Schlagwort: nextgen games

The spice must flow… and so should the games. We have some bangers for you on day one (don’t forget you can play Pentiment and Somerville today!), co-op games, strategy games, RPGs, and more. Compare priority lists of games with your friends, and get your pre-installs set for what’s coming soon. Let’s get to the games!

Available Today

Pentiment (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Available on day one with Game Pass: Jump into the world of illuminated manuscripts and play as Andreas Maler, a journeyman artist living in 16th century Bavaria. Get caught up in the murder and scandals happening in the town of Tassing and leave your mark on this community with repercussions you will experience over the following 25 years in the game.

Somerville (Cloud, Console and PC)
Available on day one with Game Pass: In the wake of catastrophe, you must find the means to make your family whole again. Somerville is a Sci-Fi adventure grounded in the intimate repercussions of a large-scale conflict.

Coming Soon

Dune: Spice Wars (Game Preview) (PC) – November 17
A 4X real-time strategy game from the developers of the critically acclaimed Northgard. Set in Frank Herbert’s groundbreaking Dune universe, you must lead your faction and battle for control and dominance over the harsh desert planet of Arrakis. ‘The Air & Sand Update is also coming November 17, adding new layers of strategy with military flying units and new buildings, along with improvements across the board.

Ghostlore (Game Preview) (PC) – November 17
Ghostlore is an ‘Eastpunk’ Action-RPG where you fight monsters from Southeast-Asian folklore. Inspired by timeless classic ARPG’s such as Diablo 2 and Titan Quest, Ghostlore offers a detailed item and character customization system, procedurally generated maps, and an authentically retro 90’s aesthetic.

Lapin (Cloud, Console, and PC) – November 17
Available on day one with Game Pass: Lapin is a 2D platformer game featuring a group of brave rabbit explorers. Five rabbits used to live under a park, but construction forced them to leave their beloved hole. Players need to help Liebe and her friends explore the world with precise control. Meet new friends, remember past events, and hop on to the end of the adventure!

Norco (Cloud and Console) – November 17
The award-winning Southern Gothic point & click narrative adventure game Norco is coming soon to Game Pass, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. Your brother Blake has gone missing in the aftermath of your mother’s death. In the hopes of finding him, you must follow a fugitive security android through the refineries, strip malls, and drainage ditches of suburban New Orleans.

Gungrave G.O.R.E (Cloud, Console, and PC) – November 22
Available on day one with Game Pass: Stylish third-person shooting meets close-range martial arts, creating seamlessly flowing action as you crush your enemies in a gory ballet of bullets. Utilize your unlimited ammo Cerberus pistols and your transformable EVO-coffin to unleash devastating combos in pursuit of maximum damage and style.

Insurgency: Sandstorm (Cloud and Console) – November 29
Battle in the war-torn environments of a contemporary conflict through a series of intense co-op and PvP multiplayer modes. Feel every bullet and fear every impact in fierce close quarters combat as your team fights toward victory.

Soccer Story (Cloud, Console, and PC) – November 29
Available on day one with Game Pass: Soccer Story is a physics-driven adventure RPG, where every problem can be solved with your trusty magic ball. Along the way, you’ll need to best bad guys in 1v1s, compete in a range of sports (with your soccer ball, of course), and solve puzzles with your brain and your balls!

Warhammer 40,000: Darktide (PC) – November 30
Available on day one with PC Game Pass: Take back the city of Tertium from hordes of bloodthirsty foes in this intense and brutal action shooter. Warhammer 40,000: Darktide is the new co-op focused experience from the award-winning team behind the Vermintide series. As Tertium falls, Rejects Will Rise.

In Case You Missed It

Vampire Survivors (Cloud) – Available now
Jump straight into the action, mow down thousands of night creatures, and survive until dawn! The gothic-horror world of Vampire Survivors will throw relentless hordes of monsters at you: make the right choices, or rely on your skills and favorite weapons to turn the tide and quickly snowball against your enemies.

DLC / Game Updates

The Elder Scrolls Online: Firesong – Available Today
Conclude the year-long Legacy of the Bretons saga in The Elder Scrolls Online: Firesong, available starting today for Xbox consoles. Discover an all-new zone, the mysterious island of Galen, and storyline that dives deep into the lives and lore of the druids of the Systres who call Galen home. Plus, Game Pass members can save up to 10% off their purchase of Crowns to use towards the Firesong DLC!

The Elder Scrolls Online: Dark Heart of Skyrim Celebration – November 17 to November 29
Summon up your courage and return to the snow-capped mountains of Western Skyrim to obtain extraordinary rewards during The Elder Scrolls Online’s Dark Heart of Skyrim Celebration in-game event, starting November 17 at 10AM EST and running until November 29 at 10AM EST. Learn more here!

Dead by Daylight: Forged in Fog – November 22
So begins an age of Fog, and those forged within it. Game Pass members can save 10% off Dead by Daylight’s Forged In Fog Chapter, featuring a new Killer. The Knight, a new Survivor, Vittorio Toscano, as well as a new free Map, The Shattered Square.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perks

MultiVersus: MVP Pack Drop 2– November 15
The MultiVersus MVP Pack is a free in-game bundle available for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members. Each drop, enjoy a new epic variant, epic ringout effect, and a rare banner on us! This Perk content requires MultiVersus to use.

Xbox Touch Controls Added to 15 More Games

Ultimate members, 15 more games are available now with touch controls via Xbox Cloud Gaming including Pentiment on day one! Jump into these games at xbox.com/play via browser, Xbox Game Pass app for Android, or Xbox app for PC – no controller required!

Leaving November 30

The following games will be leaving the Game Pass library soon. Be sure to jump back in to wrap up any loose ends, or you can also use your membership discount so save up to 20% to keep them in your library.

• Archvale (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Deeeer Simulator (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Final Fantasy XIII-2 (Console and PC)
• Mind Scanners (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Mortal Shell (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Space Warlord Organ Trading Simulator (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Undungeon (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Warhammer 40,000 Battlesector (Cloud, Console, and PC)

Pro-tips for those still reading down here! If you install the Game Pass mobile app, you can install games remotely to your console or your PC without having to move! Also, if you find a co-op you want to play with your friend but they don’t have Game Pass, the first month is only $1, which is a pretty inexpensive game night sorted. We’ll be back here before too long with more games, so stay tuned. Cheers!

Here are this week’s games and add-on deals available from the Microsoft Games Store. Discounts are valid now through November 21, 2022 (actual end date varies by sale).

Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S Deals

*These offers are only valid for Xbox Live Gold members.

Please note: prices and availability are subject to change and may vary by region. Content Type varies by title and some titles may have multiple types not listed. Check the title’s individual product page for specific details about the game.

Xbox 360 Deals

*These offers are only valid for Xbox Live Gold members.

Please note: prices and availability are subject to change and may vary by region. Content Type varies by title and some titles may have multiple types not listed. Check the title’s individual product page for specific details about the game.

At Xbox, we put the player at the center of everything we do – and this includes our practices around trust and safety. With more than 3 billion players around the world, vibrant online communities are growing and evolving every day, and it is our role to foster spaces that are safe, positive, inclusive, and inviting for all players, from the first-time gamer to the seasoned competitor.

Today, we are releasing our first-ever Xbox Transparency Report, which puts clear numbers and explanations behind the work we do to protect our players and moderate content on the platform. We commit to releasing a report every six months, where we will share updates on progress we’ve made. In Microsoft’s last Digital Civility Index, it was noted that 9 out of 10 respondents identified a need for increased education on how to make the digital world safer – and as we all know, gaming is one of the largest digital environments. Publishing this report is part of our long-standing commitment to online safety, addressing the learnings and doing more to help people understand how to play a positive role in the Xbox community. This report compliments the continued review of our Community Standards, making it easier for all players to understand what is and isn’t acceptable conduct; continued investment in moderation tools; and ongoing partnership with industry associations, regulators, and the community.

We know that Xbox is a special place for all of you. We believe everyone should have the opportunity to experience the joy of gaming, free from fear and intimidation, and within the boundaries you set. Over the past several years, we have invested in features and capabilities that help to make the player experience safer, such as the Xbox Family Settings App that gives parents and caregivers a convenient way to manage their children’s experience on Xbox, and acquiring community management leader, Two Hat, bringing its Community Sift technology and dedicated language and culture specialists into our safety portfolio. But we also acknowledge that negative activity can and has taken place. We do not condone any conduct or content that goes against our Community Standards. What’s important to us is taking a moment to pause and reflect on where we are in this journey and sharing that with you. We’ll continue to learn, improve and invest so you can have the best experience when you play.

Among the key takeaways in the report:

• We are taking action to offer better experiences. The Xbox team issued more than 4.33M proactive enforcements against inauthentic accounts, representing 57% of the total enforcements in the reporting period. Inauthentic accounts are typically automated or bot-created accounts that create an unlevel playing field and can detract from positive player experiences. Our proactive moderation, up 9x from the same period last year, allows us to catch negative content and conduct before it reaches players. We continue to invest and improve our tech so players can have safe, positive, and inviting experiences.

• Players are stewards of the community. Player reporting is a critical component in our safety approach. Alongside our increased proactive safety measures, investments in scanning and filtering technologies, and education from the Xbox Ambassador community, reporting helps us improve the work that we do to better protect our players. Our players provided over 33M reports this period, with communications (46%) and conduct (43%) accounting for the majority of player concerns. Content moderation agents are on-staff 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year to make sure the content and conduct found on our platform adheres to our Community Standards.

• Players are in control. Every player is different and preferences on content and experiences are not one-size-fits-all. We offer many ways for players to customize settings, from message filters to parental controls, at any point in your Xbox experience. These settings allow players to manage the type of content they see and experience across all the ways they play, whether on PC, console, or anywhere with Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta). It’s up to you, the players, friends, and family members to take control and implement the settings that are right for you.

How can you help? The Xbox community is only as strong as its community members, and the feedback and reporting that you provide helps us continue improving by bringing new features, settings, and opportunities that help us shape the platform. We want you to feel confident that we are listening and acting upon your comments, so please share feedback with us via the Xbox Insiders program or on the Xbox Support website. Together, we are able to help shape a space where we can uphold our Community Standards and create spaces where everyone can have fun.

In addition to our safety team, I want to thank the incredible community of more than 150,000 Xbox Ambassadors, some of whom previewed and helped shape the Xbox Transparency Report. Xbox Ambassadors represent a worldwide network of gamers who celebrate the uniqueness of everyone and are on a mission to make gaming an enjoyable experience for every player.

And lastly, sharing some additional resources:

Introducing the Xbox Series S – Gilded Hunter Bundle, including an Xbox Series S (and controller), a total of nine in-game cosmetics, plus virtual currency for Fortnite, Rocket League, and Fall Guys. It’s available at Xbox.com and participating North American retailers for $299 and will be rolling out worldwide starting November 29 while supplies last.***

This incredible value gets even better when you purchase it with Xbox All Access, which includes both the Xbox Series S – Gilded Hunter Bundle and access to hundreds of games including day one releases with 24 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, starting at just $24.99 per month for 24 months.

With the Gilded Hunter Pack for Fortnite, don the Hunter Saber Outfit (includes variant style) and prowl the island wielding Saber’s Fang Pickaxe (includes variant style). Show your style with The Hunt Begins Wrap and enjoy 1,000 V-Bucks to spend on your favorite items in Fortnite.

