Timeline
Tuesday23rd Dec 2025
Opinion This Xbox Game Studios Gem Is My Game Of The Year For 2025
Midnight delight
There are some fantastic candidates for Xbox GOTY this year, as is typically the case by the time the end of December draws near. Clair Obscur is bringing in the plaudits en masse, Split Fiction is up there with the best that 2025 has to offer, and DOOM: The Dark Ages is a devilishly awesome effort from Bethesda as well. But, having...
Feature Xbox Game Pass Is Looking Great For 2026, But Only Six Games Have Release Dates So Far
A quick look at what's to come
With Xbox Game Pass getting a big overhaul a few months ago, all eyes are on Microsoft to deliver a big lineup in 2026 - particularly for Ultimate subscribers who are now paying $30 a month for the privilege of being subscribed. When it comes to Xbox first-party, we have some massive games planned for next year...
Rumour Xbox 'Nearly Done' With First Version Of Call Of Duty For Nintendo Switch
Set to arrive in 2026
Back in November, we mentioned that Sledgehammer Games was looking for a developer with Nintendo Switch experience, suggesting the Call of Duty franchise could be making its way to Switch in the near future, and now it's being reported that Xbox is "nearly done" bringing its first COD experience to the platform. This is...
News Taxi Chaos 2 Has Surprise Launched On Xbox Today, Inspired By SEGA's Crazy Taxi Series
Shadow drop alert
One of the games that didn't get mentioned in our "Games Coming To Xbox Next Week" roundup over the weekend was Taxi Chaos 2, and yet it's suddenly arrived on the Xbox Store today as a shadow drop! This is obviously a sequel to the original Taxi Chaos from 2021, which at the time felt like a straight clone of SEGA's Crazy Taxi...
News These Are The Top-Selling Games In The Xbox Countdown Sale 2025
The hottest deals right now
We're fast approaching a week since the massive Xbox Countdown Sale began on the Xbox Store, and just before Christmas rolls around, we thought we'd have a look at the top-selling games in that sale as things stand. When we used to do these roundups, we'd typically highlight either the UK or US versions of the "Top Paid"...
Monday22nd Dec 2025
News Legendary Game Designer Vince Zampella Has Suddenly Died, Aged 55
The Call of Duty, Titanfall creator has died in a car accident
We have some very sad news to report on this evening, as it's emerged that legendary game designer Vince Zampella — the figurehead behind some of the most influential first-person shooters of the last two decades — has suddenly died in a car accident aged 55. As reported on by NBC,...
News PBA Pro Bowling 2026 Reviews Suggest It's One Of The Best Bowling Games Ever On Xbox
Who do you think you are? I am!
The latest edition in the PBA Pro Bowling series (PBA Pro Bowling 2026) quietly released on Xbox last week, and it just so happens that it's been getting excellent reviews - "Very Positive" on Steam based on almost 100 reviews (97% of which are positive) and a 4.6/5 rating on the Xbox Store based on 37 reviews (78% of...
Talking Point Which Xbox Games Deserved More Love This Year?
Anything you wanna shout about?
With The Game Awards now wrapped up and lots of this year's releases getting their fair share of attention at the show (and elsewhere), we want to take a little time to discuss the Xbox games that deserved a bit more love throughout 2025. As is the case pretty much every year, many games tend to fall by the wayside...
News Here Are The Top 10 Xbox Games Of 2025 According To Metacritic
So many GOTY candidates!
We're getting closer and closer to the Pure Xbox Game of the Year 2025 roundup (you'll see it on Christmas Day!), but before we get there, we thought we'd highlight the highest-rated Xbox games of 2025 according to Metacritic. We're not surprised to see that the list is stacked this year, with six games reaching an average...
Talking Point What Games Are You Playing Over Christmas Break?
What's in your plans over Xmas and New Year?
The festive season is truly upon us now as we officially enter Christmas week, which has us thinking and planning and batting off family conversations as we hunker down; trying to tackle our gaming backlogs while we have the chance. And this year, we seem to have a near-endless stack of games to play...
