Latest News
TodayTue, 11th Aug 2026
News Digital Foundry Shares 'Highly Impressive' Analysis From Gears Of War: E-Day's Beta On Xbox
"A standout example of what Unreal Engine 5 can achieve on consoles"
Last weekend, The Coalition hosted the first of two Gears of War: E-Day Multiplayer Betas on Xbox Series X|S and through the Xbox PC app. The turnout was massive, with players sharing videos of their favourite moments from the Early Access Beta, which climbed to seventh spot...
- Xbox
- Gears of War: E-Day
- Digital Foundry
- Xbox Game Pass
- Xbox Series X
News Lord Of The Rings Xbox 360 Game Gets Surprise Shadow Drop For Modern Platforms
"Step into a darker, grittier Middle-earth."
Nobody saw this one coming! It's been announced today that Lord of the Rings: War in the North — which first released back on the Xbox 360 in 2011 — has received a Legacy Edition for modern platforms including Xbox Series X and S. The game is an action-RPG that received quite lukewarm reviews back in...
- Xbox
- Lord of the Rings: War in the North - Legacy Edition
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
Roundup Here's What The Previews Are Saying About Star Wars Zero Company
"Something every Star Wars and turn-based afficionado should put on their wishlist"
The early word for Star Wars Zero Company is in, with several outlets saying pretty much the same thing: that it's brilliant. Previews are coming in thick and fast for the upcoming turn-based tactics game with a Star Wars twist, and, as expected, there are plenty of...
- Xbox
- Star Wars: Zero Company
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
- Round Up
News Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy Publisher Reveals Runtime Ahead of Xbox Game Pass Launch
And how big the download sizes are on PC and console
As we creep closer to the release of Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy, we're beginning to learn more about the game, including how long it'll take to beat. First thing's first, publisher Focus Interactive has updated Resonance's FAQ page to confirm that the game can be completed in 20 hours, give...
- Xbox
- Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy
- How Long To Beat
- Xbox Game Pass
News Eight Xbox Games Are Getting Delisted In August & September 2026 So Far
Here's what's on the chopping block
It's been a while since we last highlighted a list of delisted games on Xbox, and that's obviously a good thing - it means there haven't been many notable ones in recent weeks, although that's kind of about to change in the near future. August is actually very quiet for upcoming delisted games on Xbox right now,...
- Xbox
- Delisting
- Microsoft
- Xbox One
- Xbox Series X
News More 'Avid Consumers' Are Pre-Ordering $100 GTA 6 Edition Over The Cheaper Version
"Pre-orders have gone much better than expected"
Looks like the majority of people are willing to splash $100 on a game, at least when it comes to GTA 6, arguably the biggest game release in modern history. In an interview with CNBS, Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Rockstar's parent company Take-Two Interactive discussed GTA 6 pre-orders, saying they "have...
- Xbox
- GTA 6
- Rockstar Games
- Grand Theft Auto
News Xbox Suddenly Tells Loads Of People They Don't Need To Verify Their Age Anymore
"No further action is required"
It was this time last year that Xbox began rolling out age verification in the UK (followed by some other countries) and warning players they'd be forced to verify their age in order to access certain Xbox features in the future. That still remains the case in some places such as Australia, but in others, Xbox has...
- Xbox
- Age Verification
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
- Xbox One
News Three Games Are Available Today Across Various Tiers Of Xbox Game Pass (August 11)
Here's a look at what's joining Game Pass today!
We've got another Xbox Game Pass update for you, with three games joining the service today across various tiers. August is looking rather Premium heavy, with all three of today's games releasing in, or shuffling into the mid-tier option. If you think August is coming up a smidge short, I suppose...
- Xbox
- Xbox Game Pass
- Microsoft
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
YesterdayMon, 10th Aug 2026
News SanDisk Announces Three New Expansion Cards For Xbox Series X|S
"Introducing the SANDISK Optimus GX C50 Storage Expansion Card for XBOX"
When Xbox Expansion Cards were first announced as a form of storage for the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S back in 2020, we were hopeful but not exactly confident they'd continue being created for years to come. The initial Expansion Card offerings from Seagate were followed...
- Xbox
- Xbox Expansion Card
- SanDisk
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
Roundup All The Xbox Games From The THQ Nordic Showcase 2026
Everything we saw
Back at the end of last week, THQ Nordic held the latest edition of their yearly showcase, and although this one wasn't stacked with new announcements, there were definitely some interesting Xbox-related reveals and trailers in the mix. With that in mind, we thought we'd round up everything from the event that we know is coming to...