Jump start your Rocket League Garage with the Fennec Car, Huntress Decal, Orange Hexphase Boost, Titanium Asto CSX Wheels, and 1,000 Rocket League Credits that can be used to upgrade to Rocket League Pass Premium, build Blueprints, or purchase most-wanted content from Rocket League’s Item Shop.

Lastly, dip, dive, duck, and dodge with the Gilded Hunter Pack for Fall Guys – featuring the Falltron Ultra Costume, Falltronic Emote, Falltronic Nameplate, and 1,000 Show-Bucks to buy the Fall Guys Season Pass or favorite costumes, colors, patterns, emotes, and celebrations for your Fall Guy. Ready to play? Since you can download and play Fortnite, Rocket League, and Fall Guys for free with Xbox, you can get right to the action.

Simply the most fun you haven’t had yet. Simply Next Gen.

To further celebrate the launch of the Xbox Series S – Gilded Hunter Bundle, we’re launching a new campaign starring actor and comedian Jimmy O. Yang and partnering with known photographer and stop motion animator @PlasticAction (Jax Navarro).

We meet Jimmy in a series of social videos enjoying gaming on his Xbox Series S when a surprise guest appears on his couch to tell him why being in an internet video is a great idea, and of course, break down all the great items available in the Gilded Hunter Bundle.

PlasticAction will be creating a series of highly styled, IP-themed visuals that embody all the fun gamers will have while playing their favorite games on Xbox Series S this holiday.

Keep checking in on Xbox social channel to keep up on the fun as we roll out the full campaign.

* Estimated retail price; actual retail prices may vary.

** Xbox Game Pass Ultimate not required to play Fortnite, Rocket League, and Fall Guys.

*** Use with digital games only; console does not play physical discs. Includes play-for-free Fortnite, Rocket League, and Fall Guys game downloads. Bundle doesn’t include access to Fortnite: Save the World mode.

Dying Light 2 Stay Human: Bloody Ties is here and with it comes an exciting story, more dangerous Infected, powerful weapons, and a new location. Carnage Hall is the epicenter of splendor, fame, fortune, but also death, barbarity and bloodshed. It is the one place where the greatest fighters come to seek glory.

While creating an arena in a post-apocalyptic environment, we had to come at it from an approach that prioritizes amusement and spectacle.

The idea for this first story DLC originated from a further need to develop a society that has grown accustomed to its conditions. Now that things have stabilized, people need to find a way to seek out new experiences for themselves. They want to move forward, and a part of that is finding a source of entertainment, as would be the case in any other civilization.

As a result, our development team had to think of ways to recreate shows and spectacles. There were many lingering questions on how to implement all that into a fallen world with no laws where people have turned to their most primal instincts. To find the answers, we turned to history. What we learned quickly was no matter the times, even in the darkest ones, people need two things: bread and circuses.

That’s where the character of Astrid comes into play. She is the entertainer and thrill executant of the post-apocalyptic world who wishes to give the masses what they want. Starting out, the character had to create something big without any resources at her disposal. The arena had small beginnings but eventually grew into everything she had envisioned.

The hostess finds a way to monetize the suffering of others. Naturally, she kept expanding her financial empire to the point where Carnage Hall started to feature more creative and advanced elements. That’s why this story DLC includes the best aspects of Dying Light: creative combat, parkour, and strategic opponent takedowns. The arena aims to remind our players that no matter how far society falls, people of this world will always find a way to adapt and eventually make the best of any situation. Even when all seems lost.

Carnage Hall is now open for the whole world to see. Experience the gladiator extravaganza, wage battles with the Infected, and find yourself caught in a classic revenge tale. Surely, there is more to be seen behind the curtain.

Dying Light 2 Stay Human: Bloody Ties is available now on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One.

Dying Light 2 Stay Human: Bloody Ties

Techland

☆☆☆☆☆38

★★★★★

Deluxe and Ultimate Edition owners of Dying Light 2 Stay Human automatically receive Bloody Ties DLC. Separate purchase is not required. Bloody Ties is the first official story DLC for Dying Light 2 Stay Human – a thrilling first-person action survival game set in a post-apocalyptic open world.
Who doesn’t want hundreds of fans chanting their name in perfect unison? Or feel like they are loved and admired while obtaining unimaginable riches at the same time? But what if to have it all, one must first pay the highest of prices?
As Aiden, you are encouraged by a promise of wealth, fame, and access to the best gear to enter a tournament where people sacrifice everything just for status. Hone your skills to defeat your enemies and make allies to obtain glory.
You will quickly realize that the quest for fame is just the beginning and you will find yourself involved in a plot for power and revenge. Features:
NEW STORY
Embark on a new adventure. Secure yourself a spot in the Pantheon of the best fighters, help your new friend Ciro in his quest to avenge his brother’s death and discover the true nature of the tournament. NEW LOCATION
Enter Carnage Hall – a place filled with wealth and splendor, where every fight is a narrative spectacle and the strongest seek fortune and fame. NEW WEAPON: SHIELD GLOVE
Discover a new way to play with the Shield Glove, and make creative combat even more creative. NEW GEAR
Obtain new gear in the tournament where strength matters the most and weapons are a symbol of status. SPECTACLES & SHOWS
Play the role of your life in Spectacles – multi-objective arena shows with unique stories narrated by Astrid herself, each resembling traditional tales and fables with a wicked twist.
Test your skill in arena challenges – special trials where you’ll that fight new mutated enemies, face murderous hordes and get to perform daredevil action.

Dying Light 2 Stay Human

Techland

☆☆☆☆☆876

★★★★★

Upgrade your experience with Smart Delivery. Buy the game once to both play it on Xbox One and get its optimized version for Xbox Series X | S Over twenty years ago in Harran, we fought the virus—and lost. Now, we’re losing again. The City, one of the last large human settlements, is torn by conflict. Civilization has fallen back into the Dark Ages. And yet, we still have hope. You are a wanderer with the power to change the fate of The City. But your exceptional abilities come at a price. Haunted by memories you cannot decipher, you set out to learn the truth… and find yourself in a combat zone. Hone your skills, as to defeat your enemies and make allies, you’ll need both fists and wits. Unravel the dark secrets behind the wielders of power, choose sides and decide your destiny. But wherever your actions take you, there’s one thing you can never forget—stay human. VAST OPEN WORLD
Participate in the life of a city engulfed in a new dark era. Discover different paths and hidden passages, as you explore its multiple levels and locations. CREATIVE & BRUTAL COMBAT
Take advantage of your parkour skills to tip the scales of even the most brutal encounter. Clever thinking, traps and creative weapons will be your best friends. DAY AND NIGHT CYCLE
Wait for night to venture into dark hideouts of the Infected. Sunlight keeps them at bay, but once it’s gone, monsters begin the hunt, leaving their lairs free to explore. CHOICES & CONSEQUENCES
Shape the future of The City with your actions and watch how it changes. Determine the balance of power by making choices in a growing conflict and forge your own experience. 2-4 PLAYER CO-OP GAMEPLAY
Play in up to four-player co-op. Host your own games or join others and see how their choices have played out differently than yours.

Trapped and betrayed by your previous partner, do you two have the brains and teamwork to escape?  Trapped in a dungeon far below underneath the castle, you now need to rely on your new partner to try to escape once more, but it’s not going to be easy. A familiar sinister creature is lurking around in the dungeon. And who says that escaping Castle Rock will be enough to be free from the King’s wrath?

We Were Here series revolves around a mysterious keep in the realms of Castle Rock. You and your partner play as the explorers – trapped in the frozen Antarctic you come across this mysterious place which seems to exist in its own space and time.  Slowly you’ll find out about the final king of Castle Rock, his family and the final curse that was laid upon the castle and its subjects.

The series and its games revolve around asymmetrical puzzle solving in an online co-op experience. With each game, more environments, puzzles and elements to the story were added to further expand the series.  For We Were Here Forever we went bigger than with the previous games in the series, packing every area with puzzles and details that really bring each location to life. The areas you explore have been greatly expanded from Castle Rock and its connecting to areas, to an entire area below the ground, a puppet shop, graveyard and more!

Furthermore, you and your partner now have some power in deciding which area you would like to explore first! Be sure you both agree and communicate, as this is key for your survival in this cold and forgotten place. This can lead to funny, but also dramatic (and frustrating) puzzle solving experiences. Guide each other through colourful and trippy mazes, play music and solve the riddle of the people of Rockburry who used to live there. Maybe you’ll find out more about them than what you expect at first…

As mentioned before, We Were Here Forever is bigger than any game we’ve made before. In our previous games, your exploring and puzzle solving was mainly confined to the grounds of Castle Rock. Though it is still quite a big castle, what is a kingdom without a town to rule over? For example, there’s the graveyard close to the castle grounds, the puppet workshop; left behind by the town folk who worked there prior. There also seems to be an underground-town where allegedly the townsfolk fled to, when the skies turned red and dark above Castle Rock…

Your expeditions down the ground will feel like an entire new world. With a small pot and a diver-like suit, you and your partner descend to an area where a lot of puzzle solving awaits you. One of the things you’ll find there is a labyrinth of pipes. Besides trying to not get lost and lose your partner, something seems to be off with the pipes as well.

Additionally, an underwater oasis with a funky machine in the middle will greet you down below as well. First appearing as a place of tranquillity and peace, it becomes clear to the both of you that something needs to be done here. Try not to get overwhelmed and stay focused, or face the consequences…

But if you think worldly realms will be the limit in We Were Here Forever then you’re misunderstanding. Besides the various locations on the cold Antarctic surrounding Castle Rock, there’s a mysterious, colourful yet unsettling dimension awaiting the both of you…

In the Jester’s Realm, there’s a lot of portals awaiting you to transport you to different places in his special environment. Colours, numbers, playing cards, symbols.. Do you twist & turn, go up & down, left & right? Expect the unexpected and be sure to keep an eye on your partner and what’s happening around the two of you. Remember, the Jester is a mysterious creature and you never know what to expect from him… If you think your escape is near and you’ve beaten him in his own toy box, try to look closer and think again…

We Were Here Forever releases early January 31 2023 ! Remember that you can      play every game in the We Were Here series as a standalone game, but we recommended each player to play all our games before We Were Here Forever to have the ultimate experience! Additionally, we would like to mention that there will be crossplay between other consoles and PC for our Xbox players! So don’t worry if your explorer partner in puzzle solving is stuck on a different console, we’ll bring you two together so you can play this game together, forever 😉

So go get your partner and practise your puzzle -solving brains and your survival communication over the holidays! It’s the season of spending time together, and what better way to do so together solving puzzles in a winter wonder (haunted)land! We Were Here Forever awaits you on January 31!

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

Gabriel’s Worlds The Adventure – November 15

Help Gabriel find out what happened to his friends, explore levels with a high degree of difficulty, solve puzzles, discover collectibles, and enjoy a beautiful story in this precision platformer.

Pentiment – November 15
Xbox Game Pass / PC Game Pass

Available on day one with Game Pass! From Obsidian and Xbox Game Studios, step into a living illustrated world inspired by illuminated manuscripts and printed woodcuts in a time when Europe is at a crossroads of great religious and political change. Walk in the footsteps of Andreas Maler, a master artist who finds himself in the middle of murders, scandals, and intrigue in the Bavarian Alps. Choose your backgrounds, impact a changing world, and see the consequences of your decisions in this narrative adventure. Playable on Cloud, Console, and PC.

