The Lonesome Guild is a vibrant and heartfelt action RPG that explores the power of togetherness in a world struggling with loneliness.
Tiny Bull Studios is an indie games studio passionate about experimenting with game design and storytelling.
The Lonesome Guild is planned to launch in Fall 2025 for Xbox Series X|S.
At Tiny Bull Studios, we wanted to create a game that reflects the deep human need for connection, which emphasizes the power of friendship and collaboration in overcoming adversity. While combat and exploration are key elements of The Lonesome Guild, the game places relationships at the heart of its experience.
Making a game about friendship and connection is very important to us. The Lonesome Guild was conceived in 2020, which was a period of isolation for a lot of us. It highlighted how much loneliness can affect mental health, relationships, and even self-identity. We saw an opportunity to create a game that doesn’t just entertain but inspires people to reflect on the importance of reaching out, supporting others, and ultimately finding strength in companionship.
We believe that what truly sets our game apart from other ARPGs is its unique relationship system, which directly impacts gameplay. Instead of characters being mechanically interchangeable, the bond between them shapes their abilities, interactions, and progression – so you won’t just assemble your party for their skills, but you’ll nurture them and unlock new powers and quests based on their emotional growth.
Designing an ARPG with these relationship elements has been an adventure and a challenge for us. The team had to create a meaningful connection between the character progression, their narrative arc, and dialogue. Our biggest challenge was permeating the design with the idea that the actions taken by the player help improve the bond between this budding group of friends, all of which share a common goal but have different and Indvidual dreams and needs.
This togetherness feature transpires not only in the narration, but also in the exploration and combat; the most impactful abilities can only be used if two or more party members are co-operating. Collaboration is key especially in the real-time challenging battles that await players.
Together, they can share buffs or perform unique abilities that can turn the tide of battle. We hope the system incentivizes players to play with every character! Each of them has their own skill tree which players can progress through by growing closer to them through dialogue choices, exploration, and side quests.
We’re already so excited for people to explore the vibrant world of Etere and we can’t wait to see not only the bonds between the characters, but between players and our ragtag bunch of friends too. With our 6 diverse characters each representing a different type of loneliness, we’re curious to see how each of their stories will resonate with players. Loneliness is something we all experience, and as our character Ghost, we want players to feel that we are stronger together!
You’ll be able to play The Lonesome Guild on Xbox Series X|S in Fall 2025. We can’t wait to share more details about the world of Etere and its colorful characters!
Blue Prince arrives for Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC and Game Pass on April 10.
Embark on a genre-defying experience in an ever-changing house.
Draft rooms, unravel mysteries, solve puzzles, and develop architectural strategies as you try to track down the mysterious “Room 46”.
We are happy to announce that our genre-defying puzzle adventure, Blue Prince is coming to Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC on April 10 – and will be available day one with Game Pass.
Blue Prince is a difficult game to define, so we thought you might like a primer in exactly why and how you’ll find yourself exploring the shifting halls of the Mount Holly manor.
Beginning the Mystery
It’s not every day you inherit a sprawling manor, let alone one that is rumored to have a different floor plan each day. But that is exactly what has happened in Blue Prince, a first-person architectural adventure in which your recently deceased great-uncle has challenged you to find the hidden 46th room of the house. It’s an especially curious task given the mansion only contains… 45 rooms.
Drafting Your Journey
Upon entering the manor, the path you choose to take is up to you. When approaching a closed door, you are shown three different rooms and are given a choice. After your selection, the door opens and the room appears before you. In a way, you are building the house as you explore it, and each new room you create adds another layer of mystery, puzzles, and strategy to your estate. But tread carefully, for at the start of each dawn the manor will reset, and the rooms you saw today might not be the same rooms you find tomorrow.
Treasured Trinkets
The progress you make each day is shaped not only by which rooms you draft but also by what tools and secrets you find within them. You will discover many items that can be used in many creative ways to further your exploration and progress. Among them, you will discover keys to unlock hidden rooms, shovels to dig up treasure, compasses to guide your path, and magnifying glasses to look closer at clues. But the greatest tool is the knowledge you gain each day.
Living Wills and Dead Ends
As you explore this puzzling manor, your journey will take you further into Mount Holly’s depths, where you will begin to discover that there is more to the story than just a mysterious missing room. Unravel a history woven with political intrigue, blackmail, and the strange disappearance of a beloved children’s book author. The deeper you venture into the house, the more you’ll discover.
The game’s special blend of strategy, puzzle, mystery, and repeatability, wrapped into the fabric of Mount Holly’s atmospheric and aesthetically eclectic rooms creates a wholly unique experience that will leave you pondering what lies ahead. Play Blue Prince on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and Game Pass Day One on April 10. We look forward to your arrival.
IGN hat sein jährliches Fan Fest mit einem aufregenden ID@Xbox Showcase eröffnet, der exklusive Premieren, Ankündigungen für den Game Pass, Release-Dates, spannende Gameplay-Einblicke und viele weitere Neuigkeiten bereithielt. Viele ambitionierte Indie-Entwickler*innen haben gezeigt, an welchen Spielen für Xbox-Plattformen sie derzeit arbeiten.
Von Action-Roguelikes über Kartenspiele bis hin zu kuscheligen Abenteuern und Spielgenres, die bisher noch nicht einmal einen Namen tragen, hat dieser Showcase wirklich alles geboten und dabei gezeigt, wie wild und wunderbar die Welt der Indie-Spiele sein kann.
Lies weiter, um alles rund um die vorgestellten Titel zu erfahren.
Wir haben 33 Immortals zum ersten Mal während des Xbox Game Showcase 2023 vorgestellt. Nun wissen wir, dass dieses lang erwartete Koop-Action-Roguelike am 18. März erscheint! In dem Spiel trittst Du gemeinsam mit 32 anderen Spieler*innen gegen Horden von Monstern und gigantischen Bossen an. Der Trailer, mit dem das Release-Date bekanntgegeben wurde, hielt düstere Cartoon-Looks bereit und beleuchtete dabei das Gameplay sowie die beeindruckenden Gruppengrößen.
Plattform: Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Cloud Gaming
Die mehrfach prämierte Roguelike-Pokersensation ist ab heute überraschend im Game Pass verfügbar, doch das war bei weitem nicht die einzige Ankündigung. Balatro wird darüber hinaus auch für Windows PC erscheinen und mit dem vierten Friends of Jimbo-Kollaborations-Update thematisch inspirierte Karten von Titel wie (tief durchatmen) Fallout, Assassin’s Creed, Civilization VII, Rust, Slay the Princess, Bugsnax, Dead By Daylight und dem YouTube-Kanal Critical Role mit sich bringen.
Blue Prince – erscheint am 10. April und ist direkt zum Release im Game Pass verfügbar
Entwickler: Dogubomb
Herausgeber: Raw Fury
Plattform: PC, Xbox Series X|S
Blue Prince bietet ein wahrhaft einzigartiges Erlebnis: Es kombiniert Erkundungselemente, Rätsel, Kartenbau und Kartenspielsysteme zu einem Spiel, das wir so noch nie gesehen haben. Löse die Geheimnisse des Herrenhauses Mount Holly, indem Du die Räume im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes zusammensetzt und die Rätsel löst, die in dem Haus verborgen sind. Lüfte die Geheimnisse, wenn das Spiel am 10. April für Xbox Series X|S und Windows PC erscheint und direkt zum Release im Game Pass enthalten ist.
Buckshot Roulette – erscheint für Xbox und im Game Pass
Entwickler: Mike Klubnika
Herausgeber: CRITICAL REFLEX
Plattform: Xbox Series X|S, PC
Diese eindringliche Erfahrung nimmt das „Spiel mit dem Leben“ wörtlich und hat PC-Spieler*innen auf der ganzen Welt bereits in seinen Bann gezogen. Durch die Einführung einer Schrotflinte und einiger heimtückischer Sonderregeln wandelt sich Buckshot Roulette in ein waschechtes Strategiespiel. Im Rahmen des Showcase haben wir erfahren, dass Buckshot Roulette nun auch für Xbox und im Game Pass erscheint – mach Dich bereit.
Descenders Next – erscheint am 9. April
Entwickler: RageSquid
Herausgeber: No More Robots
Plattform: Xbox Series X|S, PC
Mit der Fortsetzung der Game Pass-Sensation Descenders Next erhältst Du mehrere neue Möglichkeiten, die Bergabfahrt so schnell wie möglich zu meistern. Freue Dich auf unterschiedliche Biome, Snowboards und Mountainboards, die zusammen mit dem Spiel am 9. April im Game Pass erscheinen.
Echo Weaver – erscheint für Xbox und im Game Pass
Entwickler: Moonlight Kids
Herausgeber: Akupara Games
Plattform: Xbox Series X|S, PC
Dieses wunderschön gestaltete „Metroidbrainia“ orientiert sich an klassischen Adventure-Plattformern und Spielen wie Outer Wilds. Erschaffe eine Welt mit Zeitschleifen, in der das Wissen Deine größte Waffe ist. Der Trailer hat bereits Hinweise darüber gegeben, wie Du über mehrere Schleifen hinweg die Geschichte und Gestalt einer zusammengebrochenen Utopie wieder zusammensetzen und dem Gefängnis der wiederkehrenden Zeitschleifen entkommen kannst. Echo Weaver erscheint für Xbox und im Game Pass.
Das Entwicklerstudio Okomotive hat mit Far: Lone Sails und Far: Changing Tides zwei der aufregendsten Abenteuer der letzten Jahre geschaffen. Wir sind also sehr gespannt auf ihre erste vollständig in 3D gehaltene Veröffentlichung, die den Namen Herdling trägt. Der neue Trailer hat gezeigt, wie eine Herde neugieriger Rinder durch eine zerstörte Welt geführt wird (und welche Gefahren auf dem Weg lauern). Außerdem haben wir erfahren, dass das Spiel im Sommer für Xbox Series X|S und Windows PC erscheinen wird.
Hotel Barcelona – erscheint 2025
Entwickler: White Owls Inc.
Die lang erwartete Kollaboration zwischen den legendären Designern Suda51 und Swery steht kurz davor, Früchte zu tragen. In diesem 2,5D-Action-Platformer trittst Du gegen die schaurigen Bewohner*innen des titelgebenden Hotels an. Der neue Trailer wirft einen genaueren Blick auf das Slasher Phantom, eine brutale Spielmechanik, die Echos aus vergangenen Spieldurchläufen heraufbeschwört, um Dir im Kampf zu helfen. Wir haben zudem einige der tödlichen Waffen und Fähigkeiten kennengelernt, die allesamt darauf ausgelegt sind, den Ausgang des Kampfes auf möglichst grausame Art und Weise zu beeinflussen.
Jump Ship – Xbox Game Preview
Entwickler: Keepsake Games
Plattform: Xbox Game Preview
In diesem von ehemaligen Hazelight- (It Takes Two) und Mojang-Mitarbeiter*innen (Minecraft) entwickelten Ego-Shooter für ein bis vier Spieler*innen übernimmst Du die Kontrolle über ein Raumschiff undmusst zu Fuß in unterschiedliche Kampfabschnitte vordringen. Aber Achtung: Das Spiel wechselt nahtlos zwischen beiden Aufgaben. Wir haben erfahren, wie genau wir kooperieren müssen, um zu überleben und was es mit dem Ansatz für bombastische Action auf sich hat. Das Spiel erscheint diesen Sommer über Xbox Game Preview im Early Access.