News Microsoft Says It's 'Incorrect' That Xbox Division Is Now Targeting 30% Profit Margins
But the goals are still ambitious
Over the past couple of months, you may have come across this idea that Microsoft has placed a target of 30% profit margins on the Xbox division — and this stems from a report that first mentioned it back in October. At the time, Bloomberg noted how these profit margins were "well above the industry average" of...
News As Forza Motorsport Winds Down, Gran Turismo Is Experiencing A 'Phenomenon' At PlayStation
Similar games, different outcomes
Much has been said about how Forza Motorsport is essentially winding down after two years on the market, with the team recently confirming that no major new content would be added to the game in 2026. That obviously comes as a shame for those who enjoy a more simulation-focused experience than what Forza Horizon...
News New Xbox 'Investigation' Highlights The Dangers Of Banned (And Hacked) Accounts
Do everything you can to keep it safe
We've spoken before how about crucial it is to keep your Xbox account safe, and a new "investigation" highlights how much a problem you could face if your account gets blocked — and specifically if it gets banned. Windows Central editor Jez Corden says he's been "investigating" reports of banned Xbox accounts...
News Battlefield 6 Players Think They've Spotted Evidence Of AI-Generated Cosmetics
"Two barrels on the M4A1, sure."
We're guaranteed to see more and more examples of AI-generated content in games over the coming years, and Battlefield 6 players think they've spotted an example in the form of a "Player Card Sticker" as part of its cosmetics. A couple of days ago, someone took to the Battlefield subreddit to angrily point out how...
Sunday21st Dec 2025
News Xbox's Phil Spencer Shares Lengthy Video Message After Winning 'Industry Icon' Award
"I'm honoured to accept this Industry Icon award"
An event called the Grand Game Awards took place on Friday, celebrating "the best achievements in the gaming industry across the [Middle East and North Africa] region and beyond", and Xbox boss Phil Spencer was recognised as being an "Industry Icon" as part of it. Phil appeared in a video message to...
Saturday20th Dec 2025
Talking Point Will Any Of Xbox's 2026 Releases Become GOTY Contenders Next Year?
We have a huge 12 months ahead!
With The Game Awards 2025 now firmly in our rear-view mirrors and Xbox missing out on a GOTY nomination once again, we've started thinking about next year's event and whether anything that comes out of Microsoft HQ will earn a nomination in 2026. To be clear, we are talking about the Geoff Keighley December bonanza...
News 50+ Games Are Reduced By 90-95% In This Year's Xbox Countdown Sale
HUGE discounts for great games!
Looking for some cheap Xbox games during the Xbox Countdown Sale 2025? We've got an absolutely massive list of 50+ games that are reduced by 90-95% in this winter sale, including so many classics such as Dragon Age: Inquisition, Mass Effect Legendary Edition, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and ot
Feature These Games Are Coming To Xbox Next Week (December 22-26)
Just a handful of releases for Christmas week
Welcome to your Xbox games roundup for December 22-26! This is obviously Christmas week, so releases are few and far between, but we've still got a handful of new games on the way over the next few days. Here's what's coming to Xbox next week: New Xbox Releases (December 22-26): Injection π23...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (December 20-21)
Something from the Xbox Countdown Sale 2025?
Welcome to the last weekend before Christmas! Yep, we've got plenty of games that may or may not already be wrapped under that big living room tree right now, but that's not stopping us from adding to our digital backlogs via various ongoing sales as well. Of course it's not! Here's what we're playing...
Friday19th Dec 2025
Poll How Are You Getting On With Mortal Kombat 1 On Xbox Game Pass?
Enjoying it?
The final major release of Xbox Game Pass this year was Mortal Kombat 1, which coincided with the removal of Mortal Kombat 11 from the service - a game that felt like it'd been there forever. Mortal Kombat 1 has arguably had more of a turbulent history though, with fans notably expressing their disappointment when the "Definitive...
