Introducing The Newest Member Of The Xbox One Family – The Xbox One S All-Digital Edition

At Xbox, we’re inspired by gamers – they’re at the center of everything we do. We’re constantly listening to your feedback and looking for new ways to provide the best value and choice in gaming. Today, we’re excited to announce a new choice we’re bringing to gamers – the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition.

Consumer appetite for digital content and experiences are stronger today than ever before. Gaming and technology have changed quite a bit since the first Xbox debuted in 2001. During this time, we’ve seen a digital transformation across gaming, music, TV and movies. And closer to home, the success of Xbox Game Pass, which gives members access to over 100 great games, is just another example of how consumers today have grown to expect great digital content.  The Xbox One S All-Digital Edition was created for those who prefer to find and play their games digitally and are looking for the most affordable way to play Xbox games.

The Xbox One S All-Digital Edition comes bundled with three of our most compelling and popular games – Minecraft, Forza Horizon 3 and Sea of Thieves. These critically acclaimed titles are sure to offer something for everyone in the family to enjoy.

Those new players joining us can get a head start on their digital collections and discover their next favorite game through Xbox Game Pass. If you haven’t tried Xbox Game Pass yet, the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition comes with a special offer to get started with access to over 100 great games, and with new games being added all the time there will always be something new to queue in your digital library. Cord cutters will enjoy watching 4K HDR entertainment with Netflix, Amazon and more, and thousands of Xbox One games are available from the Microsoft Store digitally.

We realize price plays an important role in providing the opportunity to make console gaming more accessible to more gamers around the world. Available for pre-order today at $249.99 USD, the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition is $50 USD less than Xbox One S, and we expect to maintain at least that price difference between the two consoles going forward.

You can pick up the disc-free Xbox One S All-Digital Edition at your local Microsoft Store or online, as well as select retailers worldwide including Walmart, Best Buy and Amazon.com beginning May 7.

Free Things For The Xbox Community To Do This Weekend

There are a number of deals and opportunities available to the Xbox Live community this weekend announced throughout the week, so I thought it would be a good idea to provide a recap. If you’re looking for something new to play, you might want to check them out – some of them are even free (but most require you to have an Xbox Live Gold account).

Free Things To Do This Weekend

Apex Legends (FREE) – A new free to play battle royale shooter from the team that brought you Titanfall. The game is free, but there are packs you can purchase to buy in-game cosmetic items. (And if single player is more your style, you can pick up Titanfall 2 for 85% off in this week’s Deals with Gold. This is an amazing game for an unbelievable price.)

Crackdown (FREE) – To celebrate the launch of Crackdown 3, we are giving away the original Crackdown for free! Play it on your Xbox One with Backward Compatibility.

Free Play Days (FREE) – Xbox Live Gold members can play The Sims 4, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, and Fishing Sim World for free as part of the Free Play Days event, going on now until February 10th.

Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 Private Beta (FREE, if you have access) – The Division 2 Private Beta will include both early game and endgame missions, and will run from February 7 at 1AM PT through February 11 at 1AM PT.

Sea of Thieves (FREE, if you have friends or contacts who can give you access) – Starting February 6 through February 13, everyone who owns Sea of Thieves or who has played it through a current Xbox Game Pass subscription will be able to invite up to three friends to try the game for free with the “Friends Play Free” event.

Devil May Cry 5 Demo (FREE) – CAPCOM released a new demo for Devil May Cry 5 that expands the previously released Xbox Exclusive Demo with the addition of a Punchline Devil Breaker and a customize option.

Play For Honor’s Wu Lin Faction (FREE, if you already own For Honor) – For Honor players who’ve held off on unlocking the four Heroes of the Wu Lin faction can play as the Tiandi, the Nuxia, the Shaolin, and the Jiang Jun for free until February 12.

Watch (or re-watch) Inside Xbox (FREE) – On February 6th, we livestreamed our first episode of Inside Xbox from 2019. The show is just over an hour long and includes special guests, a look at upcoming releases, a new Xbox One console bundle and controller announcement and a whole lot more.

Deals With Gold And Spotlight Sale

There are a number of sales going on this week in addition to our normal weekly Deals With Gold sales, including a sale to support Anime Month, the ID@Xbox Sports Spectacular Sale, and the Wolfenstein Franchise Sale. Prices and availability are subject to change and may vary by region. I update this post as needed to reflect current active sales, so keep checking back as new items may be added.

