Tag: Microsoft
News Two Games Are Available Today With Xbox Game Pass (December 5)
Your final additions before Indiana Jones next week
The Xbox Game Pass updates continue this week with another two additions to the service today (December 5th), and this time around they're both exclusive to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass members. EA Sports WRC joins as part of EA Play following its initial release back in late 2023,...
News As Xbox Expands Its Reach, Former PlayStation Boss Talks About The Viability Of Consoles
"What is the purpose of a proprietary console"
There has been a lot of discussion in 2024 about the future of Xbox's console business as Microsoft ramps up its mission to make its game library more accessible across multiple devices and platforms. With this in mind, former PlayStation boss Shawn Layden was recently asked in the same Eurogamer...
Guide Xbox Game Pass Core: Full List Of Games (December 2024 Update)
Here's everything you can play on Game Pass Core
Back in September 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. Unlike Games with Gold, which has now been scrapped, Xbox Game Pass Core grants subscribers access to a select list of games separate to...
News Xbox Announces Final Six Games Leaving Game Pass In Late December 2024
For once, we're finding out very early
It's almost always the case that Microsoft reveals the games leaving Xbox Game Pass two weeks in advance, but as a special December treat we've been given more advance notice than usual - the entire month has been mapped out! Earlier this week, we highlighted the seven games that will leave Xbox Game Pass in...
PSA Xbox 360's Two Crackdown Games Are Free On The Microsoft Store
Just a gentle reminder!
For a while now, a bunch of older Xbox games have been free to claim via the Microsoft Store, particularly from the Xbox 360 generation. Well, two of those games are Crackdown 1 & 2, and there's been lots of social media talk today about them being free - so we thought we'd bring them to your attention once again. Yep,...
News Xbox Engineer Shows Off Console Dashboard With 'Comic Sans' Font
We... kinda dig it
We've seen plenty of Xbox dashboard renditions over the years, right from the OG 360 blades all the way up to the modern Series X|S dashboard, but we never thought we'd see the day where 'Comic Sans' font gets plastered all over the Xbox home screen - until now. Yep, Xbox's engineering lead Eden Marie has taken to
News Seven Games Will Leave Xbox Game Pass In Early December 2024
Including a Forza Horizon game!
Microsoft has revealed eight games leaving Xbox Game Pass in the early part of December 2024, and this batch includes some huge titles - with the most notable being the departure of Forza Horizon 4 as it gets delisted. In the case of Forza Horizon 4, the game will no longer be purchasable digitally after December...
News Xbox Fans Plead With Microsoft: 'Don't Forget About Us Physical Gamers'
Avowed to be frustrated
A couple of weeks ago, Microsoft unveiled various editions of Avowed ahead the game's release next February - and the move has stirred up some controversy within the Xbox community. Straight after its announcement, fans weren't happy with another 'code in a box' situation from Microsoft, and that's now spilled over into more...
News Xbox Analyst 'Doesn't See' Microsoft Ditching Hardware Despite New Marketing Campaign
"I guess it could but I don't see that happening"
Since Microsoft unleashed its new 'This is an Xbox' marketing campaign earlier this month, there's been lots of speculation about what this means for the future of Xbox hardware - but a well-known industry analyst has played down the idea of Microsoft ditching consoles anytime soon. Circana's Mat...
News Xbox Exec Talks 'Honouring Our Craft' As They're Named In Variety's Gaming Leaders List
Matt Booty was recently promoted at Xbox
American magazine Variety has highlighted ten '2024 Gaming Entertainment Leaders' in the past week or so, and Xbox executive Matt Booty has made the list this time around. Booty was recently promoted within Microsoft's new gaming leadership structure - the longtime exec is now President of Game Content and...
Rumour Forza Horizon 5 'Will Arrive' On PS5, Despite A Delay From Xbox
"I don't know when, but it will arrive"
Earlier this year, we heard a strong rumour that Forza Horizon 5 would be another Xbox game to move over to PS5 at some stage - and now that very same source has provided an update on the situation as we near the end of 2024. According to prominent leaker eXtas1s, Microsoft's Forza Horizon 5's PS5 port is...
News Microsoft Offering Bonus Gift With Digital Xbox Series X Consoles, For A Limited Time
"Gift adventure to the gamer on your list"
Microsoft has plenty of Black Friday offers across its consoles, games and accessories this year, but the refreshed 2024 lineup of Xbox Series X|S consoles is largely missing from the deals. However, if you're looking at getting the white digital Series X specifically, the team has bundled in a substantial...
