Schlagwort: bethesda

  • The Elder Scrolls Online: Seasons of the Worm Cult Part 1 is Available Now

    The Elder Scrolls Online: Seasons of the Worm Cult Part 1 is Available Now

    Reading Time: 2 minutes
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    The Elder Scrolls Online: Seasons of the Worm Cult Part 1 is Available Now

    The post The Elder Scrolls Online: Seasons of the Worm Cult Part 1 is Available Now appeared first on Xbox Wire.

    Website: LINK

  • Fallout Shelter: Celebrate A Decade in The Vault, Together

    Fallout Shelter: Celebrate A Decade in The Vault, Together

    Reading Time: < 1 minute

    The post Fallout Shelter: Celebrate A Decade in The Vault, Together appeared first on Xbox Wire.

    Website: LINK

  • Ein alter Feind kehrt zurück: Das neue Abenteuer 2025 in The Elder Scrolls Online

    Ein alter Feind kehrt zurück: Das neue Abenteuer 2025 in The Elder Scrolls Online

    Reading Time: 4 minutes

    Im Rahmen des jüngsten ESO Direct-Livestreams 2025 hat das Team von The Elder Scrolls Online ein spannendes Jahr voller Abenteuer, Geschichten und Verbesserungen vorgestellt. Dazu gehören der neue Content-Pass 2025 und die Premium Edition 2025, das Gebiet und die Storyline von Seasons of the Worm Cult, eine neue Art von In-Game-Event sowie Neuerungen für das Grundspiel.

    Ihr wollt mehr erfahren? ESO Game Director Rich Lambert und Executive Producer Susan Kath geben euch weitere Einblicke in das, was während der großen Show enthüllt wurde.

    Eine Fortsetzung, die 10 Jahre in der Entstehung ist

    „Für dieses Jahr war uns klar, dass wir eine Geschichte erzählen wollten, die 10 Jahre ESO feiert“, sagt Lambert. „Wir hatten schon immer Interesse daran, eine Fortsetzung zur ursprünglichen Launch-Story zu machen – und fanden, dass dies die perfekte Gelegenheit dafür ist. Während dieses Prozesses tauchte immer wieder ein Feedback der Spieler:innen auf: Sie wollten etwas anderes. Und genau das haben wir uns dieses Jahr zu Herzen genommen.“

    Aufgrund dieses Feedbacks setzt Seasons of the Worm Cult die Story des Grundspiels von ESO fort und bringt einen altbekannten Widersacher zurück nach Tamriel: den Orden des Schwarzen Wurms.

    Neben der Rückkehr dieses Gegners und der neuen Story führt Seasons of the Worm Cult Solstice ein – ein neues Gebiet, das durch eine arkane Barriere, die sogenannte Writhing Wall, geteilt ist. Diese Mauer steht im Mittelpunkt eines neuen In-Game-Events in Q3/Q4, das zwischen Teil 1 und Teil 2 von Seasons of the Worm Cult stattfindet. Im Rahmen dieses Events öffnet sich der Weg in die zweite Hälfte des Gebiets und zum Abschluss der übergeordneten Storyline.

    „Dieses neue serverweite Event – das Zerbrechen der Writhing Wall – wird durch die gemeinsamen Aktionen der Spielenden beeinflusst und entscheidet so über den Ausgang des Konflikts“, erklärt Kath. „Solstice und die Mauer sind Teil des Content-Pass 2025, aber auch wenn ihr diesen nicht besitzt, könnt ihr durch spezielle Aktivitäten vom Festland Tamriels aus trotzdem an den Kriegsanstrengungen teilnehmen.“

    Vorstellung des Content-Pass 2025 und der Premium Edition 2025

    Ebenfalls während des ESO Direct angekündigt: der Content-Pass 2025 und die Premium Edition 2025. Zum ersten Mal in der Geschichte des Spiels könnt ihr damit ein ganzes Jahr voller Abenteuer auf einmal erwerben.

    „Wir haben kürzlich über unsere Pläne gesprochen, uns vom bisherigen jährlichen Kapitel-Modell zu lösen – und dieses Jahr starten wir diesen Wandel“, sagt Kath. „In der Vergangenheit war es durch den Vorlauf und die Ressourcen, die für ein Kapitel nötig sind, schwierig, Platz für experimentelle Inhalte zu schaffen, da jedes Detail lange im Voraus geplant werden musste.“

    Jetzt hat das Team mehr Flexibilität, um spontane Inhalte umzusetzen – wie zuletzt den Cyrodiil Champions-Test, bei dem Spielende dem Entwicklerteam durch eine besondere Allianzkrieg-Kampagne wertvolle PvP-Daten und Feedback liefern konnten.

    Der Content-Pass 2025 (und die Premium Edition 2025) bietet euch zahlreiche Abenteuer und Herausforderungen – darunter Seasons of the Worm Cult Teil 1 und 2 (Gebiet und Storyline), zwei Dungeon-Packs sowie Zugang zum Event rund um die Writhing Wall – alles, was 2025 in ESO erscheint, in einem Paket.

    „Ein weiterer Vorteil für die Spielenden ist, dass sie so immer etwas Neues zum Erleben haben – statt wie früher im Juni ein großes Kapitel zu bekommen und danach vielleicht ein Jahr auf neue Inhalte warten zu müssen“, erklärt Kath. „Vor diesem Hintergrund ist 2025 ein Übergangsjahr für uns – und 2026 werdet ihr noch mehr Veränderungen sehen.“

    Umfangreiche Neuerungen fürs Grundspiel

    Neben all den neuen Abenteuern bringt das Grundspiel-Update 46 zahlreiche kostenlose Neuerungen für alle ESO-Spielenden – darunter das mächtige Subklassen-System.

    „Das Subklassen-System begeistert mich besonders“, sagt Lambert. „Es gibt euch noch mehr Freiheit und Flexibilität beim Spielen eures Charakters – ohne einen neuen erstellen zu müssen und dabei all eure investierte Zeit und euren Fortschritt zu verlieren.“

    Das Subklassen-System verändert grundlegend, wie ihr euren Charakter baut – ihr könnt damit zwei verschiedene Klassen-Fertigkeiten austauschen und so euren idealen Hybrid-Spielstil erschaffen.

    Zusätzlich zum Subklassen-System wird auch das neue Hero’s Return-System eingeführt – es hilft euch dabei, nach längerer Pause wieder ins Spiel zurückzufinden.

    „Mit all diesen Änderungen wollen wir es früheren Spielenden so einfach wie möglich machen, zurückzukehren und alles Neue auszuprobieren – genau das ist das Ziel von Hero’s Return, den überarbeiteten Tutorials und den aufgefrischten Anfangsgebieten“, sagt Kath. „Wir setzen zudem weiterhin auf das Feedback der ESO-Community, um herauszufinden, woran wir als Nächstes arbeiten sollen.“

    Euer Ticket für neue Abenteuer

    Große Veränderungen stehen in The Elder Scrolls Online bevor – und das hier sind nur einige der neuen Abenteuer und Neuerungen, die euch 2025 erwarten.

    Vergesst nicht: Ihr könnt den Content-Pass 2025 oder die Premium Edition 2025 ab sofort im PlayStation Store erwerben und erhaltet damit sofortigen Zugang zum Dungeon-Pack Fallen Banners. Teil 1 von Seasons of the Worm Cult erscheint am 18. Juni für PS5 und PS4 – wir sehen uns in Tamriel!

    Website: LINK

  • DOOM: The Dark Ages – Going Hands-on with Story, Sandboxes, Mechs, and Dragons

    DOOM: The Dark Ages – Going Hands-on with Story, Sandboxes, Mechs, and Dragons

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    This is where The Dark Ages truly breaks free from expectation. In my final (and longest) section of the demo, I’m placed into id’s take on a sandbox open zone and told to approach it however I’d like. My solitary goal is to close five demon-spewing portals, but how I do it, and what diversions I take, are entirely up to me. Over the course of an hour, I’m repeatedly reminded that I’ve never played a DOOM game like this before.

    As you’d hope for, this sandbox sequence is stacked with optional goals – heavily protected artillery batteries to take out, caches of gold to spend on upgrades, and more. At one point, I’m simply running somewhere, when a cathedral-sized tentacle bursts out of the ground and begins to attack – this isn’t a scripted moment, or even an objective I’m given, it’s just another surprise hidden along the way.

    But the core objectives themselves hold surprises, too. In that first story mission, closing portals was simply a case of clearing an arena, but it’s never quite the same in this case. Some portals transport me to a dungeon, requiring me to solve puzzles in order to find my way to the energy source powering them. Others introduce Leader enemies – overpowered beasts who are invulnerable to my attacks until I kill enough of their followers, and come with permanent upgrades after your victory. Along the way, I find new guns, augmenting my armory with new options. It’s restlessly, relentlessly inventive, as if id has been waiting for an opportunity to transplant new ideas into the DOOM format.

    And that’s the key takeaway from my full session with DOOM: The Dark Ages – this feels like a developer brimming with enthusiasm, not just for DOOM itself, but for what DOOM could be. I was expecting a new story, new guns, and new demons – I wasn’t expecting new genres. I cannot wait to find out what else this team has in store.

    DOOM: The Dark Ages launches for Xbox Series X|S, PC (via the Xbox app for Windows PC, Steam, and Battle.net), PlayStation 5, and cloud on May 15, 2025. It will be available day one with Game Pass.

    Website: LINK

  • DOOM: The Dark Ages – Freut euch auf höllisch gute Action

    DOOM: The Dark Ages – Freut euch auf höllisch gute Action

    Reading Time: 5 minutes

    Bald ist es endlich soweit: Schnappt euch eure Super-Schrotflinte, den Skullcrasher und die Schildsäge und erlebt hautnah, wie der gnadenlose DOOM-Slayer im Prequel zu den erfolgreichen Action-Krachern DOOM (2016) und DOOM Eternal zur Legende wurde. Wir konnten das brachiale Action-Epos bereits einige Stunden anspielen und verraten, was euch ab dem 15. Mai in DOOM: The Dark Ages erwartet.

    Sci-Fi trifft Dark Fantasy 

    Die Tore der Hölle öffnen sich im dritten Teil der modernen DOOM-Trilogie in einer mittelalterlich anmutenden Welt in frischem Dark Fantasy/Sci-Fi-Setting. Ihr taucht in der spannenden Geschichte tief in die Vergangenheit ein, erlebt die Entstehungsgeschichte des legendären Slayers zu Beginn des Dunklen Zeitalters und erfahrt, wie er zu dem legendären Kämpfer wurde, den ihr aus den letzten Spielen kennt. Als Superwaffe der Götter und Könige tretet ihr gegen einen mächtigen Dämonenfürsten und seine endlosen Horden von Höllenbrut an, um die Menschen vor den Armeen der Finsternis zu beschützen.

    Ihr dürft euch also nicht nur wieder auf epische Schlachten gefasst machen, sondern auch auf das umfangreichste DOOM aller Zeiten freuen. Neben dem knochenknackenden Kampf gegen die Ausgeburten der Unterwelt und einer Blockbuster-Story mit vielen aufwendig inszenierten Zwischensequenzen, steht auch die Erkundung der im Mittelpunkt. In der großen, halboffenen Welt durchstreift ihr riesige Festungen, labyrinthartige Minenanlagen, Waldgebiete oder verwinkelte Verliese und sucht in geheimen Höhlen nach wertvollen Ressourcen und Goldbarren.

    Das Edelmetall werdet ihr brauchen, wenn ihr euch an den Automaten in der Umgebung Upgrades für eure Waffen und Fähigkeiten kaufen wollt, die ihr im Verlauf der umfangreichen Kampagne garantiert gut gebrauchen könnt. Zum Schwierigkeitsgrad: Ihr könnt nicht nur zwischen mehreren voreingestellten Stufen wählen, sondern auch einzelne Aspekte wie die Menge des ausgeteilten und erhaltenen Schadens oder die Aggressivität der Gegner individuell einstellen, um das für euch perfekte Spielerlebnis zu erhalten. Wenn ihr noch mehr über die Spielmechaniken und die Unterschiede zu den bisherigen  DOOM-Spielen erfahren möchtet, schaut euch auch den Blogpost von Game Director Hugo Martin an.

    Neue Waffen und brachiale Glory-Kills

    Natürlich benötigt ihr als Slayer ein üppiges Waffenarsenal, mit dem ihr eure Gegner möglichst effektiv in kleine Dämonenhäppchen verwandeln könnt. Dazu stehen euch nicht nur der schlagkräftige Pulverizer oder die beliebte Super-Shotgun zur Verfügung, sondern zum Beispiel auch der Skullcrasher, eine Art Minigun, die mit Munition aus Schädeln gefüttert wird und die Monsterbrut in einem Sturm aus Knochensplittern durchlöchert. Im Laufe der Kampagne erhaltet ihr wieder viele abgefahrene Waffen, die ihr gegen die immer schwerer werdenden Gegner und vor allem gegen die knackigen Bosse auch brauchen werdet. Habt ihr einen starken Gegner mit Schüssen und Schlägen ins Wanken gebracht, geht es an den brutal inszenierten Glory-Kill, bei dem im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes die Fetzen fliegen. In DOOM: The Dark Ages kommt ihr in einen wahren Flow, wenn ihr zu wummernder Heavy-Metal-Musik einen Gegner nach dem anderen zerlegt.

    Richtig Spaß macht auch der Nahkampf, bei dem ihr mit dem elektrischen Panzerhandschuh, dem neuen Morgenstern oder einem kräftigen Tritt mit den Stahlstiefeln in den Hintern der Monster das Schlachtfeld aufräumt. Besonders cool ist die brandneue Schildsäge, die sich als echtes Multimordinstrument entpuppt. Schläge und Schüsse können nicht nur geblockt oder mit perfektem Timing abgewehrt werden, die Schildsäge richtet mit einem gezielten Wurf auch enormen Schaden an und zerlegt ganze Gruppen auf einen Schlag.

    Doch das ist längst nicht alles: Werft die Schildsäge auf die Rüstungen der Dämonen, um die Panzerung erst zu schwächen und dann zu zerstören, oder benutzt das Werkzeug, um Schalter zu aktivieren oder Siegel zu brechen, damit ihr die gut versteckten Geheimnisse der Spielwelt entdecken und fette Beute machen könnt. Gerade in den offeneren Levels, in denen ihr zum Beispiel eine Stadt vor dem Ansturm einer höllischen Armee beschützen und mehrere Angriffstruppen und Minibosse vernichten müsst, gibt es immer wieder gut versteckte Bereiche mit wertvollen Schätzen zu entdecken.

    Eine abwechslungsreiche Kampagne mit Drachenreiten und riesigen Mechs

    Im Laufe der Kampagne seid aber nicht nur in den Kampfstiefeln des DOOM-Slayers unterwegs, sondern schwingt euch auch in den Sattel eines mechanischen Drachen. In einer Mission, die wir anspielen konnten, sollten wir das Kraftfeld um eine imposante Kathedrale durchbrechen und mussten zunächst vier mächtige Hell Carrier der Dämonenarmee zerstören. Ihr stürzt euch in waghalsigen Manövern auf die fliegenden Kriegsschiffe, schaltet die Bordgeschütze aus, entert den Carrier und bahnt euch einen Weg zu den Generatoren. Doch nicht nur an Bord der Schiffe oder in den Gängen der Kathedrale warten zahlreiche Gegner und Bosse auf euch: Auch hoch in den Wolken bekommt ihr es mit riesigen Drachendämonen zu tun, die ihr in erbitterten Luftkämpfen besiegen müsst.

    Was könnte besser sein als ein voll ausgerüsteter DOOM-Slayer? Wie wär’s mit einem DOOM-Slayer als Pilot in einem 30-stöckigen Atlan-Mech! Ja, richtig gelesen: Ihr könnt auch schon mal einen hochhaushohen Mech steuern, mitten durch Gebäude stampfen und gegen ebenso große Dämonen kämpfen, die euch mit ihren riesigen Keulen attackieren. Aber mit gezielten Faustschlägen und dem doppelläufigen Maschinengewehr schwächt ihr die höllische Brut und beendet den Kampf der Giganten mit einem besonders heftigen Glory-Kill. 

    Wir freuen uns schon darauf, ab dem 15. Mai mit unserem DOOM-Slayer gegen Dämonenhorden anzutreten. Werdet ihr auch DOOM: The Dark Ages spielen? Verratet es uns in den Kommentaren.

    Website: LINK

  • How Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Brings Us Inside the Mind of Indy

    How Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Brings Us Inside the Mind of Indy

    Reading Time: 3 minutes

    Another key element for The Great Circle’s take on the character was in having him change over time – MachineGames isn’t looking to create a static icon of who Indiana Jones is, but offer a meaningful exploration of how he grows after ‘Raiders’ and before ‘The Last Crusade’. That comes down not just to the story, but the game itself – MachineGames has found ways of hinting at Indy’s personal growth through mechanics.

    “There are several ways we have worked with this,” begins Torvenius. “Throughout the game we reward the player with Adventure Points. These points can be spent to unlock skills that you find in ability books. These are basically new skills you learn throughout the adventure – and all these skills and moves you unlock have been carefully crafted to fit the character of Indy. Some of these are things like more health or stamina and others are related to handling the whip – all features intimately tied to Indiana Jones. This gives a sense of experience building up.

    “We also have a visual progression with his hat and jacket becoming a tad more beaten up throughout the experience, and the same goes for the journal. Indy’s journal becomes more and more built out, and shows stains and scribbles on the pages to emphasize the player’s journey. All of these things combine to work together very nicely – the player will never be left feeling that the character of Indy is not evolving throughout the game.”

    And, of course, playing the majority of the game in first-person plays a major part here too. While it may seem a challenge to set the game within a character so defined by his look, it gave MachineGames a chance to use their experience within this area – particularly in the recent Wolfenstein games.

    “We knew this was super important challenge from the get-go,” says Andersson. “Luckily, this is not our first rodeo. Big parts of the team have worked together on story-driven first-person games all the way back to The Chronicles of Riddick and The Darkness. Also, I think the Wolfenstein series surprised the world by having a very interesting and relatable character with B.J. Blazkowicz, so we have had a lot of experience with this.”

    “One important thing that has been part of our DNA for a very long time – and is definitely something that helps create great characters – is that we put story front and centre,” adds Torvenius. “We always start with a strong narrative, and we always end with a narratively strong ending. And our experience is weaving those stories tightly with solid gameplay.

    “Having the perfect mix of strong cutscenes and interesting gameplay, driven by an interesting character that is complex with many nuances, that continues to evolve throughout the game, is crucial. A good story survives everything and that’s why we’re always so very focused on getting the story just right.”

    Finding a Voice

    Website: LINK

  • Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: Bringing ’80s Movie Magic to a 2024 Game

    Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: Bringing ’80s Movie Magic to a 2024 Game

    Reading Time: 14 minutes

    Indiana Jones has a feeling. It’s not just in the more tangible elements – the stories, the hero, or the music – it’s also in the way it was filmed, the minutiae of choreography, and the tone. Those ineffable qualities are what have made this series so beloved, and so lasting. And that’s a very difficult thing to recreate in a video game.

    It presented Indiana Jones and the Great Circle developer MachineGames with an extra challenge – not only did the team have to create a fantastic, modern-feeling game, but one that simultaneously captures the magic that swirls around the movies. It comes down to a question of balance: making a compelling game that still looks, feels, acts, and sounds like the movies it’s drawing inspiration from.

    In speaking to developers across MachineGames, it’s fascinating to hear how that was achieved, mixing modern game design with traditional filmmaking techniques, all in service of creating something that hits the sweet spot MachineGames has been striving for.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qj9KoBhp11M?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Perhaps one of the best examples of the deep thinking applied comes out of a single scene – one you might even describe as incidental.

    ‘Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark’ contains perhaps one of cinema’s best-known jokes. A crowd parts, and our hero is faced with a menacing swordsman, brandishing a scimitar. He chuckles darkly, passing his sword from hand to hand, before twirling it with expert precision – a show of how tough this fight will be. Indy grimaces, pulls out his revolver, and drops him with a single shot. What we thought was about to be a fight scene becomes a punchline. It’s perfect.

    And it’s exactly the kind of scene that shouldn’t work in a video game. This is effectively the intro to a boss battle – this guy should have multiple attack patterns, three different health bars, the works. As it turns out, that very scene may have started as the challenge the team faced – but it became part of the solution:

    “That scene is a very good example of type of humor that one can experience in the classic Indy movies – priceless!”, says Creative Director Axel Torvenius. “What we absolutely have been inspired by from that, and similar scenes, is that very humor. To have varied, engaging and rewarding combat encounters has been very important – but to make sure we spice them up with the Indy-humor has been equally important.”

    Taken on a wider level, this tells us a lot about MachineGames’ approach – in almost every regard, the team has gone the extra mile to help capture the movies’ magic, even if they’re not an immediately natural fit for gaming, in a new form. And as you’ll see, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

    Indiana Jones Screenshot

    Matinée Idol

    “Sitting as close as possible to the original look and feel of ’80s cinema was something we wanted to get right from the beginning,” explains Torvenius. “There was never an interest in reinventing the look or feel of Indiana Jones – the core ambition was always to make sure it really hit home in terms of having a style close to ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’.”

    You might be surprised at just how deep that effort goes. The team scrutinized the early films, not just for their tone and writing, but for technical detail. What color palettes and film grading were used? Which kind of film stock was in the cameras? How did the original audio team record sound effects? What kind of stunt work was done? And from there, the hard work began – translating those original techniques into not just a modern context, but an entirely different medium.

    Some of the stories here are fascinating. Torvenius explains that the team studied how the original film teams created their sets, and applied those rules to locations in the game:

    “Obviously in games, the big challenge is that you can constantly peek behind the curtain and go ‘backstage’ – you can roam freely and break the composition. But there are many locations throughout the game where we know from which direction the player will come, or where they will exit and what type of scenery they will see. So we identified those early and pushed those further so we can set the scene more in certain places.”

