Xbox Is Coming To gamescom (updated)

It’s a great time to be an Xbox gamer! Hot on the heels of our record breaking E3 briefing, and the amazing reaction we’ve had from our fans, we’re excited to let you know that Xbox will be coming to gamescom in Cologne, Germany this August. We’ll be bringing a great line up of games from developers around the world that we can’t wait for gamers in Europe to get their hands on.

Here’s a quick overview of what we’ll be getting up to at the show this year:

Inside Xbox

This year at gamescom, we will be hosting a special episode of Inside Xbox, broadcast live from our Xbox booth in the Koelnmesse. Tune in on Tuesday, August 21, at 4:30 p.m. CEST (7:30 a.m. PDT) for lots of news, new Xbox One bundles and accessories, and features on upcoming titles that we can’t wait to tell you more about and perhaps even a few surprises!

You can catch the show on xbox.com, Mixer, Twitch, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter.

Xbox FanFest: gamescom 2018

Xbox FanFest will return to gamescom once again this year, this year on the Rhein River! FanFest will happen for one incredible night on Thursday, August 23.  More information on tickets and all the special activities happening on this day will be revealed very soon.   Be sure to track #XboxFanFest for all updates.

Xbox Booth

The Xbox booth will feature a fantastic line up of 25 games across a diverse range of genres – we’ll be making sure everyone has a way to play and have fun! If you’re coming to the show, do make sure you pay us a visit – we’re in Hall 8 of the Koelnmesse (North entrance).

This is the first time that European gamers will have the chance to jump in and try out many of our newest gameplay experiences including the open world freedom of driving through stunning beautiful historic Britain in Forza Horizon 4 or embarking on a journey to unravel Ori’s true destiny in this emotionally engaging, hand-crafted, story-driven adventure in Ori and the Will of the Wisps. Gamers will also have the opportunity to get the first ever hands-on with State of Decay 2’s Daybreak Pack, an all-new mode set to release in September.

And you won’t want to miss the PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds experience, featuring a new mode for Xbox One, playable for the first time at gamescom – and only in the Xbox booth.

Mixer Booth

Microsoft’s livestreaming service Mixer will also be at gamescom, located right next to the Xbox booth in Hall 8, where they will be bringing back the always popular HypeZone LIVE experience! Attendees will have the chance to earn victory in battle royale matches and even walk away with big prizes, while everyone at home can watch the turmoil unfold.  Get a head start on the competition by watching some HypeZone action on Mixer.com now.

Visit the Xbox Official Gear Shop

Making our European debut and in partnership with Game Legends, come and visit the Xbox Official Gear Shop in the Gamescom fanshop arena. Fly your gaming colors and show off your fandom for Xbox and award-winning franchises like Halo, PUBG, and Gears of War with all new apparel and collectibles. We will have more information on this exciting new initiative over the coming weeks.

Show opening times are as follows:

  • Tuesday, August 21 – 9:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. CEST (press/trade only day)
  • Wednesday, August 22 – 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. CEST
  • Thursday, August 23 – 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. CEST
  • Friday, August 24 – 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. CEST
  • Saturday, August 25 – 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. CEST

Remember to keep your eyes on Xbox social channels all gamescom week for the latest – Mixer, Facebook, Twitter – we’ll keep you updated with all the great activity happening from the show. Can’t wait to see you there!

 

Edit: This post has been edited to clarify the hardware news.

Inside Xbox Episode 3 Debuts May 17

Tina Summerford, Director of Programming at Xbox, shares details on Episode 3 of Inside Xbox.

Inside Xbox, Episode 3 will debut on May 17 at 6:30PM EDT/3:30PM PDT. This month’s episode will feature five hotly anticipated games, including breaking news, new feature announcements, exclusive gameplay and much more. We’re keeping most of those under wraps for now so as not to ruin the surprise.

Of course, center stage for our May episode will be the Xbox exclusive zombie apocalypse survival game State of Decay 2, which launches globally on May 22nd. State of Decay 2 asks one question not easily answered. How will you survive? We’ll go in-depth on the world simulation that powers the game, showcasing how the emergent gameplay is brought to life, creating distinct stories, agonizing choices, and dynamic communities unique to every player.

We’ll also have a live community Q&A with developers on-stage, so don’t forget to send your burning questions to #InsideXbox on Twitter.

And finally, we’re having a bit of survival fun, with a grueling and epic Escape Room experience inspired by State of Decay, starring our friends from Smosh Games, as well as Leahviathan, MrRoflWaffles, MrDalekJD, and Xbox On’s Benny and Sam. Who will survive? Tune-in to find out!

