It feels like just yesterday that Invincible VS launched, and the support from our community has been nothing short of amazing. Now, we’re excited to keep things going and welcome our first two DLC characters into the game – the unstoppable Universa and the looks-great-for-his-age superhuman, The Immortal, both launching on June 30!

First up is Universa. The Chosen of her people, she is a lone cosmic warrior tasked with saving her dying world. With her mighty Staff of Leadership, she can absorb and unleash massive amounts of energy, but only while it is in her grasp. Driven by duty above all else, Universa will stop at nothing to drain planet Earth of its energy resources in order to bring salvation to her own world, no matter the cost.

In Invincible VS, Universa is a highly technical Fighter built around momentum and resource control. Her power grows immensely as her Boost Meter fills, and she can even siphon Boost energy from her opponents to weaken them as she gains strength, leaving them extremely vulnerable to her attacks. Universa is versatile and well balanced, and is at her best when players are able to master her Max Boost Specials to completely devastate her foes.

I’ll let you in on a tip for Universa: One of our team’s favorite moves is her “Entropy” super, which allows her to absorb incoming projectiles and convert them into Boost gauge. This works great for getting through some assists or dealing with characters like Ella Mental or Cecil who rely on heavy projectiles. If you can master Universa’s tit-for-tat energy absorption and release, she may just become your new main.

Next is The Immortal, and yes, his name is quite fitting. He is one of the oldest living characters within the Invincibleuniverse, and his origin is a true mystery. The Immortal has lived many lives as a warrior, king, knight, crusader and now, leader of the Guardians of the Globe. Relentless and hardened by battle, he carries an incredible amount of grief from centuries-spanning loss, especially after surviving Omni-Man’s massacre of the original Guardians of the Globe. Though not a Viltrumite himself, The Immortal possesses similar powers and will never back down from a fight, no matter who stands before him.

In Invincible VS, The Immortal is an aggressive Striker Fighter who excels at closing distance and overwhelming opponents with relentless pressure. His explosive moveset lets him attack from multiple angles, while his Install Super boosts his speed and combo potential even further. True to his name, he also has a unique Revive ability that can bring him back into the fight once per match, allowing him to return in a berserk state and continue beating up his opponents.

One super cool aspect of The Immortal that we think fans will love is his walk-off. For a character that’s had so many iconic entrances and exits throughout the years, we made sure to give him a proper animation to fit, and might I say, it’s one of the best animations in the game. You’ll want to pay attention to that once the round ends.

Better yet, you can check it early at Evo! We’re heading to Las Vegas from Friday, June 26 to Sunday, June 28, and attendees can swing by our Quarter Up booth to go hands-on with Universa and The Immortal before anyone else. Who knows, you might just find your new main!

We’re also honored to say that Invincible VS is an official Evo tournament partner, and we can’t wait to see the highest caliber players face off against each other throughout the whole weekend. As expected, the stakes are high. The first-place winner gets more than just bragging rights; they get to take home quite the spectacle – a life-sized Conquest Gauntlet trophy! May the best player win.

Looking to the future, we’re also excited to reveal our 2026 roadmap, giving you all a look at what’s coming for the rest of the year. To give you the highlights, we’ve got Season 1 launching on June 30, alongside Universa and The Immortal, plus an all-new Endless Arcade mode and fresh cosmetic releases. Then, Season 2 launches in October, where players can look forward to an all-new fighter, game mode and even more cosmetics. And to end the year with a bang, Season 3 launches in December with another brand-new fighter, a whole new arena and you guessed it, more awesome cosmetics.

There’s tons of amazing content coming but for now, we’re starting the summer off with a strong punch. We look forward to seeing some of you at Evo next week and checking out what you can all do with Universa and The Immortal. Show us what you’ve got!

Invincible VS is available on XBOX Series X|S, XBOX on PC, and XBOX Cloud as an XBOX Play Anywhere title, and can be purchased at invinciblevs.com.

For more information on Invincible VS at Evo, please visit evo.gg/events/evo2026.

Learn more by following Invincible VS on Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, YouTube, and online at InvincibleVS.com.

Invincible VS

Skybound Games

☆☆☆☆☆ 563

★★★★★

$49.99

Get it now

Invincible VS is a brutal superhero 3v3 tag fighting game set in the Invincible universe, where you can battle to the death as a team of fan-favorite characters in iconic locations. Unleash bone-breaking combos through fast combat and smart defensive tactics to leave a trail of blood and destruction. Land vicious Super moves and Ultimates to leave your opponents in a mess of blood. Invincible VS features a variety of game modes including a captivating cinematic story mode with an original narrative from a writer of the animated series. Jump into Arcade and battle with your team, hone your combos in Training mode, and test your skills against the world in competitive and casual multiplayer. Show, comic fans, and fighting game lovers will experience unparalleled heroic brutality, where every earth-shattering blow will leave you feeling… Invincible. This is the debut title from the newly formed Quarter Up—the first in-house studio at Skybound—led by former members of the core Killer Instinct (2013) dev team.

Mousebusters is available now on XBOX consoles. To celebrate, I wanted to share why I made a game about a mouse sneaking through an apartment building and blasting ghosts.

A quick question to start us off: Do you know your neighbors?

When you live in a city, it is surprisingly common to share a building with people you know almost nothing about. Every now and then, you catch a glimpse of someone else’s life through the walls: someone practicing an instrument, an argument in the next room, or a loud party down the hall.

That idea became the starting point for Mousebusters. As a mouse, you sneak into the lives of different residents and learn more about them than any polite neighbor probably should. Somewhere along the way, those small encounters begin to form a strange but meaningful connection.

This feeling also comes from my own memories. I have studied abroad, traveled often, and lived in Switzerland, Australia, the United States, and Japan. During those years, I often lived in shared houses, where people from different countries and backgrounds lived side by side for a while, sharing a kitchen, a hallway, or a meal before eventually going their separate ways.

I have always found something precious in that kind of relationship. It is not quite friendship in the usual sense. It isn’t family, but it is still a long-distance connection: a ways away, and yet people are somehow linked.

That feeling is in Mousebusters too. There is a scene where residents of different ages and backgrounds gather for a BBQ. They don’t immediately become friends, but for a moment, they share the same place, the same food, and the same time.

Once I decided to make a game about sneaking into the lives of apartment residents, I needed a protagonist who could do that naturally. At one point, I considered something like a ghost. But eventually, I chose a mouse.

That choice changed the direction of the game. A mouse made the idea feel smaller, funnier, and more charming. It also led naturally to the title Mousebusters. Once that title existed, the tone became much clearer: a cozy apartment adventure with ghosts, parody, strange gadgets, and one very energetic mentor mouse.

After that, the big question became this: What makes a mouse game feel like a mouse game?

The answer was perspective.

A mouse does not see a room the way a human does. A game controller is something you operate with your whole body. A TV remote is something you climb. The space under a bed becomes a secret viewpoint into someone’s private life. A refrigerator, if you are trapped inside, becomes terrifying.

I tried to include scenes like that throughout the game. A mouse sneaks around, climbs over everyday objects, hides from a cat, and sees human life from places humans normally never notice. The game has tense moments — a cat is still a cat, after all — but Mousebusters is mostly cozy. The fun is not only in surviving as a mouse, but in discovering what small things a mouse can do.

In Mousebusters, you exorcise evil spirits, but you also create tiny changes in people’s lives. You might fix a broken record and play a song connected to an old woman’s memories. You might secretly make instant noodles and change how someone thinks about food. You might set a new high score in a game so that a young resident can move forward and focus on practicing guitar.

These are not grand heroic acts. Most residents never even know that a mouse helped them. But that was exactly what interested me. Sometimes a person does not need someone to solve their whole life. Sometimes they only need a small trigger: a memory, a surprise, or a strange little accident that helps them look at things differently.

Mousebusters is a silly game about a mouse with an exorcism gun, but it also carries that positive feeling. It is about ghosts, but it is also about neighbors: People who live close to each other without fully knowing each other, and the small connections that can quietly change someone’s life.

I hope XBOX players enjoy exploring the apartment, meeting its residents, finding hidden jokes, and following this tiny mouse’s very strange new career all the way through to its conclusion.

That is all for now — squeak you later!

Mousebusters

Odencat

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$12.99 $11.69

Get it now

◆ Welcome to Mousebusters! You just moved into your new place, and are excited to settle in…when all of a sudden, you get turned into a mouse! Thankfully, you soon meet a fellow rodent who knows how to help. He asks you to call him “Chief,” and explains that there’s only one way to break the curse: by ridding the whole apartment building of the ghosts that haunt its inhabitants! ◆ Get to Know Your New Neighbors In each apartment, you'll find a different ghost—but it won't be that easy to track them down. It seems they prey on negative emotions, so in order to smoke them out, you'll have to do some major recon to figure out each resident's biggest insecurities. Just don't get caught! ◆ A Partner You Can Count On Luckily, you won't have to go it alone, because you'll be in frequent contact with the Chief throughout each mission. From his comfy desk at HQ, he'll offer plenty of guidance and comedic commentary as you scour the building and solve puzzles to find each ghost. ◆ Engage in Ghost-Zapping Action! Once you've tracked down the source of each resident's woes, you'll have to whip out your trusty ray gun and perform a good ol' fashioned exorcism. Protect yourself from projectiles while targeting their weak points to expose their spectral cores! ◆ Venture Down the Rabbit Hole Over the course of your investigations, you'll slowly uncover more and more evidence that suggests something far more ominous is going on with this building…and it seems the Chief knows more about the curse than he's letting on. Just how deep does this conspiracy go?

Relax and renovate, battle your way through a brutal fantasy adventure, or chase the perfect lap with Free Play Days! House Flipper 2, Blades of Fire and Assetto Corsa Competizione are available this weekend for XBOX Game Pass Ultimate, Premium and Essential members to play from Thursday, June 25 until Sunday, June 28.

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)

House Flipper 2

Frozen District

☆☆☆☆☆ 386

★★★★★

$39.99

Get it now

House Flipper 2
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S
Clean your worries away with this relaxing renovation simulator! Buy, fix, sell, and become a local legend. Or grab your power tools and build anything from scratch! With the online 2-4 players co-op mode, you can play both House Flipper 2 in sandbox and story mode together.

Blades of Fire

505 Games

☆☆☆☆☆ 126

★★★★★

$39.99 $29.99

Get it now

Blades of Fire
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S
Are you ready to Forge Your Legend? For a limited time, enjoy 25% off Blades of Fire, the latest dark fantasy adventure from the team at MercurySteam. You play as Aran de Lira, the son of the King’s Ward Commander. Get ready to embark on an uncertain mission where forging weapons is more than just a skill, it’s the key to survival and success. With the recent launch of Version 2.0, get ready to experience NG+, Photo Mode, and more. There’s never been a better time to join!

Assetto Corsa Competizione

505 Games SpA

☆☆☆☆☆ 814

★★★★★

$39.99 $9.99

Get it now

Assetto Corsa Competizione
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S, Smart Delivery
Experience the thrill of the realistic driving experience in Assetto Corsa Competizione for FREE as part of Free Play Days. With incredibly highly detailed cars and circuits, you can experience driving freedom in the most realistic way thanks to the advanced physics engine developed by award-winning Kunos Simulazioni! Play free and then save 75% on Assetto Corsa for a limited time only.

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.

Effective August 1, 2026, we will be updating prices worldwide. The price of XBOX consoles will increase by US$100 for 512 GB models and US$150 for 1 TB models. We will also be sunsetting our 2 TB model.

Last October, we increased XBOX console price by $20-$70 in the U.S. We hoped another price increase would not be necessary, and we have spent the last several months working with suppliers on options. Unfortunately, console storage and memory prices have increased by more than 2.5x and we expect another doubling by the fall of 2027. The entire consumer electronics industry is struggling with the current components crisis, but the effects are particularly hard on consoles. Unlike phones, computers, speakers, and other consumer devices, consoles are typically not sold at a profit, but instead for less than they cost to make.

Today we are also sharing programs to make XBOX consoles more accessible:

• Buy Now, Pay Later: We’ve made it easier for players to use Buy Now, Pay Later options on eligible XBOX hardware purchases through Microsoft Stores, making it possible to break up your payment into predictable short-term, interest-free installments.
• Interest Free Financing: Players purchasing eligible XBOX hardware through Amazon can take advantage of 0% APR financing for up to 12 months, giving players more flexibility with lower monthly payments and more budgeting control.

• Previously Played Consoles: We are working with retail partners on new programs to provide previously played consoles at lower prices. Players who are ready to upgrade or no longer use their console will be able to trade it in with participating retail partners for cash or store credit. Those consoles will then be made available at lower prices for players.
• Certified Refurbished Consoles: XBOX Certified Refurbished Consoles are available at Microsoft Stores for up to US$100 off MSRP.