RWBY: Arrowfell – November 15
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Dive into an explosive new RWBY adventure! Instantly switch between Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang and use their weapons and semblances to battle a mysterious new threat in this in-canon story set during “RWBY Volume 7!” Featuring the original voice cast and a new song by Casey Lee and Jeff Williams!

Somerville – November 15
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery / Xbox Game Pass

Available on day one with Game Pass! In the wake of an otherworldly invasion that’s left the world in catastrophe, you must find the means to make your family whole again. Explore a rich and atmospheric world, along with the intimate repercussions of large-scale conflict, in a hand-crafted sci-fi narrative experience set across a perilous rural landscape. Playable on Cloud, Console and PC.

The Awakening of Mummies – November 16

The Mummies are trapped inside the pyramid where the evil Pharaoh Cleo has imprisoned them. Use your puzzle-solving skills to guide all the mummies through the various chambers but watch out for traps!

Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 – November 16
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

Play the ultimate free-to-play battle royale with the all-new Battle Pass that lets you pick and choose the content you want. Drop into the new map, Al Mazrah, and fight across land, sea, and air. Use over a dozen vehicles, infiltrate AI Strongholds, play DMZ mode, and much more. Watch out — safe zones can now randomly split and alter, allowing for more epic end game battles! Preload Warzone 2.0 starting on November 14 for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. Learn more here on Xbox Wire.

Figment: Journey Into the Mind – November 16
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery / Xbox Play Anywhere

Figment is an action-adventure game that invites you to explore a unique surreal universe filled with music, humor, and a multi layered narrative. Join Dusty and his ever-optimistic friend, Piper, on an adventure through the different sides of the mind seeking to restore the courage that’s been lost.

Super Chicken Jumper – November 16
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

The world is in danger. Evil forces from the past have come to destroy our planet. The only individual that Mrs. President trusts to save our lives is… a super skilled spy-chicken. Take the role of this feathered secret agent as he defends the free world from doom in a run ‘n’ gun action experience that’s got a little bit of everything.

Goat Simulator 3 – November 17
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

Pilgor’s baaack! Get ready for another round of udder mayhem. Lick, headbutt, and ruin your way through a brand-new open world! You won’t be told how to play (except in the tutorial) but will be provided the means to become the goats of your dreams.

In Extremis DX – November 17

A shoot’em up that aims to bring you an engaging and fun experience, while also experimenting with the nature of the language of games. Taking inspiration from sources such as centuries-old mysticism to contemporary pop-culture, In Extremis DX is designed for all kinds of players with smart level design and multiple ways of tackling challenges.

Starsand – November 17
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

A desert survival game that will take you to an open world that looks like Earth but feels much different. Dangers, mysteries, and puzzles await you! Find out what exactly happened, where you are and what connects you to the history of an extinct civilization. Will you manage to survive in the inhospitable environment, find answers and find your way back to your old life?

As Far As The Eye – November 18
Xbox One X Enhanced

A nomadic turn-based city builder that sets you off on a procedurally generated journey. Play as the wind guiding the Pupils, a tribe that must reach the center of the world. You’ll have to manage their resources, their buildings, and their lives. Help them grow wiser through agriculture, crafting, scientific and mystical research before the world is submerged. Be careful though; you must manage your tribe perfectly and make sure they’re not starving or taken by the waters.

Babol The Walking Box – November 18

A colorful and cheerful 3D platformer that will charm everyone who’s tired from colorless days and wishes to experience the true fairytale-style adventure!

The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me – November 18
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

A group of documentary film makers receive a mysterious call inviting them to a modern-day replica of serial killer H.H. Holmes’ Murder Castle. It is an opportunity that is too good to pass up. The creepy hotel is the perfect set for their new episode, but things are not quite as they seem. The crew discover they are being watched, and even manipulated, and suddenly there’s much more at stake than just their ratings.

Grapple Dog – November 18
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

An exhilarating 2D pixel platformer where you’ll jump, swing, and zip your way through colorful worlds and exciting challenges by utilizing your handy grappling hook to clear tricky challenges as Pablo, the Grapple Dog!

Heidelberg 1693 – November 18
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Take control of one of French King Louis XIV’s famous musketeers in Heidelberg 1693, a challenging 2D action platformer set in a zombie-infested version of 17th century Germany. Feature a layer of tactical combat to the genre as you must plan your attacks using the slow-loading musket.

Ultimate ADOM – Caverns of Chaos – November 18

Experience the modern reimagining of a traditional roguelike dungeon-crawling classic. Endless procedurally generated dungeons, countless monsters, grafting, crafting and a vast amount of skill trees and items allow for unlimited replayability.

Hello there! My name is Luca Galante, and I’m the creator of Vampire Survivors. The game is launching today with Xbox Game Pass for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, so I’m here to explain more about this strange, crazy, “reverse bullet-hell” game of mine.

Vampire Survivors casts you as a lone warrior fending off a rising tide of enemies. The attacks fire off automatically, so your job as the player is to maneuver through crowds of monsters, gather up XP, and upgrade your skill set. The goal is to survive for thirty minutes. Maybe that doesn’t sound very long, but trust me, a lot can happen in half an hour!

The choices you make have a big impact on how each round plays out. Will you go for up-close attacks or use ranged weapons? Do you want to cause more damage or tank up your health? Each level is randomized, so it’s a fresh challenge each time.

There’s a huge array of characters, weapons, and levels to unlock, but the core of Vampire Survivors is very simple: the feeling of starting from nothing and getting crazy powerful over time. A lot of people have described the game as intense, which I think comes from that exciting feeling of escalation, best summed up with our tagline “Be the Bullet Hell!”

It’s an indie dev cliche, but I really did not expect Vampire Survivors to become such a phenomenon. I started working on the game as a lockdown project because I wanted something interesting to tinker with on the weekends. After I put the game on PC (it’s on PC Game Pass as well), thousands of people started playing, then millions, and before I knew it the game was everywhere. I’ve spent the past year working hard to grow the game, adding extra content, quality of life improvements, easter eggs and silly jokes. All of the updates will be included in the Xbox version, so console players won’t miss out on any of the fun/madness.

We’ve built up an amazing community of survivors online. Now that community is set to explode again, especially since Vampire Survivors is available today with Xbox Game Pass for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One. I’m so excited to introduce this crazy game to a whole new audience. Good luck, have fun, and remember to take frequent breaks!

Vampire Survivors

Poncle

☆☆☆☆☆244

★★★★★

$4.99 $3.99

PC Game Pass

Xbox Game Pass

Vampire Survivors is a time survival game with minimalistic gameplay and roguelite elements. There’s no place where to hide, all you can do is try to survive a cursed night and get as much gold as possible for the next survivor, before Death inevitably puts an end to your struggles.

Cook up a storm, fight for your right to retire in peace, or battle in the Dragon Ball universe this weekend during Free Play Days. Overcooked! All You Can Eat, Just Die Already, and Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 are available this weekend for Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members to play from Thursday, November 10 at 12:01 a.m. PDT until Sunday, November 13 at 11:59 p.m. PDT.  

How to Start Playing

Find and install the games on each of the individual game details page on Xbox.com. Clicking through will send you to the Microsoft Store, where you must be signed in to see the option to install with your Xbox Live Gold or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership. To download on console, click on the Subscriptions tab in the Xbox Store and enter the Gold member area to locate the Free Play Days collection on your Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.

Keep the Fun Going

Purchase the game and other editions at a limited time discount and continue playing while keeping your Gamerscore and earned achievements during the event! Please note that discounts and percentages may vary by title and region.

Game Details

• Overcooked! All You Can Eat
• Just Die Already
• Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2
  • Super Bundle ($84.99 SRP) at 85% off: $12.74 (Free Play Days)

Overcooked! All You Can Eat

Experience all the Onion Kingdom has to offer, with over 200+ levels and 80+ chefs to choose from. Jump into the 22 exclusive levels only available in Overcooked! All You Can Eat – The Peckish Rises, Birthday Party, and World Food Festival. In this edition, Overcooked! and Overcooked! 2 have been fully remastered and cooked up from scratch with online multiplayer available for both games. This is the ultimate Overcooked experience.

Just Die Already

Just Die Already is a mayhem sandbox game created by the designers of Goat Simulator. You are old and angry and you’ve just been kicked out of your retirement home. How will you survive?

Play with up to four friends.

Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2

Go Super Saiyan this weekend with Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 and get immersed in the largest and most detailed Dragon Ball world ever developed! You’ll time travel and protect historic moments in the Dragon Ball universe plus you’ll have the ability to join an online hub of up to 300 players from around the world to interact with or make a team with. Play as over 40+ iconic characters such as Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, Gohan, Trunks, Cell, Frieza, and more!

Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 is one of many exciting Bandai Namco titles that are part of the Publisher Sale going on until November 16.

Don’t miss out on this exciting Free Play Days for Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate member! Learn more about Free Play Days here and stay tuned to Xbox Wire to find out about future Free Play Days and all the latest Xbox gaming news.

When it arrives November 15, Pentiment will allow you to explore one of the most unique and inspired gaming worlds this year. As Andreas Maler, an artist working at Kiersau Abbey near the town of Tassing in Upper Bavaria, you will live out your life in this 16^th century early modern world over the course of 25 years. Kicking off the storyline of this narrative adventure is the murder of a nobleman whom your friend, Brother Piero, stands accused; it’s up to you to prove his innocence.

As you set off on this adventure, you will have the opportunity to pick a series of education and lifestyle-inspired traits that will help define Andreas, affecting the many options afforded to you via dialog interactions throughout the game. From Hedonist to Occultist, Medicine, or Theology, and even where he has travelled for his “wanderjahre” or wander years, you will have a wide variety of choices to establish Andreas’ background and knowledge to help immerse you even deeper in the game’s world.

Pentiment’s setting is inspired and informed by a mix of fiction and non-fiction works that we are sharing with you here today, personally recommended by Game Director Josh Sawyer. Each of these books can give you a better sense on how states and religious beliefs clashed at the time of Pentiment, how people can change over time, the life of late medieval peasants, and how education and literacy can put one at odds with the Church — many of these elements and themes will play out in various respects throughout your time with Pentiment.

You can learn more about each of these recommended works below.

“Dürer’s Journeys: Travels of a Renaissance Artist” by Susan Foister and Peter van den Brink
“Wonderful compilation of essays exploring the travels of 16th century artist Albrecht Dürer and the impact they had on his life.  Dürer kept a number of travel journals over the years and they provide incredible insights into how he thought about art, his contemporaries, other cultures, and the many changes that were rapidly occurring in his own homeland. This hardcover also contains many illustrations, both by Dürer and other European artists of the period.”

“The Faithful Executioner: Life and Death, Honor and Shame in the Turbulent Sixteenth Century” by Joel F. Harrington
“This fascinating bit of microhistory looks at the life of a single executioner, Franz Schmidt, who lived during the latter half of the 16^th century in Bavaria. Schmidt’s father was forced into the executioner business through a shocking and cruel twist of fate. Once the family was in the business, they found it almost impossible to get out due to the heavy shame associated with the profession. Franz kept a meticulous diary — rare if not unique among executioners — that reveals an unusual level of professionalism and piety as well as a lifelong desire to restore the honor of his family. The book also gives an interesting view into the consolidation of the power to execute justice under the state — the nascent belief that the state held the power to avenge injustices against the people through their reviled agent, the executioner.”

