Tag: Microsoft
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...
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,...
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...
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...
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...
"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...
News The Original Xbox Intro Was Rendered In Real-Time, And Here's The Proof
Boundary Break is at it again
Do you remember that funny Halo: Combat Evolved video where, at the end of the campaign, someone managed to break the camera free to reveal Master Chief taking off his helmet, only to be wearing another helmet underneath? I thought it was the coolest thing, pulling the camera off its programmed rails to uncover the...
News These 10 Games Are Coming To Xbox Game Pass (August 6-18)
The vast majority being new XGP Premium additions
Microsoft has revealed the next official batch of Xbox Game Pass additions for August 2026, with 10 games joining the service between August 6-18. We've already had a couple of new arrivals this month, with today's launch of Beast of Reincarnation to kick things off. Two of the next ten were...
News Two Games Are Available Today Across Various Tiers Of Xbox Game Pass (August 4)
Gotta play 'em all!
It's a brand new month for Xbox Game Pass and would you look at that? Not one, but two games are available across various tiers of the service today, including a day one release! August kicks off with Beast of Reincarnation, a satisfying action RPG built around thrilling parry-focused combat. It's still crazy to think Game...
News Xbox Adds Dynamic Background & Gamer Pics To Celebrate 25 Years Of Play
Community Celebration!
To celebrate its 25th anniversary, Xbox has unveiled a fancy new batch of gamerpics alongside an all new dynamic background for Xbox Series X|S. Aye aye, to celebrate 25 big years of Xbox, Microsoft has released a community-inspired dynamic background showcasing Xbox's core four franchises in the styling of Klobrille...
News Four Games Are Leaving Xbox Game Pass In Early August 2026
Here's what's leaving soon
Microsoft has revealed the next four games leaving Xbox Game Pass in early August 2026, with all of these being highlighted as "leaving soon" on the official Xbox mobile app. There's a couple of decent departures in the mix, such as Atlas Fallen: Reign of Sand and Aliens: Fireteam Elite, with that latter set to see its...
News Five Xbox Games Are Shutting Down Their Servers In August 2026
The closures we know about so far
If you recall this time last month, you may remember that we did a server shutdown guide for both July and August 2026, as July was actually very quiet for server closures in the end (just Madden NFL 23). Now that we're in August itself, we still wanted to give you a reminder of the games shutting down their...
Guide Xbox Game Pass: All Games Coming Soon In August 2026
All the confirmed reveals so far
Looking for a complete list of games coming to Xbox Game Pass in August 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...
Pick One What Was Your Favourite Xbox Game Pass Addition In July 2026?
Halo? Hell Is Us? Buckshot Roulette?
As the final day of July falls upon us, it's only natural we cast our gaze to August and the next batch of Xbox Game Pass goodies. But before we do, let's take a moment to look back at what turned out to be a pretty good month in July. Adding a hearty mix of major first and third party titles to the service along...
News Xbox's Four Priorities Detailed By Asha Sharma After Major 'Reset'
Core, Content, Creation, and Connection
You've most likely heard all about the Xbox 'reset' that laid off of thousands of employees and divestment in studios that saw four of them part ways with the company. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has outline her plans to get the brand back on track. In a memo obtained by The Verge, she detailed four key priorities...
News Free Play Days: Try These Xbox Games For Free (July 30 - August 2)
Three games to play for free this weekend!
Where does the time go? It's Thursday again, which means we're back to share the next batch of Xbox Free Play Days titles for you to crack on with this weekend. Only three games up for grabs this time, so why don't you pull up a steel chair and get busy with WWE 2K26. If tussling around the ring with...
News Xbox Could Still Lose Money On Series X|S Console Sales Despite Price Hike, Sources Claim
And what does this mean for Project Helix?
Xbox's planned price increase for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles will come into effect on Saturday, August 1st, but it appears Microsoft could still end up selling its hardware at a loss. As seems to be the norm everywhere right now, rising manufacturing costs caused by the ongoing component...
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
Guide Xbox Game Pass Essential: Full List Of Games (July 2026 Update)
Here's everything you can play on Game Pass Essential
Back in 2023, Microsoft finally phased out Xbox Live Gold, replacing it with Xbox Game Pass Core as a new entry-level tier to its subscription service. Since then, it's been renamed to Xbox Game Pass Essential as of October 2025. Unlike Games with Gold, which
News Free Play Days: Try These Xbox Games For Free (July 23-27)
A solid offering of FPD weekend freebies!
Every Thursday, we round up the latest Xbox Free Play Days lineup for you to have a crack at over the weekend, and this week's offering is looking like a mighty solid one. We're being treated to a triple date with Mr. Snake as Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake are on the table. The...
News These Seven Games Are Coming To Xbox Game Pass (July 22 - August 4)
Microsoft reveals the latest batch
Microsoft has today revealed the second official roundup of Xbox Game Pass titles for July 2026 (and first for early August!), with seven games joining the service from July 22 - August 4, including multiple huge "day one" releases in the form of Halo: Campaign Evolved, Mistfall Hunter and Beast of Reincarnation...
Feature 25 Discounted Games You Should Buy In The Xbox Summer Sale 2026
So many fantastic games on offer!