XBOX Series S remains the lowest-cost way for console players to enjoy the biggest hits this year, including Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, Gears of War: E-Day, Grand Theft Auto VI, Halo: Campaign Evolved, and Madden NFL 27.

Payment options vary by region. Credit provided by third parties. Subject to status and eligibility. Terms apply.  

Seven scars, two worlds, one legend: The Savior of the Century’s End descends upon South Town

First announced at AnimeJapan 2026, one of the world’s largest anime events, the collaboration with “Fist of the North Star: HOKUTO NO KEN” reaches its climax as Kenshiro joins FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves as the final Season Pass 2 DLC character.

Kenshiro

Voice Actors: Clayton Alexander (EN), Shunsuke Takeuchi (JA)
Post-apocalyptic savior with seven distinctive scars carved onto his chest. As sole successor to the ultimate assassination art, Hokuto Shinken, he treads a perilous path; indeed, a dangerous yearning for Hokuto Shinken by forces unknown is what calls him to the South Town in the first place. To the weak, lost, and broken, he extends a helping hand; to those who prey on them, he metes out merciless justice.

Here are some of his moves!

Finger Snap of Emptiness

A move that instantly strikes multiple channeling points on the opponent’s head with rapid finger flicks.

It allows Kenshiro to advance on the opponent while attacking, and the Heavy and REV versions pass through the opponent entirely—use this to pressure them from both sides.

REV versions of special moves and REV Blows can inflict the Channeling Point status on hit, so look for every opportunity to land them.

Hokuto Hundred-Kick-Rush

A move that strikes multiple channeling points on the opponent’s upper body with rapid kicks.

The forward step into the kicks makes this a highly combo-friendly tool.

When used against an opponent in the Channeling Point status, REV versions of special moves and REV Blows will change the way they react when hit — aim to use REV Accel in your combos to make the most of this.

Hokuto Soaring Split Kick

A move that launches the opponent into the air with a powerful strike, then follows up with a godspeed kick to continue the assault mid-air.

Use this as an anti-air option against incoming opponents.

The Heavy and REV versions can be braked on the first hit — depending on the situation, you can either follow up after braking or let the full move play out and take advantage of the Channeling Point status.

Celestial Destruction

A secret art of Hokuto Shinken that, from a special stance, fires a burst of concentrated fighting spirit at the opponent without making physical contact, striking channeling points arranged in the shape of the Big Dipper.

The Heavy and REV versions leave Kenshiro at an advantage even on block, and an additional input fires another burst for a follow-up attack.

Easy to incorporate into REV Accel, this versatile move works well in both pressure situations and full combos.

Two-Fingered Intercept

A move that catches projectiles such as arrows and crossbow bolts between the index and middle fingers, then hurls them back at the opponent.

While Kenshiro has no projectiles of his own, he has tools to counter them — including this move and Extreme Airflow — so make sure to use them wisely depending on the situation.

Hokuto Fist of Penitence

A move that drives deep into a channeling point on the opponent’s temples, forcing them to reflect on their own sinful ways.

The standard version inflicts the Channeling Point status; if the opponent is already in Channeling Point status, it stuns them on the spot. The Redline version forces a stun regardless of whether the opponent is in Channeling Point status.

Use it at the right moment to land a decisive combo and make your opponent truly regret their choices.

Hokuto Hundred-Fist Rush

A devastating barrage of countless precision strikes unleashed in an instant, targeting the numerous pressure points scattered across the opponent’s head and upper body from every blind angle.

The sheer speed of the punches is so overwhelming that it sends the opponent flying into the air.

This move can only be activated under limited conditions, but its power reflects that restriction — land it decisively to knock the opponent down for good.

* All in-game footage displayed is work-in-progress. Design and specifications are subject to change.

Join the Fight in FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves!

If you’re ready to jump in, FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves is now available in a Standard Edition format, giving you access to all 17 base roster characters and all game modes at an affordable price.

Season Pass 1 is also available as a separate purchase, adding five additional fighters: Andy Bogard, Ken, Joe Higashi, Chun-Li, and MR.BIG

Season Pass 2 features six characters in total, completing the Season 2 lineup: Kim Jae Hoon, Nightmare Geese, Blue Mary, Wolfgang Krauser, MR. KARATE, and the newly announced Kenshiro from “FIST OF THE NORTH STAR.” Season 2 is now complete with all six fighters available.

For players looking for the complete package, the Legend Edition bundles the base game with both Season Pass 1 and Season Pass 2, giving players access to all 28 characters. Whether you’re a newcomer or a longtime fan, the Legend Edition is the ultimate way to experience everything FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves has to offer.

* Season Pass 1 and Season Pass 2 are sold separately.

FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves – Legend Edition

SNK CORPORATION

☆☆☆☆☆ 136

★★★★★

$49.99 $29.99

Get it now

* The main game and each content included in this product are also available as stand-alone products. Please be careful when purchasing. Contents Base game Season Pass 1 – Andy Bogard – Ken, additional stage – Joe Higashi – Chun-Li – Mr. Big, additional stage Season Pass 2 – DLC Character 1 "Kim Jae Hoon", additional stage (Available Now) – DLC Character 2 "Nightmare Geese" (Available Now) – DLC Character 3 "Blue Mary", additional stage (Available Now) – DLC Character 4 "Wolfgang Krauser", additional stage (Available Now) – DLC Character 5 "Mr. Karate", additional stage (Available Now) – DLC Character 6 "Kenshiro" (June 2026) – Additional stages * Release date estimates are current at the time of publication.

MONOPOLY: Star Wars Heroes vs. Villains is out tomorrow for XBOX Series X|S. A bold new twist on the beloved board game, you can experience cinematic moments as you move through iconic locations from the Star Wars galaxy. You can play online or through couch co-op in 2v2 or 3v3 competitive game modes. Dynamic GO Events can unleash game-changing effects across the board and shift the momentum of the game.

Character Ability Breakdown

There are also 28 iconic Star Wars characters, 14 heroes and 14 villains, each wielding a special, game-changing ability. Each hero shares their ability with a villain.

“It’s important these Abilities are distributed equally between both teams to balance the game better,” said Lola Guilldou, Senior Line Designer. “This gives each player equal footing when planning their team of Heroes and Villains and strategizing a counterplay against their opponent.”

Here’s the breakdown:

• Chewbacca’s Wookie Rampage, Reva’s Thirst for Revenge: Advance to next opponent and fight
  
• Leia Organa’s Rebellion Aid, Cad Bane’s Slight of Hand: When you pass an opponent, steal 100 credits
  
• Yoda’s Master and Mentor, Emperor Palpatine’s War and Corruption: Upgrade locations twice a turn
  
• Bo-Katan Kryze’s Justice Served, Count Dooku’s Sith Control: Spend 300 credits to send a random opponent to jail
  
• Finn Deserter’s Rebel on Duty, Boba Fett’s 2-6 Boost: Move 2 tiles forwards or backwards
  
• Jyn Erso’s Generous Contribution, Fennec Shand’s Crime Family: When you land on an ally location, earn double the resupply (rent) value
  
• Luke Skywalker’s Echoes of Hope, Darth Vader’s Imperial Judgement: Call in Wedge Antilles/a Storm Trooper to affect a location within 3 tiles
  

• Mace Windu’s For the Republic, Asajj Ventress’ Pride and Fear: In combat, allies throw one extra die
  
• Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Wise General, Kylo Ren’s Power of Darkness: During a GO event, reroll your dice if you failed the roll
  
• Padmé Amidala’s Diplomatic Endeavor, Dedra Meero’s Spy Network: Claiming locations costs 50% fewer credits for allies
  
• Rey’s Never Give Up, General Grievous’ I Wield Great Power: Enter combat with random opponent. Winner gains credits.
  
• Rose Tico’s Tech Support, Captain Phasma’s First Order Influence: Purchase up to 3 movement dice and roll them immediately
  
• Han Solo’s Charismatic Scoundrel, Aurra Sing’s Bounty Intel: Access the Cantina from your current position
  
• Ahsoka Tano’s Fulcrum, Darth Maul’s Victory or Death: In combat, purchase up to 3 extra dice for your roll

Dev-Recommended Ability Combos

While each of these abilities can have a significant impact on the game, building a team of iconic Star Wars characters whose abilities play off one another is a great way to control the board. Depending on what aspect of gameplay you want to focus on, here’s what Guilldou recommends:

If you want to focus on location acquisition:

• Make Padmé Amidala/Dedra Meero your cornerstone character, which reduces location cost by 50% for allies.
• Add Luke Skywalker/Darth Vader to call in an NPC to affect a location within 3 tiles and Master Yoda/Emperor Palpatine to upgrade a location twice in one turn.

To focus on winning Battles:

• Make Mace Windu/Asajj Ventress your cornerstone character, enabling one extra die throw for allies.
• Add Chewbacca/Reva or Rey/General Grievous to trigger extra Battle opportunities.

To focus on board movement (and triggering Go Events):

• Make Rose Tico/Captain Phasma your cornerstone character to immediately purchase and roll up to 3 movements dice.
• Add Finn/Boba Fett to move 2 tiles in either direction, or add Chewbacca/Reva to advance to next opponent (this will trigger a Battle).

To frustrate your opponent’s plans with jail:

• Make Bo-Katan Kryse/Count Dooku your cornerstone character, allowing you to send a random opponent to jail for 300 credits.
• Add Han Solo/Aurra Sing to your team, allowing you to access the Cantina from your current position. From the Cantina, you can purchase an option to send a player to jail.

To focus on acquiring credits:

• Make Leia Organa/Cade Bane your cornerstone character, allowing you to steal 100 credits whenever you pass an opponent.
• Add Jyn Erso/Fennec Shand to earn double the resupply value when landing on an ally location; Padmé Amidala/Dedra Meero to reduce location cost by 50%; or Rey/General Grievous to enter Battle and win credits.

There are so many character ability combinations to try, and we can’t wait to see what you come up with. Play MONOPOLY: Star Wars Heroes vs. Villains on XBOX Series X|S starting tomorrow!

STAR WARS © & TM 2026 Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

MONOPOLY , ® & © 2026 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved. 

Monopoly: Star Wars Heroes vs. Villains

Ubisoft

☆☆☆☆☆ 3

★★★★★

$29.99

Pre-order

Pre-order now and unlock two unique in-game dice skins inspired by iconic Star Wars characters: Jawa and Clone Trooper. Assemble your team, build your roster of iconic Star Wars characters, and battle with your friends and family for control of the galaxy as you move across storied planets and locations. Choose from a wide array of Star Wars heroes and villains, each with their own unique abilities. Whether you're teaming up with Luke Skywalker or unleashing Darth Vader, every match is packed with team strategy, surprises, and classic Star Wars moments. No two battles unfold the same way, the fate of your team is yours to shape! STAR WARS MEETS MONOPOLY® Step into the Star Wars galaxy with a bold new twist on MONOPOLY. Experience iconic cinematic moments while competing with family and friends across iconic locations from every era of the saga. PLAY AS A TEAM, WIN AS A TEAM Team up with your friends and family through online play or couch co-op and experience MONOPOLY like never before with 2v2 and 3v3 competitive game modes. With endless team compositions, the game transforms classic competition into a fun strategic showdown. ASSEMBLE YOUR ICONIC STAR WARS TEAM Each character brings distinct hero abilities, allowing you to shape your team’s composition and lead your team to victory. Command legends like Darth Maul and Princess Leia, each with game-changing skills that turn the tide in your favor. COMMAND THE DICE, CONTROL THE BOARD The game can change with every roll as properties change hands in an instant. Dynamic GO events unleash game-altering twists and shift momentum rapidly, making each turn critical and victory uncertain until the final turn. A NEW ADVENTURE EVERY MATCH With action-packed matches, evolving team strategies, and tons of unlockable cosmetics, no two games are exactly the same. Experiment with different heroes to assemble the perfect team. There's always a reason to jump back in for one more round. Pre-Order Bonus – Set of Dice

In a traditional extraction shooter, a map is usually a fixed stage: you drop in, scavenge for supplies, dodge AI and real players, and try to make it out alive. What makes that loop thrilling is how much is on the line—the moment you’re taken down, every item you’ve scavenged and every piece of gear you brought in vanishes instantly. It’s that “one wrong move and you lose it all” tension that makes every extraction nerve-wracking. But for Delta Force’s new season, Team Jade wanted to ask a bigger question—what if the map itself became the protagonist of the operation?

For this new map, Team Jade used it to achieve something much harder: to completely reimagine what an extraction experience can be, across story, immersion, threat, and outcome. And it’s precisely because of that ambition that I sat down with two of the team’s most central figures—Delta Force Game Director Shadow Guo and Game Design Director Ricky—to talk about what this new map, AZ3, has really redefined.

