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New Releases: Control Resonant, Silent Hill Townfall, Garfield, and More

Shawn Zipay — Fri, 25 Sep 2026 22:24:18 GMT

Big release week.

Only the biggest releases happened this week, carried by none other than that fat orange cat that hates Monday, Garfield.

In all seriousness, this was a pretty banger week for new game releases. Control Resonant and Silent Hill: Townfall were both released this week. Both are absolute bangers in their respective genres. Graveyard Keeper 2, EA Sports FC 27, SiN Reloaded, and Garfield - Escape from Monday also dropped this week.

I've been playing through a lot of Control Resonant this week for a review. My code came days after the review embargo was lifted, so I've been taking my time and really taking it all in instead of rushing to get a review out. After about 18 hours, I'm not finished yet, but I might finish this weekend so the review can go live next week.

Speaking of Control Resonant, the team at Remedy Entertainment shared that they will add the ability to do New Game++ (and +++ and so on). The ability to play New Game++ is coming this October. New Game+ is already built into the game by default. A photo mode is also coming, but isn't expected to arrive until some time in November.

How Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve uses first-person to tell a more personal story

PlayStationBot — Fri, 25 Sep 2026 19:30:29 GMT

The world of Strangereal, setting of the Ace Combat games, has developed a deep and storied history over the course of the series. But with Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve, developer Project Aces has changed its approach to storytelling to create a more intimate and emotional tale than it has in the past. That approach brings you a lot closer to the desperate attempts of the Federation of Central Usea’s battered navy to fight off the invading Sotoans, and the many characters fighting that war.

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The biggest change is that, in Ace Combat 8, you play a fighter pilot silent protagonist who is, nevertheless, a major character throughout the story. The game opens with a cutscene in which you’re found floating in a life raft after a battle by the Endurance, one of the FCU’s last remaining aircraft carriers.

After you’re aboard, you’re sent up as navigator for fighter pilot Jan “Rex” Cope, whose job isn’t to engage in battles, but to serve as a propaganda tool. He’s known as the Wings of Theve, a legendary fight pilot ace named for the FCU’s capital, but you quickly find out that Cope isn’t the incredible ace he’s portrayed to be on social media. Instead, his instructions are to run from every fight, but when the two of you are shot down, Cope is killed in action.

But the Wings of Theve is too important to the struggling FCU to go out that way, so you inherit Cope’s call sign and secretly replace him. As the new Wings of Theve, you have a central role in the war effort, and your skills help bolster the propaganda — for better or worse.

First-person cutscenes put you in the story

Previous Ace Combat games have told their stories through detailed cutscenes, but in Ace Combat 8, those cutscenes are mostly presented from a first-person perspective, putting you in a room or on the deck with other characters. The story unfolds as if you’re living it both in and out of the cockpit, rather than having it narrated to you, and haptic feedback in the DualSense controller helps make those moments feel realistic and intense, especially in the heat of battle.

While your character Rex, as in past games, is silent, you occasionally get the chance to answer yes-or-no questions by pressing left or right on the DualSense’s D-Pad, and to interact during cutscenes by looking around with the right analog stick or responding to prompts at key moments by hitting Triangle or Square.

Through those minor interactions, you can do a bit to shape Rex as a person, and the other members of Joker Flight, your squadron, will respond to how you choose to lead them with your decisions.

Becoming part of the squadron

Ace Combat 8 puts a big emphasis on all its characters, especially the members of Joker Flight. You spend almost the whole game with them, whether it’s hanging out during cutscenes between missions that expand on the plot, sitting through briefings where they’ll chime in with comments or information, or listening to them over the radio while you’re taking down enemy aircraft.

That focus on characters makes the story of the FCU’s battle to repel Sotoa feel immediate, personal, and harrowing. You’re not just running a series of disjointed missions, you know the stories of the pilots who are being asked to risk their lives to complete them, and you know what’s at stake if you fail.

You also get a lot of chances to make small decisions that give the sense that you’re influencing your squadron’s perception of you. In one early mission, you encounter an allied group of pilots who are also a famous rock band — and a member of your squadron, Coster, is a big fan. When he asks if he can briefly leave your formation to help them, the choice is up to you, but Coster appreciates it if you let him lend his guns and missiles to protect his heroes. Little moments like this help create a bond between you and the rest of Joker Flight.

Those extra character moments also get you invested in your squad’s well-being. You can issue orders to them with the D-Pad, sending them out to engage targets on their own, calling them back in formation to attack your target, or asking them to cover you. Since your squad feels like a group of able pilots who you know personally, it helps push you to put their skills to use and to rely on them during the story, as well as to help them out when they get into trouble in the skies.

A war effort full of individuals

The radio is a huge part of Ace Combat 8’s storytelling. Throughout missions, you’ll communicate with your commanders and your squadmates via radio as they give you key information and comment about what’s happening.

But the radio, and the sound design that accompanies it, also do a great job of selling what it feels like to take part in missions. When a mission to retake FCU territory turns into an ambush by Sotoan forces, you hear the struggle and fear of your ground forces as they all yell into their radios at once, reporting their situations or begging for help from the Wings of Theve.

The radio also gives you chances to do a little to shape your story. If troops on the ground call for your aid and you respond, they acknowledge it — and often, those same characters might show up on later missions. The legend of the Wings of Theve affects more than just the number of likes on social media, and while the story doesn’t change based on your decisions, those small character moments with the people who fight alongside you make it feel like your contributions to the war effort are important ones.

Through its approach to its Story Mode, Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve pulls you into the struggle of the FCU in a way that’s deeply personal and often intense and emotional. You can fly the skies of Strangereal yourself when Ace Combat 8 takes off on October 2 on PlayStation 5.

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Share of the Week – Marvel’s Wolverine

PlayStationBot — Fri, 25 Sep 2026 19:30:29 GMT

Last week, we asked you to share ferocious moments from Marvel’s Wolverine using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured. Here are this week’s highlights:

adambomb2mk shares Wolverine’s claws illuminated in the shadows

NickVPgamer shares a hairy and shirtless Wolverine

crisg_art shares Wolverine lunging past a fiery backdrop

RhodWulfLeon Wolverine taking on Omega Red

scionjay96 shares Jean ready to attack

lets_gaming.vp shares Wolverine crossing his claws to strike

Search #PSshare #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see more entries to this week’s theme, or be inspired by other great games featuring Photo Mode. Want to be featured in the next Share of the Week?

THEME: Marvel’s Wolverine – Logan
SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on September 30, 2026

Next week, share heroic portraits of Logan in Marvel’s Wolverine using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.

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Official PlayStation Podcast Episode 548: September Selects

PlayStationBot — Fri, 25 Sep 2026 19:30:29 GMT

Email us at PSPodcast@sony.com!

Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or download here

Hey, everybody! We’re back this week to talk through September’s big releases and other recent titles we’re still playing.

Stuff We Talked About

Next week’s release highlights:
- Minecraft Dungeons II | PS5
- Toem 2 | PS5
- Way of the Hunter 2 | PS5
- End of Abyss | PS5
- Dynasty Warriors 3 Complete Edition Remastered | PS5
- Ghost of Yōtei Complete Edition | PS5
- Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve | PS5
Silent Hill: Townfall hands-on — Discover how the new claustrophobic perspective makes even mundane actions like checking emails and opening doors a terrifying experience, along with more inventive ways the latest entry in the franchise elevates gameplay. Experience it now for yourself.
Lisa DualSense collab — Lisa fans can pre-order the new Lisa Limited Edition DualSense on October 2. Designed with the help of the lady herself, this new controller will be a fun way to glam up your collection. Head to PlayStation Blog for the full details.
Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve Hands-on — Ahead of its October 2 launch, learn how the game uses first-person to tell a more intimate story full of compelling characters, giving players a reason to come out on top in every dogfight.

The Cast

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Sid Shuman – Senior Director of Content Communications, SIE

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Kristen Zitani – Senior Content Communications Specialist, SIE

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Brett Elston – Manager, Content Communications, SIE

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O’Dell Harmon Jr. – Content Communications Specialist, SIE

Thanks to Dormilón for our rad theme song and show music.

[Editor’s note: PSN game release dates are subject to change without notice. Game details are gathered from press releases from their individual publishers and/or ESRB rating descriptions.]

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Five Ways to Build a Better Used-Car Business in Used Cars Simulator

XboxBot — Fri, 25 Sep 2026 18:01:32 GMT

Summary

Out Now on Xbox Series X|S.
Inspect, negotiate, repair, customize, resell.
Five tips for smarter deals, exploration, and bringing the chaos.

Buying a cheap car is easy. Figuring out whether it is actually a good deal takes a little more work.

In Used Cars Simulator, every vehicle can be an opportunity – or a collection of dents, missing parts, and unexpected expenses waiting to eat into your profit. Growing your business means learning which cars are worth your money, what needs fixing, and when it is better to walk away.

And that is only the business side. Outside the shed, there are quests to complete, places to explore, physics to experiment with, and a few considerably less respectable ways to acquire your next vehicle.

Whether you plan to become a careful car trader or embrace the unpredictable side of the sandbox, these five tips can help you get started.

1. Inspect First, Then Plan the Repair

The most important part of a profitable flip happens before the car belongs to you.

Take the time to check its condition, look for the damages and missing parts, and think about how much work it will take before the vehicle is ready to sell again. A low asking price does not automatically make something a bargain. The cheaper car may end up becoming the more expensive project once you start ordering parts and fixing everything you missed.

And do not forget to negotiate. Money saved before the car reaches your shed gives you more room for profit when it leaves.

Once you have made the deal, resist the temptation to immediately reach for the paint. Start with the problems that actually need attention. Fix dents, replace missing parts, and get the vehicle back into good shape before focusing on washing, repainting, and customization.

A freshly restored car can look dramatically different from the wreck you started with, but remember that you are still running a business. The goal is not necessarily to make every car perfect – it is to make smart improvements that help turn your purchase into a profitable sale.

2. Keep Your Money Moving

You begin with limited money and an old shed, so every early purchase matters.

A useful rhythm to keep in mind is simple: find a deal, buy the car, repair it, sell it, and reinvest the money.

It can be easy to become attached to a vehicle after replacing its parts, fixing every dent, and giving it a fresh coat of paint. But selling successful projects is what gives you the freedom to look for better cars and continue growing your business.

3. Leave the Shed Once in a While

Your business may revolve around cars, but there is plenty happening beyond the workshop.

Drive around the different locations, meet characters, complete quests, and explore the surrounding world. If you want a change of pace, you can even head into the desert with a metal detector and see what you uncover. Exploring gives you a reason to step away from the repair loop and discover other activities and opportunities along the way. If you have spent the last hour staring at dents and replacement parts, going out from the shed for a while might be exactly what you need.

4. Remember That Cars are Also Physics Toys

You can carefully restore your cars.

You can also jump them.

The physics-driven sandbox lets you drift around corners, hit jumps, experiment with vehicles, and chase scores on the leaderboards. There is only one small problem: the beautifully repaired car you just finished preparing for sale may not be the ideal choice for testing how far you can launch something from a ramp. If profit is your priority, it might be wise to keep your business inventory separate from your physics experiments. Your repair budget will probably appreciate it.

5. Decide How Much Chaos Your Business Can Handle

Negotiating with an owner is not the only way to get your hands on a car. Some methods are considerably less respectable.

Illegal activities and police interactions are part of Used Cars Simulator, which means a shortcut to your next vehicle can quickly become an attempt to escape the cops. You can build your business around careful inspections, good negotiations, and properly restored cars. Or you can discover what happens when one of the vehicles in your inventory still has an owner who would very much like it back.

But you also do not have to spend every minute maximizing your profit.

One session might be all about finding a damaged car, negotiating a good price, repairing it, cleaning it, and putting it up for sale. The next might involve exploring the abandoned city, searching the desert, completing quests, drifting for leaderboard scores, or finding out how quickly one questionable decision can attract police attention.

Whether your next project is a cheap used car, a wreck that needs serious work, or a vehicle whose previous owner would probably like it back, the fundamentals stay the same: inspect carefully, spend wisely, repair with a purpose, and know when it is time to sell. What happens between those steps is up to you.

Used Cars Simulator

PlayWay S.A.

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$19.99

$15.99

Pre-order

Welcome to the world of trading used (or stolen) cars!

Got little money and nothing to lose? We were waiting for you!

In Used Cars Simulator, you’ll fix up cars, put them up for sale, grow your business in an old shed, drive around an abandoned city, drink beer, and wander the desert with a metal detector.

And it all starts when you meet a beautiful woman in a red dress at your favorite bar… Are you in?

Find a good offer:
In Used Cars Simulator, you'll learn how to make money by trading cars.
First, find a good deal. Check the car’s condition, negotiate the price, and if everything looks good – just buy it.

Fix the car:
Fix the dents, order and install missing parts, wash the car, repaint it, and put it up for sale. If it wasn’t yours, you’d probably want to buy it yourself!

Be bad:
In Used Cars Simulator, there are many ways to get cars. Are they all legal? Sure – as long as the cops don’t catch you.

The post Five Ways to Build a Better Used-Car Business in Used Cars Simulator appeared first on XBOX Wire.

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How Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve Brings High Flying Drama to XBOX Series X|S

XboxBot — Fri, 25 Sep 2026 15:30:17 GMT

Few game franchises capture the fantasy of becoming an ace pilot quite like Ace Combat – with accessible arcade-like controls, beautiful looking fighter jets, and cinematic storytelling, it has long been a recipe for a good time for over 30 years. Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve returns us to that world of soaring spectacle starting October 2 for XBOX Series X|S with even deeper aircraft customization and more epic set pieces along with a squadron whose personalities bring added weight to every mission.

As you can tell by the trailer footage and screenshots, Ace Combat 8 is an incredible looking game. The work put into the new cloud layer tech really brings the sky to life, as well as the touches on the ground environments that show off some extraordinary attention to detail. Buildings and trees are easily identifiable, and the shape of the canyon terrain is impressive when flying through these large gameplay maps. Same goes for the interior and exterior of the carrier Endurance, your primary home base throughout the game, which shows its wear and tear with pride during the campaign as a floating island of refuge.

But it’s the aircraft, as always, who are the stars of the show – and they’re just as impressive as ever. This game is truly a visual marvel, one that shines a light on the beautiful mechanical design of fighter jets, from the swept-wing F-14 Tomcat to the brash-but-beautiful A-10 Warthog. And for good reason – they’re front-and-center throughout the campaign. Yes, there are alternate in-cockpit views available for each aircraft, but I kept the external camera as my primary so I could see these majestic machines in action during my missions.

There are over 30 aircraft featured in the game, and as you progress through the campaign you earn in-game credits to spend on unlocking additional planes and upgrades in the aircraft tree; completing additional objectives can net you more credits to spend. You can bet I was taking every opportunity to mop up some additional ground targets on each mission to help fill my wallet.

There are four main types of aircraft that you can acquire, and they each have a role to play on the missions: Fighters (combat), Multirole (versatile), Attacker (ground attack), and Electronic Warfare (buffer/support). You’re not wrong in thinking that sounds like a prime recipe for a good dungeon crawling party, as bringing a balanced, multi-role fighter group into the missions is one of the keys to success that I found.

Before each sortie, you’re given a lot of flexibility in not only the makeup of the fighter group you put together, but also in terms of upgrades you can apply to your craft like improved maneuverability, acceleration, and targeting improvements that make each mission feel that much more unique and opens up a lot of replayability potential. Want to take Prowler on a mission in a support role, or mop up ground targets in an A-10 while your wingmen cover you? That’s completely on the table.

Having now played through the first 10 campaign missions, I found them all incredibly fun and robust, giving you a mix of everything from escort missions, bombing runs, air-to-air combat, mixed in with some incredible set pieces like taking out a land battleship or protecting your fragile carrier fleet. Each mission has felt distinct and unique, with its own challenges to manage, and in-flight decision making that can help turn the tide of battle.

If you need help getting your bearings, Ace Combat 8 also offers a series of progressively challenging training missions to help you get used to the controls – personally, I’m pretty adept at these types of games, so I didn’t dabble too much into this feature, but I appreciate the work put in to make this game as accessible as possible to help newer pilots earn their wings.

That’s good because combat in Ace Combat 8 really tests your ability to understand some basic rules about dogfighting and air combat – it’s far more involved than simply pointing and shooting. Beyond the obvious (don’t hit the ground), being able to manage your aircraft’s speed and positioning to enemy aircraft is key to coming out on top, especially against some of the harder foes you face off with when it starts to feel like a chess match in the skies, trying to anticipate the enemy’s next move.

I also really liked the interactions with Joker Flight throughout my time with Ace Combat 8, who helped bring an emotional weight to the storyline that feeds into each mission. There’s the patient veteran Professor, the spunky civilian-turned-pilot Tasha, and the reclusive musician Noise who are with you nearly every step of the way. They’re more than just chatter over the radio, as they’re all very capable shots helping take out objectives and to clear bogeys off my six.