See the full list of Deals With Gold and Spotlight Sale offers

Everything Xbox Announced Today at gamescom

Will Tuttle, Xbox Wire Editor in Chief, posted a recap of everything announced at gamescom. Details below:

Here at Xbox, we love gamescom because it allows us to connect more directly with our fans, both here in Germany and across Europe. Our European audience has always been important to us, and we’re continuing our ongoing commitment to talent and great studios in Europe, including Playground Games, Ninja Theory, Rare, and Mojang. We could not be more excited to be here in Cologne, where our fans are enjoying one of the most diverse selection of games in recent years with 25 playable titles in our booth. From fast-paced action games to thrilling driving games to fun platformers, games play best on Xbox One.

Today, via a special episode of Inside Xbox broadcast directly from our booth at gamescom, we gave fans here in Germany and around the world a closer look at some of the exciting games coming to Xbox One over the next year, unveiled new Xbox One bundles and accessories, revealed new Xbox Game Pass titles, and much more.

More on Forza Horizon 4’s Team Multiplayer Action

As Forza Horizon 4 races towards launch, we got more information about Team Adventure, the new competitive multiplayer mode that allows players to team up and take on the world in races, games and frantic Freeroam Rushes. With brand new Leagues to rise through, unique rewards to be won and prestigious Grandmaster titles to aim for, start picking your teammates now and be ready when the first four-week series begins on Oct. 2 when Forza Horizon 4 launches worldwide on Xbox One, Windows 10 and included with Xbox Game Pass.

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Graduating from Xbox Game Preview; Full Content Release Coming September 4

We announced that PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) will exit the Xbox Game Preview program on September 4, 2018 to Full Product Release (1.0). While PUBG Corp. will continue to enhance the game and deliver new content to Xbox players, the Full Product Release marks the culmination of our combined efforts in Xbox Game Preview, where we worked closely with the passionate and engaged Xbox community to regularly update, tune, stabilize and enhance the PUBG experience for Xbox One. For more on today’s PUBG news, read the Xbox Wire post here.

Xbox Game Pass Announces Halo: The Master Chief Collection Coming in September, a Mobile App Beta and Special Offers for New Members

Xbox Game Pass provides gamers the ultimate value and freedom to play over 100 great games for one low monthly price. It is also continuously evolving based on valuable feedback from our members and has new games added every single month, including popular releases this summer such as Fallout 4 and Rocket League. Building on this, today, we announced the latest addition to the service with Halo: The Master Chief Collection on September 1, which has been a top requested game by fans.

We are also excited to announce the release of the Xbox Game Pass app, now available on iOS and Android. Browse any of the games in the Xbox Game Pass catalog, discover new titles and download them straight to your console when you’re on your mobile device. That way, they’re ready to play the next time you turn on your Xbox One. If you haven’t tried Xbox Game Pass yet, we also have a special offer for new members. Starting today until August 31 you can get one month of Xbox Game Pass for just $2 (or equivalent local currency) and receive a second month for free in nearly all countries where Xbox Game Pass is available or check with your local retailers for other great offers. Visit here for more details or the Xbox Game Pass tab on your Xbox One. For more on today’s Xbox Game Pass announcements, read the Xbox Wire post here.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps Reveals New Gameplay

We got a closer look at the highly anticipated sequel Ori and the Will of the Wisps, with a focus on the new Spirit Trials feature. These fast paced, highly repayable race sequences spread throughout the game allow Ori players to compete asynchronously with other members of the community for in-game rewards and placement on the Spirit Trials leaderboards. Fans at gamescom will get a chance to check out Ori’s immersive world, dynamic combat mechanics, gripping enemy encounters and challenging puzzles for themselves. Ori and the Will of the Wisps releases on Xbox One and Windows 10 in 2019.

Undead Labs Keeps the Zombies Coming with State of Decay 2’s Daybreak Pack

Zombie killing fans will be happy to hear that Undead Labs is continuing their post-release momentum through new add-on content for State of Decay 2. Daybreak Pack will give fans more of the multiplayer action they’ve been asking for with an all-new siege defense game mode that gives players the ability to fight zombies, complete missions and earn rewards as a respawning Red Talon soldier with up to three friends. It will be available on Sept. 12. State of Decay 2 is available on Xbox One, Windows 10, and also included with Xbox Game Pass. For more on today’s State of Decay 2 Daybreak Pack announcement, read the Xbox Wire post here.