“We know players won’t get excited over ‘just another map,'” Shadow says. “So this time, we weren’t building a map—we were rebuilding an experience. We don’t get such chances very often, and we wanted to spend it where it counts.”

Fantasy: An Operator Called In, and a Crisis on the Brink

What this map really wants to deliver to players is a very specific fantasy: you are a special operator, called in at the eleventh hour to enter a nuclear plant teetering on the edge of meltdown—to investigate, to intervene, and to make your choice before everything spirals out of control.

In the story, G.T.I. receives a tip from a mysterious source: a crisis is unfolding at the nuclear plant. There, players meet the key figure of this season—an elderly scientist. Through him, players learn that Haavk, with no regard for local safety, has been running dangerous experiments inside the plant, making the entire facility increasingly unstable. That’s why the old scientist reached out to G.T.I. to step in, hoping players can help shut down the reactor and save an Ahsarah in crisis.

“When you truly stand in this operator’s shoes, the story stops being just background,” Ricky says. “It becomes the motivation behind everything you do. You’re not here to run laps around a map—you walked in with a mission, and with the risk that comes with it.”

Immersion: A Map That Reacts

I was curious how a fantasy this “high-stakes and deeply immersive” actually gets realized within a single map. Shadow’s first answer was to make the map itself feel alive.

“Unlike the static extraction maps of the past, AZ3 changes in response to player action,” Shadow says. “Searching, firefights, pushing forward—any of it can trigger explosions, and leaks, and the look of the map shifts as the match goes on. More importantly, the reactor’s status is visible in real time the whole way through—players can always feel exactly how close this run is to spiraling out of control.”

That immersion also comes from a striking visual contrast. “Players have seen the human, cultural side of Ahsarah in Bakhsh, and Haavk’s most cutting-edge technology in Space City,” Shadow says. “So we wondered—if those ambitious high-tech projects failed, what would they leave behind?” The answer is this “modern ruin”: on one side, an open, almost eerie scrapyard where players fight among rusted vehicle wrecks; on the other, a decommissioned old nuclear plant—damaged during the civil unrest and hastily sealed off by Haavk—where contaminated waters and a spent-fuel storage area speak to the past. And at the very center stands Haavk’s own modern reactor building, home to the best loot on the map, and also its most dangerous and most contested ground.

The new operator, N-Two, also has a deeply personal connection to this nuclear disaster. “This map gets players thinking,” Ricky adds. “Is this kind of nuclear power a new beginning for Ahsarah—or the prelude to its destruction?”

“Put all of that together, and you’ll understand what we were after,” Ricky says, summing it up. “A dynamically changing environment, a high-contrast art style, an operator and a story woven deep into the map—they all share one goal: to make players feel this map is alive, that it genuinely reacts to every single thing you do.”

Threats: It’s Not Just Other Players Keeping You on Edge

A high-stakes operation needs threats that genuinely keep you tense—and in the Nuclear Plant, the danger goes far beyond other players. Remember, you’re breaking into the most critical facility of a high-tech corporation, so its security is armed to the teeth and ready for intruders. Haavk’s elite soldiers and mechanized units are stationed throughout, forming the most direct source of firepower pressure. But their role isn’t just suppression—among them are dedicated reconnaissance units built to monitor intruders, and some will even let out a deafening blare to forcibly expose your position and flush you out of hiding. Outmaneuvering these recon units becomes a compelling game of cat and mouse in itself.

“That said, I want to make one thing clear—this map’s difficulty is set to Easy and Normal,” Ricky says. “The threats have real depth, but we wanted this to be a map that’s very welcoming for new players to jump into and experience the full thrill of extraction—not one that scares them off.”

The threat that runs through the entire run, though, is radiation. It’s a mechanic players have to actively manage. As radiation builds up on you, the effects escalate stage by stage: from barely noticeable, to bleeding and pain with snow-like static creeping into your view, to fractures that hinder movement, and finally to the most severe stage—where high-energy particle flow heavily distorts your vision, negative effects pile up rapidly, and even painkillers can no longer hold them back. Players need to seek out decontamination rooms, or fight the Haavk guards stationed here and use their equipment to clear radiation. And that familiar Geiger-counter clicking you hear across the map is its own temptation: follow the sound to a special radioactive container, and you might walk away with rich rewards—at the cost of more radiation.

But what truly sends a chill down players’ spines is the boss—H1000. “The moment that melody starts playing, players should be on high alert,” Ricky says. Unlike the boss of any previous map, H1000 brings a relentless, serial pursuit—like falling into a time loop. Reshaped by brain-machine technology, he’s a complete Haavk humanoid weapon, with superhuman physical capabilities that let him dodge bullets, fire a tranquilizer dart, and close in step by step for a melee execution. “Every time you’re locked in a struggle with him, we wanted to capture that razor’s-edge feeling of clawing your way back from the brink,” Ricky says.

The Choice: Save It, or Run

All of these systems ultimately converge on a single question: how do you want this run to end?

Players can try to complete several landmark objectives inside the nuclear plant to successfully shut down the reactor and stabilize the situation; or they can fail—or simply choose not to deal with it—and watch the reactor head toward meltdown, throwing the entire match into a countdown to forced extraction. But here’s the truly interesting part—that ending isn’t in any one person’s hands. It’s decided by the combined actions of every player on the map that run. Some want to save it, some only want to loot and run, and some treat the chaos as their opportunity—so the direction of every match is full of uncertainty. You can never fully predict how a run will end, and it’s that uncertainty that lets this map deliver a fresh sense of adventure every single time.

“That’s what we mean by reimagining extraction,” Shadow says. “It’s no longer just ‘get in, grab the loot, get out.’ Your choices genuinely change how the run ends.” And that’s what this map most wants to leave players with: you’re not a bystander—you’re the one who, in the face of crisis, decides the outcome with your own hands.

Delta Force is now available for free on XBOX Series X|S. The AZ3 map arrives as the centerpiece of the new season, Meltdown, where players can also experience the new operator N-Two, alongside more updates this season.

Delta Force

TiMi Studio Group

☆☆☆☆☆ 4301

★★★★★

Get it now

Delta Force is back! The iconic series returns as the definitive free-to-play modern team-based tactical shooter, and featuring three distinct gameplay modes: – Warfare: battle the enemy across land, sea and air in truly epic 32 v 32 PvP combat, featuring a wide range of vehicles and unique tactical gear. – Operations: Delta Force meets the next generation extraction shooter as you deploy behind enemy lines with your squad, search for valuables, take on rival players, and extract before it’s too late. Alternatively, our PvE Raid mode offers challenging objective-based missions designed to push your squad to the limit. – Black Hawk Down: step into the boots of legendary Delta Force operators for this remake of the classic series campaign based on the gripping 2001 movie. We are committed to NO PAY-TO-WIN and development is driven by community feedback. Fair play is a top priority, and our dedicated G.T.I. security anti-cheat team ensures a fair gameplay experience by proactively targeting and removing cheaters. And remember… “No-one gets left behind”

Ever since the original DOOM blew minds in 1993, the series has always been about tempo. After the lightning-fast acrobatics of DOOM Eternal, DOOM: The Dark Ages carved out its own identity within the franchise by slowing down, giving the Slayer a shield and innovating a tankier, parrying, stand-and-fight style of combat. Its first major DLC, Revelations, expands upon that powerful-feeling foundation by adding more kinetic movement options back into the mix with the versatile new Chain Spear as the expansion’s centerpiece.

“It kind of plays like the culmination of 35 years of DOOM,” said Game Director and id Software Studio Co-Director Hugo Martin during a recent virtual event with both a video presentation and live Q&A. “It adds movement tech to Dark Ages combat, complete with a dash and grapple hook. We’re going to make the tanky Dark Ages Slayer fly. You’ll feel like a monster truck with a jet engine strapped to your back.”

Early in the Revelations story campaign, the Slayer’s shield is broken, and he acquires the Chain Spear to replace it in his left hand. Eventually the player will be able to swap freely between them (and some endgame skills even benefit from doing so in the heat of combat), but at first they are forced to use it, and Martin encourages players to stick with it, even if it doesn’t quite click at first, because its depth unfolds the more you play with it and unlock abilities: “There is a ton of skill expression in the DLC, and it’s all through the spear, so it’s worth your time and investment.”

The Chain Spear has a wide variety of attack modes, each of which has its own skill tree. It can stab, be thrown like a sniper shot, slam down like Eternal’s DLC hammer, and slash widely (breaking armor, killing fodder for resources, or parrying incoming melee and projectile attacks). “There is a ton of freedom and weapon tech to discover here,” according to Martin.

Perhaps most exciting are the movement options that the Chain Spear adds. The tip of the spear can be shot out on a chain like a grappling hook, pulling the Slayer in toward enemies or up through the air and around the environment. It builds on the Meat Hook attachment to the Super Shotgun in DOOM Eternal, but with more refined movement control and, most importantly, the freedom to pair it with any gun in your right hand.

In addition to pulling the Slayer in, the Chain Spear can also be used to Orbit, rotating around enemies up in the air, tethered by the radius of the chain while unloading gunfire into them like a furious little moon. Martin compared it to Z-targeting, which gamers of a certain age will remember as the innovative camera lock-on system developed for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and now common in games like Elden Ring, and is obviously very powerful in the context of a first-person shooter.

All of these abilities develop in complexity over the course of the 10 to 12 hours it will take to complete Revelations, which Martin said is larger than Eternal’s two DLC combined. That content comprises roughly 60% story campaign and 40% endgame, including an extensive hub area to scour for secrets between levels with Metroidvania-like exploration (including levels from original DOOM games, rendering classic designs with modern materials and effects). The endgame will have you going back through the campaign’s levels again with added challenges and puzzles, eventually leading to an uber boss and then master arenas for the ultimate test of skill, which will ask you to truly demonstrate mastery over every part of the Slayer’s kit in concert—including both the shield and the spear. All of the game’s existing difficulty sliders are also intact, which means that all of the DLC’s content is accessible to players of any skill level.

The Chain Spear sounds like an exciting additional to the arsenal for DOOM: The Dark Ages. Modern DOOM is all about how the different combat systems naturally flow into and support one another, and the versatility of the Chain Spear really embodies all their learnings from developing under that ethos for over a decade now. We’ll be zipping around and skewering demons with it soon when DOOM: The Dark Ages | Revelations releases on July 7 for XBOX Series X|S and XBOX on PC, with support for XBOX Play Anywhere.

DOOM: The Dark Ages | Revelations

Bethesda Softworks

☆☆☆☆☆ 23

★★★★★

Get it now

Access to the campaign DLC* is included with the DOOM: The Dark Ages Premium Edition and Premium Upgrade. *DLC availability to be provided at a later date.

DOOM: The Dark Ages

Bethesda Softworks

☆☆☆☆☆ 4872

★★★★★

$69.99 $55.99

Get it now

PC Game Pass

Xbox Game Pass

BECOME THE SLAYER IN A MEDIEVAL WAR AGAINST HELL DOOM: The Dark Ages is the prequel to the critically acclaimed DOOM (2016) and DOOM Eternal that tells an epic cinematic story worthy of the DOOM Slayer’s legend. In this third installment of the modern DOOM series, players will step into the blood-stained boots of the DOOM Slayer, in this never-before-seen dark and sinister medieval war against Hell. DOOM: The Dark Ages is a dark fantasy/sci-fi single-player experience that delivers the searing combat and over-the-top visuals of the incomparable DOOM franchise, powered by the latest idTech engine. STAND AND FIGHT As the super weapon of gods and kings, shred enemies with devastating favorites like the Super Shotgun while also wielding a variety of new bone-chewing weapons, including the versatile Shield Saw. Players will stand and fight on the demon-infested battlefields in the vicious, grounded combat the original DOOM is famous for. Take flight atop the new fierce Mecha Dragon, stand tall in a massive Atlan mech, and beat demons to a pulp with the newly enhanced glory kill system. Only the Slayer has the power to wield these devastating tools of mayhem. REIGN IN HELL Bound to serve as the super weapon of gods and kings, the DOOM Slayer fends off demon hordes as their leader seeks to destroy the Slayer and become the only one that is feared. Witness the creation of a legend as the Slayer takes on all of Hell and turns the tide of the war. DISCOVER UNKNOWN REALMS In his quest to crush the legions of Hell, the Slayer must take the fight to never-before-seen realms. Mystery, challenges, and rewards lurk in every shadow of ruined castles, epic battlefields, dark forests, ancient hellscapes, and worlds beyond. Armed with the viciously powerful Shield Saw, cut through a dark world of menace and secrets in id's largest and most expansive levels to date. https://eulas.bethesda.net/doom-the-dark-ages

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.