“The Return of Martin Guerre” by Natalie Zemon Davis
“Zemon Davis authored this book after consulting for a film based on the same 16^th century historical case, Le Retour de Martin Guerre. It is the wild but true story of a young man from the Basque town of Hendaye who disappeared for eight years and returned a changed man — a very changed man. After resuming life with his wife, son, and extended family, details started to emerge that cast doubt on the man’s identity. It resulted in a unique court case that the Toulousain jurist Jean Coras recorded for posterity. It is a quick read and the film’s worth watching, too.”

“Peasant Fires: The Drummer of Niklashausen” by Richard Wunderli
“Although pre-dating the more famous peasant revolt in early 16^th century Swabia, the small 1476 uprising of peasants in Niklashausen is no less interesting. A farmer named Hans Böhm said he had received visions of the Virgin Mary. Among other things, Hans said that Mary told him the people needed to overthrow their corrupt clergy. The festival atmosphere of Carnival emboldened the peasants, who gave up their work to travel to Niklashausen and listen to the visionary. You may have already guessed that it did not end well for them, but it’s an interesting look at a community turned upside down by a single charismatic peasant.”

“The Cheese and the Worms: The Cosmos of a Sixteenth-Century Miller” by Carlo Ginzburg
“Ginzburg was one of the first historians to start popularizing micro-historical examinations of what could today be classified as weird little dudes. The dude in question, a Friulian miller named Domenico Scandella (aka Menocchio), was certainly very weird. He learned to read at a school established in his region for the purpose of free public education. He used his literacy to read a wide variety of books that contributed to his formulation of an extremely unorthodox cosmology — so unorthodox that some (e.g. inquisitors) might (did) consider it heretical. At the heart of it all was his belief that all the elements combined at creation into a cheese-like mass out of which worms appeared. The worms ate through the cheese, one of him became God, and the rest is history. Much like Hans Böhm, things didn’t work out for Menocchio in the end, mostly because like Hans, Menocchio simply could not shut up about his beliefs. Fantastic book.”

“The Name of the Rose” by Umberto Eco
“Already an established medievalist and semiotician, Eco decided to write fiction at the age of 48, a time when he said you either ‘escape with a Cuban ballerina and abandon [your] family or you write a novel.’ He started with a list of names – names of monks. When he finished, he had ‘created a murder mystery set in a 14^th century Italian monastery during a tense debate between the Roman Curia and the Franciscans over apostolic poverty. The Name of the Rose manages to be a gripping thriller populated with colorful characters while illuminating the setting’s historical context in incredible detail. Despite his extensive use of historical research, Eco chose to set his story in an unnamed fictional abbey, which gave him the freedom to create the labyrinthine Aedificium, containing ‘more books than any other Christian library.’ It’s a fantastic novel (my ‘favorite), a huge inspiration for Pentiment, and I highly recommend it.”

We hope this list has invigorated your interest in the upcoming world of Pentiment and late medieval history and literature. Pentiment will release on November 15 for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows 10/11 PC, and Steam for $19.99. It will also be available on day one with Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass. Pre-orders for the game are available today as well as pre-installs with Game Pass.

Pentiment

Xbox Game Studios

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Art Imitates Death
Step into a living illustrated world inspired by illuminated manuscripts and printed woodcuts in a time when Europe is at a crossroads of great religious and political change. Walk in the footsteps of Andreas Maler, a master artist who finds himself in the middle of murders, scandals, and intrigue in the Bavarian Alps. Illustrated world
Experience 16th century Europe as the master artists of the time saw them. Art inspired by great illuminated manuscripts and the earliest printed books becomes a living, breathing world in Pentiment. Uncover mysteries
Choose different academic and social backgrounds and meet a colorful cast of characters as you discover the stories and secrets that lie within the small Bavarian town of Tassing and nearby Keirsau Abbey. Impact a changing world
In an era of great religious and political change, each decision you make can have a profound impact on the community’s future. Find your own way through this turbulent time and see the consequences of your choices play out over generations.

So, the big news is that the rollicking pirate adventure everyone has been talking about, Return to Monkey Island, is available now for Xbox Series X|S, Windows, as well as with Game Pass! I know you’re going to want to jump in and play it right away, but before you do that, here are some important things I think you should be aware of:

1. The Anchors Are a Lie

One of the characters in the game is going to tell you a lot of random facts about anchors. I want to reassure you that these facts are not necessary for gameplay, or for the story. They never come up again. You can forget them. Also, in case you don’t forget them, I want to be sure you understand that the “facts” are made up. The character in question is not a deliberate liar, but she is a confident person who is not very good at doing research. Please do not use Return to Monkey Island as a factual source for your Wikipedia article about anchors. It’s probably best not to use the game as a factual source, period.

2. The Fish Are Not a Lie

Because I don’t want you to lose any bar bets, I need to let you know that, unlike the anchor facts, the fish for sale at the fish shop in Return to Monkey Island are all meticulously researched, real fish. Hagfish, toadfish, slimehead, bloater, and lumpsucker are things that exist in the outside world, as unlikely as that seems. We may have taken some liberties with their ability to move and survive outside of the water.

3. Avocado Soda Is Both Fictional and Real and It’s Not Our Fault

Avocado soda is something we made up for the game, but a quick internet search will turn up plenty of examples of it in the real world as well. We are not affiliated with any of these products, we deny any responsibility for their existence, and we make no claims or assurances about what will or will not happen to you if you drink them.

4. There Are No Monkeys on Monkey Island

Well, okay, there’s a great big monkey head made of stone. But that’s the only one. This is a game about pirates, not monkeys. If you really need monkeys, may we suggest one of the many fine zoo simulators currently on the market.

5. Kids Named Guybrush Will Get Teased at School

After playing this game, you may be tempted to name your next child after mighty pirate Guybrush Threepwood. Of course, you are free to do what you want, but I’d like to remind you that primary school can be difficult for kids with unusual or suggestive names like Guybrush, LeChuck, Grossman, or John. Perhaps you might consider changing your own name instead, or getting a nice tattoo?

6. It’s Good to Try New Things

This is a game that encourages curiosity, not one that punishes it. So don’t worry, go ahead and try things, even if it seems like they won’t help you, or like they might get you arrested, injured, or killed. Er… we’re clear that I’m only talking about things you do inside the game, right? Breaking people out of jail is usually a bad idea in real life.

7. The Game Has a Writer’s Cut

Return to Monkey Island has a Writer’s Cut mode that can be turned on and off alongside the many other options. The Writer’s Cut restores extra dialog lines that were cut from the game, maybe a few hundred of them. Bonus! But the game already contains a large number of words, certainly enough for most people. I’m the person who did much of both the writing and the cutting, and I can tell you that these extra words were removed for good reasons. But some of them are funny, so we’ve provided the option to put them back. You can always turn the option back off again.

8. Savor It

You can speedrun the game whenever you want, but I don’t recommend you approach your first playthrough that way. Take your time. Poke around. Bring some snacks, and a friend. Trust me on this.

Okay, that’s it, now you’re ready! Go play!

Return to Monkey Island

Devolver Digital

☆☆☆☆☆64

★★★★★

$24.99 $19.99

PC Game Pass

Xbox Game Pass

Return to Monkey Island is an unexpected, thrilling return of series creator Ron Gilbert that continues the story of the legendary adventure games The Secret of Monkey Island and Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge developed in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games. It’s been many years since Guybrush Threepwood was last locked in a battle of wits with his nemesis, the zombie pirate LeChuck. His true love, Elaine Marley, has turned her focus away from governing and Guybrush himself is adrift and unfulfilled, having never found the Secret of Monkey Island. Hip, young pirate leaders led by Captain Madison have shuffled the old guard from power, Melee Island has taken a turn for the worse, and famed businessman Stan has been imprisoned for ‘marketing-related crimes’. Banter with old friends and new faces on familiar islands now under dangerous new leadership. Then, take to the high seas and explore the new and unknown as you work your way out of tough predicaments. Clever puzzles, bizarre situations, and devastating ripostes are all that stand between Guybrush and glory.“ Return to Point & Click Swashbuckling
Bringing classic point-and-click gameplay to the modern-day, intrepid pirates will solve puzzles and explore the islands with a clever evolution of classic adventure game controls. Context-sensitive interactions, reactive dialog trees, and an easy-to-use inventory system make pirating a breeze. Embark on Archipelago Adventures
Navigate the sometimes-friendly confines of Melee Island, a familiar place that finds itself under new management by leaders who have put the squeeze on old friends and new faces. Venture out into uncharted lands like the aptly named Terror Island and the chilling outposts of Brrr Muda to make allies and enemies alike. Created by a Legendary Crew
The new chapter in the Monkey Island series marks the return of the iconic series’ creator Ron Gilbert, joined by game co-writer Dave Grossman, art director Rex Crowle (Knights & Bikes, Tearaway) and composers Peter McConnell, Michael Land, and Clint Bajakian (Monkey Island, Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge).

Ready up and prepare to drop into Season 01 of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II and Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0, arriving November 16. Deploy to the next iteration of the free-to-play Battle Royale, including the highly anticipated DMZ mode, plus reimagined versions of Shoot House and Shipment, and an additional Special Ops mission leading up to the first Raid episode.

Season 01 launches on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S on November 16. Read on for all the highlights coming to both Modern Warfare II and Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0.

Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 – Welcome to Al Mazrah

The city of Al-Mazrah within the United Republic of Adal will be your first map for Warzone 2.0. You may have already explored some of its regions in Multiplayer maps like Al Bagra Fortress, Embassy, Zarqwa Hydroelectric, Taraq, Sariff Bay, and Sa’id.

Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 includes a wide variety of new features and mechanics, including the following highlights:

Loadouts Remain: Get your Custom Loadouts through Loadout Drops deployed later in the match or by clearing a Stronghold or Black Site. You can also use cash at the in-match Buy Station to purchase only the Primary Weapon from created Loadouts.

Looting Mechanics: In the new DMZ mode, Operators will utilize a backpack system to further organize their items and equipment. Battle Royale will use a streamlined version of this new system.

Enter the New Gulag

The new Gulag is a 2v2 environment where randomly paired Duos must coordinate to take down the opposition. All players will receive a predefined Loadout with highly effective weaponry and gear placed toward the map’s center.

In the middle of the match, the Gulag Jailer will jump in to interfere. Defeating the Jailer returns all four Gulag prisoners back into the match. Will you work together or go for the elimination victory?

AI Combatants

In addition to the Gulag Jailer, there are two other places where players will run into AI combatants – Strongholds and Black Sites. Both are clearly labeled on the in-game Tac Map.

In Strongholds, fight off AI opponents while attempting to locate and disarm a bomb within the time limit. Black Sites offer an even greater danger but provide a permanent Weapon Blueprint reward and valuable in-match items for those who can successfully complete them. To access a Black Site, you’ll need the Black Site Key, given to the first squad to clear out an active Stronghold.

Aquatic Combat, New Vehicles and Fuel System, and More

Circle Collapse: In Battle Royale modes, there can be up to three circles within the collapse, which will ultimately reconverge for the final showdown. Prepare to adjust your strategies accordingly, as this feature is randomized in each match.

Proximity Chat: Got something to say? Comms are now open, so any in-game chatter can be picked up by any other squad.