- Xbox
- THQ Nordic
- Events
- Xbox One
- Xbox Series X
News Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Has Solid Start On Xbox, Despite Launching Two Years Later
No surprise the GOTY runner-up sold well on Xbox
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth made quite the splash when it first launched as a PS5 exclusive back in 2024, and according to Square Enix's latest financial results, it looks like the RPG is still making waves on Xbox two years later. The Japanese publisher shared some interesting sales figures for Q1 of...
- Xbox
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
- Square Enix
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News Xbox Rolls Out Mandatory Age Verification To Access 18+ Rated Games In Australia
Age verification needed for both Xbox and Microsoft Stores
The next time you're looking to buy a game on the Xbox Store, you may be prompted to confirm your age. Xbox is now asking users in Australia (and even some in New Zealand) to verify their age before purchasing 18+ rated games, both on console and through the Microsoft Store on PC. Users...
- Xbox
- Microsoft
- AU Age Verification
- Xbox One
- Xbox Series X
News A New Mario Party Clone Just Arrived On Xbox, And It's Surprisingly Not Bad
It's actually quite good fun!
I've always been a big fan of the Mario Party games, and Super Mario Party Jamboree is quite easily my most played title on Nintendo Switch, but I've never really been able to find a suitable alternative to enjoy as much on Xbox. There are definitely a few options out there though, such as the pretty impressive LEGO...
- Xbox
- Mario Party
- Grizzy and the Lemmings Crazy Party
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News Xbox Releasing Major Bug Fix This Week To Address Recent Server Outage Issues
Xbox CTO is as transparent as the 25th Anniversary Xbox, and we love to see it
Xbox Chief Technology Officer Scott Van Vliet, who was praised for his transparency following the major Xbox outage that left some users unable to play games - discs or digital - is back with another update. On July 28th, Van Vliet st
- Xbox
- Industry
- Scott Van Vliet
- Xbox CTO
News No Man's Sky Creator Shares Statement With Xbox Fans To Celebrate 10th Anniversary
"It has been a wild ride"
Can you believe it's been 10 whole years since No Man's Sky first released?! We all know what happened when the sci-fi epic first launched back on August 9th of 2016 - it received a ton of negative reviews and fell victim to its own hype - but incredibly, the game has continued to add (free) new content over the past...
- Xbox
- No Mans Sky
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News Blizzard Is Now 'Top Performing' Xbox Studio, Mostly Due To Overwatch and Diablo IV Success
Good to know Blizzard is still cooking!
Blizzard joined forces with Xbox through the Activision acquisition a few years back, and whilst it's been a rough year for Microsoft's Xbox division, it seems the Overwatch maker is kicking butt. As reported by Windows Central, leaked intern
- Xbox
- Blizzard
- Overwatch
- Diablo IV
- Xbox Series X
Sunday9th Aug 2026
News New RPG From Ex-Fable Devs Is Getting Excellent Reviews On Xbox & Beyond
"You will spend hours on this game if you're a fan of Stardew Valley"
A few days ago, we listed 15 Xbox indie games that we felt should be on your radar in August 2026, and the first of these was a new release called Kynseed - a title that's proven extremely popular with players across multiple platforms. This is a story-driven RPG in the style of...
- Xbox
- Kynseed
- Fable
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News 20+ Xbox Games Are Reduced By 90-95% To Kick Off The New Month
Including a bunch of Darksiders and Ghost Recon games!
Looking for some cheap Xbox games as we kick off August 2026? The first few sales of the month have already gone live on the Xbox Store, and we highlighted over 25 of the best discounted games from them a few days ago. We've still got the 90-95% reductions to highlight as well though! What...
- Xbox
- Deals
- Discounts
- Xbox One
- Xbox Series X
Guide Xbox Adds More Perks For Game Pass Members (August 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 August 2026, including for the likes of Call of Duty: Warzone, 2XKO, and even a free comic for DC's Superman! As we've mentioned before, it seems most Xbox Game Pass Perks are now accessible to...
- Xbox
- Xbox Game Pass
- Perks
- Guides
- Xbox Series X
Saturday8th Aug 2026
Feature These 20+ Games Are Coming To Xbox Next Week (August 10-14)
Including multiple new Game Pass titles
Welcome to your Xbox games roundup for August 10-14! We've got loads of interesting stuff releasing on Xbox over the next few days, including indie highlights such as No More Room in Hell 2 and Wild Blue Skies, the big release of Hell Let Loose: Vietnam, and a busy few days for new Xbox Game Pass additions...