Plattform: PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Cloud Gaming
Wir haben uns den neu angekündigten DLC für das gefeierte Soulslike, Lies of P, genauer angesehen. In der Erweiterung Overture trifft Geppettos Puppe auf ein mysteriöses Artefakt, das ihn in die Zeit zurückversetzt, als die Welt Krat noch in ihrer Blüte stand. Der Trailer macht uns bekannt mit Lea, der legendären Pirscherin, die sich auf einem unerbittlichen Rachefeldzug befindet.
The Lonesome Guild – Weltpremiere
Entwickler: Don’t Nod
Plattform: Xbox Series X|S
Wir haben einen ersten Blick auf das neue Spiel von Don’t Nod (Life Is Strange, Just) geworfen, ein skurriles Action-Rollenspiel voller Herz, Schlachten und Bindungen, die alles verändern. Begib Dich auf ein heldenhaftes Abenteuer als Ghost, ein Gespenst, das aufwacht und feststellt, dass es keine Erinnerungen mehr hat. Stelle Dein ganz persönliches Dreamteam zusammen, wechsle nahtlos zwischen den Charakteren, um Rätsel zu lösen und kämpfe Dich durch die kollabierende Welt von Etere. The Lonesome Guild erscheint diesen Herbst für Xbox Series X|S.
Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault – bald verfügbar im Game Pass
Entwickler: Digital Sun
Herausgeber: 11 bit studios
Plattform: Xbox Series X|S, PC, Game Pass
Die Fortsetzung des beliebten Action-Rollenspiels, das die Frage beantwortet, woher Rollenspielhändler*innen ihre Waren beziehen, erscheint in einem brandneuen isometrischen 3D-Look. Moonlighter 2 bietet neue Herausforderungen und Belohnungen. Der Trailer wirft einen Blick auf die neue Heimatstadt, Dein Geschäft und die Abenteuer, die auf Dich warten, wenn Du versuchst, Deinen Warenbestand aktuell zu halten. Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault erscheint 2025 für Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC und im Game Pass.
Mehr Informationen zu Moonlighter 2 findest Du hier.
Outbound – erscheint 2026 für Xbox
Entwickler: Square Glade Games
Plattform: Xbox Series X|S
In diesem großartigen Open-World-Erkundungsspiel startest Du mit einem leeren Wohnmobil und verwandelst es in das Zuhause Deiner Träume – allein oder zusammen mit Deinen Freund*innen. Gestalte und erkunde in Deinem eigenen Tempo. Sammle Materialien, bastle und experimentiere mit modularen Teilen in und auf dem Fahrzeug. Mache technologische Fortschritte und nutze die Energie effizient, um Dein Zuhause mit Strom zu versorgen, während Du Deinen Spielstil an neue Landschaften und sich ändernde Umweltbedingungen anpasst. Outbound erscheint 2026 für Xbox Series X|S.
Ratatan – erscheint für Xbox
Entwickler: TVT Co. Ltd., Ratata Arts
Herausgeber: Game Source Entertainment
Plattform: Xbox Konsole
Ratatan, ein neues Spiel von den Macher*innen von Papaton, ist ein rhythmisches Strategie-Roguelike, bei dem Du immer größere Gruppen von Schergen durch eine Welt führst und ihre Angriffe im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes dirigieren musst – wenn Du den Rhythmus triffst, bleibst Du am Leben. Im Koop-Modus für bis zu vier Spieler*innen kann es passieren, dass Du es in einem einzigen Kampf mit mehr als 100 Charakteren zu tun bekommst. Ratatan erscheint dieses Jahr für Xbox.
In einem Werbespot für den Kindred-Katalog haben wir neue Einblicke in das kooperative Erkundungsabenteuer erhalten. Revenge of the Savage Planet bietet Dutzende neuer und witziger Upgrades, wie zum Beispiel die Schleimkanone, mit der Du rutschige, klebrige oder brennbare Oberflächen erschaffen kannst! Oder eine Peitsche, um Kreaturen davon abzuhalten, Dein Gesicht zu fressen! Oder einen Greifhaken, mit dem Du Dich von Punkt zu Punkt schwingen kannst! Oder ein Lasso, um Kreaturen einzufangen und sie zur Erforschung Deines Habitats zu nutzen. So viele Werkzeuge, so viele Optionen, so viele Spielmöglichkeiten. Wir müssen nicht mehr lange warten, um all das selbst testen zu können – Revenge of the Savage Planet kommt am 8. Mai für Xbox heraus und wird direkt zum Release im Game Pass verfügbar sein.
Röckbeasts – Weltpremiere
Plattform: Xbox Series X|S
Auch auf Rockbeasts haben wir einen ersten Blick erhalten. Als Manager*in einer legendären Band der Neunzigerjahre (die zufällig aus Tieren besteht) begleitest Du Deine Schützlinge auf einer Achterbahnfahrt durch das Zeitalter von MTV, ikonischen Rockhymnen und schlechten Frisuren. Rockbeasts ist ein handlungsorientiertes Rollenspiel, in dem es darum geht, Deine tierische Truppe bis an die Spitze der Charts zu führen. Das Spiel erscheint dieses Jahr für Xbox Series X|S.
Tanuki: Pon’s Summer – erscheint im Game Pass
Entwickler: Denkiworks
Herausgeber: CRITICAL REFLEX
Plattform: Game Pass
Wir haben uns diese bezaubernde Lebenssimulation, in der es um Kurierfahrten geht, nach ihrem Debüt auf der Tokyo Game Show noch einmal genauer angesehen. Der neue Trailer hat uns gezeigt, dass wir uns neben actiongeladenen Liefermissionen auf entspannte Momente in der Stadt freuen dürfen – etwa beim Baseball, beim Sumo-Training oder beim Trommeln. Tanuki: Pon’s Summer erscheint Ende 2025 und wird direkt zum Release im Game Pass verfügbar sein.
Tempopo, der neueste Titel des mehrfach ausgezeichneten Teams hinter Unpacking, ist ein Puzzle-Abenteuer voller Musik. In der Rolle von Hana betrittst Du eine Fantasiewelt, in der es darum geht, die namensgebenden Tempopo-Kreaturen zu dirigieren, um Rätsel zu lösen, die über die Himmelsinseln der Welt verstreut sind – bevor Du nach Hause zurückkehrst und Deinen Garten pflegst. Der Trailer zeigt neues Gameplay und enthüllt, dass das Spiel am 17. April für Xbox Series X|S und Xbox One erscheinen und direkt zum Release im Game Pass verfügbar sein wird.
Tron: Catalyst – erscheint am 17. Juni
Entwickler: Bithell Games
Herausgeber: Big Fan Games, Devolver Digital
Plattform: Xbox Series X|S
Der neue Trailer zu Tron: Catalyst von Disney, BigFan und dem Entwicklerteam Bithell Games hat uns tiefere Einblicke in die Hauptfigur des Spiels gewährt, die in der Arena um ihr Überleben kämpft. Ein explosives Ereignis hat Exo die Fähigkeit verliehen, den Glitch wahrzunehmen, der ihr Zuhause, das Arq-Raster, auseinanderreißt. Sie ist nun dazu in der Lage, über die Zeit zu bestimmen. Diese spannende isometrische Action umfasst Kämpfe, Gespräche und die Erkundung von Light Cycles in der Stadt Vertical Slice. Tron: Catalyst erscheint am 17. Juni für Xbox Series X|S.
Dieses chaotische, Side-scrolling-Partyspiel für Fahrradfahrer*innen wurde mit einem neuen Trailer vorgestellt, in dem angekündigt wurde, dass das Spiel direkt zum Release im Game Pass erscheinen wird. Darüber hinaus wurde gezeigt, wie das IGN-Team den Multiplayer-Modus für bis zu acht Spieler*innen testete. Zu sehen war eine Vielzahl unterschiedlicher Blöcke, die die Bewegung behindern oder im Wettbewerb überwunden werden müssen. Außerdem ging der Trailer auf das Potenzial von Power-Ups ein.
Wax Heads – erscheint im Sommer 2026
Entwickler: Patattie Games
Herausgeber: Curve Games
Plattform: Xbox Series X|S
Wir haben einen neuen Einblick in das lebensnahe Erzählspiel erhalten, in dem es darum geht, die Leitung eines angeschlagenen Plattenladen zu übernehmen. Der Trailer hat das wunderschöne handgezeichnete Design gezeigt. Wir haben gesehen, wie man mit schrulligen Kund*innen plaudert, eine handerlesene Plattensammlung durchstöbert, sich in Bands verliebt oder mit Kolleg*innen abhängt, um den Groove zurückzubringen. Wax Heads erscheint im Sommer 2026 für Xbox Series X|S.
Dieses gemütliche, storybasierte Spiel hat mehr Details seines wunderschönen Grafikstils und der ästhetischen 3D-Puzzles enthüllt. Der Trailer hat gezeigt, wie Du Deine ganz eigene Geschichte kreierst: Erschaffe eine Welt, indem Du 3D-Objekte vom Menü auf die Karte ziehst und enthülle die die Geschichte der Hauptfiguren Foxy und Ben. Woodo erscheint für Xbox Series X|S.
Das war’s von unserem Showcase! Folge ID@Xbox auf X (ehemals Twitter), Instagram, Discord, Twitch und YouTube. Bleib auf Xbox Wire DACH auf dem Laufenden und erfahre mehr über die Pläne von Team Xbox.
IGN kicked off its annual Fan Fest event today with an exciting new ID@Xbox Showcase, bringing world premieres, Game Pass announcements, release dates, new gameplay and much more from the incredible slate of indie developers working on games for Xbox platforms right now.
From action-roguelikes, to card games, to cozy adventures, to game genres that don’t even have a name yet, this Showcase revealed how wild and wonderful the indie space can be – it’s a celebration of what’s next for gaming.
Read on for every single bit of news you might have missed.
33 Immortals – Launching March 18
We first saw 33 Immortals during 2023’s Xbox Game Showcase, and this long-awaited co-op action roguelike will arrive on March 18. Pitting up to 33 players against hordes of monsters and gigantic bosses, 33 Immortals captures the joy of MMO raids in a more ‘pick up and play’ context. The release date trailer showed us some of its dark cartoon looks, frenetic gameplay, and huge party sizes.
Balatro – Out Today on Game Pass!
This award-winning roguelike poker sensation gets a surprise Game Pass release today, but that was far from the only announcement we got. Balatro is also headed to Windows PC, and we got the fourth Friends of Jimbo collaboration update, bringing themed cards based on (deep breath) Fallout, Assassin’s Creed, Civilization VII, Rust, Slay the Princess, Bugsnax, Dead By Daylight, and YouTube channel Critical Role.
Blue Prince – Launching With Game Pass on April 10
A truly unique experience, Blue Prince combines exploration, puzzles, mapmaking, and card game systems to create a game we’ve truly never seen before. Solve the mysteries of Mount Holly manor by literally piecing its rooms together, and solving mysteries hidden throughout the house you build as a result. Discover its secrets when the game launches on April 10, coming to Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and launching day one with Game Pass.
Buckshot Roulette – Coming to Xbox and Game Pass
This haunting experience makes “gambling with your life” a very literal concept, and has already captivated and horrified PC players. Transforming the (already unpleasant) game of Russian Roulette by introducing a shotgun and some dastardly extra rules, this is a true tabletop strategy game with a grim twist. In today’s show, we learned that Buckshot Roulette is on its way to Xbox and Game Pass – prepare yourself.
Descenders Next – Launching April 9
This sequel to the downhill biking Game Pass sensation, Descenders Next broadens its scope to include multiple ways to go really, really fast down a mountain. Promising to be the ultimate extreme sports game, tackle multiple biomes on snowboards and mountainboards when it arrives on April 9 with Game Pass.