Interrogation: In squad-based modes, intel is everything. Reveal enemy locations by successfully shaking down player-controlled enemies while they are downed.

New Vehicles: Call in the aerial powerhouse known as the Heavy Chopper, which can hover in the air without a pilot, or use the all-electric supertruck GMC Hummer EV, a versatile means for the squad to quickly cover serious ground.

New Fuel System: No more unlimited fuel sources – all vehicles use fuel over time, and when it runs out, that vehicle is no longer usable. Vehicles can be refilled either with Gas Cans found around the map or at Gas Stations.

Gas Stations can also repair body damage and tires, thereby restoring vehicle health. However, Operators can also perform flat tire repairs anywhere in the world by interacting with individual tires.

Aquatic Combat: Whether by boat or breaststroke, Operators can navigate waterways, rivers, and the open sea as part of their overall victory strategy. Remember: only sidearms, melee weapons, and throwing knives can be used while you’re submerged.

The Shops: A new version of the Buy Station contains a unique set of items for purchase in limited quantities, including Killstreaks, Armor Plates, and more. You can see these offerings and can buy back fallen squadmates within a new interface.

DMZ – Play Your Way

In addition to traditional Warzone modes – Battle Royale Solos, Duos, Trios, and Quads – Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 will launch with a brand-new experience known as DMZ.

DMZ is an open-world, narrative-focused extraction mode where solo Operators or squads have free rein to complete faction-based missions, take on additional side objectives, engage with enemy Operators or AI combatants, and search for valuable items, all while fighting to survive toward exfiltration.

Third-Person Playlists: Get a new perspective with third-person Playlists, set to be introduced into the Battle Royale weekly rotation later in Season 01. Modern Warfare II owners can get a taste of the third-person experience now through the game’s Multiplayer.

Relaunch – Call of Duty: Warzone Caldera

Shortly after Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 launches on November 16, the original Call of Duty: Warzone will relaunch as Call of Duty: Warzone Caldera. This is a separate experience and will retain all player progression, Battle Pass content, Store Bundles, and other in-game purchases.

Modern Warfare II Overview

Season 01 is bringing two reimagined Multiplayer maps, the competitive CDL Moshpit, and more co-op focused Special Ops content.

Shoot House (Launch): Situated in the jungle south of Las Almas, Shoot House’s new home was built for training cartel hired guns with the same level of intensity as Mexican Special Forces Operators.

Shipment (Mid-Season): Set on a cargo ship taking on water in a storm-ridden part of the Atlantic Ocean, a new Shipment is ready to bring back the chaos that only an ultra-compact map can provide.

CDL Moshpit: Prior to the official launch of Ranked Play in Modern Warfare II, the CDL Moshpit offers the perfect testing grounds to warm up your competitive skills. The Playlist will use the Call of Duty League’s standard rules, restrictions, and map rotation across the three official game modes: Hardpoint, Search & Destroy, and Control.

Special Ops – New Mission at Launch, Raid Episode 1 Mid-Season

Special Ops is getting a new mission and the first episode of Raids during Season 01.

High Ground: Successfully find and destroy enemy communication servers to locate and extract three hard drives with vital enemy intel. One Operator will be tasked with piloting an Attack Chopper to clear out dangerous land mines, while the other works with AI allies as part of a Ground Assault Team to infiltrate the buildings that contain enemy equipment.

Raid Episode 1: Continuing the story of the Modern Warfare II Campaign, Raids will be the ultimate challenge for Trios with a mix of stealth, resource management, all-out action, and puzzle-solving objectives. Arriving later in the season.

Season 01 General Overview

New Battle Pass: Experience a brand-new Battle Pass system giving players more agency than ever before. Replacing the linear stream of tiers from previous titles will be a multi-Sector map. Unlock items across the map using earned Battle Token Tier Skips. Each map has at least 20 Sectors with five items each; tokens can be used to either unlock adjacent Sectors or earn more items within an unlocked Sector.

New Weapons

Season 01 brings the opportunity to earn four new weapons, which can then be used in Multiplayer, Special Ops, and Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0. Two of them are earned for free within the Battle Pass:

• Victus XMR Sniper Rifle: A hard-hitting, bolt-action sniper rifle with .50 cal BMG ammunition. Its tungsten sabot-tipped bullets are fast and powerful but require precise shots over long distances.

• BAS-P SMG: An aggressive fire rate and modular frame make the BAS-P perfect for the discerning Operator who wants to customize their weapon. Subsonic ammo hides kill skulls from the enemy team.

Two other weapons can be earned later in the Mid-Season either by purchasing a Store Bundle or by completing a weapon unlock challenge:

• Chimera Assault Rifle: With an integrated suppressor and slow, high-energy .300 BLK rounds, the Chimera is adept at close-quarters combat. Subsonic Ammo hides skulls from the enemy team.

• M13B Assault Rifle: The M13B features a short-stroke pistol system that allows for a high rate of fire and low recoil.

New Operators

Zeus (Launch): Born in the South Niger Delta, Zosar Kalu is the eldest of three children, helping to raise his younger siblings while his parents pursued political aspirations. Following his year of military service shadowing a Nigerian Army Special Forces Battalion, he enlisted and rose through the ranks.

After losing his family to local Al Qatala soldiers, Zeus established the “Thunder” Corps, a counterterrorism group dedicated to hunting AQ wherever they hide and bringing them to true justice. Unlock Zeus automatically with purchase of the Season 01 Battle Pass.

Klaus (Mid-Season): A member of Denmark’s Elite Special Forces, Klaus Fisker can almost be considered a living legend among Operators. His legend was made one night on the Urzikstan border, where he carried a wounded comrade 18 miles to the nearest base using the lessons taught by his father.

Gaz (Mid-Season): Price’s right-hand man, Gaz became legend in 2019 when his valiancy during an attack on Piccadilly Circus grabbed the attention of the formidable SAS Bravo Team captain. He ultimately joined Price’s elite unit, known as Task Force 141.

Obtain Klaus and Gaz in Bundles to be featured during the Mid-Season Update.

Persistent Prestige: This year, leveling up past Rank 55 will allow you to earn a persistent Prestige Rank across all seasons, rather than having it reset at the end of each season. Beginning in Season 01, reaching Rank 56 will unlock Prestige 1. This will grant an Emblem, additional rewards like a Battle Pass Token, and a set of challenges – complete those challenges to unlock an exclusive Calling Card. Rank up to Prestige 5 for greater rewards.

C.O.D.E. Bowl, Call of Duty League Major to Kick Off Mid-Season

This year’s C.O.D.E. Bowl will be held during the first Call of Duty League Major, taking place right after the Season 01 mid-season update from December 15 to 18 in Raleigh, North Carolina. This event will also host the first Call of Duty Challengers Open.

Visit the League’s official website for more information, including when tickets for the first Major will be on sale.

New Call of Duty League Launch Pack, Team Packs

During Season 01, we are celebrating an early return to the Call of Duty League with a special launch pack for the 2023 season. We are also releasing Team Packs for all 12 of the League’s teams.

Season 01 of Modern Warfare II Launches November 16

Purchase Modern Warfare II to get a premium Warzone 2.0 experience – access to 14 additional Operators to use across both games, as well as accelerated Weapon and Level Progression. As a Modern Warfare II owner, receive bonus XP at the end of each match when you play Warzone 2.0, ensuring that you level just as quickly in both titles.

Stay frosty.

Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® II – Vault Edition

Activision Publishing Inc.

☆☆☆☆☆1102

★★★★★

The Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® II – Vault Edition includes the Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S versions of the game. Existing Modern Warfare® II Digital Cross-Gen Bundle owners can upgrade to the Vault Edition as part of a limited time offer. Includes: – Cross Gen Bundle of Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® II
— Includes Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S versions of the game
– Red Team 141 Operator Pack:
— 4 Operators: Ghost, Soap, Farah and Price
– FJX Cinder – First-Ever Weapon Vault*
– Battle Pass (1 Season) + 50 Tier Skips** Welcome to the new era of Call of Duty®. Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® II drops players into an unprecedented global conflict that features the return of the iconic Operators of Task Force 141. Infinity Ward brings fans state-of-the-art gameplay, with all-new gun handling, advanced AI system, a new Gunsmith and a suite of other gameplay and graphical innovations that elevate the franchise to new heights. Modern Warfare® II launches with a globe-trotting single-player campaign, immersive Multiplayer combat and an evolved Special Ops game mode featuring tactical co-op gameplay. *Weapon Vault design limited to Weapon Vault contents at launch. **Battle Pass and Tier Skips, or equivalent versions, will be accessible in Modern Warfare® II once the Season 1 Battle Pass, or equivalent system, is made available in game. Battle Pass redemption applies to one season of Modern Warfare® II Battle Pass, or equivalent system, only. For more information, please visit www.callofduty.com. © 2022 Activision Publishing, Inc. ACTIVISION, CALL OF DUTY and MODERN WARFARE are trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners. This product contains software technology licensed from Id Software (‚Id Technology‘). Id Technology © 1999-2022 Id Software, Inc.

Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® II – Cross-Gen Bundle

Activision Publishing Inc.

☆☆☆☆☆1080

★★★★★

Includes: – Cross Gen Bundle of Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® II
— Includes Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S versions of the game Welcome to the new era of Call of Duty®. Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® II drops players into an unprecedented global conflict that features the return of the iconic Operators of Task Force 141. Infinity Ward brings fans state-of-the-art gameplay, with all-new gun handling, advanced AI system, a new Gunsmith and a suite of other gameplay and graphical innovations that elevate the franchise to new heights. Modern Warfare® II launches with a globe-trotting single-player campaign, immersive Multiplayer combat and an evolved Special Ops game mode featuring tactical co-op gameplay. For more information, please visit www.callofduty.com. © 2022 Activision Publishing, Inc. ACTIVISION, CALL OF DUTY and MODERN WARFARE are trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners. This product contains software technology licensed from Id Software (‚Id Technology‘). Id Technology © 1999-2022 Id Software, Inc.

Neverwinter: Northdark Reaches, developed in collaboration with New York Times bestselling author R.A. Salvatore and his son, Geno Salvatore, is now live.  This new module explores the events that take place between “Starlight Enclave” and “Glacier’s Edge”, the first two books in RA Salvatore’s “The Way of the Drow” trilogy.

New Campaign and Adventure Zone

Bound by his duty to the throne, King Bruenor seeks the assistance of Sergeant Knox in the disappearance of Gautlegrym’s most trusted scout, Braelin Janquay. Amidst mounting tension between factions and civil war brewing, it will fall to the adventurers of Neverwinter to unravel the mysterious circumstances surrounding Braelin’s disappearance. Heroes brave enough to answer King Bruenor’s call for aid will discover and explore the Northdark Reaches, a new region of the Underdark.

Neverwinter’s latest module introduces a new campaign, missions, rewards and the next major Adventure Zone. Alongside the familiar face of King Bruenor, adventurers will also be introduced to new characters such as the myconid Rumpadump, Saribel Xorlarrin Do’Urden, daughter of Matron Zeerith Xorlarrin, drow priestess Minolin Fey, and more. In an exciting new storyline, players will also visit new repeatable instances such as the Tower of Gabsul Nasad, Neirt Elamnshin, and the Mycelial Depths.

Temple of the Spider Dungeon Update

Gather your party and return to the Temple of the Spider in a reworked and updated version of the dungeon! Adventurers must clear the area of new servants of Lolth in order to save a Secret Moondancer taken to the Temple for judgement for posing as a High Priestess. Lolth is not known for her mercy so adventurers must make haste to rescue the priestess!