- Xbox
- Features
- Weekly Roundup
- Xbox One
- Xbox Series X
News Here's What Might Leave Xbox Game Pass In September 2026
Some early predictions!
What's leaving Xbox Game Pass in September 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...
- Xbox
- Xbox Game Pass
- Leaving Soon
- September 2026
- Microsoft
Talking Point Xbox Is Getting Its Own Platinum Trophy, But What Will Make It Different?
What would we call them? Diamond Achievements?
Cheevos - or Xbox Achievements, as they've been dubbed since debuting on the Xbox 360 - have become a quintessential Xbox feature. These are earnable in-game challenges that reward you with points and tally up to display your overall gamerscore. They became so popular back in the 360 days that Sony had...
- Xbox
- Achievements
- Platinum Trophy
- Asha Sharma
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (August 8-9)
How about some Beast of Reincarnation?
Welcome to another weekend! This week treated us to the huge release of Beast of Reincarnation on Xbox Game Pass, and don't forget about the Free Play Days offering, not to mention the hundreds of the sales on the Xbox Store too. Here's what we're playing on Xbox this weekend: Fraser Gilbert, Editor: Well,...
- Xbox
- Features
- Talking Point
- What Are You Playing
Friday7th Aug 2026
Feature 30 Xbox Series X|S Games To Look Forward To In August-December 2026
Five months of fantastic new games are ahead of us!
Update: As mentioned, we're updating this feature on a monthly basis, and it's now been adjusted for August. We've taken a few games away, added a few in, and changed a handful of dates around for games that are coming up. With 2026 now starting to kick into gear, it's time to look ahead at what...
- Xbox
- Features
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
- 2026
News Here's What The Ghost Recon Wildlands Upgrade Looks Like On Xbox Series X|S
How the new Xbox versions stack up
A newly-upgraded version of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands officially arrived on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S yesterday, and therefore we've got some footage to bring your way of both versions following the major update. Various YouTube channels have been showing off this footage, but the easiest comparison...
- Xbox
- Ghost Recon Wildlands
- Upgrade
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News A Year Later, Grounded 2 Is Preparing For A Major Week Across Multiple Platforms
What do you think of the Xbox first-party title?
It's been a while since we last talked about Grounded 2 here at Pure Xbox, but the Xbox first-party title has been progressing nicely ever since its initial release back in late July of 2025, and now it's preparing for a major week ahead. August 11th marks the "Into The Abyss" update for the game,...
- Xbox
- Grounded 2
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
- PS5
News The Highest-Rated Metacritic Game Of 2026 Is On Xbox, And We've Never Heard Of It
"Like Geometry Wars? You will love this!"
So there I was, just casually browsing Metacritic today to see what the latest rankings are for the "Best Games This Year", and it turns out there's a new champion - a little game called Sektori that I'd never heard of before. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that Sektori is already available for Xbox...
- Xbox
- Metacritic
- Sektori
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News Gears Of War: E-Day Players Share Their Initial Thoughts On The Multiplayer Beta
Now live in early access
Last night marked the arrival of the Gears of War: E-Day Beta in early access for pre-order customers and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate / PC Game Pass members, so we've started to see a bunch of impressions over the past few hours. We were very intrigued to see how people would react to this one when we went hands-on a few weeks...
- Xbox
- Gears of War: E-Day
- Betas
- Talking Point
News Halo 1 Co-Creator Reveals His Verdict On The Campaign Evolved Remake
"Been slowly playing through Campaign Evolved on Heroic"
Everyone's been sharing their thoughts on Halo: Campaign Evolved over the past couple of weeks since it first arrived with the Premium Edition, but what does the Halo 1 co-creator, Marcus Lehto, think of the game so far? Lehto played a massive role in bringing Halo to life back at the turn of...
- Xbox
- Halo: Campaign Evolved
- Halo 1
Talking Point Will Xbox's Disc-To-Digital Feature Become Essential For Delisted Games?
Specifically if Helix has no disc drive...
We're still yet to hear about this highly-rumoured (and leaked) disc-to-digital program that Xbox is working on, but do we know that it'll offer some kind of method for converting physical discs to digital licenses when it arrives. Today, I've been thinking a little bit about what that could mean for...