Echo Weaver – Coming to Xbox and Game Pass
This beautifully rendered “Metroidbrainia” draws from classic adventure platformers and the likes of Outer Wilds to create a time looping world where knowledge is your greatest weapon. The trailer offered clues as to how, across multiple loops, you’ll piece together the story and shape of a collapsed utopia and escape the temporal prison you’re trapped within. Echo Weaver is coming to Xbox, with Game Pass.
Herdling – Coming to Xbox and Windows PC
Developer Okomotive created two of the most exciting, mechanic-packed adventures of recent years in the form of Far: Lone Sails and Far: Changing Tides, so you can count us very excited for their first fully 3D outing, Herdling. In a new trailer, we saw much more of how you’ll guide a herd of curious cattle across a ruined world (and the dangers you’ll face along the way) – and learned that it’ll be coming to Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC when it launches this summer.
Hotel Barcelona – Launching 2025
This long awaited collaboration between legendary designers Suda51 and Swery is almost upon us. This 2.5D action-platformer pits you against the horror-inspired denizens of the titular hotel, and the new trailer dives deeper into the Slasher Phantom, a brutal game mechanic that summons echoes of the player’s past runs to aid them in battle. We also saw some of the game’s arsenal of deadly weapons and abilities, each designed to turn the tide of battle in the most gruesome ways possible.
Jump Ship – Coming to Xbox Game Preview
Developed by Hazelight (It Takes Two) and Mojang (Minecraft) alumni, this 1-4 player FPS puts you in charge of a spaceship and asks you to take on on-foot combat sections, seamlessly transitioning between the two. The new trailer gives us a taste of how you’ll have to work together to survive, not to mention its tongue-in-cheek approach to bombastic action – plus we learned that it’ll be available in early access through Xbox Game Preview this summer.
Lies of P: Overture – New Story Trailer
We got a closer look at the newly announced DLC for acclaimed Soulslike, Lies of P. The Overture expansion will see Geppetto’s Puppet encounter a mysterious artifact that transports him back in time to the world of Krat in its final days of grandeur. The trailer gives us a melancholy look at Lea, the Legendary Stalker, on her relentless path of vengeance.
The Lonesome Guild – World Premiere
We got a world-first look at the new game from Don’t Nod (Life Is Strange, Jusant), a whimsical action-RPG full of heart, battles, and bonds that change everything. Embark on a heroic adventure as Ghost, a spirit who wakes to find they hold no memories. Build your dream team, switch seamlessly between them to solve puzzles and fight your way through the collapsing world of Etere. The Lonesome Guild arrives for Xbox Series X|S this fall.
Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault – Coming to Game Pass
The sequel to the beloved action-RPG that answers the question, “where do RPG merchants get their stock”, Moonlighter 2 takes on a brand new full-3D, isometric look – offering new challenges and rewards as a result. The new trailer shows both your new hometown and shop, and the adventures in store as you adventure to keep your stock flowing. Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault is coming to Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC and Game Pass in 2025.
Outbound – Coming to Xbox in 2026
This gorgeous open-world exploration game sets you off with an empty camper van and sees you turn it into the home of your dreams – alone or together with your friends. Build and explore at your own pace. Scavenge materials, craft, and build in and on top of your vehicle with modular parts. Advance in technology and efficiently use energy to power your home, while adjusting your playstyle to adapt to new landscapes and changing environmental conditions. Outbound is coming to Xbox Series X|S in 2026.
Ratatan – Coming to Xbox
A new game from the creators of the beloved Patapon, Ratatan is a rhythm strategy roguelike that sees you taking increasingly huge groups of minions through a world in which you need to literally conduct your attacks – hit the rhythm and you’ll stay alive. Mix in up to four-player co-op, and you can have over 100 characters onscreen in a single fight. Ratatan comes to Xbox this year.
Revenge of the Savage Planet – Coming to Game Pass on May 8
We got a new look at this co-op exploration adventure by way of an in-universe commercial for the Kindred Catalog – Revenge of the Savage Planet features dozens of fresh and funny upgrades such as the goo cannon, which allows players to create slippery, sticky or flammable surfaces in the world! Or a whip to keep creatures from eating your face! Or a grapple to swing from point to point! Or a lasso to capture creatures and send them back to your Habitat for research. So many tools, so many options, so many ways to play. We don’t have long to wait to try all of this out – Revenge of the Savage Planet arrives for Xbox on May 8, and will be available day one with Game Pass.
Rockbeasts – World Premiere
We got another world-first look at Rockbeasts, a “rock and roll band manager” game in which you playthe manager of a legendary ‘90s band (who just happen to be animals). Lead a band of misfits on a roller-coaster ride to stardom in the age of MTV, rock anthems, and bad haircuts. Rockbeasts is a story-driven, role-playing management game that puts you in the shoes of a manager of an up-and-coming rock band. Your job – take them to the top. It arrives for Xbox Series X|S this year.
Tanuki: Pon’s Summer – Coming to Game Pass
We got another look at this adorable courier life sim after its debut at Tokyo Game Show. The new trailer showed us how we’ll be performing stunt-filled delivery missions alongside relaxing in its bucolic town – from baseball, to sumo practice, to drumming. Tanuki: Pon’s Summer arrives in late 2025, and it’s coming to Game Pass.
Tempopo – Coming to Game Pass on April 17
The newest title from the award-winning team behind Unpacking, Tempopo is a puzzle adventure bursting with music. Playing as Hana, you enter a fantasy world in which you need to conduct the titular Tempopo creatures to solve puzzles scattered across the world’s sky islands – before heading back home and cultivating her garden. The new trailer showed off new gameplay, and revealed that the game will come to Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One on April 17, and will launch into Game Pass day one.
Tron: Catalyst – Launching June 17
From Disney, publisher BigFan, and the development team at Bithell Games, the new trailer for Tron: Catalyst gave us a closer look at our game’s protagonist, Exo, who is fighting for her survival in the arena. An explosive event has gifted Exo the ability to perceive the glitch tearing apart her home, the Arq Grid, and given her the unique ability to loop time itself. This thrilling isometric action our game offers combat, conversation, and Light Cycle exploration in the city of Vertical Slice. Tron: Catalyst comes to Xbox Series X|S on June 17.
Ultimate Sheep Racoon – Coming to Game Pass
This chaotic side-scrolling, bike riding party game got a new trailer announcing that it’ll come to Game Pass upon release – and then we saw the IGN team playing the game’s 8-player mode. They showed off a variety of different blocks that can hinder your movement or launch you ahead of the competition, two different levels with varying difficulty, and showed how the different power-ups can really make a difference in the race.
Wax Heads – Launching Summer 2026
We got a new look at this slice-of-life narrative game set around running a struggling record store. Showing off its gorgeous hand-drawn looks, the trailer shows more of how you’ll chat to quirky customers with unique tastes, explore a handcrafted record collection, fall in love with bands (and their drama!), or just slack off with your colleagues – whatever gets everyone’s groove back! Wax Heads will come to Xbox Series X|S in summer 2026.
Woodo – Coming to Xbox
This cozy, story-driven game showed off more of its beautiful art style and pieced-together 3D puzzles. The trailer revealed how you’ll build the story by literally building the world, pulling 3D objects from your menus to fill a scene, revealing more of the tale of main characters Foxy and Ben as you go. Woodo is on its way to Xbox Series X|S.
Pre-order PGA TOUR 2K25 Legend Edition for up to 7 days of Early Access (from Feb 21, 2025) + PGA TOUR 2K23 Standard Edition!* Get the Legend Edition to upgrade your play—and your look—with a staggering SIX extra content packs full of powerful upgrades, chic cosmetics, and a new playable character. Legend Edition includes: •PGA TOUR 2K25 •SUN DAY RED Pack: Red Polo, Black Hat, Black Pants and White Glove + Tiger’s TaylorMade Driver Qi10 LS •Malbon Bucket Ball Pack: 3 unique Malbon Balls •Member’s Pass: Clubhouse Pass Premium (Seasons 1-5), Clubhouse Gear Pack—one outfit per body type per season; Season 1 items available at launch •Birdie Pack: Titleist GT4 Driver, Titleist Pro V1 Ball, FootJoy Premiere Series – Field Shoes, Umbrella Hat •Starter Pack: 1 Evo Tool, 5 Level-Up Tokens, 5 Club Fittings, 3 Ball Fittings + 1800 VC •Extra Butter x adidas Pack: Playable Chris McDonald + Extra Butter x adidas cosmetic hat, jacket, and shoes REAL FEEL
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U.S. Open Championship, The Open Championship, and PGA Championship make their 2K debut. MyCAREER AND MyPLAYER, YOUR WAY
Be your authentic self in the most immersive MyCAREER and diverse MyPLAYER experiences ever. SEASONS—BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER
Non-expiring Clubhouse Pass, power increases for progression, Ranked resets, content updates + more. GRAB A CLUB, GRAB A FRIEND
Deep multiplayer matches include Stroke Play, Match Play, Scramble, and tournaments. Challenge friends cross-platform. UNLEASH YOUR INNER COURSE ARCHITECT
Craft your dream course with new objects, cameras, tools + more in Course Designer. *Pre-order PGA TOUR 2K25 through 27 February 2025 and receive a digital copy of PGA TOUR 2K23 Standard Edition for the same platform. Digital copy of PGA TOUR 2K23 will be automatically entitled and available to download within 24 hours following pre-order. PGA TOUR 2K23 must be downloaded to the platform account used to pre-order PGA TOUR 2K25 and is non-transferable. Offer not available to platform accounts that already own PGA TOUR 2K23 on the same platform. Canceled pre-orders will result in removal of PGA TOUR 2K23 digital copy from platform account. Terms apply. Certain features of the game, including the in-game store, may not be accessible by child accounts. A child means players under the age of 13, unless local laws specify differently.
Welcome to Next Week on Xbox! In this weekly feature we cover all the games coming soon to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, the Xbox App on Windows PC, and Game Pass! Get more details on these upcoming games below and click their profiles for further info (release dates subject to change). Let’s jump in!
A genre-evolving 3v3 tactical shooter driven by Duality. Use Duality to control two bodies in real-time, letting you defend two sites at once, cover your own cross, or even trade yourself. Master tactical gunplay and an arsenal of future tech to achieve infamy.
The conqueror, who has gone through many trials in his life, decided to retire and become a hermit, to simply lie in his solitary cave away from people. But fate throws new challenges even in such a simple endeavor. The tomb where he loves to sleep has disappeared. Now he must embark on a quest to find it and solve many mysteries along the way.
In this new anthology release of Crime Opera, explore a variety of short stories that take place before, during and after the events of the original visual novel, all presented in beautifully crafted hand-drawn style to convey the drama, emotion and gritty truth surrounding characters’ lives in the criminal underworld.
Experience a new chapter in the mafia tale surrounding the Gallos family! This story begins 9 years after the original. Xander Gallo is now bitter, alone and out of control. He’s causing problems for not only other families within the syndicate but also for younger Gallo members as well.
Open cars and boxes, rummage through piles of wood, search the forests. Cats are well hidden, but they meow when you get near so listen closely and you might just be able to find them all. Features more than twelve charming winter landscapes with over 120 little cats to find.
Save your family by going on an adventure as a cute bunny. Collect berries, find secrets with bonuses, throw objects at enemies or jump on them to win. Find secret stars and change costumes. Defeat the bosses and get to the last one to save the little rabbits from captivity. Explore green fields, caves, rivers, snowy mountains, icy lakes, deserts and ruins.
Crowns and Pawns is a modern-day point and click adventure. The game highlights the less-explored history of Europe. Experience the legendary stories of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, bring to light the villainous branch of the KGB, solve puzzles and follow hints to reveal the secrets of the King who was never crowned.
