Popular Games by Microsoft
Reviews of Microsoft Games
Review Age Of Mythology: Retold (Xbox) - Microsoft's Godly RTS Classic Revitalised
Go beyond history
Age of Mythology might not be a major numbered entry, but it's still played a significant role in the Age timeline – transitioning the series from 2D to 3D following the success of Ensemble's real-time strategy king, Age of Empires II. Mythology wasn’t just there to fill the void when it landed on PC in 2002 and is still...
Review Sea Of Thieves - In Truly Ship-Shape Condition Two Years After Launch
It's a pirate's life for me
When Sea of Thieves initially set sail in 2018, it was met with somewhat mixed reviews. Rare's pirate playground is undoubtedly a masterful creation; a vast, dynamic, hyper-stylised sea world dotted with mysterious islands and skeleton forts in which players are set free to create their own grand adventures. However, it...
Review Forza Horizon 4 - The Best Racing Experience On Xbox One
Fuel Britannia
Offshoots aren’t meant to surpass their source material. They’re meant to be unusual curios that take an existing concept in twist it in ways the mainline series never could. When the original Forza Horizon casually rolled up onto the scene in 2012, no one really expected it to attract the fan base that it did, but eight years on...
Review Forza Horizon 2: Storm Island (Xbox One)
Making it rain.
When crafting a DLC package of any significant weight for a game that has gone down really well with gamers and critics alike, developers have to be careful. What they add can’t interfere with the mix that they already had, as they really don’t want to be messing with a successful formula. Playground Games found a way to ensure...
Review D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die (Xbox One)
Look for D
Remember Deadly Premonition? It’s one of the most divisive games ever to be released upon the world. Poor production values, bizarreness to the extreme, and campy…well, everything else, meant it was one of those wonderfully weird games that either clicked with you, or it didn't at all. Now, four years after the release of Deadly...
Review Kinect Sports Rivals (Xbox One)
Do or die.
To say that Kinect Sports Rivals is a high-profile title for Xbox One would be something of an understatement. Being the only game (barring the violently bad Fighter Within, which barely passes as a game) available that’s been designed for the much-maligned Kinect device that’s included with every console, people were looking to...
Latest Microsoft News
YesterdayWed, 4th Feb 2026
News Huge Fantasy RPG Crimson Desert Launches Next Month With Xbox Play Anywhere
We've been waiting a while for this one!
Crimson Desert, the highly-anticipated open-world RPG from developer Pearl Abyss, has recently been given a March release date - and thanks to the game's Xbox Store listing, we now know that the game will support Xbox Play An
Tuesday3rd Feb 2026
News Just One Game Is Leaving Xbox Game Pass In Early February 2026
Only one leaver for the first half of the month!
In addition to revealing a new batch of games coming to Xbox Game Pass in February today, Microsoft has also revealed what's leaving Xbox Game Pass in early February 2026 — and it's good news, we only have one game leaving the service in early Feb.! Here's what's leaving
News Two Games Are Available Today With Xbox Game Pass (February 3)
One of them being a HUGE shadow drop!
Welcome to your latest Xbox Game Pass update! Today, we've got two titles coming to the library - one of which ended up being a surprise addition that arrived in the early hours of the morning here in the UK. Here's a quick roundup of both of today's new Xbox Game Pass titles (February 3): Final Fantasy 2...
Monday2nd Feb 2026
News Death Stranding Director's Cut Gets Huge Player Bump Thanks To Xbox Game Pass
One of last month's biggest XGP additions
One of the most high-profile additions to Xbox Game Pass last month was the arrival of Death Stranding Director's Cut from Kojima Productions, and perhaps unsurprisingly, the title absolutely shot up the Xbox player charts last week as a result. As shared by Circana's Mat Piscatella, prior to its Game Pass...
Sunday1st Feb 2026
Talking Point One Year Later, How Do You Feel About Xbox RPG Avowed?
Did it live up to your expectations?
It's hard to believe, but this month marks the one-year anniversary of Xbox RPG Avowed; Obsidian's early 2025 release landed last February on Xbox, PC and Game Pass. It's changed and evolved since then of course — with more updates to come very soon as well — so we want to
Saturday31st Jan 2026
Guide Xbox Game Pass: All Games Coming Soon In February 2026
All the confirmed reveals so far
Looking for a complete list of games coming to Xbox Game Pass in February 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...