Journey to Perilous New Lands in Sea of Thieves Forsaken Shores

Today, we also gave players their first look at our third major free content update for Sea of Thieves in The Forsaken Shores. Launching September 19, and also available within Xbox Game Pass, The Forsaken Shores will take players to The Devil’s Roar to encounter brand new environmental perils with volcanoes, geysers and earthquakes added to the game. With more than five million pirates around the globe, The Forsaken Shores further expands the ever-growing world of Sea of Thieves.

New Xbox One Bundles and Accessories Offer Something for Everyone

We’ve announced more new Xbox One bundles and accessories at this year’s gamescom than ever before, with 8 new bundles and 3 new controller designs, including the first ever Xbox One X Special Edition console bundle—the Xbox One X Gold Rush Special Edition Battlefield V Bundle—as well as the Xbox Wireless Controller – PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Limited Edition and new camo and shadow options for Xbox Design Lab.

From Blockbuster Titles to Innovative Indies, Games Play Best on Xbox One

Xbox One continues to be the best place to play the biggest and best blockbuster games, including over 220 titles enhanced for Xbox One X, the world’s most powerful console. Dozens of new games from some of the world’s most talented creators are coming to the platform, such as Bethesda’s Fallout 76, Ubisoft Massive’s The Division 2, Rockstar Games’ Red Dead Redemption 2, Square-Enix’s Kingdom Hearts 3, Capcom’s Devil May Cry 5, Electronic Arts’ Battlefield V, 4A Games’ Metro Exodus, Activision’s Call of Duty: Black Ops IV and Square Enix Montreal’s Shadow of the Tomb Raider, with many enhanced for Xbox One X. On today’s episode of Inside Xbox, we took an in-depth look at a number of these titles, including:

*Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 (Ubisoft Massive): Developed by Ubisoft Massive and the same teams that brought you Tom Clancy’s The Division, Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 is an online open-world, action-shooter RPG experience set in a collapsing and fractured Washington, D.C. This rich new setting combines a wide variety of beautiful, iconic and realistic environments where the player will experience the series’ trademark for authenticity in world- building, rich RPG systems, and fast-paced action like never before. Play solo or co-op with a team of up to four players to complete a wide range of activities, from the main campaign and adversarial PvP matches to the Dark Zone — where anything can happen.

*Fallout 76 (Bethesda): The award-winning creators of Skyrim and Fallout 4 welcome you to Fallout 76 — a stunning prequel and the largest world ever created in the legendary Fallout universe. Set in the hills of West Virginia, you are one of the first to emerge, into a new and untamed wasteland.

*Devil May Cry 5 (Capcom): A brand-new entry in the legendary over-the-top action series comes to Xbox One in spring 2019, complete with its signature blend of high-octane stylized action and otherworldly and original characters the series is known for. Years have passed since the legions of hell have set foot in this world, but now a new demonic invasion has begun, and humanity’s last hope will rest in the hands of three lone demon hunters, each offering a radically different play style. United by fate and a thirst for vengeance, these demon hunters will have to face their demons if they hope to survive. The devil you know returns in the most over the top, technically advanced, utterly insane action experience of this generation. Devil May Cry 5 unleashes its demonic fury on March 8, 2019.

*The Dark Pictures (Bandai Namco Entertainment): From the developers of Until Dawn comes The Dark Pictures – a series of intense, standalone, branching cinematic horror games that combine state of the art graphics with powerful storytelling to create a terrifying new gaming experience. Man of Medan is the first game in the Dark Pictures Anthology, bringing supernatural horror to the South Pacific. Five friends set sail on a holiday diving trip. With a rumoured WWII wreck to find, and plenty of on-deck partying to be had, the group is ready for what should be the dive trip of a lifetime. As the day unfolds, and a storm rolls in, their trip soon changes into something much more sinister and terrifying. As the player, you’ll get to shape the story through your actions and decisions. Who will live and who will die is up to you. Can you save them all?

*Shadow of the Tomb Raider (Square Enix Montreal): Experience Lara Croft’s defining moment as she becomes the Tomb Raider. In Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Lara must master a deadly jungle, overcome terrifying tombs, and persevere through her darkest hour. As she races to save the world from a Mayan apocalypse, Lara will ultimately be forged into the Tomb Raider she is destined to be.