That scratches just the surface of episode 3, and we can’t wait to reveal much more live, next Thursday, May 17th at 6:30PM EDT/3:30PM PDT on Inside Xbox. You can tune-in on Mixer.com/Xbox, Twitch.tv/Xbox, Facebook.com/Xbox, and Twitter.com/Xbox.

For more information about Inside Xbox, check out Xbox Wire.

TwitchCon 2016 Live Stream And Schedule Details

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This weekend at TwitchCon, Xbox is partnering with EA to broadcast hours of action packed Battlefield 1 and Titanfall 2 multiplayer gameplay right from the expo floor, and we’ll be joined on stream by some of your favorite Twitch and YouTube personalities. Watch as they squad up against TwitchCon attendees, and keep glued to the screen as you never know when we’ll be giving away Xbox Live Gold, EA Access membership, and Design Lab controller codes live on air.

In addition, make sure to tune in on Saturday at 1pm PDT to get an exclusive look at Battlefield 1’s Single Player gameplay. Eric Holmes, Design Director at DICE, will be on stream to expand on the exciting new content found in the recently released Official Single Player Trailer.

Check out the complete broadcast schedule and anticipated guest list below, and make sure to catch all the action via twitch.tv/xbox.

Broadcast Schedule:

  • Friday: 2 – 5pm Battlefield 1  /  5:30 – 8pm Titanfall 2
  • Saturday: 10am – 1pm Battlefield 1  /  1 – 1:30pm Exclusive Battlefield 1 Single Player Gameplay  /  2 – 5:30pm Titanfall 2
  • Sunday: 10:30am – 1:30pm Titanfall 2  /  2 – 5:30pm Battlefield 1

Guest List Slated to Include:

Alination, BFF – Recon, CodeName_Deus, CreamTV, Darkness429, DooM49, Duxativa, EatMyDiction1, ekolimits, FairlightExcalibur, GameSager, Giggle_Monster, GoldenboyFTW, IncredibleOrb, LEQIGN, LostAiming, Major Nelson, MugsTV, NukemDukem, Oolala87, PanikKontrol, Pansy, Sattelizer, Scarfino, Smokealoke, Sovindictive, Starsnipe, Stodeh, Tactical Pinup, TOMMYRAGE, TwoAngryGamersTV, Westie, Wolv21, Xfactor

One last thing. In addition to the live stream prize giveaways, we’re giving you an opportunity to win four Xbox One S consoles. One winner will take home an Xbox One S (2TB), an Xbox One S Battlefield 1 Special Edition Bundle (1TB), a custom Battlefield 1 Xbox One S (500GB), and a custom Titanfall 2 Xbox One S (500GB). To enter, simply follow @Xbox and RT the Battlefield 1 and Titanfall 2 #XboxSweepstakes Tweets.

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The Xbox One S Battlefield 1 Special Edition Bundle (1TB), features a military green console with matching stand and controller, 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, High Dynamic Range, and one month of EA Access. It also Includes a full game download of Battlefield 1 Early Enlister Deluxe Edition, which allows you to start playing on October 18, the Hellfighter Pack, Red Baron Pack, and Lawrence of Arabia Pack, as well as five Battlepacks.

The TwitchCon 2016 Sweepstakes runs from tomorrow, September 30th, and will close on October 9th, 2016. No purchase necessary to participate.  Please visit https://rules.xboxpromotions.com/MSTwitchCon16 for full contest details and eligibility requirements.

Gears Of War 4: Live Broadcast On October 5 Kicks Off All-New Gears

gears

On Oct. 11, a new saga for one of gaming’s most celebrated franchises will kick off with the worldwide launch of Gears of War 4. To commemorate this special event, we’re inviting fans around the world to join the festivities by tuning into Gears of War 4: Live, a live broadcast that begins at 3 PM PT (10 PM UTC) on Wednesday, Oct. 5.

Watch on Twitch

Watch on Beam

Watch on Facebook

Watch on YouTube

Watch at Xbox.com

Ninety digital copies of the Gears of War 4: Ultimate Edition will be given away during the 90-minute broadcast, allowing winners to play four days before the game’s worldwide launch on October 11.

Hosted by Paul Scheer (The League, Children’s Hospital), Jessica Chobot (Nerdist News), Scott Robison (Mr. Sark), Justine Ezarik (iJustine) and me, the broadcast will feature interviews with the game’s creators, including The Coalition Studio Head Rod Fergusson, as well as behind-the-scenes featurettes, exclusive gameplay, a special project by British inventor Colin Furze, and the reveal of hip-hop phenoms Run the Jewels’ in-game multiplayer characters.

