Double Fine News Articles
Friday11th Sep 2026
"I don't understand why Netflix worked and Game Pass didn't"
We're all well aware at this point that Double Fine has left Xbox Game Studios and transitioned into an independent company, and boss Tim Schafer has been conducting various interviews recently about what's next for the studio. You can find out a bit more about that elsewhere on Pure Xbox...
Monday24th Aug 2026
News Two Former Xbox Studios Confirm Their Independence And Plans For The Future
"We get the publishing rights back to all our games"
It's been a while now since Xbox announced that it was saying goodbye to four studios in Double Fine, Compulsion Games, Ninja Theory and Undead Labs back in July, and now two of them have confirmed they've completed the split. Double Fine's Tim Schafer appeared on a recent episode of the Kinda...
Wednesday29th Jul 2026
News Former Xbox Studio Forced To Layoff 23 Employees To Ensure 'Survival Of Our Studio'
"The people we are losing were all important"
It's been just over three weeks since Psychonauts and Kiln developer Double Fine announced its independence from Xbox Game Studios, and the team has now been forced into letting go of 23 employees to avoid complete closure. Studio Head Tim Schafer confirmed the cuts on
Tuesday7th Jul 2026
News Compulsion Games, Double Fine & Undead Labs Issue Xbox Departure Statements
EX Game Studios
As a new dawn breaks on news that Xbox is cutting 3,200 jobs and releasing four development teams from its Xbox Game Studios umbrella, three of those studios have issued statements about their departure from Xbox. In case you missed it, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma confirmed Compulsion games and Double Fine will return to independent...
Thursday23rd Apr 2026
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...
Monday20th Apr 2026
News Xbox's Next First-Party Game Arrives This Week, And Preloads Have Already Begun
Are you ready for Kiln?
It feels like it's gone under the radar a little bit, but we've got a new Xbox first-party game arriving this week! That game is Double Fine's Kiln, which launches day one on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC on April 23rd (Thursday). If you haven't been following this one, Kiln is an online multiplayer game centred around...
Friday5th Dec 2025
News Keeper Update Adds New Video Modes & PC Ultrawide Support On Xbox Game Pass
The game's first major update!
Since Keeper released back in October we've not really heard much from its developer Double Fine, but to close out the year, the team is here this week with a brand-new update for the Xbox title. Live now on Xbox, PC and Game Pass, Keeper's December update introduces Noir Mode for that black-and-white look, High...
Friday17th Oct 2025
Roundup Here's What The Critics Think Of Keeper On Xbox Game Pass
Out now on GPU!
Another Xbox first-party title is in the books! Yep, Double Fine's Keeper is now available to Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass players, so we're here to round up a bunch of early reviews to get an idea of what folks are thinking so far. Of course, our Pure Xbox review has
News Double Fine's Keeper Is Available Today With Xbox Game Pass (October 17)
A new Xbox first-party release!
Welcome to your latest Xbox Game Pass update! Today brings just the one game - although it's quite a big addition as Double Fine's Keeper makes its XGP debut. This is an Xbox first-party release from the folks that made the well-received Psychonauts 2 back in 2021, so it shou
Friday19th Sep 2025
News Here's Some Direct Gameplay From Double Fine's New Xbox Exclusive Keeper
The Psychonauts team is back!
Since Double Fine's surprise reveal of Keeper this summer, the team has been keeping the finer details of its new title quite close to its chest - but we've got some fresh gameplay on the upcoming Xbox exclusive this week. First off, roughly three minutes of direct feed gameplay are viewable up above; no commentary or...
Thursday21st Aug 2025
News Xbox Studio Double Fine Is Working On Multiple Games, All New IP
But which will be keepers?
Xbox first-party studio Double Fine is well-known for its near-endless creativity — as evidenced by the team's walking-lighthouse-starring Keeper — and it sounds as though Microsoft is allowing them to be as creative as possible; with multiple new IP in the works. Yep, studio head Tim Schafer has talked about this...