The cult classic from the ’90s returns! Glover is a charming 3D platformer where you control a magical glove on a quest to restore balance to the kingdom. Roll, jump, and manipulate your magic ball to solve puzzles, overcome challenges, and defeat the evil glove threatening the world!
Ready to set sail on an adventure full of challenges and treasures? In Pirate Trails, you are the master cartographer of the seven seas. But instead of sailing, your mission is to chart the best course for pirate ships to collect treasures and safely anchor at the final port. Rotate and swap hexagonal tiles to create the perfect route – but beware, a wrong path might lead your ship straight to the Kraken!
Embark on a journey of anomalies and repetition in Prison Loop, a captivating puzzle game. Test your observation skills, critical thinking, and ability to manipulate time to your advantage. Explore a meticulously designed prison filled with hidden secrets, atmospheric details, and haunting visuals.
Two Point County’s most daring adventurers have travelled to the far reaches of the known map and returned with unique artefacts to host in your museum, along with the coordinates of a new expedition location, home to an exclusive special exhibit and events! The Explorer Edition brings a selection of decorative items to embellish your halls, walls and floors with bespoke designs and well-travelled statues. As well as exclusive items to help your experts replenish faster to send out on more expeditions
A new game concept inspired by the classic Tower of Hanoi. Assemble towers stacking pieces of the same color on a hexagonal board with a mysterious and relaxing atmosphere. Unlock blocked hexagonal cells by building a tower of the same color to open new paths and advance in the resolution of the level.
An unremarkable princess in an unremarkable castle has been kidnapped by a group of mysterious ninjas. Luckily for her, a young ninja named Casey is aware of the situation and embarks on a mission to save her because… he is the Ninja of Justice! Join Casey and learn the art of ninjutsu as he explores a land full of secrets and dangerous enemies!
The ultimate hunting experience awaits you in Monster Hunter Wilds. Fulfill your duty as a Hunter, tracking down and defeating powerful monsters while forging strong new weapons and armor from the materials you harvest, as you work to uncover the connection between the people of the Forbidden Lands and the locales they inhabit.
An interactive game experience that is designed to ease your mind and have fun popping innocent balloons. Jump into the role of a little paper plane that is supposed to rescue the world from evil balloon demons by dashing through them. An excellent game for relaxing and blowing off some steam after an exhausting day of hassle.
The master of golf sims is back! Tee off with the world’s top golfers on the most storied courses on golf’s biggest stages. Pre-order PGA Tour 2K25 Standard Edition and receive the Extra Butter x adidas Pack, which includes actor, “pretty great golfer,” and now playable character Chris McDonald. Included are three stylish cosmetics — hat, jacket and shoes. Plus, with your pre-order (by February 27, 2025), you’ll also get PGA Tour 2K23 Standard Edition (digital) to play while you wait!
Willkommen bei Next Week on Xbox! Wie immer stellen wir Dir alle neuen Spiele vor, die bald für Xbox Series X|S und Xbox One, Windows und im Game Pass erhältlich sind. Klick Dich einfach durch die Spiel-Details, um mehr zu möglichen Vorbestellungen zu erfahren (Änderungen vorbehalten).
Optimiert für Xbox Series X|S Ein bahnbrechender 3v3-Taktik-Shooter, geprägt von Dualität. Steuere zwei Körper in Echtzeit und schütze zwei Standorte, gib Dir selbst Deckung, oder setze Dein Leben aufs Spiel. Erkämpfe Dir mit taktischem Gunplay und futuristischer Technik Deinen Ruf.
Optimiert für Xbox Series X|S Der Eroberer, der in seinem Leben unzählige Herausforderungen gemeistert hat, beschließt, sich zurückzuziehen und ein Einsiedler zu werden. Er möchte einfach in seiner Höhle liegen, weit weg von den Menschen. Doch das Schicksal höchstpersönlich erschwert ihm selbst dieses Vorhaben. Die Gruft, in der er so gerne schläft, ist verschwunden. Nun muss er sich auf die Suche machen und dabei unterschiedliche Rätsel lösen.
Optimiert für Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery Dieser neue Sammelband von Crime Opera enthält eine Reihe von Kurzgeschichten, die vor, während und nach den Ereignissen der originalen Visual-Novel spielen. Sie alle werden in einem wunderschönen handgezeichneten Stil präsentiert, um die Dramatik, die Emotionen und die düstere Wahrheit über das Leben der Charaktere in der kriminellen Unterwelt authentisch zu transportieren.
Optimiert für Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery Die Mafia-Erzählung um die Familie Gallos wird um ein neues Kapitel reicher! Diese Geschichte beginnt neun Jahre nach dem Original. Xander Gallo ist inzwischen verbittert, allein und völlig außer Kontrolle. Er bereitet nicht nur anderen Familien innerhalb des Syndikats Probleme, sondern auch den jüngeren Gallo-Mitgliedern.
Xbox Play Anywhere Öffne Autos und Kisten, stöbere in Holzstapeln, durchsuche die Wälder. Die Katzen sind gut versteckt, aber sie miauen, wenn du Dich ihnen näherst. Also hör gut zu, um sie alle zu finden. Es warten mehr als zwölf bezaubernde Winterlandschaften auf Dich, in denen es mehr als 120 kleine Kätzchen zu finden gibt.
Optimiert für Xbox Series X|S Rette Deine Familie, indem Du Dich als niedliches Häschen auf ein spannendes Abenteuer begibst. Sammle Beeren, lüfte Geheimnisse, die Boni enthalten, bewirf Deine Feinde mit Gegenständen oder springe auf sie, um zu gewinnen. Finde geheime Sterne und wechsle die Kostüme. Besiege die Bosse und erreiche den Endgegner, um die kleinen Hasen aus der Gefangenschaft zu retten. Erkunde grüne Felder, Höhlen, Flüsse, verschneite Berge, eisige Seen, Wüsten und Ruinen.
Optimiert für Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery Crowns and Pawns ist ein modernes Point-and-Click-Abenteuer. Das Spiel beleuchtet die weniger bekannten Seiten der europäischen Geschichte. Lerne das legendäre Großfürstentums Litauen kennen, decke den bösartigen Zweig des KGB auf, löse Rätsel und folge Hinweisen, um die Geheimnisse des Königs zu lüften, der nie gekrönt wurde.
Optimiert für Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery Der Kultklassiker aus den Neunzigern kehrt zurück! Glover ist ein charmanter 3D-Plattformer, in dem Du einen magischen Handschuh steuerst, um das Gleichgewicht des Königreichs wiederherzustellen. Rolle, springe und manipuliere Deinen magischen Ball, um Rätsel zu lösen, Herausforderungen zu meistern und den bösen Handschuh zu besiegen, der die Welt bedroht!
Optimiert für Xbox Series X|S Bist du bereit, die Segel zu setzen und ein Abenteuer voller Herausforderungen und Reichtümer zu erleben? In Pirate Trails giltst Du als Meisterkartograph*in der sieben Weltmeere. Doch anstatt selbst in See zu stechen, besteht Deine Aufgabe darin, den besten Kurs für Piratenschiffe zu kartographieren, damit diese Schätze sammeln und sicher im Zielhafen ankern können. Drehe und tausche sechseckige Kacheln, um die perfekte Route zu erstellen – aber Vorsicht, ein falscher Weg könnte Dein Schiff direkt zu den Kraken führen!
Optimiert für Xbox Series X|S Begib Dich auf eine Reise voller Anomalien und Wiederholungen in Prison Loop, einem fesselnden Puzzlespiel. Teste Deine Beobachtungsgabe, Dein kritisches Denken und Deine Fähigkeit, die Zeit zu Deinem Vorteil zu manipulieren. Erforsche ein Gefängnis voller versteckter Geheimnisse, stimmungsvoller Details und eindringlicher Bilder.
Optimiert für Xbox Series X|S Zwei der kühnsten Abenteurer von Point County sind in die entlegensten Winkel der Welt gereist und mit einzigartigen Artefakten zurückgekehrt. Stelle sie in Deinem Museum aus und teile die Koordinaten eines neuen Expeditionsstandortes, an dem eine exklusive Sonderausstellung und verschiedene Veranstaltungen stattfinden werden. Die Explorer Edition enthält eine Auswahl dekorativer Gegenstände, die Deine Hallen, Wände und Böden verschönern werden. Außerdem warten exklusive Gegenstände auf Dich, mit denen Du Deine Expert*innen schneller zur nächsten Expedition schicken kannst.
Optimiert für Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery / Xbox Play Anywhere Ein neues Spielkonzept, inspiriert von dem Klassiker Tower of Hanoi. Baue Türme aus gleichfarbigen Steinen auf einem sechseckigen Spielbrett, das eine mysteriöse Atmosphäre versprüht. Entriegele blockierte Zellen, indem Du einen Turm der gleichen Farbe baust und eröffne neue Wege, um so das nächste Level zu erreichen.
Optimiert für Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery Eine unscheinbare Prinzessin wurde von einer Gruppe mysteriöser Ninjas aus ihrem unscheinbaren Schloss entführt. Zu ihrem Glück ist ein junger Ninja namens Casey auf die Situation aufmerksam geworden und begibt sich auf die Suche nach ihr…denn er ist der Ninja der Gerechtigkeit! Begleite Casey und erlerne die Kunst des Ninjutsu, während er ein Land voller Geheimnisse und gefährlicher Feinde erkundet!
Optimiert für Xbox Series X|S In Monster Hunter Wilds erwartet Dich das ultimative Jagderlebnis. Erfülle Deine Pflicht als Jäger*in, indem Du mächtige Monster aufspürst und diese bezwingst. Sammle Materialien, um damit neue Waffen und Rüstung zu schmieden. Dabei versuchst Du, die Verbindung zwischen den Einwohner*innen des Verbotenen Landes und den Orten, die sie bewohnen, aufzudecken.
Ein interaktives Spielerlebnis, das zum Entspannen einlädt. Du übernimmst die Kontrolle über einen kleinen Papierflieger, dessen Aufgabe darin besteht, die Welt vor bösen Ballon-Dämonen zu retten, indem er durch sie hindurchfliegt. Ein ausgezeichnetes Spiel, um nach einem anstrengenden Tag etwas Dampf abzulassen.
Optimiert für Xbox Series X|S Der Vorreiter der Golfsimulationen ist zurück! Schlage mit den besten Golfer*innen der Welt ab und zeige Dein Talent auf den berühmtesten Plätzen des Sports. Wenn Du die PGA Tour 2K25 Standard Edition vorbestellst, erhältst Du das Extra Butter x adidas Pack, das Chris McDonald als spielbaren Charakter Chris enthält, dazu. Darüber hinaus erhältst Du drei stylische Kosmetika – Hut, Jacke und Schuhe. Und wenn Du das Spiel bis zum 27. Februar vorbestellst, gibt es die PGA Tour 2K23 Standard Edition (digital) sogar noch gratis dazu!
Atelier games have been around since the late ’90s, with more than two dozen titles shipped in that time – but you’re forgiven some unfamiliarity the series, as Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories and the Envisioned Land will be the very first to arrive on Xbox. After playing through the first few hours of the game and speaking with producer Junzo Hosoi, it’s becoming clear that the first Atelier title on Xbox isn’t simply the latest in the series, it’s the most ambitious entry yet.
“As a huge Xbox fan, I’m thrilled to finally bring the series to the system,” Hosoi told me via email, “But when I look at the game as a whole, I don’t describe Atelier Yumia as the next Atelier game. I describe it as a completely new JRPG series that has Atelier features.”