Summer is here! That means vacations, pool days, backyard grilling, and, of course, mesmerizing indie games. And you’re in luck: the ID@Xbox team has handpicked five Indie Selects for July that are ready to light up your night like a sky full of summer fireworks. July’s Indie Selects showcase games with strong personality, rewarding progression, and distinct worlds that invite players to keep coming back. Grab your sunscreen, charge your controller, and dive into the full lineup of July’s Indie Selects. (in no particular order):

Mina the Hollower

Looking for an excuse to stay in this weekend? We’ve got plenty to play with Free Play Days! Ikonei Island: An Earthlock Adventure is available this weekend for XBOX Game Pass Ultimate, Premium and Essential members to play from Thursday, July 2 until Sunday, July 5.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is free for all XBOX players to try from Thursday, July 2 to Monday, July 6, and Diablo IV is also free for all XBOX players to try for an entire week, from Tuesday, June 30 until Tuesday, July 7.

Additionally, Demonschool and The Stone of Madness are free for all XBOX members to try during Free Play Days with a two-hour timed trial, from Thursday, July 2 until Sunday, July 5.

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 For All

Call of Duty®: Black Ops 7 – Cross-Gen Bundle

Activision Publishing Inc.

☆☆☆☆☆ 5118

★★★★★

$69.99 $55.99

Get it now

PC Game Pass

Xbox Game Pass

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S, Smart Delivery, XBOX Play Anywhere
For a limited time from July 2, 10 AM PT to July 6, 10 AM PT, play Multiplayer and Zombies in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 for FREE. Play through more than 45 Multiplayer Maps, including three new arrivals in Season 04 and two remastered. This Free Trial also includes popular Multiplayer Modes like Team Deathmatch and Domination, along with latest additions from Season 04, including Team Blueprint Sharpshooter and Knife Fight. Plus, jump into Zombies for an all-new roguelite Mode, a brand-new Round-Based Zombies map set atop a volcano, plus much more! 

Diablo® IV – Standard Edition

Blizzard Entertainment

☆☆☆☆☆ 8652

★★★★★

$49.99 $29.99

Get it now

Diablo IV
ARPG fans, the gates to Sanctuary stand open for you. From June 30 to July 7, everyone can step into the hellish world of Diablo IV. Play through the iconic campaign with any class, including the Warlock from the new Lord of Hatred expansion, up to level 30. Your arrival comes just in time for the Season of Death Awakening, launching June 30, bringing additional activities, new content, and the option to earn iconic Overwatch cosmetics through a FREE Reliquary for your character. To celebrate the new season, Diablo IV will be 40% off from June 30 through July 7. When the trial concludes, your progress carries forward. Purchase Diablo IV to continue playing the original five classes, or upgrade to the Age of Hatred Collection to unlock continued access to the Warlock, Paladin, and Spiritborn classes via the Lord of Hatred expansion.

Demonschool

Ysbryd Games

☆☆☆☆☆ 15

★★★★★

$24.99

Get it now

Free Trial

Demonschool
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S, Smart Delivery
Get back to Demonschool, the new-style tactics RPG where you navigate university life while slaying demons and canceling apocalypses on a mysterious island. Check out Demonschool’s recent free updates adding New Game+ mode, dialogue text logs and more quality-of-life improvements!

The Stone of Madness

Tripwire Interactive LLC

☆☆☆☆☆ 11

★★★★★

$29.99 $9.89

Get it now

Free Trial

The Stone of Madness
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S, XBOX Play Anywhere
Try out The Stone of Madness with a free two hour trial! A real-time tactical stealth game set in an 18th-century Spanish Monastery. Located in the Pyrenees, this time-worn Jesuit monastery is home to a madhouse and an inquisitorial prison. Five prisoners – plagued by cruel punishment, madness, and despair – pool their skills and resources to face their phobias, stave off insanity, uncover the mysteries of the Monastery, and find a way to escape. The Stone of Madness is available now for 67% off during the Free Play Days weekend!

Free Play Days (Game Pass Membership Required)

Ikonei Island: An Earthlock Adventure

Jetpack Collective, The Iterative Collective

☆☆☆☆☆ 16

★★★★★

$23.99 $11.99

Get it now

Ikonei Island: An Earthlock Adventure
An Earthlock Adventure invites players to explore a beautiful island full of mystery, magic and adventure. Play solo or team up with friends in online co-op as you gather resources, craft tools, farm the land, build your home, befriend magical creatures and battle monsters. Try it during Free Play Days, then continue your adventure with 50% off in the Multiplayer Madness Sale.

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.

Members can experience everything Saturday demands with the iconic traditions and pageantry of game day in the EA Play early access trial.

It’s time to take the gridiron in EA SPORTS College Football 27, where personal ambition meets program pride. Get game-day ready with an EA Play 10-hour early access trial. Plus, build a program you’re proud of with an EA Play Welcome Pack. If you decide to buy, your progress carries over to the full game, and you can get back to leading your program to glory. Play with XBOX Cloud Gaming, PC Game Pass, or Ultimate with EA Play.

Members can also save 10% on EA digital purchases, including the full version of the game and College Football Points. Plus, envision your lineup, your way with a monthly College Football Ultimate Team Pack.

Engineer your team with Dynasty Blueprint, take on new positions with deeper customization in Road to Glory, and play as your favorite mascots in Mascot Mashup—all bringing the spirit and spectacle of game day to life.

What’s new in College Football 27?

Mascot Mashup

Play as your favorite mascot in Mascot Mashup. Collect over 120 larger-than-life icons and bring the chaos to wild 11-on-11 matchups packed with over-the-top celebrations and mascot antics fueled by pure school spirit.

Design Your Dynasty

All-new Dynasty Blueprint puts you in control of your program’s future. Navigate Athletic Director Expectations and use Dynasty Points for recruiting, NIL, staff, and facilities to build your college football powerhouse.

Your Road to Glory Starts Here

Define your path in Road to Glory and experience new customization options and positions as you build your player. Earn NIL deals, chase the Heisman, develop your Draft Stock, and raise your Legacy Score with each decision you make.

Also this month, new EA Play rewards for College Football 27, Battlefield 6, Apex Legends and more!

• Apex Legends
  • Add some shine to your summer arsenal with the Gold Vacation Punch Weapon Charm starting July 7 through August 3.
• EA Sports College Football 27
  • Get ready for College Football 27 with an EA Play Welcome Pack starting July 2, and a College Football Ultimate Team Pack available until July 31.
• EA Sports FC 26
  • Now on The Play List! Take down the competition in style with a Clubs Wildstyle Blue Headband with Mohawk, starting July 9 through August 13.
• EA Sports Madden NFL 26
  • Claim your July MUT Pack through July 31 and bring new additions to your Ultimate Team.
• EA Sports NHL 26
  • Stay hot on the ice with WOC Season Pass XP Multiplier Tokens and Chel Coins, available until August 27.
• Battlefield 6
  • Grab your EA Play Deployment Pack (if you haven’t already), and get ready for the frontlines with the Season 3 EA Play Pack, available until July 20.
• EA Sports UFC 6
  • Get ready to fight your fight with an EA Play Welcome Pack, filled with cosmetic items that will help you stand out amongst the competition.

To learn more about EA Play, check out X and Instagram, or visit here. For more details on all the EA Play member benefits this month, visit the EA Play Member Benefits site. Conditions, limitations and exclusions apply. See EA Play Terms for details.

Members can experience the world of EA with unlimited access to a collection of top titles, trials of select new games, in-game member rewards, 10% on EA digital purchases and more.

Ever dreamt of being the lowest of the low? Living a life so nasty and gnarly that even the rats look down on you? Risking life and limb for liege that wants nothing more than to stuff their abyss-shaped gullet with an infinite supply of food? Welcome to PIT OF GOBLIN.

Slap on your smelliest boots and dive into crumbling crypts, ghastly caverns, and ghost-infested ruins. Every step is fraught with peril and surprise! Team up with up to three disheveled goblin buddies to explore deeper and deeper into The Pit. Scour for resources, get up to mischievous hijinks, and—most importantly—sate the hunger of your King Queen.

Every crawl through The Pit is a brand-new gob-tale that’ll leave you gob-smacked and gob-scared. The deeper you delve; the tougher the climb. Can you find your way back out with spoils and plunder aplenty? Or will you succumb to its depths forevermore?

Pit of Goblin is a co-op survival extraction game that is nearing its 1.0 release. As XBOX Insiders you can tackle it solo, but it’s recommended to play with friends (or random teammates through matchmaking)! The aim is to descend into the Pit and search for food and other valuables while trying to keep the King Queen’s hunger at bay.

We’d love to hear everyone’s feedback on their experience playing the game, so please stop by our Discord Server or leave comments via XIP. We’ll also be swinging by the XBOX Insiders subreddit to chat with players and even host a play with the devs night in the near future!

Be sure to follow us on BlueSky || Instagram || Threads || Twitter to stay in the know!

How to Participate:

1. Sign-in on your XBOX Series X|S console or Windows PC and launch the XBOX Insider Hub app (or install the XBOX Insider Hub from the Store first if necessary)
2. Navigate to Previews > PIT OF GOBLIN
3. Select Join
4. Wait for the registration to complete and be directed to the Store and install PIT OF GOBLIN Demo!

NOTE: This playtest is available only on XBOX Series X|S consoles and Windows PC.

How to Provide Feedback:

If you experience any issues while playing PIT OF GOBLIN, don’t forget to use “Report a problem” so we can investigate:

• Hold down the home button on your XBOX controller.
• Select Report a problem.
• Select the Games category and PIT OF GOBLIN Demo! subcategory.
• Fill out the form with the appropriate details to help our investigation.

Other Resources:

• Get the XBOX Insider Hub app
• XBOX Insider FAQ
• How to provide feedback as an XBOX Insider

For more information: follow us on X/Twitter at @XBOXInsider and this blog for announcements and more. And feel free to interact with the community on the XBOX Insider SubReddit.

This message was just sent to Team XBOX employees globally.

Team,

We are beginning the most significant restructure in XBOX history. After careful consideration, I’ve made the difficult decision to reduce our team by approximately 3,200 throughout FY27. This will include approximately 1,600 role eliminations today, and in addition, four studios will leave XBOX to new management. I recognize that a year-long restructuring creates additional challenges. Unfortunately, it is not possible to make all the necessary changes in a single day, and I wanted to be direct about the scale.

I know this is painful. These changes will directly affect people who have poured their creativity into building XBOX. Many joined us through acquisitions, while others were recruited here, or sought us out because they loved this industry and loved XBOX. Today’s decisions do not reflect their talent or dedication.

Our business today is not healthy. We are operating at margins that are 3-10x lower than comparable platform and publishing businesses. We entered Gen 9 with a smaller install base and a higher cost structure. To grow, we bet on Game Pass, multi-platform, and a broader portfolio of content. While those businesses have created meaningful value, they did not grow at the pace we expected. As that happened, our core business weakened, and we added more teams, more investment, and more time, hoping for a better outcome. And now the industry is facing the most severe hardware crisis in its history. We must reset XBOX. 

First, we will reset our content portfolio.

Since 2018, we have aggressively expanded our studio portfolio while the number of games created each month across the industry now outpaces the last ten years combined. We now find ourselves competing not only with the largest publishers, but also with smaller independent studios. It is neither possible nor desirable to own every great independent studio. We have also learned that we are not the best home for every type of studio; in a typical year, we lost 64 cents for every dollar we invested. As we reset XBOX, we will help independent creators succeed by providing open development tools and audiences to realize their vision. 

Compulsion Games and Double Fine Productions will return to management and transition to independent studios with their IP, catalog, and runway for their next games. Ninja Theory and Undead Labs have entered terms to join new ownership with funding to complete and grow Senua and State of Decay 3. In France, Arkane’s management is beginning required consultation with its Works Council to review potential strategic options. 

We are also making reductions across other units, and in some cases, shifting investment to focus on higher priority projects. These changes vary in size across Activision, Bethesda/ZeniMax, Blizzard, King, Mojang, and XBOX Game Studios. None of our first party publicly announced games or projects are being cancelled as part of these reductions. 

In addition, Mojang and King will now report directly to me. These two studios have increasingly become platforms and are our largest by monthly active players. They bring critical geographic, demographic, and differentiation to XBOX.

Second, we will reset our platform.

We know that great technology gets better when it gets simpler, not bigger. Today, in some parts of the company, work passes through as many as 14 layers of management. Our platform teams are 40% larger than they were at the start of this generation, even as our player base and playtime have declined. That complexity has slowed decisions, blurred accountability, and made it harder to deliver for players. As we reset XBOX, we will simplify.

We will reduce management layers to no more than 5, and where possible, 3. We will deliver success through a flatter organization that is built around makers (individual contributors focused on building), player-coaches (leaders who remain deeply involved in the work while developing their teams), and directly responsible individuals (DRIs) who own key decisions and outcomes. And we will streamline how we work across our tools, with a cleaner code base, shared services, and 50% reduced vendor spend.

Third, we are resetting how we operate. 