Friday30th Jan 2026
News Helldivers 2 Xbox Vs. PS5 Sales Data Shared As Game Reportedly Hits 20 Million Copies Sold
Divin' & thrivin'
It's no secret that Helldivers 2 has been a bit of a smash hit for Sony, with the game exploding in popularity on PS5 and PC before heading to Xbox last year. And, in its latest analysis on the game, Alinea Analytics has provided a sales breakdown across all platforms, whilst also reporting that the Arrowhead title has now sold 20...
Thursday29th Jan 2026
News Here's A Look At The Updated Xbox Game Studios Roadmap For 2026 And Beyond
Following Xbox Developer Direct!
As we tick over into 2026 and move forward from Xbox Developer Direct, Microsoft's games pipeline for this year and beyond is looking a bit more certain - which means yep, you guessed it, Xbox fan Klobrille has dropped their latest Xbox Game Studios roadmap for the current year and
News Xbox Free Play Days Is Headlined By Two First-Party Games This Weekend (Jan. 29 - Feb. 1)
One of them being a 2025 release!
Xbox's latest Free Play Days lineup is here! Today, we've got four games available as part of the program - including two Microsoft first-party games in the ever-expanding Fallout 76 and the early access Grounded 2. Here's your full list of Free Play Days titles this weekend: Dead By Daylight Fallout 76 For Honor
News Microsoft Adds Three New Dynamic Backgrounds For Xbox Series X|S
To celebrate Indie Selects 2026
To celebrate Xbox's Indie Selects program as we head further into 2026, Microsoft has added three new dynamic backgrounds for Xbox Series X|S users - and if you're looking to add a splash of colour to your Xbox dashboard, these could be the way to go. The first example — which you can view up above — is the most...
News Two Games Are Available Today With Xbox Game Pass (January 29)
Including a massive AAA addition
Welcome to your final Xbox Game Pass update for January 2026! Today's lineup is being headlined by the mighty Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, which arrives for Xbox Series X|S and PC just over a year after launch. Here's what to expect from that, alongside today's other Xbox Game Pass addition (January 29): M
Wednesday28th Jan 2026
News Digital Foundry 'Highly Impressed' With Final Fantasy 7 Remake On Xbox Series X And S
Series S beats Switch 2!
With Final Fantasy 7 Remake now out in the wild on Xbox consoles for the very first time, the folks over at Digital Foundry have taken a look at how the game is shaping up on both current-gen machines - and the team seems genuinely surprised at how well the Series S version holds up in comparison to other consoles. Yep,...
News Two Games Are Available Today With Xbox Game Pass (January 28)
Your penultimate January additions
Welcome to your latest Xbox Game Pass roundup! Our second-to-last January update brings two titles to the library, including one that's new-to-Xbox in the form of Drop Duchy. Here's some extra detail on today's two new Game Pass additions (January 28): Anno: Mutationem (Console, PC, Cloud) - Ultimate, Premium,...
Monday26th Jan 2026
News Xbox's Blizzard Team Announces Multiple Showcases Laying Out The Company's Future
Diablo, Overwatch, WoW & more to feature
Blizzard has today announced four upcoming showcases detailing the future of Diablo, Hearthstone, Overwatch and World of Warcraft - as it hones in on a big year of 35th anniversary celebrations. Yep, Blizzard turns 35 in 2026, and it's going to announce news regarding these big f
News In The US, 66% Of Xbox Series X|S Sales Were Digital-Only In 2025
PS5 was at almost 50% too
With Microsoft's continued console price hikes over the last few years, the team's all-digital offerings have become a more enticing proposition for consumers, and that appears to have reflected in the 2025 console sales split for Xbox Series X|S in the US. Circana's Mat Piscatella has recently shared some "fun facts"...
Sunday25th Jan 2026
Feature Fable Could Finally Be Xbox's Big 'Game Of The Year' Contender, But There's One Problem
Hey, hey I wanna be a rockstar
There's been a long-running narrative for some time now that Xbox never quite seems to make the Game of the Year cut, particularly at The Game Awards showcase that happens each and every December. There's no doubt that Microsoft has produced some great games in recent years, but that big TGA award always seems to...