Five Great Games are Coming to Steam and PC Disc on September 14

There’s lots of big Xbox One news here at gamescom, but we’ve got some news for PC gamers too, with our announcement of five games soon to be available via Steam and on PC disc. ReCore: Definitive Edition is an action-packed adventure in which charming robotic companions are your key to saving humankind.  We’ve also got four great titles that everyone in the family can enjoy. Super Lucky’s Tale is a delightful 3D platformer that follows the adventures of a brave fox named Lucky on his quest to help his sister rescue the mysterious Book of Ages. Disneyland Adventures allows Disney fans of all ages to explore Disneyland park, embarking on quests, meeting characters and more. In the 3D platforming game Rush: A Disney-Pixar Adventure, fans can visit the worlds of six beloved Disney-Pixar films to solve puzzles and uncover hidden secrets. Finally, you can create the zoo of your dreams with Zoo Tycoon: Ultimate Animal Collection. Don’t miss them!

Finally, come down to our booth at gamescom this year and visit the Inside Xbox Lounge in association with Samsung. The lounge marks the start of an official partnership between Samsung and Xbox in Europe – it’s an area to chillout away from the busy show floor to experience the ‘Unbeatable Combination’ of Samsung’s premium QLED 4K TVs, alongside Xbox One X, the most powerful console in the world!

Inside Xbox Is Live From gamescom On Tuesday, August 21

Inside Xbox kicks off one of the world’s largest video game shows with a live broadcast direct from Cologne, Germany on Tuesday, August 21 at 7:30 a.m. PDT/10:30 a.m. EDT on Mixer, Twitch, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter.

Our gamescom content will include the latest on Forza Horizon 4, Sea of Thieves, and State of Decay 2, plus breaking news, exclusive interviews and never-before-seen content for many other games.

Stay tuned @Xbox on Twitter and here on Xbox Wire for the latest Inside Xbox: Live @ gamescom news, and mark August 21 on your calendar so you don’t miss out!

 

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Visit Xbox At San Diego Comic-Con 2018

San Diego Comic-Con, the world’s largest comic and pop-culture festival, is coming soon and Xbox is bringing the fun with exclusive gear, panels, celebrity guests, and more! See below for details on everything Xbox at SDCC and join the fun from California or from the comfort of your own couch.

Xbox Booth (San Diego Comic-Con badge required)
Hall A, Booth #100

For the first time ever, Xbox will have exclusive gear available at SDCC! Stop by to pick up exclusive clothing and items from Xbox and your favorite games and then get them customized on the spot with your Gamertag. See some of the items available here.

Visit us on Thursday, July 19 and Saturday, July 21 for signing sessions with some of your favorite developers and designers, but get there early: only the first 100 people to receive passes will be eligible!

Signings (San Diego Comic-Con badge required):

*Brendan Greene (“PlayerUnknown”), Creative Director, PUBG Corp – Thursday, July 19 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. PDT

*Joe Neate, Executive Producer, and Mike Chapman, Design Director, Sea of Thieves – Saturday, July 21 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. PDT

Xbox Gear Comic-Con Sweepstakes

Can’t make it to the booth to pick up the exclusive gear? Retweet @Xbox to potentially win an Xbox Gear Comic-Con prize pack! Four winners will receive a collection of exclusive Xbox Gear, and one grand prize winner will receive the gear and an Xbox One X.

Follow @Xbox or @XboxCanada on Twitter and retweet the following tweet when it goes live at the start of San Diego Comic-Con: “RT and follow for a chance to win exclusive #XboxSDCC #XboxGear! NoPurchNec. Ends 7/22/18. #Sweepstakes Rules: bit.ly/2KV2DQ1.” You have until July 22 to enter. Click through for the Official Rules.

Sea of Thieves Panel (San Diego Comic-Con badge required)
Room 5AB, Saturday, July 21 from 1:30pm – 2:30pm PDT

Special guest and Sea of Thieves fan Freddie Prinze Jr. (“Star Wars Rebels,” “24,” “Scooby Doo,” “I Know What You Did Last Summer”) joins the Rare crew, Joe Neate, Mike Chapman, Adam Park, and Peter Hentze as they discuss the lore and expanded universe of Sea of Thieves. Attendees will also receive a limited-edition Sea of Thieves comic and time-limited exclusive in-game DLC!