They’re also incredibly good at following orders. You can issue commands to them via the d-pad: Up is forward attack (attack my target), Left is dispersed attack (fire at will), Down is support (cover me), and Right is special weapons clearance (high damage). Not only does that help throughout the game’s missions, but it makes the crew much more tangible as the stakes is raised in the latter missions of the campaign. I found myself really coming to rely on them as the difficulty of the missions progressed, and it was great seeing them assist in taking out some of the larger, more complex objectives.

Between missions is when the characters take center stage. In previous entries, the story largely played out with a briefing map and cinematic cutscenes. Now the story is told from a first-person perspective using the in-game engine, as you hear directly from Joker Flight, tour the carrier deck, sit down in the mess hall, or enjoy some downtime watching a band play. If there was a single feature to highlight about what makes Ace Combat 8 different from previous entries, Joker Flight is that strong differentiating factor that makes you want to continue playing in order to find out what comes next – and who is going to make it back home when all is said and done.

And that’s what keeps me thinking about how much I enjoyed my time with the newest entry in this long-running series. It has always looked good, but now it looks great. The stakes have always felt high, but now they feel like they matter. Your wingmen were present, but now they feel tangible. Across the board, it’s a masterclass in finding new and inventive ways to improve upon their excellent previous entry. You don’t want to miss it.

Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve launches October 2 for XBOX Series X|S and is available for pre-order today on the XBOX Store. Pick up Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve Deluxe Edition to start playing September 28 in early access plus a copy of Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War, available for the first time on XBOX Series X|S.

ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE Deluxe Edition Pre-Order

Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc.

☆☆☆☆☆
49

★★★★★

$89.99

Pre-order

Pre-order Bonus includes:
– Playable Aircraft: F-14A
– ACE COMBAT ZERO: THE BELKAN WAR (Xbox Series X|S Version)
– 3-Day Early Access
*Early Access is scheduled to begin on September 28, 2026 at 3:00 PM (PDT)

*Release date, contents and specifications are subject to change without notice.
*Bonuses other than ACE COMBAT ZERO: THE BELKAN WAR (Xbox Series X|S Version) may be released at a later date.
*ACE COMBAT ZERO: THE BELKAN WAR was also known as ACE COMBAT: THE BELKAN WAR in some regions.
*ACE COMBAT ZERO: THE BELKAN WAR (Xbox Series X|S Version) Supported Languages: Japanese, English, French, Italian, German, and Spanish. Please be aware of potential language differences from ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE when purchasing.

The Deluxe Edition includes:
– ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE
– Customizable Cosmetic Set
– PREMIUM ACE PASS PLUS Voucher

ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE delivers high-octane aerial action!
Step into the cockpit and take flight as an elite pilot across stunning skies. Enter intense dogfights, eliminate threats, and rise through gripping missions to earn your wings in this game developed by PROJECT ACES, the acclaimed team behind the franchise.

Aerial Warfare in Living Skies.
Campaign Mode showcases stunning visuals with dynamic multi-layered cloudscapes that capture the majesty of living skies. Feel the rush of fast-paced arcade-style gameplay while deploying powerful weapons to dominate the battlefield.

A visceral journey from cockpit to ground.
Beyond the chaos in the air, exhilarating first-person scenes reveal your pilot’s story through breathtaking cinematics. Experience the pressure of command, the weight of decisions, and the bonds forged in battle. Between missions, bond with your squad members, rise to meet adversity, and prove yourself as a true ace.

The Largest Online Mode of the Series
ACE COMBAT ONLINE delivers the most expansive multiplayer experience in franchise history. Step into the series’ first online lobby, explore an air base with your custom avatar before diving into multiplayer games. Sortie into online missions with pilots worldwide in a variety of modes including Co-Op and cross platform play.

*This is the Deluxe Edition of the game. A Standard Edition is also available. Please take care to avoid duplicate purchases.

—-

ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE& ©Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc.
CORE IMAGERY – VIEW-READY © 2025 Vantor.
All trademarks and copyrights associated with the manufacturers, aircraft, models, trade names, brands and visual images depicted in this game are the property of their respective owners, and used with such permissions.
Produced under license. BOEING and all Boeing product names, logos, brands, and their distinctive markings and trade dress are trademarks of The Boeing Company.
Copyright Dassault Aviation 2026 ©
Eurofighter Typhoon is one of the leading combat aircraft in the world. Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH.
Produced in cooperation with Japan Air Self-Defense Force.
Lockheed Martin Trademarks used under license to Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc.
The Northrop Grumman name, logos, aircraft, and content are trademarks and copyrights of Northrop Grumman.
Copyright SAAB AB
Produced under license. Bell and all Bell product names, logos, brands, and their distinctive markings and trade dress are trademarks of Textron Innovations Inc.

ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE Pre-Order

Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc.

☆☆☆☆☆
49

★★★★★

$69.99

Pre-order

Pre-order Bonus includes:
– Playable Aircraft: F-14A
– ACE COMBAT ZERO: THE BELKAN WAR (Xbox Series X|S Version)

*Release date, contents and specifications are subject to change without notice.
*Bonuses other than ACE COMBAT ZERO: THE BELKAN WAR (Xbox Series X|S Version) may be released at a later date.
*ACE COMBAT ZERO: THE BELKAN WAR was also known as ACE COMBAT: THE BELKAN WAR in some regions.
*ACE COMBAT ZERO: THE BELKAN WAR (Xbox Series X|S Version) Supported Languages: Japanese, English, French, Italian, German, and Spanish. Please be aware of potential language differences from ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE when purchasing.

ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE delivers high-octane aerial action!
Step into the cockpit and take flight as an elite pilot across stunning skies. Enter intense dogfights, eliminate threats, and rise through gripping missions to earn your wings in this game developed by PROJECT ACES, the acclaimed team behind the franchise.

Aerial Warfare in Living Skies.
Campaign Mode showcases stunning visuals with dynamic multi-layered cloudscapes that capture the majesty of living skies. Feel the rush of fast-paced arcade-style gameplay while deploying powerful weapons to dominate the battlefield.

A visceral journey from cockpit to ground.
Beyond the chaos in the air, exhilarating first-person scenes reveal your pilot’s story through breathtaking cinematics. Experience the pressure of command, the weight of decisions, and the bonds forged in battle. Between missions, bond with your squad members, rise to meet adversity, and prove yourself as a true ace.

The Largest Online Mode of the Series
ACE COMBAT ONLINE delivers the most expansive multiplayer experience in franchise history. Step into the series’ first online lobby, explore an air base with your custom avatar before diving into multiplayer games. Sortie into online missions with pilots worldwide in a variety of modes including Co-Op and cross platform play.

*This is the Standard Edition of the game. A Deluxe Edition is also available. Please take care to avoid duplicate purchases.

—-

ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE& ©Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc.
CORE IMAGERY – VIEW-READY © 2025 Vantor.
All trademarks and copyrights associated with the manufacturers, aircraft, models, trade names, brands and visual images depicted in this game are the property of their respective owners, and used with such permissions.
Produced under license. BOEING and all Boeing product names, logos, brands, and their distinctive markings and trade dress are trademarks of The Boeing Company.
Copyright Dassault Aviation 2026 ©
Eurofighter Typhoon is one of the leading combat aircraft in the world. Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH.
Produced in cooperation with Japan Air Self-Defense Force.
Lockheed Martin Trademarks used under license to Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc.
The Northrop Grumman name, logos, aircraft, and content are trademarks and copyrights of Northrop Grumman.
Copyright SAAB AB
Produced under license. Bell and all Bell product names, logos, brands, and their distinctive markings and trade dress are trademarks of Textron Innovations Inc.

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Celebrate Delta Force’s 2nd Anniversary With New Ways to Play, Exclusive Rewards, and More

XboxBot — Fri, 25 Sep 2026 15:30:17 GMT

Summary

Season Reorientation is live now on XBOX Series X|S, with Delta Force‘s second-anniversary celebration beginning September 26.
Game Director Shadow Guo shares how two years of player feedback shaped the new season, from a smoother path into each match to more ways to play across Operations and Warfare.
The second anniversary brings new rewards and the next chapter of Delta Force esports, including RISE Series Season 2 and the Delta Force Invitational at DreamHack Stockholm.

Has It Really Been Two Years?

An anniversary is a great checkpoint for a live game. It is a reason to celebrate, and a chance to look at how far the game has moved from the version first placed in players’ hands.

Delta Force began on PC, expanded to mobile a few months later, and arrived on XBOX Series X|S a little over a year ago. Each platform brought in new players, different habits, and a fresh set of expectations. Their feedback has continued to change how we build the game.

“Two years went faster than we expected,” Game Director Shadow Guo says. “At the beginning, our focus was simple: make a good shooter. Then players came in and played it in ways we had not planned for. They showed us where the game was strong, and where it was asking too much from them.”

That last point comes up throughout our conversation. Depth matters to Delta Force, especially in Operations, where learning how to prepare, move, fight, and extract is part of the experience. Players also need a clearer way to learn that depth. Friction at the start affects new players, experienced Operators returning after time away, and anyone trying to bring a friend into their squad.

The community has made those problems easier to see. Guides, forum posts, videos, and match data show the team something different about what players value and where the experience gets in their way. “Good feedback tells us what players want to keep,” Shadow says. “Critical feedback tells us where to look next. We read both, and we are especially hungry for critical feedback.”

Reorientation Starts Before You Deploy

Season Reorientation is the result of that process. Its various QoL changes share one practical goal: reduce the work around each match and give that time back to players. Shadow explains the season by tracing the path into an ordinary Operations run. That path begins well before anyone sets foot on a map.

“We looked at the whole process,” he says. “Where are the players waiting? Where do new players get lost? What are experienced players repeating every time? Each one looks like a small problem, but together they take too much time away from playing.”

The first point is matchmaking. Operations can now form matches across regions, designed to improve matchmaking efficiency while accounting for latency. “The team will watch how it performs, and what players say. We are also considering the same capability for Warfare and other modes,” adds Shadow.

Then comes the loadout screen. One-click loadout prepares a recommended setup for the map ahead, using the player’s stash first and purchasing what is missing. If Tekniq Alloy runs short, the new Combat Support Fund can cover part of the difference within a set limit. Shadow describes the value in simple terms: “The important part is the time you get back. You can spend less time comparing attachments between every run.”

The same thinking shaped the new-player experience. A redesigned tutorial gives new Operators a clearer start, while the G.T.I. Field Manual keeps essential information inside the game and easy to revisit. These changes help players through their first match and make it easier for an existing player to bring a friend along.

More Than One Pace in Operations

Once players deploy, Shadow describes Reorientation through a different idea: pace. A run can hold pressure, recovery, exploration, and sudden escalation without asking players to stay at the same intensity for every minute. Layali Grove 2.0 shows the quieter side of that idea. The map extends farther along its river with new places to explore, while fishing gives squads a reason to pause between firefights. It has its own progression and map-specific catches, which can be displayed in the Collection Room aquarium. The river also becomes part of the action through a two-player jet ski and the new Breaking Wave bounty mission, which puts squads on an assault boat.

“We heard the questions about adding fishing to an extraction mode,” Shadow notes. “It is a bit like lemon cheesecake. The cheesecake is still the main part. The lemon gives it some balance. Operations still has its tension, and fishing gives players a short break from it.”

Polaris Patrol takes that range in a more intense direction. The play-as-a-boss experience returns with one side taking the role of Security Director Desmoulins, who is linked to the armed vehicle Requin and backed by the specialized Polaris Squad. “When players took on the role of Saeed last time, we received a lot of feedback,” Shadow says, “from which, we learned that the balance was the part we needed to improve.” The encounter has been reworked to give every side a fairer chance, with richer rewards including the DESMY–REQUIN MODEL — the game’s first craftable collectible — and Serenity, a new Legendary appearance for the M700.

Rover and Clover bring another option to squads. Rover can incapacitate an enemy or help an injured teammate recover with his Dart Rifle, while Clover searches the area and tracks nearby threats. “Rover and Clover can create a rescue window, or help keep the squad from needing one,” Shadow says. “And more importantly, you can pet Clover!”

The Mog Brings Black Hawk Down to Warfare

When our conversation turns to Warfare, the season’s focus on pace becomes movement on a much larger scale. Inspired by the setting of Black Hawk Down, The Mog follows a defecting Skynet engineer caught between G.T.I. and Haavk. The search draws both sides into close-quarters and mid-range combat across dense urban ground. At the center of the map is a new convoy escort experience.

G.T.I. must move the convoy through a series of checkpoints while Haavk tries to stop it. Enough damage brings the vehicle to a halt, forcing the attacking side to repair it under fire and giving defenders a clear moment to counterattack. “The combat revolves around the convoy,” Shadow says. “You have to fight for every inch.”

That makes each stretch of road a new contest over position, timing, and the condition of the convoy itself. The battle can also draw a Black Hawk squadron into the air above the map. Players can deploy directly onto a helicopter, operate weapons from different positions, or take a repair role to keep it flying.

Two Years, Built With the Community

As our conversation turns to the second anniversary, I ask Shadow what his take on the relationship between the game and its community is. “Players have stayed with us, challenged us, and helped us see the game more clearly,” he says, “so both myself and the team would like to thank them.”

The second-anniversary celebration, beginning September 26, is one way the team is doing that. Daily tasks offer up to 3,900 limited-time Delta Tickets, while Golden State — a Legendary appearance for the AUG — arrives alongside a second-anniversary Charm and Badge. Secret Haavk airdrops add one more prize to chase: Absolute Cinema, a limited Red collectible inspired by one of Delta Force community’s favorite memes.

The same community is also pushing Delta Force competition forward. RISE Series Season 1 brought teams together across EMEA and the Americas for five weeks of play, ending with regional titles for Dark Entities and Evil Geniuses. Season 2 is already underway, and the top two teams from each region will advance to the Delta Force Invitational at DreamHack Stockholm, taking place November 27–29.

“We will keep reading, keep listening, and keep building the game with players,” he concludes.

Season Reorientation is live now in Delta Force, free to play on XBOX Series X|S.

Delta Force

TiMi Studio Group

☆☆☆☆☆
4548

★★★★★

Get it now

Delta Force is back!

The iconic series returns as the definitive free-to-play modern team-based tactical shooter, and featuring three distinct gameplay modes:

– Warfare: battle the enemy across land, sea and air in truly epic 32 v 32 PvP combat, featuring a wide range of vehicles and unique tactical gear.

– Operations: Delta Force meets the next generation extraction shooter as you deploy behind enemy lines with your squad, search for valuables, take on rival players, and extract before it’s too late. Alternatively, our PvE Raid mode offers challenging objective-based missions designed to push your squad to the limit.

– Black Hawk Down: step into the boots of legendary Delta Force operators for this remake of the classic series campaign based on the gripping 2001 movie.

We are committed to NO PAY-TO-WIN and development is driven by community feedback. Fair play is a top priority, and our dedicated G.T.I. security anti-cheat team ensures a fair gameplay experience by proactively targeting and removing cheaters.

And remember…

“No-one gets left behind”

The post Celebrate Delta Force’s 2nd Anniversary With New Ways to Play, Exclusive Rewards, and More appeared first on XBOX Wire.

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Next Week on XBOX: New Games for September 28 to October 2

XboxBot — Fri, 25 Sep 2026 14:00:27 GMT

Welcome to Next Week on XBOX! In this weekly feature we cover all the games coming soon to XBOX Series X|S, XBOX One, XBOX on PC, and Game Pass! Get more details on these upcoming games below and click their profiles for further info (release dates subject to change). Let’s jump in!

Minecraft Dungeons II

Xbox Game Studios

☆☆☆☆☆
7

★★★★★

$29.99

Pre-order

Minecraft Dungeons II – September 28
Game Pass / XBOX Play Anywhere

Drop the pickaxe, grab a sword, and charge into a thrilling new adventure in Minecraft Dungeons II. Journey through unexplored lands and mysterious locations, in a quest to stop a new evil from causing chaos in not one, but two worlds! Clash with menacing foes in explosive encounters and fight your way through hordes of mobs that will do everything in their power to stop you!

Gears of War: E-Day Premium Edition Pre-Order

Xbox Game Studios

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$99.99

Pre-order

Gears of War: E-Day Premium Edition – October 1
XBOX Play Anywhere

Experience the horror and brutality of Emergence Day. Fourteen years before the original Gears of War, join Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago in a gripping origin-story campaign as the Locust Horde first erupt from below, igniting a desperate fight for survival. Rally your squad and fight on in multiplayer with a reimagination of Gears’ iconic PvE mode, Horde Siege, or go head-to-head with a refined Versus PvP. Built from the ground up in Unreal Engine 5, Gears of War: E-Day delivers the most immersive Gears yet.

ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE Pre-Order

Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc.

