Review Kiln (Xbox) - A Fun Addition To Xbox Game Pass, But Can Its Flame Stay Lit?
Glazed and confused
- Reviews
- Xbox
- Kiln
- Double Fine
- Xbox Series X
Feature All New Games Coming To Xbox In May 2026
Release dates for every May Xbox launch
- Xbox
- May 2026
- New Releases
- New Games
- Features
News Xbox Is Kicking Off The Week With Two New Game Pass Additions (April 28-29)
One on Tuesday, one on Wednesday, and then a bunch on Thursday
- Xbox
- Xbox Game Pass
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
- PC
Talking Point With Forza Horizon 6 Imminent, What Are Your Predictions For Its Final Review Score?
Will the 2026 racer actually be a GOTY contender?
- Xbox
- Features
- Talking Point
- Forza Horizon 6
- Microsoft
Poll Which Generation Of Xbox Logo Is Your Favourite?
OG Xbox to Series X|S, which takes your pick?
- Xbox
- Features
- Polls
- Xbox Logo
- Microsoft
News Open World RPG 'The Blood Of Dawnwalker' Gets September 2026 Release Date For Xbox Series X|S
Update: There's a new Story Trailer as well
- Xbox
- The Blood of DawnWalker
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
Latest News
TodayTue, 28th Apr 2026
News Open World RPG 'The Blood Of Dawnwalker' Gets September 2026 Release Date For Xbox Series X|S
Update: There's a new Story Trailer as well
We saw a whole bunch of games being debuted for the first time at the Xbox Games Showcase earlier this month, and one of those was the open world RPG The Blood of Dawnwalker, which is coming to Xbox at some point in 2026. Following that reveal, we've now got a massive 21-minute gameplay deep dive for The...
- Xbox
- The Blood of DawnWalker
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News Nacon's RPG Studio Seemingly Shutting Down Following Financial Troubles
The makers of Greedfall & Steelrising
Back in February, we brought you the unfortunate news that publisher Nacon had filed for insolvency following financial troubles, and it now sounds like one of its main studios is closing down after struggling to find a buyer. French outlet Origami is reporting that Nacon developer Spiders — which makes the...
- Xbox
- Nacon
- Spiders
- Industry
Review Kiln (Xbox) - A Fun Addition To Xbox Game Pass, But Can Its Flame Stay Lit?
Glazed and confused
How do you define a "good" or "successful" game? That's what I've been thinking about while playing the new Xbox first-party title Kiln over the past few days, as although I've had lots of fun with it, I also worry about how many people it'll appeal to in the long-term. But does that matter? Can we not just enjoy this for what it...
- Reviews
- Xbox
- Kiln
- Double Fine
- Xbox Series X
News Forza Horizon 6 Dev Reveals New Details On Events, Progression & Post-Launch Plans
Via a new Discord Q&A
Ahead of launch in just a few weeks' time, Playground Games has given us some new details on what we can expect from Forza Horizon 6, via an official Discord Q&A. Thanks to IGN, the major points from this Q&A have now been shared - including details one some of the game's new events, when certain features will be unlocked, and
- Xbox
- Forza Horizon 6
- Playground Games
- Xbox Game Pass
- Xbox Series X
Roundup Here's What The Reviews Are Saying About 'Aphelion' On Xbox Game Pass
The latest title from Don't Nod!
Sci-fi adventure Aphelion is rolling out now on Xbox Game Pass as the next game from Life is Strange maker DON'T NOD Entertainment - and that means early reviews for the title are now hitting the web too. We're going to gather some of these up down below for you to take a look at, then, so you can get a better idea...
- Xbox
- Aphelion
- Xbox Game Pass
- DONTNOD
- Xbox Series X
News 'Working On It' - Asha Sharma Confirms Dynamic Background For New Xbox Logo Is In The Works
Heading to Series X|S soon!
New Xbox boss Asha Sharma has been very active on social media since taking on her new role, and now, on the back of the team's brand-new logo reveal, Sharma has confirmed online that it's being turned into an Xbox Series X|S dynamic background as we speak. Heading over to Twitter, fan account Xbox Studio asked if the...