Xbox Live Sessions

If you’re not in San Diego but still want to follow along with the fun, we’re hosting two action-packed Xbox Live Sessions that you won’t want to miss.

*PUBG featuring Brendan “PlayerUnknown” Greene: On Thursday, July 19 at 5:00 p.m. PDT, PUBG Creative Director Brendan Greene (@PLAYERUNKNOWN) and Microsoft Executive Producer Nico Bihary (@nico_bihary) will join Rukari Austin (@rukizzel) to get their loot on in PUBG’s Miramar map live from inside of a PUBG Bus created by West Coast Customs. That’s right – Xbox, PUBG Corp., and West Coast Customs have teamed up to create a one-of-a-kind, tricked out PUBG Bus which will be home to the livestream and available to see in-person at The Experience at Comic-Con.

*Sea of Thieves with Freddie Prinze Jr.: On Saturday, July 21 at 5:00 p.m. PDT, Sea of Thieves fan Freddie Prinze Jr. (@RealFPJr) will sail the high seas with members of the Rare team (and me) in an episode of Xbox Live Sessions that’s sure to test the sea legs of the seasoned actor. Fans at home can tune in and watch on http://mixer.com/Xbox  and http://twitch.tv/Xbox.

Xbox at “The Experience at Comic-Con”

Head over to Petco Park where you can play Xbox One games, earn free swag, and win awesome prizes! No Comic-Con badge required.

*Visit the Samsung truck at The Experience at Comic-Con, located in the Lexus Lot at Petco Park. Climb aboard the truck to compete in Forza Motorsport 7 on Xbox One X via Samsung’s 2018 QLED TVs. More information can be found here.

*Come visit the first stop of the Xbox One Summer of PUBG tour. Win prizes, check out the PUBG Bus, and stick around for the Xbox Live Sessions! More information can be found here

For all the SDCC details, visit the Xbox SDCC website. For more Xbox news, follow @Xbox on Twitter and stay tuned to Xbox Wire. See you at San Diego Comic-Con!

 

Xbox Game Pass Has A Remarkable First Year Creating New Opportunities For Gamers And Developers

Ashley Speicher, Head of Engineering for Xbox Game Pass, shares some thoughts on the one year anniversary of Xbox One Game Pass.

It’s been one year since we launched Xbox Game Pass, a monthly membership built for gamers. From the very outset, our goal with Xbox Game Pass has been to provide you with more value and choice by delivering a diverse library of games reflective of the long history of Xbox, as well as create new opportunities for our industry partners that make a positive impact. Thanks to you, this last year has been remarkable – we’ve been humbled by your enthusiasm and support.

Over the last year, we’ve achieved several important milestones based on feedback from our fans. We heard from around the world that you wanted Xbox Game Pass, so we expanded and now support 40 markets across the globe. You also told us your number one must-have feature was to have more AAA blockbuster titles available. In response, we announced in January that going forward, we plan to release all new Xbox games from Microsoft Studios into Xbox Game Pass the same day as their global launch, including new iterations of future unannounced games from some of our biggest franchises such as Halo, Forza and Gears of War.

So, how is Game Pass creating new opportunities for both gamers and developers? In its first year, Xbox Game Pass has proven to be great for both gamers and game developers as an additive means to drive discovery and engagement of games. The freedom to explore and play more great games is changing gaming habits in incredibly positive ways.

After joining Xbox Game Pass, Game Pass members are playing more games than ever before — not only games in the Game Pass catalog, but also other Xbox games outside the catalog. As a result, we’re seeing more active players for games across the board, which is having a notable positive impact for our publishers and developers, including increased sales for games in Xbox Game Pass.

Xbox Game Pass is also creating bigger player communities, more buzz and excitement, and longer lifespan for games that enables our partners to drive more business opportunity. For example, in March, Sea of Thieves marked the first Xbox title to release into Xbox Game Pass timed with its global release, which contributed to a thriving Sea of Thieves community that saw more than 2 million players within its first week of release. And building on this momentum, in May, we made the second Xbox exclusive title from Microsoft Studios available to Xbox Game Pass members with the release of State of Decay 2 on May 22. The response from our community has been extremely positive, contributing to the over one million players across the globe playing and creating their own zombie survival story. In addition to our first-party portfolio, we’ve continued to add a variety of new titles for you to explore and enjoy every month, so you always have something new to play. We’ve seen an incredible community response to newer titles in the catalog such as Pro Evolution Soccer 18, theHunter: Call of the Wild and Clustertruck and can’t wait to bring you more popular titles in the year ahead.