☆☆☆☆☆
49

★★★★★

$69.99

Pre-order

Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve – October 2
Step into the cockpit and take flight as an elite pilot across stunning skies. Enter intense dogfights, eliminate threats, and rise through gripping missions to earn your wings in this game developed by PROJECT ACES, the acclaimed team behind the franchise. Early Access starts September 28 for those who pre-order the Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve Deluxe Edition.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition

CD PROJEKT S.A.

☆☆☆☆☆
5998

★★★★★

$49.99

$24.99

Get it now

Xbox One X Enhanced

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered – September 29
XBOX Play Anywhere

Free upgrade for all owners of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Discover the definitive version of the award-winning dark fantasy role-playing game on September 29. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered brings an array of improvements and modernizations to visuals, gameplay, character progression, and much more. Remastered also includes the acclaimed Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine expansions.

Gothic II Complete Classic

THQ Nordic

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Gothic II Complete Classic – September 28

Gothic II Complete Classic brings together the excitement of Gothic II and the expansion Night of the Raven. You have torn down the magical barrier and freed the prisoners of the Valley of Mines. Now the former convicts roam the forests and mountains, causing trouble around the city of Khorinis.

Backyard Baseball

Playground Productions

☆☆☆☆☆
70

★★★★★

Get it now

Backyard Baseball – September 28
XBOX Play Anywhere

New game modes. New ways to play. Unlockables to chase and achievements to earn! Welcome to the all-new Backyard Baseball. This reimagined version of an all-time classic blends the best of modern gaming with the timeless charm that made it legendary.

Way of the Hunter 2

THQ Nordic

☆☆☆☆☆
16

★★★★★

$39.99

Pre-order

Way of the Hunter 2 – September 28

Feel the thrill of the hunt and keep an eye out for the wild and wonderous species that are roaming the wilderness. Hunt in North America and display big game like Moose, Elk, Bears, and Bison as well as, smaller animals like Rabbits, Turkeys and various other birds.

DYNASTY WARRIORS 3: Complete Edition Remastered

KOEI TECMO AMERICA

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$39.99

Pre-order

Dynasty Warriors 3: Complete Edition Remastered – October 1

A striking revival of DYNASTY WARRIORS 3 and DYNASTY WARRIORS 3: Xtreme Legends, which established the foundation of the entire series. The complete cast of more than 40 officers and numerous battlefields beautifully recreated using Unreal Engine 5. Experience even more enjoyable and thrilling action as you aim for the peak of 1 vs. 1,000!

End of Abyss

Epic Games Publishing

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$29.99

Pre-order

End of Abyss – October 1

In the depths of a mysterious underground compound, a mission to investigate disturbances of unknown origin spirals into a harrowing descent through a broken and abandoned world. Play as the young combat technician, Cel, as she uncovers the truth behind the facility’s derelict areas and confronts the monstrous creatures that roam them.

Ultimate Admiral: Dreadnoughts

Samustai LTD

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Ultimate Admiral: Dreadnoughts – October 1
XBOX Play Anywhere

Ultimate Admiral: Dreadnoughts offers a unique opportunity to design and build countless variations of realistic looking warships combined with an extremely in-depth combat model. Recreate famous ships such as the HMS Dreadnought and countless speculative designs. Experiment and enjoy naval battles utilizing endless combinations of ship designs in technology eras between the years 1890 and 1950 for ten different nations.

Keep Driving

YCJY Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Keep Driving – September 28

An atmospheric management RPG about life on the open road. Pick up hitchhikers, work odd jobs, customize and repair your car, and map your route across the country. Use upgrades, skills and items to overcome challenges. And remember to take it easy. You’re young. You have time.

Blades & Battles

QUByte Interactive

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Blades & Battles – September 28
XBOX Play Anywhere

Blades & Battles combines the spirit of ‘90s arcades with the fluidity of modern combat. Explore a fantasy world inspired by Arthurian legends and prove your skill against colossal bosses. Fight solo or invite a friend for local co-op and relive the glory of couch co-op battles.

Lost in Loss

Soroka Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Lost in Loss – September 28
XBOX Play Anywhere

Hey, Detective! Ready for a strange case? Citizens are forgetting who they are — their true selves are slipping away. Will you help bring them back? Explore beautiful hand-drawn locations, search for unusual hidden objects, and uncover the secrets behind each person’s story. What will you discover inside an old suitcase? Or behind a forgotten bookshelf?

Sneak Cheese (Xbox Series)

Afil Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Sneak Cheese – September 28

Get ready to think fast, plan carefully, and try not to become dinner in Sneak Cheese, a cozy and strategic puzzle game where a tiny mouse must push every piece of cheese into the burrows while trying to survive cats that are always ready to pounce!

Transport Fever 3

Paradox Interactive

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Transport Fever 3 – September 28

Transport Fever 3, the ultimate transport tycoon returns, bigger, deeper, and more dynamic than ever. Build the routes that transform the world across land, sea, and sky using over a century of evolving transport options. Design and build your ideal transport network.

NEIGHBORS: Suburban Warfare

Invisible Walls

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

NEIGHBORS: Suburban Warfare – September 29

Neighbors: Suburban Warfare is a chaotic multiplayer party brawler where everyday neighbors turn lawn disputes into full-blown house-destroying mayhem. Team up with friends to defend your home, use whatever you can grab, from frying pans to slingshots, destroy your neighbor’s property before they destroy yours.

Cat Lines

Tribus Games Indie

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Cat Lines – September 30

Control an adorable kitten that leaves a trail of yarn wherever it goes on a journey full of charm and challenges! Your goal is to cover all the blocks in the scenario with the yarn line, solving clever puzzles and overcoming obstacles.

King's Blade (Xbox Series X|S)

Sometimes You – FZCO

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$9.99

$7.99

Pre-order

Free Trial

King’s Blade – September 30

Step into the grim world of heroic fantasy with King’s Blade – a classic beat ’em up that channels the spirit of legendary arcade titles. Take command of the elite warriors of the King’s Blade and fight your way through the hordes of the Barganian Empire!

Mia's Journey (Xbox Series)

Afil Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Mia’s Journey – September 30

A mysterious curse has transformed Mia into an adorable little cat, and now she must find a way to return to her human form. Guided by the enigmatic Cat God, Mia embarks on an enchanting journey filled with puzzles, magic, and discoveries!

The Vorlec

Nor Dreams

☆☆☆☆☆
1

★★★★★

Get it now

The Vorlec – September 30

The Vorlec is a third-person action platformer set in a vibrant RetroWave world. Journey through dangerous dimensions, defeat enemies, overcome challenging puzzles and platforming sections, and face powerful bosses. Master your movement and combat skills in a fast-paced linear adventure where every step can be dangerous.

Chronicles Of Albian: The Magic Convention

Ocean Media LLC

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Chronicles of Albian: The Magic Convention – October 1

Wizards and sorcerers of the world descend upon Albian for the magical convention of a lifetime and expect incredible accommodations. Use your Hidden Object talents to find hidden treasures and help finance the required repairs and upgrades to the castle grounds in Chronicles of Albian: The Magic Convention!

Mirrors of Deception: The Poisoned Legacy

Ocean Media LLC

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Mirrors of Deception: The Poisoned Legacy – October 1

Agatha Hastings thought she was leaving the chaos behind when she accepted an invitation to the Thompson estate.But the moment she stepped through the door, that illusion shattered, she’d walked right into a murder investigation. Across 140 immersive clutter levels and 20 bonus puzzle challenges, every hidden object you uncover pulls you further into a mystery that refuses to stay hidden.

PUCKOFF: RELOADED

Kuura Playhouse Oy

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$14.99

Pre-order

PUCKOFF: RELOADED – October 1
XBOX Play Anywhere

The latest, and greatest, version of the (in)famous game, PUCKOFF, previously available only for personal computers. Enter the world of no-rules hockey as a total newbie and work on your skills and attitude to meet with the mythical terrorizer, Dominator. Build your team of has-beens and legends while learning different playstyles to defeat a plethora of colorful characters around the globe.

Storebound

Embers

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Storebound – October 1
XBOX Play Anywhere

Storebound is a co-op puzzle horror experience built as a six-episode campaign. Prepare for a 5-to-7-hour descent into the darkness of a cursed megastore trapped between dream and nightmare. Every two chapters, you’ll explore an entirely different era and area of the store, facing unique puzzles and new horrors.

Weekend Solitaire: Summer Village

Ocean Media LLC

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Weekend Solitaire: Summer Village – October 1

It’s time to take on Solitaire Challenge. Conquer challenging card configurations and take on a big, vibrant game with several levels of varying difficulties. Weekend Solitaire Summer Village dives into a bright world filled with vibrant gameplay, colorful animations, and hours of addictive card-solving fun!

myPOPGOES

Clickteam LLC USA

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

myPOPGOES – XBOX Play Anywhere – October 1

myPOPGOES is a short and simple resource management game, with a bonus minigame collection, where you take care of an extremely needy weasel named Popgoes. Housed in an adorable plastic LCD toy, your new pixelated best friend will need pizza, fizzy drinks, and only the best entertainment provided by Freddy Fazbear himself. And if Popgoes doesn’t receive what he desperately needs, he passes out. Or maybe he straight-up dies. Up to your imagination.

Folletti

Y Nightmare Productions

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$13.99

Pre-order

Folletti – October 1

Folletti is a dark humor action‑RPG set in the bizarre land of Krycek. You play as Yezac Folletti, who awakens to the horror of his wife being kidnapped by the sinister Degenite Church. Explore strange regions, battle twisted enemies, craft weapons and health kits, and uncover conspiracies hidden throughout this eerie world.

MXGP 26 – The Official Game

Nacon

☆☆☆☆☆
1

★★★★★

$59.99

Pre-order

MXGP 26 – The Official Game – October 1

Play as your favorite riders and race on all 19 official tracks of the season in the MXGP and MX2 categories. Every turn, every jump, and every section of the track has been recreated with unparalleled fidelity to transport you to the heart of the official season.

RetroSpace

Kwalee

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

RetroSpace – October 1

You were but a simple janitor, now you are the last hope of all humanity! A space station has been swallowed by a sentient black hole, weird animal and plant hybrids roam the corridors, and even time itself has gone completely mad around you. Navigate with stealth or unleash a blast-tastic odyssey through the cursed station. Will you be the hero Earth needs, or are you groovin’ to save your own soul? The choice is yours!

TOYCRAFTER

NewGen, PerfectGen

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Toycrafter – October 1

You were once a dedicated toycrafter, spending hours working alone in your workshop. But recently you lost your passion for your trade. Working on small toys no longer satisfies you. You shifted your focus towards something more grand, more robust. Grab a doll, grab your tools, and get to work.

Wax Museum: Hidden Objects

Crisp App Studio

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$7.99

$6.39

Pre-order

Wax Museum: Hidden Objects – October 1
XBOX Play Anywhere

Step into a mystical story wrapped in secrets and puzzles! Following a severe storm and a sudden car accident, you are forced to seek refuge inside an abandoned Wax Museum. But the moment the doors close behind you, you realize an unknown force has trapped you inside.

Aetherfall

Revulo Games LLC

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Aetherfall – October 2

Jump, explore, and master new mechanics as you make your way deeper into the world of Aetherfall. Explore a variety of levels, leap between floating platforms, collect coins, and use the environment to open new paths forward. Buttons, crates, moving obstacles, and new mechanics keep each stage fresh and introduce new ways to overcome challenges.

Aery – Calm Horizon 2

EpiXR Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$9.99

Pre-order

Aery – Calm Horizon 2 – October 2

This game is an interactive game experience that is designed to relax your mind and soul. You jump into the role of a little bird, explore beautiful landscapes and collect magical crystals that mark certain landscapes.

Agefield High: Rock the School

Perp Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Agefield High: Rock the School – October 2

Relive your high school days in the town of Agefield. It’s the early 2000s, and graduation is on the horizon. REBEL with your friends, win over your dream girl and ROCK the school! A coming-of-age adventure about friendship, love, and rebellion inspired by the raunchy teen comedies of the era.

KAWAII PUSH

YUME GAME STUDIO

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Kawaii Push – October 2

KAWAII PUSH is a casual and relaxing Sokoban-style game in which players must push boxes to the correct locations. The protagonist is a red-haired girl who explores cute and colorful anime-style environments. With moderately challenging puzzles, the game offers a fun and accessible experience for players of all ages.

Mister Scary – Where Are You?

Ratalaika Games S.L.

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Mister Scary – Where Are You? – October 2

In this Halloween themed game, you will play Mister Scary, a purple monster that has lost his family. Make your way through the creepies and crawlies of a strange land to find them! Directly inspired by a toddler’s imaginary friend and brought to life by calgames.

Monster Nursery

Mifa Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$10.49

Pre-order

Monster Nursery – October 2

Hatch eggs to obtain juvenile monsters of varying rarities, then raise them to maturity and sell them. Complete all 200 monster handbook entries while enjoying relaxing lo-fi music. Monsters continue to grow and earn income even when you’re offline.

Stone Run

Desert Water Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Stone Run – October 2

The ultimate test of reflexes and nerves! A giant, unstoppable rolling stone is breathing down your neck, and there’s only one golden rule to survive: never look back! Dive headfirst into Stone Run, a fast-paced, hand-drawn retro arcade experience designed for non-stop adrenaline and pure fun. Outrun disaster, dodge unpredictable obstacles, and push your reaction speed to the absolute limit in a beautifully crafted world that feels like an interactive cartoon.

The post Next Week on XBOX: New Games for September 28 to October 2 appeared first on XBOX Wire.

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XBOX Insiders Can Join the Chicken Invaders Collection Preview Today!

XboxBot — Thu, 24 Sep 2026 18:00:04 GMT

Starting today, XBOX Insiders can join the Chicken Invaders Collection preview from InterAction studios on XBOX consoles and Windows PC.

Chicken Invaders puts you on the front line against invading intergalactic chickens bent on revenge against humanity. For the first time since the series debuted in 1999, the Chicken Invaders saga is together in one collection, featuring fast-paced arcade shooting action, gigantic boss fights, and an original orchestral soundtrack. Save the world alone or team up with up to 8 friends!

Whether you’re a longtime Chicken Invaders fan or preparing to defend humanity for the very first time, now’s your chance to jump in, take on the invasion, and help the development team prepare the collection for release.

How to Participate

On your XBOX console or Windows PC, sign in and launch the XBOX Insider Hub app (or install the XBOX Insider Hub from the Store first if necessary)
Navigate to Previews > Chicken Invaders Collection
Select Join
Wait for the registration to complete and be directed to the Store to install Chicken Invaders Collection Demo

We Want Your Feedback!

Once you’ve had a chance to play, don’t forget to let us know what you think!

Complete the Chicken Invaders Collection surveys available in the XBOX Insider Hub to share your experience with the team. Your feedback can help InterAction studios as they prepare the game for release.

If you run into an issue while playing on XBOX, please report it using Report a Problem.

Hold down the home button on your XBOX controller.
Select Report a problem.
Select the Games category and Chicken Invaders Collection Demo subcategory.
Fill out the form with the appropriate details to help our investigation.

Good luck out there, Insiders. Humanity is counting on you!

The post XBOX Insiders Can Join the Chicken Invaders Collection Preview Today! appeared first on XBOX Wire.

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Free Play Days – PGA TOUR 2K25, The Escapists 2, Young Suns, and The Division 2

XboxBot — Thu, 24 Sep 2026 15:30:24 GMT

Tactics, ties, treason, and tees: Dive into it all with Free Play Days!

The Escapists 2 and Young Suns are available this weekend for XBOX Game Pass Ultimate, Premium and Essential members to play from Thursday, September 24 until Sunday, September 27. Young Suns will be available on console and PC.

Additionally, PGA TOUR 2K25 and The Division 2 are free for all XBOX members to try from September 24 until September 27 (XBOX Game Pass Game Pass Ultimate, Premium and Essential membership not required).

How to Start Playing

Scroll down and find and install the games on each of the individual game details page on XBOX.com. Clicking through will send you to the Microsoft Store, where you must be signed in to see the option to install with your XBOX Game Pass Ultimate, Premium and Essential membership. To download on console, click on the Subscriptions tab in the XBOX Store and navigate down to the Free Play Days collection on your XBOX One and XBOX Series X|S.

Keep the Fun Going

Purchase the game and other editions at a limited time discount and continue playing while keeping your Gamerscore and achievements earned during the event! Please note that discounts, percentages, and title availability may vary by title and region.

Free Play Days (Game Pass Membership Required)

Escapists 2
Bust out of the toughest prisons in the world in The Escapists 2 – for free! Team up with friends, follow the prison rules (or at least pretend to), and secretly hatch the perfect escape plan. You’ll need to get creative, turning everyday items like soap and socks into the tools you need to make your great escape. And when your carefully laid plans inevitably descend into chaos? Raise your fists and fight your way to freedom. Think you’ve got what it takes to escape?