Thursday7th Jul 2022
News Psychonauts 2 Physical Version Slated For Xbox This September, Bonuses Included
Hit the motherlobe
Psychonauts 2 came to Xbox last August, not too long after developer Double Fine was scooped up by Xbox Game Studios. Just over a year after launch, a physical version is set to arrive — 'Psychonauts 2: Motherlobe Edition' — featuring some extra goodies and bonus content. Here's what's included. First up, of course, you'll...
Thursday24th Mar 2022
News Psychonauts 2 Wins 'Best Narrative' At GDC Awards 2022
Double Fine has done it again!
If there's one first-party Xbox title from last year that could use with a little more love, it's got to be Psychonauts 2 by Double Fine. We absolutely loved the game ourselves, and even the head of Xbox Phil Spencer said it was "probably" his favourite title of 2021, and now it seems the absolutely crazy but...
Thursday13th Jan 2022
News Double Fine Feels Like It's 'Still Got It' After The Successful Release Of Psychonauts 2
In the words of studio head Tim Schafer
In an interview with Epic Games to promote Unreal Engine, Double Fine spoke about the significance of shipping Psychonauts 2 last year on Xbox (a game running on Unreal). Tim Schafer, Studio Head of Double Fine and Creative Director of Psychonauts 2 acknowledged how important this latest release was to the...
Friday26th Nov 2021
News Phil Spencer Says Psychonauts 2 Is Probably His Game Of The Year For 2021
"It's the best game Double Fine has ever shipped"
It's that time of the year where we're starting to see Game of the Year nominations pop up all over the place. Xbox Game Studios has had a good run so far - receiving all sorts of nominations from different ceremonies. What about the head of Xbox, Phil Spencer, though? What's his top game of the...
Wednesday3rd Nov 2021
News Psychonauts 2 Update Adds A Wave Of Quality Of Life Improvements
Perfect for achievement hunters
Psychonauts 2 is one of the best games of the year, and it's just got even better. Double Fine has released a new update that not only brings a few bug fixes but also introduces a selection of quality of life improvements. The update will prove useful for any collectable hunters out there who are still tracking down...
Thursday2nd Sep 2021
News Xbox Owners Are Falling Over Themselves With Praise For Psychonauts 2
"This has to be one of the best games I've ever played"
Psychonauts 2 launched last week and has certainly made an impression. We even gifted the game a prestigious 10/10 score for its perfect balance of gameplay and approach to mental health. It seems Xbox fans from across the world are also really resonating with the game, at least judging by the...
Tuesday24th Aug 2021
News Psychonauts 2 Loads Ridiculously Fast On Xbox Series X & Series S
Twice as fast as the PlayStation 5
It's no secret that Psychonauts 2 has been tailored for the Xbox Series X and Series S. Since Microsoft's acquisition of Double Fine, resources were used to create a next-gen specific version for Xbox, and the results have paid off. A new analysis from YouTuber ElAnalistaDeBit has looked into the loading times for...
News Here Are The Release Times For Psychonauts 2 On Xbox Game Pass
No need to be psychic for these times
After those incredible reviews of Psychonauts 2 yesterday, you'll no doubt be eager to jump in as soon as the game goes live on Xbox Game Pass. Fortunately, won't have to wait too long, as it's expected to arrive relatively early. As revealed by the
Friday20th Aug 2021
Deals The Original Psychonauts Is Ridiculously Cheap Right Now On Xbox
Deal of the century
Psychonauts 2 is launching next week, but why not spend this weekend diving into Double Fine's original masterpiece? Up until the sequel's release, you can grab the game for a ridiculously low price of just £0.91 / $0.99 on Xbox! The deal is live right now and can be purchased via your console or the Microsoft Store. Even after...