Temple of the Spider will be available in both Normal and Master difficulty. The Normal version will be included in the Random Dungeon Queue and is available to all players with at least 25,000 Item Level. The Master version will require 75,000 Item Level and will provide a challenge worthy of the strongest adventurers in the realm, especially those who seek to earn the title of “Web Hacker” upon completing all Master dungeon achievements!

Quality of Life & Wizard Updates

Neverwinter’s newest module brings with it several quality of life changes. Improvements to the inventory system have been added to help make adventuring easier. Included among these updates are filtering and finding options, several inventory bag management changes such as easier bag replacement and bag preference type, ease of companion roster navigation, and more. Additional appearance slots should help those seeking to expand their appearance options!

In addition to the quality of life updates, Wizards will notice several improvements to the class. This includes a significant amount of bug fixes and balance passes, mostly to magnitudes of various powers but also a few functional changes. This work was done to ensure Wizards remain competitive with other DPS classes and provide a few more viable choices to Wizard players.

Steel your resolve, sharpen your blade, and delve into the shadows – Neverwinter: Northdark Reaches is now available!

Neverwinter

Gearbox Publishing

☆☆☆☆☆1100

★★★★★

Neverwinter is the premier Dungeons & Dragons MMORPG experience, featuring fast-paced combat and epic dungeons. Explore the vast city of Neverwinter and its surrounding regions, battle its many enemies, and be a part of Forgotten Realms history. Experience Dungeons & Dragons Like Never Before – Neverwinter is an action MMORPG that bridges intense combat with classic D&D gameplay. Journey through the city of Neverwinter and the legendary subcontinent of Faerûn, and face off against the greatest adversaries from D&D legend. Build Your Own Legend – Bring your adventures to life through iconic D&D classes and races, advanced paragon paths, companions, and a remarkable range of customization options. Whether you’re hunting dragons and beholders within crumbling dungeons or battling other players in the icy reaches of Icespire Peak, you’ll discover why Neverwinter is the definitive Dungeons & Dragons experience. Optimized for Xbox One – Neverwinter inspires classic Dungeons & Dragons adventures with a fully optimized player experience for Xbox One. The fast-paced action gameplay of Neverwinter has been mapped to the Xbox One controller, giving adventures the ability to move around the battlefield and cast powerful spells with ease. Xbox One players can also use their Xbox One friends list to find and party up with others as they explore iconic locations of the Dungeons & Dragons universe. This game supports English, French, German, Italian, and Russian. Additional System requirements: Minimum broadband internet connection of 512 Kbps is required to access all features.

The Winter Update for Halo Infinite is here, bringing the largest feature update to both the game’s campaign and free-to-play multiplayer since launching last year on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows 10/11, and Steam. Starting today, players can jump into hotly anticipated experiences such as the Forge Beta, Campaign Network Co-Op, and Mission Replay, unlock rewards from the free, 30-tier Battle Pass, and more.

Here’s a quick look at all the new content available in today’s update:

• Forge Beta: Halo’s legendary creation tool is back and more powerful than ever, boasting a vast suite of additions and improvements to empower community cartographers with advanced and accessible tools. The Forge Beta launches with six canvas maps, a new visual scripting engine, object scaling, bot support, huge budget increases, file sharing capabilities, and much more to help you create and share your maps, modes, and prefabs. Check out the four-part Forge Fundamentals video series on Halo Waypoint for an overview on all the exciting new additions.

• Match XP & New Battle Pass: The Winter Update marks the first major step toward evolving Halo Infinite’s progression experience with Match XP Beta. Built on player feedback, Match XP rewards players for completing matches, with additional XP for performance (e.g., win / lose, end-of-match placement, etc.). During the beta period, the values for each Match XP reward category will be monitored and tuned to provide enhanced earn rates. Try it out with the Winter Update’s free, never-expiring, 30-tier Battle Pass that features fan-favorite Halo: Reach-themed cosmetics.

• New Multiplayer Maps & Game Mode: Two new multiplayer arena maps — Argyle and Detachment — are added to the rotation, both built entirely within Forge. Argyle is a tight, indoor map set within the narrow corridors of a UNSC vessel, while Detachment is a once-abandoned UNSC facility set atop a rocky outcropping. New mode Covert One-Flag is a unique variant on one-flag CTF, with the attacking team equipped with Active Camo, while the defending team possesses Threat Sensors.

• Campaign Network Co-Op and Mission Replay: Whether you’re stepping into the legendary Mjolnir-clad boots of the Master Chief for the first time or making your return to Zeta Halo, you can jump in with up to three of your friends and experience the epic Halo Infinite campaign together in Campaign Network Co-Op. Cross-play is supported across all Xbox devices and PC, and progress and unlocks are shared across all players — everyone benefits! Should you want to relive a specific part of the campaign or need to gather any remaining collectibles, you can replay any of the missions from the TACMAP.

• New Achievements: For the achievement hunters out there, the Winter Update brings 24 new achievements to Halo Infinite’s campaign. Some can be completed solo, but others may require a helping hand (or three!). Check out the full list of new achievements here.

This is just scratching the icy surface for all the new content and updates to challenges, matchmaking, playlists, and more that are available in today’s Halo Infinite Winter Update.

For a full breakdown of all things Winter Update, head over to Halo Waypoint, and for all things Xbox, stay tuned here on Xbox Wire!

Halo Infinite

Xbox Game Studios

☆☆☆☆☆1452

★★★★★

PC Game Pass

Xbox Game Pass

Lone Wolves: Season 2 Available Now! Lone Wolves, gear up for Season 2 of Halo Infinite! Experience fresh content including new maps, modes, themed limited-time events, and an all-new Battle Pass that never expires. Legendary Multiplayer, Freed: Halo’s celebrated multiplayer returns, reimagined and free-to-play! Seasonal updates evolve the experience over time with unique events, new modes and maps, and community-focused content. Arena: Halo returns to its roots with fair starts, on-map equipment, and 4-player squads to offer the ultimate arena-shooter experience.  Big Team Battle: Create endless combat possibilities by mixing and matching a rich variety of weapons, vehicles and equipment to experience big-team mayhem and fun that embraces the full spectrum of the Halo sandbox. Spartan Customization: Become a Spartan that’s uniquely your own with a rich and deep player customization system. Earn and discover new cosmetic items simply by playing campaign or multiplayer. Or to obtain even more cosmetic rewards, purchase a Battle Pass that never expires and unlock new content at your own pace. Cross-Generation and Cross-Platform Gaming: Halo Infinite provides an amazing experience across the Xbox One and newer family of consoles as well as PC with stunning 4k graphics and world-class cross-platform play. And, on Xbox Series X as well as supported PCs, enjoy enhanced features like up to 120FPS and greatly reduced load times creating seamless gameplay that usher in the next generation of gaming.* *Up to 120FPS and 4K Ultra HD available on Xbox Series X consoles and compatible PCs only across supported maps and modes; compatible TV or monitor required.

Halo Infinite (Campaign)

Xbox Game Studios

☆☆☆☆☆2969

★★★★★

$59.99 $47.99

PC Game Pass

Xbox Game Pass

Lone Wolves: Season 2 Available Now! Lone Wolves, gear up for Season 2 of Halo Infinite multiplayer! Experience fresh content including new maps, modes, themed limited-time events, and an all-new Battle Pass that never expires. Campaign: When all hope is lost and humanity’s fate hangs in the balance, the Master Chief is ready to confront the most ruthless foe he’s ever faced. Step inside the armor of humanity’s greatest hero to experience an epic adventure and explore the massive scale of the Halo ring. To experience the campaign, purchase Halo Infinite (Campaign). Multiplayer: Legendary Multiplayer, Freed: Halo’s celebrated multiplayer returns, reimagined and free-to-play! Seasonal updates evolve the experience over time with unique events, new modes and maps, and community-focused content. Arena: Halo returns to its roots with fair starts, on-map equipment, and 4-player squads to offer the ultimate arena-shooter experience.  Big Team Battle: Create endless combat possibilities by mixing and matching a rich variety of weapons, vehicles and equipment to experience big-team mayhem and fun that embraces the full spectrum of the Halo sandbox. Spartan Customization: Become a Spartan that’s uniquely your own with a rich and deep player customization system. Earn and discover new cosmetic items simply by playing campaign or multiplayer. Or obtain even more cosmetic rewards, purchase a Battle Pass that never expires and unlock new content at your own pace. Cross-Generation and Cross-Platform Gaming: Halo Infinite provides an amazing experience across the Xbox One and newer family of consoles as well as PC with stunning 4k graphics and world-class cross-platform play. And, on Xbox Series X as well as supported PCs, enjoy enhanced features like up to 120FPS and greatly reduced load times creating seamless gameplay that usher in the next generation of gaming.* *Up to 120FPS and 4K Ultra HD available on Xbox Series X consoles and compatible PCs only across supported maps and modes; compatible TV or monitor required.

Last October, “Star Trek” actor William Shatner traveled into space at 90 years old. In his autobiography “Boldly Go: Reflections on a Life of Awe and Wonder”, Shatner revealed his emotional response at being in space – not one of wonder, but of immense grief. “The contrast between the vicious coldness of space and the warm nurturing of Earth below filled me with overwhelming sadness,” he wrote, discussing the destruction of Earth’s animals, flora and fauna. “I discovered that the beauty isn’t out there, it’s down here, with all of us. Leaving that behind made my connection to our tiny planet even more profound.”

Space travel and a life beyond our planet remains an exciting, aspirational prospect. But the simplest solution for humanity’s future, by far, is solving the problems we already have on Earth – rather than solely chasing a dream of life elsewhere while conditions here become increasingly unlivable.

In the story of KeokeN Interactive’s upcoming sci-fi adventure game, Deliver Us Mars (launching February 2, 2023), which is set in the near-future where Earth is in a deeply precarious environmental state, this subject is key. The broader story of the game is about the push and pull between colonists with ambitions to start a new life on Mars (a group called Outward) and those remaining on Earth who are trying to salvage their home. Those who attempted to settle on the Red Planet thought it would be easy – but it wasn’t. Early in the game, your protagonist, the young astronaut Kathy Johanson, arrives on Mars and you journey through Outward’s colony, uncovering the struggles they faced in surviving on this harsh new world.

This difference in perspective between the colonists and Earth’s population isn’t depicted as straightforward in our game: there are lots of different points of view on the morality of the Outward’s decision to leave the rest of humanity behind, and the player is asked to make their own mind up about who’s right and wrong in the story.

Kathy is at the center of this conflict in a lot of ways: her father joined Outward and abandoned her and the rest of his family years earlier. Kathy and her sister begin the game living on Earth, which is now ravaged by floods, storms and other effects of climate change. They plot a desperate mission to Mars to retrieve the ARKs: these are huge space shuttles that have the power to reverse the effects of climate change, and they’re how Outward were able to settle on the Red Planet.

For players who enjoyed Deliver Us The Moon, the first game in the series, this entry deepens the environmental themes of the story by tying the fate of Earth to a protagonist who has a personal motivation for journeying into space. Kathy wants to find the ARKs and save the planet – but she also wants to find her father. As she follows in his footsteps across the landscape of Mars, hoping to discover what happened to him, she uncovers evidence of the deep regret he felt at abandoning her.