Xbox's massive Summer Sale for 2026 has now officially begun, with over 2000 games available at discounted prices for the next couple of weeks. There's an absolute ton of stuff to get through here, and even though we've highlighted some of the biggest deals and all the backwards compatible stuff, it's still hard to...
News Eight Games Are Leaving Xbox Game Pass In Late July 2026
Here's what's leaving soon
Microsoft has revealed the next eight games leaving Xbox Game Pass in late July 2026, with all of these being highlighted as "leaving soon" on the official Xbox mobile app. Some of the biggest departures in here include Celeste, Mount & Blade 2 and Sniper Elite: Resistance, while it's also interesting that
News Free Play Days: Try These Xbox Games For Free (July 16-20)
Your latest batch of FPD weekend freebies!
It's funny how quick Thursday can swing back around again, and with it comes your next batch of Xbox Free Play Days titles! There are at least three games in the lineup this week, and we'll update this article later today if Xbox decides to bless us with any more. Of the three, Crisol: Theater of Idols is...
News Here's Your First Look At Splitscreen In Halo: Campaign Evolved
Sharing screens just like we did in the glory days
As marketing for Halo: Campaign Evolved continues to ramp up following the game going gold, so too does the coverage from developer Halo Studios. Just yesterday, the team hosted an hour-long livestream where we got our first proper look at splitscreen co-op, in addition to details surroun
News Xbox Quietly Removes Upcoming Game Pass Title From July Lineup
Update: "We’re continuing to work through the necessary licensor approvals"
Something strange has occurred. If you recall our recent July Xbox Game Pass roundup, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 was set to join its sequel on the subscription service on July 21. However, that no longer appears to be the case. As we were fact checking details for
News Two Games Are Available Today With Xbox Game Pass (July 15)
Can you stick out your tongue and say "Ahhhh, Xbox Game Pass" please?
It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new batch of Xbox Game Pass titles for me, and I'm feeling good enough to pass through a quarantine check. Two games are joining the service today, including a day one release! Today's headliner is, of course, Denshattack!, a bombastic...
News Fan Demand For Xbox To 'Stop The Cycle Of Layoffs' Trends On Player Voice Portal
Stop sacking our favourite developers
Xbox fans appear to be sick to their back teeth over mass layoffs and studio closures, with a shout to "stop the cycle of layoffs" becoming the most trending topic on Microsoft's newly-launched feedback site, Xbox Player Voice. The feeling is all too commonplace
News The Next Halo Game Has Officially Gone Gold
All systems go(ld) for July 23rd / 28th
Saddle up Marines! It's official, Halo: Campaign Evolved has now gone gold ahead of its July 28, 2026 release on Xbox Series X|S and, for the first time in the franchise's history, PS5. Hoorah! If you've bagged yourself the Premium Edition or Premium Upgrade Edition, Early Access begins on July 23 and comes...
News Five Games Are Confirmed For Xbox Game Pass In August 2026 So Far
An early look at what's to come
As we always do around this time of the month, we're taking an early look today at what's ahead for August 2026's Xbox Game Pass selection, with five games currently scheduled to arrive in a few weeks' time. We've got two absolutely massive additions here in Beast of Reincarnation and Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy,...
News Free Play Days: Try These Xbox Games For Free (July 9-12)
Presenting your latest batch of weekend freebies*
Thursday has swung right back around again, and so it's time for a new batch of Xbox Free Play Day titles! There are three games to get stuck into this weekend, and we're especially stoked that some of you will get to experience the brilliant sci-fi survival game The Alters for the first time. In...
News 300+ Xbox Games Have Injected 300,000G Worth Of Easy Achievements
It's that time of year again!
One of life's greatest gifts is listening to the popping sound an achievement makes when you're on the hunt for gamerscore. Now that we've entered into the second half of 2026, Microsoft's semi-annual cap on developers adding new achievements to their games has reset, resulting in so, so many easy opportunities to...
News These 11 Games Are Coming To Xbox Game Pass (July 9-21)
July is going to be a blast!
Today Microsoft has announced the next official batch of Xbox Game Pass titles for July 2026, with 11 games joining the service from July 9-21. Xbox is already poised to have a big month with Halo: Campaign Evolved coming in late July, but an extra Tony Hawk's game, and the overwhelmingly popular Planet Crafter bulk up...
Pick One What Was Your Favourite Xbox Game Pass Addition In June 2026?
COD: Vanguard? RV There Yet? Persona 5 Royal?
We're still waiting for Xbox Game Pass to really take off in July, so before we get there, we thought we'd take a look back at what ended up being a pretty busy month in June, with multiple major titles added to the service along the way. Some of the big hitters last month included Call of Duty:...
News Here's What Might Leave Xbox Game Pass In August 2026
Some early predictions!
What's leaving Xbox Game Pass in August 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...
News Free Play Days: Try These Xbox Games For Free (July 2-5)
Your latest set of FPD freebies for the weekend
It's Thursday, so we're back to highlight the latest batch of Xbox Free Play Days titles! We've got a lot of games this time around - five of them are official FPD additions, and one of them has a free trial but isn't technically included as part of the program. That game is Battlefield 6, the free...