The Escapists + The Escapists 2

Team17 Digital Ltd

☆☆☆☆☆
6722

★★★★★

$34.99

Get it now

Young Suns
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S, Smart Delivery, XBOX Play Anywhere
Young Suns is a multiplayer player narrative life sim set on Jupiter in the aftermath of a successful revolution against predatory corporations. Explore fantastical moonlets, converted stations, and derelict ruins in your very own spaceship with a crew of up to three friends, or entirely on your own, discovering and repairing broken items for your own use or to donate to the common good. Decorate and customize your spaceship. Build relationships with a huge cast of lovable characters. Help rebuild and improve society for everyone!

Free Play Days For All

PGA TOUR 2K25
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S, XBOX Play Anywhere
Hit the fairways for free during Xbox Free Play Days from September 24 to 27, with the PGA TOUR 2K25 Standard Edition. Make a name for yourself this weekend in Ranked Tours at the Championship at Del Cerro. Battle it out on the course to earn themed Ranked Rewards for your MyPLAYER. Head to the Quest tab and give it everything you’ve got. This week’s featured quest is The Captain’s Call: Hit 5 FIRs, record 5 birdies in a single round, and make 3 putts from 10+ feet to earn 250 VC, 3 Fittings, a LVL↑ Token, 600 MyPLAYER XP, and a Silver Leather Watch cosmetic.

PGA TOUR 2K25

2K

☆☆☆☆☆
524

★★★★★

$39.99

Get it now

The Division 2
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S
Answer the call in Tom Clancy’s The Division 2. Defend and rebuild Washington, D.C. after a devastating pandemic in this tactical open world third-person shooter. Engage enemies in intense, cover-based firefights where tactical positioning and utility usage make the difference between life and death. Explore a transformed Washington, D.C. solo or with friends, and save up to 90% on the Standard Edition for a limited time.

Don’t miss out on these exciting Free Play Days for XBOX Game Pass Ultimate, Premium and Essential members! Learn more about Free Play Days here and stay tuned to XBOX Wire to find out about future Free Play Days and all the latest XBOX gaming news.

The post Free Play Days – PGA TOUR 2K25, The Escapists 2, Young Suns, and The Division 2 appeared first on XBOX Wire.

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Luma Island is coming to PS5

PlayStationBot — Thu, 24 Sep 2026 14:00:28 GMT

We’re Feel Free Games, the team behind Luma Island, and we’re very excited to share that Luma Island is coming to PlayStation 5!

Luma Island launched on PC in November 2024, and since then more than 800,000 players have joined us on the island. Now we’re getting ready to welcome PlayStation players too.

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Luma Island is designed to bring different kinds of players together, whether you’re an experienced gamer or new to games. Different difficulty modes and plenty of ways to play mean everyone can explore the island at their own pace.

In Luma Island, players start out with an old caravan and a rundown farm. From there, what you do is really up to you. You can build and decorate your farm, grow crops, raise animals, choose from eight professions, meet townsfolk and hatch Lumas, magical companions that join you on your journey.

But there’s a lot more to discover away from the farm.

Explorable environments on Luma Island include forests, mountains and thick jungles, along with caves full of resources, ancient temples with puzzles and traps, hidden treasure and plenty of secrets waiting to be uncovered. You can also make your way to Pirate Cove, with its own areas to explore and pirate-themed minigames and challenges.

Gameplay variety is an important part of the Luma Island experience. You can spend an evening working on your farm or fishing, then head out the next day to explore the island or venture into its many mysterious temples. There’s always something else to discover, and exploring one part of the island can lead you towards your next adventure.

You can do all of this by yourself, or play together with up to 4 players online. Build together, share resources, explore the island, or head out looking for your next challenge.

Luma Island will also support cross-platform play across PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC, so you can explore the island together, even when your friends are playing on another platform.

Players get to decide how relaxed or challenging they want their adventure to be. Luma Island has three difficulty modes: Cozy, Adventure and Hero. In Cozy Mode, there’s no combat unless you choose it, while Adventure and Hero add more challenge.

There are no stamina bars or inventory limits either, so you’re free to spend your time on whatever you feel like doing. If you want a relaxed evening tending your farm, decorating or fishing, you can do that. And when you’re ready for something more adventurous, you can grab your tools and see what else the island has waiting for you.

We’re really excited to finally bring Luma Island to PS5, and we hope PlayStation players will feel right at home on the island.

Luma Island is coming to PS5. You can wishlist it on PlayStation Store starting today.

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Minecraft LIVE Returns This Saturday

XboxBot — Thu, 24 Sep 2026 09:00:47 GMT

The post Minecraft LIVE Returns This Saturday appeared first on XBOX Wire.

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Meet Key Players Shaping Makoto Daito’s Journey in STRANGER THAN HEAVEN

XboxBot — Thu, 24 Sep 2026 02:30:24 GMT

SEGA is thrilled to pull back the curtain on some of the pivotal figures in Makoto Daito’s 50-year saga in STRANGER THAN HEAVEN, launching January 15, 2027.

From 1915 to 1965, Makoto Daito fights to survive across five cities in search of a place to call home. Born to an American father and a Japanese mother, he belongs fully to neither country. As he carves out a life in a turbulent age, he tumbles through the orbits of a cast of characters carrying their own ambitions, convictions, and pasts.

Follow Daito, his close friend Shinjo, and the many lives drawn into their gravity as fates converge.

The Story

On a late night in 1915, a ship departs from the port of San Francisco in America.

Rumors surround the vessel and even the police refuse to go near it. Aboard this vessel hides a lone young man. His name is Makoto Daito, a man born to an American father and a Japanese mother. Having suffered severe discrimination, Daito longs to travel to his mother’s homeland, Japan, and risks his life sneaking aboard the ship to get there.

Unbeknownst to him, his encounter with Orpheus, the captain of this vessel, and another stowaway, Yu Shinjo, will dramatically alter the course of his fate. What awaits Daito in the Japan he has so long admired?

This is the beginning of one man’s journey across five cities and five eras.

The Cast

Makoto Daito (Portrayed by Yu Shirota)

「So, this is Japan…」

A half-Japanese half-American man. After facing persecution in America, he sets out for Japan. On the voyage, he meets a merchant named Orpheus and Yu Shinjo, a young man who shares similar circumstances. These encounters will change his life forever.

Yu Shinjo (Portrayed by Dean Fujioka)

「This is my one chance to start over.」

A half-Japanese half-British man. Like Daito, he faces persecution in his homeland and seeks a new life in Japan. He meets Daito aboard the ship to Japan, and the two decide to stick together to survive. Cool-headed and sharp-witted, he is always one step ahead of Daito.

Orpheus (Portrayed by Snoop Dogg)

「’Taking what’s meant to be where it’s meant to be.’ That’s our motto.」

A globe-trotting merchant with an ‘open mind’ toward the legality of his wares. After discovering Daito stowed away aboard his ship, he teaches him the harsh realities of life in Japan and comes to recognize his talent for music.

Heigo Yashima (Portrayed by Akio Otsuka)

「In this business, respect is everything.」

A merchant and boss in Kokura. Built up his fortune in trade.

The People Who Cross Paths with Daito

Tae Matsumoto (Portrayed by Moeka Hoshi）

「You know, it’s always nice to be requested like this.」

A café waitress in Kokura. Also a yakuza’s mistress.

Suzy Day (Portrayed by Tori Kelly）

「Well, all right. That sounds like a challenge.」

A talented singer who dreams of making it big. After meeting Daito, she begins her rise through the world of show business.

Kiyoshi Otsuru (Portrayed by Tokuma Nishioka）

「I feel like the three of us’ll get along just fine.」

A stylish old man with an unmistakable air of authority.

Takashi (Portrayed by Satoshi Fujihara）

「Aniki! How’s it goin’!?」

Daito’s sworn brother, a man who lives for the moment. Also a gifted pianist. Daito’s discovery of his gift rekindles his passion for music.

The Veiled Stranger (Portrayed by Cordell Broadus）

「I been lookin’ forever.And, shit, here you are!」

A man stationed in postwar Japan.

Keiko Shirai (Portrayed by Ado）

「When it comes down to it, those are kinda all I’ve got.」

The diva of wartime Osaka.

Genzo Iwaki (Portrayed by Bunta Sugawara/Voiced by Takashi Ukaji）

「Idiot…Not even sake’s enough to stomach him.」

The big boss of Kure, with unmatched influence.

In STRANGER THAN HEAVEN, the late and legendary actor Bunta Sugawara appears. SEGA received formal consent from his family, and, with materials provided by Toei Company, Ltd. – which produced many of Mr. Sugawara’s films, including the Battles Without Honor and Humanity – RGG Studio crafted his CG character design based on archival footage and photographs from the time.

The character’s voice is performed by actor Takashi Ukaji, who shared a close connection with Mr. Sugawara.

Tadashi Hataoka (Portrayed by Takashi Ukaji）

「You don’t know who I am? Some Yashima man you are.」

A swaggering, violent yakuza from Kokura.

Takeo Godai (Portrayed by Takaya Kuroda）

「That’s wishful thinkin’ if I’ve ever heard it.」

A skilled craftsman, and a man of few words.

Suekichi (Portrayed by Kouhei Tsuji）

「What, the whorehouse again? You’re puttin’ those girls to work.」

Daito’s sworn brother. Carefree, but dependable when it counts.

Tetsuya Hama (Portrayed by Yasukaze Motomiya）

「Stop your whinin’, dumbass!」

A young yakuza from Kure. Iwaki’s right-hand man.

Amaru (Portrayed by Tupac）

「No one can really know what goes on in another man’s heart.」

A man in hiding in Japan.

Tupac’s portrayal of the character Amaru in STRANGER THAN HEAVEN is made possible with the permission and ongoing supervision of his estate, Amaru Entertainment. RGG Studio is treating this integration with the utmost respect for his legacy, crafting every aspect in close collaboration and without the use of AI, including his character design based on archival footage and photographs. More details regarding his role will be shared at a later date.

Kimura (Portrayed by Daisuke Shiba）

「Tell you what. Let’s at least get something to eat!」

An easygoing nightclub worker in Kamurocho.

STRANGER THAN HEAVEN launches January 15, 2027, on XBOX Series X|S, XBOX on PC, and XBOX Cloud. It will be an XBOX Play Anywhere title and available with XBOX Game Pass.

STRANGER THAN HEAVEN

SEGA

☆☆☆☆☆
92

★★★★★

Get it now

■FACE DOWN FATE
A fifty-year saga of those with nowhere to go and their desperate struggle to find a home. San Francisco, 1915. Our story begins as a young boy sneaks aboard a mysterious ship in the dead of night.

His name? Makoto Daito. Born to an American father and a Japanese mother, Makoto's world is one of harsh persecution, a fate cruely cast upon him simply because of his Asian heritage.

After losing both of his parents and finding himself completely alone, Makoto, in an act of desperation, decides to risk it all and travel to his mother's birthplace. If the United States won't accept him for who he is, maybe Japan will…

With nothing but the shirt on his back, Makoto soon learns, however, that his voyage across the Pacific is anything but a "free ride," and that this one choice will forever change the course of his life. What awaits our young stowaway in Japan? And where will the years take him next?

■5 ERAS, 5 CITIES
The story unfolds across a version of Japan that may have existed in another life altogether, immersing you in 5 sprawling cities, each modeled after real locations of their respective eras.

1915, Kokura, Fukuoka: home of what was said to be one of the world’s largest foundries, a smoke-scorched town bursting with the passion of hard-driven, equally fiery workers.
1929, Kure, Hiroshima: a port town dominated by Japan’s largest naval arsenal and heavily influenced by the presence of yakuza organizations.
1943, Minami, Osaka: the biggest entertainment district in western Japan, set against the ever-rising tension of a world at war.
1951, Atami, Shizuoka: a bustling seaside getaway synonymous with tourism in postwar Japan.
1965, Shinjuku, Tokyo: Japan’s most iconic pleasure district—a city of swirling and unpredictable chaos.

■THE MOST CREATIVE, INTUITIVE, AND EXTREME VIOLENCE
In these turbulent times, fighting to survive means one thing: doing whatever it takes. Experience this struggle through the raw brutality of an ever-changing combat system that feels alive.

You won't just control Makoto Daito, you'll become him—moving his left and right sides independently and instinctively as you attack, defend, and force your way to victory.

Follow a jab with a crushing blow, send enemies flying with a charged attack, tackle them while they stagger or pin them to the ground and unleash a relentless flurry of punches. Nothing is off the table in Makoto's world.

You can also block enemy strikes with one hand and instantly counter with the other. Reading their moves and creating your own openings is key to coming out on top.

Additionally, you’ll master and enhance a wide array of weapons—knives, hammers, katanas, and more—as you fight your way through era after violent era.

■LIFE OF A SHOWMAN
In the earliest chapters of our story, Makoto's guide and mentor discovers his hidden talent for music, and, before long, Makoto finds himself not only singing a tune or two but stepping into the role of a showman, producing a wide variety of incredible acts throughout all of Japan.

In order to get these shows off the ground, Makoto must gather rumors from the streets and use them to scout skilled singers and performers. He can then head out into town to create new music—collecting any and every sound he can find: the swish of a broom, snoring of a sleepy neighbor, the rumble of passing trains, distant animal cries, even the grunts and growls of the enemies he fights.

By combining these sounds, Makoto can craft original tracks, brand new music for the whole nation to hear. From there, he'll choose the setlist, arrange the band, assign a cast, and design the production—from lighting colors to staging—all in an effort to bring each show to life. As you tour the country staging performances and captivating audiences, you’ll experience Makoto's rags-to-riches rise to success as a master showman.

Will the relentless determination of two men racing through fifty years of chaos change the future as we know it?
From RGG Studio—the master storytellers behind some of gaming's most intense battles and heartfelt drama—comes their latest unforgettable adventure.

The post Meet Key Players Shaping Makoto Daito’s Journey in STRANGER THAN HEAVEN appeared first on XBOX Wire.

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Activision's Halo is Rumored to be a Reboot

Shawn Zipay — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 18:50:30 GMT

They are becoming exceedingly efficient at reboots.

It is rumored that Halo will be rebooted as a franchise after Activision was given control following the latest "reset" of all things XBOX at Microsoft. This claim comes from TechnicalHalo on Twitter, who says, "lore is not going to be continued."

This rumor follows the news from yesterday that XBOX laid off an additional 268 employees, many of whom came from Halo Studios. As part of the ongoing "reset" at XBOX, several franchises and studios were shuffled around. This includes moving Halo to Activision, with what remains of Halo Studios serving only as a support studio.

TechnicalHalo claims that the next Halo will begin a "new chapter" for the franchise. He continues to flatly state that the "lore is not going to be continued."

Keep in mind that this is just one "insider" saying these things right now. There have been no additional claims by other known insiders, one way or another, on whether Activision plans to reboot the Halo franchise.

The latest Halo release was Halo: Campaign Evolved. This was a remake of the original Halo campaign that also marked the debut of the franchise on PlayStation. The last new Halo title was 2021's Halo Infinite.

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition – The Viking Sagas Available Now

XboxBot — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 18:00:04 GMT

The post Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition – The Viking Sagas Available Now appeared first on XBOX Wire.

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CONTROL Resonant Is an Action Game… and an RPG, and a Superhero Game, and More Besides

XboxBot — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 13:00:29 GMT

There’s no doubt that the headline for CONTROL Resonant belongs to the fact that it’s a true-blue melee-action game now. Where the original CONTROL centred on paranatural gunplay, a direct line of evolution from Remedy’s history with Max Payne and Quantum Break, its sequel brings us up-close and personal with the freakish threats this time around.

But once you become accustomed to its combat, there’s so much more to CONTROL Resonant that we’ve simply not seen from this series – or this developer – before. Remedy’s big swing is, in fact, an entire combo of big swings.

Here are just a few of the ways it’s breaking free from convention.

It’s Got an RPG’s Heart

Sure, we’ve seen skill trees in CONTROL, but we’ve never seen this many. Resonant brings you not only a sprawling Talent tree for the newly playable Dylan Faden, but individual upgrade paths for the multiple forms his weapons can take, as well as multiple choices of Secondary Weapons and Combat Abilities, and even an entire menu worth of bespoke combo finishers (each of which can fundamentally alter how you approach a fight).

Hell, even the world itself can level up – the more fights you dominate, secrets you find, and quests you complete in a given area of Resonant’s warped Manhattan, the higher level that area becomes, offering you bonuses as it goes. But defeat one of the area bosses – known as Resonant Entities – and the world will actively become more dangerous, as if it’s daring you to get better.

It adds to up a game that constantly grows with you, a stealth-RPG hidden under the classic action game you’re engaging with.

It’s Got an Open World Game’s Breadth

The new approach to action might be tight and gratifyingly punishing, but the world around is anything but linear. Resonant’s Manhattan isn’t a traditional open world – instead it’s separated into densely packed, highly designed zones. Each one offers its own challenges, and sometimes vastly different looks, but they’re also peppered with ideas that will feel very familiar to an open world connoisseur.