News Xbox Boss Phil Spencer Congratulates Departing PlayStation Exec On Their 'Amazing Career'
"Congrats on an amazing career at PlayStation"
Longtime Sony executive Shuhei Yoshida has announced their departure from PlayStation this week, and Xbox boss Phil Spencer has sent the exec a warm message - as he prepares to leave one of Microsoft's biggest competitors in the gaming space. Taking to Twitter early this morning, Phil sent his...
News Xbox Fans Are Wondering What Happened To Series X|S Exclusive 'Contraband'
It was revealed over 3 years ago!
Remember Contraband, the open world co-op game announced by Xbox Game Studios back in 2021? Well, we've seen or heard very little on the Avalanche Studios game since then - and Xbox fans are starting to wonder what the heck is going on with it. Over on the platform's
News Microsoft Reporter Shares 'Confirmation' That Xbox EMEA Is Still Selling Consoles
Despite reports of slow down in the Middle East
Back in the summer, we heard vague reports that Microsoft may be slowing down its console selling business in certain wider markets - namely in select EMEA countries like Saudi Arabia. More recently, a report from that nation made similar claims - but Windows Central's Jez Corden has been squashing...
News Black Ops 6's First Free Zombies DLC Comes To Xbox Game Pass Next Week
Welcome to Citadelle Des Morts
During the reveal of Black Ops 6 Season 01, developer Treyarch announced that a brand-new Zombies experience was coming to the game at some point this season - and that time is almost upon us. Revealed this week via a new cinematic trailer, new Black Ops 6 Zombies map 'Citadelle Des Morts' comes to Xbox Game Pass on...
News Rare Boss Now Officially The New Head Of Xbox Game Studios
A new era for Xbox
Last month, it was revealed Rare's boss Craig Duncan would become the new leader of Xbox Game Studios, replacing Forza Motorsport's Alan Hartman. Now, in an update on Rare's socials, it seems Duncan has "recently started" in his new role, with his existing team celebrating his tenure after "13 years and 10 months". "Today we're...
Poll Which Is Your Favourite Xbox Title From Bethesda Developer MachineGames?
The team is about to release Indiana Jones
Earlier today, we caught wind of the fact that Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will be MachineGames' longest experience yet, and that's got us thinking about the Bethesda developer - and what they've accomplished so far on Xbox. Up to this point, the Swedish studio has been solely in charge of the
News Xbox's Avowed Team 'Very Confident' About Competing With Other Big Releases Next Year
"We're very confident that Avowed is going to stand on its own"
Earlier this year, Xbox's Avowed got delayed to February 2025 - a launch window that now looks busy with the likes of Assassin's Creed Shadows, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 and Monster Hunter Wilds all launching in the same month. However, dev team Obsidian Entertainment isn't wor
News Call Of Duty Becomes Most-Played Game On Xbox After Incredible Black Ops 6 Launch
Beating Fortnite, Roblox
After playing host to Activision's most-successful Call of Duty launch month of all time, Black Ops 6 has now become to the most played game on Xbox in the US - beating out some huge free-to-play titles in the process. Yep, if you check the current most-played Xbox games list in the US, Call o
News Two Games Are Coming To Xbox Game Pass This Week (November 26-27)
Starting today!
Welcome to this week's Xbox Game Pass update! Over the next couple of days, we have two fresh additions coming to the library, including the 2023 squad-based shooter Aliens: Dark Descent. But first, let's start with today's brand-new addition to Game Pass: Nine Sols (Console, PC, Cloud) - November 26: "Nine Sols is a lore...
Talking Point What Do You Want To See From Xbox In 2025?
As Microsoft redefines the meaning of Xbox
As we near Xbox's final major release of 2024 with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, we've started to look back on the year in general - and think about what we hope to see from the team in 2025. It's been a bumpy old ride being an Xbox fan at times this year, and we're wondering what you think next year...
Rumour Xbox Giving MW3 Developer Four Years To 'Lead' New Call Of Duty Project
It will not be a "year 2" release
Earlier this year, Microsoft's first Call of Duty addition to Xbox Game Pass was Sledgehammer Games' Modern Warfare 3 - and a new rumour gives us some insight into what the Activision team is working on next. According to well-known COD leaker TheGhostOfHope, the MW3 developer is wo
News Xbox Game Pass Didn't Hurt Overall Black Ops 6 Sales, Says Analyst
But PlayStation dominated the split
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 was the first series entry to launch day one on Xbox Game Pass, and naturally, that led to questions about whether such a move would affect sales. While the title's Game Pass inclusion seems to have dented Xbox sales specifically, PC and PS5 have more than pulled their weight to make up...
News Multiple UK Retailers Undercut Microsoft With New Xbox Series S Deals
Black Friday sales aplenty
Yesterday, Xbox UK unveiled its official plans for Black Friday this year, with some solid deals to be had across Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and their associated accessories. However, as we hit one week until the big day itself, loads of retailers over here have slashed prices even further - especially for Xbox Series S...