News 10 Games Are Leaving Xbox Game Pass In Early July 2026
Update: Microsoft updates the list
Microsoft has revealed the next eleven games leaving Xbox Game Pass in early July 2026, with all of these being highlighted as "leaving soon" on the official Xbox mobile app. Co-op takes a hit on this occasion, with notable departures for PowerWash Simulator and Golf With Your Friends - putting an end to an...
News Another Call Of Duty Game Is Gearing Up For Xbox Game Pass
Grab your coat, it could get chilly
Two full weeks have come to pass since Vanguard joined the subscription service, and it looks like Microsoft has begun preparations for another Call of Duty title to make its way onto Xbox Game Pass some time in the future. Similar to our earlier report for Vanguard, it's once again been spotted that
News Four Xbox Games Are Shutting Down Their Servers In July & August 2026
The closures we know about so far
We're just about to enter a new month, so we thought we'd bring you an update on the Xbox games shutting down their servers in July and August, with four specific titles going offline entirely over the next couple of months. Most of these are sports-related games, with Madden NFL 23 joining the already-delisted NBA...
Guide Xbox Game Pass: All Games Coming Soon In July 2026
All the confirmed reveals so far
Looking for a complete list of games coming to Xbox Game Pass in July 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...
News Free Play Days: Try These Xbox Games For Free (June 25-28)
Your latest set of FPD freebies for the weekend
It's Thursday, so it's time once again for a new batch of Xbox Free Play Days titles! There are at least three games in the lineup, and we'll let you know if any others get added to the list later today. All of these are interesting additions, including a great racing title in Assetto Corsa...
News Microsoft Adds "Xbox Handheld" Logo To Xbox Store Pages, But What Does It Mean?
Could this hint at an official Xbox Handheld?
Microsoft has begun adding an "Xbox Handheld" label to games like Gears of War: E-Day, Halo: Campaign Evolved, and more. The new graphic can be found by meandering down to the "Ways To Play" section. Of course, this indicates whether specific titles are optimised for handheld play, similar to Steam Deck...
News Free Play Days: Try These Xbox Games For Free (June 18-22)
Your latest set of FPD freebies for the weekend
It's Thursday, so that means we've got another batch of Xbox Free Play Days titles to enjoy over the next few days! There are at least four games in the lineup, and we'll update this article later today if Xbox reveals any others. Here's what we know of Xbox's latest Free Play Days lineup so far:...
News 'It's Going To Be Pretty Brutal' - Jason Schreier Reveals More On Upcoming Xbox Layoffs
The Bloomberg reporter has published a new 30-minute video
We're still waiting to hear more news on the reported layoffs taking place at Xbox soon, with multiple studios such as Compulsion Games, Double Fine and Ninja Theory potentially set to be affected, and well-regarded Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier has taken
News Eight Games Are Leaving Xbox Game Pass In Late June 2026
Here's what's leaving soon
Microsoft has revealed the next eight games leaving Xbox Game Pass in late June 2026, with all of these being highlighted as "leaving soon" on the official Xbox Wire website. There are some big departures in here, including two Tomb Raider games (Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition and Rise of the Tomb Raide
News These Seven Games Are Coming To Xbox Game Pass, Including A COD Surprise (June 16 - July 6)
Microsoft reveals the latest batch
Microsoft has today revealed the second official roundup of Xbox Game Pass titles for June 2026, with seven games joining the service from June 16 - July 6, including a surprise COD addition in the form of Call of Duty: Vanguard. Bizarrely, we already had Shift at Midnight down for June 17th and
Report Multiple Xbox Studios In 'Active Negotiations' With Microsoft To Avoid Closure
Update: Ninja Theory reportedly set to be closed
Today has been absolutely dominated by reports that one or more Xbox studios could be closed soon by Microsoft, and Bloomberg is now reporting that at least three are in active negotiations with Microsoft over their futures. The outlet names Compulsion Games (which was already rumoured to be shutting...
Roundup The Results From Our Xbox Games Showcase 2026 Predictions
They seemed like safe-ish bets, but we didn't do that well!
As always, the staff here at Pure Xbox HQ published our prediction list for the Xbox Games Showcase a couple of weeks ago, and as always, we didn't get them 100% right. We're not psychics or mind-readers after all! Nevertheless, we thought we'd take a quick look at the ones that came true...
News 'We Have To Turn This Into A Sustainable Business' - Microsoft CEO Discusses Future Of Xbox
Satya Nadella shares his thoughts
The big boss of Microsoft, Satya Nadella, recently appeared in a Hard Fork podcast event in San Francisco, and he was questioned a little bit about the future of Xbox and what the plans are going forward. Specifically, the first Xbox-related question was about Asha Sharma and Matt Booty's latest memo regarding the...
News Six Games Are Confirmed For Xbox Game Pass In July 2026 So Far
An early look at what's to come
As we always do around this time of the month, we're taking an early look today at what's ahead for July 2026's Xbox Game Pass selection, with six games currently scheduled to arrive next month. There are a couple of titles in here that don't have a specific release date yet, but they've still been announced for...