From the familiar (hidden collectibles, rewarding activities) to the less-than-familiar (I unlocked a sidequest by hearing something singing out of a subway tunnel), this is a truly rich map to make your way around, offering constant distraction. It offers the best of both worlds – levels clearly designed with points of interest and choreographed brawls, with all the scope for exploration you’d expect from an entire game world.

It’s Got a Superhero Game’s Movement

CONTROL’s heroine, Jesse, slowly but surely became a truly powerful individual over the course of the game. But with a much wider world in this game, Dylan needs to get around more efficiently than Jesse did. Thankfully, he’s a very confident parautilitarian from the beginning.

As Dylan, you can jump, glide, dash, and run so fast that physics objects get pleasingly caught up in your orbit. A little later, you can literally subvert gravity and travel up vertical surfaces, or fully upside-down. Pretty soon, you can scale entire buildings in a few quick moves, and it quickly becomes second-nature – so much so that you might fail to realise that you’re effectively travelling through this world like a superhero.

It’s (Sometimes) a Comedy

Sure, this is a world where hostile, extra-dimensional forces are twisting the very laws of physics, and filling the world with freakishly distorted buses (that’s an actual enemy type, and I love them). But it’s also a truly bizarre workplace comedy. As you find the people who make up the Federal Bureau of Control – and the many redacted files they leave behind – you’ll piece together a backstory that is frequently hilarious.

Seeing how layers of governmental bureaucracy interact with impossible objects, possessed people, and unbelievable events is a genuine joy – and a very real way of helping the player feel a little less lonely in a world that purposely makes no sense anymore. My personal favorite bit of comedy lies in a corner of a Field Office you find early on, where – if you just stop and listen to the chatter – two FBC guards are slowly but surely trying to convince their boss that he is, in fact, a ghost.

There’s so much more to discover when CONTROL Resonant arrives on September 24, for XBOX Series X|S and XBOX On PC. And play it on both console and PC at no additional cost with XBOX Play Anywhere.

CONTROL Resonant

Remedy Entertainment

☆☆☆☆☆
33

★★★★★

$59.99

Pre-order

Pre-order CONTROL Resonant now to unlock:
-Hiss Corruption Outfit
-Pickpocket’s Tool Artifact

After years in confinement at the hands of the Federal Bureau of Control (FBC), Dylan Faden emerges into a warped Manhattan at the peak of a paranatural crisis.

Charged with combating a mysterious cosmic entity as it alters fundamental aspects of our reality, Dylan must harness his new-found powers to take the fight to the myriad threats overwhelming Manhattan.

Join Dylan in this sequel to the multi-award-winning CONTROL to explore the expansive zones of a city overrun by the corrupting influences of the chaotic Hiss, invasive micro-organism, the Mold, and other twisted paranatural threats.

On the path to unlocking the full potential of his paranatural abilities Dylan will also seek out his sister, FBC Director Jesse Faden, as he bids to comprehend and contain the dangers that have spilled beyond the confines of the Oldest House to tear our world apart.

The post CONTROL Resonant Is an Action Game… and an RPG, and a Superhero Game, and More Besides appeared first on XBOX Wire.

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Fading Echo makes a splash on PlayStation 5 today

PlayStationBot — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 16:30:44 GMT

Hi PlayStation players! This is Sylvain from Emeteria, a New Tales studio, the team behind Fading Echo, and we’re excited to share that our fast-paced elemental action-adventure RPG is launching today on PlayStation 5.

In Fading Echo, you play as One, a young Legend fighting to save Corel, a fractured world being consumed by a mysterious force known as the Paradox. To survive, you’ll experiment with One’s powers, manipulate the elements around you, and shift between realities to find new ways through combat, exploration, and puzzles.

So, let’s dive in!

Become water – then weaponize it

Water – or Æther, as it’s known in the world of Fading Echo – is at the heart of One’s abilities. She can manipulate it, use it against enemies, and even transform herself into a living blob of it.

One of our goals with Æther form was to make movement itself part of your toolbox. As a blob, you can build momentum, surf through pipes, squeeze through narrow cracks, and launch yourself across the environment. This can help you reach new areas and solve environmental puzzles, but it can be just as useful in combat. Get above an enemy, for example, and you can water-bomb them on the way down, making quite a splash. It’s as effective as it is fun.

And movement is only the first ripple.

One can also unleash waves of Æther and powerful charged blasts, drenching enemies and changing the state of the battlefield. But drenching an enemy is just the beginning: Æther reacts with elements such as lava, toxic waste, and even Paradox corruption, opening up all kinds of possibilities.

Drench an enemy before conducting energy through them. Solidify elements to change the battlefield. Or look to your surroundings and set off a chain reaction that turns the situation in your favor.

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We designed these systems to reward experimentation rather than push you toward a single sequence of attacks. When you enter an encounter, we want you to look at the enemies, the environment, and the elements at your disposal and ask yourself: What happens if I try this?

Sometimes everything will flow according to plan. Sometimes you’ll find a solution we didn’t see coming.

There’s rarely just One answer.

Bend reality to find another way

Corel is no longer one stable world. The Paradox has fractured it into alternate realities, and One can shift between different versions of the same space – and even different versions of herself.

Reality shifting is another system we wanted players to use across exploration, puzzles, and combat rather than for one specific purpose.

A path blocked in one reality might be accessible in another. An element you need to solve a puzzle could exist on the other side of a shift. Sometimes, instead of looking for another route through the space in front of you, you’ll need to think about what that same space looks like in another reality.

Combat follows the same principle. Shifting can change the resources, hazards, and elements available around you, so the same encounter can play out differently depending on where you choose to fight.

For us, Æther, movement, elemental reactions, puzzles, and reality shifting are all parts of the same toolbox. We want you to learn how each system works, then start combining them and finding your own solutions.

Explore a world consumed by the Paradox

Of course, One has bigger problems than finding increasingly creative ways to deal with enemies.

Paradox Corruption is spreading across Corel, twisting reality and consuming what remains of the world. At its center is Maddock, the ruthless leader of the Paradox on Corel, who stands in the way of One’s attempt to save it.

Your journey will take you across floating islands and fractured realities as you search for a way to stop the corruption before there’s nothing left to save.

And while Fading Echo is a single-player adventure, One won’t make that journey entirely alone.

Across Corel, you’ll meet a small group of unlikely allies. Some stand beside One out of loyalty, others out of guilt, and some because they have nowhere else left to go. Each has their own relationship with this decaying world, and with One herself.

But One’s journey isn’t only about saving Corel. It’s also about discovering who she is, uncovering the mysteries of her past, and finding the answers she’ll need to save her future.

We’ve built Fading Echo around experimentation and giving you the freedom to find your own way through its world. If you’d like to get a first taste before jumping into the full adventure, a demo is also available today on PlayStation 5.

Now it’s time to dive in, PlayStation 5 players! Fading Echo is yours, and we can’t wait to see how you make your way through Corel.

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Continuing Our Reset

XboxBot — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 14:30:47 GMT

This message was just sent to Team XBOX employees globally.

Team,

I’m writing to share several updates as part of the XBOX reset outlined earlier this year.

First, we are eliminating 268 roles across Halo Studios, other first-party studios, and the XGS management and central functions layer. The actions completed since July, inclusive of the studio divestitures, bring us roughly three-quarters of the way through previously announced restructuring. I am deeply grateful for what our colleagues have built, and I know how difficult today will be for those leaving and the teams around them.

Second, we are reorganizing our studios. The goal is to strengthen our franchises and games by operating fewer business units, aligning groups that already work closely together, and focusing our publishing expertise.

Activision will expand its remit to World’s Edge, as well as Rare. Activision will also be developing the next Halo title, led by a new, purpose-built team that is separate from ongoing development and plans for Call of Duty. A small team at Halo Studios will continue supporting the Halo community and games in-market.
Bethesda will expand its remit to include Obsidian, which will continue its current projects, including Grounded, as well as the new Fallout project made in collaboration with Bethesda Game Studios.
King will expand its remit to include Microsoft Casual Games, uniting our two global leaders in casual game design and live operations.
Playground and Turn 10 will come together as one studio focused on the Forza and Fable franchises. These two studios have been creative and franchise partners for over a decade, and today’s changes will formally move their work into one team.

Third, an update on our studio divestitures: In August, Compulsion and Double Fine returned to management with their IP, back catalogs, and runway funding. Undead Labs has now successfully transitioned on similar terms and, with a new publisher, will release State of Decay 3 day one on Game Pass. Unfortunately, two separate agreements for Ninja Theory fell through. We will now begin consultation with employees on a proposed closure while continuing to explore other paths forward. Consultation with Arkane remains underway and is expected to continue through the end of the year.

Today, our focus should be on supporting those affected and treating one another with care and respect. I will spend time with our studios over the next week. At our October 6 town hall, we will come together as an ALL-XBOX team to reflect on our progress and look ahead to one of the strongest game lineups in our history.

Matt

The post Continuing Our Reset appeared first on XBOX Wire.

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Gears of War: E-Day x Liquid Death – Unlock a Legendary Pose and More

XboxBot — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 13:30:09 GMT

Gears of War: E-Day launches with a collab that puts a Legendary pose in your hands. We’re teaming up with Liquid Death from September 22 through November 30, bringing an in-game reward, a limited-edition merch drop, and a new way to gear up for Emergence Day.

Unlock Chainsaw Flex

Pick up Liquid Death Energy at Amazon, Target, Walmart, Instacart, or Kroger and you can unlock an in-game content pack for Gears of War: E-Day, headlined by Chainsaw Flex — a Legendary animated pose you can equip on any playable character. Nothing says “I’m fine, everything’s fine” on Emergence Day quite like flexing with a Chainsaw.

Liquid Death Energy is an easy-drinking energy drink with just 5 calories, zero sugar, and 100mg of unextreme caffeine.

The pack also includes a Liquid Death-branded in-game banner, emblem, and icon.

To claim it, head to liquiddeath.com/freechainsaws, connect your retailer account through the digital reward landing page, then purchase Liquid Death Energy through that retailer online or in store. Offer runs in the U.S. only from September 22 – November 30, 2026.

A Pint Glass With Teeth

On September 23, the limited-edition Liquid Death x Gears of War: E-Day chainsaw pint glass drops for $25 here. Limited edition means limited edition. Move accordingly.

The post Gears of War: E-Day x Liquid Death – Unlock a Legendary Pose and More appeared first on XBOX Wire.

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Dune: Awakening Arrives on XBOX With New Ways to Play

XboxBot — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 12:00:37 GMT

Summary

Dune: Awakening is out now on XBOX Series X|S, XBOX on PC and via XBOX Game Pass.
The XBOX launch comes with a huge new update including Single-player.
In addition, the game has been receiving many updates since its original PC release, making this the best time to play Dune: Awakening.

Dune: Awakening has been out for a while on PC, but today it’s finally on XBOX. This isn’t just a port on a new platform. Over the past year we’ve been making the game more accessible and customizable for a wider group of players.

Dune: Awakening is an open-world survival game set on Arrakis, the desert planet central to the Dune universe. In the game you explore the deserts, gather resources, craft equipment, build a base and develop your character as you go through the story. Along the way, you’ll uncover the mystery of the missing Fremen.

If you wanted to explore Arrakis but thought Dune: Awakening wasn’t for you, read on. The XBOX launch introduces a single-player mode, full gameplay customization, the conclusion to Book One, and much more.

INTRODUCING SINGLE-PLAYER

Dune: Awakening now includes a full single-player mode. When starting out, you can choose between three difficulty presets or customize every gameplay setting in detail.

YOUR GAME, YOUR RULES

In singleplayer, you control sandstorms, harvesting and XP multipliers, building piece limits, item durability, and a lot more. Play the game how you want, at your own pace.

On rented private servers, available customization options depend on your provider.

THE CONCLUSION OF BOOK ONE

The Great Convention Part III has begun, and with it the final Chapter. For the first time, the entire story can be played from beginning to end in one run.

NEW REWARDS AND IMPROVED STORY MECHANICS

Every existing story mission now grants new rewards: swatches, weapon and armour variants and placeable decorations, from the Maw of the Worm Wall Relief to the Ascendant Throne of the Reverend Mother.

ONE CHARACTER, MANY WORLDS

Characters are now the center of the experience. Backed-up bases and vehicles travel with you.

COMBAT HAS BEEN IMPROVED

Combat has been improved. We’ve increased the Parry window, and we’ve done a pass on NPC animations. Enemy stamina has been rebalanced, and heavy attacks now do the same damage as slow blade attacks. Enemy AI has been improved. Dashing now allows passing through enemies. Since launch we’ve also added two new weapons: Dual Blades and Pyrocket. We’ve completely reworked the Rapier into a parrying weapon.

PVP IS NOW SOMETHING YOU CHOOSE

Every aspect of the game can now be played entirely in PvE. You can completely avoid PvP if you want to, without losing out on any of the content, gameplay mechanics, or rewards the game has to offer.

YOU DON’T HAVE TO LOSE THINGS ANYMORE

When Dune: Awakening launched, there were too many ways to lose progression. Several quality-of-life improvements have been made to remove this kind of frustration from the game.

A BIGGER, BETTER, AND DEEPER ENDGAME

The Landsraad, Dune: Awakening’s faction vs. faction endgame, has been completely rebuilt into a mission‑driven framework that works equally well for multiplayer PvE and single-player. Progress through twenty ranks from outsider to Atreides Envoy or Harkonnen Enforcer and unlock powerful rewards.

MORE ARRAKIS TO EXPLORE

The planet of Arrakis has been expanded with more things to do and more things to see. This includes 7 new mission locations, 6 Imperial Testing Stations, more contracts and dynamic encounters.

SPECIALIZE YOUR CHARACTER

Specializations is a new progression system that lets you invest points across crafting, gathering, exploration, combat, and sabotage, unlocking traits that boost damage, durability, inventory space, mission rewards, and even entire technologies like Augmentation.

AUGMENT YOUR GEAR

We’ve added Augmentations, powerful modifiers you can add to unique Tier 6 weapons and armor. These are found as schematics in Testing Stations and crafted using resources earned through Landsraad missions.

AN ENDGAME THAT DOESN’T DEMAND A GUILD

Late game items now require fewer rare materials specifically to put the endgame within reach of solo and single-player players. Augment crafting moves onto a bell curve, so good rolls land far more often.

MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME

Full character re-customization available in Arrakeen and Harko Village, new hairstyles and tattoos, and more. Each School of the Imperium has its own armour set. Vehicles, containers and placeables can be renamed.

EXPLORE ARRAKIS ON A WIDE RANGE OF DEVICES

Dune: Awakening has arrived on XBOX Series X|S and the Microsoft Store with the complete experience and console-tailored UI and controls. Two graphics modes: Performance (60fps, Dynamic 4K) and Quality (30fps, Dynamic 4K). XBOX Series X renders at higher native resolution in both modes and adds enhanced visuals.

The game is available via Game Pass, includes Play Anywhere with shared progression, Cloud Gaming, and ROG Xbox Ally.

LAUNCH REWARD PACKAGE

To celebrate the release of Dune: Awakening on console and this major update, everyone who plays the game between September 17 and October 22 will receive a very special reward: Matron’s Decor!

FILMIC ARCHIVE DLC

Looks from Dune: Part One and Part Two, arriving today: the Aegis of an Unwalked Path armor, the Caladan Stormcoat, Harkonnen Cataphract and Atreides Hoplite armor, the Longhaul Stillsuit, three Sardaukar armor sets, weapons and emotes, and a 73-piece Sardaukar building set with 17 decorations.

QUALITY OF LIFE AND OTHER IMPROVEMENTS

These are just the highlights. For a complete overview of everything that has been added and improved upon since PC launch, make sure to check out the Updates Page. We’ve also addressed duping and exploit issues and will continue to do so.

WHAT’S COMING NEXT

The XBOX launch is only the beginning. The Polar Cap arrives later this year as a free update: a new survival map and icy biome with new survival mechanics, resources, loot, craftables and a standalone storyline.

We’ve also announced that full cross-play is coming after the console launch, with more details to follow. Additional Dune film tie-in cosmetics are planned alongside the third instalment of the film series.

There has never been more to explore in Dune: Awakening. The game is out now on XBOX Series X|S, PC and XBOX Cloud Gaming, and is available with Game Pass and XBOX Play Anywhere.

Dune: Awakening – Ultimate Edition

Funcom

☆☆☆☆☆
272

★★★★★

$89.99

$71.99

Get it now

Pre-order reward:

5 DAY HEAD START
Play the game 5 days before the launch, on September 17.

TERRARIUM OF MUAD'DIB
Give the desert mouse a unique home within your base.

SUNSET DYE GLOBAL SWATCH
A unique color pattern for all your outfits, vehicles, and weapons.