The ARKs are probably the most fantastical part of the Deliver Us Mars story – they represent optimism about the future. One of these ARK ships contains a bio-printer, a fictional device that contains a vast library of DNA for Earth’s flora and fauna, giving humanity the ability to recreate extinct plant life. This nicely represents KeokeN’s approach to sci-fi storytelling: we use grounded ideas to give our game a dimension of reality, but we want to remain hopeful. Retrieving the ARKs would allow humanity to, maybe, wipe the slate clean on Earth – it’s a fantasy, sure, but it’s a meaningful one.

So, how does telling that story translate into how you play Deliver Us Mars? Well, Kathy’s journey across Mars puts her through a whole gauntlet of challenges – and the mechanics in our game support how that story is told. You’ll float through zero-G to explore an abandoned space station. You’ll dive underwater and cut through environmental hazards with a laser. You’ll traverse the red cliffs and icy tundra of Mars using Kathy’s climbing axes. You’ll use your smarts to solve puzzles and reactivate sections of the Mars colony.

Kathy’s story is brought to life by a fully motion-captured cast, who imbue this game with so much emotional depth and rich characterization. All of this is wrapped up in beautiful-looking visual and amazing sound design, all built to make the most out of your Xbox Series X|S.

While the depiction of humanity in our game is complex, the message about our planet in Deliver Us Mars is simple: despite whatever we dream is out there in space, we only have one home.

Deliver Us Mars

Frontier Foundry

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$29.99 $26.99

Pre-order now and receive a 10% discount. Sequel to the award-winning Deliver Us The Moon, Deliver Us Mars is an atmospheric sci-fi adventure offering an immersive astronaut experience. Explore new frontiers on a suspense-fuelled, high-stakes mission to recover the ARK colony ships stolen by the mysterious Outward. A BOLD NEW MISSION
Ten years after the Fortuna mission, humanity is closer than ever to extinction. After a mysterious distress call from Mars, Earth’s youngest astronaut Kathy Johanson joins the Zephyr and its crew on one last mission: to recover the ARK colony ships stolen by the mysterious Outward, and with them, ensure the survival of the human race. OUT OF THIS WORLD GAMEPLAY
Board the Zephyr as you journey from Earth to the surface of Mars. Traverse and endure its harsh and unforgiving terrain as you quest to discover the secrets left behind by Outward. Use both brains and brawn to overcome mental and physical challenges, find the ARKs, and uncover the motivations of those behind the distress call that brought you here. A HANDCRAFTED EXPERIENCE
Experience a highly polished and absorbing narrative experience packed with engaging gameplay. Every moment is handcrafted, delivering a suspense-filled, emotion-fuelled narrative alongside music from award-winning composer Sander Van Zanten, state-of-the-art motion capture, and stunning graphics, powered by Unreal Engine. Deliver Us Mars © 2022 KeokeN Interactive B.V. All rights reserved. Published by Frontier Developments plc. ‘Frontier’ ‘Frontier Foundry’ and the Frontier logo are trademarks of Frontier Developments plc. All rights reserved. Deliver Us Mars uses the Unreal® Engine. Unreal® Engine © 1998-2022, Epic Games, Inc. All rights reserved. Unreal and its logo are Epic’s trademarks or registered trademarks in the US and elsewhere.

Here are this week’s games and add-on deals available from the Microsoft Games Store. Discounts are valid now through November 14, 2022 (actual end date varies by sale).

Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S Deals

*These offers are only valid for Xbox Live Gold members.

Please note: prices and availability are subject to change and may vary by region. Content Type varies by title and some titles may have multiple types not listed. Check the title’s individual product page for specific details about the game.

Xbox 360 Deals

*These offers are only valid for Xbox Live Gold members.

Please note: prices and availability are subject to change and may vary by region. Content Type varies by title and some titles may have multiple types not listed. Check the title’s individual product page for specific details about the game.

A solid drop of content awaits players in the latest update for World of Warships: Legends. Let’s take a closer look at it, and we shall start with…

Black Friday for All of November

Ships? Absolutely! With 5 new black ships arriving to the port, the obvious standout is famed Bismarck of Tier VII, changed a bit compared to the original vessel, and Italian Tier III battleship Dante Alighieri (available through a special mission) that gets a Semi-AP shell modification for main caliber battery. The other three ships are Japanese Tier VIII cruiser Ibuki, German Tier VI Premium destroyer Z-39, and Italian Tier V Premium cruiser Duca d’Aosta.

Deals? Sure, there are some discounts in the store starting November 7, with more of those dropping on November 14 and 21, with the sweetest deals arriving on November 21: some of them for as many as 80% off. The offers are available until December 1.

Tier VIII Reinforcements for British and French Navy

As many as six new ships – one of each for destroyer, cruiser, and battleship types, will be available at Tier VIII of the tech tree for Royal Navy and Marine Nationale. That range consists of British destroyer Jutland, cruiser Neptune, and battleship Temeraire, while the French field destroyer Mogador, cruiser Saint Louis, and battleship Alsace.

To get the new boats you’ll need to have Tier VII ships of the respective branches unlocked and maxed out, but researching the newcomers from scratch is possible too, amounting to 300,000 XP on their Tier VII predecessors. Having 150,000 of Elite XP on Tier VII ships unlocks the new Tier VIII vessels automatically.

Pirates on the Horizon!

Two new ships and two captains to helm them arrive within this update. Lady Ariadne M. Davis is the chief aboard destroyer Caprice of the British Royal Navy (closely based on French destroyer Fantasque – and that’s not a coincidence – as a self-respecting pirate she stole the boat from the French), while gorgeous-looking Michel Le Tir is in charge of the battleship La Foudre (very close to the stats of the famous Jean Bart). Both captains sport unique voiceovers.

There’s also a special Pirate Treasure Chest crate available, with guaranteed shiny doubloons inside, and a chance for mentioned ships & Commanders, along with more goods.

The Storm is Nigh

And it’s glorious! The current Brewing Storm campaign consists of 100 milestones split in 5 weeks, with catch-up mechanic alongside Heroic Effort missions for the most experienced sailors available. The ultimate prize, obtainable with purchased Admiralty Backing, is Japanese Tier VIII Premium destroyer Hayate, with powerful torpedoes and excellent fire-starting capabilities. A varied set of items is included in the prizes too, with crates, credits, boosters, camos, Commander Progression Items and more goods aplenty.

Ranked 1vs1 Returns

Dueling is back! This update features four instances of 1 versus 1 Ranked battles, for ships of Tiers IV, V, VI, and VII, respectively. Carriers are not allowed to participate, and the captains will be able to show off their best skills without having to rely on the teammates. The ultimate goal is to rank up till Rank 1 while competing for an enticing array of prizes, that includes Steel, Commander Progression Items, crates, and more items, and is distributed upon hitting new ranks.

Daring Bureau Project

One more mighty reinforcement in form of Legendary British destroyer Daring is ready to shine for the Royal Navy! The ship can be acquired via a free Bureau project and allows for faceted gameplay, with solid HE shells, as many as six charges of short-burst Smoke Generator consumable, Sonar available to equip, as well as tube-by-tube torpedo launchers.

Weather the storm and turn the tide in World of Warships: Legends!

World of Warships: Legends

Wargaming.net

☆☆☆☆☆428

★★★★★

Experience epic naval action in World of Warships: Legends, a global multiplayer free-to-play online game in which you can master the seas on the decks of history’s greatest warships! Recruit Legendary Commanders, upgrade your vessels, and stake your claim to naval domination alongside and against players from around the world. FREQUENT UPDATES
New content in the form of ships, Campaigns, Bureau Projects, events, and more arrive regularly! Each update brings new features to shake things up in-game. FEATURE RICH
Develop Legendary warships such as Yamato from the ground up in the Bureau, compete in Ranked Battles seasons for exclusive patches and extra rewards, and finish epic Campaigns to gain powerful new ships! CHOOSE YOUR COMBAT STYLE
Take control of over 120 destroyers, cruisers, and battleships—a range that’s perfect for every playstyle, whether it be an all-guns-blazing approach, more careful and methodical attacks, or tactics that are unique to you. TURN THE TIDE IN EPIC 9V9 BATTLES
Join forces with friends to challenge players around the world, and work together across consoles to devise strategies and plan attacks via voice chat. Cooperate to outgun your opponents and Turn the Tide of battle! World of Warships: Legends features loot boxes known as „containers“ and „crates.“ These provide various items to boost your in-game progress.

Where do I start with Provie, one of the new playable characters in River City Girls 2? For players discovering the River City series recently or through the first RCG in 2019, this is most likely their first time ever seeing her. For me, though, Provie has been a very near and dear character of mine for about eight years or so.

My name’s Bannon Rudis, and I designed and animated a video game a whole bunch of years ago called River City Ransom Underground. Like, many bunches of years now. Feels like forever! In that game, most of the main playable characters were based on people I knew in real life at the time. One of these characters happened to be Provie. She is a friend and was a fellow coworker at the restaurant that we used to work at together in Los Angeles. Provie would probably punch me on some part of my body at least three times a day and give me endless amounts of sass. If sass could be converted into a clean, sustainable energy source, the whole planet would be a utopia from her alone. She had to go in my game, no doubt about it. I asked her what kind of fighting style she would like, and she said dancing. Good enough for me! I was pushing for Muay Thai originally and left in her Muay Thai hand and foot wraps.

In that game, Provie fights with multiple different breakdancing moves that can all chain into each other in some form or another. This made her fighting style very unique and allowed the player a great sense of creativity. Ironically, the real-life Provie got motion sickness doing anything remotely stimulating like spinning around, going on roller coasters, or generally moving around too fast, so if you used her spinning specials too many times in a row, she would let out a projectile barf! that could hit enemies.

After three years of intense development on the game, I was offered a job at WayForward. I had only a couple months left to wrap up River City Ransom Underground as I began working as an animator and director-in-training at my new job. Eventually they tasked me with designing their new and wildly different take on the River City series, River City Girls, which turned out to be a pretty big success in the end. Huzzah!

When we got to work on River City Girls 2, we definitely wanted to add to our roster of playable characters. We needed two more girls to join in the fight. In my head, the only two I could ever imagine were Marian from Double Dragon and Provie from River City Ransom Underground.

Arc System Works, the license holder, ok’d both characters and I got to designing. I mainly wanted to keep Provie intact but update her for the new style of gameplay. Her moves would be much more simple to pull off and not as complex as her previous iteration. The controls needed to be accessible enough for anyone to pick her and get to dancing. Yet, she still needed to give players that creative freedom again from Underground. Luckily, she was incredibly easy to design for the RCG series from having a good, solid foundation already. Most of her moves carried over and felt right at home.

Like before, her dance special attacks can flow into each other. She even got an upgrade to a couple of her moves. Her Coin Drop anti-air attack can send her at an angle instead of straight up if she performs it while moving forward with one of her other specials. This move can cancel into her air combos as well.

Her Flare spin-kick attack is great for starting any of her combos and is her bread-and-butter special move. It can cancel into any of her other specials. Once you get her spinning though, it’s hard to stop her, so don’t go thinking it’s spammable!

Her Back Spin is a great move to get some quick distance from an idle position. This move can combo ground enemies and still allow Provie to combo into other dances.