- Xbox
- Dynamic Backgrounds
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
- Microsoft
News Xbox Continues To 'Actively Investigate' Issue With Backwards Compatible 360 Titles
If you're having problems, you're not alone
Over the past couple of weeks, we've spotted an ongoing issue with backwards compatibility in regards to Xbox 360 titles on Xbox Series X, in which players are getting an error message that prevents them from signing into Xbox Live. There's a massive Reddit post about this over in the Xbox Support...
- Xbox
- Backwards Compatibility
- Xbox 360
- Xbox Series X
News Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Headlines Batch Of New Free Demos On The Xbox Store
Lots added over the last month or so!
We have a bunch of new free demos on the Xbox Store to tell you about, folks. Microsoft rarely advertises these, so every now and then it's worth a browse to see what's been added as of late - and we have a big one headlining this new batch of free trials on Xbox. That major addition is a demo for Final Fantasy...
- Xbox
- Demos
- Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
- Microsoft
- Xbox Series X
News How Xbox's "Hidden" USB Port Has Opened The Door For The Console's "Most Powerful Add-On"
Time Extension "I’ve been keeping a secret for 5 years…"
Dustin Holden, the brains behind the Project Stellar Xbox mod, has just revealed how he uncovered a "hidden" USB port on the original Xbox after five years of research. In a lengthy thread on Twitter, Holden explains that the venture began in 2018, when fellow modder @Ryzee119 released the 'OGX360' mod,...
- Xbox
- Modding
YesterdayMon, 27th Apr 2026
News Xbox Is Kicking Off The Week With Two New Game Pass Additions (April 28-29)
One on Tuesday, one on Wednesday, and then a bunch on Thursday
Welcome to a new week! As April comes to a close, we've got loads of games heading to Xbox Game Pass over the next few days, so we thought we'd break them down a bit — starting with the first two for Tuesday and Wednesday. The first of these is Aphelion, which is a brand-new "day one"...
- Xbox
- Xbox Game Pass
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
- PC
Feature All New Games Coming To Xbox In May 2026
Release dates for every May Xbox launch
Welcome to our roundup of all new Xbox games coming out in May 2026! Below, we've listed every Xbox game with a May 2026 release date, including all confirmed Xbox Game Pass titles for May 2026 so far. Without further ado, here are all the new games coming to Xbox in May 2026: The Biggest New Xbox Releases...
- Xbox
- May 2026
- New Releases
- New Games
- Features
Time Extension "The creativity was still there at Rare"
We were recently lucky enough to sit down for a chat with Xbox co-founder and former Microsoft vice president of gaming, Ed Fries, and one of the topics that came up was British studio Rare. Microsoft acquired Rare in the 2000s, transforming it from a Nintendo-centric outfit into part of the Xbox family –
- Rare
- Xbox
- Ed Fries
- Banjo-Kazooie
Time Extension "'Well, we could be selling so much more if we were cross console'"
Most people today will largely associate Ed Fries with his role as an Xbox co-founder and Microsoft's vice president of gaming in the late '90s and early 2000s, but his career in games actually dates back a lot further than that. Before joining Microsoft, in the early '80s, for...
- Interviews
- Features
- Xbox
- Rare
Poll Which Generation Of Xbox Logo Is Your Favourite?
OG Xbox to Series X|S, which takes your pick?
On the back of Xbox's new mission statement, the team has been experimenting with different logo designs as of late. We saw Microsoft unveil a new Xbox logo last week that harkens back to the original console, before the team
- Xbox
- Features
- Polls
- Xbox Logo
- Microsoft
News Asha Sharma Explains Why Xbox Isn't 'Ready' To Share A Release Timeline For Project Helix
But dev kits are definitely going out in 2027
We've been hearing a lot about Xbox's next-gen console this year which is codenamed "Project Helix", and we even know that developers will be getting it in 2027 — but what about a release timeline for the public? Xbox boss Asha Sharma knows we want one, but is rightfully being cautious about it for...