Purchase the Ultimate Edition and receive the following items in addition to the base game:
• 4 DLC: Wildlife of Arrakis, Lost Harvest, Raiders of the Broken Lands, The Water Wars
• Sardaukar Bator Armor: The menacing armor worn by the Sardaukar, the elite military force that players find themselves hunted by in the game
• Dusk Rider Sandbike Swatch: A unique color pattern for your sandbike
• Blue Dasher Ornithopter Swatch: A unique color pattern for your ornithopter
• Caladan Palace Building Set: Building pieces and placeables from the 2021 film
• Dune 2021 Film Stillsuit: The stillsuit worn by Paul Atreides’ in the film
• Digital Artbook: A 50-page artbook full of artworks from the game’s development
• Digital Soundtrack: 90 minutes of music from the game

Dune: Awakening is a single- and multiplayer Open World Survival game with immersive adventure and RPG gameplay. Explore, build, craft, and unravel a cinematic Dune story as you rise from survival to greatness on the most legendary planet in the universe.

Just remember: the sandworm always comes.

Dune: Awakening – Deluxe Edition

Funcom

☆☆☆☆☆
270

★★★★★

$69.99

$55.99

Get it now

Pre-order reward:

5 DAY HEAD START
Play the game 5 days before the launch, on September 17.

TERRARIUM OF MUAD'DIB
Give the desert mouse a unique home within your base.

SUNSET DYE GLOBAL SWATCH
A unique color pattern for all your outfits, vehicles, and weapons.

Purchase the Deluxe Edition and receive the following items in addition to the base game:
• Season Pass: Includes the first 4 DLCs for Dune: Awakening
• Sardaukar Bator Armor: The menacing armor worn by the Sardaukar, the elite military force that players find themselves hunted by in the game

Dune: Awakening is a single- and multiplayer Open World Survival game with immersive adventure and RPG gameplay. Explore, build, craft, and unravel a cinematic Dune story as you rise from survival to greatness on the most legendary planet in the universe.

Just remember: the sandworm always comes.

Dune: Awakening

Funcom

☆☆☆☆☆
253

★★★★★

$49.99

$39.99

Get it now

Pre-order reward:

TERRARIUM OF MUAD'DIB
Give the desert mouse a unique home within your base.

SUNSET DYE GLOBAL SWATCH
A unique color pattern for all your outfits, vehicles, and weapons.

Dune: Awakening is a single- and multiplayer Open World Survival game with immersive adventure and RPG gameplay. Explore, build, craft, and unravel a cinematic Dune story as you rise from survival to greatness on the most legendary planet in the universe.

Just remember: the sandworm always comes.

Explore a vast, open world Dune
Discover a dynamic and immersive Arrakis, from the rolling sand dunes of the Deep Desert to hidden Fremen caves and the bustling city streets of Arrakeen. Climb towering mountains with the Shigawire hook and fly across sandworm-infested deserts in an ornithopter you built yourself. Escape the destructive might of the massive sandstorms towering above you as they sweep across the landscape, then take a quiet moment to witness the beauty of Arrakis when the sun is low.

Unravel an epic, cinematic Dune story
In Dune: Awakening, you get to step into the books and movies and experience one of science fiction’s most incredible worlds up close. Join the Atreides or the Harkonnen and rise through their ranks as you explore their unique stories. Meet familiar characters such as Duke Leto and Feyd-Rautha, investigate the mysterious disappearance of the Fremen, and discover the truth about your own past. Unravel an epic, cinematic Dune story that asks the mind-bending question: what if Paul Atreides was never born?

Become a master of combat and survival
Arrakis is a test that few survive. Those who do, awaken. Learn to survive the unique climate of Arrakis, chasing shade and extracting liquid from the bodies of your enemies to refine it into water. Study the teachings of the Schools of the Imperium to unlock a powerful repertoire of abilities, weapons, and tools. Wield the Trooper’s unparalleled firepower, use the Bene Gesserit voice to control your enemies, deploy the Mentat’s deceptive traps, or master the Swordmaster’s unique dance of death.

Build your stronghold, craft your ornithopter
Carve out your own piece of Arrakis and build your personal base of operations. From small outposts to elaborate and towering strongholds, build everything piece-by-piece in the Atreides or Harkonnen style, or any of the other available architectural styles, and decorate it to reflect your personality. Equip it with powerful crafting machines and spice refineries and watch your power and fortune grow. Craft anything from useful desert-survival gadgets to entire vehicles such as ground cars and ornithopters.

Single-player, multiplayer, and scalable difficulty
Play alone in full single-player, multiplayer with friends on a shared server, or with hundreds of other players on a public server. The full game, with all its features, content and story, is available regardless of which mode you choose. Both single-player and private multiplayer servers offer extensive customization options, allowing you to scale difficulty and tune gameplay options however you like.

The post Dune: Awakening Arrives on XBOX With New Ways to Play appeared first on XBOX Wire.

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XBOX Continues Layoffs and Closures - 268 New Layoffs and Ninja Theory Shuttering

Shawn Zipay — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 04:28:00 GMT

Cuts across Halo Studios and other first-party studios.

XBOX continues its reign of terror today as it announces another 268 layoffs across first-party XBOX studios, as well as the "XGS management and central functions layer." Ninja Theory will be shuttered. Several other studios are being shuffled around. As for Arkane, "consultation(...) remains underway."

The unfortunate news was shared with the public earlier today by XBOX executive vice president and chief content officer Matt Booty. Booty had this to say about the various studio reorganizations which are now underway. This includes word that Activision will work on the next Halo game, Obsidian is now under Bethesda, and Playground Games joins with Turn 10 Studios.

Activision will expand its remit to World’s Edge, as well as Rare. Activision will also be developing the next Halo title, led by a new, purpose-built team that is separate from ongoing development and plans for Call of Duty. A small team at Halo Studios will continue supporting the Halo community and games in-market.
Bethesda will expand its remit to include Obsidian, which will continue its current projects, including Grounded, as well as the new Fallout project made in collaboration with Bethesda Game Studios.
King will expand its remit to include Microsoft Casual Games, uniting our two global leaders in casual game design and live operations.
Playground and Turn 10 will come together as one studio focused on the Forza and Fable franchises. These two studios have been creative and franchise partners for over a decade, and today’s changes will formally move their work into one team.

Undead Labs seemingly joins Compulsion and Double Fine as gaining their independence from XBOX. From Booty's wording, it sounds like Undead Labs retains their IPs, back catalogs, and runway funding just as Compulsion and Double Fine did. Undead Labs will, with a new publisher, still release State of Decay 3 day one on Game Pass.

When it comes to Ninja Theory, Booty says "two separate agreements (...) fell through." XBOX will "now begin consultation with employees on a proposed closure while continuing to explore other paths forward."

Today's news is a continuation of the planned layoffs that began this past July when XBOX laid off 1,600 employees. At the time, XBOX says they planned to lay off over 1,600 additional employees in the year ahead. Today's layoffs are not the end.

(For Southeast Asia) Lisa x PlayStation arrives this October: First look at the DualSense wireless controller

PlayStationBot — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 02:30:17 GMT

Last year, we teamed up with Lisa for the first time on our global PS5 campaign. Today, we’re taking our collaboration a step further with an all-new DualSense wireless controller – Lisa Limited Edition designed with Lisa herself.

Play Video

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alt="(For Southeast Asia) Lisa x PlayStation arrives this October: First look at the DualSense wireless controller"
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Lisa’s journey has taken her from her roots in Thailand to Korea and beyond, as she’s become a defining figure in global pop culture – from her dynamic stage presence to her bold approach to fashion. Hear from her directly on the collaboration:

“Gaming is something I do whenever I have time to relax, so getting to create this collection with PlayStation was very exciting. I had a lot of fun adding in little details that I knew my fans would notice, and I wanted the fans to have something they can connect with. I’ve always loved expressing myself through music and fashion, so this collaboration gave me a new way to be creative and show a different side of myself. I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I do.” – Lisa

Bungie is Bringing Back Destiny and Evolving Marathon

Shawn Zipay — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 19:46:57 GMT

This includes unvaulting major content.

Destiny 2 died months ago. The game's developer, Bungie, suffered mass layoffs shortly after. Despite all of this, Bungie announced today that they are going back to Destiny.

A new studio update from studio head Poria Torkan and head of product Josh Deane says that Bungie is aiming to "return Destiny to its original promise." The studio also plans to make some major changes to the game. First and foremost, this includes the unvaulting of major game content that had met its end when Bungie introduced its highly hated Destiny Content Vault.

A video message from Torkan and Deane focuses on the future of Destiny within Bungie.

As we shared in the video, we are beginning the work of bringing vaulted Destiny 2 campaigns, destinations, and raids back into the game, where they will be available to all Destiny 2 players.

Bringing this content back is not as simple as restoring old files. Changes made to Destiny 2 since Beyond Light require us to update lighting, encounters, combatants, and other underlying systems. That work will take time, but it is necessary to ensure returning content meets the stability and gameplay standards of Destiny 2 today.

Our team is very excited to deliver this for you all and as they progress, we will share more details coming in the months ahead.

This does not mean that Bungie is suddenly about to make Destiny 3. It just means that they are, at the very least, aiming to restore a lot of that vaulted content back into Destiny 2. Beyond that is really anybody's guess. Whatever the case may be, it probably won't be happening anytime soon. It sounds like Bungie is just in the early stages of this plan of theirs.

While Bungie works on restoring old content to Destiny, the team is also working on their extraction shooter, Marathon. Bungie says that the game "needs to evolve." There were no real specifics given on how the studio will accomplish this goal beyond saying that they want to "anchor on what makes Marathon special" while evolving it "beyond the genre constraints we placed on it."

This seems to include a deeper focus on the survival experience, one "that gives players more ways to take on this dangerous alien world."

Through the remainder of Marathon’s first year, we will continue strengthening its combat, world, and competitive tension while giving players more agency in how they engage with the game. That means creating meaningful experiences whether you prefer cooperative PvE, competitive PvP, or the unpredictable tension of Marathon PvPvE.

In the very short term, Marathon will receive an "October Nightfall Refresh" as well as a Symbiosis update in December.

Bungie wrapped up their status update message by talking about how they want to focus "on thinks you want to see from us, and making sure our vision matches our reality." They hope to "find a way back to making games that we want to play, but with you at the center."

For those of you who have been fans of Bungie titles for any amount of time, you know that what Bungie says and what they ultimately do can be vastly different things. Bungie admits that they haven't been particularly good about earning and maintaining player trust over the years, which is honestly quite true.

Trust won't be rebuilt through a single blog, video, or release. We also understand that trust extends beyond gameplay. It includes how we value your time, how we communicate, and how we action your feedback. Listening without action means nothing.

As we move forward, we'll measure ourselves against a few core commitments:

Build a stronger long-term future for Destiny, while honoring and restoring its past.
Evolve Marathon to grow our community and build a sustainable future.
Increase transparency around development priorities.
Communicate more consistently, especially when plans change.

We'll hold ourselves accountable to these goals and share what we're learning along the way. We are working with our Community team to establish a consistent way to report against these commitments and will share that approach alongside our next major updates for Destiny and Marathon.

Bungie is certainly talking the talk (again). Let's see if the current iteration of the studio is also able to walk the walk.

Lisa x PlayStation arrives this October: First look at the DualSense wireless controller – Lisa Limited Edition and all-new merchandise

PlayStationBot — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 13:00:13 GMT

Last year, we teamed up with Lisa for the first time on our global PS5 campaign. Today, we’re taking our collaboration a step further with an all-new DualSense wireless controller – Lisa Limited Edition and a new merchandise collection designed with Lisa herself.

Play Video

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alt="Lisa x PlayStation arrives this October: First look at the DualSense wireless controller – Lisa Limited Edition and all-new merchandise"
>

Lisa’s journey has taken her from her roots in Thailand to Korea and beyond, as she’s become a defining figure in global pop culture – from her dynamic stage presence to her bold approach to fashion. Hear from her directly on the collaboration:

Fans won’t have to look far to find Lisa in the details. From the very start, we worked closely together to incorporate elements that held personal meaning for her. Her iconic bangs and eyes take center stage on the DualSense wireless controller touch pad, joined by her signature stars and bold “LL” lettering, all set against a Chroma Pearl colorway – Lisa’s personal favorite.

The DualSense wireless controller – Lisa Limited Edition will be available in highly limited quantities directly from PlayStation and at participating retailers globally beginning on October 30 for a recommended retail price of $84.99 USD / ¥12,480 (including tax) / €84.99 / £74.99. Pre-orders will begin on October 2 at 10am local time, while supplies last.

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Lisa x PlayStation merchandise pictured above available on Lisa’s official Amazon store beginning October 23.

Lisa x PlayStation merchandise collection

Launching this October in the U.S., the Lisa x PlayStation collaboration goes beyond gaming with a collection of PlayStation merchandise featuring Lisa’s designs, including apparel, hats, tote bags, keychains, stickers, a DualSense controller carrying case, and more. The collection gives fans new ways to bring their love for PlayStation and Lisa into their everyday lifestyle.

The Lisa x PlayStation merchandise collection will include two unique assortments available in limited quantities in the U.S. Select merchandise will be available to pre-order directly from PlayStation on October 2 at 10am ET, and launch on October 30. Additional items will launch on October 23 on Lisa’s official Amazon store at amazon.com/lisa and in the Amazon Music app.

Alongside the DualSense wireless controller – Lisa Limited Edition and Lisa X PlayStation collection launching this October, fans can also look forward to the release of her new EP, Press Play, on October 23. We can’t wait to see how fans make the Lisa x PlayStation look their own when it launches.

Come and Press Play!

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Buy direct from PlayStation purchase information

Starting at 10:00am ET on October 2, players in the US will be able to pre-order the DualSense wireless controller – Lisa Limited Edition and Lisa x PlayStation merchandise collection direct from PlayStation through direct.playstation.com in limited quantities, while supplies last.

Starting at 10:00am local time on October 2, players in the U.K., France, Germany, Austria, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg, players will be able to pre-order the DualSense wireless controller – Lisa Limited Edition direct from PlayStation through playstation.com/store/hardware in limited quantities, while supplies last.

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Gears of War: E-Day – Prepare for Emergence Day with Us in Los Angeles

XboxBot — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 13:00:13 GMT

Summary

To celebrate the launch of Gears of War: E-Day, XBOX is bringing Emergence Day from the streets of Kalona to the heart of Los Angeles.
On September 30, from 3pm to 10pm, an Emergence Hole and Corpser statue will transform Hollywood & Vine into an experience inspired by Emergence Day.
The first 500 attendees will have the chance to meet up with other Gears fans to play Gears of War: E-Day before Early Access begins, as well as win prizes, and enjoy free themed food and beverage options.
Gears of War: E-Day is rated M for Mature, and this event is no different. Guests must be 18 years of age or older to attend.

The Locust are coming to LA! Join us on September 30 for a one-night only Gears of War: E-Day takeover at Hollywood & Vine. Be among the first to go hands-on with the game ahead of the official Early Access launch, and enjoy themed food and drinks, exclusive giveaways and more.

Whether you’re a longtime Gears fan or experiencing the series for the first time, this is your chance to get closer to the action and see what E-Day has in store. But playing is just the beginning.

Gear up for Emergence Day and come dressed in your favorite Gears of War merch or cosplay for a chance to win prizes, including an XBOX Design Lab Gears of War: E-Day-inspired controller designed by illustrator and long-time collaborator Luke Preece. Dust off that COG armor, grab your favorite Gears gear and come dressed and ready for the occasion.

We’ll also have exclusive themed refreshments on hand, with food, treats, and beverages available to help fuel your Emergence Day experience. Get an airbrush Gears of War tattoo and show off your allegiance to the COG, then step up to our photo booth to commemorate the launch of Gears of War: E-Day.

For Gears and XBOX fans looking to join us in Hollywood, access to the experience will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis to guests 18 and older, and is limited to the first 500 guests. Guests wearing Gears of War merchandise will be granted access to a fast line.

Guests may begin queuing for access starting at 12pm Pacific on September 30.

The post Gears of War: E-Day – Prepare for Emergence Day with Us in Los Angeles appeared first on XBOX Wire.

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Silent Hill: Townfall — 9 ways first-person changes the iconic horror formula

PlayStationBot — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 09:31:04 GMT

The Silent Hill franchise has evolved with its most recent entries, expanding into settings that go beyond the eponymous foggy American town. In Silent Hill: Townfall, it also taps into a new way to terrify players, shifting from a traditionally third-person perspective to first-person. The series has previously offered glimpses of first-person gameplay, including Silent Hill 4: The Room (PS2, 2004) and Silent Hill: The Short Message (PS5, 2024). However, Silent Hill: Townfall is the first time you’ll face all the horrors of a full Silent Hill experience through the eyes of its protagonist.