Friday23rd Jan 2026
News Forza Horizon 6's Controversial Game Pass Upgrade Costs As Much As The Game Itself
Here in the UK at least
Forza Horizon 6 made a big splash at last night's Xbox Developer Direct, with an impressive showing that finally gives us a glimpse at Playground's vision for open-world Japanese racing. It's launching soon too — with a May release date on Xbox — but folks are starting to spot that the game's DLC is l
News Free Play Days: Try These Xbox Games For Free (January 22-25)
Five games, and they're all well worth playing!
In the midst of all the Xbox Developer Direct news on Thursday, we didn't get a chance to tell you about this week's Xbox Free Play Days games — and there's too much good stuff here for you to miss out on! Four games are technically included with Xbox Free Play Days this week, and they're all well...
Thursday22nd Jan 2026
News Forza Horizon 6 Officially Launches On Xbox In May, Here's Your First Look At Open-World Japan
It looks stunning!
As part of today's Xbox Developer Direct showcase, Playground Games has given us our first proper look at Forza Horizon 6 - and what a first look it's turned out to be. The team has taken us behind the scenes at its Leamington Spa studio to showcase its greatest hits rendition of open world Japan - from the dizzying mountains of...
News Microsoft Is Hosting A Huge 'Buy One, Get Two Free' Sale Featuring Lots Of Xbox Indies
Live for the next week on the Microsoft Store
Xbox has just set live another one of its eclectic 'Buy One, Get Two Free' sales on the Microsoft Store; this one featuring lots of different indie titles across multiple genres. There are some more well-known indies on this list such as Valheim, Untitled Goose Game, A Little To The Left, Poppy Playtime...
Wednesday21st Jan 2026
News Here's What's Included In The Xbox January 2026 Update
PC, handheld and cloud are the focus
The Xbox January 2026 update is now being highlighted by the folks over at Xbox Wire, and as usual with these updates in recent months, it's not really very console-focused — the updates encompass everything nowadays. Having said that, the Xbox PC app has gotten some fresh updates, Xbox Cloud Gaming is...
News Xbox 'Developer Direct Sale' Now Live With Big Discounts On Xbox Game Studios Titles
Microsoft debuts a new Dev Direct sale
Ahead of Xbox Developer Direct airing tomorrow, January 22nd, the Microsoft Store is hosting a new Dev Direct sale - featuring a bunch of Xbox Game Studios titles at up to 80% off. This particular promo contains everything from Psychonauts and Jade Empire on the OG Xbox to South of Midnight,
News Xbox Reporter Says Bethesda's Fallout 3 & New Vegas Remasters 'Aren't Imminent'
We might be waiting a while to play them
Earlier this month, we heard that Xbox and Bethesda were working away on new versions of Fallout 3 and New Vegas thanks to a big report from Windows Central - but now the same source is warning us that the pair of Fallout remasters/remakes are a while away from releasing just yet. Yep, ahead of
News Three Games Are Available Today With Xbox Game Pass (January 21)
Including a MASSIVE addition from Kojima Productions
Welcome to your latest Xbox Game Pass roundup! Following yesterday's XGP update that mapped out the rest of January, we have three big titles landing in the library today, including Kojima's once-PS4 exclusive Death Stranding. Here's some more details on tha
Tuesday20th Jan 2026
News Two Games Are Available Today With Xbox Game Pass (January 20)
Two big additions to XGP
Welcome to your latest Xbox Game Pass update! Today, two big additions are arriving on the service, including a well-loved survival horror title from Capcom in the form of Resident Evil Village. Here's a quick introduction to that, alongside today's other XGP arrival, which is a day one release! MIO: Memories In Orbit...
Monday19th Jan 2026
News Ubisoft's Retrofuture Far Cry Game Has Always Deserved 60FPS, And It's Almost Here
The next 60FPS Far Cry trailer has landed
At the weekend, Ubisoft announced that three Far Cry games were set for 60FPS updates on current-gen consoles this week - and now that the Blood Dragon trailer is here for us to feast our eyes on, we can't wait to replay this one at a smooth frame rate on Xbox Series X|S. We've chucked this 60FPS update...
News Footage From Xbox's Cancelled ZeniMax Online Game Leaks, Looks Very Cyberpunk
Here's what the ESO dev was working on
Back in July of last year, Microsoft cancelled The Elder Scrolls Online dev's next game — Project Blackbird — despite reports that some Xbox execs were "blown away" by it previously. Unfortunately, the public never got to see the title in action, but now, some footage of the canned MMORPG has leaked online,...
