Timeline
Sunday29th Mar 2026
Feature Five Things We Want To See From Xbox's New Leadership Team In 2026
In the midst of a massive year for the brand
What a year this is turning out to be already for Team Xbox! We thought it was going to busy with the 25th anniversary celebrations and the releases of Fable, Forza Horizon 6, Gears of War: E-Day and Halo: Campaign Evolved, but we never considered that Phil Spencer would retire and Asha Sharma
News Xbox's 2027 Game Pass Lineup Is Off To A Great Start Following March Partner Preview Event
Our first 2027 games announced!
This week's Xbox Partner Preview wasn't exactly light on Game Pass reveals; we got 14 new announcements as part of the March showcase. While most of these titles are set to drop this year, the event did give us our first glimpse at what to
Saturday28th Mar 2026
Feature 10 Discounted Games You Should Buy In The Xbox Spring 'Preview' Sale 2026
So many fantastic games on offer!
Xbox's big Spring Sale for 2026 has begun in preview form, with more than 600 games now available at discounted prices for Game Pass members. The sale will open up to all Xbox players shortly (likely with even more games added), but it's safe to say that we've been having a good browse already to see what's what...
Guide Xbox Game Pass: All Games Coming Soon In April 2026
All the confirmed reveals so far
Looking for a complete list of games coming to Xbox Game Pass in April 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...
Feature These 20+ Games Are Coming To Xbox Next Week (March 30-April 3)
Including five more Game Pass titles!
Welcome to your Xbox games roundup for March 30 - April 3! We haven't got any major AAA releases lined up for the next few days, but there are still plenty of interesting indies to look out for, while Xbox Game Pass is treating us to five additions highlighted by Resident Evil 7 and Super Meat Boy 3D on March...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (March 28-29)
Is it time for some Yakuza?
Welcome to the final weekend in March! This week, the clocks change here in the UK, which means an extra hour of much-needed sunlight - at the expense of an hour's sleep of course. When we're not adjusting our body clocks for British Summer Time, here's what we're playing over the next few days: Ben Kerry, Staff Writer:...
Friday27th Mar 2026
Talking Point Xbox GPU Members, What Do You Think Of 'Ubisoft+ Classics' So Far?
The program was added to Ultimate almost six months ago
It's been almost six months now since Xbox announced that, as part of a massive overhaul to Xbox Game Pass, a service called "Ubisoft+ Classics" would be integrated into the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass tiers. In the process, around 40 games from Ubisoft's back catalogue were added...
News Hello Neighbor Receives Unlikely Free Upgrade For Xbox Series X|S
Nine years since its original launch
Of all the games we expected to get the free upgrade treatment for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, 2017's Hello Neighbor was not one of them! Nevertheless, this new "Next-Gen Update" sounds like a pretty meaty overhaul. As detailed on social media, Hello Neighbor is now said to run at 60FPS, complete with "4K &...
News Microsoft Issues Statement On Why 'This Is An Xbox' Campaign Has Been Retired
MS spokesperson confirms it's been nixed by the new Xbox boss
It's official, folks! Following a report earlier this week that suggested new Xbox boss Asha Sharma had directed the scrubbing of the "This is an Xbox" marketing campaign, it's now been confirmed by a Microsoft spokesperson. We don't know who the spokesperson is, but they responded to...
News New Marvel & Mega Man Collections Are Out Now On Xbox, And The Reviews Are Decent
Here's a closer look at each of them
We've got a couple of big releases on the Xbox Store today for fans of retro games! Both the Marvel MaXimum Collection and Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection have just released, and they're getting decent reviews so far. Let's start with the Marvel MaXimum Collection, which doesn't yet have enough reviews
News Sony Announces Major PS5 Price Hikes, Here's How They Compare To Xbox Series X|S
Series S looking like a bit of a bargain!
Sony has today announced what our good friends at Push Square are calling "gigantic" PS5 price increases, including a $200 price bump on the company's flagship PS5 Pro console. Of course, Microsoft has done similar things in recent months and years - heck, we even compared just how much Xbox Series X and S...
News Life Is Strange: Reunion's Review Situation Is Weird, But It Seems Great On Xbox Series X|S
The first impressions from players are very positive
Yesterday marked the release day for Square Enix's Life is Strange: Reunion, but there wasn't a whole lot of fanfare around it - mainly because the reviews were so few and far between. We don't exactly know what's happened here, but the Metro reported that their review copy only arrived on the...
News Xbox Fan Claims To Have Spotted New Game Pass Codename Featuring Older First-Party Titles
An interesting development...
There's been a lot of talk about Xbox Game Pass recently and whether Microsoft might be trying to implement a cheaper version of the program for subscribers (thanks to a report that was widely shared earlier this week), and so it's pretty interesting that one Xbox fan claims to have spotted a new Game Pass codename...
