time to grab one more thing before leaving. Good judgment tends to deteriorate as the shift progresses.

Put Gravity to Work

At the center of Gravhounds is the Grav Beam, the industrial tool every Gravhound uses to grab resources, haul equipment, place Build Kits, and manipulate objects around the world. It also turns out to be extremely useful for violence.

You can throw objects, move heavy resources between teammates, rip smaller creatures out of the fight, or turn whatever happens to be nearby into an improvised projectile. Maybe your teammate needs a health pickup. Throw it to them. Maybe an enemy is attacking your base. Pick it up and throw it somewhere else.

The Plan Lasts About 30 Seconds

We’ve always loved co-op games where players genuinely need one another. Gravhounds is about solving problems together, not four people simply shooting at the same target. Sometimes that means coordinating a defense perfectly. Other times, somebody’s enthusiasm for exploration turns into an emergency rescue operation.

For us, the best co-op moments are when things unexpectedly go off the rails, and yet somehow you still pull it off together. Gravhounds is deliberately systemic, giving players tools and leaving room to decide how to combine them. We’ve already watched players find solutions we didn’t anticipate. We expect that problem to get considerably worse once all of you start playing.

Build to Survive

Building isn’t a separate phase in Gravhounds. It’s part of the fight. Your pipeline is the backbone of every operation, carrying power across the planet and providing places to deploy structures and defenses. Push farther and you can reach more valuable resources and distant objectives, but you’re also creating more infrastructure to protect.

We wanted building to feel fast and physical. It complements the action rather than pulling you out of it. Grab the equipment, get it into place, power it up, and get back to work. Preferably before something eats you.

Every Shift Gets Weirder

As you fight, build, gather resources, and contribute to the job, you’ll earn Reward Pods containing randomized weapons and upgrades. You might lean into mobility, raw firepower, defense, or build around an unusual combination of upgrades. As those effects stack, your build becomes increasingly powerful. Meanwhile, the opposition is escalating too. By the end of a good shift, both sides tend to be considerably more dangerous than when they started.

Move Fast, Die Last

Every Gravhound wears an industrial propulsion rig that lets you boost in multiple directions, jump, hover, and quickly reposition around the battlefield. Get onto the pipeline and the rig supercharges, letting you grind along it at high speed with unlimited boost. This becomes particularly useful when your base is collapsing in three different places, or when somebody has made a series of poor decisions and now requires assistance. Again.

Coming to Game Preview and Game Pass

Gravhounds launches into Game Preview on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox on PC on November 2, 2026, and will be available day one with Xbox Game Pass. Game Preview is a natural fit for Gravhounds. The game is driven by systems, balance, co-op interaction, and player experimentation, and we want to keep developing it alongside the people who are playing it.

If you’re at gamescom this week, you can also play Gravhounds at the ID@Xbox booth in Hall 7. We hope you’ll come take a shift.

Gravhounds

Octopus Panic, Inc

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

1–4 PLAYER CO-OP Intense alone, chaotic with a crew. Combine each Gravhound's strengths and improvise to beat back the swarm. Go lone wolf to expand the operation or stick with the pack and stand your ground. BEND GRAVITY TO YOUR WILL Fetch! Fling objects across the battlefield to your teammates. Turn gravity against the swarm and send them flying, one by one. Disclaimer: Transporting volatile materials with the Grav Beam may result in unforeseen loss of Gravhounds. BUILD TO SURVIVE Deploy turrets, generators, and fabricators to expand the operation and defend it from the swarm. Extend pipelines across hostile terrain to power your base, move resources, and keep your escape route alive. YOU ARE THE PERFECT WORKER Choose from a crew of bio-engineered canine workers built for dangerous planetary operations. Loyal. Obedient. Expendable. NO TWO SHIFTS PLAY THE SAME Unlock powerful new abilities and upgrades mid-shift. Stack bonuses and reshape your loadout to suit the situation. The swarm grows deadlier by the second – but so do you. MOVE FAST, DIE LAST Boost in any direction and reposition under fire. Race to your teammates' aid or make a last dash for materials. Warning: Unauthorized recreational use of pipeline boost is strictly prohibited. EVERY CHOICE MATTERS Seek out treacherous planets for the best materials – the higher the risk, the greater the rewards. Unlock new Gravhounds, weapons, and upgrade paths. Stay longer, push harder, and the swarm escalates. Every shift becomes a bet on how much your pack can handle.

The post Gravhounds Revealed: Co-op Chaos with Bio-Engineered Dogs in Space appeared first on XBOX Wire.

Trash pandas. Garbage goblins. Raccoons.

These cute little critters just love to cause a ruckus, don’t they? Stealing food, knocking over trash cans, climbing, crawling, clambering.

If you’re anything like us, you’ve probably wondered, “what’s it like to actually BE a raccoon?” What? Too specific a fantasy?

Well, listen – this wasn’t even our fantasy to begin with. Jake and Sam, the ludicrously talented developers at Coyote House Games, came to us at Curve Games with an idea: what if there was a video game where you could play as a bunch of raccoons robbing houses together? And what if they made that game?

Okay, so that’s two ideas. But those two ideas were so good, we had to counter with a third idea: what if next time they scheduled a meeting with us instead of breaking into our office? They were both dressed as raccoons, and Sam was trying to stuff as many office supplies as he could into a burlap sack.

But what a fantastic concept! Here at Curve Games, we’re famous for publishing wacky, physics-driven games that are fun with friends – like Human Fall Flat and Wobbly Life – so we knew we had to work together. At least once they’d returned those office supplies. And that computer. And my toupee.

And thus, Dumpster Gang was born!

This is a chaotic co-op sandbox where you play as mischievous raccoons and try to cause as much mayhem as possible. Really we like to think of it as the ultimate raccoon simulator, utilizing the latest and greatest in video game technology to achieve what generations before us have failed to accomplish:

FULL RACCOON IMMERSION.

It’s one thing to simulate, let’s say, a crime-ridden simulacrum of a sun-soaked American state (ahem), but what about a game that intricately recreates the nocturnal escapades of the world’s furriest thieves? Allowing you and up to three friends to break into buildings, steal junk, raid snacks, scavenge dumpsters, commit tiny crimes, and outwit a relentless exterminator?