It’s also been exciting to see titles in Xbox Game Pass experience revived gaming communities across a variety of genres and franchises. Games in Xbox Game Pass have a longer tail of engagement, sustain their community and help developers connect with new audiences than before. What’s more, those same community members often go on to then try the next major release from those franchises thanks to being introduced to new genres and content they may not have otherwise explored, simply by having unlimited access through the Xbox Game Pass catalog.

We have a long-term commitment and belief in making subscriptions a model that benefits gamers with more choice and game creators with more opportunity. We will continue to invest in this space. We look forward to further evolving Xbox Game Pass by bringing even more great games in the year ahead to continue to meet the needs of gamers and game developers.

 

Inside Xbox Episode 3 News Recap

Will Tuttle, Xbox Wire Editor in Chief, put together a recap of Inside Xbox Episode 3. Details below + the full VOD is also available.

Earlier today Inside Xbox Episode 3 aired, continuing to pull back the curtain on Team Xbox to celebrate our games, features, and fans. This episode was full of a variety of projects Xbox is working on, like new content coming soon to Sea of Thieves and updates to The Master Chief Collection, as well as the official reveal of a specially designed controller allowing more gamers to enjoy video games despite any restrictions they may have. So, without further ado, let’s take a closer look at some of the biggest news coming out of this month’s episode of Inside Xbox.

First Look at Sea of Thieves: The Hungering Deep

Sea of Thieves hit the open water just two short months ago, starting us off on a grand pirate adventure. Since then we’ve traversed storms, explored sunken ships, and (if we were lucky) faced off with a kraken. Now it’s time to prepare for even greater dangers and adventure in The Hungering Deep later this month in Sea of Thieves. Stay tuned to Xbox Wire and the official Sea of Thieves site for more details on The Hungering Deep as we get closer to launch.

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Desert Map Launch Date Revealed

Having been available to Xbox players on the PUBG test servers for a few weeks, we’re excited to reveal that May 24 will be the public launch date of the Miramar map – also commonly known as the Desert Map. A huge thank you to those players who have helped the development team squash bugs and provide feedback. We can’t wait to drop in on this new map!

State of Decay 2 Community Q&A

Richard Foge, Jeff Strain, and Wonder Russell from Undead Labs stopped by take community questions about the soon-to-be-released zombie apocalypse survival game State of Decay 2, covering such topics as four-player co-op, including the benefits for players joining another friend’s game, how the world simulation builds dynamic, emergent gameplay, and what opportunities and challenges fan can expect to face in the world.

Revealing the Xbox Adaptive Controller

One of our biggest features of today’s episode of Inside Xbox was an in-depth look at our newest piece of hardware which we believe will enable and empower even more Xbox One and Windows 10 gamers across the globe: The Xbox Adaptive Controller.

In this segment, we learned how the team at Microsoft took an inclusive design approach, and considerations of gamers who might not be able to reach all the bumpers and triggers or hold a controller for an extended period, designed a controller that provides a way for more fans to enjoy gaming.

The Xbox Adaptive Controller has been years in the making and has been a passion project for people around the world, both inside Microsoft and beyond. The team was thrilled to introduce it to the world today, tell the story behind it, and take what they have learned to inform future initiatives in inclusive design.

No Man’s Sky Details

Hello Games took to the stage here at Inside Xbox to give some more details on the Xbox One version of the upcoming No Man’s Sky, including the first details on multiplayer, additional content coming to the game, as well as what work was put into making the game Xbox One X Enhanced. We’ll have more details to share on No Man’s Sky: Next in the coming months here on Xbox Wire.

Forza Motorsport 7 Update

Brian Ekberg from Turn 10 Studios joined us to talk about quite a few exciting updates and features coming soon to the award-winning racing game Forza Motorsport 7. The team outlined a brand-new series of features for multiplayer, including the new Forza Race Regulations, which not only create a more fair, skillful online experience but also teach players how to improve in online competition. This includes new track limits, which highlight when you’re about to go off-track.

Based on community feedback, the team is also introducing Time Attack back into Forza Motorsport 7, with every track, ribbon and class having a time attack associated with it.

Turn 10 also announced that the team is experimenting with a new drag-race mode, including custom stats and mechanics, such as free rev, to help create a true, simulated drag racing experience. This experience is still early in development, so keep your eyes here on Xbox Wire for more information as it becomes available.