News GOTY Frontrunner Resident Evil Requiem Gets Fresh Photo Mode In New Xbox Update
List of bug fixes also included
Capcom has detailed its latest patch for Resident Evil Requiem — which is out now on Xbox and other platforms — and this latest title update contains the first major feature to be added to the game post-launch: photo mode. Yep, a new in-game photo mode headlines the new Resident Evil Requiem update, and we have a...
Thursday26th Mar 2026
News 'Xbox Presents' Is A New Type Of Showcase Debuting This May For Stranger Than Heaven
A first-of-its-kind standalone broadcast
One of the big reveals at today's Xbox Partner Preview showcase was that of Stranger Than Heaven, which has already been announced by SEGA before, but today got revealed for Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Play Anywhere. No release date though! That's seemingly because there's a lot more to be revealed yet — Xbox...
News Two Of 2025's Best Games Are Finally Getting Xbox Versions Soon
Dispatch and Hades 2 - the latter on Xbox Game Pass!
Today's Xbox Partner Preview showcase was absolutely filled with great games, and two of 2025's very best games were finally announced to be getting Xbox versions as part of it - those being Dispatch and Hades 2. If you look at Metacritic, Hades 2 was actually t
News Xbox Announces 14 Titles Coming To Game Pass At March's Partner Preview Showcase
A ridiculous amount of new XGP reveals!
Xbox's March Partner Preview showcase is now over, and it was absolutely stacked with Game Pass reveals. Of the 19 games that were showcased during the event, 14 of them are coming to Xbox Game Pass day one - including some massive titles like Hades 2,
News Serious Sam Returns To Xbox With 'Shatterverse', And Its Developer Might Surprise You
A different direction for Sam
As part of the Xbox Partner Preview showcase today, Devolver Digital has announced Serious Sam: Shatterverse, and it's a bit of a different direction for the series both in theme and in terms of the folks developing it. Shatterverse is "a multiversal multiplayer FPS based on the adventures of boomer shooter legend Sam...
Roundup All 19 Reveals From The Xbox Partner Preview Showcase (March 2026)
Everything we saw at today's event
Today marked the first Xbox Partner Preview showcase of 2026, with the event focusing on third-party reveals that are coming to Xbox (and Game Pass in many cases) at some point in the near future. The show was 30 minutes long, with some of the highlights including Hades 2, Dispatch, Stranger Than Heaven, Stalker...
Poll How Would You Grade March's Xbox Partner Preview Event?
Did you enjoy the show?
The dust is now beginning to settle on the Xbox Partner Preview event for March 2026! If you haven't had a chance to watch it yet, you can catch the full thing over at our live coverage page, and we've also provided a separate recap of everything that happened as part of the show. So, all things considered, what grade...
News Terminator, RoboCop Dev Is Making A New 'Hunter: The Reckoning' Game For Xbox
Say hello to Hunter: The Reckoning - Deathwish
Remember Hunter: The Reckoning for OG Xbox? Well, the vampiric series is back with another sequel - this time being developed by the folks behind Terminator: Resistance and Robocop: Rogue City, Teyon. Yep, this was a super-unexpected reveal from the Xbox Partner Preview today, but Hunter: The Reckoning...
Live Watch The March 2026 Xbox Partner Preview Showcase Here
30 minutes of third-party Xbox reveals
Welcome to the Xbox Partner Preview event for March 2026! This is the first version of this specific showcase we've seen in 2026, and as the name suggests, it's focused around third-party games. It's set to last around 30 minutes in all, and here's a bit of what you can expect to see in the show: "During...
News Free Play Days: Try These Xbox Games For Free (March 26-29)
Live now through Sunday evening!
The latest edition of Xbox Free Play Days has officially begun, and Microsoft has two games for us as part of the program this weekend - including Train Sim World 6: Thomas & Friends Edition (sorry, it's not the recently-released Thomas & Friends: Wonders of Sodor that's included here). Anyway, here's the full Free...
News It Was Asha Sharma's 'Direction' To Scrub 'This Is An Xbox' Marketing, Suggests Report
Update: Microsoft confirms it's been retired
A couple of weeks ago, we mentioned how Microsoft's "This is an Xbox" advertisement on the official Xbox Wire website had been mysteriously removed, and that ad is still giving off a "404 Not Found" message at the time of writing. This naturally led many people to conclude that the "This is an Xbox"...
News Two Games Are Available Today With Xbox Game Pass (March 26)
Including a surprise addition!
Welcome to your latest Xbox Game Pass update! Yes, we did round up all of what were this week's XGP additions a few days ago - but we've had a surprise inclusion today, so we're going to re-remind you folks of what's coming to the library specifically on Thursday, March 26th. Without further ado, here are your two new...
News Xbox Spring Sale 2026 'Preview' Now Live, 600+ Games Discounted
Game Pass members get the deals one week early!