    For cutscenes, which are naturally more controlled, the team could go further: “Another big thing we did for this project was to have a Director of Photography on set for all the cinematic filming in the motion capture studio,” continues Torvenius. “We had the talented Kyle Klütz helping us and working in the mocap studio with this huge, heavy camera dolly rolling around to make sure we captured the right amount of velocity in pan, angular movement, composition and framing. Once we transfer this data into the cutscene shots in the game engine, it gives us a very solid start in terms of a camera work that feels reminiscent of the early Indiana Jones movies.”

    Indiana Jones Screenshot

    Pitch Perfect

    Sound is just as important as look for Indiana Jones, of course. From the iconic John Williams score, to the “feel” of its effects, to the iconic Wilhelm Scream (yes, it’s in the game), the soundscape of the movies is just as nostalgic as the look and story.

    “The first thing we did was try to identify the core elements of that Indiana Jones sound,” says Audio Director, Pete Ward. “What did we have to nail to evoke the feeling of playing as Indy, in a cinematic way? We sat down as a team and watched all the Indy movies again, and we realized there were several things we absolutely had to get right – Indy’s voice likeness, the musical score, the whip, the revolver, and the punches. There were other things too, like the sound of the puzzles, and the fantastical elements, where we constantly referenced the original movies and [original Indiana Jones sound designer] Ben Burtt’s sound design.”

    It led Ward’s team down some unexpected paths. The aim wasn’t to reuse sound effects directly from the game, but reproduce them as faithfully as possible to serve the game’s needs – which in some cases meant returning to techniques used by the original team more than 40 years ago.

    “We did hundreds of hours of original recordings, using props like the whip, the fedora, the leather jacket, and lots of different shoe types on lots of different surfaces,” continues Ward. “For impacts in particular, we also used techniques originally used by Ben Burtt and his team, like beating up leather jackets with baseball bats. We also used practical effects where possible, like plucking metal springs with contact mics attached, to get some of that old-school vibe in our spectacular set pieces.”

    The result is a game that sounds reminiscent of an ’80’s movie – it’s still naturalistic, but listen closely and you’ll find it comes across in a different way from most modern games.

    The same went for the score – John Williams’ soundtracks are among the most recognizable in cinema history, but the aim was never simply to impersonate them. MachineGames brought in composer Gordy Haab to achieve that – a fitting choice given that he’s won awards for his work on multiple Star Wars games by drawing heavy inspiration from Williams, while making them his own.

     “Gordy was such a great composer to work with for this project – he really nailed the style and tone, and was able to emulate and seamlessly extend the original score where needed, while also creating entirely new themes for our story and characters that fit perfectly within the Indiana Jones universe,” enthuses Ward. “We were very careful about where and when we first hear certain themes as well – the Raider’s March is the iconic, instantly recognizable theme for Indiana Jones, and we wanted to incorporate it at the right moments, but also develop our own musical story with our own new themes.”

    But the risk of creating new elements amid such an iconic score is that they’ll stick out –and again, MachineGames went the extra mile to ensure that this didn’t happen. Haab and Ward researched how the original soundtracks were recorded, and even recorded in the same studio, Abbey Road. Amazingly, they even found out that they’d created accidental connections to the original along the way:

    “We even had a couple of session musicians who played on the original sessions for Raiders,” explains Ward. “It was a lovely moment when they came to the control room after the session was finished and told us that!”

    Indiana Jones Screenshot

    Telling the Tale

    But where look and sound allowed the team to look back at what had come before, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle’s story needed to be something entirely new, yet totally fitting for both the franchise – not to mention the game’s setting between ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ and ‘The Last Crusade’. For Lead Narrative Designer Tommy Tordsson Björk, it required a different kind of research.

    “Indiana Jones has an incredibly rich lore with movies, comic books, games and more that we could dig into and use in different ways, not only for immersing the player in     Indy’s world, but also to connect the different stories and characters. In this regard, our great working relationship with Lucasfilm Games helped us enormously.

    “From there, a lot of our work when developing the worldbuilding has been devoted to researching the 1930s, and then filtering it through lens of what we call an ’Indy matinée adventure’ to make it feel both authentic and true to the story of this world.”

    You’ll see that commitment not just to the Indy series itself, but for the time period in which it’s set, in the ways characters talk, the world around you, and even down to the era-appropriate spelling of Gizeh. MachineGames – and the connection of many of its developers, including Björk, to the acclaimed Starbreeze – means that the team has a lot of experience working with established franchises, from The Chronicles of Riddick to The Darkness, and it’s an experience that guided them in this new endeavour.

    “The approach that we’ve had on all of our games is to make them as true to what made the originals so great. We don’t want to retread what has already been told, but instead move into new territory that evokes the same tone and spirit,” says Björk. “I think what the development of Indy has taught us is the importance of letting the character control the path of both the story and the gameplay, because this franchise is so much defined by Indy and who he is to an even greater extent than the previous games we’ve worked on.”

    Indiana Jones Screenshot

    Playing With History

    And that leads us to the final piece of the development puzzle – turning the history of a movie series into a playable experience. How do you capture the excitement of a tightly-edited, linear movie in an interactive experience, where every player will choose to do things slightly differently, and take their Indy in different directions?

    Part of that is in returning to the movie making of it all, by grounding so much of what we play in real-life performance:

    “We have done so much motion capture for this game! I think this is most motion capture and stunts we have ever done,” says Torvenius. “And some of the scenes we have in the game are quite wild from a stunt perspective. We shot a number of scenes at Goodbye Kansas in Stockholm, which has a ceiling height of almost 8 meters, just because some scenes required stunts to be performed from that height.

    “We’ve been working with some very talented stuntmen and women throughout the production and together with our talent director Tom Keegan I dare to say we have some of the strongest action scenes from a MachineGames perspective yet. When it comes to capturing the look and feel of the stunts and action sequences in the early Indiana Jones movies, it has been a combined effort from various members within MG; obviously our Animation Director Henrik Håkansson and Cinematic Director Markus Söderqvist has an important part to play here for look and feel of animations. And then the audio work from Audio director Pete Ward and his department also plays an important part in making sure everything sounds true to the movie.”

    But even the smallest elements have been scrutinized, like throwing a simple punch, for example:

    “It has been very important to make sure the combat feels fun and rewarding and easy enough to get drawn into but then hard to master for the ones that likes to crank up the difficulty settings,” explains Torvenius. “We definitely wanted to capture the cinematic feel of the melee combat! Getting those heavy cinematic impact sounds in, having a good response from the spray of sweat and saliva as you punch someone in the face, interesting animations, and the behaviour of a hulking opponent coming towards you.”

    This depth of thought is everywhere in the game. Puzzles have been designed with the spirit of whether they might feel right for the movies; locations given the buzz not just of real-life, but a film set; and even the ability to use almost any disposable item as both a distraction and a weapon is drawn from the comic spirit of the movies.

    “One of the core ingredients in Indiana Jones is definitely humour. It is something we have worked hard with across every aspect of the game: environmental storytelling, script and VO, in cutscene and story beats, and it absolutely needs to be conveyed in the minute-to-minute gameplay, such as combat. And it is not only the tools you use but also a lot of hard work from the engineer and animation teams to make sure we have interesting, rewarding and fun take down animations. And on top of all of that you also need the best possible audio! And when that cocktail is shaken just the right amount, voilà – out comes something very delicious and fun!”

    Which brings us all the way back round to that iconic scene with the swordsman. In a normal game, no, that scene might not make sense when translated to a video game context. But in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle? Well, MachineGames has put in the research, the work, and the commitment to ensure that, while you’re playing this game – from solving spectacular puzzles to near-slapstick combat – it’ll feel worthy of those classic movies.


    Indiana Jones and the Great Circle comes to Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC (with Game Pass), or Steam on December 9. Premium and Collector’s Editions will offer up to 3 days of early access from December 6. 

    Indiana Jones and the Great Circle™: Digital Premium Edition

    Bethesda Softworks

    $99.99

    Pre-order now or Play on Game Pass* to receive The Last Crusade™ Pack with the Traveling Suit Outfit and Lion Tamer Whip, as seen in The Last Crusade™. *** Live the adventure with the Premium Edition of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle™! INCLUDES: • Base Game (digital code) • Up to 3-Day Early Access** • Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: The Order of Giants Story DLC† • Digital Artbook • Temple of Doom™ Outfit ***
    Uncover one of history’s greatest mysteries in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, a first-person, single-player adventure set between the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark™ and The Last Crusade. The year is 1937, sinister forces are scouring the globe for the secret to an ancient power connected to the Great Circle, and only one person can stop them – Indiana Jones™. You’ll become the legendary archaeologist in this cinematic action-adventure game from MachineGames, the award-winning studio behind the recent Wolfenstein series, and executive produced by Hall of Fame game designer Todd Howard. YOU ARE INDIANA JONES Live the adventure as Indy in a thrilling story full of exploration, immersive action, and intriguing puzzles. As the brilliant archaeologist – famed for his keen intellect, cunning resourcefulness, and trademark humor – you will travel the world in a race against enemy forces to discover the secrets to one of the greatest mysteries of all time. A WORLD OF MYSTERY AWAITS Travel from the halls of Marshall College to the heart of the Vatican, the pyramids of Egypt, the sunken temples of Sukhothai, and beyond. When a break-in in the dead of night ends in a confrontation with a mysterious colossal man, you must set out to discover the world-shattering secret behind the theft of a seemingly unimportant artifact. Forging new alliances and facing familiar enemies, you’ll engage with intriguing characters, use guile and wits to solve ancient riddles, and survive intense set-pieces. WHIP-CRACKING ACTION Indiana’s trademark whip remains at the heart of his gear and can be used to distract, disarm, and attack enemies. But the whip isn’t just a weapon, it’s Indy’s most valuable tool for navigating the environment. Swing over unsuspecting patrols and scale walls as you make your way through a striking world. Combine stealth infiltration, melee combat, and gunplay to combat the enemy threat and unravel the mystery. THE SPIRIT OF DISCOVERY Venture through a dynamic mix of linear, narrative-driven gameplay and open-area maps. Indulge your inner explorer and unearth a world of fascinating secrets, deadly traps and fiendish puzzles, where anything could potentially hide the next piece of the mystery – or snakes. Why did it have to be snakes? *Game Pass members get access to all pre-order content as long as Game Pass subscription is active. **Actual play time depends on purchase date and applicable time zone differences, subject to possible outages. †DLC availability to be provided at a later date.

    Indiana Jones and the Great Circle™ Standard Edition

    Bethesda Softworks

    $69.99

    Pre-order now or Play on Game Pass* to receive The Last Crusade™ Pack with the Traveling Suit Outfit and Lion Tamer Whip, as seen in The Last Crusade™.
    ***
    Uncover one of history’s greatest mysteries in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle™, a first-person, single-player adventure set between the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark™ and The Last Crusade. The year is 1937, sinister forces are scouring the globe for the secret to an ancient power connected to the Great Circle, and only one person can stop them – Indiana Jones™. You’ll become the legendary archaeologist in this cinematic action-adventure game from MachineGames, the award-winning studio behind the recent Wolfenstein series, and executive produced by Hall of Fame game designer Todd Howard. YOU ARE INDIANA JONES Live the adventure as Indy in a thrilling story full of exploration, immersive action, and intriguing puzzles. As the brilliant archaeologist – famed for his keen intellect, cunning resourcefulness, and trademark humor – you will travel the world in a race against enemy forces to discover the secrets to one of the greatest mysteries of all time. A WORLD OF MYSTERY AWAITS Travel from the halls of Marshall College to the heart of the Vatican, the pyramids of Egypt, the sunken temples of Sukhothai, and beyond. When a break-in in the dead of night ends in a confrontation with a mysterious colossal man, you must set out to discover the world-shattering secret behind the theft of a seemingly unimportant artifact. Forging new alliances and facing familiar enemies, you’ll engage with intriguing characters, use guile and wits to solve ancient riddles, and survive intense set-pieces. WHIP-CRACKING ACTION Indiana’s trademark whip remains at the heart of his gear and can be used to distract, disarm, and attack enemies. But the whip isn’t just a weapon, it’s Indy’s most valuable tool for navigating the environment. Swing over unsuspecting patrols and scale walls as you make your way through a striking world. Combine stealth infiltration, melee combat, and gunplay to combat the enemy threat and unravel the mystery. THE SPIRIT OF DISCOVERY Venture through a dynamic mix of linear, narrative-driven gameplay and open-area maps. Indulge your inner explorer and unearth a world of fascinating secrets, deadly traps and fiendish puzzles, where anything could potentially hide the next piece of the mystery – or snakes. Why did it have to be snakes? *Game Pass members get access to all pre-order content as long as Game Pass subscription is active.

    Website: LINK

  • The Elder Scrolls Online: Gold Road & Update 42 Now Live on Xbox

    The Elder Scrolls Online: Gold Road & Update 42 Now Live on Xbox

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    Website: LINK

  • Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: New Details Revealed on the Official Xbox Podcast

    Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: New Details Revealed on the Official Xbox Podcast

    Reading Time: 8 minutes

    Indiana Jones and the Great Circle made a grand appearance at Xbox Games Showcase 2024 last weekend, showing off new gameplay, revealing new elements of the story, and treating us to an extended scene set in the Himalayas, as Indiana and new companion Gina attempt to recover a relic while avoid the clutches of colonel Viktor Gantz.

    On a special episode of the Official Xbox Podcast, host Malik Prince got to talk more about the trailer and the wider game, joined by MachineGames’ Jerk Gustafsson, Game Director, and John Jennings, Production Director. If you want to watch the full interview, check it out below – or read on for the new details.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zakV_ou6i_U?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Indiana Jones and the Great Circle’s development is in full swing, and what we’ve seen of the game promises a truly authentic Indiana Jones adventure – both in storyline and gameplay.

    “The story kicks off when an ancient relic is stolen from the college where Indiana Jones works,” explained Gustafsson. “He’s determined to track down the thief, and he stumbles into this ancient conspiracy involving the theory of the Great Circle, as we call it. The Great Circle is a strange alignment of ancient sites around the globe, and a set of mysterious artifacts connect to it. But Indy isn’t the only one in search of answers. The enemy are scouring the world for these artifacts, believing that they hold some kind of power – and to stop them there’s only one thing he can do, and that is to find the artifacts first.”

    This kicks us off on a classic globe-trotting adventure, beginning in the corridors of Indy’s beloved Marshall College, before taking in the Himalayas, the ancient jungle sites of Sukhothai in Thailand, the Vatican (an all-new location for an Indiana Jones project), the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, and more. It’s the kind of set-up you’d hope for from an Indiana Jones story, but it stemmed from a perhaps unexpected source:

    “It actually started with an idea from [Bethesda Game Studios director and executive producer] Todd Howard,” said Gustafsson. “He had been thinking for years about creating a story around the concept of the Great Circle, so when we got this opportunity to work on an Indiana Jones game it felt like the perfect match.”

    Of course, that idea was just the starting point, and the team at MachineGames has worked incredibly closely with Lucasfilm Games to ensure that their original adventure would feel faithful to movies it sits alongside.

    “We spent countless hours just rewatching the films – especially the two movies that are closest to the game, which are Raiders of the Lost Ark and the Last Crusade,” said Gustafsson. “In addition, we have one of the best resources through our partnership with Lucasfilm Games, and working together with them on this project has been invaluable, just this cave of knowledge about the character, which has been fantastic.”

    “It’s been great having access to writers, art directors from Lucasfilm, people who worked with the Indiana Jones property for decades,” continued Jennings. “Having their input – I mean, some of these people know everything that has ever been written about Indy – and having them to bounce ideas off, and get some of their own input has been hugely, hugely invaluable.”

    That partnership came with perks for fans on the team, too: “We managed to get access into some of the Lucasfilm archives as well,” said Jennings, “which for Indy fans has been an absolute dream come true, to get access to some of these things that perhaps not so many people have seen.”

    The research has been deep. Writers and artists on the team studied not just the films, but comics and books, not to mention had recreations of Indy’s costume created – including his iconic fedora, reproduced by the same hatmaker that created the original for Raiders of the Lost Ark. On the musical side, longtime Lucasfilm Games collaborator Gordy Haab (who recently won a Grammy for his work on the Star Wars Jedi: Survivor soundtrack) has been brought in to create a score John Williams would be proud of.

    That authenticity extends to the characters involved, too. While most of the cast will be brand new faces for the franchise, the latest trailer showed us more of Indy’s friend, Marcus Brody: “Because we start the story in Marshall College it made sense to have Marcus there, to sort of ground it in the familiarity of Indy’s home base,” said Gustafsson – before going onto tease that we’ll see cameos from other classic characters along the way, too.

    Of course, the most important element for authenticity was in getting Indy himself right, and the team found a perfect partner in renowned actor Troy Baker:

    “It was maybe an unexpected choice at first, but from the moment we watched his audition tape we were just totally sold,” said Jennings. “He’s just a great actor. He’s put so much effort into the role as well – you can tell he’s just this huge, huge fan of Indiana Jones […] We’ve just been in a [voiceover] session recently with him, and he was improvising lines. You know, ‘Wouldn’t Indy say it a bit more like this?’ Or commenting on lines that we’ve written that we thought were subtle Easter Eggs just for the die-hard Indy fans, and he’ll pick up on it straight away.”

    Baker’s performance doesn’t just extend to a great impression of Harrison Ford, either. “He’s not just a voiceover actor, he’s the full thing,” Jennings continued. “We do full performance capture: the body, the face, and the voice all recorded at the same time. And he’s got the physical acting nailed down as well. He does a really, really good job of capturing the character of Indy – specifically his character in the first few movies, the earlier ones, which is where our game is set of course. He just does it perfectly.”

    This has been a new kind of development process for MachineGames, and that extends to the game itself. “It’s a little bit different, this game, for us, in many ways,” said Gustafsson. “We are very used to having heavy weapons, gun-blazing shooters – and this is a little bit different. We are making a proper adventure game here.”

    While the team’s acclaimed Wolfenstein games were brutal, frenetic shooters, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle offers an experience more befitting of the world’s most famous archaeologist.

    “He solves problems with his mind first and really relies on smarts, and not this excessive combat that we have seen or done before with the Wolfenstein games,” explained Gustafsson. “When you are playing the game, choosing the more authentic stealthy Indy route – or just some classic old fist-fighting – will be a benefit to the player more times than not, and also make for a very fun and challenging experience.”

    In playing as Indy, we’re not rampaging through the world, but stopping to solve puzzles, and trying to avoid conflict when we can. The team wanted to avoid turning the character we know into a superhero.

    “He is flawed, he makes mistakes, he stumbles, there is weight to his movement, and we have this gritty, pulpy edge to the action,” continued Gustafsson. “But at the same time he’s also rather athletic, he’s an excellent fighter, and he also has an enormous amount of luck as well – and at the same time he’s the best archaeologist in the world. So focusing on all of these things, in a way it makes the game feel in line with these classic matinee action-adventures that the movies were celebrating, something I think Indy himself also personifies in a way.”

    To do that, the game will primarily be set in first-person – a perspective that MachineGames is very familiar with, a key way to help players feel like they’re truly walking in his shoes, and an exciting point of difference when looking at the wider action-adventure genre as a whole. In key moments, however, we will see the character in third-person, letting us live those filmic moments from the outside.

    And speaking of filmic moments, the trailer ended with a callback to perhaps one of the most famous sequences in movie history – Indy’s rolling boulder escape. We had to ask how that made it into the game, and whether we’ll be able to play it. But Gustafsson wanted to keep some mystery before Indiana Jones and the Great Circle arrives:

    “That’s unfortunately one of those things where I just have to say: ‘You’ll have to wait and see.’”

    Play Indiana Jones and the Great Circle day one on Game Pass when it launches later this year on Xbox Series X|S and PC.

    Xbox Live

    Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

    Bethesda Softworks

    Uncover one of history’s greatest mysteries in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle™, a first-person, single-player adventure set between the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark™ and The Last Crusade™. The year is 1937, sinister forces are scouring the globe for the secret to an ancient power connected to the Great Circle, and only one person can stop them – Indiana Jones™. You’ll become the legendary archaeologist in this cinematic action-adventure game from MachineGames, the award-winning studio behind the recent Wolfenstein series, and executive produced by Hall of Fame game designer Todd Howard. YOU ARE INDIANA JONES Live the adventure as Indy in a thrilling story full of exploration, immersive action, and intriguing puzzles. As the brilliant archaeologist – famed for his keen intellect, cunning resourcefulness, and trademark humor – you will travel the world in a race against enemy forces to discover the secrets to one of the greatest mysteries of all time. A WORLD OF MYSTERY AWAITS Travel from the halls of Marshall College to the heart of the Vatican, the pyramids of Egypt, the sunken temples of Sukhothai, and beyond. When a break-in in the dead of night ends in a confrontation with a mysterious colossal man, you must set out to discover the world-shattering secret behind the theft of a seemingly unimportant artifact. Forging new alliances and facing familiar enemies, you’ll engage with intriguing characters, use guile and wits to solve ancient riddles, and survive intense set-pieces. WHIP-CRACKING ACTION Indiana’s trademark whip remains at the heart of his gear and can be used to distract, disarm, and attack enemies. But the whip isn’t just a weapon, it’s Indy’s most valuable tool for navigating the environment. Swing over unsuspecting patrols and scale walls as you make your way through a striking world. Combine stealth infiltration, melee combat, and gunplay to combat the enemy threat and unravel the mystery . THE SPIRIT OF DISCOVERY Venture through a dynamic mix of linear, narrative-driven gameplay and open-area maps. Indulge your inner explorer and unearth a world of fascinating secrets, deadly traps and fiendish puzzles, where anything could potentially hide the next piece of the mystery – or snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?