You might be thinking: surely it isn’t possible for a video game as advanced as that to even exist?! We were sceptical at first too.

But Jake and Sam are at the bleeding edge. Jake spent nearly a decade working on animation projects for companies like Marvel and Warner Music, and Sam has extensive experience with multiplayer games, previously shipping the much-beloved multiplayer hit Midnight Ghost Hunt as game director.

On a personal level, they’re also just very sweet.

“We met at college and now we’re united by a love of co-op gaming and raccoons,” Jake told us. “With our first game as Coyote House Games, we wanted to fulfil the dream of roaming around as a gang of raccoons with your friends and being little menaces. We fit in as many raccoon-themed mechanics as we could: eating trash, stealing, climbing on everything, making big messes. We have it all!”

Sam agreed and added: “And after a full day of causing chaos, you can head back to your hideout to customize it with all the junk treasure you’ve scavenged from your raids. You can even wear a selection of adorable hats, each with unique abilities to assist in your next round of nefarious raccoon antics.”

All of us are so excited to have announced Dumpster Gang today as part of the XBOX broadcast at Gamescom 2026! The game will be releasing for XBOX  PC and available Day One as part of XBOX PC Game Pass.

And you don’t have long to wait: it’s arriving December 2026!

So, round up your crew (or go solo if you prefer), take to the night, and see how much mischief you can make in Dumpster Gang.

The post Chaotic Co-Op Dumpster Gang Coming to XBOX PC in December 2026 appeared first on XBOX Wire.

Jump into different worlds with Free Play Days this weekend! Naruto To Boruto: Shinobi Striker, and ARK: Survival Ascended are available this weekend for XBOX Game Pass Ultimate, Premium and Essential members to play from Thursday, August 27 until Sunday, August 30.

Additionally, Control Ultimate Edition and Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves are free for all XBOX members to try from August 27 until August 30 (XBOX Game Pass Game Pass Ultimate, Premium and Essential membership not required).

Also, gear up for battle in the Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 Open Beta, starting Friday, August 28, 10 AM PT.

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 Days (Game Pass Membership Required)

Naruto To Boruto: Shinobi Striker
Celebrate the 8th Anniversary of Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker with special in-game events, and check out the new DLC featuring Naruto Uzumaki (Sage Mode), available starting this weekend with a variety of new ninjutsu and costumes. Create your own custom shinobi or select your favorite character and participate in 4v4 battles where you can unleash a multitude of ninja techniques on your opponents. Follow your ninja way and lead your team to victory!

NARUTO TO BORUTO: SHINOBI STRIKER

BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment

☆☆☆☆☆ 5512

★★★★★

$19.99 $4.99

Get it now

Free Trial

ARK: Survival Ascended
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S, XBOX Play Anywhere
Respawn into a new dinosaur survival experience beyond your wildest dreams. You awaken on a mysterious island, your senses overwhelmed by the blinding sunlight and brilliant colors bouncing off every surface around you, the azure waters of a verdant Island lapping at your bare feet. A deep roar echoes from the misty jungle, jolting you into action, and you stand up – not afraid, but intrigued. Are you ready to form a tribe, tame and breed hundreds of species of dinosaurs and other primeval creatures, explore, craft, build, and fight your way to the top of the food-chain? Your new world awaits… step through the looking-glass and join it!

ARK: Survival Ascended

Studio Wildcard

☆☆☆☆☆ 7575

★★★★★

$44.99 $11.24

Get it now

PC Game Pass

Xbox Game Pass

Free Play Days For All

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves
Get ready to step into South Town! Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves features a unique art style that stimulates the senses, an innovative REV system that supercharges the excitement, plus a host of other battle systems even more robust than before. The game also breathes new life into the series by introducing two distinct control schemes (ensuring fun and excitement for newcomers and veterans alike) as well as other fresh features and elements.

FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves

SNK CORPORATION

☆☆☆☆☆ 140

★★★★★

$19.99 $9.99

Get it now

Control Ultimate Edition
Winner of over 80 awards, Control Ultimate Edition is a visually stunning third-person action-adventure that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The world is now your weapon in an epic fight to annihilate an ominous enemy through deep and unpredictable environments. Containment has failed, humanity is at stake. Will you regain control?

Control Ultimate Edition

505 Games

☆☆☆☆☆ 2707

★★★★★

$39.99 $31.99

Get it now

Xbox Game Pass

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 (Open Beta)
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S, XBOX Play Anywhere
Experience Modern Warfare 4’s new Multiplayer modes, a playable Campaign mission, expanded movement systems, Ground War, Call of Duty: Warzone Resurgence on the brand-new Zodiac map, and extensive Operator and Loadout customization. During the Open Beta, the maximum Player Level you can progress to is Level 30. Earn up to eight Rewards including the “Beta Forged” Weapon Blueprint for the Han 86 Assault Rifle. Rewards are playable in the Beta and when the full game releases on October 23.

The Open Beta begins Friday, August 28, 10am PT for all players and is scheduled to end Tuesday, September 1, 10am PT. Get ready to play and pre-load the Open Beta now!

Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 4 – Beta

Activision Publishing Inc.

☆☆☆☆☆ 393

★★★★★

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 –  Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 Open Beta, Control Ultimate Edition, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, and More appeared first on XBOX Wire.

It must be a mistake. You haven’t done anything noteworthy in your life, but you’ve just been arrested? You did nothing wrong! You have no chance in court, so get ready to run: surreal immersive sim Militsioner is coming to XBOX Series X|S, XBOX on PC and Game Pass in 2027. Plus, play it on both console and PC at no additional cost with XBOX Play Anywhere. Just be aware: the Colossal Policeman is always watching…

Militsioner is an immersive sim with a (literally) gigantic twist – as you try and escape a mysterious town, you’re always under the watchful eye of the Colossal Policeman.

While XBOX players are undoubtedly innocent, the Colossal Policeman doesn’t see it that way and he’s monitoring your every move. You’ll have to be creative and challenge your moral compass to escape – is the freedom worth it, if you end up proving the accusers right?