It's time to kick-off the Xbox Spring Sale 2026! This year's promotion has begun with one week of exclusivity for Game Pass members, before the sale is blown open to all Xbox players in the near future - seemingly on April 1st or 2nd. We have over 600 games discounted here, including some of the...
Wednesday25th Mar 2026
PSA Battlefield Hardline's Campaign Is Well Worth Picking Up Before It Gets Delisted On Xbox
Visceral Games' final chapter
Battlefield hardly has a reputation for particularly interesting single-player campaigns; the Bad Company games — along with the War Stories from Battlefield 1 and Battlefield 5 — are probably the best this series' has to offer. However, the folks behind the Dead Space series created the story campaign for the...
News Xbox Uses March 2026 Update To Highlight New M&K, Play Anywhere & Streamable Games
Plus a handful of "Handheld Optimised" titles
Every month, we like to bring you a roundup of the Xbox "Update" that Microsoft reveals over on the official Xbox Wire website, but there's actually not much new content in the March 2026 update that we haven't covered already. For example, the update talks about the new Xbox dashboard features that...
News Forza Horizon 6 PC Specs Revealed, Ray Tracing & ROG Xbox Ally Compatibility Confirmed
Here are all the details
Ahead of launch on Xbox Game Pass this May, Playground Games has detailed the key PC specs required for Forza Horizon 6, including confirmation of ray tracing features and ROG Xbox Ally compatibility for its new open-world racer. The team has provided detailed PC specs for Minimu
News 'Please Don't Expect Console Ports' - Retro Rewind FAQ Addresses Xbox & PS5 Demand
Might have to wait for Project Helix
Have you heard of this game called Retro Rewind - Video Store Simulator yet? It only came out for PC on March 17th, and it's already climbed up to eighth in the "Top Sellers" GB chart on Steam as things stand. It stands to reason that people want to know if it's coming to Xbox (and PS5), then, and unfortunately...
Guide Xbox Partner Preview Showcase March 2026: Date, Start Times & What To Expect
Our first partner preview of the year!
As confirmed a few days ago, Microsoft will host its latest Xbox Partner Preview showcase this week, featuring a bunch of third-party titles from the likes of SEGA, GSC Game World, Owlcat Games and others. Alongside the announcement of this year's first Xbox Partner Preview, the team also confirmed some of the...
News Microsoft Beats Out Sony & Nintendo In Metacritic's 2026 Game Publisher Rankings
A spot in the top five!
Metacritic has today revealed its list of top game publishers for 2026 (based on their 2025 output), and this year, Microsoft has made the top five - beating out the likes of Sony and Nintendo in terms of average Metascores. Based on its 2025 releases, Microsoft managed a Metacritic average rating of 80 - with Forza Horizon...
News Ubisoft Issues Fix For Major Assassin's Creed Unity Bug On Xbox Series X|S
"To our Xbox Series X|S players..."
Almost three weeks since Assassin's Creed Unity got its free current-gen upgrade after more than a decade following its 2014 launch, Ubisoft has issued a patch for the strange lighting bug that cropped up on Xbox Series X|S consoles. Shortly after the release of this 60F
Tuesday24th Mar 2026
Report Halo Studios Is Working With MCC Co-Developer On Halo: Campaign Evolved
All hands on deck
We know that Xbox and Halo Studios are gunning for a 2026 anniversary release with Halo: Campaign Evolved (despite no official launch date yet) - and as is the norm with modern AAA development, it looks like the Microsoft first-party team has brought a familiar co-developer on board to try and make that happen. Coming by way of...
News Xbox Exec Talks Project Helix And Why It'll Be 'Easier' Than Series X|S To Develop For
The idea is to make one Xbox build work across multiple devices
There's still a lot we don't know about Xbox's next-gen Project Helix console, but we do know that it'll support both console and PC games, and that in theory should make it an easier console to develop for than the Series X and S. Xbox Portfolio GM Chris Charla (who's best-known for...
News New Xbox Boss Has Considered 'Pricing Revamp' For Game Pass, Claims Report
Involving lower-priced tiers and maybe even a partnership with Netflix
It's been a busy old month since Asha Sharma took the reigns as Xbox boss over at Microsoft HQ, and according to a new report from The Information, she's already considering how she can lower costs for Xbox Game Pass. The repo
News Epic Games Lays Off 1,000 Staff, Announces Closure Of Fortnite Rocket Racing
A massive shakeup for the Fortnite owner
Epic Games has announced the shocking news that over 1,000 employees are being laid off from today, attributing "the downturn in Fortnite engagement that started in 2025" as the driving force being this massive company-wide shakeup. CEO Tim Sweeney took to the Epic Games blog to make a statement on the move,...