News Nine Games Will Leave Xbox Game Pass In Late November 2024
Play them now before they're gone!
We've got another batch of games leaving Xbox Game Pass in late November 2024, and this time there are eight titles in all - including the likes of Remnant: From The Ashes, Conan Exiles and Coral Island. There's The Walking Dead: The Final Season as well, which we think is a fantastic conclu
News These Five Games Are Coming To Xbox Game Pass (November 20-27)
November's second wave is here
Microsoft has revealed the second batch of titles joining Xbox Game Pass in November 2024, which includes the previously confirmed Stalker 2 and Nine Sols along with the surprise addition of Aliens: Dark Descent. We've also got two games entering XGP "Standard" - these are already available with Xbox Game Pass...
News Surprise! Xbox's Avowed Has Been Confirmed For Another Platform
Even Blizzard's digital service "is an Xbox"
Well, here's a bit of a surprise. Xbox has today revealed it's bringing Obsidian Entertainment's upcoming fantasy RPG Avowed to not only Xbox Series X|S, Windows, and Steam platforms, but also Blizzard's Battle.net launcher on PC. This was confirmed in an announcement today on Xbox Wire. While we've seen...
Reaction Like It Or Not, Xbox Has Gone Full Throttle On Multiplatform
It's much bigger than Series X and S
We've known for a good while now that Microsoft wants Xbox to be more than a console, but up to this point in time, its messaging around that pursuit has been quite vague. It's always felt like the company wants to keep its loyal fans happy, while also adapting and growing Xbox as a business, which hasn't always...
News Microsoft Is Now Advertising Pretty Much Every Gaming Device As An Xbox
"This is an Xbox"
We've been hearing for months and months, years even, that any device with Microsoft's games on it is an 'Xbox' of some sort. The company has been pushing PC, Mobile and Xbox Cloud Gaming for ages at this point - but today's absolutely massive new marketing campaign is their biggest move in this direction yet. Launched earlier on,...
News Phil Spencer Thinks Stalker 2 Could Be An Xbox Game Of The Year Contender
"The quality has really come a long way"
It's official, folks, we're less than a week away from Stalker 2 hitting Xbox Game Pass - and Microsoft's gaming boss thinks that the open-world shooter could be a real GOTY contender in 2024. Speaking with Game File, Phil Spencer was asked about the upcoming title and its
News Xbox Delayed Avowed Purely Because Of Its 2024 Game Pass Schedule
"Okay, let's make sure we pace this out a little better"
Obsidian's upcoming RPG Avowed was supposed to be out at this point, but the game was eventually delayed to February 2025 earlier this year. While delays in this industry often happen due to evolving development timelines, Xbox insists this isn't the case with Avowed. Speaking in a new...
News Xbox's Best-Rated Game Of 2024 Is On Free Play Days This Weekend (November 14-17)
This is a fantastic lineup!
Xbox has unveiled its latest Free Play Days lineup, and we have some really big games on the program this weekend. Leading the charge is Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth — Xbox's highest-rated game on Metacritic this year — alongside another major 2024 release in EA Sports College Football 25. Here's your full Xbox...
News Microsoft Issues Statement As 'Hundreds' Of ZeniMax Workers Go On Strike
A one-day strike across four locations
Yesterday was a turbulent day in the world of ZeniMax Media, as hundreds of unionised workers at the company went on strike against Microsoft at four different locations in Maryland and Texas. As reported by IGN, this involves people who work on the likes of DOOM, Fallout and The Elder Scrolls, and is related...
News Xbox Fan Shares Stunning 4K Images Of 360 Launch Title Project Gotham Racing 3
These look amazing!
Right, by now you probably know that we're huge fans of Project Gotham Racing here at Pure Xbox HQ - so it's no surprise that when we saw some fresh 4K images of PGR3 in and amongst the Xbox Reddit homepage this week, our hearts skipped a little bit. Of course, these aren't official images pulled from the Xbox version or...
News Fallout 5 Not Being Ready Benefitted Amazon's TV Show, Says Xbox Boss
"We didn't have a new game lined up for the launch"
When Amazon's Fallout TV show really took off earlier this year, and Fallout fever was in full swing, there were lots of eyebrows raised about Bethesda not having a game ready to launch alongside the show - but the head of Xbox believes that
News Despite The ActiBlizz Deal, Xbox Remains 'In The Market' For New Dev Teams
"We definitely want to be in the market"
Well all know the trials and tribulations that Xbox went though to acquire Activision Blizzard last year, but the whole ordeal doesn't seem to have put Microsoft off from potentially bringing more teams on board. In a new interview with
News Xbox Boss Says Everything Is On The Table When It Comes To PS5 Ports
"I do not see sort of red lines in our portfolio"
Ever since Microsoft started releasing some of its titles on Sony's PS5, there've been rumours that certain franchises won't ever move over - but Xbox boss Phil Spencer has thrown that notion out of the window in a new interview. Chatting with Bloomberg, the Microsoft Gaming CEO said that there ar
News South Of Midnight Documentary Shares Detailed Look At Xbox's 2025 Adventure
"Weaving Hazel's journey"
After spotting a little teaser last week about fresh South of Midnight coverage coming soon, Xbox has dropped a chunky documentary on the upcoming Compulsion Games adventure - focusing on the team "weaving Hazel's journey" in the 2025 title. You can take a look at this big old ViDoc up above, which goes over some of the...