    Website: LINK

  • Xbox Games Showcase 2024: Alle Ankündigungen und Enthüllungen

    Xbox Games Showcase 2024: Alle Ankündigungen und Enthüllungen

    Reading Time: 20 minutes

    Der Xbox Games Showcase 2024 hat gezeigt, dass wir uns auf eine Menge Spiele freuen können! Fans von Activision, Bethesda, Blizzard, Xbox Game Studios und den unzähligen Partnern, die Spiele für Xbox entwickeln, bekamen einen Einblick in die kommenden Titel ihrer Lieblingsfranchises und andere spannende Neuerscheinungen.

    Die Spieler*innen können sich auf die langersehnte Rückkehr geliebter Serien mit Gears of War: E-Day und Doom: The Dark Ages freuen, auf neue Einblicke in Spiele wie State of Decay 3, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Perfect Dark und South of Midnight, auf eine Enthüllung von Starfield: Shattered Space, und vieles mehr. Die Show erstreckte sich sogar bis nach Azeroth, wo das Veröffentlichungsdatum von The War Within, der nächsten Erweiterung für World of Warcraft, bekannt gegeben wurde.

    Und von unseren Partnern gab es einen ersten Blick auf das Gameplay von Assassin’s Creed Shadows, ein erstes Treffen mit den Begleiter*innen im mit Spannung erwarteten Dragon Age: The Veilguard, einen spannenden Ausblick auf die Rückkehr von Big Boss in Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater, ganz zu schweigen von den Debüts von Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Atomfall und Winter Burrow, um nur einige zu nennen.

    Außerdem haben wir mit der Ankündigung von drei neuen Xbox-Konsolen der Series X|S, die unser aktuelles Sortiment in diesem Jahr ergänzen, eine erste Vorschau auf neue Xbox-Hardware gegeben. Diese bietet dieselbe Geschwindigkeit und Leistung mit mehr Design-, Speicher- und Preisoptionen.

    Und obendrein haben wir mit Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 auch noch ein brandneues Call of Duty-Spiel enthüllt – und wir legen mit der Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Direct noch einen drauf und bieten euch einen Deep Dive in das Spiel. Wenn Du nicht live dabei sein konntest, schaut auf jeden Fall wieder vorbei, um einen vollständigen Überblick über die Ankündigungen im zweiten Teil unseres großen Doppelfeatures zu erhalten.

    Das ist bei weitem nicht alles, was wir euch zu zeigen haben – die ganze Woche über wird der Offizielle Xbox-Podcast ab Montag, dem 10. Juni, neue Folgen ausstrahlen, die Gespräche mit Entwickler*innen und noch tiefere Einblicke in einige der spannenden Spiele der Messe bieten. Den Anfang macht morgen ein ausführlicher Gameplay-Einblick in Avowed auf dem YouTube-Kanal und den Podcast-Angeboten von Xbox, gefolgt von Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater am Dienstag. Aber das ist noch nicht alles. In den nächsten Tagen findest Du hier auf Xbox Wire DACH zahlreiche weitere exklusive Einblicke in kommende Xbox-Titel und Details zu den spannendsten News. Hier kommen alle Ankündigungen und Enthüllungen des Xbox Games Showcase 2024:

    Age of Mythology: Retold – World’s Edge präsentiert den allerersten Gameplay Trailer

    Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, Steam und Cloud, oder spiele direkt zum Release im Game Pass

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jbste8C0Yes?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    World’s Edge – das preisgekrönte Studio hinter der Age of Empires-Franchise – präsentierte einen Trailer von wahrhaft mythischem Ausmaß: mit einem ersten Blick auf das Gameplay des kommenden Age of Mythology: Retold.

    Age of Mythology: Retold wird die besten Elemente des beliebten Age of Mythology (2002) mit modernem Echtzeit-Strategie-Design, Grafik und Gameplay kombinieren. Der auf der Xbox Showcase 2024 debütierte Trailer enthüllte erstes Gameplay-Material, das spannende Action und göttliche Kräfte sowie einige neu gestaltete Götterporträts zeigt. Das World’s Edge-Team bestätigte außerdem das Veröffentlichungsdatum für Age of Mythology: Retold, den 4. September 2024, und dass dies der erste Titel der Age of Empires-Reihe sein wird, der sowohl für PC als auch für Konsolen erscheint.

    Age of Mythology: Retold kann ab sofort vorbestellt werden.

    Avowed bietet einen ersten Eindruck seiner fesselnden Geschichte

    Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, Steam und Cloud, oder spiele es direkt zum Release im Game Pass

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykgkdU1NJUU?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Mach Dich dieses Jahr in Avowed von Obsidian Entertainment auf eine Expedition in die unerforschte Wildnis der Living Lands gefasst! In einem brandneuen Story-Trailer erfahren wir mehr über die unglaubliche Reise, die wir noch in diesem Jahr antreten werden, und lernen Giatta, eine der vier Begleiter*innen des Spiels, kennen. Als Abgesandte*r des Aedyranischen Reiches hast du die Aufgabe, die Traumflut zu stoppen, eine mysteriöse Seuche, die an der stürmischen Grenze Verwüstung anrichtet. Deine Seele steht auf dem Spiel, während Du Dich durch das Chaos der Living Lands bewegst und ihre Wunder erkundest. Bereite Dich auf eine Expedition in das gefährliche, fesselnde und äußerst bizarre Unbekannte vor, wo Du Dein Schicksal schmieden und das Schicksal der Grenze gestalten wirst.

    Avowed erscheint 2024 – mehr über die Story des Spiels erfährst Du in Kürze hier auf Xbox Wire DACH.

    Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Direct enthüllt Details zu Kampagne, Multiplayer und Zombies

    Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, Steam, Battle.net, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, oder spiele es direkt zum Release im Game Pass

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ck15l7DMY0?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Es ist offiziell: Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, der neueste Teil der beliebten Call of Duty-Reihe, wird am 25. Oktober erscheinen. Das von Treyarch und Raven Software entwickelte Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 ist ein Spionage-Action-Thriller, in dem nichts so ist, wie es scheint. In dieser Geschichte voller Überraschungen, die in den frühen 1990er Jahren spielt, hat eine schattenhafte Macht die US-Regierung infiltriert und die Spieler*innen sind gezwungen, zum ersten Mal abtrünnig zu werden.

    Neben einer fesselnden neuen Kampagne bietet Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 neue Innovationen wie Omnimovement, das den Spieler*innen die Möglichkeit gibt, in jede Richtung zu sprinten, zu gleiten und zu tauchen und sich in allen Spielmodi wie ein Black Ops-Actionheld zu bewegen. Mit der Rückkehr von Classic Prestige, dem Theater-Modus und natürlich den rundenbasierten Zombies ist für jede*n etwas dabei.

    Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 erscheint am 25. Oktober für Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 und PC. Spiele es direkt zum Release mit ausgewählten Xbox Game Pass-Abos (Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass PC, Game Pass für Konsole).

    Doom: The Dark Ages erscheint 2025

    Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, Steam, PlayStation 5, oder spiel es direkt zum Release im Game Pass

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpgAOAOMUnA?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Das heute weltweit enthüllte Doom: The Dark Ages läutet die Rückkehr des unaufhaltsamen Doom Slayers in diesem kommenden Dark-Fantasy-Singleplayer-Action-FPS der legendären Publishers id Software ein.

    In Doom: The Dark Ages, dem Vorgänger von Doom (2016), schlüpft der Spieler in die Rolle des mächtigen Doom Slayers und kämpft in einer epischen, filmischen Geschichte von Göttern, Göttinnen, Königinnen und Königen und Monstern gegen dämonische Horden in knallharten Kämpfen. Zusätzlich zu seinen übermenschlichen Fähigkeiten und seinem überbordenden Arsenal kann der Slayer auch auf seinen kolossalen Atlan-Mech zurückgreifen, um sich mit titanischen Bestien zu prügeln und den Himmel an Bord seines wilden Rosses zurückzuerobern: einem düsengetriebenen, kybernetischen Kriegsdrachen.

    Schnapp Dir Deine Schrotflinte, Schildsäge und Dreschflegel und stürze dich im Jahr 2025 kopfüber in die Schlacht, wenn Doom: The Dark Ages auf Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Series X|S und PC erscheint. Füge Doom: The Dark Ages über den Microsoft Store zu deiner Wunschliste hinzu.

    Playground Games beantwortet die Frage, was es heißt, ein*e Held*in zu sein, im nächsten Fable-Trailer

    Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC und Steam, oder spiel es direkt zum Release im Xbox Game Pass

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FiBmVBaY0g?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Was bedeutet es, ein Held zu sein? Im Trailer vom letzten Jahr wurde diese Frage von Dave beantwortet, einem Gärtner, der zum Riesen wurde und sich nicht unterkriegen lässt. Dieses Jahr bekommen wir eine viel düsterere Antwort von Humphry, gespielt von dem britischen Comedy-Schauspieler Matt King. Humphry war einst der größte Held von Albion, aber diese glorreichen Zeiten sind längst vorbei. In Fable wird Humphry aus dem Ruhestand gezwungen, als eine mysteriöse Gestalt aus seiner Vergangenheit die Existenz von Albion bedroht.

    Playground Games bestätigte auch die Zusammenarbeit mit Eidos Montreal, die die weitere Entwicklung von Fable unterstützen werden, das 2025 auf den Markt kommen wird. Die Wunschliste und mehr findest Du unter xbox.com/fable.

    E-Day markiert ein neues Zeitalter für Gears of War

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EC20gLfUHeA?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Gears of War: E-Day ist das nächste Hauptspiel im Gears of War-Universum, das während des entscheidenden Emergence Day spielt. Vierzehn Jahre vor Gears of War kehren die Kriegshelden Marcus Fenix und Dom Santiago nach Hause zurück, um sich einem neuen Albtraum zu stellen: der Locust-Horde. Diese unterirdischen Monster, grotesk und unerbittlich, brechen von unten hervor und belagern die Menschheit.

    Im Ankündigungstrailer für den nächsten großen Teil der Serie hat sich The Coalition mit Blur Studio zusammengetan, um einen visuell atemberaubenden Trailer zu erstellen, der In-Game-Assets in Unreal Engine 5 verwendet. Er enthält eine neue instrumentale Version von „Mad World“, ursprünglich von Gary Jules für den ikonischen Werbespot von 2006 gesungen, jetzt brillant neu interpretiert vom Komponisten des Soundtracks, Adam Lastiwka. Der Trailer feierte sein Debüt in 4K-Auflösung und 30 FPS mit 5.1-Stereoton. Diese Spezifikationen, die für das Streaming optimiert sind, repräsentieren nicht die endgültige Leistung des Spiels.

    Neuer Trailer zu Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

    Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, Steam, oder spielt es direkt zum Release im Game Pass

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2aqnWFpRAY?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Schlüpf in die Rolle des legendären Archäologen und stelle Dich finsteren Mächten, während Du versuchst, die Wahrheit hinter einem der größten Geheimnisse der Geschichte aufzudecken in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Brandneues Gameplay und eine Szene aus einem entscheidenden Moment im Spiel wurden während des Xbox Showcase gezeigt. Eine abgefangene Nachricht führt Indy und Gina in den Himalaya, wo ihre gefährliche Reise durch die Berge zu einer erstaunlichen Entdeckung führt.

    Erhebe dich in den Himmel am 19. November mit dem brandneuen Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024

    Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, Steam, Cloud, oder spiel es direkt zum Release im Xbox Game Pass

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvzlC4iCtns?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 ist der nächste Teil der Microsoft Flight Simulator-Reihe. Es ist der ambitionierteste Flugsimulator, der jemals unternommen wurde. Er bietet die größte, vielfältigste und detaillierteste Flugzeugflotte, die realitätsnahe Darstellung von Flughäfen und Luftverkehr und die visuell atemberaubendste Darstellung der Erde, die jemals geschaffen wurde.

    Dieser brandneue Simulator ist darauf ausgelegt, die neuesten Technologien in den Bereichen Simulation, Cloud, maschinelles Lernen, Grafik und Gaming zu nutzen. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 geht über das reine Betreiben der Flugzeuge hinaus; er ermöglicht es den Spieler*innen, ihre Träume einer Luftfahrtkarriere zu verfolgen.

    Mit Funktionen wie Luftbrandbekämpfung, Suche und Rettung, kommerziellen Flügen, Fernfrachtoperationen, VIP-Charterdiensten, Luftrennen und mehr werden die Spieler*innen nicht nur die Freude am Fliegen erleben, sondern auch in die Pilotkarriere eintauchen, die sie sich immer erträumt haben. Der Himmel ruft! Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 startet am 19. November auf PC und Xbox Series X|S und wird direkt zum Release im Game Pass auf Konsole, PC und Cloud verfügbar sein.

    Perfect Dark enthüllt in einem neuen Trailer einen ersten Einblick auf das Gameplay

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofUi9DR9sc4?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Heute haben wir einen ersten Blick auf das Gameplay von Perfect Dark geworfen, dem mit Spannung erwarteten Reboot der Geheimagentenserie von The Initiative mit der ikonischen Joanna Dark.

    In der nahen Zukunft wird die Erde von einer Reihe globaler Katastrophen heimgesucht, die die Ökosysteme auf der ganzen Welt an den Rand des Zusammenbruchs bringen. Im brandneuen Perfect Dark-Spiel erlebst Du die Reise von Joanna Dark, der Eliteagentin von DataDyne. Sie jagt den meistgesuchten Verbrecher der Welt, Daniel Carrington, um die Geheimnisse hinter den technologischen Durchbrüchen aufzudecken, die das Leben von Millionen von Menschen bedrohen könnten.

    Der neue Trailer zeigte uns Joannas Abstieg in das Kairo-Setting des Spiels, gab uns einen Einblick in die Geheimnisse hinter dieser ökologischen Sci-Fi-Geschichte in der nahen Zukunft und stellte uns ein Spiel vor, das flüssiges Traversieren, Gadgets, Nahkampf, Gunplay, Stealth und mehr zu einem ultimativen Geheimagenten-Erlebnis verbindet. 

    South of Midnight zeigt erstes Gameplay – und den monströsen Two-Toed Tom

    Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, Steam, Cloud, oder spiele es direkt zum Release im Xbox Game Pass.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4UHyaaWXuw?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    South of Midnight – das wunderschöne Third-Person-Action-Adventure von We Happy Few-Machern Compulsion Games – zeigte während der Show den ersten Gameplay-Trailer. Wir lernen Hazel und ihren neuen Begleiter Catfish kennen, die durch ein überflutetes Gebiet reisen, das dem Mississippi-Delta nachempfunden ist – und sich schon bald einem der Monster-Könige des Spiels stellen müssen. Das ist Two-Toed Tom, ein gigantischer Albino-Alligator mit großem Hunger und sogar einem eigenen Themesong. 

    Der Trailer gibt einen Einblick in den Kampf und die Fortbewegung, zeigt Hazels magische Webkräfte und gibt uns einen Vorgeschmack auf die düstere Kulisse des Spiels im tiefen Süden. South of Midnight erscheint 2025.

    Open World-Zombie-Survival-Spiel State of Decay 3 enthüllt neuen Trailer  

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjL3a5ZOFNo?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Heute hat Undead Labs auf dem Xbox Games Showcase einen neuen Trailer zu State of Decay 3 gezeigt, der uns einen genaueren Blick auf das ambitionierte Open-World-Zombie-Survival-Spiel gibt. Der Nachfolger des beliebten Spiels State of Decay 2 ist für die Serie und das Studio ein großer Schritt nach vorne. 

    In State of Decay 3 befindet sich die Welt des Spiels Jahre nach der Apokalypse, in der eine immer größer werdende Zombie-Bedrohung die Landschaft erobert. Du musst Dich wehren und verlorenen Boden zurückerobern, um ein Leben für Deine Gemeinschaft von Überlebenskämpfer*innen zu schaffen. Fans der Serie werden im neuen Trailer vielleicht einige Anspielungen auf die Serie entdecken: brutale Kämpfe, kooperativer Kampf gegen die Bedrohung der Überlebenden, Permadeath, das Öffnen einer Autotür, während ein Zombie die Straße entlang rast. Aber je häufiger Du Dir den Trailer ansiehst, desto mehr Hinweise findest Du darauf, dass State of Decay 3 das ehrgeizigste Spiel sein wird, das Undead Labs je entwickelt hat.

    Erste Gameplay-Szenen von Assassin’s Creed Shadows enthüllt

    Xbox Series X|S (siehe Entwickler-Website für andere Plattformen)

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jx8WN9fY22M?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Assassin’s Creed Shadows erscheint am 15. November für Xbox Serie X|S und gibt den Spieler*innen die Möglichkeit, das Japan des 16. Jahrhunderts als Naoe, eine geschickte Shinobi aus der Provinz Iga, und Yasuke, ein mächtiger Samurai und die erste voll spielbare historische Figur in Assassin’s Creed, zu erkunden. Im heutigen Gameplay-Trailer konnten die Fans einen ersten Blick auf die Neuerungen in Assassin’s Creed Shadows werfen.

    Wir sahen, wie sich die beiden Protagonist*innen Yasuke und Naoe in Bezug auf Ausrüstung und Fähigkeiten unterscheiden (und ergänzen), aber auch die weitere Welt des Spiels und die wechselnden Jahreszeiten in Shadows. Freu Dich auf einen vollständigen Gameplay-Walkthrough, der morgen während des Ubisoft Forward (21 Uhr deutscher Zeit) gezeigt wird.

    Überlebe, erforsche und entdecke die Wahrheit in Atomfall

    Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC oder spiel es direkt ab Release im Game Pass

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HG3si5zKv0?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    In der hügeligen britischen Landschaft mit idyllischen Pubs, malerischen Dörfern und roten Telefonzellen wird schnell klar, dass die Dinge alles andere als normal sind. Atomfall wurde von Rebellion, den Macher*innen der beliebten Serien Sniper Elite und Zombie Army, entwickelt und ist von einer realen Atomkatastrophe inspiriert, die sich 1957 in Nordengland ereignete. Das Spiel folgt einem fiktiven Handlungsstrang, in dem Du Dich fünf Jahre nach dem Ereignis in der Quarantänezone wiederfindest.

    Erkunde die Landschaft, Dörfer und Siedlungen und triff auf seltsame Menschen, böse Sekten, abtrünnige Regierungsbehörden und andere auf Deinem Weg. Bahne Dir Deinen Weg durch dieses Open-World-Abenteuer und suche in Deinem eigenen Tempo nach der Wahrheit. Atomfall ist ein Singleplayer-Survival-Actionspiel, das das Großbritannien der Nachkriegszeit mit der Paranoia des Kalten Krieges, dem Horror und Elementen der klassischen britischen Science-Fiction zu einem packenden und spannenden Spielerlebnis verbindet. 

    Atomfall erscheint 2025 und wird ab Release direkt im Game Pass verfügbar sein. Es wird auch für Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One und PC erhältlich sein. Das Studio wird bald mehr über Atomfall verraten.

    Bereite Dich darauf vor, in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 von Sandfall Interactive um Dein Leben zu kämpfen

    Xbox Series X|S, oder spiel es direkt ab Release im Game Pass

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDyqGZy78Ng?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 ist ein reaktives, rundenbasiertes Rollenspiel, das Dich in eine wunderschöne, surrealistische Welt entführt, die von Frankreichs La Belle Epoque inspiriert ist – einer Zeit, die für ihre atemberaubenden und üppigen Beiträge zur weltberühmten Kunstkultur des Landes berühmt ist.

    Als Mitglied der Expeditionäre, die sich auf eine unmögliche Reise begeben, um den Todeszyklus der Malerin zu beenden, reist Du durch eine riesige und wunderschöne Fantasiewelt, in der Du tödliche Gegner bekämpfst, Dich mit Fabelwesen anfreundest und Spuren derer entdeckst, die vor Dir kamen. Du kannst das Spiel ab heute im Xbox Store auf die Wunschliste setzen und @Expedition33 auf X (ehemals Twitter) folgen, um auf dem Laufenden zu bleiben.

    Dragon Age: The Veilguard – Triff die Veilguard zum ersten Mal in einem neuen Trailer

    Xbox Series X|S (siehe Website des Entwicklers für weitere Plattformen)

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drVOCrvXHhE?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    BioWare und Electronic Arts haben einen neuen Trailer zu Dragon Age: The Veilguard veröffentlicht, in dem wir Dein Team aus sieben Gefährten kennenlernen, von denen jede*r seine eigene reiche Geschichte zu entdecken und zu gestalten hat. Gemeinsam werdet ihr die Veilguard bilden.

    In Erweiterung der Geschichten, Welten und Charaktere aus den vorherigen Dragon Age-Spielen betrittst Du ein lebendiges Land mit rauer Wildnis, tückischen Labyrinthen und glitzernden Städten – voller Konflikte und geheimer Magie. Gemeinsam mit Deinen Gefährten trittst Du gegen ein Paar korrupter alter Götter an, die sich aus der jahrhundertelangen Dunkelheit befreit haben und die Welt zerstören wollen. Thedas braucht jemanden, auf den es zählen kann, und dieser Jemand bist du. Erhebe Dich als Rook, der neueste Held von Dragon Age. Sei, wer Du sein willst, und spiele, wie Du spielen willst, während Du kämpfst, um die Götter davon abzuhalten, die Welt zu zerstören. 

    Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn kommt am 18. Juli

    Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, oder spiel es direkt ab Release im Game Pass (siehe Website des Entwicklers für weitere Plattformen)

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AELgaQ6GqSs?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Die lang erwartete Rückkehr von A44, dem Entwickler von Ashen, steht kurz bevor – während der Show haben wir angekündigt, dass Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn am 18. Juli erscheinen wird. In der belagerten Welt von Kian begleitest Du Nor Vanek, eine Flintlock-Waffenexpertin, auf ihrer Mission, die wütenden Götter zu töten, die ihre Welt überfallen haben.

    Nor kann eine Kombination aus Axtkampf, Steinschlosswaffen und Magie einsetzen, um verheerende Kombos zu schaffen – aber Du brauchst Geschick, um zu überleben. Vorbestellungen sind ab sofort möglich, und eine Deluxe-Edition bietet alternative Outfits und Optionen zur Anpassung der Waffen.