"I feel incredibly empowered for where we sit."
Blizzard president Johanna Faries has been speaking in a wide-ranging interview with Bloomberg today, discussing how the company has changed since she became president in 2024, as well as where it's heading in the future. The most notable bit from an Xbox perspective comes at the end of the chat, when...
News Halo's Master Chief Rides Onto The Field As 2025 Xbox Bowl Winner Is Crowned
Delivering the trophy in a Warthog
We've talked quite a bit about the Xbox Bowl here at Pure Xbox over the past couple of weeks, and last night marked the actual event itself. Spoiler alert, Arkansas State beat Missouri State 34-28 to win the trophy. That trophy was delivered onto the field in Texas by none other than Halo's Master Chief, who rode...
News 10 More Games Set To Be Delisted On Xbox In December 2025
Update: Three additional indie titles added to the mix
As the final month of 2025 draws closer, it's time to take a quick look at what's being removed from the Xbox Store before the year is out, with six games currently set to be delisted in December 2025. Four of these are from publisher Outright Games, although only the Steam versions are...
News Digital Foundry Delivers Its Verdict On The Final Fantasy 7 Remake Demo For Xbox
Series X|S compared to PS5 & Switch 2
Earlier this week, Square Enix dropped a Final Fantasy 7 Remake demo on Xbox Series X|S, and early comparison videos gave us an idea of how the game is shaping up on both Xbox consoles. Now though, the folks over at Digital Foundry have given us a deep
Talking Point How Much Time Have You Spent Gaming On Xbox Consoles This Year?
Compared to other platforms?
These days, there's so much choice in terms of where to play your games, even when it comes to Xbox. The brand used to be heavily console-focused, but now it also incorporates PC, handhelds, cloud gaming and various other things. We've heard about how Xbox Cloud Gaming has grown substantially in 2025, how PC Game Pass...
News Dave The Diver Dev Showcases 'In The Jungle' DLC As Base Game Gets Huge Discount On Xbox
Welcome to the Jungle
Indie hit Dave the Diver may have only just launched on Xbox, but developer MINTROCKET is well into developing its 'In the Jungle' DLC at this point - and a new deep dive has given us our closest look at the expansion yet. As usual, we've thrown this extended look at Dave the Diver: In the Jungle up above; where the team...
News Obsidian To Work On Two DLCs & 'Continual Improvements' To The Outer Worlds 2 In 2026
A message from the team ahead of next year
As we look towards the new year, the team over at Obsidian Entertainment has shared some words with Xbox Wire, highlighting plans to "continually improve" its sci-fi RPG The Outer Worlds 2 in 2026. As part of a general end of year message from Microsoft's studios, Obsidian's Brandon Adler t
News Rhythm Doctor Has Outstanding Reviews, And It's Just Launched As An Xbox Console Exclusive
"Overwhelmingly Positive" reviews on Steam
One of the games that really caught our eye at today's Xbox Tokyo Game Show 2025 showcase was Rhythm Doctor, which is a mad music game that's set to be an Xbox console exclusive when it releases on December 6th, 2025. This one's already available in early access on Steam where it has an "Overwhelmingly...
News Gears Of War: E-Day Is The Coalition's 'Most Ambitious Game Yet'
"Entirely built from scratch in Unreal Engine 5"
As part of Xbox's end of year message for 2025, developer The Coalition told Xbox Wire that Gears of War: E-Day is the team's "most ambitious game yet" - as it strives to build an experience that "feels like Gears and plays like new". Touching on what its 'most looking forward to
News Nex Playground CEO Talks Comparisons To Xbox & PS5, And Why Their Console Is So Affordable
"We are not going to compete with high-end graphics"
Earlier this month, we mentioned how Xbox had lost Black Friday in terms of hardware sales to a console we'd never heard of (in the US), and that console was known as the Nex Playground. This is a family-focused console that retails for just $249 USD, and works a lot like the Xbox Kinect.