- Xbox
- Disc To Digital
- Delisted Games
News Take-Two CEO Hails 'Astonishing' GTA 6 Pre-Orders, Explains Lack Of Disc Version
He suggests discs don't make sense for certain releases
We've very much on the path towards GTA 6's release now - Take-Two has reconfirmed today as part of their earnings release that it's still scheduled for November 19th, while also hyping up the "Extended Look" on Netflix in late August. It's yet to have been revealed what kind of sales we're...
- Xbox
- GTA 6
- Take-Two
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
Thursday6th Aug 2026
Guide Gears Of War: E-Day Open Beta Dates, Start Times & Xbox Game Pass Details
Rollout begins today for early access!
Gears of War: E-Day's Open Beta is officially upon us! Loads of players will be getting a chance to check out the new Gears multiplayer over the next couple of weeks, complete with some exclusive items if you pre-order the game as well. So, here's a look at everything you need to know about the Gears of War:...
- Xbox
- Guides
- Gears of War: E-Day
- Xbox Game Pass
- Betas
News Two Games Are Available Today Across Various Tiers Of Xbox Game Pass (August 6)
Here's a look at what's joining Game Pass today!
We're back with your latest Xbox Game Pass update for August. Two more games join the subscription service today across various tiers, including a bonus third title if you're willing to count a 10-hour trial as an extra game. Truth be told, August is shaping up to be a Premium-heavy month for Game...
- Xbox
- Xbox Game Pass
- Microsoft
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News Xbox Set To Announce 'Beautiful' New Controller For Gears Of War: E-Day
Known as "Storm King"
It looks like we've got another limited edition Xbox controller on the way! Following the positive reception to the Forza Horizon 6 controller a few months ago, Gears of War: E-Day is set to receive the same treatment in the near future. This is being shared by the very reliable Dealabs, which says that the controller i
- Xbox
- Gears of War: E-Day
- Controllers
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News Halo Studios Suffers Job Losses Shortly After Campaign Evolved Launch
Update: Xbox source says they're not "layoffs", but "external contractor shifts"
It's been just nine days since the release of Halo: Campaign Evolved (a remake we loved enough to slap a 10/10 on it) and now a few employees at Halo Studios have indicated they've left the company. The revamped campaign appears to be off to a good start, at least on...
- Xbox
- Microsoft
- Halo Studios
- Xbox Game Studios
- Layoffs
News How To Download The Free Madden NFL 27 Trial With EA Play & Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
Today's the day!
In addition to all the two new Xbox Game Pass titles going live across Ultimate, Premium and PC today, we've also got a 10-hour free trial for Madden NFL 27 as part of EA Play - which itself is included as part of the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass tiers. The official release date for the Madden NFL 27 free trial is...
- Xbox
- EA Sports Madden NFL 27
- Early Access
- Date
- Time
News Evercade Partners With Xbox For Two Major Game Collections & DOOM Nexus Handheld
A retrotastic collaboration
We've spoken before about how much we love Evercade here at Pure Xbox, and they've clearly been working very closely with Microsoft and Team Xbox in recent months to launch a series of Xbox-owned titles on their platform. The latest two have just been properly unveiled after teases earlier in the year, and they're the D
- Xbox
- Evercade
- Banjo-Kazooie
- DOOM
Feature 25+ Of The Best Discounted Games From Xbox's Four New Early August 2026 Sales
A selection of the finest discounts
Tucked away inside this month's new Xbox sales is a hefty discount with your name on it. Four new promotions have popped up on the Xbox Store over the past few days, alongside a selection of notable deals exclusively for Xbox Game Pass subscribers. You can take your pick from Bethesda's 40th Anniversary Sale,...
- Xbox
- Features
- Deals
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News Ghost Recon Wildlands Goes Stupidly Cheap On Xbox Alongside Free Next-Gen Upgrade
Other Tom Clancy games have been discounted too
We mentioned back in July that a next-gen upgrade had been leaked for Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands, and that upgrade looks set to go live today - details about it were revealed via the PlayStation Store yesterday. The upgrade will introduce the ability to play at up to 4K, 60FPS on Xbox Series X...
- Xbox
- Tom Clancy
- Ghost Recon Wildlands
- Upgrade
- Xbox Series X
News Free Play Days: Try These Xbox Games For Free (August 6-9)
Your latest set of FPD freebies for the weekend
Is it Thursday already?! That means it's time for a new batch of Xbox Free Play Days titles, and this week's selection is a particularly good one, featuring NBA 2K26 and a couple of Ghost Recon games amongst other things. The highlight here for some people will be Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands,...