As XBOX grew our headcount, we became more fragmented. Teams, studios, and functions often operate independently, and it became harder to work towards a shared goal, make the right tradeoffs, and get things done.

For the first time, we are establishing a Chief Operating Officer with end-to-end P&L responsibility across content, hardware, platform, and services. Helen Chiang has been promoted to this role and will report directly to me. Over nearly two decades at XBOX, Helen has helped build some of our most important businesses, from XBOX Live to leading Mojang and the Minecraft franchise. She will bring our businesses together under one operating model, making sure we make clear investment decisions, learn from our successes and failures, and hold ourselves accountable for results.

Thank you, Dave McCarthy, who is retiring after 17 years with XBOX. Dave has played a defining role in building the platform that millions of players rely on every day and has been a trusted partner through many of the biggest moments in XBOX’s history. We wish him all the best.

These changes are about a bigger future for XBOX, not a smaller one. The next decade of gaming will be larger, more global, and more creative than anything we’ve seen before. This year, we’ll invest as much in XBOX as we ever have, but we’ll invest with greater focus, greater discipline, and greater clarity, all in service of making XBOX where the world plays and creates.

I want XBOX to be one of the few companies that entertains more than a billion people each day and gives everyone the opportunity to create and connect. I know we can achieve this goal. XBOX has many of the most beloved franchises in entertainment history, talented studios around the world, and we will return to growth in 2027. 

History is full of companies that mistake longevity for inevitability. We will not be one of them.

Asha

We have more games, more benefits, and more updates (looking at you, Palworld going 1.0!) for you to dig into! Go grab your mouse or controller and let’s get to the games.

Available Today

Winds of Arcana: Ruination (Cloud, Console, Handheld, and PC) – July 6
Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass

Discover the secrets of a sundered world as you help Aryn save his comrades in this story-rich, fully voiced, 2.5D action Metroidvania. Wield powerful magic, fight terrible dangers and explore ancient mysteries as Aryn uncovers the forces that forge his destiny.

Coming Soon

Gears of War: Reloaded (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, Handheld, and PC) – July 9
Now with Game Pass Premium; joining Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass

Powered by Unreal Engine, Gears of War: Reloaded is a remaster of the blockbuster first Gears of War, now fully optimized for the latest generation of gaming platforms. Gears of War: Reloaded delivers all post-launch content for the original title, including a bonus campaign act, multiplayer maps, plus characters and cosmetics.

Tamashika (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, Handheld, and PC) – July 9
Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass

Tamashika is a fast-paced arcade-style corridor shooter focused on flow, precision, and survival. Move through shifting environments, react quickly, and stay locked in. Each run is about control, timing, and keeping your mind in one place. Focus is what keeps you alive.

Ascend to Zero (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, Handheld, and PC) – July 13
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass

Available on day one with XBOX Game Pass!  Every second is a weapon — if you’re fast enough to wield it. Harness time-bending powers, outlast every threat, and fight your way to the top in Ascend to Zero, an action roguelike set in a devastated world.

PBA Pro Bowling 2026 (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, and PC) – July 14
Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, and PC Game Pass

Rise from amateur to PBA legend in the most realistic bowling simulation ever made, featuring advanced physics, realistic oil pattern transition, licensed PBA pros, deep career progression, and multiple competitive game modes.

Quarantine Zone: The Last Check (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, and PC) – July 15
Now with Game Pass Premium; joining Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass

Now joining Cloud and Console platforms! Command the checkpoint in a collapsing city. Screen survivors, manage scarce resources, and hold back the undead. Every choice matters, and one mistake could unleash the plague beyond your walls.

Mavrix by Matt Jones (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, Handheld, and PC) – July 16
Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass

Designed by Pro Red Bull Athlete Matt Jones, Mavrix is the ultimate multiplayer open world for riders. Ride everything, compete head-to-head, create your look, and build your career. Are you ready?

FixForce (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, and PC) – July 17
Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass

Humans are long gone, but you’re still a robot with a job. Fire up the utility van and drop onto the worksite alone or with up to five friends and get fixing in this co-op extraction platformer. Find spare parts for strange beacons and use your drill-wrench arm to build huge structures out of junk to get around.

Fogpiercer (PC) – July 17
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass

Fight through the fog in this sci-fi roguelike deckbuilder where clever positioning, explosive chain-reactions, and the environment itself can make the difference between life and death.

The Planet Crafter (Cloud, XBOX Series X|S, and PC) – July 21
Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass

Embark on a chill terraforming experience alone or in online co-op. You are sent to a hostile planet with one mission: Make it habitable for humans. You’ll have to survive, collect resources, build your base, produce machines to heat the planet, create an oxygen-rich atmosphere and eventually geo-engineer an entire planet.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 (Cloud, Console, and PC) – July 21
Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass

Drop back in with the most iconic skateboarding games ever made. Play Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater & Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 in one epic collection, rebuilt from the ground up in incredible HD. All the pro skaters, levels and tricks are back and fully remastered, plus more.

Game Updates

Palworld 1.0 (Full Game Release) (Cloud, Console and PC) – July 10
Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass

Get ready for an epic adventure! Record-breaking indie hit, Palworld welcomes its long-awaited full release with new locations to explore and new characters to meet. Fight, build, and survive with your pals in this open world survival and crafting game. 

In-Game Benefits

League of Legends – New Champion: Locke, the Ashen Exorcist (PC) – Available Now
Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, Game Pass Essential, and PC Game Pass

League of Legends’ newest champion is Locke, a mid-lane assassin who specializes in bursting down enemies and turning small leads into massive advantages. Evil beware: the Ashen Exorcist approaches. Now available to play with XBOX Game Pass Benefits.

Wuthering Waves (XBOX Series X|S and PC) – July 10
Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, Game Pass Essential, PC Game Pass

Wuthering Waves is a story-rich open-world action RPG with a high degree of freedom. XBOX Game Pass subscribers can log in after each version update to unlock special in-game rewards, including: x2 Morphable Echo, x10 Premium Tuner, and x30000 Shell Credit. Plus, subscribers will receive the XBOX Exclusive Sigil “Paths and Possibilities” as a one-time reward.

Leaving July 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!

• Dungeons of Hinterberg (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• EA Sports Football Club 24 (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Stellaris (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Golf With Your Friends (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Minami Lane (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Powerwash Simulator (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Shadow of the Tomb Raider Definitive Edition (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Splitgate: Arena Reloaded (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Super Fantasy Kingdom (Game Preview) (PC)
• Techtonica (Game Preview) (Cloud, Console, and PC)

We’ll be back here soon with more games, but in the meantime, you can always keep an eye on @XBOX and @XBOXGamePass for when these “Coming Soon” announcements turn into “Available today!” Cheers!

_{Note: Games with a ‘Handheld’ designation represent those that are optimized for handheld play.}

Much of the vampire’s appeal is that it is equal parts terrible monster and alluring power fantasy. Sure, you have to sate a bottomless hunger for the blood of the living, but you get to be immortal, have cool powers, and look sexy while doing it. It’s thus surprising that in video games the balance is skewed so heavily towards killing vampires over being them — gamers are all about a violent power fantasy. For every Bloodlines or V-Rising, there are a dozen RPGs where vampires are just thoughtlessly thrown into the mix of chaff monsters that you grind for experience.

Fortunately, The Blood of Dawnwalker is here to right that balance as an upcoming vampire-focused RPG, arriving September 3, 2026. It’s the debut project from Rebel Wolves, a Warsaw-based studio formed by a core of veterans from CD Projekt Red (Cyberpunk 2077, The Witcher 3), dedicated to making single-player RPGs that are rich in both story and mechanics. I got to play the opening prologue of Dawnwalker at a recent preview event, including four hours of gameplay and a group interview with several developers. Knowing very little coming in, I left very excited for both this game and studio.

I, For One, Welcome Our New Vampire Overlords

You play Coen, eldest son of a peasant family in the Vale Sangora, an isolated valley nestled in the Carpathian Mountains of southeastern Europe in the middle of the 14^th Century. You had been ruled by a standard oppressive human noble (a “knyaz”), but at the start of the game he is overthrown by Brencis, a vampire (“vrakhir”) and his immortal cabal.

The isolation of the valley allows the vrakhiri to rule openly, without drawing the attention of larger neighbors. In many ways, it seems like Brencis rules with a more just and even hand than the deposed knyaz. Of course, there’s the whole ‘feeding on your people like cattle’ thing, but we can’t let politics be bogged down by purity tests, right?

Through the events of the prologue, Coen’s family is taken hostage by Brencis and in 30 days’ time they will die in a blood sacrament. Coen is transformed into a vrakhir, but only partway: his powers manifest at night, but during the day he reverts to being a human, unharmed by the sunlight (hence Dawnwalker). That means that Coen has one month to master his new powers, take on his ancient and powerful maker, and rescue his family.

It’s a fun and classic premise for a righteous heroic revenge fantasy with a familiar shape, but the open-ended way by which you can get from A to Z is what has me really excited about The Blood of Dawnwalker.

Tempus Fugit

That 30-day clock isn’t just an abstract conceit to provide narrative stakes for you to promptly ignore while you go and complete every side quest. The passage of time is a central mechanic, with each day and night being divided into 8 units each. This clock doesn’t advance in real time as you’re running around and exploring, but rather taking quest actions will consume one or several units of time, as denoted beforehand in the UI by hourglass icons. “We want players to feel tension. We want them to think about time actively like a resource,” said Senior Quest Designer Patryk Fijalkowski.

The prologue mostly covered one day leading up to an eventful midnight mass, at which the vrakhiri address the community. Coen’s father tasked him with going to the village herbalist, Anca, and getting something stronger to help his traumatized, anxious wreck of a mother endure the mass. Along the way he ran into his younger sister and brother, who asked him to escort them to the river for fishing, where wolves have been spotted. I couldn’t have Coen’s siblings eaten by wolves, so I accepted the prompt, which ticked the clock forward, then again later to help them set up the fishing lines. After visiting Anca, also staying longer than planned for an impromptu flirtatious Latin lesson while it rained – and then helping when a tree fell through her storehouse roof – I had time to help a neighbor find and then butcher one of their pigs.

The cost of time meant I couldn’t follow my usual compulsion of scouring the map and accepting every quest I came across, and instead I had to be deliberate with how I spent Coen’s day. It also eradicates the usual distinction between main and side quests. Rather than having main quests that advance diegetic time and side quests to be checked off at your leisure, there is just the pressure of a looming deadline and whatever you choose to do and fill the intervening hours.

That open-ended structure of the first day is microcosmic of the whole game, which they described as a “narrative sandbox.” There isn’t a golden path of main quests to follow, but a valley full of narrative threads to pull at while you pursue your larger objective of bringing down Brencis. He has three main vrakhiri lieutenants, each of whom has their own associated stories for you to uncover as you try and take them down, but whether or the order by which you do so is up to you.

Many quests or areas are only accessible to Coen as either vrakhir or human, providing further limiting structure on how you can spend his days and nights. As someone who loves procedural narrative simulations like Dwarf Fortress or The Sims, I’m very excited to see this kind of systemic and frictional approach to single-player RPG storytelling, which should produce a much wider range of individual journeys within the same game than the genre often allows.

“There’s years of my work that you won’t see if you kill certain people,” quipped Environment Artist Adam Payet about how much variation the narrative accommodates based on player action. The overall game will continue once the 30 days are up (though I can’t imagine it goes well for Coen’s family), but you can also, like in Breath of the Wild, end it at any time by just showing up at Brencis’ castle.

“You can finish the game in the prologue — have you gotten to fighting Brencis?” Payet asked the group. “You can defeat him. Watching our QA people fight Brencis is something to see. They’re like machines: every blow parried, every attack dodged, every hit a critical.”

Sword and Claw

I had, in fact, fought that climactic duel with Brencis at the end of the prologue, and he absolutely whupped my ass. That was in no small part because The Blood of Dawnwalker has an interesting directional combat system that I was still wrapping my head around. When someone swings a weapon at you, an icon appears over their head indicating one of the four cardinal directions for the incoming attack. Just pressing and holding the block button alone will defend you, but at the cost of stamina. Moving the thumbstick in the corresponding direction at the right time as well, however, will parry the blow with no stamina cost. It applies to your attacks as well, and attacking in one direction too often will become easier to block.

It’s an interesting little tactical twist on standard action-RPG combat that makes it feel more active and embodied. The system is optional, but players will be rewarded with greater combat efficacy for mastering it. Fighting reminded me of The Witcher 3 in so far as one standard guy was pretty manageable, but being surrounded felt much more dangerous. I was bad at it, but in a fun way where I can look forward to developing mastery. I like that it’s not just a cut and paste of a more familiar combat system and has its own distinct flavor.