News Ark 2 Isn't Coming To Xbox & Game Pass Until 2028, Eight Years After It Was First Revealed
"That's our intention..."
Earlier this year, we got an update from Ark developer Studio Wildcard admitting that Ark 2 could be years away despite being revealed all the way back in 2020, and now the team says it's "our intention" to release Ark 2 in 2028 - eight years after that
Thursday18th Dec 2025
News 'Xbox Wrapped' Ditched For 2025 Due To Ambitious 2026 Plans, Suggests Report
Update: "Some of that budget was moved through to next year"
We're getting to that time of the year where people want to look back on their Xbox habits from the past 12 months and see how many games they've played, how many achievements they've unlocked, how many Microsoft Rewards points they've earned and a whole bunch of other statistics from...
News These 30+ Games Are At Their 'Lowest Price Ever' In The Xbox Countdown Sale 2025
Some big games at their lowest-ever prices
It's always difficult to know where to start with something like the Xbox Countdown Sale 2025 - a sale that features over 2,000 games (!) in all, and somehow you've got to whittle it down to just a few games you might want to buy. That's why we always like to do these "lowest price ever" articles with any...
News Xbox Celebrates 'Incredible' 2025 And Thanks The Fans In End Of Year Message
"One of the most game-packed, award-winning years"
It sounds like Xbox is ready for the holiday break, as the team has shared a closing message for 2025 over on the official Xbox Wire website today. The end of year message mentions how it's been an "incredible 2025" and "one of the most game-packed, award-winning years" in Xbox history, while also...
News Perfect Dark Lead Actor Had 'Entire Chapters' Finished Before Xbox Cancellation
"I'd done entire chapters of this universe"
The whole Perfect Dark saga has been a pretty sad thing to follow since Xbox pulled funding and cancelled the game earlier this year - and now lead actor Alix Wilton Regan has given us some fresh insight into how far along the project actually was over at developers The Initiative and Crystal Dynamics...
News Splitgate: Arena Reloaded Is Getting Amazing Feedback Following Its (Free) Relaunch On Xbox
"Outstanding work to the 1047 team, SG2 is IT!"
Earlier this year, Splitgate 2 unfortunately released to quite a mixed reception, and the team ultimately decided to take the game back into a "beta" state and try again with Splitgate: Arena Reloaded in December. This version of the game is described as combining "the best of Splitgate 1 & 2,...
Feature Xbox Game Studios: All Microsoft First-Party Developers & What They're Working On
Including Bethesda & Activision Blizzard
At this stage, Microsoft has lots of in-house development studios making Xbox games, including all those teams across Xbox Game Studios, Bethesda and Activision Blizzard. So, as we look ahead to another year of Xbox, we thought we'd gather up every Microsoft first-party developer and what they're working on...
News One Xbox First-Party Game Makes Newzoo's Top-10 'Releases By Revenue' For 2025
Only on PC, though
Data firm Newzoo has shared some detailed facts and figures about the gaming industry throughout 2025 in its new 'year in review', and the company's top-10 revenue lists have some interesting entries on there - including one Xbox first-party effort that Microsoft will no-doubt be pleased about. Before we dive into this, Newzoo's...
Deals All 90+ Backwards Compatible Games In The Xbox Countdown Sale 2025
Another massive list of original Xbox and Xbox 360 titles
The final major Xbox sale of 2025 has begun today in the form of the Xbox Countdown Sale 2025, and as always that means we've got loads of discounts for original Xbox and Xbox 360 backwards compatible titles in the mix. A lot of the stuff here has been seen in previous backwards compatible...
News The Walking Dead Story DLC Coming To Xbox Game Pass Shooter World War Z Next Month
"A new campaign episode featuring three thrilling stories"
Now this is a crossover we can get behind, folks. The teams at Saber Interactive and AMC have announced that The Walking Dead is coming to World War Z next month; in the form of a brand-new story campaign set in the iconic TWD universe. World War Z x The Walking Dead contains "a new...