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Here are nine ways Silent Hill: Downfall uses its first-person perspective to create a more intimate horror experience and amp up its scares.

A claustrophobic perspective

Silent Hill: Townfall puts you in the shoes, and viewpoint, of its protagonist character, Simon Ordell, which means you can’t see as much of the world around you as you might in a third-person Silent Hill game. You must be on your guard for threats coming from the side or behind you. The game also uses a 2.35:1 aspect ratio, making the screen wider at the sides but shorter vertically, creating a cinematic presentation — but one that also makes your vision feel realistically restricted. That change in presentation forces you to pay close attention to your surroundings and to listen for enemies you might not be able to see right away.

A CRTV to see through the fog

Characters in Silent Hill games often carry radios that can give them hints about when enemies are nearing them in the fog — when the radio emits static, danger is close. Townfall takes a more visual approach to this idea with its CRTV, a handheld device you can tune to different frequencies to see the positions of nearby enemies. L1 lets you hold the CRTV up in front of you as you move around, so you can see both what it displays and the world around you. The device also gives a helpful haptic pulse in your DualSense controller to let you know when a new enemy is near.

Melee combat

It’s a staple of Silent Hill games to battle twisted horrors using everyday objects like pieces of wood. But in Townfall, combat gets harrowing, as monsters throw themselves at your face and your only defense is to hold up a flimsy object to block them. You’ll need to react quickly to stop counterattacks and get some blows in if you want to stay alive.

Stealth for survival

Combat isn’t always an option in Townfall, and often you’ll have to sneak past enemies to survive. Ducking behind objects like fences, signs, and parked cars with Circle allows you to slip by many enemies unnoticed. You can also hold R1 and use the right analog stick to lean around corners or peek over the top of cover to see where enemies are so you can better avoid them — or scare yourself when you realize just how close they are.

Running and hiding

No matter how sneaky you are, sometimes, you just have to run for it. You can sometimes lose an enemy just by rounding a corner or ducking behind something, breaking their line of sight. You can also slip inside cabinets, closets, and lockers to hide, where you can watch them through a crack in the door or on the CRTV. But be careful: If an enemy sees you slip into a hiding place, they’ll chase you down and pull you out.

Aiming weapons with motion control

Motion control is one of Townfall’s useful features, which you can enable in its settings menu. This lets you tilt the DualSense controller to aim when using a firearm or throwing an object. Motion control makes it easier to dial in attacks on enemies with extra precision. But it also makes combat more frightening, since it’s tough to hold your controller perfectly still when your hands are shaking in fear.

Dividing your attention

The new first-person gameplay means you’re always worrying about what could be just out of view. When you open a door, you’ll need to quickly check what’s on the other side or risk stumbling into an enemy. Actions as innocuous as rifling through drawers or reading emails on a computer become eerie, since you’re vulnerable to monsters that may be shuffling around you. Even using your map (by hitting Triangle) causes you to hold it up in front of your face, robbing you of the ability to see what’s sneaking up on you.

Searching your environment for clues

Townfall’s first-person view makes puzzles more engaging but also more dangerous. With a more intimate perspective, you can search the environments around you for clues like notes left on desks or diagrams hidden in drawers. But that also means you often need to scour rooms and buildings for the information, and with creatures often stalking around in search of Simon, you’ll have to watch your back.

Getting a glimpse of Simon’s inner life

The first-person perspective isn’t all about scares. It also gives you a deeper look into Simon’s psyche at certain points. Rather than Simon speaking his thoughts aloud, you’ll sometimes see text appear over the screen to give you a sense of his inner monologue, bringing you a little closer to the character and giving you a sense of how he’s affected by what he’s seeing. For example, he might think “I feel sick…” when seeing something unsettling.

With Silent Hill’s first big foray into first-person, Townfall provides plenty of scares as you make your way through the frightening fog of St. Amelia. You can feel the fear for yourself when Silent Hill: Townfall launches on September 24 on PlayStation 5.

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Welcome to The World’s Game: EA Sports FC 27 Early Access Trial with EA Play Available Today

XboxBot — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 22:00:02 GMT

The EA Sports FC 27 10-hour EA Play trial is now available on XBOX Series X|S, XBOX One, and XBOX on PC for Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass members. If members decide to buy, their progress carries over to the full game, so they can pick up the season right where they left off.

Members can also save up to 10% on the full game, FC Points, and other EA digital purchases. Plus, lock in recurring member rewards like Ultimate Team Draft Tokens and more.

Experience unrivaled authenticity and feel greater control in every mode as community-driven innovations deliver more true-to-football gameplay. Score in-game rewards like Ultimate Team Draft Tokens and more. Discover community-inspired gameplay improvements and greater control in every match. Welcome to The World’s Game.

What’s new in FC 27?

A New Way to Play – The Grounds (XBOX Series X|S only) invites you to meet, play, and recruit new Club members while competing across a variety of football activities, from fast-paced Kickabouts to small-sided 2v2 matches and Clubs-only 11v11 stadium tournaments. Explore three distinct districts shaped by football culture, build relationships with renowned football mentors, and develop your game on and off the pitch.

Community Driven Gameplay – Attack with greater fluidity through improved spatial awareness and intelligent curved runs as teammates better recognize space and passing intent. New off-balance dribbling maintains momentum through physical challenges, rewarding skillful control in one-on-one situations. Redesigned set pieces offer real-time control over positioning and attacking intent, while a new two-player header system delivers more competitive aerial battles.

Football Ultimate Team Gallery – Immortalize your dream club in Football Ultimate Team with the all-new Gallery. Curate and grade Sets of past and present Player Items across clubs, leagues, nations, and FUT campaigns to increase your Gallery Level, earn rewards, and build your Club’s identity throughout the season.

Rebuilt Transfer Market (Career) – Sign your next star in Manager Career with a fully rebuilt Transfer Market that’s faster, smarter, and more dynamic than ever. Player values are influenced by club buying power, player potential, ratings, and form to deliver greater realism.

Members can get 2 new items for The Grounds in EA Sports FC 27

There’s a fresh look waiting in The Grounds (XBOX Series X|S only). Jump in and hit the streets before Dec 1 to claim your EA Play member reward.

To learn more about EA Play, check out X and Instagram, or visit here. For more details on all the EA Play member benefits this month, visit the EA Play Member Benefits site. Conditions, limitations and exclusions apply. See EA Play Terms for details.

Members can experience the world of EA with unlimited access to a collection of top titles, trials of select new games, in-game member rewards, 10% on EA digital purchases and more.

EA SPORTS FC 27 Ultimate Edition XBOX One & XBOX Series X|S

Electronic Arts

☆☆☆☆☆
274

★★★★★

$99.99

$89.99

Get it now

Pre-order‡ EA SPORTS FC 27 Ultimate Edition to get:

– Up to 7 days Early Access
– Season 1 Premium Pass
– FUT 93+ OVR ICON Player Item (untradeable) for FC 26 (sold separately)
– FUT Player Dribbling Evo for FC 26 (sold separately)
– Career Dynamic OVR Pre-season Boost

Ultimate Edition also features:
– 6,000 FC Points over 3 months††
– FUT Player Evo slot
– 5 Manager Live Challenge Creation Slots
– 5-Star Senior Scout in Manager Career

Plus all Standard Edition Career and The Grounds‡‡ content.

†† You must complete the steps to obtain the initial FC Points distribution by August 1, 2027 to receive all 6,000 FC Points. If you redeem after September 26, 2027, you will not receive any FC Points.

EA SPORTS FC 27 includes XBOX One & XBOX Series X|S versions.

Welcome to The World’s Game in EA SPORTS FC 27.

Step into The Grounds‡‡, a social football playground where the streets meet the stadium. From Kickabouts and 1v1s to teaming up with friends in Clubs, connect with renowned football mentors, improve your abilities, and express yourself on and off the pitch.
Feel greater control in every game mode with more fluid, true-to-life gameplay, featuring dynamic corners, enhanced attacking awareness, player-focused defending tailored for competitive play, and more community-driven innovations.
Sign your next star in Manager Career through a rebuilt Transfer Market with realistic player values and active club bidding. Master new negotiation tactics, including performance and buy-back clauses, as Dynamic OVRs reflect player form, morale, and fitness across every club.
Immortalise your dream club in Football Ultimate Team with the brand-new FUT Gallery. Curate your favourite Player Items to grow your Gallery Level, earn rewards, and build your Club’s identity throughout the new football season.
Experience unrivalled authenticity in EA SPORTS FC 27, with match data from the world’s top leagues powering 21,000+ licensed players.

‡‡The Grounds mode, including Clubs, only available on Xbox Series X|S version.

This game includes optional in-game purchases of virtual currency that can be used to acquire virtual in-game items, including a random selection of virtual in-game items.

‡ Conditions & restrictions apply. See ea.com/games/ea-sports-fc/fc-27/game-disclaimers for details.

Conditions & restrictions apply. See ea.com/legal/legal-disclosures for details.

FC Points purchase & Ultimate Edition are not available in Belgium and South Korea.

Audio commentary for languages other than English and the console-settings language requires a separate download.

© 2026 Electronic Arts Inc. Electronic Arts, EA, EA SPORTS, the EA SPORTS logo, EA SPORTS FC, the EA SPORTS FC logo, Football Ultimate Team, and FUT are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc.

EA SPORTS FC 27 Standard Edition XBOX One & XBOX Series X|S

Electronic Arts

☆☆☆☆☆
277

★★★★★

$69.99

$62.99

Pre-order

Pre-order‡ EA SPORTS FC 27 Standard Edition to get:

– Football Ultimate Team 92+ OVR ICON Player Item (untradeable) for EA SPORTS FC 26 (sold separately)

The Grounds content ‡‡:
– The Grounds Signature Sweatsuit
– Tier 3 Amp inspired by Mbappe
– 2 Double AXP for 10 Matches Consumables

Career content:
– Pre-order Challenges
– 3 ICONs/Heroes
– 5-Star Coach available for hire in Manager Career
– 5-Star Youth Scout available for hire in Manager Career

Welcome to The World’s Game in EA SPORTS FC 27.

Step into The Grounds‡‡, a social football playground where the streets meet the stadium. From Kickabouts and 1v1s to teaming up with friends in Clubs, connect with renowned football mentors, improve your abilities, and express yourself on and off the pitch.
Feel greater control in every game mode with more fluid, true-to-life gameplay, featuring dynamic corners, enhanced attacking awareness, player-focused defending tailored for competitive play, and more community-driven innovations.
Sign your next star in Manager Career through a rebuilt Transfer Market with realistic player values and active club bidding. Master new negotiation tactics, including performance and buy-back clauses, as Dynamic OVRs reflect player form, morale, and fitness across every club.
Immortalise your dream club in Football Ultimate Team with the brand-new FUT Gallery. Curate your favourite Player Items to grow your Gallery Level, earn rewards, and build your Club’s identity throughout the new football season.
Experience unrivalled authenticity in EA SPORTS FC 27, with match data from the world’s top leagues powering 21,000+ licensed players.

‡‡The Grounds mode, including Clubs, only available on Xbox Series X|S version.

This game includes optional in-game purchases of virtual currency that can be used to acquire virtual in-game items, including a random selection of virtual in-game items.

Conditions & restrictions apply. See ea.com/legal/legal-disclosures for details.

‡Conditions & restrictions apply. See ea.com/games/ea-sports-fc/fc-27/game-disclaimers for details.

FC Points purchase is not available in Belgium and South Korea.

Audio commentary for languages other than English and the console-settings language requires a separate download.

© 2026 Electronic Arts Inc. Electronic Arts, EA, EA SPORTS, the EA SPORTS logo, EA SPORTS FC, the EA SPORTS FC logo, Football Ultimate Team, and FUT are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc.

The post Welcome to The World’s Game: EA Sports FC 27 Early Access Trial with EA Play Available Today appeared first on XBOX Wire.

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Share of the Week: Seasons

PlayStationBot — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 19:30:11 GMT

Last week, we asked you to celebrate the seasons using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here are this week’s highlights:

FlamingHobo666shares a golden bird flying across a spring field in Ghost of Yōtei

gh_holy_mashshares fallen autumn leaves in Onimusha: Way of the Sword

raphxander_shares the castle covered in winter snow in Hogwarts Legacy

RhodWulfLeonshares yellow flowers blooming in Horizon Forbidden West

John_Varela_Rshares Lara ice-picking her way up a mountainside in Rise of the Tomb Raider

JDanny7_VPshares a summer evening on the water in Red Dead Redemption 2

Search #PSshare #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see more entries to this week’s theme, or be inspired by other great games featuring Photo Mode. Want to be featured in the next Share of the Week?

THEME: Marvel’s Wolverine
SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on September 23, 2026

Next week, unleash ferocious shares from Marvel’s Wolverine using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.

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How Remedies Shape Progression in Hela: Of Mice & Magic

XboxBot — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 16:30:38 GMT

We’re excited to share that Hela: Of Mice & Magic will be coming to XBOX Game Pass on day one when it launches on December 1, 2026. To celebrate, we’re taking a closer look at one of the game’s core progression systems: Brewing & Remedies.

Every good witch’s workshop has a few essentials: a bubbling cauldron, all sorts of curious ingredients, and an ancient recipe book filled with magical brews.

In Hela: Of Mice & Magic, brewing has all of those things. But it’s also much more than a crafting system.

As tiny mouse familiars helping a kind-hearted witch care for the world around her, players spend much of their adventure exploring forests, meadows, and wetlands inspired by the landscapes of Northern Sweden. Players will come across native plants and other magical ingredients scattered throughout the landscape. Everything they collect eventually finds its way back to the witch’s cottage. That’s where brewing begins.

Every Recipe Is an Experience

Rather than selecting an item from a crafting menu, brewing in Hela is designed as an interactive process.

Each recipe follows its own set of instructions, combining different ingredients with a series of hands-on actions and asking for a specific sequence of steps before the brew can succeed.

No two recipes play exactly the same, encouraging players to engage with the process rather than simply collecting resources and pressing a button.

From the beginning, we wanted brewing to feel like an authentic experience in the witch’s workshop, one where curiosity and experimentation are just as important as gathering the right ingredients.

Brewing Drives Exploration

Brewing isn’t separate from exploration. It’s what gives exploration purpose. Every ingredient you gather has the potential to unlock something useful once you return home.

Some brews help the woodland creatures and communities you’ll meet throughout your journey. Others improve your own abilities. But perhaps the most important creations are magical tools known as Remedies.

Unlocking New Ways to Explore

Remedies expand how players move through the environment, solve puzzles, overcome obstacles and interact with each other.

As your collection grows, familiar places begin to reveal new possibilities. A path that once seemed unreachable might suddenly become accessible. A puzzle that appeared impossible earlier in the adventure can now be approached from an entirely new angle.

Instead of just making players more powerful, Remedies are designed to encourage them to look at familiar places in new ways.

Better Together

Like much of Hela, Remedies become even more playful in co-op.

Playing together encourages experimentation, as players combine different tools and approaches to overcome environmental challenges. While every puzzle can be completed solo, cooperative play often leads to unexpected moments as players combine their abilities in creative ways.

Some of our favorite moments come from discovering creative solutions we never explicitly thought of to try.

A World Built on Curiosity

At its heart, Brewing & Remedies reflect the philosophy behind Hela itself.

You’ll spend a lot of time wandering off the path. Spotting an unusual flower. Following a stream. Wondering whether that strange plant has a use. Those small discoveries are what keep the adventure moving.

Brewing is only one piece of the adventure waiting in Hela: Of Mice & Magic, but it captures the spirit of the game. We look forward to sharing more as we get closer to launch, and can’t wait to welcome Xbox players into Hela when it arrives on XBOX Series X|S and Game Pass on December 1, 2026.

Hela: of Mice & Magic

Knights Peak

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Tiny Heroes Embark On A Big Adventure In 'Hela: of Mice and Magic'

See the world through the eyes of a brave little mouse in this enchanting 3D co-op adventure. Explore breathtaking landscapes inspired by Northern Sweden, solve puzzles, and be a force for good in a land where heartwarming storytelling and the beauty of nature intertwine.

When the world begins to fall out of tune and the kind witch who has long protected it grows ill, her familiars embark on a journey to restore harmony to the land and help her shoulder the burden she can no longer carry alone. Playing as a tiny, intrepid mouse, you’ll venture into the wild, gather ingredients, brew magical potions, and lend a helping paw wherever it’s needed.

Journey Together

Hela: of Mice and Magic encourages you to work hand-in-hand to overcome the challenges that lie ahead. Play solo, with a friend in local split-screen, or with up to four players in online co-op as you explore vibrant vistas together, from rugged mountains trails, through magical forests, to tranquil lakes.

Even when playing alone, you can experience the full adventure thanks to the Shade System, which lets you create magical copies of yourself to help solve puzzles and interact with the world. However you choose to play, the entire journey is open to you.