My preview session bore that out; players will find familiar RPG elements aplenty – strategic, real-time battles, crafting, exploration – but they come together in way that feels altogether different from others in the genre. The secret ingredient, if you will, lies in the super deep crafting system.
“The charm of the Atelier series is about synthesis and the alchemy process,” Hosoi-san confirmed. “The game cycle is pretty unique as there is collecting in the field, fighting in battle, and utilizing the synthesis system, and all three of those things are related.”
That charm is also evident in the playable cast of characters, especially the eponymous Yumia Liessfeldt, a more grown-up character than some past series headliner heroines.
Hosoi-san shares more background: “Since Yumia is 21 years old, the story is about her growing into adulthood. This is shown throughout the story through her strong core values… independence and charm. With [heroes of previous titles] Ryza and Sophie, they were younger, so they needed mentors in order to grow up, but with Yumia, she has her own identity and decision-making skills.” Oh, and she owns a motorcycle!
Because Aladiss, the new continent introduced in Atelier Yumia, inherently distrusts alchemy, the game’s early hours see Yumia seeking to prove her worth. While her synthesis skills differentiate her from other characters in the game, bolstered by a new building system that crafting survival fans will enjoy, in my playthrough, it was Yumia’s battle prowess that surprised most.
For nearly all of the series’ history, Atelier titles were turn-based affairs. The recent Atelier Ryza titles were to first to move to real-time, and for Atelier Yumia, the team heard player feedback, resulting in a huge amount ofc ombat options for players to master.
“The mechanics of battle have been completely redesigned for this game as close and ranged combat has been added,” Hosoi-san explains. “Within the two attack zones, players can move the active character freely around the enemies or between the two attack zones in battle. You can also guard and dodge attacks in real-time and even pull off a powerful cooperation attack with other characters when an enemy is stunned. For Atelier Yumia, we are focusing on actually showing the player’s skills during battle.”
In practice, battles move quickly; players can control Yumia or shift at any time to one of her traveling companions. Placement is key; you can see when and where attacks will hit, but timing out a precision guard (or getting the heck out of the way) takes good timing. It’s not too challenging when going 1 on 1 with a regular mob, but in a multi-enemy rumble, with fewer safe areas, there’s a whole lot to account for.
Add in varying enemy weaknesses, opportunities to execute powerful Friend Actions, balancing offense and defense at different ranges – I didn’t expect a game this adorable to require such situational awareness! Fortunately, your squad enters and exits battle seamlessly as you explore, and it’s fast and fun to build up fighting experience, or to avoid encounters when you just wanna zipline back to town.
As mentioned, Yumia isn’t on this journey alone; you’ll meet several companions in the game’s prologue before rewinding to an earlier point in the tale. I found one character particularly entertaining, and Hosoi-san surprised me by unexpectedly bringing up an Xbox icon when asked about Flammi, Yumia’s floating, funny little companion.
“Flammi was actually inspired by Halo’s Cortana. I wanted to make something where we could have a conversation between a main protagonist and somebody close to them who are always together. Playing Halo was so much fun and that’s why I really wanted to add a mascot for Atelier Yumia.“
Atelier Yumia arrives at a very prolific time for Koei Tecmo: Dynasty Warriors Origins was well-received on its recent launch, Team Ninja surprised everyone with Ninja Gaiden 4’s announcement, and we’ve been spoiled with shadow drops of Ninja Gaiden 2 Black and Warriors: Abyss. To hear it from Hosoi-san, the positive energy is boosting everyone’s projects.
“Within Koei Tecmo games, the brand producers get along really well with each other. We have a conference where games under development receive opinions from each of the brands, so not only do we listen to each other’s opinions, we then get to see their games in development as well. We utilize each other’s opinions to help us develop and create better games. In the end, that helps in my goal of making Atelier Yumia known worldwide as the best game in the series.”
Cabernet’s characters and voice acting are the heart of its story.
A vampire narrative RPG set in eastern Europe in the late 19th century.
Launching on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One today.
Cabernet, an indie vampire RPG out today on Xbox and PC, asks players one, core question: Will you retain your humanity or descend further into the horror you have become?
And it asks that question through a lovingly crafted world of intrigue, romance, and drama set in 19th Century Eastern Europe. My name is Buddy Sola, I’m the Head of Marketing for Akupara Games, and I sat down with the developers behind Cabernet, Arseniy Klishin and Laura Gray, to talk a little about their process for making a compelling narrative RPG and recording incredible voiceover for the characters in it.
“(Cabernet) became a fully fledged idea to us once we connected the idea of vampirism, actually, as a metaphor for alcoholism,” they told me. “We have another tagline in our game: Demons are hereditary.”
And with a basis exploring that core conflict between humans and vampires, empathy and nihilism, it became important for Arseniy and Laura to capture the emotional heart beating beneath the skin of their vampire characters. Voice acting, it turned out, became one of the most important components to making Cabernet really come together. And they certainly helped me understand the complicated nature of casting, directing and recording voiceover for the myriad of characters in game.
At the end of the day, the goal with the casting process was authenticity. “We did actually, in all of our casting calls that were public, we really did try to encourage Eastern European submissions.” The game’s Eastern European background isn’t just window-dressing; it makes up a core component of the game’s worldbuilding, but Arseniy and Laura wanted to avoid anything that felt fake in their casting. “For me, personally, it is a little strange to expect the character to speak in a British accent. We decided that our approach was going to be completely different: For us, we would rather have an authentic emotional experience that the actors have. We didn’t want people to imitate an accent that is not authentic to them.”
And it couldn’t get much more authentic than having Laura herself voice the game’s main character. “Liza plays a very grounding figure in the game. It’s slightly odd as the main character because you have to be a little of a foil that everybody can play towards and relate to in some way.” Liza, a newly awakened vampire who apprentices as a doctor, really is the conduit for the game’s core theme of choices. “We put her in that position as a vampire where she requires a substance in order to survive.”
Casting happened both with public casting calls as well as targeted outreach. Some of the game’s most high-profile actors, like Brian David Gilbert, were already in mind when Arseniy was writing the characters. “We kind of envisioned Petya’s character with his mannerisms when we wrote the script and when he accepted, it was really, really pleasant.”
Other characters were voiced by relative unknowns who had spectacular auditions and captured the emotional core of their part. For some performances, Arseniy and Laura directed the voice and tone of the actors in their studio– a foam-padded walk-in wardrobe– and for others, they took actors who provided professional recordings in their homes. And while sometimes, actors had a particular take that surprised and excited them, for the most part Arseniy and Laura were directing actors very carefully to make sure their lines were accurately captured in a game that, in some ways, had yet to be developed around them. Because the actors are recording their lines from the game’s 1200-page script without one another to play off of, Arseniy and Laura kept a cohesive, coherent vision by, as he puts it, “holding the keys in our hands.”
Cabernet’s voice acting was crafted by a deeply human process, finding the authentic emotions in talented actors from around the world. It seems fitting for a game about vampires struggling with their humanity to focus so heavily on the humanity in the voices of those characters.
Cabernet is a 2D narrative RPG set in a 19th century Eastern European inspired world, with a modern twist. Guide Liza, a young vampire struggling with her morality and the supernatural world she has been pulled into. Will you retain your humanity or descend further into the horror you have become? Prepare to explore a hidden world of political intrigue, class conflict, and decadent corruption. Use the moonlit sky to plan your next feast and explore. Mingle among vampiric society and the humans who feed them. Uncover who can aid your new kin and whose only purpose is to be drained. Vampirism isn’t just an unholy transformation of your body– it also threatens to transform your mind. Will you choose to indulge your empathetic humanity or embrace your newfound nihilism? But to lure your next meal somewhere safe and secluded, you’ll need to understand who they are and what they desire. A kind-hearted, alcoholic coachman? A fraying newlywed couple? A greedy, yet charming charlatan? Their lives are yours to aid or unravel. Art, literature, history, science, these are the skills you’ll require to succeed. Your knowledge will be your greatest weapon in a world where the cunning drain the brutal of life.
In A New Quest, Katra and Vaer are striving to reunite Vaer’s soul with his body that was stolen by dark forces. During their journey, they reach Candlekeep, where Thesserai the Sage asks Katra and Vaer to aid him in locating his “Deck of Many Things”, hoping it’ll lead them closer to finding Vaer’s lost body.
The deck is a mighty set of cards with the power to either stir conflict or prevent it. The deck stems from chaos magic (sounds super safe tbh) , and as it now has gone missing, it needs to be returned before it ends up in the wrong hands (or claws).
Katra and Vaer accept the call to adventure, and thus, their perilous journey (and yours!) begins, meeting yetis, and dwarven hunters, recovering treasures, helping one-legged pirates, and discovering widespread conspiracies.
A major expansion to The Hunter’s Call sends pirates in pursuit of new victories!
The Sea of Thieves has always been a wild, untamed sanctuary for pirates, but in Season 15 the stakes across these scattered islands and open waters are being raised once again! The latest free Seasonal update sees The Hunter’s Call Trading Company vastly expanding their offerings while two uniquely powerful Megalodons join the fray, with further hunt-related excitement set to follow in the months ahead. Here’s what you can expect from Season 15 of Sea of Thieves…
The Hunter’s Call Grows
Season 15 is all about exploring the wilder side of life on the Sea of Thieves, and who better to lead the charge than The Hunter’s Call? This Trading Company, first introduced with our original Anniversary Update in 2019, sets itself apart from the others with a focus on fishing and, as the name would imply, hunting. Until now, pirates have been able to climb to rank 50 by delivering fish and meat to The Hunter’s Call representatives at Seaposts or, more recently, to the Sovereigns on their behalf.
From Season 15, however, The Hunter’s Call undergoes a major expansion. First and foremost, it’s being brought in line with other Trading Companies in terms of ranking prospects, with the reputation cap being raised to 100 and five levels of Distinction added. This means you can continue to progress with the Company well beyond what was previously possible, unlocking themed cosmetics as you go.
You can also choose to raise a Hunter’s Call Emissary Flag for the first time, enabling increased rewards for treasure handed in – but at the cost of making yourself a target for any Reapers lying in wait nearby! At the same time, new Fishing and Raid Voyages provide opportunities to set out in search of Company-specific loot, including exotic Treasured Fish hauled up from the depths and ready to make you rich…
Megalodon Mutations
Growing alongside The Hunter’s Call are the new dangers introduced to the seas, most notably two terrifying Ancient Megalodons that have crossed over from the Sea of the Damned, ready to unleash carnage with abilities that make them substantially more dangerous than any everyday shark.
The Feared Redmaw has risen from the boiling depths, wreathed in flame and wielding a devastating explosive attack to torch any ship that drifts a little too close. Keep your water barrel full to deal with fires breaking out or you’ll quickly find yourself in the hot seat! Meanwhile, the armour-plated Barnacled Dread torments sailors with Eel-ectric invasions, spawning these formidable Ocean Crawlers onto the decks of attacking ships. Repel boarders while using your cannons to chip away at the Megalodon’s coral armour until you can strike the beast directly!
These fearsome monsters offer tantalising loot if you manage to best them, but finding them isn’t always easy. In this, Hunter’s Call Emissaries have the advantage: ships flying a Grade 5 Emissary Flag will be able to track Ancient Megalodon locations using their Map Table and sail headlong into battle…
Hunter’s Gear
With a new Season, as always, comes 100 new levels of Renown to be earned and all the associated rewards! You can work towards earning new themed cosmetics such as Hungering One Hunter’s clothing, as well as a hoard of gold, Doubloons and Ancient Coins – while purchasing a Plunder Pass also lets you unlock the enigmatic Dynasty of the Deep collection and an extra 750 Ancient Coins.