- Xbox
- Project Helix
- Asha Sharma
News Xbox Fans Share Their 'Birthday Gift' Point Rewards Following Last Week's New Feature
"Little confused ngl lol"
Last week, you may recall that we highlighted a new birthday gift addition for the Xbox Rewards program that had been officially released on the Monday (April 20th), with one of the lead designers confirming it was a brand-new feature. Well, throughout the course of today, we've been bumping into a few examples of these...
- Xbox
- Xbox Rewards
- Microsoft Rewards
- Birthday Gift
News Diablo IV: Lord Of Hatred Is Getting Fantastic Reviews Alongside Its Xbox Release
The expansion goes live in just a few hours' time
It's almost time for Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred! The major new expansion arrives on Xbox and other platforms on April 27th / 28th (depending on your timezone), and the good news is that the reviews have been impressive for it so far. Lord of Hatred features a major new campaign in which you'll make...
- Xbox
- Diablo 4
- Lord of Hatred
- DLC
- Expansions
Talking Point With Forza Horizon 6 Imminent, What Are Your Predictions For Its Final Review Score?
Will the 2026 racer actually be a GOTY contender?
It's getting to that point where, quite frankly, we're desperate for Forza Horizon 6. After playing the team's preview earlier this month, we're incredibly excited to experience the full thing, and launch is just weeks away now with its imminent May 2026 arrival. So, taking a stab in the dark, what...
- Xbox
- Features
- Talking Point
- Forza Horizon 6
- Microsoft
News Waiting For Alien: Isolation 2? Here Are Some Great Horror Alternatives On Xbox
Spooky springtime shenanigans
As some of you may have seen, SEGA and Creative Assembly just teased the next Alien: Isolation game as part of Alien Day 2026 - and we've chucked their short trailer up above for you to take a quick look at. It doesn't show us much, but it does get us excited for what the team is cooking up, and we're now in the mood to...
- Xbox
- Alien Isolation 2
- Horror Games
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
Sunday26th Apr 2026
News 'I've Ordered A Series X, I'm Back In' - Lapsed Xbox Fan Attracts The Attention Of Asha Sharma
"Hell yes"
Since Asha Sharma has taken up her new role as Xbox boss, she's been quite open with fans online. Indeed, we've seen Sharma chat very publicly with Xbox followers since taking over a few months ago - and this past week, one of her to-the-point responses to a lapsed fan went viral on Twitter. In short, an Xbox fan known as '
- Xbox
- Xbox Series X
- Asha Sharma
- Xbox Boss
- Microsoft
Reaction Xbox Is Changing For The Better, And Now Microsoft Needs To Be Consistent
A new Xbox is emerging, and we hope it lasts
Over the last week or so, we've seen yet more big changes over at Team Xbox. Following on from a busy few months with Asha Sharma in place, Microsoft announced a reversal in its Xbox Game Pass strategy; dropping day one Call of Duty as a result. Then, just the other day,
- Xbox
- Microsoft
- Xbox Game Pass
- Features
News Xbox Turns New Logo Design Into Four Official Wallpapers Based On Each Console Generation
There's one for Project Helix as well
Back on Friday, we shared how Xbox had unveiled a new logo design along with the words "We are Xbox" next to it, and at the time there were a lot of requests for it to be turned into a dynamic background on Series X and Series S. That still hasn't happened just yet, but we do have four new official wallpapers...
- Xbox
- Backgrounds
- Wallpaper
- New Logo
Retro Recap All The Classic Gaming News From The Past Week (April 26th 2026)
Time Extension R-Type! Punch-Out!! Sega! Nintendo in Brazil!
Welcome to Retro Recap, a regular feature we run each and every weekend which rounds up all of the best retro gaming news and content of the past week in one place. Punch Out!! NES's Cut "Guest Stars" To Appear In New Fanmade Game Boy Color Remix: The 1987 NES classic Punch Out!! could soon be making...