    FragPunk erobert die Bühne

    Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC (siehe Website des Entwicklers für weitere Plattformen)

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fN8EdlB0P10?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Auf der Suche nach einem neuen kompetitiven FPS? FragPunk ist ein hektischer, team-basierter 5v5 Helden-Shooter, bei dem Du die Kampfregeln jeder neuen Runde durch das Aktivieren von Power-Up-Karten festlegst. Mit dem Debüt auf dem Xbox Games Showcase 2024 rockt FragPunk das Helden-Shooter-Genre mit rasanten Kämpfen und einer Fülle von Synergien und Gegenstrategien zwischen über 70 Splitterkarten, 10 Helden, 14 Waffen und 4 Karten!

    Life Is Strange: Double Exposure bringt unseren ursprünglichen Star zurück

    Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC (siehe Website des Entwicklers für weitere Plattformen)

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiCDmeW9eac?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Life Is Strange: Double Exposure markiert nicht nur die Rückkehr der beliebten narrativen Abenteuerserie, sondern auch die Rückkehr von Max Caulfield, der ursprünglichen Protagonistin. Mehrere Jahre nach den Ereignissen in Arcadia Bay kehrt Max als Künstlerin an der renommierten Caledon University zurück.

    Das Unglück ist leider nie weit entfernt – Max’ Freundin Safi wird ermordet, und wir werden in ein komplettes Mordgeheimnis mit übernatürlichem Twist hineingezogen. Max’ ursprüngliche Fähigkeit, die Zeit zurückzudrehen, hat sich in die Fähigkeit verwandelt, gesamte Zeitlinien zu verschieben. Wir werden zwei parallele Realitäten erkunden – eine, in der Safi sicher und wohlbehalten ist, und die andere nach ihrem Tod – um die Identität ihres Mörders herauszufinden. Life Is Strange: Double Exposure erscheint am 29. Oktober, und diejenigen, die die Ultimate Edition vorbestellen, können die ersten beiden Kapitel ab dem 15. Oktober spielen.

    Mecha Break Enthüllung: Erstelle Deinen Mech und ziehe gemeinsam in den Krieg

    Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC (siehe Website des Entwicklers für weitere Plattformen)

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N14JSXhgAeQ?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Mecha Break ist ein Multiplayer-Mech-Shooter, der den Spieler*innen ermöglicht, aus einer Vielzahl von Mechs zu wählen, deren Aussehen anzupassen und gegen kolossale Kriegsmaschinen in gefährlichem Gelände zu kämpfen.

    Bereitet euch auf adrenalingeladene Kämpfe, blitzschnelle Manöver und explosive Feuerkraft vor. Mecha Break’s Xbox Closed Beta startet im August 2024 und wird 2025 für alle Spieler*innen verfügbar sein. Das Spiel bietet anpassbare Mechs, von Spieler*innen erstellte Mech-Piloten, eine breite Palette von Mech- und Waffentypen sowie drei verschiedene Spielmodi: 6v6 Schlachtfeldmodus, 3v3 Arenamodus und bis zu 60-Spieler*inen PvEvP-Modus. Spieler*innen können ihre Mechs mit benutzerdefinierten Lackierungen und Aufrüstungsanpassungen personalisieren, um ihre Statistiken an ihren bevorzugten Spielstil anzupassen.

    Für den bevorstehenden Closed Beta-Test im August auf der Xbox Series X wird der 6v6 Schlachtfeldmodus im Fokus stehen. Arbeitet im Team zusammen und beteiligt euch an intensiven Luft- und Bodenkämpfen, um das Ziel zu erreichen.

    Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater zeigt seine neue Interpretation eines Klassikers

    Xbox Series X|S (siehe Website des Entwicklers für weitere Plattformen)

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTVaEPHa9Bc?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater schafft eine tief immersive Welt mit verbesserten visuellen und akustischen Effekten, wobei das volle Potenzial der Unreal Engine 5 genutzt wird und die klassischen Steuerungen und Sprachaufnahmen des Originaltitels beibehalten werden. Eine neue Third-Person-Kamera und ein überarbeitetes Steuerungslayout bieten den Spieler*innen eine intuitive Einführung in den Beginn der Metal Gear Solid-Saga, während sie in die Rolle von Snake in diesem spannenden Spionage-Thriller schlüpfen.

    Mixtape: Nothing But the Hits erscheint 2025

    Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, Cloud, oder spielt es direkt zum Release im Game Pass (siehe Website des Entwicklers für weitere Plattformen)

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCTH8R6RD74?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Von Beethoven & Dinosaur, den preisgekrönten Entwicklern von The Artful Escape, kommt Mixtape. In ihrer letzten Nacht der Highschool begeben sich drei Freund*innen auf ein letztes Abenteuer. Auf dem Weg zu ihrer letzten Party zusammen, zieht sie eine perfekt kuratierte Playlist in traumhafte Nachstellungen ihrer prägenden Erinnerungen.

    Die Geschichte wird durch eine Mischung aus komödiantischem, freudigem Gameplay erzählt, von Skateboarden und Fliegen bis hin zum Fotografieren in einem verlassenen Vergnügungspark und vielem mehr. Es sind die größten Hits der Teenagerfreundschaft, vom ersten Kuss bis zum letzten Tanz. Ähnlich wie bei Spielen wie What Remains of Edith Finch verbindet Mixtape seine Erzählung mit einer einzigartigen Struktur, die Vielfalt, Überraschung und Komödie im Gameplay betont.

    Mit Musik von DEVO, Roxy Music, Lush, The Smashing Pumpkins, Iggy Pop, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division und mehr. Mixtape verbindet effektiv Gameplay, Erzählung und Musik. Schließe Dich der Crew in ihrer letzten Nacht zusammen an, während sie Erinnerungen erleben, begleitet vom Soundtrack einer Generation.

    S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl enthüllt den Trailer „Time of Opportunities“

    Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, oder spielt es direkt zum Release im Game Pass (siehe Website des Entwicklers für weitere Plattformen)

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RktmztDtwg?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Der neue Trailer zu S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl ist da. Dieser Trailer, vollgepackt mit brandneuen Enthüllungen, zeigt alles, was die Spieler*innen erwartet. Von Schauplätzen bis hin zu Begegnungen mit Mutanten und Archanomalien. Und natürlich Hubs – Orte, um sich auszuruhen und sich auf die nächste intensive Mission vorzubereiten.

    In-Game-Aufnahmen werden mit narrativen Ausschnitten gemischt, die die Bedeutung der nichtlinearen Storyline in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl hervorheben. Der „Time of Opportunities“-Trailer ist treffend benannt und reflektiert das grenzenlose Potenzial, das in dieser unbarmherzigen Landschaft auf euch wartet. Wie wirst Du die Zone sehen? Und wie wird sie sich an Dich erinnern?

    Dieses Mal hörst Du viel mehr von der ukrainischen Synchronisation. Als ukrainisches Unternehmen weiß GSC Game World, dass viele Fans das Spiel gerne auf Ukrainisch mit Untertiteln ihrer Wahl erleben möchten. Der Trailer soll ein besseres Verständnis dafür vermitteln, wie sich diese Erfahrung anfühlen wird. Der „Time of Opportunities“-Trailer startet eine Reihe von S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2-Vorstellungen im Laufe dieses Sommers.

    Winter Burrow: Ein gemütliches Survival-Erlebnis inspiriert von der Liebe zur Natur

    Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, oder spielt es direkt zum Release im Game Pass (siehe Website des Entwicklers für weitere Plattformen)

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngvzOKaj8tY?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Baue Deinen Traum-Unterschlupf und erkunde eine charmante, schneebedeckte offene Welt in Winter Burrow, einem gemütlichen Wald-Survival-Spiel. Als kleine Maus verbringst Du Deine Tage mit Abenteuern in frostigen Umgebungen auf der Suche nach Deiner verschollenen Tante und sammelst Ressourcen, um Deinen Kindheitsbau wiederherzustellen.

    Winter Burrow kombiniert gemütliche Spielelemente mit herausfordernden, aber zugänglichen Überlebensmechaniken. Verbringe Zeit in Deinem Bau, bastle niedliche Dekorationen, stricke warme Kleidung und bereite Dich auf große Sammelaktionen im Wald vor. Bleibe auf dem Laufenden über alles, was mit Winter Burrow zu tun hat, indem Du das Spiel im Xbox Store auf die Wunschliste setzt und Winter Burrow auf Twitter folgst.

    Wuchang: Fallen Feathers enthüllt – Eine Reise in die Dunkelheit der späten Ming-Dynastie

    Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, oder spielt es direkt zum Release im Game Pass (siehe Website des Entwicklers für weitere Plattformen)

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7CGFPbfSCY?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Tauche ein in das dunkle und turbulente Land Shu in Wuchang: Fallen Feathers. Dieses Souls-like Action-RPG startet am ersten Tag auf Xbox Series X|S und versetzt die Spieler*innen in die düstere späte Ming-Dynastie, eine Zeit voller Kriege und einer mysteriösen Krankheit, die Menschen in monströse Kreaturen verwandelt. Du bist Wuchang, eine Piratenkriegerin, die unter Amnesie leidet und von Ornithropy, einer schrecklichen Krankheit, befallen ist, die ihr jedoch immense Macht verleiht.

    Kämpfe gegen groteske Abscheulichkeiten, nutze alte Überlieferungen und entdecke Wuchangs verlorene Erinnerungen, wobei Deine Entscheidungen zu verschiedenen Enden führen. Wirst Du die Wahrheiten über Wuchangs Fluch enthüllen und Shu Frieden bringen, oder den sich ausbreitenden Schrecken erliegen? Das Schicksal des Landes liegt in Deinen Händen. Nichts ist für immer.

    Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred erscheint am 8. Oktober – Jetzt vorbestellen und Ingame-Belohnungen erhalten

    Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, PC via Battle.net, Steam, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7pt0ntHN4g?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Mach Dich bereit für das nächste Kapitel von Diablo IV von Blizzard Entertainment: Vessel of Hatred, die erste Erweiterung des Spiels, erscheint am 8. Oktober.

    Entfessle die Macht der Geistgeborenen, einer neuen Klasse, die sich der mystischen Geister des Dschungels für schnelle und verheerende Angriffe zunutze macht. Die Jagd nach Neyrelle beginnt erneut, während sie versucht, Mephistos finsteren Plan zu vereiteln. Tauche ein in die Dschungelregion Nahantu, wo neue Dungeons, Festungen und Feinde auf Dich warten, sowie eine neue PvE-Koop-Aktivität, in der Du Dich mit anderen zusammenschließen kannst, um Herausforderungen zu meistern und vielversprechende Belohnungen zu verdienen. Außerdem kannst Du neue Söldner*innen rekrutieren, die Dich bei Deiner Suche unterstützen. Werde stärker durch die wachsende Macht der Söldner*innen und nutze ihre einzigartigen Fähigkeiten im Kampf.

    Stelle dich den Schatten am 8. Oktober! Vessel of Hatred wird Deine Reise durch Sanktuario neu definieren. Bestelle es jetzt vor und schalte sofortige Belohnungen im Spiel frei. Die Dunkelheit ruht nicht – Du solltest es auch nicht!

    Ein neuer Trailer zu The Elder Scrolls Online lädt euch ein, Tamriel zu entdecken

    Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, Steam, Epic Games Store, Cloud, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dw82N_KH6jc?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    The Elder Scrolls Online feiert ein Jahrzehnt an Abenteuern in Tamriels zweiter Ära und lädt Dich mit einem neuen Trailer ein, Deine epische Geschichte zu beginnen. Egal, ob du ein Elder Scrolls-Veteran oder ein Neuling in der Serie bist, Du kannst eine ständig wachsende Welt erkunden, Dich mit anderen Abenteurer*innen zusammentun und herausfinden, warum bereits über 24 Millionen Spieler*innen das preisgekrönte Online-Rollenspiel erlebt haben. Im Juni erscheint außerdem mit „Gold Road“ das neueste Kapitel von The Elder Scrolls Online, das ab sofort für PC/Mac und ab dem 18. Juni für Xbox One und Xbox Series X|S-Konsolen erhältlich ist.

    Entschlüssle das Geheimnis der Rückkehr des Vergessenen Prinzen, schalte die Schriftlehre frei, um Deine eigenen Fähigkeiten zu erschaffen und erforsche die Region Westweld, einen Teil Tamriels, der seit The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion nicht mehr gesehen wurde. Besuche  elderscrollsonline.com, um mehr über Gold Road und die laufenden Feierlichkeiten zum 10-jährigen Jubiläum zu erfahren.

    Fallout 76: Skyline Valley – Veröffentlichungstermin mit neuem Trailer bekannt gegeben

    Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, Steam, Cloud, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 oder direkt zum Release im Game Pass spielen

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGDLe7HShLk?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    In der nächsten großen Erweiterung, Skyline Valley, überquerst Du die Savage Divide und reist in die südlichen Appalachen. Erkunde neue malerische Schauplätze in den Wäldern, die einst als Shenandoah-Nationalpark bekannt waren und suche nach Vault 63, um dessen Geheimnisse aufzudecken. Erfahre die Wahrheit über die Verlorenen, die elektrischen Ghule, die das Gewölbe bewohnen und ihren rätselhaften Aufseher Hugo Stolz. Jage Stürme im neuen öffentlichen Event von Skyline Valley, „Gefährlicher Zeitvertreib“ und kämpfe gegen neue Gebietsbosse, ein monumentales Dreiergespann von Robo-Hirnen. Skyline Valley wird am 12. Juni in Fallout 76 erscheinen.

    Sea of Thieves Season 13 Update: Böse sein kann sich manchmal gut anfühlen

    Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, Steam, Cloud, PlayStation 5, Game Pass

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=catD9gN3smU?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Rare zeigt seine dunkle Seite mit einem feurigen neuen Sea of Thieves-Trailer, der die Rückkehr von Captain Flameheart ankündigt und die Spieler*innen zum Bosskampf einlädt. In einem völlig neuen Weltereignis werden Pirat*innen gegen Flamehearts mächtiges Flaggschiff antreten, um es in ihre Gewalt zu bringen. Lasse Feuer mit einer Skelettbesatzung unter Deinem Kommando auf Deine Feinde regnen und ernte die Belohnung für Deine heimtückischen Taten. Diese aufregende neue Begegnung ist Teil von Sea of Thieves: Season 13, das am 25. Juli als kostenloses Update für alle Spieler*innen auf Xbox, PC und PS5 erscheint. 

    Der Enthüllungstrailer von Starfield Shattered Space, plus Highlights aus dem Juni-Update 

    Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, Steam, Game Pass

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-Vwd3oall8?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Tief in den dunklen Weiten des Weltraums leben die Anhänger*innen der Großen Schlange, umhüllt von Geheimnissen. Beginne eine epische neue Geschichte und erforsche das Gebiet des Hauses Va’ruun in Shattered Space, der ersten großen Erweiterung für Starfield. Sehe Dir jetzt den Enthüllungstrailer an und erlebe die Geschichte von Haus Va’ruun, wenn Shattered Space später in diesem Jahr erscheint.

    Neben dem ersten Blick auf Shattered Space wurden direkt im Anschluss an den Xbox Showcase weitere Highlights aus Starfields neuestem großen Update vorgestellt. Offizielle Mod-Unterstützung mit dem Start von Creations, der erste neue Quest-DLC mit der Einführung von Trackers Alliance, neue Kopfgeldjäger*innen-Funktionen und Verbesserungen an Nahkampfwaffen sind die Highlights des Juni-Updates von Starfield. Das Juni-Update ist ab sofort für Xbox Serie X|S und PC erhältlich. 

    Die Dunkelheit ruft am 26. August mit World of Warcraft: The War Within 

    PC über Battle.net

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JEqjsfIxfQ?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Blizzard Entertainments zehnte World of Warcraft-Erweiterung und das erste Kapitel des ehrgeizigsten Handlungsbogens in der fast 20-jährigen Geschichte des Spiels, The War Within, wird am 26. August veröffentlicht. Diese kommende Erweiterung – die erste von drei in der Worldsoul-Saga – wird Dich tief in die Mythologie von World of Warcraft hineinziehen und die Geschichte der letzten zwei Jahrzehnte auf eine Art und Weise miteinander verweben, die sowohl alte als auch neue Spieler*innen fesseln wird. Für eine begrenzte Zeit bietet Blizzard das Welcome to Azeroth Bundle an, das alles enthält, was Spieler*innen benötigen, um ihr Abenteuer in Azeroth zu beginnen. Das Paket enthält die aktuelle Erweiterung – den von Kritikern hochgelobten Dragonflight – eine Charaktererhöhung auf Stufe 60 und 60 Tage Spielzeit für 24.99 €. Lass Dir dieses legendäre Abenteuer nicht entgehen! Schließe Dich noch heute der Community an, erkunde die Wunder von Dragonflight und bereite Dich auf The War Within vor – Vorbestellungen sind ab sofort über das Battle.net möglich.

    Drei neue Xbox Series X|S-Konsolenoptionen enthüllt 

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzDPNi77F24?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Drei neue Xbox-Konsolen der Serie X|S ergänzen unser aktuelles Angebot und wir freuen uns, den Spieler*innen noch mehr Möglichkeiten zu bieten, mit Xbox zu spielen – das ist der beste Weg, um die vielfältigen Erfahrungen zu genießen, die von Spieleentwickler*innen geschaffen wurden. Noch in diesem Jahr werden unsere 1TB Series S in Robot White, eine volldigitale Xbox Series X und eine 2TB Xbox Series X Special Edition in Galaxy Black in ausgewählten Märkten erhältlich sein (das Konsolensortiment variiert je nach Markt). In den kommenden Monaten werden wir Dich über die Verfügbarkeit auf den Märkten und die regionalen geschätzten Einzelhandelspreise (ERP) informieren, sobald wir Details zur Vorbestellung bekannt geben.

    Mit dem unglaublichen Spieleangebot, das auf dem Xbox Games Showcase 2024 und Call of Duty®: Black Ops 6 Direct gezeigt wird, ist dies eines der besten Jahre, um seine Konsole aufzurüsten oder zum ersten Mal auf Xbox zu spielen.  

    Website: LINK

  • Xbox Games Showcase 2024: Every Announcement and Reveal

    Xbox Games Showcase 2024: Every Announcement and Reveal

    Reading Time: 21 minutes

    The Xbox Games Showcase 2024 showed players everywhere that they have a ton of games to look forward to. Fans of Activision, Bethesda, Blizzard, Xbox Game Studios, or the countless partners building for Xbox were treated to a peek at what’s coming for their favorite franchises and new games alike.

    Players can look forward to incredible returns to beloved series with Gears of War: E-Day and Doom: The Dark Ages, fresh looks at the likes of State of Decay 3, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Perfect Dark,and South of Midnight, a reveal for Starfield: Shattered Space, and much more. The show even extended to Azeroth, with the release date reveal of The War Within, the next expansion for World of Warcraft.

    And from our partners, there was a world-first look at gameplay from Assassin’s Creed Shadows, an introduction to your future party members in the greatly anticipated Dragon Age: The Veilguard, an exciting look at the return of Big Boss in Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater, not to mention some incredible debuts with the likes of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Atomfall, and Winter Burrow, among many others.

    Plus, we brought you a first reveal of new Xbox hardware with the announcement of three new Xbox Series X|S console options joining our current lineup this holiday, featuring the same speed and performance with more design, storage, and price options to fit your needs.

    And on top of all that, we also brought the gameplay reveal of a brand-new Call of Duty game with Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 – and we’re following it up with Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Direct, offering you an enormous deep-dive into the game. If you can’t tune in live, make sure to check back for a full rundown of what was announced in the second part of our enormous double feature.

    This is far from everything we have to show you – all this week, the Official Xbox Podcast will air podcasts from Monday, June 10th, featuring discussions with developers and even deeper looks at some of the exciting games from the show. It all starts tomorrow with an extended gameplay look at Avowed, on Xbox’s YouTube channel and podcast services, followed by Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater on Tuesday. If reading’s more your speed, every episode will be detailed in an Xbox Wire post breaking down what was revealed.

    But that’s all still to come. For the time being, here’s every single announcement and reveal from Xbox Games Showcase 2024:

    Age of Mythology: Retold – World’s Edge Presents its First-ever Gameplay Trailer 

    Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, Steam and cloud, or play it day one with Game Pass

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jbste8C0Yes?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    World’s Edge – the award-winning studio behind the Age of Empires franchise – showcased a trailer of truly mythical proportions: with a first look at gameplay from the upcoming Age of Mythology: Retold.

    Age of Mythology: Retold will combine the best elements of the beloved Age of Mythology (2002) with modern real-time strategy design, visuals and gameplay. The newly premiered trailer at Xbox Showcase 2024 revealed the first gameplay footage, showing off exciting action and divine powers, as well as some newly redesigned deity portraits. The World’s Edge team also confirmed the launch date for Age of Mythology: Retold – September 4, 2024 – and that this will be the first title in the Age of Empires franchise to ship on both PC and console at launch. 

    Age of Mythology: Retold is available to pre-order now.

    Avowed Offers a New Look at its Captivating Story 

    Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, Steam and cloud, or play it day one with Game Pass  

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykgkdU1NJUU?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    This year, brace yourself for an expedition into the uncharted wilds of the Living Lands in Obsidian Entertainment’s Avowed. In a brand-new story trailer, we learned more about the incredible journey we’ll be taking later this year, and met Giatta, one of the game’s four companions. As an envoy of the Aedyran Empire, you’re tasked with stopping the Dreamscourge, a mysterious blight wreaking havoc on the tumultuous frontier. Your soul hangs in the balance as you navigate the chaos of the Living Lands and embrace its wonders. Prepare for an expedition into the perilous, captivating, and utterly bizarre unknown where you will forge your destiny and shape the fate of the frontier. 

    Avowed will be released in 2024 – and you can learn more about the game’s story on Xbox Wire right now. 

    Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Direct Reveals Campaign, Multiplayer and Zombies Details

    Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, Steam, Battle.net, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, or play it day one with Game Pass

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ck15l7DMY0?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    It’s official: Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, the latest addition to the popular Call of Duty franchise, is set to arrive on October 25. Developed by Treyarch and Raven Software, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is a spy action thriller where nothing is as what it seems. In this mind-bending narrative set in the early 1990s, a shadowy force has infiltrated the U.S. government and players will be forced to go rogue for the first time.

    In addition to a compelling new campaign, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 features new innovations like Omnimovement, giving players the ability to sprint, slide, and dive in any direction and move like a Black Ops action hero across all game modes. Including the return of Classic Prestige, Theater Mode, and of course Round-Based Zombies, there’s something for everyone.

    Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 launches on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC on October 25. Play it day one on select Xbox Game Pass plans (Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass PC, Game Pass Console).

    Doom: The Dark Ages Comes to Xbox in 2025

    Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, Steam, PlayStation 5, or play it day one with Game Pass

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpgAOAOMUnA?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Revealed worldwide today, Doom: The Dark Ages heralds the return of the unstoppable Doom Slayer in this upcoming single-player, dark fantasy action FPS from the legendary id Software.

    The prequel to Doom (2016), Doom: The Dark Ages puts players behind the visor of the mighty Slayer as they battle demonic hordes in grounded, hard-hitting combat inside an epic, cinematic tale of gods, kings and monsters. Supplementing his superhuman skills and over-the-top arsenal, the Slayer will also call upon his colossal Atlan mech to brawl with titanic beasts and retake the skies aboard his ferocious steed: a jet-fueled, cybernetic war dragon.

    Don your Shotgun, Shield Saw and Flail and charge headfirst into battle in 2025 when Doom: The Dark Ages arrives on Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Series X|S and PC. Add Doom: The Dark Ages to your wishlist via the Microsoft Store.

    Playground Games Asks ‘What Does It Mean to be a Hero?’ in the Next Installment of its Fable Trailer Series

    Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and Steam, or play it day one with Xbox Game Pass

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FiBmVBaY0g?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    What does it mean to be a hero? In last year’s trailer, that question was answered by Dave, a gardener-turned-giant with a chip on his shoulder. This year, we get a much darker take from Humphry, played by the British comedy actor Matt King. Humphry was once Albion’s greatest Hero, but those glory days are long gone. In Fable, Humphry will be forced out of retirement when a mysterious figure from his past threatens the very existence of Albion.

    Playground Games also confirmed its collaboration with Eidos Montreal, who will be supporting the ongoing development of Fable, which will be coming to players in 2025. For Wishlist and more, visit xbox.com/fable.

    E-Day Marks a New Dawn for Gears of War

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EC20gLfUHeA?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Gears of War: E-Day is the next mainline game in the Gears of War universe, set during the pivotal Emergence Day. Fourteen years before Gears of War, war heroes Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago return home to face a new nightmare: the Locust Horde. These subterranean monsters, grotesque and relentless, erupt from below, laying siege on humanity itself.

    In the announce trailer for the series’ next major installment, The Coalition has teamed up with Blur Studio to forge a visually stunning trailer using in-game assets in Unreal Engine 5. It features a new instrumental version of ‘Mad World,’ originally performed by Gary Jules for the iconic 2006 commercial, now brilliantly reimagined by the game’s composer Adam Lastiwka. The trailer made its debut in 4K resolution and 30 FPS with 5.1 stereo sound. These specs, optimized for streaming, do not represent the final game’s performance.

    Find out more in our conversation with the developers on Xbox Wire.

    New Trailer for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

    Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, Steam, or play it day one on Game Pass

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2aqnWFpRAY?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Become the famous archaeologist and face off against sinister forces as you fight to uncover the truth behind one of history’s greatest mysteries in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Brand new gameplay and a scene from a pivotal moment in the game were debuted during the Xbox Showcase. An intercepted message sends Indy and Gina to the Himalayas where their treacherous trek through the mountains leads them to a startling discovery. 

    Play Indiana Jones and the Great Circle day one on Game Pass when it launches later this year on Xbox Series X|S and PC.

    Take to the Skies on November 19 with the All-New Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024

    Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, Steam, cloud, or play it day one with Xbox Game Pass

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvzlC4iCtns?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is the next installment in the Microsoft Flight Simulator franchise. It is the most ambitious consumer flight simulator ever undertaken. It features the largest, most diverse and detailed fleet of aircraft, the most complete representation of airports and air traffic, and the most visually stunning rendition of Earth ever created.

    This brand-new simulator is designed to take advantage of the latest technologies in simulation, cloud, machine learning, graphics and gaming. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 goes beyond merely operating the aircraft; it will allow simmers to pursue their dream of an aviation career.

    With features like aerial firefighting, search and rescue, commercial flights, remote cargo ops, VIP charter service, air racing, and more, simmers will not only be experiencing the joy of flight, but also dive into the pilot career they always dreamed of. The sky is calling! Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 takes off on PC and Xbox Series X|S on November 19, and will be available with Game Pass on console, PC, and cloud on day one.

    Perfect Dark Unveils First Look at Gameplay in New Trailer

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofUi9DR9sc4?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Today, we got a first look at gameplay from Perfect Dark, The Initiative’s highly anticipated reboot of the secret agent series featuring the iconic Joanna Dark.

    In the near future, Earth is struck by a series of global disasters, bringing ecosystems around the world to the verge of collapse. In the all-new Perfect Dark game, you experience the journey of Joanna Dark, dataDyne’s elite agent, as she hunts down the world’s most wanted criminal, Daniel Carrington, to uncover the mysteries behind the technological breakthroughs that could threaten the lives of millions of people.

    The new trailer showed us Joanna’s descent into the game’s Cairo setting, offered us a glimpse at the mysteries behind this near-future ecological sci-fi story, and introduced us to a game that blends fluid traversal, gadgets, close-quarters combat, gunplay, stealth, and more to create the ultimate secret agent experience.

    Want to know more? Read our exclusive explainer article on Xbox Wire now.

    South of Midnight Shows Off First Gameplay – and the Monstrous Two-Toed Tom

    Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, Steam, cloud, or play it on day one with Xbox Game Pass

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4UHyaaWXuw?start=2&feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    South of Midnight – the beautiful third-person action-adventure game from We Happy Few creators Compulsion Games – showed off its first gameplay trailer during the show, ahead of its launch in 2025. We meet Hazel and her newly-revealed companion, Catfish, as they travel through a flooded area inspired by the Mississippi Delta – and quickly find themselves facing down one of the game’s monster Kings. Meet Two-Toed Tom, a gigantic albino alligator with a powerful hunger, and even his own theme song.

    The trailer offers a look at combat and traversal, showing off Hazel’s magical weaving powers, and gives us a taste of the game’s darkly gorgeous Deep South setting. We were lucky enough to sit down with South of Midnight’s developers and dive even deeper on the game – check out our exclusive interview on Xbox Wire.

    Open World Zombie Survival Game State of Decay 3 Unveils New Trailer

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjL3a5ZOFNo?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Today at Xbox Games Showcase, Undead Labs revealed a new trailer for State of Decay 3, giving us a closer look at the ambitious open world zombie survival game. This follow-up to fan-favorite State of Decay 2 represents a huge leap forward for the series and the studio.

    In State of Decay 3, the game’s world is now years into the apocalypse, with an evolving zombie threat taking over the landscape. You must fight back and reclaim lost ground, carving out a life for your community of survivalist homesteaders. Fans of the series might pick up on nods to some franchise staples in the new trailer: brutal combat; cooperatively battling back threats to the survivor group; permadeath; opening a car door on a zombie while speeding down the road. But the more you watch it, the more you can see hints at how State of Decay 3 will be the most ambitious game Undead Labs has ever envisioned. To learn more, check out Xbox Wire’s exclusive interview feature.

    Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ First Gameplay Glimpse Revealed

    Xbox Series X|S (see developer website for other platforms)

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jx8WN9fY22M?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Assassin’s Creed Shadows launches on November 15 for Xbox Series X|S, giving players a chance to explore 16th Century Japan as Naoe, an adept shinobi from the province of Iga; and Yasuke, a powerful samurai and Assassin’s Creed’s first fully playable historical figure. Today’s gameplay trailer gave fans their first glimpse at what’s new in Assassin’s Creed Shadows – we saw how the two protagonists, Yasuke and Naoe will differ (and complement one another) in equipment and abilities, as well as the game’s wider world, and Shadows’ changing seasons. Stay tuned for a full gameplay walkthrough reveal tomorrow during Ubisoft Forward (starting at 12pm PT / 3pm ET / 8pm UK).

    Survive, Explore and Uncover the Truth in Atomfall

    Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, or play it day one with Game Pass (see developer website for other platforms)

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HG3si5zKv0?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Set in the rolling British countryside with idyllic pubs, quaint villages, and red phone boxes, it soon becomes clear that things are far from normal. Created by Rebellion, the makers of the much-loved Sniper Elite and Zombie Army franchises, Atomfall is inspired by a real-world nuclear disaster that occurred in northern England in 1957. The game follows a fictional storyline where you find yourself in the quarantine zone five years after the event.

    Explore the countryside, villages, and settlements and meet odd people, wicked cults, rogue government agencies and others along the way. Explore this open world adventure and seek out the truth at your own pace. A single player, survival-action game, Atomfall blends post-war Britain with Cold War paranoia, folk horror, and elements of classic British sci-fi to create an immersive and thrilling gameplay experience.

    Atomfall will launch in 2025, coming to Game Pass on day one. It will also be available on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and PC. The studio will be revealing more about Atomfall soon.

    Prepare to Fight for Your Life in Sandfall Interactive’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

    Xbox Series X|S, or play it day one with Game Pass (see developer website for other platforms)

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDyqGZy78Ng?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is an upcoming reactive turn-based RPG that will transport you to a beautiful, surrealist new world inspired by France’s La Belle Epoque – a period famous for its stunning and lavish contributions to the country’s world-renowned culture of art.

    As a member of the Expeditioners, who are embarking on an impossible quest to end the Paintress’ cycle of death, you’ll journey through a vast and beautiful fantasy world where you’ll battle deadly adversaries, befriend fabled creatures, and discover traces of those who came before. You can wish list the game today on the Xbox Store and follow @Expedition33 on X (formally Twitter) to stay up to date.

    Dragon Age: The Veilguard – Meet the Veilguard for the First Time in a New Trailer

    Xbox Series X|S (see developer website for other platforms)

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drVOCrvXHhE?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    BioWare and Electronic Arts revealed a new trailer for Dragon Age: The Veilguard, where we meet your team of seven companions, each with their own rich story to discover and shape. Together, you will become The Veilguard.

    Expanding upon the Dragon Age stories, worlds and characters from previous games, players will enter a vibrant land of rugged wilderness, treacherous labyrinths, and glittering cities – steeped in conflict and secret magics. Together with your companions, you will challenge a pair of corrupt ancient gods, who have broken free from centuries of darkness and are hellbent on destroying the world. Thedas needs someone they can count on, and that person is you. Rise as Rook, Dragon Age’s newest hero. Be who you want to be and play how you want to play as you fight to stop the gods from blighting the world. Find out more on Xbox Wire.

    Souls-lite Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn Arrives With a Bang on July 18

    Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, or play it day one with Game Pass (see developer website for other platforms)

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AELgaQ6GqSs?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    The long-awaited return from Ashen developer A44 is almost here – during the show, we announced that Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn will arrive on July 18. Set in the beleaguered world of Kian, you’ll guide Nor Vanek, a Flintlock weapons expert, on a quest to kill the rampaging gods that have invaded her world.

    Blending classic Souls mechanics with a brutal, fast-paced combat system, Nor can use a combination of axe combat, flintlock weaponry, and magic, creating devastating combos – but you’ll need skill to survive. Pre-orders are open now, and a deluxe edition offers alternative outfits and weapon customization options.

    FragPunk Explodes Into the Show

    Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC (see developer website for other platforms)

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fN8EdlB0P10?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Looking for a new competitive FPS? FragPunk is a frantic, squad-based, 5v5 hero shooter where you set the rules of engagement for every new round by activating power-up cards. With its debut at Xbox Games Showcase 2024, FragPunk rocks the hero shooter genre with fast-paced combat and a plethora of synergies and counterplays between over 70 shard cards, 10 heroes, 14 weapons and 4 maps!

    Life Is Strange: Double Exposure Brings Back Our Original Star

    Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC (see developer website for other platforms)

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiCDmeW9eac?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Life Is Strange: Double Exposure isn’t just a return for the beloved narrative adventure series, but a return for its original star, Max Caulfield. Several years after we guided her through Arcadia Bay, Double Exposure sees Max return later in her life, now an artist-in-residence at the prestigious Caledon University.

    Unfortunately, calamity is never far away – Max’s friend Safi is killed, and we’ll be plunged into a full-on murder-mystery, with a supernatural twist. Max’s original power to rewind time has morphed into the ability to entirely Shift timelines, and we’ll be exploring two parallel realities – one where Safi is safe and well, and the other in the wake of her death – in order to discover the identity of her killer. Life Is Strange: Double Exposure arrives on October 29, and those who pre-order the Ultimate Edition will be able to play the first two chapters from October 15.

    Mecha Break Revealed: Create Your Mech and Take It to War Together

    Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC (see developer website for other platforms)

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N14JSXhgAeQ?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Mecha Break is a multiplayer mech-based shooter that allows players to choose from a variety of mechs, customize their appearances, and battle colossal war machines on treacherous terrain.

    Prepare for adrenaline-pumping battles, lightning-fast maneuvers, and explosive firepower. Mecha Break’s Xbox Closed Beta will be coming to Xbox Series X in August 2024, and will be available to all players in 2025. Mecha Break features customizable mechs, player-created mech pilots, a wide array of mech and weapon types, and three distinct game modes — a 6v6 Battlefield mode, 3v3 Arena mode, and up to 60-player PvEvP mode — to put players in the pilot seat and create the ultimate mech showdown experience. Discover an array of attacker, brawler, defender, sniper, and support mechs, each with unique playstyles and toolsets. Players can personalize each mech with custom full-body paint jobs and upgrade attachments, enhancing their stats to suit their chosen playstyle.

    For the upcoming August Closed Beta Test on Xbox Series X, the highlight game mode will be the 6v6 Battlefield mode. Work together with your team and engage in intense aerial and ground combat as you fight for the objective.

    Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater Shows Its New Take on a Classic

    Xbox Series X|S (see developer website for other platforms)

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTVaEPHa9Bc?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater creates a deeply immersive world with enhanced visuals and sounds, using the full potential of Unreal Engine 5 while keeping legacy controls and voice lines from the original title intact. A new third-person camera and control layout offers players an intuitive introduction to the beginning of the Metal Gear Solid saga as they step into the boots of Snake in a high-stakes, espionage thriller.

    Mixtape: Nothing But the Hits – Coming 2025

    Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, cloud, or play it day one with Game Pass (see developer website for other platforms)

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCTH8R6RD74?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    From Beethoven & Dinosaur, award-winning developers of The Artful Escape, comes Mixtape. On their last night of high school, three friends embark on one more adventure together. En route to their final party together, a perfectly-curated playlist draws them into dreamlike reenactments of their formative memories together.

    Immerse yourself in the teenage wasteland, playing through a variety of narrative vignettes exploring the pivotal moments that shaped them. The story is delivered through a mixtape of comedic, joyful gameplay, from skateboarding and flying to taking photos after hours at an abandoned theme park, and much more. It’s the greatest hits of teenage friendship, from the first kiss to the last dance. Similar to games like What Remains of Edith Finch, Mixtape ties its narrative to a unique, vignette-driven structure that emphasizes variety, surprise, and comedy in its gameplay.

    Featuring music from DEVO, Roxy Music, Lush, The Smashing Pumpkins, Iggy Pop, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division, and more. Mixtape effectively blends gameplay, narrative, and music. Join the crew on their last night together as they experience a mixtape of memories, set to the soundtrack of a generation.

    S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl Reveals the Time of Opportunities Trailer

    Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, or play it day one with Game Pass (see developer website for other platforms)

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RktmztDtwg?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    The new trailer for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is here. Packed with brand-new reveals, this trailer showcases the array of experiences awaiting players, from locations to encounters with mutants and archanomalies. And hubs! Places to have some well-deserved rest and prepare your body and gear for the next intense mission.

    In-game footage is mixed with narrative snippets, highlighting the prominence of the non-linear storyline in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl. The Time of Opportunities trailer is aptly named, reflecting the boundless potential that awaits within this unforgiving landscape. How will you see the Zone? And how will She remember you?

    This time, you’ll hear much more of the Ukrainian voiceover. Being a Ukrainian company, GSC Game World knows that many fans are eager to experience the game in Ukrainian with subtitles of their choice. The trailer is aimed to provide a better understanding of what this experience will feel like. The Time of Opportunities trailer kicks off a series of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 showcases throughout this summer. Please stay tuned for additional announcements.

    Winter Burrow Is a Cozy Survival Experience Inspired By a Love of Nature

    Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, or play it day one with Game Pass (see developer website for other platforms)

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngvzOKaj8tY?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Build your dream burrow and explore a charming, snow-coated open world in Winter Burrow, a cozy woodland survival game. As a tiny mouse, spend your days adventuring through brisk environments as you search for your lost aunty, and collect up resources to restore your childhood burrow.

    Winter Burrow merges comfy, cozy game elements with challenging yet approachable survival merchanics. Spend time in your burrow, crafting cute decorations to make your surroundings feel homely, knit cozy clothing to stay warm in the cold weather, and make sure you’re prepared for those big days of foraging in the forests. To stay up to date on all things Winter Burrow, wishlist the game on the Xbox Store and follow Winter Burrow on Twitter.

    Wuchang: Fallen Feathers Revealed – A Journey Into the Darkness of the Late Ming Dynasty

    Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, or play it day one with Game Pass (see developer website for other platforms)

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7CGFPbfSCY?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Step into the dark and tumultuous land of Shu in Wuchang: Fallen Feathers. This soulslike action-RPG launches day one on Xbox Series X|S and immerses players in the dark late Ming Dynasty, a period rife with warring factions and a mysterious illness turning humans into monstrous creatures. You are Wuchang, a pirate warrior struck by amnesia and afflicted by Ornithropy, a horrific disease but the source of immense power. As you explore the depths of Shu, you’ll enhance your arsenal, master new skills harvested from fallen foes, and evolve your fighting style by sacrificing Red Mercury.

    Battle against grotesque abominations, drawing on ancient lore to challenge the creeping darkness that threatens the humanity that remains. As you piece together Wuchang’s lost memories, your choices will lead you to one of several endings—each determined by the choices made, secrets unearthed and the allies you choose to trust. Will you reveal the truths of Wuchang’s curse and bring peace to Shu, or will you succumb to the encroaching horrors? The fate of the land rests in your hands. Nothing is Forever.

    Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred Releases October 8 – Pre-purchase Now and Get In-game Rewards Today

    Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, PC via Battle.net, Steam, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7pt0ntHN4g?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Prepare yourself for the next chapter of Diablo IV from Blizzard Entertainment: Vessel of Hatred, the game’s first expansion, emerges on October 8.

    Unleash the power of the Spiritborn, a new class that harnesses the mystical spirits of the jungle for swift and devastating attacks. The hunt for Neyrelle begins anew as she strives to thwart Mephisto’s sinister plot. Dive into the jungle region of Nahantu, where new Dungeons, Strongholds, and enemies await, along with a new PvE co-op activity where you can team up to take down challenges for promising rewards. Plus, recruit new Mercenaries to aid you in your quest, grow in power as they progress, and help you in combat with their unique abilities.

    Embrace the shadows on October 8! Vessel of Hatred is set to redefine your journey through Sanctuary. Pre-purchase now and unlock immediate in-game rewards. The darkness does not rest – neither should you.

    The Elder Scrolls Online Invites You to Discover Tamriel in a New Trailer

    Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, Steam, Epic Games Store, cloud, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dw82N_KH6jc?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Celebrating a decade of adventures within Tamriel’s Second Era, The Elder Scrolls Online invites you to begin your epic story with a new trailer. Whether you’re an Elder Scrolls veteran or a newcomer to the series, you can explore an ever-growing world, party up with your fellow adventures, and discover why over 24 million players have now experienced the award-winning online RPG.

    June also features the launch of ESO’s latest Chapter, The Elder Scrolls Online: Gold Road, now available on PC/Mac and coming June 18 on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S consoles. Unravel the mystery of the return of the Forgotten Prince, unlock the Scribing System to create your own abilities, and delve into the region of West Weld, a part of Tamriel not seen since The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Visit elderscrollsonline.com for more on the Gold Road Chapter and the ongoing 10-Year Anniversary Celebration.

    Fallout 76 Skyline Valley Release Date Announced With New Trailer

    Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, Steam, cloud, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, or play it day one with Game Pass

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGDLe7HShLk?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    In Skyline Valley’s major expansion of the world map, you’ll cross the Savage Divide and travel to the southern reaches of Appalachia. This picturesque new region, Skyline Valley, introduces fresh locations to explore among the woodlands once known as Shenandoah National Park.

    Seek out Vault 63 and uncover its mysteries. Learn the truth about the Lost, the electric Ghouls that inhabit the Vault, and their enigmatic overseer, Hugo Stolz. You’ll chase storms in Skyline Valley’s new Public Event, Dangerous Pastimes, and fight new region bosses, a monumental trifecta of Robo-brains. Skyline Valley comes to Fallout 76 on June 12.

    Sea of Thieves Season 13 Update: Being Bad Can Sometimes Feel Good

    Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, Steam, cloud, PlayStation 5, Game Pass

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=catD9gN3smU?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Rare showed off their dark side with a fiery new Sea of Thieves trailer, heralding the return of Captain Flameheart and inviting players to become the boss fight. An all-new world event will pit pirates against Flameheart’s mighty flagship in order to seize it, raining fire on their foes with a skeleton crew at their command and reaping the rewards of their dastardly deeds. This thrilling new encounter is part of Sea of Thieves: Season 13, which arrives on July 25 as a free update for all players on Xbox, PC and PS5.