The livestream will be broadcast on Xbox One, Xbox 360, Xbox.com, YouTube, Twitch, Facebook and Beam. At the Gears Art exhibition this Saturday, Oct. 1, invites will be distributed to fans to join the studio audience for the Gears of War 4: Live broadcast on Oct. 5.

“Gears of War 4 is the beginning of a brand-new saga for the franchise that is loved by millions, so we wanted to make sure all of our fans around the world could participate in our launch celebration,” said Aaron Greenberg, head of game marketing at Xbox. “We hope you’ll tune into our live broadcast and help celebrate the best Gears game yet and Xbox’s biggest launch of the year.”

Tune in for Exclusive Gameplay, Special Featurettes and Announcements

 The Gears of War 4: Live broadcast will connect millions of fans around the world, allowing viewers to watch, comment and virtually participate. The program lineup includes:

  • Run the Jewels Make Their Gears of War 4 Renowned hip-hop duo Killer-Mike and El-P join The Coalition Studio Head Rod Fergusson to premiere the first look at their in-game multiplayer characters.
  • Voice Actors’ Round Table. Join the voices behind JD Fenix and Kait Diaz – Liam McIntyre (Spartacus, The Flash) and Laura Bailey (Halo 5: Guardians, Final Fantasy XIII) – as they talk about the story of Gears of War 4 and how they approached the challenge of bringing a new generation of heroes to life for one of gaming’s most iconic franchises.
  • Recreating a Gears Renowned YouTube creator Colin Furze offers an inside peek at how he created a real-life version of Gears of War’s iconic weapon.
  • Gears of War: State of the Universe. Since our last installment of Gears, a lot has happened on Sera. This retrospective piece will run fans through the entire story to refresh and whet fans’ appetite for the first chapter of a new Gears
  • Gears Ink 2.0. Join tattoo artist Steve Soto as he inks a member of the Gears of War team live during the show.
  • The Art of War. Exclusive behind-the-scenes look at a special exhibition at the Nucleus Gallery in Los Angeles, featuring never-before-seen images from the Gears of War universe including concept art from Gears of War 4 and original artwork inspired by the series.
  • Gears An inside look at how some of the most dedicated and passionate Gears fans in the world created some of the most stunningly intricate and authentic costumes you’ve ever seen.
  • An exploration of the deeper side of Gears of War’s lore, highlighting the history of the planet Sera and the genocide of the Locust.
  • PAX “First to 50” Competition Highlights. Relive all the best moments from the “First to 50” competition at PAX Prime as guests from Xbox and two superstar squads – captained by GoldGlove and FemSteph, and comprised of players including Actabunnifoofoo, SoVindictive, GuyBlaze, VernNotice, Falloutt, ImCoty, LucyMaeGames and Crream – compete to survive 50 brutal waves of the all-new Horde 3.0 mode.

Following the Gears of War 4: Live broadcast, fans can check out a special 90-minute “post-show” livestream on all the channels that carried the broadcast, including Twitch. The post-show program will feature creator commentary, live gameplay, and an eSports exhibition.

  • Gears of War eSports Live Showcase – OpTic Gaming vs Infinity. In a battle of Gears eSports titans, the current top ranked team and a famed legacy top ranked team face off in a live competition to see who will dominate in Gears of War 4’s new heart-pounding competitive mode, Escalation. 

For more information on Gears of War 4, visit Xbox.com or follow @GearsofWar.

majornelson. Larry Hryb @majornelson

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Squad Up For The Battlefield 1 Open Beta And Win With Xbox Live Rewards And Twitch On Xbox One

It’s time to experience the dawn of all-out war! The Battlefield 1 Open Beta begins today. There will be horse charges, battles with Armored Trains, and war on an absolutely epic scale.

Download Battlefield 1 Open Beta for Xbox One from the Xbox Games Store

You’ll be playing the Sinai Desert map, a scorching hot battlefield located just East of El-Jifar. Experience infantry skirmishes in the narrow streets to dogfights above the majestic cliffs.  If your team needs a boost, reinforcements will arrive in the shape of a deadly Armored Train charging through the desert sands.

There will be two modes to try out, too. Conquest is a large-scale game mode with up to 64 players fighting for the control of key objectives. With large armies on foot or behind the wheel and the addition of fearsome Behemoths, Conquest brings together all the elements of the signature Battlefield All-Out War. The second mode is Rush, a 24-player mode where the Attacking force must find and destroy the Defending force’s Telegraph Posts, which can be used to call in artillery strikes. The Defenders can deny the Attackers their mission by disarming explosives they plant on the telegraph positions. Should the Telegraph Posts be destroyed, the Defenders must fall back to the next sector and protect the Telegraph Posts there.