Rumour Starfield Set For Eventful Year In 2026, Including Multiple New Releases
Sources divided on whether it'll be a "Cyberpunk 2.0" moment
It's been pretty quiet for Bethesda's Starfield in 2025, but it sounds like 2026 will be a different story for the epic Bethesda RPG, with multiple new releases in the works along with new content that could make a significant impact. The folks over at Windows Central are reporting that,...
News Xbox's Blizzard Team Is Preparing For Its 'Biggest Year Yet' In 2026
What could we see?
We already know that Xbox Game Studios has a pretty big year planned in 2026 with the likes of Fable, Forza Horizon 6, Gears of War: E-Day and Halo: Campaign Evolved set to land next year, and now the folks over at Blizzard Entertainment sound like they're getting in on the Xbox anniversary party as well. Speaking with
News Free Play Days: Try These Xbox Games For Free (December 18-21)
More free trials for Xbox players
Welcome to your latest Xbox Free Play Days lineup! Microsoft has today revealed the full list of games available with the program for the coming weekend - including some Call of Duty and Fallout trials which we've covered elsewhere this week at Pure Xbox: Here's the full FPD lineup this week: Ark: Survival...
News Xbox Countdown Sale 2025 Now Live, 2000+ Games Discounted
The final major Xbox sale of the year!
It's time for the Xbox Countdown Sale 2025! This is the last major Xbox sale of the year and it features well over 1,000 games in all, including a big bunch of great releases from the past 12 months. Down below, we've highlighted just some of the most notable deals in the Xbox Countdown Sale 2025. To find the...
Wednesday17th Dec 2025
Feature 15 First-Party Games Released On Xbox In 2025, But Which Was Your Favourite?
There's a lot to choose from!
When the voting began for the Pure Xbox Game of the Year 2025 a few days ago, we mentioned how Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 would likely run away with it — and spoiler alert, it's probably going to win. Look beyond that game though, and a whole bunch of first-party titles are likely to finish in the top 10. While the...
News Dying Light: The Beast Adds Nightmare Difficulty & 'New Survival Mechanics' On Xbox Series X|S
Here are all the patch 1.5 details
Developer Techland has given us a bunch of information on its latest Dying Light: The Beast update today, as patch 1.5 goes live for players on Xbox Series X and S. The headlining feature here is the new Nightmare Mode, which adds "a new difficulty level for Dying Light: The Beast - designed for seasoned players...
News 40+ Games Were Added To Xbox Play Anywhere In November 2025
Silent Hill 2 the headline addition
As part of the Xbox December 2025 Update, Microsoft has highlighted more than 40 Xbox Play Anywhere titles added to the program last month, including major games such as Silent Hill 2, Football Manager 26, Dave the Diver and more! Many of the
News Here's What The Divinity: Original Sin 2 Upgrade Looks Like On Xbox Series X|S
Following its shadow drop earlier this week
Earlier this week, the folks at Larian Studios quietly dropped a free Xbox Series X and Series S upgrade for Divinity: Original Sin 2, but gave us no details whatsoever on what had been added to this new version. We're still somewhat in the dark about the upgrade as things stand, but new footage reveals...
News Black Ops 7 Was The Best-Selling Game In November, But Battlefield 6 Remains Top For 2025 (US)
Circana has all the details
We've heard a lot about how Battlefield 6 and Black Ops 7 have been performing in the sales department already, and now Circana has some fresh data on how both titan FPS titles have been getting on commercially in the US. First off, despite Black Ops 7 dropping off
News 2025 GOTY Contender 'Dispatch' Just Got Revealed For Switch, But What About Xbox?
Update: Switch has an official release date, no sign of Xbox
If you've been craving a new Telltale Games-style narrative adventure on Xbox, you've probably had Dispatch in your sights for a while - a new PC and PS5 title that's become a Game of the Year contender since its release in October. Today, it's surprisingly been revealed for Nintendo...