    Starfield Shattered Space Reveal Trailer, Plus Highlights from the June Update

    Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, Steam, Game Pass

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-Vwd3oall8?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Deep in the dark reaches of space, the followers of the Great Serpent live shrouded in mystery. Begin an epic new story and explore House Va’ruun territory in Shattered Space, Starfield’s first major expansion. Watch the reveal trailer now and experience the story of House Va’ruun when Shattered Space launches later this year.

    In addition to the first look at Shattered Space, highlights from Starfield‘s latest major update were shared immediately following the Xbox Showcase. Official mod support with the launch of Creations, the first new quest DLC with the introduction of Trackers Alliance, new bounty hunting features, and improvements to melee weapons are the highlights of Starfield’s June Update. The June Update is now available on Xbox Series X|S and PC.

    The Darkness Calls on August 26 with World of Warcraft: The War Within

    PC via Battle.net

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JEqjsfIxfQ?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Blizzard Entertainment’s 10th World of Warcraft expansion and the opening chapter of the most ambitious story arc in the game’s near 20-year history, The War Within is set to launch on August 26.

    This upcoming expansion – the first of three in The Worldsoul Saga – will draw you deep into the mythology of World of Warcraft, weaving narrative threads from the past two decades together in a way that will captivate players both old and new. For a limited time, Blizzard is offering the Welcome to Azeroth Bundle,  which includes everything players need to begin their adventure in Azeroth. The bundle includes the current expansion – the critically acclaimed Dragonflight – a level 60 character boost, and 60 days of game time, for $24.99 USD.

    Don’t miss out on this legendary adventure! Join the community today, explore the wonders of Dragon Isles, and prepare yourself for The War Within – pre-purchases are available now through Battle.net.

    Three New Xbox Series X|S Console Options Revealed

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzDPNi77F24?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Three new Xbox Series X|S console options are joining our current lineup, and we’re excited to give players more ways to join gaming with Xbox – it’s the best way to enjoy the diverse experiences crafted by game creators. This holiday, our 1TB Series S in Robot White, an all-digital Xbox Series X, and a 2TB Xbox Series X Special Edition in Galaxy Black will be available in select markets (console assortment will vary by market). Stay tuned for updates in the coming months where we’ll provide information about market availability and regional Estimated Retail Pricing (ERP) when we share pre-order details. To learn more about these new consoles, head on over to the Wire post here. 

    With the incredible lineup of games shown at the Xbox Games Showcase 2024 and Call of Duty®: Black Ops 6 Direct, this is one of the best years ever to upgrade your console or jump into Xbox for the first time. 

    Website: LINK

  • How to Watch the Xbox Games Showcase and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Direct on Sunday

    How to Watch the Xbox Games Showcase and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Direct on Sunday

    Reading Time: 4 minutes

    It’s almost time – this Sunday, June 9, we invite players from around the world to a huge double feature: the Xbox Games Showcase 2024, immediately followed by Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Direct. This will mark the first Xbox Showcase featuring games from our portfolio of studios across Activision, Blizzard, Bethesda and Xbox Game Studios, not to mention our incredible third-party partners. Plus, the Showcase will be immediately followed by a deep-dive into Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.

    It’s our biggest moment of the year to show you the future of gaming with Xbox, and we hope you can join us. With that in mind, here are all the details you need to know ahead of Sunday:

    What time does Xbox Games Showcase begin? The Showcase will take place on Sunday, June 9, beginning at:

    • PT: June 9, 10am
    • ET: June 9, 1pm
    • BST: June 9, 6pm
    • CET: June 9, 7pm
    • JST: June 10, 2am
    • AEST: June 10, 3am

    What time does Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Direct begin? Immediately following the Xbox Games Showcase.

    How do I watch the Xbox Games Showcase and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Direct? The Xbox Games Showcase and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Direct will be streamed live on official Xbox, Bethesda, and Activision Blizzard channels, including the below:

    The show will also be streamed out simultaneously on regional Xbox and Bethesda channels around the globe.

    Please note the /Xbox, /Bethesda and /ActivisionGames streams on YouTube will be in 4K at 60fps, while all other channels will be 1080p / 60fps.

    Is the event available in languages other than English?  We will be providing subtitle support in  the following languages: Albanian, Arabic (MSA), Bangla, Bosnian, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional, Taiwan), Chinese (Traditional, Hong Kong), Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, Filipino, French, French (Canadian), Gaelic (Irish), German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latvian, Lithuanian, Macedonian, Malay, Maltese, Māori, Norwegian, Persian (Farsi), Polish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Portuguese, Punjabi (Gurmukhi), Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Spanish (Castilian), Spanish (Mexican), Swahili, Swedish, Tamil, Thai, Ukrainian, Urdu, Vietnamese, Welsh and Zulu. While we expect to have all languages available with the show’s live broadcast, it is possible that select languages may need to be added in the days following the broadcast if they have not finished translating.

    The easiest way to find your preferred language is to go to your region’s Xbox page, or by viewing on the official Xbox YouTube channel at YouTube.com/Xbox and clicking the gear icon in the lower right corner.

    Is Xbox Games Showcase going to be Accessible to those with low/no hearing or low/no vision? There will be a version of the show with Audio Descriptions (AD) in English on the Xbox YouTube channel, American Sign Language (ASL) on Xbox’s YouTube channel and the /XboxASL Twitch channel, and British Sign Language (BSL) on Xbox On’s YouTube channel at YouTube.com/XboxOn.

    I’m not going to be able to watch, where can I find out what was announced? As announcements roll out during the broadcast, the Xbox Wire team will be publishing detailed blog posts for key announcements right here on Xbox Wire (with localized versions in Brazilian Portuguese, French, German, LATAM Spanish, and Japanese to follow). A full show recap will be published on Xbox Wire immediately following the end of Xbox Games Showcase, and a separate recap for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Direct will go live after that show ends. Plus, stay tuned to Xbox Wire in the days following the show for more exclusive articles.

    Will Xbox be broadcasting post-show content? Starting from Monday, June 10 and running throughout that week, the Official Xbox Podcast will be airing a series of special episodes offering updates and deeper dives into titles featured during Xbox Games Showcase. These shows will be published daily on Xbox’s YouTube channel and podcast services, with accompanying articles on Xbox Wire. We look forward to sharing more details after the Showcase concludes.

    Co-streamer and content creator notes for the Xbox Games Showcase and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Direct: We at Xbox greatly appreciate any co-stream efforts and aim to ensure you have a smooth experience if you choose to do so. However, due to forces beyond our control, we cannot guarantee that glitches or disruptions by bots and other automated software won’t interfere with your co-stream. For those planning to create post-show breakdowns of the Xbox Showcase in the form of Video on Demand (VOD) coverage, we recommend you do not use any audio containing copyrighted music to avoid any action by automated bots, and to also consult the terms of service for your service provider.

    We can’t wait for you to join us for Xbox Games Showcase, followed by Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Direct on Sunday, June 9.

    Website: LINK

  • Xbox’s Promise to Bring More Games to More Players Around the World

    Xbox’s Promise to Bring More Games to More Players Around the World

    Reading Time: 3 minutes

    Today, on a special edition of the Official Xbox Podcast, we shared an update on plans to continue to bring more games to more people around the world, with the exciting news that the first Activision Blizzard game on Xbox Game Pass will be Diablo IV, beginning March 28.

    Phil Spencer, Sarah Bond, and Matt Booty also shared the vision on game exclusivity, the future of Xbox hardware, and the overall Xbox promise. There’s a lot to talk about, so we encourage you to watch the full episode here:

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGlD9SO3rKU?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    With the combined creativity across Team Xbox, players can expect an incredible 2024 with the likes of Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Avowed, Ara: History Untold, Towerborne and more coming your way, alongside continued updates for our blockbuster franchises Call of Duty, Minecraft, Forza, The Elder Scrolls Online and Microsoft Flight Simulator.

    There will be even more to play as we begin to fulfill our commitment to offer Activision and Blizzard games with Game Pass, both new releases and classic games from its legendary catalog. We’re happy to share that Diablo IV will be available to play by the 34 million Game Pass subscribers on both PC and Xbox consoles beginning March 28! This is only the start of Xbox players being able to enjoy Activision and Blizzard games on Game Pass – we look forward to sharing more soon.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAzsvhydCps?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Our combined studio teams already ship some of the biggest franchises and critically-acclaimed adventures across multiple platforms: Minecraft, Call of Duty, Overwatch, Diablo, The Elder Scrolls Online, and more have built communities across consoles, PC, and mobile. Likewise, Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda have brought dozens of games to Steam alongside Xbox consoles on launch day; the teams at Xbox have extensive experience supporting multiple platforms, while continuing to invest heavily in our studios, our consoles and services.

    Indeed, our games are reaching more players than ever; across Activision, Bethesda, Blizzard, King, and Xbox Game Studios, we reach hundreds of millions of players across console, PC, and mobile.

    To ensure long-term success for both Xbox and the industry as a whole, we must continue to evolve. Today we announced that we will expand the communities we reach: we are currently in the process of bringing four Xbox games to other platforms. These are titles which have been available to Xbox players for at least a year, including hidden gems that deserve to be experienced more widely, and live service games whose communities will benefit from welcoming even more players. We will share more details on these titles soon.

    By bringing these games to more players, we not only expand the reach and impact of those titles, but this will allow us to invest in either future versions of these games, or elsewhere in our first-party portfolio. There is no fundamental change to our approach on exclusivity. 

    Likewise, our commitment to game preservation is unwavering. Xbox players should have confidence in building your digital library in the Xbox ecosystem.  We will continue to reward that with the most robust, player-friendly experiences, including backwards compatibility, cross-play, cross-save progression, convenient cloud gaming, and more. Xbox consoles will continue to provide a flagship experience for players; it’s where you get the best value and convenience, it’s where Game Pass provides unprecedented access to an ever-evolving library of games. To be clear: Game Pass will continue to be only available on Xbox platforms. 

    This is what it means to be part of Xbox:

    • The biggest games in the world will be on Xbox.  
    • Our games will come to Game Pass day one
    • A robust and innovative multi-year hardware roadmap
    • Compatibility with your library is a priority, inclusive of cross-play, cross-save, and robust cloud features.  
    • Xbox will continue to help game creators find the biggest audience possible.

    Whether you’ve been with us since 2001, recently joined Game Pass to enjoy games like Starfield or Palworld, or are looking forward to the next season of Call of Duty, the creative teams at Xbox are stronger together – no matter where you play. Xbox will be around for decades to come – we hope you’ll join us on this journey.

    Website: LINK

  • 2024’s Games Lineup Is Going to Be Incredible for Xbox Players – Here’s Why

    2024’s Games Lineup Is Going to Be Incredible for Xbox Players – Here’s Why

    Reading Time: 11 minutes

    2024 is going to be a great year for Xbox players. Across Xbox consoles, PC, Cloud, and Game Pass, you’ll find a truly special line-up on the way. As you saw in the recent Developer_Direct broadcast, our teams and partners are bringing world-class experiences to Xbox platforms. With new ideas, long-awaited sequels, incredible exclusives, and more all on the way, no matter what kind of game you’re looking for, you’ll find it on Xbox.

    To try and cram it all into a single article would be impossible, but we’ve arranged a choice selection of just some of the upcoming games into categories, to give you a sense of what’s coming this year to Xbox and PC.

    The Choice is Yours in Avowed

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJFDLV9ov_U?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Avowed sees Obsidian taking us back to the world of Eora (the setting of the Pillars of Eternity franchise), and into the unexplored Living Lands, a fantastical, vibrant island filled with adventure and danger. As with all of Obsidian’s games, it’s going to be a journey to remember – this fantasy action RPG is built around the studio’s mantra of playing “your worlds, your way,” including opportunities to approach story and combat in multiple ways, as you ultimately uncover a mystery that affects not only you and your party, but the fate of the Living Lands themselves. Coming to Xbox Series X|S, PC and cloud (and available with Game Pass on day one) this fall.

    Advance into a New Age of Grand Strategy with Ara: History Untold

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QS3qJXXu0Bk?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    The team at Oxide Games is comprised of strategy gaming veterans – many who have worked on the acclaimed Civilization franchise together. Now they’re paving their own path to create a game they’ve always wanted to make, while finding new ways to build upon the framework of what makes the genre so great to begin with.

    With an innovative crafting and simultaneous turns system, unique leaders, and a pedigree of talent behind them, Ara: History Untold isn’t just shaping up to be the next great grand strategy game – it’s planning to usher in a whole new arena of innovation to the genre that has us excited to advance into this next age with them. Ara: History Untold arrives this fall on Windows and Steam, and will be available with PC Game Pass on day one. We recommend that you Wishlist the game on Steam for the latest breaking game news.

    Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II Makes Its Haunting Return

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVue2UHNAkE?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Ninja Theory reignites the journey of Senua in Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, the long-awaited sequel to Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice. The story follows Senua’s next steps across a stunning 10th Century Iceland, taking you through dark and dangerous encounters, seen through the eyes of someone who experiences psychosis, and all intertwined in a truly unique audio-visual experience – rooted in staying true to its remarkable predecessor. We can’t wait to jump back into this unique gaming world, which tells an immersive, brutal story about facing the darkness within and without. Senua returns on May 21 for Xbox Series X|S, PC and Cloud, and will be available with Game Pass on day one.

    Join a New Adventure in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htGnW6YNPjs?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    This new journey starring the legendary archaeologist comes from the award-winning team at MachineGames – the minds behind Wolfenstein: The New Order and Wolfenstein: The New Colossus – in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games and executive produced by Bethesda Game Studios’ Todd Howard.

    Set between “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and “The Last Crusade”, Indiana Jones and The Great Circle is a first-person, single-player adventure that will take you all over the world, uncovering clues and solving an ancient mystery. Become the adventurer in a race against sinister forces. Your journeys will take you from the hallowed halls of the Vatican and the arid deserts of Egypt to the lush and sunken temples of Sukhothai and the frigid peaks of the Himalayas.

    Indiana Jones and The Great Circle is coming later this year to Xbox Series X|S and PC, and will be available with Game Pass on day one.

    Soar to New Heights with Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3xp-SnZDoY?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    This brand-new simulator is designed to take advantage of the latest technologies in simulation, cloud, machine learning, graphics and gaming to create the most sophisticated, immersive and awe-inspiring flight simulator of all time. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 goes beyond letting us polish up those virtual pilot wings on our uniforms, it will allow us to pursue our dream of an aviation career.

    With features like aerial firefighting, search and rescue, commercial flights, remote cargo ops, VIP charter service, air racing, and more, we’ll not only be experiencing the joy of flight, but experience the pilot career we always dreamed of. The sky is calling – Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 takes off on PC and Xbox Series X|S this year, and will be available with Game Pass on day one.

    Experience a Never-Ending Adventure in Towerborne

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RhVFeNIBi0?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Gear up and for a brand-new take on action-RPGs in Towerborne, a new adventure from Banner Saga developer Stoic and Xbox Games Publishing. A colorful tale of courage and heroism with a rich arsenal of weapons and combat abilities, Towerborne will offer a ton of replayability and charm, set in a gorgeous, dynamic world that evolves as players progress. Towerborne will make its grand debut for Xbox Series X|S and PC in 2024, and will be available with Game Pass on day one.

    Explore Enormous Open Worlds

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTcvtSfDkCM?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    There’s a reason open worlds are among gaming’s most popular places – the scope they offer for freedom, discovery, and self-expression are unmatched by most. Thankfully, there are some very big hitters coming in 2024. Star Wars Outlaws is the first-ever open world Star Wars game, set between the events of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. Fight, steal, and outwit crime syndicates as you join the galaxy’s most wanted. Final Fantasy XIV Online arrives on Xbox for the first time this year, welcoming you into its huge, beautiful MMO world, and inviting you to explore every inch with your friends.

    2024 also sees the long-awaited return of two cult classic franchises with wide open worlds. Dragon’s Dogma 2 brings us another eldritch blast of Capcom’s unique action-RPG, mixing high fantasy with some truly outlandish combat – once you’ve taken down a cyclops with a meteor, you’ll know why people loved the first game quite so much. STALKER 2 (coming on day one to Game Pass) will reintroduce us to The Zone after many years away, asking you to explore a mutating world by way of intense, painstaking survival action.

    Strategize on an Epic Scale

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1I815PCKeE?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    If turn-based role playing fans thought they were eating good last year, with celebrated entries such as Baldur’s Gate 3 and Sea of Stars, it’s time to loosen that belt another notch; a feast of massive adventures is on the menu in 2024. Following November’s more action-focused Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, RGG Studio shifts focus back to turn-based battle in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, out now. This one’s as epic as it is wacky, with a full island-building game embedded as an optional diversion from Ichiban’s adventures in Hawaii – the first game in the series set outside of Japan.  This week, Atlus revisits one of the most beloved RPGs of all time with Persona 3 Reload (coming on day one to Game Pass), complete with overhauled visuals, new music and voice performances, and modernized gameplay features.

    Vaunted developer Vanillaware is known for its visually distinct RPGs, and it’s bringing its first-ever title to Xbox in March, the stunning tactical RPG Unicorn Overlord. The much-anticipated Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes (coming on day one to Game Pass) promises an immersive JRPG experience with a focus on rich storytelling. Players can look forward to intricate town-upgrading mechanics and engaging combat, exploring a world brimming with diverse characters and compelling narratives. Finally, one of the most striking titles at last year’s Xbox Games Showcase, Metaphor: ReFantazio is a new fantasy RPG from some of the creative minds behind the Persona series.

    Prepare for More Fearful Encounters

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLWQDX5pbDM?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Horror is one of the most captivating genres in gaming. Designed to thrill while pulling you into a world of terror, these types of games have a way of staying with you even after the lights have come back on. 2024 might be upping this a notch with one of the masters of modern gaming horror, The Chinese Room, bringing us into their newest universe with Still Wakes the Deep (coming on day one to Game Pass). You’ll be stranded on a warping North Sea oil rig being seemingly consumed by a supernatural entity. Sounds fun; sign us up.

    Some of these fearful encounters in 2024 will be returns to the familiar. Supermassive Games is taking the reins from Tarsier Studios with Little Nightmares III, bringing their horror pedigree to this beloved puzzle-platform horror adventure series. We’ll also be taking a return trip into Red Barrels’ excellent survival horror series with The Outlast Trials. One of the newest features there will be the opportunity to play with friends within the walls of a corporate-controlled sanitorium.

    Speaking of returns, we’ll also be treated to a long-awaited arrival of a new Alone in the Dark, now with a reimagined take on a horror gaming classic starring David Harbour and Jodie Comer as playable protagonists.

    Traverse New Worlds

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7-3NsH82HA?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Perhaps one of the most exciting parts of gaming is finding a brand new series, and a brand new world, to explore, shape, and fall in love with. 2024 is going to offer many, many opportunities to do that, with multiple games marking the start of brand new journeys for players. From Xbox, Towerborne and Ara: History Untold are the beginning of brand-new series, but our partners are also bringing a bevy of new ideas to the table.

    Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn weaves together brutal melee, gunplay, and magic for a fantasy narrative that looks strikingly original. Meanwhile, Dungeons of Hinterberg (coming to Game Pass on day one) will take us to a fantastical version of the Alps, The Plucky Squire will jump between 2D and 3D in its storybook world, and 33 Immortals (coming to Game Pass on day one) turns the action-roguelike template into a never-before-seen 33-player co-op experience.

    Dive Into a Simulation

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sx8pehx8xvc?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Sometimes, the only thing better than getting lost in a new world is sculpting that world yourself – “simulator” can mean many things in gaming these days, and 2024 brings ample opportunity to sculpt an empire, or create peaceful hangouts along with friends.

    In Manor Lords (coming on day one to PC Game Pass), dynamic, medieval settings meet real history in a fresh take on city-building and real time strategy. For a quieter adventure, take your mech for a stroll through the cozy cosmic hills of Lightyear Frontier (coming day one to Xbox Game Pass), an open-world farming adventure that can be explored alone or with friends.

    And of course, as we mentioned above, Flight Simulator 2024 takes flight this year, so be sure to keep your eyes to the virtual skies (and Xbox Wire) for updates.

    Relive The Adventure

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGrYKr2MTMs?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Returning to a story you know and love can be the ultimate joy, and 2024 is packed with shiny new spins on some classic titles. Explore the depths in Tomb Raider I – III Remastered, which includes the first three games in the classic series complete with upgraded graphics. Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster also promises a triumphant return to a classic tale of good vs. evil, complete with stunning new visuals that’ll entice old and new Star Wars fans alike. Plus, you can relive an Xbox indie gem with Braid: Anniversary Edition, a lovingly updated version of the time-bending platformer, complete with charming new graphics, improved sound, and developer commentary.

    Jump Into Long-Awaited Returns

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWLNS0xq1yE?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Many of the stories and worlds that we already love are making big comebacks this year. Tekken 8 – out now – is on top form, with cutting edge combat, stunning visuals and a bombastic new story – it’s the perfect instalment for new and returning fighting fans to jump into.

    Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 by The Chinese Room takes players to the dark underbelly of Seattle, where vampires struggle for survival and supremacy. As an Elder vampire, players meet compelling characters, navigate complex political relationships, stalk the streets for prey, and engage in intense combat to uncover the city’s secrets. Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 launches later this year, ending our 13-year wait to step back into the boots of Captain Titus as he hacks, slashes and boltguns through hordes of vicious Tyranids in a glorious sequel.

    A fresh entry into the enchanting Mana series – and its first appearance on Xbox consoles – is also on the way. As we discovered during Developer_Direct, Visions of Mana promises a beautiful reimagining of the series’ vibrant worlds, breathtaking environments and heartwarming characters, all within an epic RPG.

    Immerse Yourself in Unexpected Art Styles

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAx5NN0u5b4?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    First impressions are everything, and this year is bringing some games that will open your eyes as much as they expand your mind. In a true, ‘I never thought I’d see that in a game’ moment, Harold Halibut (coming to Game Pass on day one) is a handmade adventure built with traditional stop-motion techniques – imagine a playable Wes Anderson movie set on a submerged spaceship and you’re on the right track.