Guide Xbox Developer Direct 2026: Event Date, Start Times & What To Expect From The Showcase
It's going to be a big show for Microsoft
It's almost time for Xbox Developer Direct 2026! Yep, this year's edition of the team's January showcase takes place this week, with three games confirmed for the show already. So, we're going to gather up all the details you need to know for this next Xbox showcase, including when it begins, which games...
Report Microsoft Is Set To Launch An Xbox Cloud Gaming Ad-Tier This Year
Messages are already popping up for some users
Late last year, we heard that Microsoft had started doing internal tests for an ad-supported tier of Xbox Cloud Gaming, and while this hasn't gone live for the public yet, a new report — along with some concrete evidence from other sources — suggests that the new tier is real and will launch in the...
Saturday17th Jan 2026
Poll What Are Your First Impressions Of Star Wars Outlaws On Xbox Game Pass?
The massive Ubisoft game hits XGP
Last week's major addition to Xbox Game Pass was definitely Star Wars Outlaws; Ubisoft's recent open world epic has been live for Game Pass Ultimate players for a good few days now. So, if this is your first introduction to the Massive Entertainment title, what do you think of it so far? Here at Pure Xbox HQ, we...
News Three Games Are Confirmed For Xbox Game Pass In February 2026 So Far
An early look at Feb's lineup
As we always do around this time of the month, we're taking an early look today at what's ahead for February 2026's Xbox Game Pass selection, with three titles having been confirmed for the service next month already. The headline game so far is definitely High on Life 2; this absurd-looking sequel aims to level up...
Friday16th Jan 2026
Poll Ahead Of Developer Direct 2026, Which Is Your Favourite Fable Game On Xbox?
A fabled Xbox franchise
2026 is the year we finally get a new Fable game, with Xbox developer Playground Games having been hard at work on an Xbox Series X|S reboot for years now. So, with us less than a week away from seeing it in full force at Developer Direct 2026, which is your favourite Fable game so far?
Talking Point How Do You Feel About Xbox Game Pass In 2026?
Is it still your primary way to play Xbox games?
It's been a good few months now since Microsoft overhauled its Xbox Game Pass service, with Premium taking hold as the platform's mid-tier option whilst Ultimate got a bunch of ne
Thursday15th Jan 2026
News Bethesda's Fallout Resurgence Is In Full Swing As FO4 Hits Almost 100K Daily Players On Xbox
Madness!
At this point, it's safe to say that Amazon's Fallout TV show has been a massive success not only in itself but also for the franchise at large, and some new data from the Christmas period shows how big of an impact the show has had on older Fallout games for Microsoft and Bethesda. Coming from GamesIndustry.biz (with data supplied by...
News Four New Games Added To Retro Classics On Xbox Game Pass In January 2026
Three Activision classics, one 90s Sierra title
We have our first Xbox Retro Classics games of the new year! Four titles have been added to the library here in January 2026, including three old school games straight from Activision's '80s catalogue. Here are those new additions to Xbox Retro Classics this month: Keystone Kapers (1983) (Atari...
The PlayStation 2025 charts are in
Sony has this week revealed the top 20 best-selling PS5 games digitally throughout 2025, and Microsoft has a large presence on the list — with Black Ops 7, Black Ops 6, Forza Horizon 5, Oblivion Remastered and more making the cut. Forza Horizon 5 is perhaps the most impressive performer here; the four year old...
Tuesday13th Jan 2026
News Call Of Duty On Switch 2 Looks Imminent As 'Nintendo' Files Appear In COD App
Call of Datamine
Last month, we heard from Xbox reporter Jez Corden that Microsoft's Call of Duty series would soon move over to Nintendo platforms, and over the last few days, some evidence has cropped up to suggest that COD on Switch 2 is imminent. As covered in an update by our friends over at Nintendo Life, social media account
Monday12th Jan 2026
Feature Xbox Game Pass Players Are Getting A Fantastic Survival Horror Experience Next Week
A new village awaits
Each Resident Evil game always tries to add a little something different to the survival horror genre; some are spookier, some are more action-oriented and some straddle that line in an almost perfect dance that only Capcom manages to pull off these days. While RE's recent run has mostly been filled with remakes that fall into...