The Pirate Emporium shopkeepers also debut the fabulous Rococo set this month, inviting you to indulge in the finest historical fashion. This collection includes a ship set with optional Collector’s items, weapons, costume and makeup to add some ostentatious flair to all aspects of the pirate life. Inclined towards the edible arts? You may also enjoy the Culinary Cadet Emote Bundle, with four cooking-themed emotes to get you in the gastronomic spirit!
All This and More
To keep the new content flowing steadily, not all of Season 15’s features will be landing at launch! The monthly updates in March and April will deliver further features on the hunting theme, as teased in our Season 15 launch trailer.
Over the next few months, you can expect to take up a new throwable hunting spear that will prove highly effective at taking down wild beasts, and experience a sudden bloom in the range of ambient wildlife you’ll see on your travels. Following that, some decidedly less passive wild boars will be taking up residence across the islands with their own stashes of loot to protect…
To help keep the feisty local fauna under control, The Hunter’s Call will offer pirates new Hunting Voyages, sending them off to seek a savage Grand Boar or trail in the wake of a rampaging Megalodon as it causes chaos across the waves. To get to grips with all the changes coming soon to the seas, be sure to dive into each month’s release notes when the accompanying updates go live!
Looking to amp up the action? With EA Play, members get unlimited access to EA’s most exciting sports games on The Play List, including the newly added EA Sports F1 24. Along with the hottest racing titles around, EA Play members can also enjoy in-game bonuses, discounts on digital purchases, up to 10-hour trials of fan-favorite games, and unlimited access to titles like EA Sports Madden NFL 25 and beyond.
EA Sports F1 24
EA Play members continue to win this month as EA Sports F1 24joins the Play List today! Players can join the grid and drive like the greatest in this official video game of the 2024 FIA Formula One World Championship. EA Sports F1 24 features an overhauled Career mode, the all-new EA Sports Dynamic Handling, a new broadcast presentation package and cutscenes that add to the race day immersion, actual driver audio samples taken from F1 broadcasts and much more. Play as your hero and build on their existing stats and reputation, bring back legendary icons from the past to continue their F1 legacy, or play as yourself and climb the ranks as an F1 or F2 rookie.
EA Sports Madden NFL 25
In addition to F1 24, EA Sports Madden NFL 25 is currently available on the Play List for EA Play members. Madden NFL 25 introduces upgraded iterations of FieldSense and Boom Tech on Xbox Series X|S — groundbreaking physics-based tackling and player control technologies — allowing players to be immersed in the game like never before. Alongside these innovative updates, Madden NFL 25 also brings new signature styles and mechanics to the field as well as overhauled visuals and presentation, including two additional commentary teams, to deliver unparalleled levels of NFL realism through all modes of play.
February Rewards
This month, EA Play members continue to unlock the thrill of special rewards, including:
EA Sports Madden NFL 25Supercharge Pack – February 6 to March 6
EA Sports Madden NFL 25MUT Pack – Now to February 28
EA Sports F1 245000 XP Boost – Now to February 28
EA Sports F1 24Champions Icon Pack – February 20 to March 18
EA Sports FC 25 Victory Wings Right Leg Tattoo & Clubs Coins – Now to March 13
EA Sports FC 25Football Ultimate Team Draft Token– February 15 to March 14
EA Sports NHL 25WOC Battle Pass XP Modifier Tokens – Now to March 27
EA Sports NHL 253000 CHEL Coins – Now to March 27
Apex Legends Fast Money Weapon Charm – Now to March 3
Visit the EA Play page for more details, and to stay up to date on the latest from EA Play, follow EA Play on, Instagram, or X. Please see EA.com/EA-Play/Terms for terms and conditions.
Take gaming to another level this weekend with Free Play Days! New World: Aeternum, One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 and Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 are available this weekend for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Standard and Core members to play from Thursday February 20 at 12:01am Pacific until Sunday, February 23 at 11:59pm Pacific.
How To Start Playing
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, Standard and Core 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 (Xbox Game Pass Membership Required)
New World: Aeternum Standard Edition
Amazon Games
☆☆☆☆☆736
★★★★★
$59.99
New World: Aeternum Optimized for Xbox Series X|S Experience a thrilling action RPG set on the supernatural island of Aeternum in the twilight of the Age of Exploration. As a shipwrecked explorer who washes ashore on the mysterious island, forge your destiny on an adventure filled with danger and opportunity.
ONE PIECE: PIRATE WARRIORS 4(Xbox One)
BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment
☆☆☆☆☆255
★★★★★
$39.99$9.99
One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 All aboard, pirates! Battle your way through waves of enemies as your favorite One Piece characters in One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4. In search of treasure, relive some of the One Piece series’ most memorable moments that span all the way from the beginning. Experience the latest evolution of Pirate Warriors action and prepare for an even more thrilling gameplay on Xbox Series X|S, coming soon along with a new DLC!
DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE 2
BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment
☆☆☆☆☆960
★★★★★
$19.99$9.99
Free Trial
Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 Optimized for Xbox Series X|S, Smart Delivery Go Super Saiyan this weekend with Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2! Immerse yourself in the largest and most detailed Dragon Ball world ever developed: train with all iconic characters such as Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, Gohan, Trunks, Cell, Frieza and more to create your perfect fighter and protect the history of the Dragon Ball universe. Join an online hub of up to 300 players from around the world to team up for hard raid missions or measure your strength! There’s never been a better time to jump into Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, now out for Xbox One, Series X|S, and on sale this weekend at up to 50% off.
As soon as Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii erupted into a musical number at the intro credits, I knew I was in for a spectacular and bizarre experience, even by Like a Dragon’s standards. There he is, Goro Majima, Mad Dog of Shimano and the game’s protagonist, gesticulating wildly in a plush, purple velvet trimmed coat, as a crew of pirates sing and dance around him about the lures of the open water.
There’s a lot to take in, and plenty of surprises we don’t want to spoil, so let’s go through some of the highlights from the early game. You’re in for a treat.
Riches to Riches
Majima awakens on the shores of Rich Island, a small plot of land inhabited by a small community. He’s also stricken with a severe case of amnesia and can’t remember who he is or how he got there. Memory or not, Majima is a resourceful character and is soon embraced by good-hearted, morally complex locals and embroiled in numerous brawls that ultimately result in him becoming captain of a ship. Not a bad day’s work.
Rich Island is where Pirate Yakuza starts to introduce its myriad of minigames and activities, true to Like a Dragon form. An early highlight is Goro Goro Kitchen – a cooking minigame where Majima can make health-replenishing meals with ingredients he’s bought or grown. It’s a cheerful flurry of well-timed button mashing, and your performance dictates the quality of the food.
Naval Battles and Treasure Hunts
Scrapping with enemies at sea and scooping up new riches are two activities considered integral to the pirate experience. Pirate Yakuza introduces both to the mix.
As you explore the seas, clusters of small vessels will intermittently engage with you, sparking water combat. Here, you’ll utilize your ship’s defences, which starts with hard-hitting cannons and a rapid-fire mini mounted on the bow. You’ll have the option to upgrade your ship’s artillery with parts you can scavenge or buy, which’ll come in handy for more powerful foes later on.
The ship combat is a standalone RPG experience. Your crew will gain experience and levels the more you battle, and some members have unique abilities that can give you an edge in a fight. They also have needs and moods – allowing them time to rest and giving the occasional gift will lift their spirits. Having a crew with skills and feelings makes them feel less like static props and more like an actual collection of characters worth caring for, akin to Majima’s Cabaret Czar side plot in Yakuza 0.
These battles are fast-paced and dole out small rewards, akin to the mini-encounters you’ll have on land with small groups of enemies, though it is a little easier to outrun a handful of men than it is to quickly steer your ship away.
Treasure Hunts are presented like a boss rush – your crew disembarks onto a small island and needs to fight through a series of pirate grunts before taking down a boss and copping the treasure at the end. Here, you’ll find unique items that can enhance Majima’s abilities, and of course, bucketloads of cash.
Sea Dog of Shimano
Majima also picks up a brand-new fighting stance exclusive to Pirate Yakuza – Sea Dog Style. The stance allows him to deliver swift, swishing blows with a pair of cutlasses, alternating between light and heavy attacks and dishing out big AoE damage. Majima can also wield a pistol for long-range attacks – perfect for staggering foes – and a chain hook that will launch him towards an enemy, which can be followed up with more close-range attacks. Later on, Majima can summon deities using ‘Dark Instruments’, strange items plundered from rival pirate gangs. To give you a sense of the abilities here, Majima can summon a giant man-eating shark by shredding on a violin, an outrageous scene to witness.
Majima also carries his classic Mad Dog stance seen in other Like a Dragon titles here too, so if you (for some reason) don’t feel like being an extremely cool, cutlass-swinging pirate, his traditional roster of speedy blows, slick knife attacks and shadow clones to boost attack power is also an extremely fun option.
The Path to Madlantis
Majima and his crew set sail to the island settlement of Madlantis a few hours into Pirate Yakuza, and it is perhaps one of my favorite locations I’ve seen in a Like a Dragon game. It’s a rogue trove of delights, nestled away inside a cave system and largely constructed from the wreckages of old ships.
Walking through Madlantis feels immediately unsettling in a way that spaces like Kamurocho and Sotenbori rarely do, even in their shadiest spots. It’s shrouded entirely in darkness, illuminated only by colorful neon signs, harsh floodlights and flaming barrels. Suspicious-looking faces are clustered in dimly lit corners drinking, playing card games or beating someone up while onlookers pay no mind.
It’s also home to The Coliseum, where Majima and his crew can face off against other pirate crews to rack up reputation as a feared pirate, as well as other rewards.
Madlantis is one of four distinct locations you’ll visit – Rich Island, Nele and Hawaii all boast their own unique settings, characters and activities, but Madlantis really blew me away as a hive of nefariousness brimming with characters that, again, even by Like a Dragon’s standards, felt truly outlandish.
The Heart of Yakuza
While a lot of this game presents an off-beat adventure full of swashbuckling and treasure-hunting, it’s still pleasantly rooted in the core themes of the series. While Majima can’t remember who he is, he’s quickly reunited with a roster of Yakuza allies, and his adventures with his new crew must intertwine with the urgent business he’s expected to deal with as a Yakuza boss.
It also touches on some more delicate themes; the perils of fatherhood, the balance between wanting to keep a loved one safe and letting them free, and of course, the ever-present, pertinent question that every Like a Dragon game poses: What it means to be a man.
That said, it’s also just an incredibly funny game. The characters are so wonderfully blasé in the face of total nonsense, which makes it even more entertaining. During one treasure hunt, Majima has a fistfight with a huge brown bear, and afterwards, exclaims “ah, he had a classic grizzly right hook.” Moments like this paired with the above tough emotional storylines coursing through Pirate Yakuza make for a fantastic, rounded adventure.
This is merely a small glimpse into the wacky word that Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii – it’s a truly unique adventure that feels like a fever dream, while remaining loyal to the heart of the main franchise. There’s not long to wait either, you can set sail with Majima when the game launches for Xbox Series X|S on February 21.
In this free demo version of Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, you’ll embark on a modern-day adventure on land and sea as an ex-yakuza, now pirate captain, Goro Majima. Explore and fight your way through the vibrant city of Honolulu, then venture to the secret criminal haven Madlantis, where pirates engage in deadly naval battles for sport. Dynamically switch between two fighting styles as you take down enemies in exhilarating action combat that rewards your creativity. Dish out destruction with over-the-top combos, aerial juggles and finishing moves using your bare hands, makeshift weapons, cutlasses, and other buccaneer gear to hack, slash, and pummel enemies into submission. Take the helm of your ship and challenge rival crews in the infamous Pirates‘ Coliseum, where you and your crew engage in intense, real-time naval battles with machine guns, cannons and more. After immobilizing your enemy’s ship, issue the boarding call to swing into epic hand-to-hand deck brawls vs. hordes of enemies to claim victory. Don’t forget to customize your look, then blow off some steam with the variety of side experiences like karaoke and more. ※Note that you will not be able to carry over your save data from the demo into the full game.