    Rise of the Golden Idol is a sequel to the beloved (and truly bizarre) detective game Case of the Golden Idol, and brings with it a style that somehow fuses the painterly and the grotesque while evoking classic ’90s point ’n’ clicks. Open Roads (coming to Game Pass on day one) on the other hand blends a 3D world with beautiful, graphic novel-style characters to striking effect, helping to tell the story of a mother and daughter embarking on a road trip and uncovering long-lost family secrets.

    Enjoy More From the Worlds You Love

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yn6LlZSphpA?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Of course, a game doesn’t stop growing when it’s released, and many of your favorites will continue to get new content throughout 2024. From the Xbox family, you can expect Starfield’s DLC expansion, Shattered Space, later this year – not to mention new seasons and updates for the likes of Sea of Thieves, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, Call of Duty: Warzone, Diablo IV, Halo Infinite, Overwatch 2, The Elder Scrolls Online, Fallout 76, Grounded, Minecraft, and more. That’s not to mention our games on other platforms, such as World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, and Call of Duty: Mobile.

    From our partners, you can of course expect Fortnite to continue to grow in truly unexpected ways, Destiny 2 will receive its epochal The Final Shape expansion, and Apex Legends will celebrate its fifth anniversary. That’s not to mention the likes of Grand Theft Auto Online, the EA Sports catalogue, Rainbow Six Siege, and many, many more.

    Keep Discovering With Game Pass

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rUEWRG8hp8?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    With all of these new games on the way, don’t forget that Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass already contain hundreds of titles for you to try out – your new favorite game might already be waiting for you. Encompassing console, PC, and cloud (with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate), Game Pass offers new games, new genres, and new ideas, wherever you want to play.

    2023 saw some incredible games join the service, and 2024 will be no different. We’ve already started strong with the likes of Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, Resident Evil 2, and many more joining Game Pass in January, and the year ahead is looking very good – Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, Persona 3 Reload, Manor Lords are just a few of the titles on their way. Make sure to check back with Xbox Wire to find out what’s coming, and when.

    Website: LINK

  • Design an Original Starfield Spacesuit and it Could Be Yours for Real

    Design an Original Starfield Spacesuit and it Could Be Yours for Real

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    Starfield is the first new universe in over 25 years from the award-winning creators behind Skyrim and Fallout 4, Bethesda Game Studios. Gamers from around the world were excited to jump into this interstellar universe rich with adventure, peril, and excitement.  

    But before anyone hops into space, they need something critical: a spacesuit.   

    So, Xbox has partnered up with the European Space Agency (ESA) to give Starfield fans  around the world a chance to win the spacesuit of their dreams, in real life, in addition to other incredible Xbox prizes. This is a physical, wearable, one-of-a-kind garment, fabricated for the most intrepid explorers.     

    Whether using a provided template as a base, or pushing their imagination to the limit with any creative format of their choice, fans will be asked to provide both a visual illustration of the suit from all sides—hand-drawn, 3D-rendered, or however their vision sees fit—as well as a description of the inspiration of the suit. More specifically, Xbox, Bethesda and the ESA want to know what you would wear in outer space – how would your spacesuit reflect your personal style, individuality and vision for space travel?

    After submitting suits through the campaign webpage, the most creative option—the one that truly gives weight to the phrase “out-of-this-world individual style”—will win a full replica of their design, complete with an authentic ESA patch. The contest opens today and runs until 8pm Pacific Time on February 24, 2024, so make sure to hit that spacesuit workbench soon. After that, the winning suit will enter a two-month intensive fabrication process on the path to becoming reality. To see the full rules, visit here.

    Fantastic role-playing games are all about player expression, and this contest allows fans to experience that in a completely different way. Our stories are unique to us, so what we wear while we travel through those stories should be too. So, submit your own design, then while you wait, we suggest downloading and exploring the worlds of Starfield with Xbox Game Pass.   

    About Starfield  

    Starfield is the first new universe in over 25 years from Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning creators of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4. In this next generation role-playing game set amongst the stars, create any character you want and explore with unparalleled freedom as you embark on an epic journey to answer humanity’s greatest mystery.  Experience it for yourself on Xbox Game Pass.   

    Website: LINK

  • Xbox Developer_Direct: All the News and Announcements

    Xbox Developer_Direct: All the News and Announcements

    Reading Time: 6 minutes

    It’s going to be a good year for Xbox players. At today’s Developer_Direct show, we provided deep-dives into five new games launching across Xbox Series X|S, PC, Game Pass and/or cloud – all of which will arrive later in 2024. Development teams at Xbox, Bethesda, and even one of our third-party partners invited you into their studios to showcase extended gameplay, reveal key information, and more.

    During the show, we visited the studios behind Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Avowed, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, and Ara: History Untold to find out more about each one. Members of each development team gave us a look into their creation, with new information, and offered a tantalizing glimpse of what’s to come this year. All four of these games will arrive on day one with Game Pass, and will contribute to what’s going to be another huge year for members, delivering incredible games throughout 2024.

    Plus, in a special surprise, we heard from the team at Square Enix to learn a lot more about Visions of Mana, the first new mainline entry in the Mana series in over 15 years, and its debut on Xbox platforms. With participation from developers on 3 continents, it was a truly global show.

    Here’s a summary of everything we announced and covered during Developer_Direct:

    Avowed – Launching Fall 2024

    Xbox Series X/S, PC, Cloud – Joining Game Pass on Day One

    Avowed Image

    Avowed Game Director Carrie Patel gave us a first deep-dive into the gameplay in Obsidian’s upcoming fantasy action RPG, from its dynamic combat, to its thoughtful reactivity, to its “colorful, vibrant, strange” world set in the Living Lands. Avowed continues Obsidian’s signature style of creating games with deep themes and player choice at the forefront.

    Not only will you make narrative decisions that can impact changes in the game down the line, but Avowed is also looking to offer choice in combat. Gameplay Director Gabe Paramo discussed not only how varied your weaponry will be – with melee weapons, ranged guns and bows, and magic-based wands (even dual-wielded wands!) to name a few – but how flexible combat can be, allowing you to quickly change loadouts for enemy encounters. Swappable loadouts mean you can approach combat however feels right to you.

    Art Director Matt Hansen then explained how the Living Lands is a mysterious island made up of wildly varied regions offering visually diverse backdrops and intriguing settings to explore. With secrets hidden throughout the regions, you’ll take in barren deserts, verdant forests, blighted wastes, volcanic biomes, and more.

    That’s not all for Avowed, however – make sure to tune in to the Xbox Podcast on Monday, January 22 for an exclusive interview with some of Obsidian’s developers, offering even more information on the gameplay reveal.

    Get ready to carve your own path through Avowed when it launches this fall for Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Cloud – and arrives with Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass on day one. For more information please visit the Avowed website.

    Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II – Launching May 21

    Xbox Series X/S, PC, Cloud – Joining Game Pass on Day One

    Senua's Saga: Hellblade II Image

    Ninja Theory took us behind the scenes at their studio in Cambridge to take a look at Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, meet some of the team and learn more about the craft behind their new title, which is now in the final months of development.

    In the video we learned more about Senua’s new journey, which leads her to Iceland, a harsh and brutal land ravaged by myth and tyranny. We were given a new look at Senua’s experiences of the world, seen through her eyes as someone who experiences psychosis, and saw some of Senua’s visceral and violent battles with the Draugar. We also heard more detail on what players can expect from the game’s story and how binaural and spatial audio will sink player’s deep into the world of Hellblade.

    With a studio mission of crafting life-changing art with game-changing tech, Ninja Theory are pushing the boundaries of fidelity, richness and immersion. You can join Senua on her new quest, May 21. Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is available to wishlist on Steam and pre-install on Xbox Game Pass now.

    Visions of Mana – Launching Summer 2024

    Xbox Series X|S, PC

    Visions of Mana Image

    In a surprise appearance, Square Enix joined the show to present Visions of Mana, the first new mainline entry in the series in over 15 years, and its debut on Xbox platforms. Series producer Masaru Oyamada presented a sneak peek at the gorgeous new RPG, sharing gameplay and behind the scenes footage before its launch in Summer 2024.

    Koichi Ishii – father of the Mana series and creator of many of its iconic monsters – discussed the implementation and design of the enemies in Visions of Mana, and introduced the adorable new animal companions, “pikuls” and explained the design process behind them.

    Oyamada then shared some details regarding the game’s score and revealed that the tracklist for Visions of Mana contains 100 songs in total, including works from musical talent who worked on previous Mana games. Oyamada also shared details of the adaptive music system that allows seamless transition from map exploration to battles, demonstrating a snippet of the background music changing as you enter or leave combat.

    Oyamada also revealed that in Visions of Mana, The Elementals will assist the player in battle in the form of specialized items, which will each have a different effect in combat. Combined with aerial combat that allows for weapons and magic to be used in mid-air, the combat is fast-paced and flexible.

    Visions of Mana launches Summer 2024 on Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC!

    Ara: History Untold – Launching Fall 2024

    PC – Joining PC Game Pass on Day One

    Ara: History Untold Image

    The key leads at Oxide Games debuted an all-new look at gameplay and shared an overview of the key features coming to Ara: History Untold during today’s Developer Direct. Viewers learned more about Ara’s crafting system, unique approach to simultaneous turns, and more.

    You can learn more about this innovative new historical grand strategy game with our in-depth interview with Design Director Michelle Menard and we will have more to share in the coming months leading up to Ara’s launch this fall on PC and with PC Game Pass. For the latest breaking news follow the Ara: History Untold social channels (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram/Threads) and wishlist the game on Steam.

    Indiana Jones and the Great Circle – Launching 2024

    Xbox Series X/S, PC – Joining Game Pass on Day One

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htGnW6YNPjs?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    The official reveal of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle was debuted during Developer_Direct with over 13 minutes of gameplay footage and developer insights. This new journey starring the legendary archaeologist comes from the award-winning team at MachineGames – the minds behind Wolfenstein: The New Order and Wolfenstein: The New Colossus – in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games and executive produced by Bethesda Game Studios’ Todd Howard. Find out more on Bethesda.net.

    Other Streams

    Blizzard held a Diablo IV Developer Update Livestream earlier today that dug into the horrors waiting for you beneath the sands of Kehjistan in Season of the Construct, launching January 23, and introduced the competitive leaderboard activity called The Gauntlet. Associate Director of Community Adam Fletcher, Game Design Manager Daniel Tanguay, Quest Designer Madeleine James, and Lead Class Designer Adam Jackson spoke about the new Seneschal companion, Hazard-filled dungeons called Vaults, a new Questline, and more – all of which surfaces in Season of the Construct. Additionally, the group gave a quick look at The Gauntlet leaderboards and wrapped up the livestream by answering questions from the community in a Q&A session.

    Shortly after Developer_Direct, ZeniMax Online Studios kicked off The Elder Scrolls Online 2024 Global Reveal, unveiling the game’s next major Chapter, including the new zone, storyline, and other major features. You’ll be able to read more about what was revealed on Xbox Wire and Bethesda.net as soon as that show concludes.

    Looking Ahead

    Today marks just a small selection of the games coming to Xbox this year. With our own studios and our incredible partners bringing a diverse set of incredible experiences to Xbox consoles, PC, Cloud, and Game Pass, there’s going to be something new for every kind of player. To find out more, make sure to return to Xbox Wire later this month, when we post a round-up of some of the most exciting games coming to Xbox platforms in 2024.

    Website: LINK

  • How to Watch the Xbox Developer_Direct 2024 on Thursday, January 18

    How to Watch the Xbox Developer_Direct 2024 on Thursday, January 18

    Reading Time: 3 minutes

    January 18 is going to be an incredible day for Xbox players. Developer_Direct returns this Thursday at 12pm PT / 3pm ET / 8pm UK, and will bring you a deep-dive into some of the biggest games coming to Xbox platforms. We’re sure you want to know more, so here are all the details on how to tune in.

    Developer_Direct will share new, extended gameplay and developer insights for the upcoming Indiana Jones game, Avowed, Ara: History Untold, and Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II straight from the teams at MachineGames, Obsidian, Oxide Studios, and Ninja Theory.

    It’s going to be a big day for the Xbox family, with two other livestreams taking place. Earlier in the day, Blizzard will host a Diablo IV Developer Update Livestream at 9am PT / 12pm ET / 5pm UK. Shortly after Developer_Direct, ZeniMax Online Studios will hostThe Elder Scrolls Online 2024 Global Reveal at 1pm PT / 4pm ET / 9pm UK to preview 2024’s biggest update.

    When is Developer_Direct? Thursday, January 18 at 12pm Pacific Time / 3pm Eastern Time / 8pm UK time.

    How do I watch Developer_Direct? Developer_Direct will be streamed live on the official Xbox and Bethesda channels below:

    The show will also be streamed simultaneously on regional Xbox and Bethesda channels around the globe, as well as on Steam. It will also air on China’s Bilibili platform on Friday, January 19.

    I’m not going to be able to watch, where can I find out what was announced? A full recap will go live immediately following the show (including localized versions in Brazilian Portuguese, French, German, LATAM Spanish, and Japanese following later). Xbox Wire will also publish detailed blog posts about select games from the show.

    Notes for co-streamers and creators: We at Xbox greatly appreciate any co-stream efforts and aim to ensure you have a smooth experience if you choose to do so.

    However, due to forces beyond our control, we cannot guarantee that glitches or disruptions by bots and other automated software won’t interfere with your co-stream.

    For those planning to create full post-show breakdowns of Developer_Direct in the form of VOD coverage, we recommend you do not use any audio containing copyrighted music to avoid any action by automated bots, and to also consult the terms of service for your service provider.

    How do I watch the Diablo IV Developer Update Livestream? At 9am PT / 12pm ET / 5pm UK, Blizzard will unearth details about the next season’s gameplay features, Season Journey, and quality-of-life updates. Plus, Blizzard will also share information about The Gauntlet. You can watch the event on Diablo’s YouTube and Twitch channels.

    How do I watch the Elder Scrolls Online 2024 Global Reveal stream? Shortly after Developer_Direct, ZeniMax Online Studios will hostThe Elder Scrolls Online 2024 Global Reveal at 1pm PT / 4pm ET / 9pm UK to preview 2024’s biggest update. Streamed from Bethesda’s official Twitch channel at Twitch.tv/Bethesda (with Twitch Drops!) and via global Xbox YouTube and Twitch channels, the standalone presentation will see the development team unveil the game’s next major Chapter, including the new zone, storyline, and other major features.

    Will there be updates on Activision Blizzard King games? No new information on Activision Blizzard King games will be a part of Developer_Direct. You can look forward to news from those teams later this year.

    When will the games in the show be released? All the games in this year’s Developer_Direct will be arriving later, with more details to be shared in the program.

    We’ll see you for Developer_Direct on Thursday, January 18!

    Website: LINK

  • Work Together With Fellow Adventurers in The Elder Scrolls Online to Unlock Rewards During New Event

    Work Together With Fellow Adventurers in The Elder Scrolls Online to Unlock Rewards During New Event

    Reading Time: < 1 minute


    Explore the Telvanni Peninsula and Apocrypha zones to earn bonus rewards during the Secrets of the Telvanni in-game event! Complete the event-specific daily quest, „Turn the Page,“ to progress the meter. At the event’s end you’ll unlock additional rewards for you and every other Necrom Chapter owner. Adventure awaits, good luck!

    Website: LINK

  • Xbox Digital Broadcast at Tokyo Game Show 2023: Every Announcement and Game Reveal

    Xbox Digital Broadcast at Tokyo Game Show 2023: Every Announcement and Game Reveal

    Reading Time: 9 minutes

    Xbox is back at Tokyo Game Show, and players were at the center of our just-concluded our Xbox Digital Broadcast. The Showcase featured new gameplay, news, and reveals for Japanese and Japan-inspired games coming to your Xbox console and PC, and appearances from Head of Xbox Phil Spencer and Head of Xbox Creator Experience Sarah Bond.

    “Japan will always have a special place in my heart for pioneering innovative ways to play, from the Game Boy, to PSP, to the Switch”, said Phil Spencer in his opening address, and the show certainly brought that pioneering spirit to the fore. From the gameplay reveal of Hotel Barcelona – a landmark collaboration between game design legends Swery65 and Suda51 – to an announcement of a Day One Game Pass release for Like a Dragon: The Man Who Erased His Name, our show included some of Japanese development’s biggest, most important names.

    The broadcast also revealed some of the latest content being built by Japanese creators for Xbox. Square Enix announced Octopath Traveler II on Xbox, and we showed off the latest on upcoming titles like Palworld, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, and more. And for racing fans, we were able to show off the new, Japan-set Hakone track and more for the upcoming Forza Motorsport.

    Read on to learn about every single game included in the show:

    Titles from Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda

    Forza Motorsport

    Fresh from its hands-on previews, the upcoming Forza Motorsport gave us a closer look at its gorgeous Japanese Hakone track, with beautiful cherry blossom trees masking a tricky turnpike – and driving on that track was one of the cars available in the game, a 2020 Toyota GR Supra. Forza Motorsport will be released for Xbox Series X|S (with Xbox Game Pass), Windows PC (with PC Game Pass) and Steam on October 10, with early access players getting access from October 5. Buying the game will also offer you the 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray in your garage inside Forza Horizon 5.

    Fallout 76: Atlantic City

    Fallout 76 Image

    Fallout 76 Art Director Jonathan Rush made an appearance to introduce Atlantic City, a brand new location coming to the game on December 5. “Since we announced Atlantic City at the Xbox Showcase last June, we’ve upped the ante with so much great content that we’re splitting it into two releases, said Rush. “Atlantic City has stacked the deck with new content including new locations, new factions, new creatures, new missions, and new rewards. Plus, a flush casino where our Wastelanders can test their luck.” Steam players who already own the game can join the fun early, with Atlantic City available on the Public Test Server from October 3.

    The Elder Scrolls Online

    Elder Scrolls Online Image

    ZeniMax Online Studios is excited to share that The Elder Scrolls Online will launch in Japan on Xbox consoles, along with full localization in Japanese on November 15, 2023. During the segment, ESO Creative Director Rich Lambert also highlighted the new content recently released in the Necrom Chapter, which console players will be able to play locally this November.

    Games from Our Partners

    Ace Attorney

    Ace Attorney Image

    The Ace Attorney series is one of the most beloved visual novel series of all time, and the original Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy is now coming to Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass on September 26. And that’s not all! Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy – comprising three more games featuring a new protagonist – will also arrive for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows PC in early 2024.

    Altheia: The Wrath of Aferi

    Altheia Image

    This new action-adventure odyssey was created by two brothers, and showed off never-before-seen gameplay. We got a good look at its characters – the warrior Lili and mysterious monk Sadi – puzzles, and combat, all set within mysterious and dangerous ruined temples inspired by the work of Hayao Miyazaki and Mamoru Hosoda. Both combat and puzzling are created with the two characters in mind, asking you to use both of their powers’ to proceed. Altheia: The Wrath of Aferi is coming soon for Xbox and Windows PC.

    Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes

    Eiyuden Chronicle Image

    This spiritual successor to the beloved Suikoden series will arrive on Xbox consoles (with Xbox Game Pass) on April 23, 2024 – and pre-orders are now live. A new trailer gave us a look at its incredible mix of pixel art and 3D visuals, multi-hero turn-based combat, and a story told on a truly epic scale.

    Exoprimal

    Exoprimal Image

    Capcom’s madcap dinosaur-slaying online multiplayer game gave us a taste of what’s to come in Season 2. A new trailer showed off the new Ocean Platform map, the new ‘Escape’ final mission, new Drone and Edge Strike rigs, some truly outlandish new costumes, and more. We also got a look at the game’s much-anticipated crossover with Street Fighter 6, with Exosuit skins and animations based on Ryu, Guile, and Chun-Li. Exoprimal Season 2 will arrive on October 18.

    Hotel Barcelona

    Hotel Barcelona Image

    Hotel Barcelona is the long-awaited collaboration between game design legends Swery65 and Suda51, and our Xbox Digital Broadcast brought us a never-before-seen gameplay trailer from the self-styled “2.5D slasher film parodic action” game. Drawing influences from across horror’s history, you’ll be pitted against everything from alien entities to AI-enhanced sharks, all while stuck in an endless time loop filled with serial killers – and only your deceased past selves to help you.

    Both Swery and Suda appeared in the show to discuss the game. Swery discussed the game’s unusual beginnings – with Suda asking him to announce a collaboration on the fly, with no prior discussion – and his inspirations from Stanley Kubrick’s ‘The Shining’.  Suda explained that he and Swery worked on the initial concept together – “Then, all of a sudden, Swery completed tons of work on the development, and Hotel Barcelona materialized. Most of the time, when someone does lip service like that, the project never materializes… But Swery made this project a reality in order to deliver something to the fans.”

    Make sure to watch the show to learn much more about this truly unique collaboration! Hotel Barcelona comes to Xbox Series X|S in 2024.

    Infinity Strash: Dragon Quest The Adventure of Dai

    Infinity Strash Image

    Infinity Strash is a new Dragon Quest adventure inspired by the popular manga and anime series, and we saw a new story trailer that introduced many of its characters. Infinity Strash: Dragon Quest The Adventure of Dai comes to Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC on September 28.

    Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name and Like a Dragon: Ishin!

    Like a Dragon Image

    Head of Ryu Ga Gotoku, Masayoshi Yokoyama made a special appearance with some exciting news – Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name and Like a Dragon: Ishin! will be joining Xbox Game Pass, with the former joining on its day of release. 

    Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name tells the story of the once legendary yakuza, Kazuma Kiryu, a man who faked his own death and abandoned his name for the sake of protecting his family. Under the codename “Joryu”, Kiryu embarks on a gripping action narrative with bone-shattering combat that sets the stage for the next instalment of the series, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, launching January 26, 2024. Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name will come to Xbox Game Pass on release day, November 9.

    Like a Dragon: Ishin! is a Samurai epic that launched on Xbox earlier this year. Take up the sword of Sakamoto Ryoma and explore feudal Japan to find your father’s killer, clear yourself of a framed murder, and restore your honor. It will arrive for Xbox Game Pass this year.