- Retro Recap
- Features
Saturday25th Apr 2026
Guide Xbox Game Pass: All Games Coming Soon In May 2026
All the confirmed reveals so far
Looking for a complete list of games coming to Xbox Game Pass in May 2026? It can be pretty difficult to keep track of all the comings and goings in the world of Xbox Game Pass every month, so we've put together this handy guide to provide an overview of what's coming to the service over the next few weeks. Without...
- Xbox
- Xbox Game Pass
- Microsoft
- Coming Soon
- May 2026
Feature These 30+ Games Are Coming To Xbox Next Week (April 27-May 1)
Including six more Game Pass additions!
Welcome to your Xbox games roundup for April 27 - May 1! We've got a very busy week ahead of us, with no less than six Game Pass titles on the way including Aphelion and Trepang2, while other major releases include Invincible Vs and the latest expansion for Diablo IV (Lord of
- Xbox
- Features
- Weekly Roundup
- Xbox One
- Xbox Series X
Talking Point Do You Still Get Excited About Remakes On Xbox In 2026?
Black Flag Resynced is speaking to us...
Each and every year, hundreds of new games are thrown at us on Xbox, and we're almost always down to experience something brand-new in the gaming world. However, in recent years, remakes have seemingly become increasingly common on the platform - especially for some of these massive franchises that now have...
- Xbox
- Features
- Talking Point
- Remakes
- Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynched
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (April 25-26)
Catching up on some April releases?
Welcome to your final weekend of April 2026! It's been a busy week of activity across Xbox and Game Pass, with the latter even getting a new Microsoft first-party release in recent days. Here's what we're playing this weekend: Ben Kerry, Staff Writer: I was away on my holidays last weekend, so aside from a...
- Xbox
- Features
- Talking Point
- What Are You Playing
Friday24th Apr 2026
Guide Xbox Adds More Perks For Game Pass Members (April 2026)
The latest freebies for XGP subscribers
The Xbox Game Pass Perks program is continuing to add a bunch of freebies for Game Pass members throughout April 2026, including for the likes of Sea of Thieves, Minecraft, FragPunk, PUBG: Battlegrounds and various other games. Since we first published this article at the start of April, we've also see
- Xbox
- Xbox Game Pass
- Perks
- Guides
- Xbox Series X
News Asha Sharma Says Xbox Is Investing To Make Series X|S Consoles A 'First-Class Experience Again'
That's how important they are to the new leadership
In yesterday's big Xbox statement from Asha Sharma and Matt Booty, there was a mention in one of the priority sections about how they wanted to "stabilize Gen9 as a healthy and high-quality base", with Gen9 referring to the ninth generation of Xbox consoles in the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S...
- Xbox
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
- Asha Sharma
- Xbox Boss
News It's Been Years Since Xbox Acquired A Studio, But It Sounds Like They're Considering It Again
There's a mention of "M&A" in the big new statement
It's been a very long time since Xbox last acquired a studio, and to be honest we're still a little traumatised by that whole process (!) — it was a very drawn out takeover of Activision Blizzard that lasted almost two full years. The takeover finally completed in late 2023, and we haven't seen...
- Xbox
- Acquisitions
- Xbox Game Studios
News Xbox Unveils New Logo And Explains How To Make It Your Series X|S Background
"We are Xbox"
We officially have a new Xbox logo! To accompany last night's massive statement on the future of the brand, the official Xbox account on X/Twitter posted a 4K version of the new logo along with the words "we are Xbox" next to it. Xbox does tend to play with the colours of the logo quite often anyway, but this version of it seems to be...
- Xbox
- Logo
News Kiln Players Share Their First Reviews Of The New Xbox Game Studios Title
Here's what people are saying on day one
Yesterday was a bit of an unfortunate day for Xbox and Double Fine to launch Kiln — not only is it a smaller-scale release anyway, but it got caught up in the major statement about Xbox's future that dominated the headlines. Still, there are definitely people checking this game out on Xbox Game Pass and...