Cirrhosis of the liver is an extremely serious condition that requires extensive medical monitoring and often intervention. Progression of the condition can be fatal, so even if caught early it must be monitored closely. But, like most things in medicine, that gets expensive. That’s why Marb built his own DIY “micro lab” to analyze ammonia levels in blood and urine.
Disclaimer: Don’t rely on YouTube videos for your medical needs!
The severity of Marb’s condition correlates with increased ammonia production, which is common for cirrhosis of the liver. More ammonia in the blood and urine indicates progression of the disease and a need for immediate medical intervention. Marb’s micro lab lets him monitor his own ammonia levels at home.
The central detection mechanism of this micro lab relies on Berthelot’s reagent, which becomes a blue-green color in the presence of ammonia. To make use of that, the micro lab needs to properly expose the sample to Berthelot’s reagent and look at the resulting color change.
An Arduino Nano board controls the whole process through a custom PCB. That starts with heating the sample in a vial to release the ammonia vapor. The vapor travels via a tube through a gas diffuser into another vial containing Berthelot’s reagent. A magnetic stirrer beneath mixes the gas into the reagent. A 660nm (deep red) laser shines through that vial into a photo diode on the other side, and the Arduino monitors that through a pre-amp.
If a lot of the red light passes through, then the Berthelot’s reagent didn’t turn very blue and there is little to no ammonia present. If hardly any red light passes through, then reagent is very blue and that indicates a high level of ammonia.
The amount of light detected, between those two extremes, provides a reasonably accurate measure of Marb’s ammonia levels, so he can keep track of his condition’s progression.
Are you ready to rev it up and unleash your fury? SNK’s Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, the legendary ’90s fighter reborn, launches on April 24, 2025, for Xbox Series X|S. Eager to sink your teeth in early? The Open Beta kicks off tomorrow, running from February 20–24, giving you an early shot at the fight. Prepare to feast on next-gen brawling—powered by revolutionary game mechanics, a stunning comic-inspired art style, and flexible control options tailored for both newcomers and seasoned veterans. Wolves, start sharpening your claws and get ready to take on South Town’s greatest and latest!
The Fatal Fury: City of the WolvesOpen Beta invites the hungry pack to step into the ring and test out the integrated rollback netcode and cross-network play functionality with eight of the game’s characters to choose from. Players can battle it out with friends across three online modes in cross-network play: Ranked Match, Casual Match, and Room Match. Those who are new to Fatal Fury can learn the ropes in the offline Tutorial mode, which offers the perfect training ground.
Debuting in City of the Wolves is the Rev System, a customizable toolset designed to supercharge offensive strategy from the very first clash. Only the strongest wolves can master (and balance) every Rev technique to reign as champion of South Town. Hit the books and study the Rev systems via our official Fighting Guide to learn more.
On the topic of South Town, the Open Beta will give players access to some of the tropical city’s legends, including the Legendary Wolf himself, Terry Bogard, and the fan-favorite fiery ninja, Mai Shiranui.
Terry is a jack-of-all-trades, equipped with a projectile, anti-air attacks, and rushdown moves to fight any opponent, near or far. His accessible arsenal of attacks makes him the perfect character to pick up for anyone new to the series, or fighting games in general. He’s not the poster boy of the series for nothing! Use your Power Charge and Crack Shoot to pressure the enemy while they are blocking and force them to overheat.
Mai is also a well-rounded character with a variety of special moves. Her Sayo Chidori can put the opponent under pressure continuously, even when they are blocking. She’s also a great pick for players looking for more movement options, as mastering her Musasabi no Mai allows you to move around the stage with ease.
Joining the roster are new challengers: Preecha, a diligent Muay Thai dynamo with calculated strikes, and the enigmatic Vox Reaper, whose demonic presence and deadly karate bring a fresh yet familiar intensity to the fight.
Preecha’s playstyle focuses on relentless multi-hit attacks. She can try to go for cross-ups with her Hyperbolic Kick or open up her opponent with a Rev Preecha’s Combination followed by a Circular Step.
Vox has long-range normals to check his opponents, including a standing heavy punch that can be followed up with his Kokuen Ryuu shockwave (and other moves) to deal seriously big damage. He even has a command grab to keep his opponent guessing at midrange.
Rounding out the Open Beta roster are a mix of returning legends and fresh faces ready to join the fray:
Rock Howard, Terry Bogard’s protégé and son of South Town’s infamous Geese Howard, carries a complex legacy. Rock has a well-balanced lineup of special moves, including projectiles that travel along the ground, anti-airs, and attacks with forward momentum. His Shippuu Ken works well against grounded opponents to keep them at bay, while the mighty command grab Shinkuu Nage can be used with Rev Accel as a strong combo starter.
Hotaru Futaba, easygoing but powerful, brings grace and discipline to the fight. She’s a speedy character who uses a variety of attacks to mess with her opponent and keep them at her mercy. Her forward step is a full-fledged run, allowing her to use her projectiles as a shield and close in on her opponent simultaneously. She also has a midair stomp (Koushuu Da) and a quick command grab (Shajou Tai) to help break through the opponent’s defenses even more.
B. Jenet, daring leader of the Lilien Knights, commands attention with her fearlessness. She’s a technical character whose spiraling Afterburner attack descends from the air and leads well into combos on hit. Gulf Tomahawk is another useful move that can be stopped midway through via the Braking mechanic, allowing her to follow up with a jump attack or her Harrier Bee. She has a number of ways to approach her opponent, making her a dynamic character on the ground or in the air.
Lastly, the highly ambitious Kain R. Heinlein, who aims to seize control of South Town—not for power or wealth, but his own ideals of true freedom. Kain is a methodical character who fights at mid-to-long range using his powerful projectiles and setups. His formidable Schwarze Lanze allows him to find gaps in hard-hitting enemy offense; it requires a charge motion, though, making him a more difficult fighter to master (albeit a highly defensive one adept at keeping himself out of harm’s way). Make the most of these and other moves in Kain’s toolkit to control the pace of every fight!
A diverse pack of wolves—with more to come in the full game—are raring for battle. The streets of South Town are a hotbed of action, wild dreams, and even wilder ambition. Here, at long last, a new legend is about to unfold…
Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is perfect for both new and experienced players, providing two control schemes tailored to all levels of experience: Arcade Style and Smart Style. Arcade Style offers traditional fighting game controls, while Smart Style streamlines gameplay, allowing flashy special moves and combos with simple directional inputs and single-button presses. Making its triumphant return after 26 years, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves aims to wow old and new fans with its dynamic art style, a mix of new and familiar fighters, and modernized battle systems. Read more on how to play on our official website.
Pre-orders for the Special Edition of Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves are now live for $59.99 USD / €59.99 EUR, featuring the Base Game and Season Pass 1. Players who pre-order will unlock a classic Terry Bogard costume inspired by his original Fatal Fury appearance, along with three days of early access to the full game, starting April 21, 2025.
Get ready for the Open Beta and gear up for the full launch on April 24, 2025, on Xbox Series X|S. In the meantime, check out Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves and the KOF Studio on X, Instagram, and the official Discord.
FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves
SNK CORPORATION
☆☆☆☆☆
★★★★★
After 26 years, FATAL FURY is back! SNK’s beloved Fatal Fury series first hit the market in 1991, spearheading the fighting game boom of the 1990s that swept the industry thereafter. GAROU: MARK OF THE WOLVES (released in 1999) has, for some time, served as the franchise’s most recent installment. But that is all about to change: 26 years on, a brand-new entry—FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves—is set to arrive on the scene!
FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves features a unique art style that stimulates the senses, an innovative REV system that supercharges the excitement, plus a host of other battle systems even more robust than before. The game also breathes new life into the series by introducing two distinct control schemes (ensuring fun and excitement for newcomers and veterans alike) as well as other fresh features and elements.
The streets of South Town are a hotbed of action, wild dreams, and even wilder ambition. Here, at long last, a new legend is about to unfold…
Starting this week, cars with Google built-in will get dozens of new apps to enjoy while parked.
This launch is part of our car ready mobile apps program, which we introduced last year to make it easier for developers to distribute their large-screen-optimized mobile apps to car screens.
Whether you’re waiting at a charging station or in line at school pickup, you’ll be able to stay entertained with popular streaming and gaming apps like Farm Heroes Saga and F1 TV.
Availability will begin with select Volvo cars and Polestar models and more makes and models coming soon. Check out the full list of apps on the Google Play Store.
Obwohl wir noch am Anfang stehen, stößt die Modellforschung bereits an die Grenzen dessen, was wir für möglich gehalten haben. Wir verwenden Muse bereits, um ein in Echtzeit spielbares KI-Modell zu entwickeln, das auf der Basis anderer Spiele von Erstanbietern trainiert wurde. Wir sehen jetzt schon das Potenzial, das sowohl Spieler*innen als auch Spieleentwickler*innen eines Tages zugutekommen wird. Die Möglichkeiten reichen von der Wiederbelebung nostalgischer Spiele bis hin zur schnelleren und kreativeren Ideenfindung.
Heutzutage sind unzählige klassische Spiele, die an eine veraltete Hardware gebunden sind, für meisten Menschen nicht mehr spielbar. Im Zuge unseres Durchbruchs erforschen wir das Potenzial von Muse, ältere Spiele aus dem Portfolio unserer Spiele wiederzubeleben, indem wir sie für jedes Gerät optimieren. Wir glauben, dass wir die Art und Weise, wie sich Spieleklassiker für die Zukunft erhalten lassen, so langfristig erleichtern können.
Die Vorstellung, dass beliebte Spiele, die durch die Weiterentwicklung der Hardware als veraltet gelten, eines Tages wieder über Xbox auf jedem Bildschirm gespielt werden können, ist für uns Vision und Motivation zugleich. Darüber hinaus beschäftigen wir uns mit der Frage, wie Muse Spieleteams dabei helfen kann, neue Gameplay-Erlebnisse zu entwerfen und neue Inhalte einzuführen. Hierfür ziehen wir Spieleklassiker heran und bieten unseren Entwickler*innen die Möglichkeit, neue Erlebnisse zu schaffen und am Entwicklungsprozess teilzuhaben.
Wir werden verschiedene Gelegenheiten schaffen, an dieser Erkundung teilzunehmen, angefangen bei kurzen interaktiven KI-Spieleerlebnissen, die schon bald über Copilot Labs getestet werden können. Es gibt noch so viel mehr zu entdecken und wir können es kaum erwarten, ausführlicher darüber zu berichten.
Der Ansatz von Xbox für generative KI
Xbox arbeitet schon seit Jahrzehnten mit KI, unter anderem in Zusammenarbeit mit Microsoft Research. Wir suchen ständig nach Möglichkeiten, die Spieler*innen zu begeistern und neue Funktionen zu nutzen, mit denen sich unsere kreativen Visionen zum Leben erwecken lassen. KI ist im Bereich des Gamings zwar nicht neu, doch wir erleben derzeit eine rasante Beschleunigung bei der generativen KI-Forschung, sowohl bei Microsoft als bei anderen großen Akteuren der Technologiebranche. Wir glauben, dass es von zentraler Bedeutung ist, darauf zu achten, wie wir die Gemeinschaft der Spieleentwickler*innen mit unseren KI-Durchbrüchen auf verantwortungsvolle Weise unterstützen können.