    Mineko’s Night Market

    Mineko's Night Market Image

    This adorable social simulation is coming to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows PC (with Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass) on October 26. New gameplay showed off how the game will allow you to scavenge for materials, craft them, and sell them at your market stall – all while building relationships with the characters around you.

    My Lovely Empress

    My Lovely Empress Image

    The third in the My Lovely series (following My Lovely Daughter and My Lovely Wife), My Lovely Empress is a new outing for small Indonesian studio, GameChanger Studio. Each game in the series is a management sim that explores the darker impulses in human relationships, and this new entry pushes that to a new level of scale. Playing as the emperor of the Crimson Kingdom, you’ll need to balance the needs of your subjects with your more personal quest to either resurrect your own deceased empress, or a new relationship with the leaders of neighboring kingdoms. My Lovely Empress will come to Xbox consoles and Windows PC in 2024.

    Octopath Traveler II

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5E-BqssreVQ?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Xbox’s Sarah Bond appeared on stage to help introduce the upcoming Xbox release of Square Enix’s Octopath Traveler II. Sarah revealed that, in the last five years, Xbox has more than doubled the number of Japanese games released on our platforms, and introduced a special message from Square Enix Vice President of Creative Business Unit II, Yu Miyake. Miyake announced that its beautiful HD-2D RPG, Octopath Traveler II will arrive on Xbox platforms in early 2024. 

    Palworld

    Palworld Image

    This monster-collecting RPG got a new gameplay trailer during the show, showing off new monsters, character customization, multiplayer, base building, crafting, weapons, faction leaders, and more in its gorgeous 3D world. Palworld will arrive for Xbox and Windows in 2024.

    Party Animals

    Party Animals Ori Image

    Party Animals, the raucous co-op-competitive brawler from Recreate Games announced a partnership with the Ori series (Ori and The Blind Forest, Ori and the Will of the Wisps), which will bring playable versions of both Ori and their adoptive mother Naru to the game.

    Persona 3 Reload

    Persona 3 Reload Image

    Ahead of this epic remake’s release on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and Windows PC (with Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass) on February 2, 2024, producer Ryota Niitsuma introduced the game and revealed a brand-new skill that is original to Persona 3 Reload. Theurgy is a flashy, ultimate attack that Niitsuma calls “a trump card for your battles” – meaning there is plenty that’s new and exciting for past players and newcomers alike.

    Persona 5 Tactica

    Persona 5 Tactica Image

    The upcoming turn-based tactical take on the critically acclaimed Persona 5 showed off new gameplay, and revealed its new Quest system. Producer Atsushi Nomura explained that Quests are special stages – set aside from the main story – that come with unique clear conditions, but offer sizeable rewards. Taking on a Quest might mean having to beat an enemy in a single turn, or puzzle-style levels involving manoeuvring bombs around a stage – but in return you can earn entirely new personas to use, or high-level skills. Persona 5 Tactica will be released for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows PC (with Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass) on November 17, 2023.

    PUBG Battlegrounds

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLtsfTJhtNA?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    In a new trailer, we got a tease of some curious developments to PUBG Battlegrounds’ Erangel map coming this October. The trailer promises more dynamic and mysterious gameplay – and we got a quick look at a hidden, subterranean doorway opening before the teaser ended. Make sure to stay tuned for more details.

    Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty – Conqueror of Jiangdong

    Wo Long DLC Image

    Arriving on September 27, Conqueror of Jiangdong is the second of three DLC expansions coming to Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty. A new trailer teased its action-packed storyline, and also gave us a glimpse of new weapon types, enemies, and bosses. We also learned that a crossover with Lies of P will bring 2 new weapons to Wo Long on September 27 as well.

    Website: LINK

  • Die Entwickler von The Elder Scrolls Online stellen die neuen Fertigkeitslinien der Arkanisten-Klasse vor

    Die Entwickler von The Elder Scrolls Online stellen die neuen Fertigkeitslinien der Arkanisten-Klasse vor

    Reading Time: 5 minutes

    The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom erscheint am 20. Juni für PlayStation 4 und PlayStation 5 und führt mit der neuen Arkanisten-Klasse eine völlig neue Spielweise ein. Mit drei einzigartigen Fertigkeitslinien und einer völlig neuen Kampfmechanik, dem Crux-System, verfügt der Arkanist über die überirdischen Kräfte der Apokryphen, um seine Feinde zu vernichten und seine Verbündeten zu beschützen.

    Brian Wheeler, Lead Combat Designer bei ZeniMax Online Studios, verrät euch alles über die drei neuen Fertigkeitslinien des Arkanisten. Außerdem erzählt er euch mehr über die arkanen Kräfte, die ihr bei der Erkundung der Telvanni-Halbinsel und anderen Welten einsetzen könnt.

    Verkünder des Folianten

    „Die Fertigkeitslinie ,Verkünder des Folianten’ ist hauptsächlich darauf ausgelegt, euren Feinden Schaden zuzufügen“, erklärt Wheeler. „Diese Linie bietet ebenfalls eine große Vielfalt an Fähigkeiten, von denen einige flächenbasierte Effekte auslösen, während sich andere wiederum auf bestimmte Ziele konzentrieren. Es gibt unzählige Möglichkeiten, wie man seinen Feinden Schmerzen zufügen kann.“

    Bei der Entwicklung war schnell klar, dass der Arkanist herausstechen musste. Daher konzentrierte sich das Team auf Themen wie kosmisches Grauen und die Schwarzen Bücher von Hermaeus Mora, die ein unheimliches Portal zu einer breiten Palette an Kräften eröffnen.

    „Einige Fähigkeiten wirken scharf und präzise, während andere eher chaotisch und intuitiv anmuten“, sagt Wheeler. „Bei unseren Tests sahen wir, wie die Spieler ihre gesamte Aktionsleiste mit Arkanisten-Fähigkeiten belegten. Wir wollten also sicherstellen, dass diese Fertigkeitslinie mit einer Vielzahl von unterstützenden visuellen Elementen heraussticht.“

    Wenn es eine Fertigkeit gibt, die die „Verkünder des Folianten“-Fertigkeitslinie am besten einfängt, dann ist es der Schicksalsschnitzer, der sich die neue Kampfmechanik der Klasse hervorragend zunutze macht.

    „Wir wollten, dass die Spieler reine arkane Energie in einem Strahl kanalisieren können, den sie selbst ohne Ziel irgendwo hinlenken können, während sie gleichzeitig unser neues Crux-System nutzen“, erklärt Wheeler.

    „Je mehr Crux ihr habt, desto härter wird euer Energiestrahl den Gegner treffen.“

    Kurative Runenformen

    „Die ,Kurative Runenformen’ erweitern die Fähigkeiten des Arkanisten mit Heilungs- und Unterstützungsfähigkeiten“, sagt Wheeler.

    Wie auch bei der „Verkünder des Folianten“-Fertigkeitslinie ergeben sich auch hier einige interessante Synergien, die Einzel- und flächenbasierte Heilung mit neuen Spielereien wie der Apokryphenpforte verbinden, die dem Spieler mit Hilfe von zwei Portalen mehr Mobilität bietet.“

    In der Hitze des Gefechts ist es von entscheidender Bedeutung, schnell erkennen zu können, was einen heilt und was einem schadet. Daher hat das Team auch genau darauf geachtet, dass sich die Fertigkeitslinien für Schaden und Heilung trotz des gemeinsamen Ursprungs in Apocrypha visuell unterscheiden. 

    „Diese Fertikeitslinie ist weder brutal noch chaotisch, also haben wir uns eher an dem fluiden und tintenartige Ambiente von Apocrypha orientiert“, sagt Wheeler. „Zum Beispiel hat ,Domäne des Arkanisten’ einen wässrigen Umriss um die Fertigkeit herum und man führt gleichzeitig eine coole Animation aus, während man mit Runen um sich wirft.“

    Soldat von Apocrypha

    „Die Fertigkeitslinie ,Soldat von Apocrypha’ konzentriert sich hauptsächlich darauf, dass man Schaden einstecken und überleben kann“, erklärt Wheeler. „Aber man verfügt auch über einige nützliche und unterstützende Fähigkeiten, mit denen man seine Feinde kontrollieren kann. Dazu gehören mehrere Schildfertigkeiten, die wir als ,lebende Verstärkungen’ bezeichnen.“  Diese Verstärkungen sind aber nicht nur einfachen Boni für Werte; sie reagieren auch auf gegnerische Aktionen, indem sie euren Gegnern Schaden zufügen oder euch heilen!

    Aus diesem Grund könnt ihr auf dem Weg des ,Soldat von Apocrypha’ nicht nur Massen an Gegnern in Schach halten, sondern auch zahlreiche Schnellfeuer- und Selbstfokusfähigkeiten nutzen.

    „Die Hauptaufgabe eines Tanks ist es, seine Verbündeten zu schützen und gleichzeitig den gegnerischen Schaden auf sich zu ziehen. Deswegen kann der Arkanist seine Gegner auch verspotten. Es ist das erste Mal, dass eine Klasse in ESO diese Funktionalität erhält, ohne auf andere Fertigkeitslinien angewiesen zu sein.“ Die Fähigkeit, Gegner zu verspotten, ist von entscheidender Bedeutung, doch ebenso wichtig ist es, den unausweichlichen Ansturm zu überstehen, der daraus resultiert.

    „Runentrotzschutz ist eine der herausragenden Fertigkeiten des Arkanisten, da sie die Verteidigung stark erhöht. Ein Morph dieser Fertigkeit – Undurchdringlicher Runentrotzschutz – verleiht in der ersten Sekunde nach dem Cast sogar noch mehr Rüstung. Ihr könnt die Fähigkeit also perfekt timen, um die maximale Schadensreduktion und Vergeltung zu erhalten.“

    Unbekannte Mächte warten

    Dies ist natürlich nur eine kurze Einführung zu einigen der unheimlichen Fertigkeiten, die euch mit der brandneuen Arkanisten-Klasse zur Verfügung stehen. Zusätzlich zu den drei oben genannten einzigartigen Fertigkeitslinien ermöglicht euch das Crux-System, eure Fähigkeiten weiter zu verbessern und eure Spielweise individuell anzupassen.

    Ihr möchtet noch mehr erfahren? Dann müsst ihr die seltsamen und wundersamen neuen Fertigkeiten der Klasse selbst entdecken, wenn The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom am 20. Juni für PlayStation 4 und PlayStation 5 erscheint. Viel Glück und wir sehen uns in Tamriel!

    Website: LINK

  • The Elder Scrolls Online – Gameplay des Kapitels „Necrom“ enthüllt

    The Elder Scrolls Online – Gameplay des Kapitels „Necrom“ enthüllt

    Reading Time: 4 minutes

    Während des Kapitelvorschau-Livestreams zu „Necrom“ hat das Team von The Elder Scrolls Online die neuen Features und Gameplay-Neuerungen für das kommende Kapitel (erhältlich ab 20. Juni für PlayStation) vorgestellt. Dazu gehören die Arkanistenklasse, neue Gruppenherausforderungen und ein Teil von Apocrypha, der noch nie in einem „Elder Scrolls“-Spiel zu sehen war.

    Meistert die arkanen Künste

    Mit den Arkanisten, der ersten neuen ESO-Klasse seit vier Jahren, sah das Team die Möglichkeit geboten, die Klasse und ihre Mechaniken in die Welt und das Design von Necrom zu integrieren. Deshalb zieht der Arkanist seine Macht aus Apocrypha selbst – und das Team ergriff die Chance, Elemente aus dem Reich von Hermaeus Mora in nahezu jede Facette dieser Klasse einzubauen, von ihrem Aussehen über ihre Emotionen bis hin zu ihrer Handlungsweise.

    The Elder Scrolls Online – Gameplay des Kapitels „Necrom“ enthüllt

    Der Arkanist nutzt drei einzigartige Fertigkeitslinien, die jeweils einen anderen Spielstil unterstützen: Verkünder des Folianten (Schaden), kurative Runenformen (Heilung/Unterstützung) und apokryphischer Soldat (Verteidigung). Ihr seid nie nur einer Fertigkeitslinie verschrieben und könnt eure Fähigkeiten mit anderen, die bereits verfügbar sind, kombinieren. 

    Das Team hat außerdem die völlig neue Mechanik für die Arkanisten diskutiert – das Crux-System. Während eines Kampfes füllen bestimmte Fähigkeiten des Arkanisten eine neue Ressource namens Crux auf. Andere Fähigkeiten verbrauchen gesammelte Crux, um einen Vorteil zu gewähren. Wenn ihr diese neue Klasse meistern wollt, müsst ihr lernen, eure Crux auffüllenden und Crux verbrauchenden Fähigkeiten effektiv zu nutzen.

    Entdeckt eine neue Seite von Apocrypha

    Im Kapitel „Necrom“ könnt ihr das Reich Apcropyha erkunden, eine unendliche Bibliothek voll mit Wissen unbekannten Ausmaßes. Aber seid gewarnt: Viele versuchen, die versteckten Geheimnisse von Apocrypha zu verstehen, doch lauert in Moras Reich auch eine Fülle an schrecklichen Gefahren auf jene, die es unvorbereitet betreten.

    Das Team enthüllte außerdem eine völlig neue Seite von Apocrypha, die noch nie in der „Elder Scrolls“-Reihe zu sehen war: Chroma Incognito. Chroma Incognito ist eine aufgewühlte Landschaft voll überwältigender Farben, geformt durch die Dinge, die nie eingetreten sind – ein Reich der Möglichkeiten, die durch das grausame Schicksal abgewendet wurden, das in starkem Kontrast zum Rest von Apocrypha steht.

    Das besondere Biom war eine Möglichkeit für das Team, etwas Brandneues für „Elder Scrolls“-Fans zu erschaffen und gleichzeitig das Reich des Prinzen des Wissens zu erweitern.

    Natürlich ist auch Chroma Incognito voller Abenteuer und Gefahren, einschließlich einzigartiger Quests, Solo-Verliesen, Gruppenbossen und eines öffentlichen Verlieses, die alle darauf warten, erkundet zu werden!

    Bewältigt neue Herausforderungen

    Während der Vorschau hatte das Team außerdem die Möglichkeit, einige neue Gruppenherausforderungen aus Necrom näher vorzustellen.

    Die Nymik-Bastion ist ein neues Weltereignis, das euch und drei weitere Verbündete – passend zum neuen Kapitel – eine Festung von Hermaeus Mora betreten lässt, um sie von Eindringlingen zu befreien. Die Festung bewahrt unzählige Namen von großer Macht – und sollte dieses Wissen in die falschen Hände geraten, könnte das den Untergang für Apocrypha und ganz Nirn bedeuten.

    Es ist jedoch keine einfache Aufgabe, in die Festung zu gelangen, denn zuerst gilt es, besondere Artefakte zu erhalten, indem man die Sucher des Herolds auf der Halbinsel Telvanni und in Apocrypha besiegt. Die Festung kann betreten werden, sobald genug Artefakte in euren Besitz gelangt sind. Doch seid gewarnt, denn eine Vielzahl bösartiger Daedra hat die Festung befallen, einschließlich Moras eigener heimtückischer Streitkräfte. Viel Glück!

    Zusätzlich zum neuen Weltereignis führt Necrom auch eine neue 12-Spieler-Prüfung ein: Der Rand des Wahnsinns. Diese PvE-Gruppenherausforderung führt euch in den Verstand eines Mitglieds der Magiergilde, um dort den Schaden rückgängig zu machen, den seine verbotenen Forschungen angerichtet haben.

    Während ihr das Schlachtfeld seines gebrochenen Geistes erkundet, entdeckt ihr eine Vielzahl bösartiger Feinde, die sich euch in den Weg stellen – einschließlich drei einzigartig herausfordernder Bosse und überraschender Helden.

    Wenn ihr dem Magier dabei helft, die Kontrolle über seinen gebrochenen Verstand wiederzuerlangen, erhaltet ihr besondere Prüfungsbelohnungen, wie etwa einen Satz neuer Gegenstände und einige der seltensten Sammelobjekte des Spiels, unter anderem das Reittier „Bock der finsteren Träume“.

    Entdeckt Necrom im Juni

    Dies ist nur ein Vorgeschmack auf die neuen Features, Abenteuer und Herausforderungen, die ihr erleben werdet – in The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom. Wenn ihr mehr erfahren wollt, seht euch das gesamte Video des Kapitelvorschau-Streams für Necrom an. The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom ist Teil des „Schatten über Morrowind“-Abenteuers und erscheint am 20. Juni für PlayStation. Bestellt Necrom jetzt vor, um einzigartige Boni bei der Veröffentlichung zu erhalten.

    Website: LINK

  • Deathloop update includes new accessibility options, photo mode, and more

    Deathloop update includes new accessibility options, photo mode, and more

    Reading Time: 5 minutes

    Deathloop’s third major update is available today on PlayStation 5! Game Update 3 introduces a brand-new Photo Mode, added accessibility options, unique PlayStation 5 avatars and more, all for free. 

    Read on for highlights on Photo Mode and the new accessibility options, with insights from members of the team at Arkane Lyon. 

    Photo Mode 

    Express yourself with a wide variety of filters, stickers, poses and other customization options in Deathloop’s brand-new Photo Mode. Available only in single-player, Photo Mode is accessible through the Pause menu in any map or by activating the Photo Mode shortcut. To enable the shortcut on PS5:  

    • Options > Controls > ‘Controller’ tab > Photo Mode Quick Access > Yes   
    • Once in-game, double tap the Create button (button to the left of the touchpad) on your DualSense controller to open Photo Mode 
    Deathloop update includes new accessibility options, photo mode, and more

    “This Photo Mode is such a great way to allow our players to get creative by using the unique art and levels of Deathloop,” says Producer Jeremy Leulier. “The only creative limitations are defined by our players’ imaginations. We’re very excited at Arkane to see how deep the players will dig into all of the different options and what they will come up with.” 

    In addition to being able to select your filters and angles like a photography pro, you can swap between Colt and Julianna, change out your outfits and weapons (including the specific weapon variation and skin), and drop into over a dozen share-worthy poses. 

    “One of our biggest challenges was to adapt Photo Mode for a first-person shooter where your character isn’t displayed apart from the hands and weapons,” explains Leulier. “We wanted to offer the best possible experience for this mode and took the time to playtest it thoroughly and even asked for insight from players who are experts in using different Photo Modes in games. We took so much pleasure testing Photo Mode that we added a lot of relevant options for the player to make it even more fun and funnier to use.” 

    “Each time we release a game, Photo Mode has been one of the most requested features by the players,” adds Studio Director Dinga Bakaba. “Seeing how virtual photographers were able to make incredible shots in our worlds without one, we can’t be more thrilled to empower the entire community with these tools.”

    Accessibility Features  

    “We are truly grateful to the players and the ally community who gave us so much feedback when Deathloop was released,” says Lead UI/UX Designer Yoann Bazoge. “We took the time to read all of the accessibility reviews and watch the videos of players explaining why they couldn’t play Deathloop. We then worked on a document listing all of the feedback and drew up a roadmap of what the additions would be for Game Update 3.” 

    Game Update 3 introduces over 30 improvements and added accessibility options, from menu navigation improvements and interface options to a host of new gameplay options. The update also adds a dedicated Accessibility category, which can be found in the options menu. This new menu wraps up the existing options as well as many of the new options available with this update, including: 

    • New gameplay settings that allow players to further customize combat in Single-Player Mode (most are not available for Online or Friends modes). This includes increasing or decreasing combat difficulty, adjusting number of Reprises and slowing game speed.   
    • New HUD and subtitle options, such as customizing the size, opacity and color of various text and graphical elements   
    • Easier menu navigation, allowing for the use of directional buttons on the controller to navigate up and down menu lists. The cursor speed can also now be adjusted in settings to help with navigating the settings with a controller. 

    “One of the things we didn’t expect when starting on accessibility features was how some of these options can be useful and fun for everyone,” says Bakaba. “My favorites are slow-mo, which enables everyone to make otherwise nearly impossible chain of actions, and Reprise count, which allows you to experiment without consequence with the infinite setting. On the contrary, you can use the Reprise count to make the game more challenging by turning Reprises off entirely.”

    “Accessibility in games is a complex subject,” says Bazoge. “We estimate that over 400 million players need some additional assistance when playing. That’s a lot of people that can feel left out without some of these options. When we began discussing it with our teams, people were very motivated about the idea of developing all of this.” 

    Free PS5 Deathloop Avatars  

    Show off your love for your favorite Deathloop character with these free PlayStation 5 avatars featuring the game’s colorful cast, from our hero Colt to the eccentric and chaotic Visionaries. This collection of 9 avatars is available for free to all PS5 users. Redemption instructions & codes for each region are below.

    • SIEA (North America, South America): 7673-6HNN-K887
    • SIEE (Europe, Africa, Middle East, Oceania): 3XF7-QANX-CJ6A
    • SIEJ (Japan): QQH5-75NA-3TBP
    • SIE Asia (Asia): KB3H-FQNJ-5BCT
    • SIEK (South Korea): AN6J-FGNM-CCH7

    To redeem on your PS5:

    • Go to Settings > Users and Accounts.
    • Select Account > Payment and Subscriptions > Redeem Codes.
    • Enter the code and select Redeem.

    * These codes are for promotional purposes only and have no cash or retail value. Each code is redeemable up to 1 million times. Each code shall be redeemed before: 04/18/27 (SIEA/SIEE); 01/01/38 (SIEJ); 01/01/00 (SIEK); 04/29/27 (SIE Asia). Each code is available only on PlayStation 5 in the region specified and requires an internet connection and a PlayStation account (Deathloop game not included and sold separately).

    *Arkane Lyon would like to thank Joshua Straub of Apex Access and Jérome Dupire of CapGame for helping us improve accessibility in Deathloop. We are also grateful to Ludovic Helme for his tireless work on our new photo mode. Thank you!

    Website: LINK