Find your unique approach to freedom; outsmart, outwit, or outrun your way to skip town in this Kafkaesque world, and witness complex outcomes come to life, all under the watchful eye of an omniscient presence. Uncover multiple ways to escape and… potentially seduce the Colossal Policeman? Yes, you read that correctly.

Other, regular-sized townsfolk all have unique needs, and it’s up to you whether to help or use them to your advantage. But don’t forget that the town always remembers your actions and the consequences can be… severe. It’s hard to evade punishment when the law is a colossus watching over the whole town.

You can resort to flirting instead of hiding from the people around you. Maybe you’ll butter up the Colossal Policeman enough to start dating him, who knows? Don’t forget to pick up some flowers amidst your search just in case you get the opportunity to flirt your way out of jail.

So, what kind of person are you truly? Maybe you’re a thief, maybe you love breaking and entering; what’s a little felony between friends after all? But maybe you’re a compassionate soul who helps their fellow neighbours.

Militsioner isn’t for the faint-hearted and is coming to test you in the most surreal way possible.

Be prepared to question the sanity of the world around you and find a way to survive. How you do it is how you’ll be remembered. No matter what, you must leave this town. To them, you’re a felon; if you stay – it will be your end.

The game is still in development but you can figure out your plan of escape next year, in 2027, when Militsioner arrives for XBOX Series X|S, XBOX on PC, and Game Pass. Play it on both console and PC at no additional cost with XBOX Play Anywhere.

The post Militsioner: The Surreal Immersive Sim Featuring a Colossal Policeman, Coming to XBOX Game Pass in 2027 appeared first on XBOX Wire.

Rebellion just released a brand-new trailer for its forthcoming action horror shooter Alien Deathstorm and Rebellion’s Head of Design Ben Fisher has highlighted five key takeaways about what you can expect from the game…

Since we announced Alien Deathstorm in March at the Xbox Partner Preview, we have been hard at work in the studio, and we are delighted to finally be able to reveal more about the title this week at gamescom. Starting with our brand-new trailer:

As you will see the game is certainly action packed. To give you some context, Alien Deathstorm is a science fiction FPS that sees you take the role of an Engineer who has been sent to an off-world colony that has lost contact with Earth. You arrive on the planet knowing that things are going to be bad… but this is so much worse than you expected. What had started as a rescue mission is now a desperate fight for survival!

The mega-storm

One of the first thing that you will notice from the trailer is the effect the mega-storm is having on the mining colony. The storm is apocalyptic in scale and is literally tearing the planet apart. It is an ever-present and escalating danger. The scale of the carnage presents an immediate threat to life, and you will have to navigate through the wreckage if you are to survive.

Outside the world is being decimated by the mega-storm and is crawling with aliens but if you think you can find solace by heading indoors you will find that the threat is even more stark as the aliens present a more persistent threat and can hunt you from the shadows.

The Reactor

The trailer is captured from the Reactor mission that we will be showing at Gamescom. This occurs midway through the game. You have to fight your way inside the malfunctioning fission reactor to repair it and get everything back online.

This is not going to be easy! Your mission will send you to repair several faults which require you to visit the menacing underground substation and the reactor’s flare stack – both riddled with dangers, exposed terrain and deadly ambushes.

As we did with Atomfall we are taking a different approach to missions and objectives with Alien Deathstorm. Objectives look like the readout from the player’s digital assistant, Squire, and it’s up to you to diagnose the situation and piece together your own solution. The gameallows you as the player to dictate your pace – which means there’s a tense contrast when the alien threat starts hunting!

Aliens

As you will have seen, the aliens are far from friendly and are a menacing foe. They are highly intelligent, deadly creatures who hunt in packs and use the environment to their advantage. No two play throughs will be the same as the aliens dynamically adapt, stalk and attack depending on the game scenario and the way you are playing.

Combat is brutal and intense. You are not a highly trained super soldier; you are an Engineer who has been through basic combat training. This is a game about survival.

At Gamescom we are revealing four types of alien: Soldiers, Scuttlers, Blister Scuttlers and Scuttler Swarms, each of these present their own challenges. We have more alien types to reval in the coming months.

Weapons and tools

You will also see a variety of weapons being used in the trailer. We are showing off the pistol, SMG and shotgun with more to be revealed before the game’s launch. As you play and explore you can find blueprints for weapon upgrades, such as optics, stocks, barrels and magazines, which can then be 3D printed and added to your weapon.

We have used our years of experience in shooters and gunplay (honed on the Sniper Elite and Zombie Army franchises) to create a shooter that feels bombastic and fun to play.

You may have also noticed the engineer using his trusty hammer. This can be used to both repair items in the Reactor but also as a melee weapon when things get too close and personal. It’s particularly useful against flying Scuttlers!

There are also tools that can help you survive including a Geiger Scanner to detect nearby threats, grenades, flares and health injectors.

Release window

Finally, we announced a release window for the game. Alien Deathstorm will launch on XBOX Series X|S and XBOX on PC in Spring 2027 and will be available on Game Pass from day one. It is available to wishlist now so be sure to check it out.

We cannot wait to show you more in the run up to release.

Alien Deathstorm

Rebellion

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Explore a devastated off-world colony which has been ravaged by a cataclysmic mega-storm and overrun by bloodthirsty aliens. Using a combination of cunning and firepower you must defeat the countless lurking horrors in a desperate fight for survival.

The post Five Key Takeaways From the New Alien Deathstorm Trailer appeared first on XBOX Wire.

Welcome to Next Week on XBOX! In this weekly feature we cover all the games coming soon to XBOX Series X|S, XBOX One, XBOX on PC, and Game Pass! Get more details on these upcoming games below and click their profiles for further info (release dates subject to change). Let’s jump in!

The Blood of Dawnwalker Pre-Order

Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe S.A.S.

☆☆☆☆☆ 46

★★★★★

$69.99

Pre-order

The Blood of Dawnwalker – September 2
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S / XBOX Series X|S / XBOX Play Anywhere

14th-century Europe. Bloody conflicts sweep the lands, and the Black Death comes for the survivors. It’s a moment of weakness – and that’s all they needed. Vampires seize their opportunity to walk out of the shadows and claim what they’ve been denied for centuries: freedom, and the power that comes with it. Other creatures of the night follow their lead. Legends turn into reality, and history as we know it will never be the same. You play as Coen, a young man turned into a Dawnwalker, forever treading the line between the world of day and the realm of night. Fight for your humanity or embrace the cursed powers to save your family. Whatever your choice, the question stands: is your soul worth the lives of those you love?

Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game

PM-Studios, Inc.

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game – September 3
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S / XBOX Play Anywhere

Water. Earth. Fire. Air. Master the elements and clash as legendary characters in Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game. Featuring hand-drawn 2D animation faithful to the series’ roots, Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game lets you experience the world of Avatar like never before. Choose from 12 playable characters and go head-to-head across a variety of modes, including Offline & Online Versus, Story, Arcade, Training, Spectator, and an Art Gallery.

NBA 2K27

2K

☆☆☆☆☆ 394

★★★★★

$69.99

Pre-order

NBA 2K27 – September 3
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S

The hustle doesn’t stop and the run never ends in NBA 2K27. Chase greatness around the clock in MyCAREER, MyTEAM, and MyNBA, and make your hoop dreams a reality. Put The City on your back and lead a new era of MyPLAYERs fueled by basketball. Let your passion power your unique style on and off the court, team up with friends to form a Crew, and dominate the courts at The REC, Park, and beyond.

Pre-order NBA 2K27 Standard Edition and receive 10,000 Virtual Currency.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword

CAPCOM CO., LTD.

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$69.99

Pre-order

Onimusha: Way of the Sword – September 3
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S / XBOX Play Anywhere

An all-new entry in the Onimusha series! Fight through bloodstained battlefields of intense swordplay action. Explore the historic Japanese capital of Edo-period Kyoto, twisted by malevolent clouds of Malice. With every stage cloaked in mystery, danger and intrigue. Battle against monstrosities from the underworld known as Genma in a tale of dark fantasy. Follow the tale of a samurai who wields the Oni Gauntlet, a mystical artifact that grants its bearer the power to slay Genma. Through gritty, blood-soaked brawls, he searches for his reason to fight. What fate awaits at the end of his path?

NHL® 27 Deluxe Edition XBOX Series X|S

Electronic Arts

☆☆☆☆☆ 42

★★★★★

$99.99 $89.99

Pre-order

NHL 27 (Deluxe Edition Early Access) – September 4
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S

EA SPORTS NHL 27 brings the identity of every NHL team to life on the ice, in the arena, and through the broadcast. Experience Authentic Atmospheres across all 32 NHL arenas, each designed to capture the sound, spectacle, and identity of its home team. Real-world goal songs, new pregame introductions, and a fully overhauled crowd bring every building closer to its real-world counterpart.

Pre-order EA SPORTS NHL 27 Deluxe Edition and receive 7-Days Early Access

Halloween – Digital Deluxe Edition

IllFonic Publishing, Co-Publisher: Gun Media

☆☆☆☆☆ 175

★★★★★

$59.99

Pre-order

Halloween (Digital Deluxe Early Access) – September 4
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S

It’s Halloween night, 1978, the unsuspecting families of the quiet suburban town of Haddonfield are making holiday preparations, and evil has made its way home. Take The Shape of Evil as Michael Myers or save your neighbors as a Hero of Haddonfield in Halloween, the ultimate asymmetrical horror sandbox.

Young Suns (Game Preview)

KO_OP

☆☆☆☆☆ 216

★★★★★

$19.99 $15.99

Get it now

PC Game Pass

Xbox Game Pass

Free Trial

Young Suns (1.0 Release) – August 31
Game Pass / Optimized for XBOX Series X|S / Smart Delivery / XBOX Play Anywhere / Handheld Optimized

Young Suns is a 1-4 player narrative life sim set on Jupiter in an optimistic alternative future, intended for one-to-two hours of daily play, alone or with friends. Build your home among the stars, and take it with you on adventures!

Shelldiver

Gagonfe

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Shelldiver – September 1
Game Pass / Optimized for XBOX Series X|S / Smart Delivery / XBOX Play Anywhere

All aboard the submarine! Shelldiver is an incremental game about a turtle fishing jellyfish and selling them at their little shop. Help our senior protagonist upgrade their equipment, explore various biomes and oceanic depths, and help out their local turtle population – maybe right after a well-deserved nap!

Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault (Game Preview)

11 bit studios

☆☆☆☆☆ 5

★★★★★

Get it now

PC Game Pass

Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault (1.0 Release) – September 2
Game Pass / Handheld Optimized

Dive deep into Action-RPG with roguelike elements and a tale about new beginnings. With no coin to your name, you and the other townsfolk find yourselves stranded in the distant village of Tresna. Now, it’s up to you to get back on your feet and turn your humble shop into the beating heart of the village’s wealth. Explore dangerous dungeons, gather relics, sell them, and reinvest in your friends’ establishments. Unlock new weapons, armor, shop decorations, and—more importantly—restore hope that things can one day turn around.

Angeline Era

Analgesic Productions

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Angeline Era – September 2
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Explore a secret-filled land in this 3D Action-Adventure, where every surprising level is hidden in plain sight! Travel and fight through a vast, unmarked overworld! The Angel’s mothership, Throne, lays dormant behind a fierce storm. To reach it, unlock its secrets, and usher in the future, you must explore the land of Era and survive its trap-filled ruins, primordial forests, treacherous mountains, mines, towns, and more! Follow wandering ex-soldier, Tets Kinoshta, as he overcomes intense battles and hilarious hazards in this tale of betrayal, haunting lore, and fruitless yearning.

BioEden

Focus Entertainment

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$21.99 $19.79

Pre-order

BioEden – September 3
Optimized for XBOX Series  X|S

Step into a cozy management journey as a Keeper, a specialist entrusted by the Cosmic Collective to bring life back to a world quietly waiting to be healed. Your planet needs patience, care, and a little ingenuity, to be restored one ecosystem at a time. Design and nurture a living ecosystem of interconnected domes, each a reserve carefully balanced to meet the Collective’s demands: manage your resources mindfully, develop your progression trees, build homes for long-lost animals and slowly watch a self-sustaining world take shape around you. Wander your planet at your own pace, uncover the mystery of the Great Unraveling, and turn these wastelands into warm edens.