After turning, Coen could fight with his bare claws as well as with his sword. The other major expected difference is that he no longer healed from eating food, but from drinking blood. He can top off with rats and other small mammals, but obviously that’s not as fun as picking off unsuspecting soldiers before they have the chance to kill you.

I learned the hard way, however, that Coen doesn’t get immunity during the feeding animation, or from freaking out their nearby allies – biting one guard too close to his squad just meant getting immediately hacked apart by swords. The world feels dangerous at the start of The Blood of Dawnwalker, which will make it all the more fun to turn the tides as Coen accumulates power.

Those powers include walking up walls, opening up a lot of new traversal options at night, and turning into a wolf for moving quickly across the countryside. There are extensive skill trees for both vampire abilities and normal human swordplay. Assigning a skill point sometimes costs a unit of time, however, which is another interesting way to give your choices a bit more weight.

In order to balance out the experience so you don’t just feel underpowered half the time, one of the last things that happened in the prologue was Anca the herbalist teaching Coen how to practice blood magic as a human, which has its own skill tree. In context, it was to interrogate a dead soldier of Brencis for clues about what had happened to Coen’s family, meaning it will help with investigations, but there are also more concrete applications like faster running for traversal or direct damage spells for combat.

Friends and Family

Anca and Coen’s ongoing relationship brings it back to the real special sauce that elevates all of these interesting system design ideas: the excellent character writing and performances. Coen and Anca had a fun, natural chemistry (and the devs confirmed that there will be other romance options present).

I was surprisingly engaged by the saga of Coen finding a pig and then being a little dismayed when asked to help slaughter it (accepting a shot of liquor to help steady his nerves). When minding his siblings by the river, soldiers of Brencis approached – a human and an ogre-looking fellow called an uriash – and the uriash was actually the much nicer of the two, talking about how good it was to be living openly and participating in society now under the vrakhiri, instead of lurking in the shadows.

At every turn, the writing was empathetic, specific, and interesting, and also pleasantly reactive. When checking back in with Coen’s father at the end of that first day, he smelled the liquor on Coen from the pig slaughtering and gave him a hard time. Coen also informed him that he’d learned from the uriash that Brencis suspects his father of fomenting unrest. Apparently, the midnight mass can go quite a few different ways, depending on how Coen spends the preceding day. Particularly when the game is so open-ended about what exactly you can choose to do, it feels extra rewarding for it to be so reactive to those choices.

This high level of narrative execution for a new studio makes sense in the context of the founders’ previous work on The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077, both of which are noted for their writing and performances, like the widely praised Bloody Baron side quest. Way back when I reviewed The Witcher 3, I was struck by how the ending called back to a series of at-the-time smaller character decisions I had made in Geralt’s relationship to Ciri, which had basically amounted to him being a cool dad, informing her ultimate decision. The Blood of Dawnwalker builds on that legacy to expand that kind of narrative reactivity throughout the whole game.

Rebel Wolves have put an incredibly strong foot forward with their debut, and I am eager to play in the sandbox they are building when The Blood of Dawnwalker comes to XBOX on September 3, 2026.

The Blood of Dawnwalker

Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe S.A.S.

☆☆☆☆☆ 17

★★★★★

Get it now

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? Make The Story Your Own – Experience and shape the plot the way you want. Embark on the quest to save your family, or swear revenge on your sire and destroy everyone standing in your way. Discover ancient secrets lurking in the valley. Rush in head first or risk taking time to prepare. Go alone or search for friends and forge unlikely alliances. Day And Night – Experience two different gameplay loops, offering distinct abilities to choose from, mysteries to uncover, and varying ways to achieve your goals. Experiment with different approaches and discover how the world reacts to your actions. Every Action Matters – Every action – and inaction – shapes the world around you. Your family’s days are numbered, and every time you take on a quest, time moves forward, compelling you closer to the end. Choose carefully whom to help and whom to leave behind. You will not have time for everyone. The world waits for no one. And neither does the villain. Sword, Claws, And Rage – Defy gravity, become a brutal force of nature, and use your supernatural skills as a vampire. Or raise your sword, and employ powerful magic to take on opponents as a human. Experiment and adapt as your form changes during the day and night; each has its strengths and weaknesses. Open World Brimming With Adventure – Venture through the hand-crafted open world and discover all it has to offer. Roam through the lush forests, the vast plains, the treacherous swamps, the steep mountaintops, and the medieval settlements. Explore forgotten ruins, find remnants of an ancient civilization, and uncover truths that should probably remain hidden. Become The Dawnwalker – Experience the beginning of a brand-new saga built with love for the role-playing genre. Immerse yourself in a visually stunning world powered by the next-gen Unreal Engine 5.

Hearthstone is a free-to-play digital card game set in the Warcraft universe, where two players face off using custom-built decks of cards. Each turn, players gain mana crystals which they can spend to summon minions, cast spells, equip weapons, and unleash increasingly ridiculous combinations of effects. The goal is simple: reduce your opponent’s Hero health to zero before they do the same to you. It’s remarkably approachable for a game that regularly asks you to think three turns ahead and keep track of ever-rotating cards.   

Play enough Hearthstone, though, and you’ll learn that the game has a habit of refusing to follow the script. One moment you’ll be executing a brilliant strategy; the next, your board is gone, your Hero health is in the single digits, and you’re hovering over the “Concede” button like you’re about to make a very reasonable life choice.  

I do this a lot. I make peace with the looming loss, but then three turns later, my opponent makes a mistake, and I draw the exact card I needed. Now I’m not only still alive, I’m also somehow favored to win. Somewhere between the panic and the improbable comeback, I realize I’ve learned a valuable lesson. In fact, Hearthstone has been low-key teaching me important lessons for years – ones that follow me out of the Tavern and into real life. 

With today’s release of the Escape from Violet Hold expansion, it feels like a good time to share three of these lessons. Because, as it turns out, the principles that guide you through a chaotic Hearthstone match aren’t all that different from the ones that help you navigate the rest of life.  

1. Don’t rage-quit just because things look dire

There’s a moment in some Hearthstone matches where everything starts coming at you at once. Minions spawn new threats; secrets sit there waiting to punish the wrong move… sort of like walking into a meeting where every problem has been marked “urgent”. It looks catastrophic. It feels catastrophic. And my instinct, every single time, is to assume it’s over. But it’s not. Not always, anyway.  

One of the biggest things Hearthstone teaches you is that just because a board state looks impossible doesn’t mean it is. Sometimes the correct play is simply doing the best you can at the time: clear one minion, gain a little armor, drop the world’s most unassuming Taunt minion to absorb just one punch. Because in Hearthstone, one more turn is where possibilities live.  

The tricky thing is that you almost never have a full picture. You don’t know what’s in your opponent’s hand, or what they’re planning three turns from now. They might mis-sequence their cards, or you might draw the perfect one. The point is that you rarely know enough to declare the outcome before the game does. Sometimes the smartest thing you can do is stay in the match long enough for the fog of war to lift and the path forward to reveal itself. 

Life has a funny way of working like that too. Sometimes problems arrive all at once or stack up, and the instinct might be to give up, to step away, to assume there’s no coming back. But sometimes the better move is to stay. To stabilize and buy yourself a little time, and maybe something might shift. Don’t concede just because it feels bad. Give it one more turn…and maybe even one more after that. 

2. Have a plan but stay flexible

I love having a plan in Hearthstone. I love looking at my opening hand, identifying my win condition, and convincing myself that I have this entire match figured out. Maybe the plan is to protect the board and push damage. Maybe it’s to stall, save removal, and survive long enough to hit a late-game swing turn. Either way, having a plan feels good. For a few turns, everything unfolds exactly as expected.  

And then my opponent plays a card I never saw coming.  

Suddenly my carefully crafted strategy evaporates on contact. The board changes. The math changes. I’m left staring at my hand thinking “Well, this is a completely different game than the one I was playing 30 seconds ago.” Which is fair, because control in Hearthstone is never absolute. It just occasionally dresses up like control long enough to make you believe in it.  

Some of my favorite wins have come from these moments. The original plan falls apart, but just when I’ve accepted that I’m going down, I draw the exact card I need, and now I’m back on a path to victory. And that’s the funny thing about life, too – planning matters. But so does adaptability. Those who succeed aren’t necessarily the ones whose plans work perfectly. They’re the ones who can recognize when the plan is dead and make the most of whatever the game of life hands them next.  

3. Don’t panic. No, really. 

There’s a very specific type of Hearthstone mistake I make that begins the moment my opponent plays something clearly dangerous – a minion with a large attack, or oversized health – on the board. The moment it appears, my brain stops operating at full capacity. Suddenly, I’m no longer thinking strategically, I’m just reacting. Sometimes I throw everything at it and hope the problem goes away. Other times I ignore it and decide Future Me can deal with it, which is great right up until Future Me becomes Present Me and now the situation is even worse.  

Which reminds me of Violet Hold prison itself. It’s built to contain threats too dangerous to leave wandering around unchecked. But containing danger also means concentrating it. The problem remains there, growing more urgent until it breaks free at precisely the moment you prefer it didn’t.   

As usual, what is true in Hearthstone is once again true in life.

Some problems don’t disappear just because you ignore them. They wait. They grow. They accumulate consequences. But panic-solving them isn’t much better. That just means you’ve burned through your best tools too early and are now left hoping things stabilize on their own.  

The lesson, for me at least, is to resist the urge to react before I understand what I’m reacting to. It’s taking an extra moment to assess the board and figure out whether the problem needs to be solved right away or managed until a better solution arrives. I try to remember this whenever I feel that familiar rush of panic demanding immediate action.  Or, as my internal monologue says, “Okay. Don’t ignore it. Don’t freak out. Just…handle it like a calm person this time.” 

Maybe that’s why I keep coming back to Hearthstone. Because every match is a reminder that plans change, comebacks happen, and panic is rarely the optimal play. And if you’d like a fresh opportunity to practice these skills, Escape from Violet Hold has plenty of dangerous things waiting to break loose. 

Across the vast lands of Albion, rumors have been spreading of a growing rebellion. Piece-by-piece, information has reached the cities, and one thing now seems clear: on July 4, the Keeper Uprising will begin.

The Keeper Uprising is a unique, season-long event in Albion Online. Running until August 31, it introduces missions for players to complete, brand-new vanity rewards, and hidden texts to piece together. These are all themed around the Keepers, Albion’s inhabitants before the Royal Expeditionary Forces – and you, the player – arrived. With this uprising, a splinter group of radical Keepers are initiating a ritual that could have fundamental consequences for the world of Albion.

For Albion Online, this kind of seasonal event hasn’t been seen since the legendary Avalonian Invasion several years ago. For all players, old and new, it offers an experience that evolves over the coming weeks, with new enemies to fight and secrets to uncover, all leading into the game’s next major content update. Co-Creative Director Michael Schwahn had this to say about the event:

“With the Keeper Uprising, we wanted to create a one-off experience for players. It’s an event that evolves in phases, introducing new enemies and encounters over time, with a sense of discovery and surprise. The story is focused on the Ashborn, a group of Keepers who have banded together to perform a mysterious ritual. The meaning of this emerges gradually, as the event develops and you work your way through its missions.

The Avalonian Invasion was definitely a touchstone here. People still talk about how much fun that season was, and the way it combined narrative, new enemies, and evolving gameplay created a really special, engaging experience that became a significant part of the game’s lore. Newer players who weren’t around then still ask veterans what it was like, and for a game like Albion Online where the players and community create their own stories, that’s exactly the kind of experience we want to create.

We also wanted to use this event to play with the game’s lore more, and we’ve introduced Keeper Memories for players to find. These are fragments of text that, when pieced together, reveal the story of the Keepers and the uprising. Some of them are hidden in the deepest corners of the world, where you wouldn’t ordinarily go, so this becomes a game of exploration, while others are dropped from enemies. And in the Albion Journal, where these are recorded, hints emerge as you collect these Memories to help you find more. So, it’s a way for players to undertake a kind of detective mission, and unwrap the game’s lore through their exploration. This is a permanent addition to the game, and something we want to continue to develop in the future.”

The Keeper Uprising offers players a journey of discovery, through completing missions, encountering new enemies, earning rewards, and uncovering lore. It runs from July 4 to August 31, and equally suits new players who are exploring the game for the first time and seasoned veterans. Take up your arms and get involved as the uprising unfolds!