News Albion Online Is Finally Making Its Xbox Console Debut In April 2026
The popular MMORPG is on its way to Xbox Series X and S!
It was all the way back in 2017 that Albion Online first arrived on PC, and the free-to-play MMORPG is still going strong here in 2026. Better yet, the team has just announced that it's finally making its Xbox console debut this year! You can see this in the following roadmap for Spring 2026,...
They've just introduced a Widescreen Fix update for the PC version
With Xbox subtly revealing that backwards compatibility is going to make some kind of revival later this year (not necessarily new console additions, but we're hoping so!), there's been a lot of talk about which titles could still realistically get re-licensed from the original Xbox...
News Xbox Console Updates Continue As New 'Cloud Save Sync' Indicator Rolls Out To Insiders
A small but very useful addition
We've talked this month about how pleasantly surprised we've been with the new features that have arrived specifically for Xbox consoles, and we've got another one rolling out today to Alpha and Alpha Skip-Ahead Xbox Insiders! This is a "cloud save sync" indicator that's going to be visible when viewing the Game...
News Microsoft Adds Three New Dynamic Backgrounds For Xbox Series X|S (March 2026)
Including two first-party additions!
Microsoft has added three new dynamic backgrounds to its Xbox Series X|S collection here in March 2026 - two first-party efforts from the Xbox team, alongside a brand-new drop to coincide with the release of epic RPG Crimson Desert. The first of which you can take a look at up above; the Crimson Desert effort...
Monday23rd Mar 2026
Talking Point Do You Think Project Helix Will Support Physical Xbox Games?
Or is MS going all-digital?
With lots of talk about Project Helix coming out of GDC 2026, we know a little bit more about Microsoft's next-gen vision - including high-level details on the hardware, how developers will be able to make use of it, and the fact that
News EA Announces Server Shutdown & Delisting Plans For Battlefield Hardline On Xbox
"You will no longer be able to purchase it"
We've got a big delisting and server shutdown announcement to bring your way today, as EA has announced that the 2015 shooter Battlefield Hardline will be delisted in May and go offline in June. This is specifically for the Xbox One and PS4 versions of Battlefield Hardline, as the Xbox 360 and PS3...
News Here's What ICARUS: Console Edition Looks Like On Xbox Series X|S
How the new Xbox versions stack up
Amidst the 40+ games releasing on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S this week, we've got a survival PvE multiplayer game from the creator of DayZ known as ICARUS: Console Edition, which officially releases on March 26th. This game has been on PC for years now, where it holds a "Mostly Positive" score on Steam based...
News Three Games Are Available This Week With Xbox Game Pass (March 24-26)
Including some day one goodness!
Welcome to your latest Xbox Game Pass roundup! We have a few games spread over the course of the coming week here, including indie hit Absolum which makes its Xbox debut in just a few days' time. Here's a quick breakdown on what's coming to Xbox Game Pass this week (March 24-26): Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth -...
News Xbox Partner Preview Event Announced For March 2026
SEGA, GSC Game World & more will feature!
Microsoft has today announced an Xbox Partner Preview event for March 2026! The third-party focused showcase takes place later this week, and will feature the likes of SEGA, GSC Game World, Owlcat Games and more. Here's what Xbox has to say about its Partner Preview event ahead of time: "During Xbox...
News Xbox's Call Of Duty Team Drops Hint About 2026 Title As Modern Warfare Gets Huge Steam Sale
MW4 is coming...
Earlier this month, we got our first hint at what to expect from Call of Duty 2026 as branded soda cans began showing up at certain retailers, but over the last few days, some official happenings in the world of COD have provided real teases about this year's title. It's very much looking like Modern Warfare is back for 2026. This...
News Screamer Is Out On Xbox This Week, And Here's What The Reviews Are Saying About It
"Join the competition and race side by side with fearless drivers"
One of the games we mentioned in our latest "Next Week" roundup here at Pure Xbox on Saturday was Screamer, which is an arcade racing title that's launching across multiple platforms (including Xbox Series X and S) on March 26th. We've been keeping a keen eye on this one for a...
News Crimson Desert Patch 1.03 Is Making Major Improvements On Xbox & PC
Live now on PC, Xbox update to come
Developer Pearl Abyss has today detailed patch 1.03 for its open-world RPG Crimson Desert, and it brings some major improvements to the game across all platforms, including on Xbox Series X|S and PC. The update is now live on PS5 and most PC storefronts, with Xbox consoles getting version 1.03 "at a later time"...
Sunday22nd Mar 2026
News Two Xbox Executives Announce Their Departures From Microsoft
Both had worked at the company for around a decade
We've got a couple more departures to share from Team Xbox, as it's been announced this week that Lori Wright and Haiyan Zhang will be leaving Microsoft soon, with both having spent around a decade each at the company. Lori Wright was the Corporate Vice President of Partnerships, Business...