Puzzledorf

Stuart's Pixel Games (c) 2019

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$9.99

Pre-order

Puzzledorf – August 31
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S / Smart Delivery / XBOX Play Anywhere

Stuck in Puzzledorf, the land of puzzles – will you find your way out? With vibrant worlds and soothing melodies, Puzzledorf is a nostalgic pixel art trip to the 80’s. Puzzledorf has a gentle learning curve before it hits you with brain-breaking puzzles. Things that look simple at first will surprise you!  5 minutes to learn, hours of gameplay with satisfying puzzles.

Salvation: Echoes of War

Infinite Entropy

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$19.99

Pre-order

Salvation: Echoes of War – August 31
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S / XBOX Play Anywhere

Immerse yourself in a surreal third-person adventure set within the haunting depths of purgatory. You play as a war pilot trapped in a comatose nightmare, forced to confront his traumatic past. Navigate eerie environments inspired by historical wars, using stealth, puzzle-solving, and strategic, non-aggressive combat to survive. With the help of your intelligent, loyal companion, uncover secrets hidden within this shadowy realm. Can you face your fears and reclaim your life from the echoes of war?

Sticker Picker (Xbox Series)

Afil Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Sticker Picker – August 31
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S

Put your observation skills to the test in Sticker Picker, a fun spot-the-difference game filled with vibrant scenes and charming characters from the Afil Games universe. Every illustration has been created exclusively for the game, featuring colorful environments, hidden details, and delightful surprises waiting to be discovered.

Crimson Moon

ProbablyMonsters

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Crimson Moon – September 1
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S

The city of Gildenarch has fallen. Once a holy jewel, it is overrun by demons, undead, vampires, and Hellgrowth abominations. Humanity’s last hope is the Order of the Crimson Moon, and its most feared weapon is you. Embody a Nephilim, a human-angel hybrid forged to defend the world from Hell. Master supernatural powers, weapons, melée combat, and angelic transformations to fight through brutal missions and survive boss encounters with the Dead Gods. Whether you crusade alone or slay together in co-op, the prophecy is yours to fulfill.

Tintle's Great Colorful Adventure

Midnight Pounce Studios

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Tintle’s Great Colorful Adventure – September 1
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S

Help Tintle, an adventurer who gains the ability to change colors as they travel through the sky to find their way back home. Tintle’s Great Colorful Adventure is a fast-paced precision-based platformer! Switch colors on the fly, use teleporters, and manipulate gravity to race through high-flying levels while avoiding deadly traps and hazardous falls.

Eden Coil

Brainium Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Eden Coil – September 2
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S

A top-down puzzle game where you guide a snake through carefully crafted levels, collecting apples and finding the way forward. As the game unfolds, new rules come into play. Some levels feature multiple snakes, and you can switch between them — only one moves at a time while the others remain asleep. Their positions become part of the puzzle, letting you block paths, set up moves, and solve challenges that require more than a straightforward route.

Feed Your Cat: New Paths

Tribus Games Indie

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Feed Your Cat: New Paths – September 2
XBOX Play Anywhere

Feed Your Cat: New Paths is a relaxing cozy puzzle game where you draw paths across a graph of nodes to guide a character carrying food to a hungry kitten. Plan your route carefully: every level presents a new routing challenge that tests your sense of direction and planning. With 60 levels in total, including a gentle tutorial that teaches the mechanics step by step and a full set of puzzles culminating in a tricky final challenge, this game is perfect for players looking for a calm, satisfying brain teaser. Choose between two cozy visual themes, play in English, Portuguese, Spanish, French or German, and enjoy full support for mouse, keyboard and gamepad controls.

Marsupilami 2 – Salsa Palombia

Microids

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$29.99

Pre-order

Marsupilami 2 – Salsa Palombia – September 2
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S / XBOX Play Anywhere

Will you be able to follow the rhythm… or fall victim to the cursed dance? A strange melody has swept across Palombia… and all the animals have suddenly started dancing, leaving chaos in their wake! The creature behind this crazy beat is none other than the Mummy Queen, back from the Land of the Dead with her minions to play a cursed concert with a calamitous crescendo. Help the Marsupials save Palombia from the Mummy Queen and her minions!

Pharmacy Store Simulator

Art Games Studio S.A.

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Pharmacy Store Simulator – September 2 – Optimized for XBOX Series X|S / XBOX Play Anywhere

Step behind the counter of your very own drugstore! From validating prescriptions to managing complex inventory, every decision impacts your bottom line—and your reputation. Take the role of the cashier, manager, accountant, and health consultant all in one person – the Pharmacist.

Radiation Caterpillar

Brainium Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Radiation Caterpillar – September 2
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S / Smart Delivery

An alien caterpillar whose biology requires radiation for growth and survival. Luckily, your home planet is literally saturated with this dangerous yet vital resource. Your goal is to navigate challenging levels, collect radioactive elements, and grow, but be careful: the larger you get, the harder it is to maneuver!

Super Woden Rally Edge

Eastasiasoft Limited

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Super Woden Rally Edge – September 2
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S / Smart Delivery / XBOX Play Anywhere

Race for the top in a rally-focused arcade spin-off to the popular Super Woden series! Start your engines and get ready to climb your way to the top of the motorsports world! Super Woden Rally Edge is a spin-off of the critically acclaimed Super Woden saga of racing games, blending classic arcade essence with technical depth and a genuine love of car culture. Inspired by genre classics but sporting a personality all its own, Super Woden Rally Edge takes you back to an era where fun goes beyond strict realism.

Asdivine Knot

KEMCO

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$19.99

Pre-order

Asdivine Knot – September 3
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S / Smart Delivery / XBOX Play Anywhere

Asdivine Knot is a classic turn-based JRPG that blends strategic command battles with modern systems and deep customization. Master the shared Nexus Gauge to control the flow of combat, unleash powerful Nexus Skills, and summon devastating entities to turn the tide. Explore a wide world with your fully customizable airship, craft and upgrade equipment using collected materials, and shape your adventure with side quests, crew recruitment, fishing, and puzzle dungeons. Packed with rich content and designed for a complete single-player experience, this is a must-play fantasy RPG for fans of traditional Japanese role-playing games.