New Halo Arcade Experience and Halo: The Master Chief Collection Update

Brian Jarrard and James Monosmith from 343 Industries came to the show today to talk about a brand-new Halo arcade experience called Halo: Fireteam Raven, built in partnership with acclaimed arcade-game developers Raw Thrills and Play Mechanix. Sporting a 130-inch, 4K screen experience and four turret-mounted multipurpose machineguns, Halo: Fireteam Raven is set to offer a Halo adventure unlike any other. Fans can play it first this summer at Dave & Buster’s in the US and Canada, and expanding to more locations this Fall. In addition, Brian and James provided the latest details of the Halo: The Master Chief Collection update, following through on the team’s commitment to make this the definitive Halo collection with improvements to multiplayer functionality and Xbox One X enhancements.

The Gears Pro Circuit and Halo Championship Series Join Forces

Joining us to talk competitive gaming was Tahir “Tashi” Hasandjekic, Lead Esports Producer at 343 Industries, about teaming up with The Coalition and Major League Gaming to bring Halo and Gears of War together for a unique esports event in New Orleans on July 13-15. The event will feature hundreds of players, two main stages, multiple feature stations and two open bracket areas – and both tournaments will feature a $250,000 prize pool! More details are available at Halo.gg and Gears.gg.

A Look at Divinity: Original Sin 2 – Definitive Edition

Michael Douse from Larian Studios to share with us a look at one of the most critically acclaimed RPGs in Divinity: Original Sin 2 – Definitive Edition, which is available now via the Xbox Game Preview program on Xbox One.

Thanks to everyone who tuned in! We hope you enjoyed the show and we can’t wait to tell you all about next month’s episode in a few weeks.

Sea Of Thieves: Content Plans

Joe Neate, Executive Producer at RARE, discusses content updates coming to Sea of Thieves.

It’s been just over three weeks since we launched Sea of Thieves, and a lot has happened since then! We’ve been listening to you all, and we know you are keen to hear how we plan to grow Sea of Thieves. As we’ve always said, launch is just the start, and we are going to grow and evolve the game with feedback from our community. It feels like the right time to reveal how we’ll do this.

Sea of Thieves is a unique experience. As we look to add to the game, we will be very purposeful about the type of experience we want to create, and how we want this game to grow. At the same time, we have also been listening closely to everyone playing the game since launch and have been ensuring that this feeds into our content plans. When considering what to add to our plans, we always consider how we can make the most impact on the following:

  • Bringing players together in interesting ways, encouraging different types of player encounters
  • Enriching the world that players adventure in
  • Giving players new ways to play
  • Giving players a variety of goals and rewards
  • Broadening the journey to Pirate Legend and beyondAlongside this, what’s key for us is the rhythm and cadence we want to get into with Sea of Thieves. Our focus for April is to continue addressing the top feedback points, but as we move into May, our focus will shift to new content.

Our first content update, The Hungering Deep, will release in May and bring with it a new AI threat to the world. Crews will have to work together to discover and defeat this threat as part of a unique event. We will also be introducing a number of new mechanics to assist players on this adventure, and there will be unique rewards that players can earn as part of this event. Beyond this, we will begin our weekly events programme during May, where we introduce new mechanics and give players fun new ways to play with weekly events and rewards.

In the summer months, we’ll debut two more content updates with Cursed Sails, which will include a new ship type, and Forsaken Shores, which will introduce players to a perilous new part of the world to explore. Similarly to The Hungering Deep, both of these updates will also include new gameplay mechanics for players, new AI threats to challenge and new unique rewards to claim.

As we’ve always said, we never wanted to do anything to separate our players, so we’re pleased to confirm that all content updates will be available to all our players, at no additional cost.

With Sea of Thieves being a game that grows and evolves, we’ll be listening to you, our community, throughout. As such, we’ll always be looking at whether our current plans are meeting your needs. Based on feedback since launch, we have changed the priorities for both Pets and Ship Captaincy which we had previously announced as things we would look to add in the few months after launch. These are on the back burner for now whilst we add to the game in other areas. Expect our plans to continue to be fluid, but always with the goals listed above as our guiding principles.

We are hugely excited to be beginning this phase of Sea of Thieves, and seeing where the adventure takes us.

Cheers,

– Joe Neate, Executive Producer