Monday16th Aug 2021
News Psychonauts Creator Tim Schafer 'Would Love' To Remake The Original Game
"It’s possible in the future"
Psychonauts 2 is nearly upon us, with many players set to jump into the series for the first time on August 25. While the original game is also available on Xbox Game Pass, some are sceptical to go and replay it due to its age, but a remake is something the game's creator Tim Schafer has said is "possible in the...
Saturday7th Aug 2021
News Psychonauts 2 Is Now Ready To Pre-Install With Xbox Game Pass
"Play it Day One"
It's now the month of August and that means Psychonauts 2 is almost here. If you're planning on playing this new release via Xbox Game Pass, the good news is it's now available to pre-install on Microsoft's subscription service. It'll take up about 28GB of space on your system and will unlock later this month on 25th August...
Friday23rd Jul 2021
News Xbox Game Studios Acquisition Helped Make Psychonauts 2 Bigger, Says Double Fine
"To quote the age-old adage, you know, money is time"
Psychonauts 2 began as a crowdfunded venture, before Microsoft later swooped in, picked up Double Fine and dropped a boat load of cash and extra time on the project. That's what some of the game's developers said in a recent report, which revealed how the acquisition helped the studio expand the...
Wednesday21st Jul 2021
Random Tim Schafer Is Still Battling To Get All The Achievements In Brutal Legend
"I’ll do it, I’m sure. After 50 years I’ll do it"
You'd think that being the creator of a game would give you all the tips and tricks for achieving the full 1000 Gamerscore, but Tim Schafer doesn't appear to be so lucky, and is still finding it challenging to gather all the achievements over a decade later in Brutal Legend for Xbox 360...
Monday12th Jul 2021
News Psychonauts 2 Will Feature An Invincibility Mode To Suit 'All Ages, All Needs'
"All people should be able to enjoy games"
The topic of difficulty in games has been escalating over the past few years. There are two trains of thought: One is that games should have easier options to allow for more accessibility, and the other is centred around games being played the way the developers intended. It seems Double Fine is in the...
Monday21st Jun 2021
News Psychonauts 2 Dev Reports 'No Crunch' During The Development Of The Game
"The team has been amazing"
With a game that's hoping to appease fans as much as Psychonauts 2, there's undoubtedly some weighty expectations behind it. With that sort of anticipation, it can put pressure on the developers to ensure their game is perfect, and as a result, work incredibly long hours. Luckily in the case of Double Fine that doesn't...
Friday18th Jun 2021
Video Double Fine Dives Deeper Into Psychonauts 2's Story And Gameplay
With tons of new gameplay
Now we finally have a release date for Psychonauts 2, we are beginning to see a lot more of the game. The latest deep dive from the game's creator Tim Schafer gives us perhaps our most insightful look yet, spilling all the story details, and giving us a taste of the areas we'll be visiting in the game. If you want to go in...
Sunday13th Jun 2021
News Psychonauts 2 Finally Makes Its Way To Xbox Game Pass This August
Finally!
It seems all the extensive coverage of Psychonauts 2 over the past few weeks has meant something, as it's been confirmed to be arriving on August 25 for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, also available with Xbox Game Pass. Fans have long been anticipating this sequel, us included, and now we won't have to wait much longer. The trailer has us...
Tuesday8th Jun 2021
Video New Psychonauts 2 Video Highlights The Changes In The Sequel
Better, faster, stronger
If you're wondering what's new for Psychonauts 2 (hey, that rhymed!), then Game Informer has wrapped up its exclusive coverage with a quick rundown of what newcomers and old timers can expect. One of the biggest changes relates to combat. In the original, players would often just punch their way through encounters, but now...
Friday4th Jun 2021
News Psychonauts 2's Release Date May Have Been Discovered
It's sooner than you may think
Well, well, well, the cat may be out of the bag for Psychonauts 2's long speculated release date, as a recent leak on Steam may have pinpointed its exact date. As spotted by one user on Resetera, the game has appeared in Steam's coming soon section and is currently sandwiched between two games that are releasing on...