Brainrot Kart

Skibidi Studios

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Brainrot Kart – September 3
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S / Smart Delivery / XBOX Play Anywhere

Brainrot Kart is a chaotic multiplayer kart racer for up to 8 players, inspired by internet meme culture and fast-paced arcade racing. Players compete across absurd tracks such as The Backrooms while using outrageous power-ups such to sabotage opponents and fight for first place. The game combines accessible kart racing mechanics with the humour and unpredictability of modern online culture.

Bus Simulator 27 – Year 1 Edition

astragon Entertainment

☆☆☆☆☆ 4

★★★★★

$54.99

Pre-order

Bus Simulator Year 1 Edition – September 3

Bus Simulator 27 and the Year 1 Season Pass in one great Edition. With the Year 1 Edition you will get the main game as well as the Year 1 Season Pass offering a variety of additional content that launches in 2026 and 2027. Look forward to the most comprehensive and advanced bus fleet in the history of the series so far. More than 45 officially licensed buses from 13 world-famous manufacturers, such as Solaris, Mercedes-Benz, MAN, IVECO BUS, Scania, and Volvo, are waiting for you to drive. Whether you are interested in classic rigid, articulated, and double-decker buses or in new electric buses – Bus Simulator 27 has got you covered. And for the first time ever in the series, you can get behind the wheel of impressive coach buses and enjoy long-distance journeys!

Dexter Stardust : Adventures in Outer Space

Flynn's Arcade

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$9.99 $7.99

Pre-order

Dexter Stardust: Adventures in Outer Space – September 3
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S

Space! Dexter Stardust barely escaped when the Vreesians, inhabitants of the menacing Planet X, sent a fleet of robots to destroy all life on Earth. Now, twenty years later, a mechanical man from the 10th planet seeks to communicate to Dexter a very important message – he is the key to saving both humans and Vreesians. Play the taco-loving Dexter Stardust as he, and his good friend Aurora, go on the greatest point-and-click adventure of their lives and discover the mystery of the Robot from the Planet X!

Dream Doctor

Bad Minions, Little Giant

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Dream Doctor – September 3
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S

What if the best way to help someone was to enter their dreams? Are you ready to face their nightmares? In Dream Doctor, you take on the role of a psychologist with a magical key capable of entering your patients’ dreams. Explore worlds shaped by each patient’s mind and confront their nightmares to help them overcome their fears. Each nightmare hides enemies, challenges, and powerful bosses. By overcoming these battles, your patients may reward you with sentimental items that become equipment, granting new abilities or enhancing your attributes.

Fight School Simulator

Ultimate Games S.A.

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$11.99

Pre-order

Fight School Simulator – September 3
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S

Are you ready to build your own martial arts school and become a legendary master? Set up training equipment, organize training areas, and create the perfect school for your students. As your school grows, attract more students, train them, and rise to the top among rival schools!

Galactic Vault

Take IT Studio!

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Galactic Vault – September 3
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S

Galactic Vault blends movement shooter and roguelike action. Build devastating weapons on the fly by combining gun upgrades, underbarrel launchers, and movement abilities. Tear through corporate defenses, survive a spreading infestation, and grow stronger through unlockable weapons, playable characters, and deep skill trees.

Hearthstorm

NOSTRA GAMES LTD

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Hearthstorm – September 3
Optimized for XBOX  Series X|S

Your army awaits orders! Put the right units on the right line at the right time and win every battle you enter. No excuses for the enemy!

Komorebi: A Furry Visual Novel

Top Hat Studios, Inc.

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Komorebi: A Furry Visual Novel – September 3
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S

Komorebi is a fully voice- acted story taking place in a dystopian 2041. Set against the backdrop of social revolt, you move to Toronto to start a brand-new chapter in your life. Make friends, party, and form bonds and romances that will last a lifetime! While pages turn in your life however, they also turn in the world. As your morals clash with those in power, you and your group may walk an irreversible path in the name of equality and a brighter future. Enjoy your new life…

SpeedRunners 2: King of Speed

tinyBuild

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

SpeedRunners 2: King of Speed – September 3
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S

The original multiplayer gameplay formula of SpeedRunners is timeless. With the sequel, our goal is to carefully bring this unique ‘SpeedRunners feel’ into the new era without compromising on the depth and fluidity of the movement system while still keeping it easy to grasp. On top of that, King of Speed introduces vibrant high-definition graphics and improved netcode.

Shoe it All!

Bright Gambit

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Shoe it All! – September 3
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S

You’re on a swing. Fling your shoes at everything in sight. Shoe It All! Play as Lace, a rebellious teenager who refuses to fit into a world of rules, order, and boring authority. This funny physics puzzle adventure turns every level into a destructible playground – swing, aim, and fling your shoes to outsmart grumpy neighbors, rule-obsessed adults, and greedy bosses in a colorful world built for chaos. Every throw triggers destructible environments and satisfying chain reactions, sparking wild destruction and hilarious surprises. Explore hidden secrets, unlock bonus levels, and fill your sticker journal as you master the perfect throw – one ridiculous puzzle at a time.

Dream Cage

JanduSoft

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$10.49 $8.39

Pre-order

Dream Cage – September 4
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S / XBOX Play Anywhere

Based on conversations with individuals who have experienced sleep paralysis, we have worked to faithfully recreate what they felt and saw. We transformed these stories into our own vision, drawing from real experiences. Endure five nights, each bringing a confrontation with a uniquely crafted entity, meticulously designed to challenge you. Remember, to survive each of the five nights and uncover the source of Robert’s nightmares, you must remain silent—do not scream or make any sound.

Fear The Timeloop

PlayWay S.A.

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Fear The Timeloop – September 4
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S / XBOX Play

Chasing a relentless serial killer, you wake up in a hospital you’ve never seen before. Your body bears a grievous wound that will kill you in fifteen minutes if you do nothing. Yet even in death, you rise again, carrying the memories of everything you’ve endured. Gain experience, adapt, and survive the time loop in this third-person survival horror – Fear the Timeloop.