Für Xbox werden die Spieleentwickler*innen immer im Mittelpunkt der allgemeinen KI-Bemühungen stehen. Wir glauben, dass es Raum für die traditionelle Spieleentwicklung und zukünftige generative KI-Technologien gibt, die als Erweiterung der kreativen Arbeit dienen und neue Erfahrungen ermöglichen können. In diesem Zusammenhang haben wir die kreativen Köpfe hier bei Xbox dazu befähigt, über den Einsatz von generativer KI zu entscheiden. Es wird nicht die eine Lösung für jedes Spiel oder Projekt geben. Vielmehr hängt der Ansatz von der kreativen Vision und den Zielen des jeweiligen Teams ab.
Was auf uns zukommt: KI-Erlebnisse von Xbox
Beim Blick in die Zukunft konzentrieren wir uns darauf, wie KI die Hürden und Herausforderungen für Spieler*innen und Entwickler*innen beseitigen kann. Das bedeutet, dass wir unsere KI-Innovationen früher vorstellen und Spielern und Entwicklern die Möglichkeit geben werden, mit neuen KI-Funktionen und -Fähigkeiten zu experimentieren und diese gemeinsam mit uns zu entwickeln. So können wir sicherstellen, dass unsere KI-Tools echte Probleme lösen und einen neuen Mehrwert für die Entwicklung und das Spielen mit Xbox bieten.
Um Tools zu entwickeln, die für alle von Nutzen sind, werden unsere Innovationen weiterhin auf unserer Verpflichtung zu verantwortungsvoller KI und unserem Engagement für die Entwicklung von KI-Lösungen beruhen, die sich an sechs Prinzipien orientieren: Fairness, Zuverlässigkeit und Sicherheit, Datenschutz und Sicherheit, Inklusion, Transparenz und Verantwortlichkeit.
Wir werden in diesem Jahr weiterhin darüber berichten, wie wir KI einsetzen, um Spieleentwickler*innen zu unterstützen und das bestmögliche Spielerlebnis auf allen Geräten zu bieten. Vor der GDC 2025 werden wir auf Xbox Wire und in unserem AI Resource Hub über weitere Updates berichten.
Du möchtest mehr erfahren? Sieh dir das Gespräch von Phil Spencer, dem CEO von Microsoft Gaming, Dom Matthews, dem Studioleiter von Ninja Theory, und Katja Hofmann, der Senior Principal Researcherin und Leiterin des Game Intelligence Teams, über die heutigen News an:
Although it’s still early, this model research is pushing the boundaries of what we thought was possible. We are already using Muse to develop a real-time playable AI model trained on other first-party games, and we see potential for this work to one day benefit both players and game creators: from allowing us to revive nostalgic games to faster creative ideation.
Today, countless classic games tied to aging hardware are no longer playable by most people. Thanks to this breakthrough, we are exploring the potential for Muse to take older back catalog games from our studios and optimize them for any device. We believe this could radically change how we preserve and experience classic games in the future and make them accessible to more players.
To imagine that beloved games lost to time and hardware advancement could one day be played on any screen with Xbox is an exciting possibility for us. Another opportunity we are exploring is how Muse can help game teams prototype new gameplay experiences during the creative process and introduce new content—taking games players already love and enabling our developers to inject new experiences for them to enjoy, or even enable you to participate in the creation process.
We’ll create opportunities for people to participate in this exploration, starting with short interactive AI game experiences for you to try on Copilot Labs very soon. There’s still so much for us to discover, and we can’t wait to share more.
Xbox’s Approach to Generative AI
Xbox has been innovating with AI and machine learning for decades, including in partnership with Microsoft Research—constantly working to find ways to delight players, and harness new computing capabilities to bring creative visions to life. While AI isn’t new to gaming, we’re now seeing an acceleration of generative AI research, both within Microsoft and across the broader technology community. We believe it’s important to shape how these new generative AI breakthroughs can support our industry and game creation community in a collaborative and responsible way.
For Xbox, game creators will always be the center of our overall AI efforts. We believe there is space for traditional game development and future generative AI technologies that serve as an extension of creative work and offer novel experiences. As part of this, we have empowered creative leaders here at Xbox to decide on the use of generative AI. There isn’t going to be a single solution for every game or project, and the approach will be based on the creative vision and goals of each team.
What’s Ahead: AI Experiences from Xbox
As we look ahead, we’re focused on how AI can address the barriers and frictions to playing and developing games. This means that we’ll share our AI product innovation earlier on, providing opportunities for players and creators to experiment with and co-build new AI features and capabilities with us. This allows us to make sure that our AI innovations address real problems and add new value to creating or playing with Xbox.
To develop tools that are used in ways that benefit everyone, our innovation will continue to be built on our commitment to Responsible AI and dedication to developing AI solutions guided by six principles: fairness, reliability and safety, privacy and security, inclusiveness, transparency, and accountability.
You can expect more exciting announcements this year about how we are using AI to empower game creators and provide the best possible player experience across all devices. Stay tuned for more updates ahead of GDC 2025 on Xbox Wire and our AI Resource Hub as we continue to shape the future of gaming supported by AI.
Want to hear more? Check out a conversation with Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming, Dom Matthews, Studio Head of Ninja Theory, and Katja Hofmann, Senior Principal Researcher and Lead of the Game Intelligence Team, about today’s news:
Every year, we take a moment to reflect on the contributions we made to the open source movement, and the many ways our community has made a huge difference. As we publish the latest Open Source Report, we are proud to say 2024 was another year of remarkable progress and achievements.
A year of growth and collaboration
At Arduino, we continued pushing the boundaries of open hardware and software.
Kept improving Arduino IDE 2, Arduino CLI, and more!
These updates ensure a more flexible and robust ecosystem for developers, educators, and makers worldwide.
But what truly makes open source thrive is the community behind it! Over the past year, Arduino users contributed 1,198 new libraries to the Library Manager (+18% YoY growth!), shared hundreds of open-source tutorials, and actively engaged in thousands of discussions and collaborations on GitHub and Project Hub. These collective efforts fuel innovation, making the Arduino ecosystem more dynamic, inclusive, and powerful than ever.
How can you contribute to open source?
We believe open-source success is built on collaboration. Every original Arduino purchase, Arduino Cloud subscription, and community contribution helps support and expand this shared ecosystem. Donations of course are also welcome, and play a great part in everything we do!
Download the 2024 Open Source Report to explore the milestones we’ve achieved together. Here’s to another year of openness, creativity, and progress!
Code Club is more than just a place to learn coding — it’s a thriving global community where young minds discover, create, and grow with technology. With a refreshed look and ambitious goals for 2025, Code Club is set to connect an even larger network of mentors and reach millions more young people worldwide.
Code Club at RPF HQ, Cambridge
Since it was founded in the UK in 2012, Code Club has grown into a global movement, inspiring over two million young people to build apps, games, animations, websites, and more. Supported by the Raspberry Pi Foundation, Code Club provides free training and resources to mentors, ensuring creators achieve meaningful and lasting skills. Our vision for the next decade? To empower ten million more young people to have confidence in their coding.
A proven impact
A recent independent evaluation by the Durham University Evidence Centre for Education (DECE) confirmed what we’ve always believed: Code Club makes a real difference. Young people who attend gain valuable coding skills, grow in confidence, develop a strong interest in technology, and find a sense of belonging in the digital world.
Mentor Rajan at his Code Club in India
The power of mentorship
At the heart of Code Club are passionate volunteers who bring coding to life. Whether it’s the thrill of overcoming a challenge or the excitement of seeing an idea come to life on screen, mentors make a lasting impact while learning coding skills alongside their club’s creators.
Bob Bilsland, a dedicated volunteer since 2012, runs one of the world’s longest-running Code Clubs at Malvern CofE Primary School, Worcestershire, England. His motivation?
“What brings me back week after week is the sharing of what I enjoy doing. It’s so much fun to help others explore this space themselves, to see what they can personally create. I see that giving others the opportunity to explore and familiarise themselves with computing as something that could open up a world of possibilities for them in the future.”
For Yang, a mentor at the EY office clubs, representation in tech is key:
“If there are some female role models, I think for a little girl growing up, that means so much. Because if they can see somebody thrive in this industry, they will see themselves there one day. And that’s the inspiration.”
Mentor Yang at her Code Club in London
Across the world, volunteers like Nadia in Iraq and Solomon in The Gambia are using Code Club to bridge the digital divide, create opportunities, and empower communities.
“[Code Club] added to my skills. And at the same time, I was able to share my expertise with the young children and to learn from them as well.” – Nadia Al-Aboody, Iraq.
“We strongly believe in the transformative power of digital skills and their potential to create opportunities for young people. Witnessing the lack of access to computer knowledge among high school graduates in The Gambia and other sub-Saharan African countries inspired us to take action. By bridging the digital skills gap, we aim to empower young individuals to thrive in the 21st century.” – Solomon, Gambia
A community that inspires
Code Club isn’t just loved by mentors; it’s so important to the young people who participate.
Eoghan, a young creator from Ireland, values the collaboration and support he receives:
“It’s really fun to meet and talk about ideas with other creators, and the mentors are very helpful in fixing any coding problems.”
Mentor Jayantika at her Code Club in Pune, India
Jayantika, a 15-year-old from rural Pune, India, started as a creator and is now a peer mentor. For her, Code Club is about giving back:
“I believe coding opens doors and helps young children express their creativity. By mentoring, I hope to prepare them for a future that is increasingly driven by AI and technology.”
Join the movement
Along with the incredible community, Code Club is supported by sponsors and funders who share our mission. We would like to extend a thank you to Cognizant, who have committed their support to the Code Club mission in the UK and Ireland for 2025.
Mentors gathering at Clubs Con 2024
Code Club is more than just learning to code; it’s about creating opportunities, encouraging confidence, and building a global network of digital creators. Whether you’re a mentor, educator, or young digital maker, there’s a place for you in our community. Start your Code Club journey today and join a global community of digital creators.
“Single-point threading” on a lathe is the process of cutting threads, such as for a bolt, into the material through turning. The spindle/workpiece spin and the carriage moves linearly at a precise amount per turn of the spindle. That linear movement is the thread pitch. But this process usually requires several passes to reach the final depth, which presents a problem: how do you start each thread at the exact same point each time? Daniel Engel’s Arduino-based mod solves that problem on mini lathes.
To facilitate single-point threading, most lathes have a lead screw that can engage with the carriage in order to move the tool at a constant rate. That lead screw connects to the spindle through “change gears” or a transmission system, letting the machinist adjust the linear travel of the carriage relative to each spindle turn in order to achieve a desired pitch.
But what happens when you finish the first pass and need to go back for a second? How do you keep the leadscrew (and therefore carriage) in sync with the spindle? One method is to run the lathe in reverse, but that has problems of its own. Some lathes have half-nuts designed to sync engagement, but many mini lathes lack that feature.
Engel’s modification does two things to help: first, it provides a gear reduction to the spindle. That lets him perform single-point threading a much lower RPM, increasing torque and making it easier to stop at the right time (such as meeting a shoulder). Second, it lets an Arduino UNO Rev3 board monitor the spindle position via Hall effect sensors that detect four permanent magnets mounted on the spindle from the factory.
The Arduino records the stop and start positions, displaying them on an LCD screen along with the spindle RPM and current position. After finishing a pass, Engel can use that information to return to the exact same starting position in order to perform the next pass.
This is a clever solution to a common problem and Engel’s tutorial has all the information you need to perform the same modification on your own mini lathe.
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