- Xbox
- Free Play Days
- Xbox Game Pass
- Microsoft
- Xbox Series X
News Surprise! Quake Adds Free New Episode With 600G Xbox Achievements
To celebrate its 30th anniversary
QuakeCon has officially kicked off today in Texas, so we assumed we'd get at least one surprise reveal at some point over the next few days, and one has already arrived in the form of a brand-new episode for Quake! The episode is known as "Dawn of the Machine", and it features "19 all-new maps across a cohesive...
- Xbox
- Quake
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
- Xbox One
News New GTA 6 Footage To Be Revealed In Special 'Extended Look' This Month
In partnership with Netflix
Ready for a proper glimpse at what GTA 6 has to offer?! Rockstar Games has announced today that it has partnered with Netflix to unveil an "Extended Look" of the next Grand Theft Auto at the end of the month. Specifically, the reveal will take place on Thursday, August 27th at the following times: 3pm August 27th 2026...
- Xbox
- GTA 6
- Netflix
- Extended Look
- Xbox Series X
Wednesday5th Aug 2026
News Xbox Announces Four More Console Features, Including Two Highly-Requested Ones
Amazing stuff!
The folks on the Xbox team are back with yet another set of console improvements today, the majority of which are rolling out to the Xbox Insider program first before eventually going public in the weeks and/or months to come. There are four improvements mentioned in here, but two that are particularly noteworthy due to how...
- Xbox
- Console
- Updates
- Xbox One
- Xbox Series X
News Two More Games Revealed For Xbox Game Pass In September 2026
Have a look at what's to come next month
August may have just begun, but we're taking an early gander at what's ahead for September 2026's Xbox Game Pass lineup. We already knew of two games, Dune: Awakening and Minecraft Dungeons 2, but thanks to a couple of recent announcements, we can now confirm two more games are on the way. First up is...
- Xbox
- Microsoft
- Xbox Game Pass
- Coming Soon
- September 2026
News Two Big Free Demos Are Now Live On The Xbox Store
Both available to play right now on Xbox Series X|S
We here at Pure Xbox do love a fresh demo release on the Xbox Store, and always keeping our eyes peeled for any biggies worth talking about. Today, we've got two particularly beefy demos to dig into, alongside a bunch of recent honourable mentions that you might fancy downloading. First on the...
- Xbox
- Demos
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
- Monster Hunter Wilds
News Halo: Campaign Evolved Is Getting Some Surprising Sales Estimates For Xbox, PC & PS5
Xbox appears to lead the way in sales so far
We're still only a few days removed from the release of Halo: Campaign Evolved, but we've already got some early sales estimates courtesy of the folks over at Alinea Analytics, and they make for pretty surprising results overall. Simply put, the outlet says that the Halo 1 remake has made around 900k...
- Xbox
- Halo: Campaign Evolved
- Sales
News Beast Of Reincarnation Dev Outlines Five Improvements Coming In First Major Xbox Update
"We take your feedback to heart"
It's only been just over 24 hours since Beast of Reincarnation made its debut across multiple platforms (and on Xbox Game Pass), but the development team at Game Freak are already busy preparing its first update. That update will arrive at some point over the next week, and will feature five specific types of...
- Xbox
- Beast of Reincarnation
- Updates
- Patches
- Xbox Series X
News Gears Of War Fans Convince The Coalition To Add Versus To E-Day Early Access Beta
"We heard you. We acted."
Since details dropped that Versus PvP wouldn't be included in the Gears of War: E-Day Early Access Beta beginning on August 6, passionate fans haven't been shy about letting The Coalition know exactly how they feel about it. To get you up to speed, E-Day's Multiplayer Beta is split across two weekends. The first is...
- Xbox
- Gears of War: E-Day
- Xbox Game Pass
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News Xbox Boss Teases Platinum Trophy Equivalent For Achievements In 2026
An equivalent to the popular system on PlayStation
Over the years, there have constantly been calls from Xbox fans for some kind of equivalent to the Platinum Trophy system on PlayStation - a special kind of recognition for completing all the trophies in a single game. Xbox has always been reluctant to implement this for whatever reason, but today,...
- Xbox
- Achievements
- Platinum Trophy
- Asha Sharma
"We just did it because it's a pretty cool part of the Xbox ecosystem"
I've been pretty vocal here at Pure Xbox about my admiration for the Xbox Play Anywhere program. About the ability to access my Xbox library across console, desktop, and handheld devices, and how it's arguably Microsoft's defining feature right now. It's the reason I stick...
- Xbox
- Xbox Play Anywhere
- Baldur's Gate 3
- Microsoft