- Xbox
- Kiln
- Review Roundup
- Xbox Game Pass
News Xbox Game Pass 'Starter Edition' Revealed Via Discord Nitro Leak
Here's what we know so far
Remember back in late March when an Xbox fan had claimed to have discovered a new tier of Xbox Game Pass with the codename of TRITON? Well, it looks like that's now been unveiled in the form of Xbox Game Pass "Starter Edition", which has been uncovered via a leak from Discord Previews over on social media. The account has...
- Xbox
- Xbox Game Pass
- Discord Nitro
Random Three New Xbox Slogans Have Been Added To The Office Windows At Microsoft HQ
Defining the next era of Xbox
At the very end of yesterday's big Xbox statement about where the brand is going in the future, Xbox boss Asha Sharma and EVP Matt Booty mentioned how they've "honored our commitments of great games, return of Xbox, and future of play" after 62 days of being in their new roles. It turns out that these three slogans —...
- Xbox
- Microsoft
- Return of Xbox
- Random
News Expedition 33 Celebrates One-Year Anniversary With Small Update On Xbox & Beyond
"Happy 1 Year Anniversary of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33!!"
Can you believe it's been one year since Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 first launched on Xbox Game Pass back in April of 2025?! The game ended up being a massive success — more than anyone could have expected — and took home the Game of the Year award at The Game Awards 2025, while also...
- Xbox
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Updates
- Patch Notes
Thursday23rd Apr 2026
News Xbox Announces 10 Titles Coming To Game Pass At April's Indie Showcase
Loads of XGP additions that have never been announced before!
Today's Xbox indie showcase is officially in the books, and as we expected, it contained a ridiculous number of Xbox Game Pass titles — 10 of which had never been announced for Game Pass until this event. Those are the games we're going to focus on in this article, but if you want to...
- Xbox
- Xbox Game Pass
- Showcase
- ID@Xbox
- Indie Games
News Xbox Rewards Adds Brand-New 'Birthday Gift' Feature With Special Benefits
Xbox employee confirms it launched this past Monday
We've got a new feature for Xbox Rewards / Microsoft Rewards! From now on, you'll receive some special Xbox Rewards benefits when you get to the week of your birthday, including a "birthday gift" that can be redeemed. This was first spotted by Rewards users yesterday, and confirmed by Xbox...
- Xbox
- Xbox Rewards
- Microsoft Rewards
News Xbox Leadership Issues Massive Statement On The Future Of The Brand
"We have work to do"
This might be one of the most important messages we've ever seen in the 25 years of Xbox! New boss Asha Sharma and EVP Matt Booty have issued a massive statement to employees (and subsequently the public) today about the future of the brand, outlining how Xbox needs to evolve in the years ahead. It starts off by mentioning that...
- Xbox
- Asha Sharma
- Matt Booty
- Statement
News Four Key Priorities For Xbox's Future Outlined By CEO Asha Sharma & EVP Matt Booty
"We will execute this through four priorities"
We mentioned today as part of our coverage of the massive statement from Xbox leadership on the brand's future that Asha Sharma and Matt Booty had outlined four main priorities for the future, so let's dive deeper into each of those! The first of these priorities is hardware, which encompasses a few...
- Xbox
- Matt Booty
- Asha Sharma
News Xbox Is Officially 'Reevaluating' What To Do About Exclusivity
Update: Asha Sharma shares more details
There have been rumbles for a while that Xbox might be considering a change to its plans around exclusivity following the arrival of new boss Asha Sharma, and now it's been officially confirmed that this will be "reevaluated". In the massi
- Xbox
- Exclusives
- Asha Sharma
- Matt Booty
News Microsoft Gaming Scrapped As Asha Sharma Promotes 'Return Of Xbox' At MS HQ
Update: Now official!
It's been a busy few months for Asha Sharma as she settles into her new role at Xbox, and it sounds as though she's rounding out that initial period by promoting a complete "return of Xbox" over at Microsoft HQ. According to Tom Warren of
- Xbox
- Microsoft Gaming
- Asha Sharma
- Xbox Boss
News Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced Formally Unveiled, Heading To Xbox In July 2026
"Totally rebuilt from the ground up..."