Flute Of Gobelin

RainForest Game Studio

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Flute Of Gobelin – September 4
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S

Flute of Gobelin is a reverse bullet hell where you play as a legendary flutist capable of hypnotizing goblins. Assemble your squad and survive relentless waves of humans determined to capture you and your allies.

Fortress Merge

QubicGames S.A.

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Fortress Merge – September 4
XBOX Play Anywhere

Your fortress is under attack! Choose and place buildings, merge matching ones to make them stronger, and prepare for waves of monsters. Build structures that train knights, horsemen, archers, and mages, while all kinds of turrets and barricades attack or slow down enemies as they approach. Face skeletons, slimes, dragons, giants, and even stronger foes that appear as you progress. Adapt your setup to each threat and prepare for mighty bosses that can quickly break through a weak defense.

Hockey Beasts

Revulo Games LLC

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$7.99

Pre-order

Hockey Beasts – September 4

Hockey Beasts is a colorful, casual hockey game in which the player takes on the role of a member of one of the animal teams and tries to prove which of them deserves to be called the best. Play locally with up to 4 players, or take the competition online with up to 6 players. Pick your favourite squad: from stubborn bulls and speedy monkeys to crocodiles, elephants, giraffes, and other rink-ready beasts. Every team plays differently, so choosing a character is not just about looks. Some are quick and agile, others rely on strength, reach, or a more patient approach.

I Am Angel

PortingGuru

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

I Am Angel – September 4
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S / XBOX Play Anywhere

You were a good cop. A loving husband. A loyal friend. Then a bullet from your partner ended it all. But when you wake up in Heaven, paradise feels more like purgatory. The endless peace drives you mad—until your angel offers you a choice: stay in eternal comfort, or return to Earth with divine powers to stop your betrayer’s apocalyptic plan. Armed with celestial weapons and guided by seven archangels, you’ll tear through armies of the damned in this explosive third-person action game. Master brutal gun-fu combos, unlock angelic abilities, and wield the legendary sword of Archangel Michael. Your former friend now leads a satanic cult, and he’s using your wife’s blood to summon Lucifer himself.

Isle of Reveries

Electric Airship

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Isle of Reveries – September 4
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S

Take control of an owl named Lief as they make a pilgrimage skybound to the forsaken Isle of Reveries, where it’s said that any wish can be granted. Players will fight through seven mysterious dungeons, each with their own unique themes and puzzles, and meet charming anthropomorphic characters along the way in this retro-inspired adventure. Use your fairy companion’s magic to duplicate and spawn a variety of objects in the world, and discover how they interact with your robust set of items to solve head-scratching puzzles.

Moonbringer

2dragontails

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Moonbringer – September 4
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S / Smart Delivery / XBOX Play Anywhere

Moonbringer is a shoot ’em up that blends a top-down action shooter with roguelite elements. Control an auto-firing ship and navigate three worlds, facing waves of different enemy types and bosses. Shoot them down, grab all the loot you can, and when you die, spend your resources on the skill tree to unlock new abilities and upgrades that make your ship more powerful. Expect things like a fury bar that activates berserk mode, powerups with new bullet types, support units that join you in battle, perks that grant more damage and attack speed, and much more. You don’t have to pick just one. You can have it all.

Order Automatica

better. publishing

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Order Automatica – September 4
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Order Automatica is a dark tactical roguelite where automated battles are won before they even begin. Build deadly synergies on a small 3×3 ritual grid, position your units carefully, manipulate tiles, and prepare for brutal encounters against demonic enemies. Every move matters.

Railbreak DX

Dead Drop Studios LLC

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$24.99

Pre-order

Railbreak DX – September 4
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S / XBOX Play Anywhere

Railbreak DX melds a classic on-rails arcade experience with the cutting edge Unreal Engine 5. In this prelude to Outbreak: Shades of Horror, you’ll get an opportunity to see the sights and sounds of Cypress Ridge and get chomped on by a zombie or four! Face the city alone, or bring a friend along with optional 2-player co-op supported across the entire game.

Tales of Formentera

Ratalaika Games S.L.

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Tales of Formentera – September 4
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S / Smart Delivery / XBOX Play Anywhere

Tales of Formentera is an adventure game set on a small island inspired by the real landscapes of Formentera, where old legends shape its history. Something mysterious is happening, and the people of the island need your help to uncover the truth. Explore the island freely, visit its most iconic locations, and talk to the locals to learn about their stories, traditions, and legends. You will piece together clues that help you understand what is really going on.

The post Next Week on XBOX: New Games for August 31 to September 4 appeared first on XBOX Wire.

If you weren’t able to attend gamescom 2026 this week – and thus haven’t been able to see Playground Games’ presentation of brand new quest gameplay from Fable – never fear. Above, you can watch a full 18 minutes of gameplay centred on a quest through Bowerstone, the series’ reimagined capital city.

Along the way, you’ll find out more about how intricate this world is (you can go inside every single building, and buy every single house), meet Humphry (disgraced leader of the Heroes’ Guild), see how choice and consequence can play out, and get multiple looks at combat in action. If that’s not enough for you, find out all about combat in our impressions after the first playable hands-on.

Fable arrives February 23, 2027, with early access for the Premium Edition beginning February 18. It will be available on XBOX Series X|S, XBOX on PC, cloud, and included with Game Pass. Play it on both console and PC at no additional cost with XBOX Play Anywhere.

The post Fable: Watch Brand New Quest Gameplay from gamescom 2026 appeared first on XBOX Wire.

I’ve been in a lot of rooms to see a lot of games, but sitting in a theater to watch footage of The Witcher 3’s Songs of the Past expansion for the first time provided me with an experience I’ve not come across before – live nostalgia.

As members of the Fool’s Theory dev team – who are co-developing the expansion with CD Projekt Red – guided Geralt through the new region of Letten, they made sure to stop off and reintroduce us to Roach, his ever-present steed. And, as they did, the assembled crowd let out not-quite-a-gasp, not-quite-an-ooh, but a noise that communicated some kind of shared, “There they are!”

I can’t deny that I felt it too – after a decade, there’s something distinct and practically unique about the feeling of returning to The Continent in this way. The combination of it being the same game (albeit in fresh Remastered clothing), and yet a brand new quest in a brand new location gives the sense of a true check-in – visiting old friends and, just maybe, stopping a monstrous threat along the way.