Albion Online

Sandbox Interactive GmbH

☆☆☆☆☆ 447

★★★★★

Get it now

PC Game Pass

Ultimate Game Pass

Albion Online is a sandbox MMORPG set in an open medieval fantasy world. The game features a player-driven economy where nearly every item is player-crafted. Combine armor pieces and weapons suited to your playstyle in a unique, classless "you are what you wear" system. Explore the world, take on other adventurers in thrilling battles, conquer territories, and build a home. Craft. Trade. Conquer. Dive in now and become part of a living fantasy world where everybody matters. PLAYER-DRIVEN ECONOMY From basic tools and clothes to mighty armors and powerful weapons – nearly every item in the game is crafted by players, in player-constructed buildings, from resources gathered by players. Buy, sell, and trade with other players at local marketplaces all across the world of Albion. Craft rare and powerful items, then sell them to the highest bidder and grow your fortune. NO CLASSES, NO RESTRICTIONS In Albion Online's classless combat system, you are what you wear. The weapons and armor you use define your skills, and switching playstyles is as easy as switching gear. Test out new equipment anytime and change up your weapons, armor, and mounts to suit any situation. Hone your character’s skills by crafting new items, or by simply using your favorite equipment. PREPARE TO FIGHT From solo to small-group to large-scale battles, you'll need strategy, tactics, and skill to prevail. Test yourself against other adventurers in high-risk, high-reward full-loot fights. Level your combat specializations, create unique builds with complementary skills, and use every tool at your disposal to emerge victorious. CONQUER THE WORLD Join a guild and carve out your own piece of Albion in massive open-world battles. Claim territories for access to incredible resources, construct guild halls, and build a Hideout to give your guild a powerful home base deep in dangerous lands. Lead your guild to victory in the Crystal League, and track your progress against other guilds worldwide on a constantly-updated seasonal leaderboard. PUT DOWN ROOTS Claim a city plot or private island and make it your own. Grow crops to sell or craft into food, raise your own livestock and mounts, and place crafting stations for other players to use for a fee. Stock your house with custom furniture and trophies, build chests to store your growing collection of loot, and hire laborers to keep everything at your homestead running smoothly. FACE DEADLY FOES From small scouting bands to massive bosses, from dungeons to full-blown faction bases, the inhabitants of Albion’s open world await your challenge. Take on six different factions, each with different enemies that require unique strategies. Partake in solo or group Expeditions, or seek out the ultimate thrill by facing demons and other players alike in Hellgates and Corrupted Dungeons. EXPLORE A VAST WORLD Explore five vivid biomes, each with its own challenges. Gather raw materials for crafting, or cast a line into Albion's lakes and oceans to catch fish. Seek out randomly generated solo and group dungeons and slay powerful foes for valuable loot. Enter the mystical Roads of Avalon to discover ever-changing paths between distant zones, face off against long-dormant foes, and build your own Hideout in this vast and ancient land. CROSS-PLATFORM PLAY Albion Online is a true cross-platform MMO experience. One account lets you play seamlessly across all supported devices. Switch devices anytime and pick up right where you left off. Albion Online account required. User Generated Content permissions are required to view player-generated text.

The brutal and twisted Buckshot Roulette is available today on XBOX Series X|S, XBOX One, XBOX on PC, and cloud! Even better, you can jump straight into the underground chaos from day one with XBOX Game Pass.

Join the millions of players who have already taken their seat, challenged The Dealer, and discovered why Buckshot Roulette has become one of the most talked-about indie games around. And if you haven’t heard that talk yet, let us walk you through this viral horror phenomenon.

How Roulette Evolved from Revolver to Shotgun

Look, we all know the classic premise of Russian Roulette. But when we first came across  the concept of swapping out a traditional revolver for a heavy-duty, pump-action 12-gauge shotgun, it was clear we had stumbled across something special. Because if you’re going to make a bad decision, you might as well make it spectacularly dangerous.

The rules are simple. The chamber is loaded with a mix of live and blank shells. You and The Dealer take turns drawing items, racking the shotgun, and deciding whether to aim at your opponent… or take your chances yourself.

It’s a game of probability, mind games, and pure chaos. Will you play it safe? Push your luck? Bluff your way to victory? Or just die trying? The night’s still young. Grab your controller, take your seat, and pull the trigger. Double down, trust your instincts, and remember: there are no participation trophies at this table.

Face the Underworld Alone, or Bring Your Buddies

At its core, Buckshot Roulette is a tense, claustrophobic single-player experience, complete with a high-stakes Double or Nothing score attack mode, designed to test even the most fearless risk-takers. But even before our official launch, our community was asking for one specific thing. Very persistently.

So we added multiplayer support as a post-launch update, and it arrives packed in with the XBOX version, including crossplay between XBOX platforms via XBOX Play Anywhere. We wanted Buckshot Roulette to support up to 4 players in a single game, and that meant redesigning everything: from the player characters to the table itself. Even the soundtrack is completely different.

The gameplay dynamics also shift dramatically in multiplayer. Expect bluffing, mind games, and plenty of moments where friendships are tested. But at the core of it still lies the same thrill of pointing a loaded shotgun at someone and praying to live another round.

A quick word of advice from us to you: When there is only one shell left in the chamber, trust nobody.

An Experimental Horror Game Turned Viral Phenomenon

Frankly speaking, it’s been crazy seeing all the support from our community over the last few years. Buckshot Roulette began as a small experiment on Itch.io, but since then it’s grown and evolved so much.

We’ve seen thousands of pieces of fan art where players have added their characters into the Dealer’s place and even more featuring The Dealer himself. A real-life version of the Buckshot Roulette multiplayer table was featured on K4sen Con, and we’ve even seen a few incredibly well-produced fan movies. The community’s creativity knows no bounds.

Today marks the first time Buckshot Roulette will be available on a console, and we’re so happy to share this moment with you.

Play It Today on XBOX Game Pass

Whether you want to take on The Dealer solo in a dimly lit underground club or turn your next game night into a chaotic battle of nerves and betrayal, the table is officially open.

Grab it today on the XBOX Store, or download it immediately with XBOX Game Pass, you know the drill.

The table is set. The shotgun is loaded. *Click* Your turn.

Playing Black Flag for the first time on XBOX Series X|S is like discovering a back catalog of your favorite artist. I’ve played nearly a dozen of these games over the years – I loved Origins, the Ezio Trilogy is tops, and Valhalla was truly epic – but somehow the original Black Flag never made it into my rotation (I also never played Odyssey but that’s a tale for another time). That’s to say, I have an appreciation and familiarly of this “classic” version of the franchise and Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag Resynced feels like a return to form.

For the unfamiliar, this time you’re in the shoes of one Edward Kenway, an up-and-coming (and well-connected) pirate who has stumbled into the mysterious world of Assassins, Templars, and mythical artifacts. With his ship, the Jackdaw, and a loyal crew by his side, you’ll set sail across 1700’s Caribbean in search of fortune and adventure.

I really like how quickly Black Flag Resynced gets you moving by having Kenway falling into this hidden world – impersonating a Templar gives us a peak into that side of the franchise’s epic sci-fi and mystical yarn, but at the same time allowing Kenway to be an opportunistic pirate, blending the mystery of the artifacts with the search for hidden treasure. It’s a nice and natural push to get you going.

And it’s not just the narrative that moves quickly. Less than a few hours into the game you have essentially everything you need to start exploring the Caribbean, with multiple side quests and activities that let you upgrade your ship and crew. Sticking to the critical path in the early going is mandatory, as it unlocks additional weapons and features, but for the most part I welcomed how much freedom the game gives you so early on – but you really should spend some of that coin on ship and crew upgrades as soon as you get the chance.

It also looks fantastic – this ground-up rebuild of the original is using advanced graphic tech like ray tracing, higher resolution textures, and Dolby Atmos to bring the world of Black Flag even more to life. Water and reflections look amazing, clothes look ragged and torn, and facial details are well-defined – is there anyone in this world who doesn’t have a scar?

Gameplay systems have also reportedly been revamped; having never played the original, I can only speak to how this current version functions and it feels modern and refined. Combat has a crisp parry and dodge rhythm to it – enemy weapons flash blue for a parry; red for a dodge – which makes the flow of sword and hand-to-hand combat feel slick. And if it seems like you’re able to dispatch everyone a bit too easily, you can tweak a variety of difficulty sliders as you see fit.

The combat is punctuated by having you execute some truly brutal finishing moves – by breaking down your enemy’s health and guard meter, you’ll be able to trigger these moves by pressing Y button that will have you running your sword through the chest of enemies or stabbing them in the face with your hidden blade. More than a few times I found myself with an audible, “woah!” complimented with an ear-to-ear grin at some of these flashy moves that Kenway was pulling off.

Stealth has received some attention as well – instead of an instant failure state if you’re spotted, you must improvise your way out of trouble. I appreciate this approach, not just because I enjoy combat if it comes to brandishing my blades, but I’ve always found that a quick failure feature is counterintuitive to fun, when the slightest slip makes for a more frustrating experience. Now the hardcore players are given the challenge of sneaking by unseen, while giving more novice players the tools to get out of trouble.

Parkour feels just as smooth as I remember from other Creeds, with Kenway effortlessly able to climb and shimmy up the side of buildings. It’s still just as fun as other AC entries where you solve the puzzle of jetted edges and loose bricks to reach the viewpoint.

That touches on another one of the hallmarks of the franchise that shows up well in Black Flag are the incredibly detailed and intricate port cities full of historically accurate buildings and structures, like the Basilica Menor de San Franciso de Asis in Havana or the “nest of infamous bastards” pirate city of Nassau. Having hundreds of citizens going about their day mixed with drunken pirates found hanging about, it really brings the world of Black Flag to life. It’s this meticulousness that has made every entry in the franchise a joy to play, and Resynced is no exception.

Naturally, in a game that has you playing as a pirate, one of the biggest hooks for Black Flag has always been the ship-to-ship combat – it’s a feature I’ve played in other AC titles, but this feels considerably more in-depth. Ship combat is more akin to an arcade-like experience as opposed to a slower, more strategic approach like something found in Sea of Thieves – and it’s incredibly fun. With a variety of shot types, ship upgrades, boarding parties, and a reputation system that can have you outrunning pirate hunters, this could practically be a game all to itself.

The new dynamic weather can also make these combat encounters flashy and challenging, helping to keep them somewhat unpredictable. Trying to line up your shot while dodging a giant waterspout can make for an incredibly cinematic and thrilling experience. Add to that other enemy ships could jump into the fray as well, puts a bow on the entire package that I can see why this entry has always been so revered.

Between these moments of action, Black Flag Resynced can provide some great Zen-like moments as you travel across the sea on your way to your next goal or story beat. Pressing the A button a couple of times will drop you out to an external cinematic camera that showcases your ship in full while listening to sea shanties as you set out for distant shores.

Black Flag has long been on my list to play and now with this definitive version in my hands, I can finally appreciate what I’ve always expected it to be – one of the most fun and exhilarating entries in the franchise, and then some. There’s so much that’s still left for me to discover within the world of Black Flag Resynced, like the new storylines featuring Blackbeard, new cities to discover, and the various sea shanties left to find, I feel my adventure is only just getting started and I can’t wait to play more to see where the wind takes me.

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced launches July 9, 2026, for XBOX Series X|S.

Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced Deluxe Edition

Ubisoft

☆☆☆☆☆ 568

★★★★★

$69.99

Pre-order

Pre-order Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced Deluxe Edition and receive, alongside the Blackbeard's Crimson Pack bonus , a $5 Xbox gift card and an in-game Resource Pack. Use the Resource Pack to instantly upgrade the Jackdaw as you carve your legend on the high seas with useful Materials and valuable Trade Goods. Offer valid for purchases in Microsoft Store online through 11:59 PM PST on July 8, 2026 while supplies last in the United States (including Puerto Rico). View full terms and conditions at aka.ms/ACBF2026. The Deluxe Edition contains the base game and the following content: – The Master Assassin Character Pack: Edward costume, sword, pistol, and trinket with unique perks – The Master Assassin Naval Pack: sail set, ship's pet, crew attire, wheel, figurehead, and hull trim BECOME A FEARSOME PIRATE Strike fear in your foes as you board and sink enemy vessels as Edward Kenway, captain of the Jackdaw. Whether blending into crowds or leading daring assaults, switch between silent takedowns and fierce brawls as you effortlessly wield swords, pistols, and the Hidden Blade. A CLASSIC REBUILT FOR AN ENHANCED EXPERIENCE Combat has been rebuilt for more dynamic encounters, emphasizing parries and takedowns, while stealth and parkour have been improved for smoother escapes and assassinations. Continuously upgrade the Jackdaw to face powerful enemy ships with enhanced naval mechanics featuring new alternate fire modes. Quality-of-life additions also address previous pain points, ensuring your experience is improved. THE CARIBBEAN LIKE NEVER BEFORE Whether you’re sailing the open seas or journeying across untamed lands, discover a seamless open world built with the latest Anvil engine. Take in sweeping vistas as you brave stormy waters, dive into underwater shipwrecks, or push through dense tropical jungles. Enhanced by features such as Dolby Atmos and ray tracing, every scene feels more immersive, bringing the world’s beauty to life. EXPANDING EDWARD’S ADVENTURE Building on top of the original story, Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced introduces exclusive new content. Familiar faces will return, with new storylines dedicated to fan-favorite characters such as Blackbeard and Stede Bonnet. Unexpected allies will also cross your path, as three officers join you on your journey as part of the main narrative. More surprises await such as new sea shanties, pets, photo mode, and more. Internet connection, Ubisoft account and Microsoft Account required to access online features.

Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced

Ubisoft

☆☆☆☆☆ 568

★★★★★

$59.99

Pre-order

Pre-order now and get the exclusive Blackbeard's Crimson Pack bonus. Includes a costume for Edward, a sword, and a pistol. BECOME A FEARSOME PIRATE Strike fear in your foes as you board and sink enemy vessels as Edward Kenway, captain of the Jackdaw. Whether blending into crowds or leading daring assaults, switch between silent takedowns and fierce brawls as you effortlessly wield swords, pistols, and the Hidden Blade. With a cast of historical pirate legends at your side, defy empires amidst the age-old conflict opposing Assassins and Templars. A CLASSIC REBUILT FOR AN ENHANCED EXPERIENCE Combat has been rebuilt for more dynamic encounters, emphasizing parries and takedowns, while stealth and parkour have been improved for smoother escapes and assassinations. Continuously upgrade the Jackdaw to face powerful enemy ships with enhanced naval mechanics featuring new alternate fire modes. Quality-of-life additions also address previous pain points, ensuring your experience is improved. THE CARIBBEAN LIKE NEVER BEFORE Whether you’re sailing the open seas or journeying across untamed lands, discover a seamless open world built with the latest Anvil engine. Take in sweeping vistas as you brave stormy waters, dive into underwater shipwrecks, or push through dense tropical jungles. Enhanced by features such as Dolby Atmos and ray tracing, every scene feels more immersive, bringing the world’s beauty to life. EXPANDING EDWARD’S ADVENTURE Building on top of the original story, Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced introduces exclusive new content. Familiar faces will return, with new storylines dedicated to fan-favorite characters such as Blackbeard and Stede Bonnet. Unexpected allies will also cross your path, as three officers join you on your journey as part of the main narrative. More surprises await such as new sea shanties, pets, a photo mode, and more. Internet connection, Ubisoft account and Microsoft Account required to access online features.

Before high-definition flat screens and home consoles, video games lived in arcades filled with bright neon, pumping music, the clatter of quarters, and the pure joy of chasing a high score. Zaxoid is reviving that unforgettable piece of pop culture for a new generation on XBOX. Making this game wasn’t about following charts, trends, or data – it was about something much more personal. My mission was to capture that exact feeling of retro rock-star glory and build the game I’ve been dreaming about since I was a kid parked in front of those glowing screens. 

Even if you didn’t grow up in the arcade era, you’ve seen it.  Movies and TV have continuously depicted the absolute magic of early gaming.  There is a deeply satisfying feeling when your skills click, rhythm aligns and every second counts. That pure, unfiltered thrill is what I set out to create.

That Unfiltered Thrill is Zaxoid

Think of games like Asteroids, where pure reflex and spatial awareness decided your fate amid relentless vector fields. Defender, with its frantic race to rescue civilians from alien abductors while chaos erupted around you. Star Castle, the hypnotic vector masterpiece where you chipped away at fortress walls just to reach the relentless boss at its core. And later, Geometry Wars on the original XBOX, the addictive twin-stick flow that always pulled you back for one more run.

Zaxoid honors those classic arcade and shoot-em-up roots while giving players a fresh experience. The core idea was simple but powerful: take the precision twin-stick shooting and high-stakes navigation that made those older titles so rewarding and wrap them around a spherical battlefield. 

Zaxoid pays homage to the iconic pod systems of classics like the Gradius and Thunder Force series. In Zaxoid, these evolve into a flexible drone system earned through power-ups. Ships start with limited drone capacity that expands by upgrading the vessel’s CPU core, allowing more loyal drones to trail the ship. They add both offensive punch and defensive utility, becoming a visual and mechanical extension of the player’s skill.

The original soundtrack deepens the connection to the retro experience. Zaxoid captures the energetic spirit and memorable melodies of the classics, delivering them with crisp, modern production that elevates every level. Whether soaring through intense waves or facing down a towering boss, the music pulses with the same sense of excitement and triumph that made those retro classics unforgettable.

At its heart, Zaxoid is about recapturing that pure, joyful feeling from the arcade. The thrill of getting better, the satisfaction of a perfectly timed maneuver, and the simple happiness of playing something that respects your time and your skill. I poured my love for those golden-age experiences into every detail, from the way your ship handles to the escalating tension of each wave, because I believe that feeling is still worth chasing, no matter when you first discovered it.

Making Zaxoid reminded me of why games captivate players across generations. It’s been an absolute joy to bring these memories to life in a new form, and I hope that when you play Zaxoid, you feel a little of that same spark, that warm connection to the arcade spirit, and of course the pure joy of getting the high score.

Zaxoid is out now on Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One. 

Zaxoid

M80 Games Inc.

☆☆☆☆☆ 3

★★★★★

$14.99

Get it now

Face an alien onslaught in Zaxoid, an adrenaline inducing, twin-stick mayhem shooter! Defend the galaxy from relentless invaders by upgrading your ship or fortifying your city with strategic choices that make every run unique. Wield dual joysticks for precision chaos, transform into tank mode to repel surface invasions, and protect your population. Intense gameplay that takes you back to the golden years of gaming.

Swing big, survive the unknown, and face your fears with Free Play Days! MLB The Show 26, The Alters (console and PC), and Stuffed are available this weekend for XBOX Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, and Essential members to play from Thursday, July 9 until Sunday, July 12.

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)

MLB® The Show 26 Standard Edition

MLB

☆☆☆☆☆ 1688

★★★★★

$69.99 $34.99

Get it now

MLB The Show 26
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S

Step up and take control of how you leave your mark in the most immersive MLB The Show yet. Discover new Road To The Show mechanics, deeper Franchise experiences, enhanced customization options, and true-to-life on-field action.

The Alters

11 bit studios

☆☆☆☆☆ 1288

★★★★★

$34.99 $17.49

Get it now

PC Game Pass

Xbox Game Pass

The Alters
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S / XBOX Play Anywhere

Stranded on a hostile planet, you create alternate versions of yourself to survive. But each Alter is shaped by a branching life path, and they don’t always agree on your choices – current and past ones. The Alters is a personal survival game that fuses mechanical depth with emotional storytelling, asking one haunting question: What if you had made different choices? Build your base, manage resources, care for your Alters mental wellbeing, and reckon with regret in this award-winning experience.

STUFFED

Amplified Games

☆☆☆☆☆ 153

★★★★★

$12.49

Get it now

Free Trial

Stuffed
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S

A spooky teddy bear first-person shooter where you defend your owner from waves of her nightmares. Play solo or join your friends in up to four player online co-op.

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 Bermuda Triangle is calling, and we need more Runners. We’re excited to welcome XBOX Insiders to the first Wreck Runners XBOX Insider Playtest. Grab up to three friends, climb aboard the ORCA, and head into a world filled with strange anomalies, valuable salvage, and creatures that would rather see you at the bottom of the ocean.

The full game launches on XBOX on July 16, so this is your chance to jump in early, help shape the experience, and get a taste of what’s waiting in the Triangle.

Wreck Runners is an up to 4-player cooperative extraction game where every expedition is a balance between risk and reward. Search abandoned islands, underwater wrecks, and mysterious facilities for valuable salvage, then make it back to the Barge before the Triangle claims another crew. The deeper you push, the greater the rewards, but the danger escalates just as quickly.

Watch the trailer below to see what’s waiting for you in the Triangle.

Be sure to follow Disruptive Games on their channels below to get the latest updates!

• TikTok
• Instagram
• Bluesky
• YouTube

XBOX Insider Playtest Schedule

The playtest will be available during the following window:

• Start: Thursday, July 9 at 10:00 AM PT (17:00 UTC)
• End: Monday, July 13 at 10:00 AM PT (17:00 UTC)

How to Participate:

1. Sign-in on your XBOX Series X|S console and launch the XBOX Insider Hub app (or install the XBOX Insider Hub from the Store first if necessary)
2. Navigate to Previews > Wreck Runners
3. Select Join
4. Wait for the registration to complete and be directed to the Store and install Wreck Runners Playtest!

NOTE: This playtest is available only on XBOX Series X|S consoles.

How to Provide Feedback:

If you experience any issues while playing Wreck Runners, don’t forget to use “Report a problem” so we can investigate:

• Hold down the home button on your XBOX controller.
• Select Report a problem.
• Select the Games category and Wreck Runners Playtest subcategory.
• Fill out the form with the appropriate details to help our investigation.

Other Resources:

• Get the XBOX Insider Hub app
• XBOX Insider FAQ
• How to provide feedback as an XBOX Insider

For more information: follow us on X/Twitter at @XBOXInsider and this blog for announcements and more. And feel free to interact with the community on the XBOX Insider SubReddit.

Starward Version 3.1 is now live on XBOX — featuring three original Star Operators (Pliszka, Remiel, Simona), the Frame Arms Girl collaboration rerun on July 9, and a summer event with a free Cherub swimsuit skin.

Pliszka Joins the Fight — a Speedster with Heavy Firepower

Since her first teaser, Pliszka has been the breakout star of Version 3.1 — and it’s easy to see why. With her striking design and a unique kit that blends aggressive mobility with devastating firepower, she’s already won over the community before even touching the battlefield.

Hailing from the AODS-AFTU faction, Pliszka is a Star Operator equipped with a powerful set of gear known as the Wing Rider Assembly. This system grants her exceptional firepower and the ability to enter a Cruising State for high-speed engagements. But the power comes with trade-offs: the Wing Rider Assembly increases her hitbox size and accelerates her descent speed. Savvy commanders can detach the assembly mid-battle to shed the extra weight and unlock a more agile, nimble playstyle — turning Pliszka into a completely different threat depending on the situation.

We sat down with Zongzi, the lead designer behind Pliszka, to learn more about her creation:

“From the very beginning, we set out to find the perfect balance between heavy firepower and mobility. Pliszka is designed as an all-rounder who can excel in both roles. We hope everyone enjoys playing her as much as we enjoyed making her.”

Pliszka’s limited-time banner is now live — jump in and recruit her while you can.

Frame Arms Girl Collaboration Returns Today

The collaboration that fans have been asking for is back. Starting today, the Frame Arms Girl crossover event gives you another chance to recruit Gourai-Kai, Stylet, and Baselard.

Missed them the first time? Now’s your chance.

Summer Fun Awaits — Dive into the Deep

Starward has prepared a brand-new Summer event. Pick your favorite Star Operator and venture into the unknown depths of the ocean for an underwater treasure hunt.

Complete daily missions to earn Exploration Coins, exchange them at the event shop for generous rewards, and — best of all — grab a brand-new swimsuit skin for Cherub completely free!

And if that’s not enough to tempt you, Zongzi let slip a little surprise: rumor has it you might run into a completely unexpected mystery character during your exploration.

Starward Version 3.1 “Summer Dive” is available now on XBOX. Download and play for free — and we hope this update brings you a summer experience like no other.

星之翼(Starward)

Shengtianyouxi

☆☆☆☆☆ 157

★★★★★

Get it now

Starward Version 3.1 has arrived! The summer event is live, featuring swimsuit skins for Lancelot and Cherub! Unlock「Silver Sparkle」Pliszka, 「Emerald Star」Remiel, 「Viper」Simona, and the new Season Pass character「Legion Massproduction」LM! Plus, the Starward × FRAME ARMS GIRL collab rerun is back, inviting you to a midsummer celebration like no other! Starward is a 3D fighting game that integrates mecha girls and classic GVG combat gameplay, with 1V1 and 2V2 mode as the core gameplay. In Starward, players can control mecha girls with distinct personalities and different combat styles, and experience three-dimensional combat experiences beyond the ground. Classic GVG-like Gameplay Starward faithfully recreates the GVG gameplay that has been popular in Japanese arcade halls for over a decade. It includes actions such as Beam Rifle, Machine Gun, Charge Shoot, fighting, blocking, stepping, dashing, allowing you to quickly showcase your skill level. The Starward experience spans across three distinct game modes featuring 2V2, 1V1 and Arcade gameplay. PvP is the main, featuring fast-paced battles lasting about 3 minutes per match. Mecha Girls VERSUS All characters are mecha girls, skilled in close-range fighting or long-range shooting. You can choose characters like Aliz, SkySaber, XiaoLing to play as vanguards; or characters like Elfin, Cavalry, Hikari to play as rearguards. Each character has its unique design, such as Chinese style, elves, witches, fully armed mecha girls, and more. The COST System The character's combat power "COST" is divided into four categories: 3.0/2.5/2.0/1.5. You need to allocate the "COST" of the team to achieve the most reasonable configuration.