News Forza Horizon 5 Hits Huge Sales Milestone In Its First Year On PS5, According To New Estimates
Absolutely flying
We've consistently heard that Forza Horizon 5 has been selling very well on PS5 since its debut last April, and now the head of Alinea Analytics — one of the firms keeping us updated on those sales — has a new update for us here as we enter 2026. According to
News Xbox's Avowed Gets Permanent Price Drop To Coincide With Upcoming PS5 Release
Now available at $50
Avowed arrived on Xbox and PC almost a year ago now, and to coincide with last week's announcement of a PS5 release, Microsoft has dropped the price of the base game on all platforms — with a plan to launch at the same price on the Sony system next month. Yep, head over to the Microsoft Store or Steam and you can now grab...
News Three Games Are Available This Week With Xbox Game Pass (January 12-15)
Including a massive new addition
Welcome to your latest Xbox Game Pass roundup! We've got three new titles coming to the main PC/Ultimate library this week, including tomorrow's huge addition of Ubisoft open-world affair Star Wars Outlaws. Here's a full overview of what's new on Xbox Game Pass this week (January 12-15): Quarantine Zone: The Last...
Sunday11th Jan 2026
Guide Xbox Game Pass: All Games Coming Soon In January 2026
All the confirmed reveals so far
Looking for a complete list of games coming to Xbox Game Pass in January 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...
Saturday10th Jan 2026
News Here's What Might Leave Xbox Game Pass In February 2026
Some early predictions
What's leaving Xbox Game Pass in February 2026? Well, Microsoft hasn't confirmed anything just yet, but based on some games that were added to the service this time last year, we can at least make a few predictions ahead of time. We know that a lot of Xbox users want more advance notice of games leaving Xbox Game Pass, but...
Wednesday7th Jan 2026
News StarCraft, Wolfenstein 3 & Fallout New Vegas Remake Could All Be In The Works Over At Xbox
With other big games also mentioned
As we shared earlier today in relation to Developer Direct, well-known Xbox reporter Jez Corden has put out a huge report/predictions piece on the future of Xbox in 2026 and beyond — and it namedrops some absolutely massive releases, even if they're still to be confirmed by their respective Microsoft development...
News Xbox Reporter Teases What Might Be Shown At Developer Direct, Including A Potential Surprise
Update: Microsoft confirms three games for the event
Xbox Developer Direct is right around the corner now, having been confirmed by Microsoft last month, and attention is quickly turning to predicting just what might show up at Xbox's annual January s
News The UK Games Industry Had Its Biggest Year Since 2020 Last Year
UK games revenue rose 7.4%
GamesIndustry.Biz has shared some news from the folks over at the Entertainment Retailers Association that suggests 2025 was a pretty big year for gaming in the UK. The ERA gathered data from multiple sources to show that UK customers spent £5.4 billion on gaming in 2025, which is up 7.4% on the year before. "This is the...
News Four Games Are Available Today With Xbox Game Pass Premium (January 7)
Four more titles make the jump from Ultimate
Welcome to your latest Xbox Game Pass roundup! Today's all about Microsoft's mid-tier service in the form of XGP Premium; where four games move over from the Ultimate library today, including some heavy hitters. Here's all four games available with Xbox Game Pass Premium today (January 7):
Tuesday6th Jan 2026
News These 11 Games Are Coming To Xbox Game Pass, Including Two Major Additions (January 6-22)
Your first official XGP roundup of 2026!
Microsoft has today revealed its first official roundup of Xbox Game Pass titles for January 2026, with 11 games joining the service from January 6-22, including two major additions in Star Wars Outlaws and Resident Evil Village! A couple of games have already arrived on Xbox Game Pass this morning in the...
PSA Choo-Choo Charles Costs Less Than A Cup Of Coffee On Xbox This Week
90% off!
As the Xbox Countdown Sale wraps up this week, a small batch of new deals has gone live on the Microsoft Store today — and while there's not much to write home about, we have noticed that terror-inducing horror hit Choo-Choo Charles is available for a ridiculously low price on Xbox right now. Live now and available for the next week or...
News Two Games Are Available Today With Xbox Game Pass (January 6)
Two surprise additions to kick off 2026!
Welcome to your first Game Pass update for 2026! Today, we have two surprise additions to the library, including Little Nightmares: Enhanced Edition which delivers a new ray-traced version of Tarsier's classic to Xbox Series X|S and PC. Here's some more detail on that, alongside your other Xbox Ga