News PlayStation's Call Of Duty Timed Exclusivity Deal Is Now Officially Over
MW3 DLC packs can now come to Xbox
Microsoft may have acquired Call of Duty publisher Activision more than a year ago, but the Xbox owner vowed to uphold any existing deals that the franchise had with PlayStation owner Sony - and the last of those deals has now officially come to an end. Yep, as pointed out by CharlieIntel, last year's
News Xbox 'Friend Requests' Have Now Returned
Update: Available now!
Update [Fri 8th Nov, 2024]: In September, Xbox mentioned how it was reintroducing friend requests on Xbox. Now, in an update this week, they're available to everyone across Xbox's platforms and services. Here's another look, courtesy of The Verge's senior editor Tom Warren: Original article [Thu 12th Sep, 2024]:...
News Four Games Are Available Today With Xbox Game Pass Standard (November 6)
The Standard library expands
Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass Standard service is getting a pretty major update today. The team is bringing four more titles over from the Game Pass Ultimate library, including 2024 narrative adventure Harold Halibut. <related ids="164791"> For those who aren't fully caught up with Microsoft's new Game Pass plan -
News Xbox Has Two 'BOGOF' Promotions Running Right Now
One for games, one for DLC packs
Xbox has a couple of new 'Buy One, Get One Free' sales running on its digital storefront right now - and they're actually both worth a look this time around. One promotion focuses on sports titles, and includes a nice mix of new releases and older backwards compatible games, while the other is all about DLC packs and...
News Xbox's Long-Running Strategy Series Could Be Next To Jump To PS5
PlayStation logos spotted
Microsoft has gradually started bringing some of its Xbox games to PS5 this year, and it looks like the team's remastered Age Of Empires 2: Definitive Edition could be another title to move over in the near future. As spotted over on Reddit, two Age of Empires 2 player profiles appear to
News Xbox's AI-Powered 'Support Virtual Agent' Now Available To Insiders
"How can I help you today?"
Microsoft has announced its new AI-powered "Support Virtual Agent" is now rolling out to select Xbox Insiders on Xbox's support page today. Support Virtual Agent will allow you to "quickly access information" from Xbox's support page and answer any issues related to your Xbox console and games. US Xbox users with...
News Xbox's Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6 To Get Official PS5 Pro Support This Week
For the (PlayStation) players
As part of PlayStation 5 Pro's launch week, Sony has revealed all of the games that will be "enhanced" by its $700 console on release - and Xbox's Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has perhaps surprisingly made the cut. Yep, Black Ops 6 is on Sony's initial PS5 Pro list, which contains more than 50 titles that will be b
News These 10 Games Are Coming To Xbox Game Pass (November 4-19)
November's first wave is here
Microsoft has revealed the next wave of titles to join Xbox Game Pass, as we roll into a busy November for the service. We've got 10 games arriving over the next few weeks, although a batch of these are Xbox Game Pass Standard additions that are already part of the main library.
News Seven Games Will Leave Xbox Game Pass In Early November 2024
Including some major titles
Microsoft has confirmed the first batch of titles leaving Xbox Game Pass in November 2024, and sadly, this list contains some major titles that are exiting the service in the middle of the month - including two Like a Dragon games. Here's the full list of leavers for mid-November: Date Game Platform November 15
News State Of Decay Studio Head Provides Update On Team Size
"We're part of one of the largest content producing organizations"
Microsoft's State of Decay 3 developer Undead Labs this week lifted the lid on a new logo as it enters a "new era". As part of this, it's provided an update on the size of the company, which was originally founded back in 2009. As explained by the studio's head Philip Holt, when the...
News Xbox's Rod Fergusson Explains The Team's Original Plan For Gears 6
Before they shifted to E-Day
Xbox developer The Coalition took a pretty big turn earlier this year when it announced Gears of War E-Day rather than 'Gears 6', with the upcoming title serving as a prequel to the original Gears trilogy. However, at one stage, the studio did have plans for Gears 6 - plans that previous lead Rod Fergusson has now...