Her Broken Propeller is one of my favorites. This allows Provie to get a mid-air boost that goes into a devastating spinning attack. It’s great for enemies above her, in the air with her, or below her as she comes crashing down into a split-kick landing, which can knock fallen enemies back up into the air. She can also combo into another Broken Propeller and even change the direction of it if the player holds the opposite direction she is facing.

Spin Cycle is an area-of-attack special that is supposed to clear some space for the player if they get surrounded. Unlike other AOEs, though, this move will have her do another spinning dance move but in the opposite direction she was facing. This can be done from the start or in the middle of a combo, allowing her to change direction and continue her dance routine towards the enemies that were sneaking up behind her. You can cancel into her other dance moves from this backwards-moving maneuver.

Provie is character who allows for a lot of creativity, and I hope you have as much fun coming up with her various dance routines as I did designing them. I absolutely love that we got her into River City Girls 2, because it bridges the gap even more between all these different Kunio-Kun games in what I fondly refer to as the Technos Universe. Please give her “a spin” when the game launches later this year!

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

Football Manager 2023 (PC) – November 8
Game Pass

Available on day one with PC Game Pass: Football Manager 2023 brings you closer to the beautiful game, from the supporters that live and breathe every match to your board, scouts, players, and opposition managers. Earn the backing of the fans by outsmarting your rivals and delivering success on the pitch.

Football Manager 2023 Console – November 8
Game Pass

Available on day one with Game Pass: Become the best in Football Manager 2023 Console, newly renamed for this season. Formerly titled the Xbox edition, this tailored version of Football Manager zones in on football’s most important areas: the transfer market, the tactics board, and the pitch.

Return to Monkey Island – November 8
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Game Pass

Return to Monkey Island is an unexpected, thrilling return of series creator Ron Gilbert that continues the story of the legendary adventure games The Secret of Monkey Island and Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge developed in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games.

Sonic Frontiers – November 8
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Worlds are colliding in Sonic the Hedgehog’s newest high-speed adventure! In search of the missing Chaos emeralds, Sonic becomes stranded on an ancient island teeming with unusual creatures. Battle hordes of powerful enemies as you explore a breathtaking world of action, adventure, and mystery.

Crowalt: Traces of the Lost Colony – November 9

A young adventurer Hugh Radcliff is in pursuit of one of the greatest mysteries of history: The Lost Colony. Deal with pirates, dive into native rituals, reveal conspiracies, and make tough choices on your difficult journey for unveiling this mystery!

Geometric Sniper – November 9

Play across a variety of environments where you will not have a second chance; precision is everything. When gaining intel, pay attention to the photo and information obtained by secret agents about your target. As a sniper, you must have a good memory to find and eliminate the target in the crowd before it gets away.

Super Woden GP – November 9
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Feel the excitement of ‘90s racing, isometric style! Your story in Super Woden GP will see your career grow from limited resources and budget to championships across a multitude of intense racing events. Buy a cheap car and sign up for your first race, then use your winnings to acquire better vehicles, compete in bigger races, and advance to the top.

Geometric Feel the Beats – November 10

Geometric Feel the Beats describes itself as a fun and competitive, geometric arcade shooter accompanied by frantic music. Fulfill the mission requirements and accumulate points; the accumulated rank points can be used to purchase ship upgrades as well as display your overall rank.

Kaiju Wars – November 10

Play out a Kaiju movie as the mayor of Floatio city, tasked with holding off the overwhelming strength of a Kaiju attack with (hopelessly) outclassed military. Defend your city as five unique and devastating Kaiju grow in power with every attack. Unfortunately, they can’t be killed, but can be slowed down and forced to fall back… for now.

Lord of the Click III – November 10

LotC 3 concludes the epic story of our Clicker General who wages war against all enemies of the peaceful and prosperous kingdom. With new features like a new way to summon units, plenty of meaningful upgrades, and updated visuals so you can enjoy the pastoral cartoonish landscapes with fierce battles raging on.

Vampire Survivors (Console) – November 10
Game Pass

Jump straight into the action, mow down thousands of night creatures, and survive until dawn! The gothic-horror world of Vampire Survivors will throw relentless hordes of monsters at you: make the right choices or rely on your skills and favorite weapons to turn the tide and quickly snowball against your enemies.

Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration – November 11
Smart Delivery

Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration takes you on an interactive journey through 50 years of video games. This massive selection of over 100 games spans seven different platforms: Arcade, 2600, 5200, 7800, Atari 8-bit computers, and, for the first time ever on modern consoles, Atari Lynx and Jaguar! Play the classics like Tempest 2000, Asteroids, and Yars’ Revenge, or dive into some deeper cuts.

Legend of Keepers: Career of a Dungeon Manager – November 11

In this original mix of Dungeon Management and Roguelite, you will lead your career as a Dungeon Manager! Plan your defense against a group of adventurers. Check their stats and resistances, then place the best traps and monsters to defeat them. When you think your dungeon is ready, let the crawl begin!

Paper Flight – Speed Rush – November 11
Xbox One X Enhanced

An interactive game experience that is designed to ease your mind and have fun popping innocent balloons. Jump into the role of a little paper plane and rescue the world from evil balloon demons by dashing through them.

“Every challenge brings opportunity;” that’s what we thought when we started working on the next expansion for Surviving the Aftermath. With Shattered Hope we went back to the core of the game,

focusing more on the survivors, testing their limits instead of aiming for a grand adventure or end goal. The new scenario revolves around the moon, which went through a major collision event that ejected big parts of its outer layers into space. Most of that debris is orbiting Earth and falling down in meteor storms and survivors must, once again, adapt to a new cataclysm. We’re excited to release Shattered Hope on Xbox today!

What is Surviving the Aftermath? Well, our game debuted first in Early Access in October 2019 and launched in November, 2021. It is a survival colony builder set in a post-apocalyptic world where the player starts with nothing except a handful of survivors. It is a combination of colony building and world exploration where colonists must first learn to survive through the day, before becoming a thriving society in the wasteland, for any survivor looking for a place to call home. It’s a pleasure to talk to players and fans again, revealing what’s behind the scenes of Shattered Hope.

With Shattered Hope, we wanted to dive deeper into the human mind. If it wasn’t enough to survive in the aftermath of civilization, now our survivors have to deal with the Moonfall. That’s right, the moon’s destroyed and its fragments are showering down from the sky, leaving behind destruction, but also some very convenient moon rock deposits. By gathering and refining lunar fragments, survivors can improve buildings’ production and increase their chances of survival. This “boost mechanic,” as we call it, allowed us to add more depth to the whole colony management, providing you, the players, with more opportunities and choices.

With the new expansion, we introduce Hope: a new challenge that is affected by the flow of time and any catastrophic events in the colony. We know that people can work wonders in extreme conditions, even when the only thing that keeps them going is the power of their will. While exploring the persistence of one’s mind, we decided to turn this invisible force into a concrete mechanic. This means that small actions and decisions will have an impact on your colony’s chances to thrive or doom your colonists into the final downfall. Want to boost your colonists’ Hope? Put together a feast and let them enjoy a few moments of peace, fun, and even some good food.

Shattered Hope is the second expansion of Surviving the Aftermath and we definitely hope you’ll enjoy playing it on Xbox starting today!

Surviving the Aftermath: Shattered Hope

Paradox Interactive

☆☆☆☆☆1

★★★★★

The Moon is shattered. Broken. Lost in the vast space above planet Earth. What was once a beacon of hope in the sky has now left survivors to deal with a new, catastrophic void in “Shattered Hope”, the new Expansion for Surviving the Aftermath. Use the Moon’s fragments to your advantage and make sure to keep your hopes up (literally!) to survive. Key Features Face the Moonfall and use it to your advantage with the new Building Boost mechanic
The Moon is shattered in the sky and its fragments are crushing down on Earth leaving behind them devastation – but also moon rock deposits. You can refine lunar fragments and obtain lunar dust which will be used to increase the production of your buildings for a limited time. This new building boost mechanic is called overtime. Keep your hopes up, and feast! Hope is a new global value that decreases over time and when catastrophes happen in the game. If kept too low for too long, it will trigger a new condition called anguish that, if left untreated, may turn your colonists hostile. So, keep your hope as high as possible by holding feasts at the new colony square building! New production chain: take care of your colonists!
When colonists experience anguish, you can help them by building a trauma center where they will heal. They will recover faster thanks to a brand new medicine called antistress. To make it, you’ll have to grow raw resources on the mushroom farm, then refine them into the actual medicine in the med hut building.

Are you ready to open your mind and find out who you truly are? The Chant is now available on Xbox Series X|S and it’s going to take you on the ultimate journey of self-discovery, unlocking parts of your mind that you didn’t even know existed.

Set on a remote island at a spiritual retreat, The Chant is a single-player, third person horror action-adventure game that will stay with you long after you put down the controller. The main protagonist, Jess, arrives at the retreat seeking to come to terms with past trauma. But her quest for inner peace will soon turn into a desperate struggle for survival.

Taking inspiration from the psychedelic horror movies of the late 70s, The Chant leaves you to explore an unknown and unsettling landscape awash with negative energy. You will have to craft, fight, and make your escape from the horrors set loose when a spiritual ritual goes wrong.

The Chant tells the story of what happens when you toy with things that aren’t meant to be toyed with. There’s a recurring cast of characters that will help you untangle the complex history of the island, but it’s very much up to you to fight off the evil creatures, reason with the survivors, and set about reversing the ritual.

The unique, interactive soundscape coupled with the use of color and negative space creates a deep sense of unease and sets up moments of sheer terror. The haunting electronic rock soundtrack is composed by the award-winning Paul Ruskay, and Siobhan Williams, star of “Sacred Lies” and AMC’s acclaimed series “Hell On Wheels”, leads a talented cast of actors.

Will you be able to elevate your spirit to meditate and access supernatural abilities? Or will you succumb to panic and flee?

Find out if you have what it takes to keep yourself together – in the face of dark forces determined to tear you apart – in The Chant, now available for Xbox Series X|S.

The Chant

Prime Matter

☆☆☆☆☆3

★★★★★

A single-player, third person horror action-adventure game set on a remote spiritual island retreat. To survive you must craft, fight, and escape the psychedelic horrors set loose when a spiritual ritual goes wrong and awakens a dimension of cosmic terror. A Spiritual Nightmare A single-player, third person horror action-adventure game set on a remote island spiritual retreat. A peaceful weekend soon turns to dread after a group chant opens The Gloom, a psychedelic dimension of terror that feeds off negative energy. Interact with a recurring cast of characters, untangle the complex history of the island, and witness terrifying revelations about the cosmos. Only you can fight off the creatures, reason with the survivors, and unravel the legacy of a cult from the 1970s to reverse the ritual. EXPLORE AN ISLAND FILLED WITH COSMIC DREAD Interact with the other members of the retreat as they slowly become consumed by their own negative energy. Survive against an array of prismatic creatures and cultists released from The Gloom as you piece together the weird history of the island. FIGHT OR FLIGHT You must choose your fights and battle for survival with spiritual weapons and abilities. Collect, craft, and manage your resources to take your chances in close combat – or succumb to panic and flee. MIND BODY SPIRIT Balance is everything. Steel your mind against horror and panic; Protect your body against physical threats; Elevate your spirit to meditate and access supernatural abilities… MODERN PSYCHEDELIC HORROR Inspired by the psychedelic horror of the 1970s, experience a landscape of colored lighting and an electronic rock soundtrack, composed by the award-winning Paul Ruskay.