Set in Letten – the homeland of series mainstay (and narrator) Dandelion – Geralt is tasked with investigating his friend’s fractured aristocratic family, and a dangerous mystery in their past, centered around the threatening Garden of Thorns. I saw around 45 minutes from its early stages, and it’s hard to tell exactly how high the stakes are here on a global scale, but the impression I get is that Songs of the Past is more concerned with investigating the stories of its characters than the world of The Witcher as a whole.

And yet despite that, Letten emerges as the true star of the show here. A new region inspired by both English and Polish rural regions, set outside of the constantly war-torn countries we’ve visited previously, it’s initially a ray of sunshine. Geralt awakes at dawn on a hilltop after a raucous party, and is met by the sight of a placid lake, complete with touring sailboats, surrounded by bucolic rolling countryside and ringed with mountains in the far distance.

Fool’s Theory call Letten a “fully realized open world” in its own right, and has even upgraded NPC systems to allow for a region where the characters around you behave more believably, giving Letten as a whole the sense of a bustling, happy location. That is until you find Dandelion missing, begin to unravel his unhappy family history, and visit the Garden of Thorns itself.

As I see Geralt and Dandelion’s cousin, Lilla travel to investigate, the world changes almost imperceptibly around them. The trees get tighter, more misshapen. We see the remnants of human settlements laying overgrown, pierced by foliage. The light fades. Suddenly, Letten doesn’t seem quite as inviting.

And that’s before it starts trying to kill them. New enemies include Thornblooms – vicious flowers that make up for their inability to move by flailing wildly – and Swarmion – humanoid enemies boasting shields made up of hornets. Geralt himself has seen an upgrade, too, now able to equip a hooked chain as a ranged weapon, drawing enemies up close to make melee faster and more efficient than ever.

And it’s in that combination of new and old that Songs of the Past is already speaking to me – this feels far more than a way to get us reacquainted with the world of The Witcher ahead of a sequel. It’s a meaningful addition to an already beloved story – it already feels good to be back.

The Witcher 3: Songs of the Past arrives in 2027 for XBOX Series X|S. A full remaster, free to anyone who owns the original game, will be released on September 29, 2026.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Songs of the Past

CD PROJEKT RED S.A.

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Wishlist Now — Don’t miss the adventure! Wishlist Songs of the Past now and be the first to hear updates on Geralt’s return to the Path in The Witcher 3. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — one of the best-selling and most critically acclaimed role-playing games of all time — returns with a brand-new expansion. Songs of the Past sees legendary monster slayer Geralt of Rivia travel to Letten, an idyllic land on the surface but with a dark secret hiding below. Equipped with unique mutagens and a new weapon, the chain, Geralt must overcome never-before-seen foes as he fights to overcome a long-dormant evil. More than his life is at stake though; across a story filled with choices and consequences, the fate of the entire land, and even Geralt’s closest friendship, are also at risk. Geralt of Rivia Returns — Famed monster slayer Geralt of Rivia returns to the Path for another adventure, equipped with unique mutagens and a new weapon to master. Explore a New Region — The idyllic land of Letten is full of stories to discover and secrets to uncover, including something sinister at its very core. Experience Epic Quests — Dozens of new quests, points of interest, and more await as one of the best-selling RPGs of all time gets hours of new content. Uncover a Supernatural Mystery — Unfurl an authentic Witcher story full of choices and consequences as Geralt fights to uncover a dark curse at Letten’s center. Discover Remastered Content — Enjoy updated gameplay, visual fidelity, performance, character progression, and more through The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

CD PROJEKT S.A.

☆☆☆☆☆ 32399

★★★★★

Get it now

Xbox One X Enhanced

Xbox Game Pass

One of the most acclaimed RPGs of all time. Now ready for a new generation. ABOUT THE GAME You are Geralt of Rivia, mercenary monster slayer. Before you stands a war-torn, monster-infested continent you can explore at will. Your current contract? Tracking down Ciri — the Child of Prophecy, a living weapon that can alter the shape of the world. Updated to the latest version, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt comes with new items including swords, armor, and alternate outfits inspired by The Witcher Netflix series — and more! UPDATED FOR XBOX SERIES X|S Behold the dark fantasy world of the Continent like never before! The Xbox Series X|S version of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has been enhanced with numerous visual and technical improvements, including vastly improved level of detail, faster loading times, a range of community created and newly developed mods for the game, real-time ray tracing, and more — all implemented with the power of the new consoles in mind — as well as a built-in Photo Mode. PLAY AS A HIGHLY TRAINED MONSTER SLAYER FOR HIRE Trained from early childhood and mutated to gain superhuman skills, strength, and reflexes, witchers are a counterbalance to the monster-infested world in which they live. • Gruesomely destroy foes as a professional monster hunter armed with a range of upgradeable weapons, mutating potions, and combat magic. • Hunt down a wide variety of exotic monsters, from savage beasts prowling mountain passes to cunning supernatural predators lurking in the shadowy back alleys of densely populated cities. • Invest your rewards to upgrade your weaponry and buy custom armor, or spend them on horse races, card games, fist fighting, and other pleasures life brings. EXPLORE A MORALLY AMBIGUOUS FANTASY OPEN WORLD Built for endless adventure, the massive open world of The Witcher sets new standards in terms of size, depth, and complexity. • Traverse a fantastical open world: explore forgotten ruins, caves, and shipwrecks, trade with merchants and dwarven smiths in cities, and hunt across the open plains, mountains, and seas. • Deal with treasonous generals, devious witches, and corrupt royalty to provide dark and dangerous services. • Make choices that go beyond good & evil, and face their far-reaching consequences. TRACK DOWN THE CHILD OF PROPHECY Take on the most important contract of your life: to track down the child of prophecy, the key to saving or destroying this world. • In times of war, chase down the child of prophecy, a living weapon foretold by ancient elven legends. • Struggle against ferocious rulers, spirits of the wilds, and even a threat from beyond the veil – all hell-bent on controlling this world. • Define your destiny in a world that may not be worth saving.

The post The Witcher 3: Songs of the Past Will Give Us a Unique Way to Revisit This Beloved World appeared first on XBOX Wire.