As an added bonus, starting today, August 31, Xbox Live Rewards members in the US, UK, France, Germany and Mexico can take part in Battlefield 1 Rewards. In addition to earning an onslaught of Rewards Credits worthy of a game this epic, members can also complete missions like downloading and playing the Open Beta to earn extra entries in the Battlefield 1 Sweepstakes, where you could win an all-expenses paid trip to tour the EA DICE Studios in Stockholm, Sweden. Other prizes include cool Logitech G633 headsets, digital versions of Battlefield 1 Early Enlister Deluxe Edition and Battlefield 1 Standard Edition, Xbox Live Gold Subscriptions, and Xbox Gift Cards. To get all the details, please visit here.

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Finally, anyone that plays the Battlefield 1 Open Beta on Xbox One in the United States and Canada and streams their gameplay via the Twitch App will be automatically entered to win a trip for two to TwitchCon 2016 in San Diego. The winner will receive two general admission tickets to TwitchCon, roundtrip airfare to San Diego, four nights’ hotel accommodation, and $1,000 in cash. For more info, please visit here.

Capture Cards Now Supported For Twitch Broadcasters On Xbox Live

Today, in partnership with Twitch, we’re pleased to announce capture card support for Twitch Xbox One broadcasters on Xbox Live. Previously, only Xbox One players broadcasting their gameplay via the Xbox Twitch app could take advantage of the several different ways to amplify their content and channel on Xbox Live to share updates and grow their audience. Now, any Twitch user who has linked their Xbox Live and Twitch accounts together and is broadcasting an Xbox One game using a capture card will automatically have their content amplified in the following places:

Xbox One Capture Card Update Broadcast

• The Activity Feed on Xbox One and the Xbox app on Windows 10, iOS and Android
• Notifications to their followers on Xbox One and the Xbox app on Windows 10, iOS and Android
• Game Product Details Page in the Xbox Store

To make sure your Twitch broadcasts are amplified across Xbox Live, all you need to do is link your Xbox Live and Twitch accounts within the Twitch app. From there, use your favorite capture card and broadcasting software on PC, broadcast to Twitch like you normally do, and ensure you’re correctly identifying the game you’re playing. And that’s it! This new feature is starting to roll out today and I look forward to seeing all of your Twitch broadcasts on Xbox Live!

 

 

Live Stream – Playing Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2 Early With EA Access

Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2 (@PlantsvsZombies) is coming to Xbox One on 23 February, but if you have EA Access you will be able to play the game starting today (18 February) – five days before its official release.

In this hilarious, action-packed shooter, zombie leader Dr. Zomboss has strengthened his horde and rebuilt suburbia as a zombie utopia. But hope remains, because for the first time the plants are taking the offensive in an all-out attack to reclaim their turf.

Watch the Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2 Launch Gameplay Trailer

I will be teaming up with Laura (@lauralollipop) – regular co-host of the Major Nelson Radio podcast – and streaming the game. I have a few codes to give away, so watch for a chance to win Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2 + 30-day EA Access code so you can play the game before its released.

The stream is scheduled for Friday, 19 February at 2:30p ET / 11:30a PT and will be streamed live on my Twitch channel (or watch it below once it goes live).

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Pre-order Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2 or Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2: Deluxe Edition – releases 2/23/2016.

Live Stream – Playing Unravel

Unravel (@unravel_game) is coming to Xbox One on 09 February, but if you have EA Access you will be able to play the game starting tomorrow (04 February) – five days before its official release.

Unravel introduces Yarny, a new, lovable and endearing character made from a single thread of yarn, that slowly unravels as you move. Inspired by the unique and breath-taking environments of Northern Scandinavia, Unravel is a visually stunning, physics-based puzzle platformer.

I will be teaming up with Laura (@lauralollipop) – regular co-host of the Major Nelson Radio podcast – and streaming the game. I have a few codes to give away, so watch for a chance to win Unravel + 30-day EA Access code so you can play the game before its released. One lucky winner will receive this Yarny, courtesy of EA.

Yarny

The stream is scheduled for Thursday, 04 February at 2p ET / 11a PT and will be streamed live on my Twitch channel (or watch it below once it goes live).

 

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Pre-order Unravel for Xbox One from the Xbox Game Store and get an exclusive Yarny Avatar item.