After plenty of rumours, speculation and even a cheeky mention from Ubisoft itself earlier this week, the company has properly unveiled Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced; a new "from the ground up" remake of 2013's Assassin's Creed 4. This new version, which you can take a look at via the game overview...
- Xbox
- Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynched
- Ubisoft
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
Roundup Here's What Was Revealed At The ID@Xbox April 2026 Showcase
The full list of all reveals from today's Xbox event
Weren't able to catch April 2026's ID@Xbox Showcase earlier today? No worries! You can always go back and watch the on-demand version for yourself, which you'll find elsewhere on Pure Xbox. If you don't want to watch it all the way through, we've also detailed all the important reveals in this...
- Xbox
- ID@Xbox
- Showcase
- Features
- Xbox Series X
News Free Play Days: Try These Xbox Games For Free (April 23-26)
Featuring a Sony-developed title!
Welcome to your latest Xbox Free Play Days lineup! This week, we've got four games available as part of the program - including Sony San Diego's MLB The Show 26, as pictured above. Here's your full list of FPD games this weekend: Age of Mythology: Retold
- Xbox
- Microsoft
- Free Play Days
- Xbox Game Pass
- Xbox Series X
News Xbox Engineer Hints At More 'Fun Surprises' And Features Based On Fan Feedback
There's apparently an internal roadmap
We've seen lots of new Xbox features rolling out across console and beyond over the past few weeks, and earlier in April, Xbox boss Asha Sharma revealed that a new team dedicated to fan feedback had been created as well. Last night, Xbox engineering lead Eden Marie revealed that she's part of this fan fe
- Xbox
- Dashboard
- Updates
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
Live Watch The ID@Xbox April 2026 Showcase Here
Plus the AC Black Flag Resynced reveal as a bonus pre-show!
It's time for the ID@Xbox Showcase - April 2026 edition! As usual with these events, we're expecting lots of new indie game reveals, trailers, updates and release dates, along with a few Xbox Game Pass confirmations as well. "IGN is proud to partner once again with ID@Xbox for another...
- Live Chat
- Xbox
- ID@Xbox
- Showcase
News 'This Change Is Not Surprising At All' - Industry Analyses Xbox Game Pass Price Drop
Cost down, COD out
This week, we've seen some pretty big news regarding Xbox Game Pass and the future of the service. Microsoft has decided to drop Game Pass Ultimate back down to a more manageable cost, whilst announcing that Call of Duty will no longer arrive day one in the service. In the days since, the industry has reacted, with
- Xbox
- Xbox Game Pass
- Microsoft
- Call Of Duty
- Industry
News Xbox First-Party Title 'Kiln' Is Available Today With Game Pass Ultimate (April 23)
Spring roadmap also revealed!
Today's Xbox Game Pass update brings us the latest Microsoft first-party release in Kiln; a new multiplayer brawler from the folks over at Double Fine Productions. You'll see this one roll out on XGP later today, and ahead of that launch, the team has also revealed a Spring 2026 roadmap for the game. So, we'll give you...
- Xbox
- Xbox Game Pass
- Kiln
- Microsoft
- Xbox Series X
Poll How Would You Grade The ID@Xbox April 2026 Showcase?
Give us your verdict
The dust is now beginning to settle on the ID@Xbox Showcase for April 2026! If you haven't had a chance to watch it yet, you can catch the full thing over at our live coverage page, and we'll soon provide an extensive recap of everything that happened as part of the show. So, all things considered, what grade would you give...
- Xbox
- Features
- Polls
- Showcase
- ID@Xbox
Wednesday22nd Apr 2026
News Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Gets New Conversion Rates Following Price Decrease
The ratios have changed when upgrading to XGPU
As part of the reduction in price for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate that was announced yesterday, there's also been a change to the conversion rates that apply when you go from a different tier of Game Pass over to Game Pass Ultimate. If you didn't know already, you can buy prepaid memberships for the likes...
- Xbox
- Xbox Game Pass
- Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