Explore Freely

The world of Hela is built to be explored at your own pace. Wander off the beaten path, experiment with playful interactions, and uncover story fragments scattered across the landscape.

Immerse yourself in this enchanting world as you glide through the air, collect items, solve puzzles, and find creative ways to navigate a world where everyday objects become grand adventures.

Meet Froggy

Your magical froggy backpack is your constant companion. Use Froggy to interact with the world, collect resources, solve environmental puzzles, and discover playful new ways to explore the landscape around you.

The post How Remedies Shape Progression in Hela: Of Mice & Magic appeared first on XBOX Wire.

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Control Resonant: How Remedy is going bigger and weirder with its paranatural horror sequel on September 24

PlayStationBot — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 15:30:09 GMT

Control was just the beginning. The paranatural realm established in Remedy Entertainment’s sci-fi action adventure thriller gets a full sequel in Control Resonant on PlayStation 5, which leaves the confines of the mysterious Oldest House and ventures into a world of terrifying entities, mind-bending cityscapes, and an unfairly incarcerated man with incredible abilities who just wants to find his sister.

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I went hands-on with the full game ahead of its September 24 launch to discover how strange things really get in a warped and broken Manhattan. Spoiler: weird doesn’t even cover it, in the best possible way.

A story which resonates

Not familiar with Control? Never fear – Resonant has a handy recap trailer to get you up to speed, told from the perspective of the first game’s protagonist, Jesse. And given her younger brother is only just discovering this new, unfamiliar world, he’s the perfect vessel for any exposition you need to understand the game’s story.

Control Resonant keeps the surreal, horror tinged sci-fi tone of the first game, but amps it up with a powerful tale of people who fall through society’s cracks. This doesn’t refer to just Dylan, but also other characters who have been discarded or deemed unworthy. It’s an emotional theme reflected through Dylan’s relationship with Jesse, and his handler Zoe, but you’re given the chance to make your mark on Dylan’s shy personality by choosing some of his dialogue in specific conversations.

In fact, one of my favourite elements of Control Resonant’s tale are the optional mini-quests where Dylan can recreate a scene based on a memory or childhood thought using relevant objects in the environment. In one instance, through rescuing a couple of inanimate cats, I crafted a feline picnic area that Dylan drew, speaking to a part of his tragically lost childhood.

The reluctant hero

In contrast to the confident and determined Jesse, Dylan is shy and hesitant, in part due to spending years both in a coma and incarcerated by the FBC. But as a fascinating counterbalance, Dylan’s powers give him far more mobility than his older sister, which is appropriate given he has the larger environment of Manhattan to explore, full of wide streets, high rooftops, and even gravity distorted Inception-like areas where the city has folded in and on top of itself.

Holding down the X button elevates Dylan high enough to reach the summit of some of the city’s shorter buildings after a double jump, and a tap of the Circle-mapped dodge button lets him air dash. And by pressing Circle twice, Dylan can also dash so quickly he leaves an afterimage trail in his wake. That’s not to mention the unlockable traversal abilities gained via ‘Jesse Quests’, like the super handy Reach grappling hook.

All of which is essential when it comes to surviving encounters with the freakish Hiss entities that roam the city. But what makes Dylan relatable is that despite his vast power, he possesses a childlike awkwardness that grounds his interactions. Even when using his impressive abilities, he staggers, wobbles, and even clumsily topples over after long falls; a stark contrast to the typical 3-point stance ‘superhero landings’ we’re all used to.

Combat tailored to your style

When it comes to combat, Control Resonant doesn’t spare your mistakes. Much like its predecessor, aimlessly lurching into fights quickly results in a blood-red game over screen. Dylan’s paranatural abilities are far more melee slanted than Jesse’s, which means battles against the Hiss are often face-to-face (that’s when they actually possess a face), and require a lot of dodging, and quick, powerful and precise strikes.

While using a bus shelter, abandoned trucks and other parts of the Manhattan environment as cover is a big part of keeping Dylan alive, his offensive capabilities and combos are key. Control Resonant’s dense and versatile upgrade paths for the disarmingly charismatic protagonist are central to Dylan’s entire range of attacks.

The first and secondary forms of his shapeshifting Aberrant weapon can be enhanced with status effects including burn and infect, as well as perks such as better cooldowns and increased damage to combo finishers. Further to that, Dylan’s bonus Combat Ability can change up your tactics as well, whether it’s a shield, a barrage of projectiles, or an ally formed via ambient junk in the environment, each featuring some nice resistance on the Adaptive Triggers to give them a sense of physical weight.

Combat Abilities consume Power, which can be regained via melee attacks, so conflict is all about strategy, balance and using L3 as much as possible to activate chainable execution moves on stunned foes.

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With a default of six total first and secondary Aberrant to choose from, there are dozens of loadout combinations to personalise Dylan with, which can be unlocked, changed and tested by visiting the mysterious Gap, a limbo-like hub accessible by holding down on the Directional buttons. Add that to the choices available in the multiple skill trees, and Control Resonant expands massively on the combat options of its precursor.

Missions for all types of player

Although the substantial and twisted Manhattan is yours to explore, Control Resonant isn’t quite an open world. True, it’s a shift from Jesse’s adventure through the office building confines of the FBC headquarters, , but the game smartly gives you digestible and focused sandboxes to explore, aided by a variety of mission objectives. These ranged from being combat driven, such as clearing an area of Hiss or investigating a missing person, to helping construct and fixing a machine, with Zoe’s radio chatter audible via the DualSense Controller’s speaker during relevant tasks.

Handily, the game also lets you prioritise your missions, so I not only had the choice to progress the main story, but also focus on searching for Jesse or engaging in side stories. There are even arcade cabinets to unlock in each zone, where you can reward Dylan’s skills via timed challenges.

The openness doesn’t reduce the horror and thriller elements that made the first game so memorable, either. There are plenty of disturbing and creepy moments that sometimes even heavily shudder the DualSense Controller – from hallucinatory jump scare visions and sudden booming announcements from The Board, to reality warping taxis and the ground-shaking arrival of misshapen enemies that had me thinking twice about my choices. Actually, while I’m on the subject…

The Resonants are deeply unsettling

Control is well known for its Brutalist inspired architecture and unforgettable art design, which carries over here, but things get delightfully weird with its Resonants, the often colossal and intimidating boss encounters. The first one was a giant porcelain doll’s face using taxis and girders to bludgeon Dylan, and things only became more unpredictable from there. Another confrontation surprised me entirely by not being a traditional boss fight at all. I won’t spoil it here, but you’ll know it when you see it.

A PS5 must-play

There’s so much to discover in Control Resonant that, like Dylan, your world will be constantly flipped and challenged, and you’ll enjoy every moment. Prepare to enter one of the most surreal adventures of 2026 when it hits PS5 on September 24.

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Next Week on XBOX: New Games for September 21 to 25

XboxBot — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 14:00:30 GMT

CONTROL Resonant

Remedy Entertainment

☆☆☆☆☆
33

★★★★★

$59.99

Pre-order

CONTROL Resonant – September 24
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S / XBOX Play Anywhere

After years in confinement at the hands of the Federal Bureau of Control (FBC), Dylan Faden emerges into a warped Manhattan at the peak of a paranatural crisis. Charged with combating a mysterious cosmic entity as it alters fundamental aspects of our reality, Dylan must harness his new-found powers to take the fight to the myriad threats overwhelming Manhattan. Join Dylan in this sequel to the multi-award-winning CONTROL to explore the expansive zones of a city overrun by the corrupting influences of the chaotic Hiss, invasive micro-organism, the Mold, and other twisted paranatural threats.

Dune: Awakening

Funcom

☆☆☆☆☆
186

★★★★★

$49.99

$39.99

Pre-order

Dune: Awakening – September 22
Game Pass / Optimized for XBOX Series X|S

Dune: Awakening is a single- and multiplayer Open World Survival game with immersive adventure and RPG gameplay. Explore, build, craft, and unravel a cinematic Dune story as you rise from survival to greatness on the most legendary planet in the universe. Discover a dynamic and immersive Arrakis, from the rolling sand dunes of the Deep Desert to hidden Fremen caves and the bustling city streets of Arrakeen. Play alone in full single-player, multiplayer with friends on a shared server, or with hundreds of other players on a public server. The full game, with all its features, content and story, is available regardless of which mode you choose.

EA SPORTS FC 27 XBOX Series X|S

Electronic Arts

☆☆☆☆☆
274

★★★★★

Get it now

Free Trial

EA SPORTS FC 27 – September 25
Smart Delivery

Step into The Grounds, a social football playground where the streets meet the stadium. From Kickabouts and 1v1s to teaming up with friends in Clubs, connect with renowned football mentors, improve your abilities, and express yourself on and off the pitch. Feel greater control in every game mode with more fluid, true-to-life gameplay, featuring dynamic corners, enhanced attacking awareness, player-focused defending tailored for competitive play, and more community-driven innovations.

Graveyard Keeper 2

tinyBuild

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Graveyard Keeper 2 – September 22
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S

You are the Grand Inquisitor now! Restore the town and lead your undead army into battle to save the realm from a zombie apocalypse. Welcome to Graveyard Keeper 2 – the sequel to the original, unhinged classic! Build and manage your own medieval graveyard. Harvest as much flora, fauna, and human remains as you can to build extraordinary machinery, automate production, and expand your graveyard for pure profit.

Alien Breed 35th Anniversary

Commodore

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$24.99

Pre-order

Alien Breed 35^th Anniversary – September 24
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S / Smart Delivery / XBOX Play Anywhere

35 years ago, this station initiated blackout protocols, burying the first era of Intex’s xeno operations. Your objective – Infiltrate the station, get power and system systems back online, uncover the last, complete archive of original redacted documents, first-person combat firefights and classified secrets. Archive footage and the all-new Horde Mode training will equip you with the skills you will need to survive. When you’re ready, deploy across six core original campaigns as a lone-wolf, with locally assigned personnel, or alongside remote operators connected through a direct peer-to-peer uplink.

BLACKSHARD

Desarrollo Bromio S.C.

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

BLACKSHARD – September 22
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S

BLACKSHARD is a visual and narrative experience, a dreamlike journey into uncharted liminal spaces. You will roam strange places, endless corridors and unreal architectures, encountering mysterious figures that have been forgotten for ages. Explore a unique semi-open world and find your own way through the Labyrinth. Find shards of memory from those who came before. Accept the order of things or choose a different path. Interact with your environment to transform the Labyrinth with unspeakable powers, or preserve its cold complexity.

Garfield – Escape From Monday

Microids

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$29.99

Pre-order

Garfield – Escape From Monday – September 23
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S / XBOX Play Anywhere

Wake up Garfield from this nightmarish veggie filled 3D Platformer! The laziest cat is about to work hard in Garfield – Escape from Monday! When you’re a lazy cat spending most of his time sleeping, having a nightmare can happen. But a nightmare full of vegetables and sugar-free candies, no way! After Jon fed him spinach lasagnas inspired by Chef Monday’s recipe, Garfield falls into a deep sleep… To wake up and reactivate his taste buds, the laziest cat in the world will have to explore worlds filled with enemies and eat a gigantic deal of lasagnas!

Bubble Stomp (Xbox Series)

Afil Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Bubble Stomp – September 22
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S

Get ready for an adventure packed with jumps, explosions, and creativity in Bubble Stomp! Here, every obstacle is an opportunity to test your skills and discover new ways to move through stages filled with exciting platforming challenges. Use temporary bubbles, Ground Pound, and cannons to reach impossible places, cross dangerous areas, and overcome increasingly challenging obstacles. Combine these mechanics in unexpected ways to create new paths, gain momentum, defeat enemies, and reach the final objective.

Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked

Resolution Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$29.99

Pre-order

Demeo X Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked – September 22
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S / XBOX Play Anywhere

Experience the magic of Dungeons & Dragons like never before in this tactical, cooperative digital board game set in Forgotten Realms. Command your heroes, unravel sinister plots and forge mighty alliances in turn-based combat and choice-based storytelling. From recognizable settings and classic D&D classes – like paladin, sorcerer, ranger, fighter, bard, and rogue – to fiery explosions and divine healing, Battlemarked delivers quick, pick-up-and-play action for players of every level.

Gunstoppable

CAGE Studios

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Gunstoppable – September 22

The speed limit is infinity. The faster you move, the harder you hit. Grapple, slide, wall-run, and rail-grind to build momentum. Dodge bullet-hell barrages with wild movement tech and perfectly timed parries. Rip through robots in style to rack up views as your rampage goes viral worldwide in a fully-voiced story campaign.

VORON: Raven’s Story (Xbox Series X|S)

Sometimes You

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$9.99

$7.99

Pre-order

Free Trial

VORON: Raven’s Story – September 22
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S

In this story-driven adventure, you are the raven from the pages of Norse legends. Fly, explore an open world, uncover its secrets, solve puzzles, save souls, and help your family. Caw! After death, every soul must reach the World of Gods – that’s the law. But what if a soul can’t leave the Human World? In such cases, ravens guide the lost – and now it’s your duty. On your path to the World of Gods, you and your family are attacked by an ancient evil force and separated. Help each soul, learn their stories, discover why they’re trapped, find your loved one, and reach the World of Gods before the world ends.

Well Dweller

Top Hat Studios, Inc.

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Well Dweller – September 22
Game Pass / Optimized for XBOX Series X|S / Smart Delivery / XBOX Play Anywhere

Deep within the forest, at the bottom of a well, lives the only creature brave enough to kill the queen… WELL DWELLER is a dark fairy-tale metroidvania made by the creators of Crypt Custodian and Islets! Play as Glimmer – a tiny bird armed with a matchstick- who must burn the wicked queen to save his family. Explore a dark fairy-tale landscape and befriend the charming characters who reside in the kingdom’s underbelly. Battle terrifying beasts and gain new abilities to expand your map. Solve puzzles, discover secrets, and unravel the mysteries that lie in this rotted kingdom.

Bibi & Tina – Ready, Set, Ride!

Markt+Technik Verlag GmbH

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$19.99

Pre-order

Bibi & Tina – Ready, Set, Ride! – September 23
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S / Smart Delivery / XBOX Play Anywhere

A summer full of friendship, tournament excitement and horse-filled happiness! No sooner has Bibi returned to Martin’s Farm than the next big adventure awaits: the Summer Cup is starting at Falkenstein Castle. Together with Tina and Alex, you compete in exciting riding disciplines – and show what friendship, fairness and a little bit of witchcraft can make possible.

BIRDCAGE

Eastasiasoft Limited

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

BIRDCAGE – September 23
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S / Smart Delivery / XBOX Play Anywhere

Break free of your cage and protect humanity from certain destruction in old-school shoot’em up style! BIRDCAGE is an arcade-style vertical scrolling shoot’em up inspired by genre classics, blending gritty pixel art sprites with 2.5D backdrops and a pumping retro soundtrack! Blast through 6 unique stages of bullet hell mayhem, facing off against enemy swarms using multiple shot types and rechargeable specials.

I Hear Them (Xbox Series X|S)

Sometimes You

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$9.99

$7.99

Pre-order

Free Trial

I Hear Them – September 23
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S

You hear scurrying in the ceiling. You hear scratching in the walls. Your house is infested with rats, and it’s your job to get rid of them. Catch rats with the help of your best friend, Lola, and uncover the supernatural mysteries behind their gatherings inside your new home. I Hear Them is a first-person horror game where you team up with the family cat and try to clear the infestation of rats in your new home. Set in early 2008, explore an atmospheric house while unveiling supernatural secrets about the creatures running around in the walls.

Lawn Mowing Simulator 2

Skyhook Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Lawn Mowing Simulator 2 – September 23
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S / XBOX Play Anywhere

Lawn Mowing Simulator 2 (LMS2) is the sequel to Lawn Mowing Simulator, which builds on the rewarding working-sim feel of the original. Listening to community feedback, and internal reflections, LMS2 will offer an expanded take on professional lawn care and use real-world equipment from manufacturer partners Kubota, SCAGⓇ and STIGA! The brand-new USA setting and completely new grass tech will allow players to get the best cut ever! Not only that, but new mowers and string trimmers will be included, as well as much requested leaf blowers!

Nomori

Enchanted Works

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$19.99

Pre-order

Nomori – September 23
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S / Smart Delivery / XBOX Play Anywhere

Challenge your understanding of the world’s physical limits. Place, shift, and rotate portals to change the gravity direction of objects and even yourself. Make clever use of portals to reach new places, and make every surface a floor! Use your Spirit Powers to further influence the world around you. Control the flow of time and rotate the forces of gravity to solve mind-bending environmental puzzles!

2048 Battles – Sylvan Sirens

EpiXR Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$4.99

Pre-order

2048 Battles – Sylvan Sirens – September 24
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S

2048 Battles – Sylvan Sirens puts an enchanting spin on the classic 2048 puzzle formula! Slide tiles to combine matching numbers and launch devastating attacks against a coven of woodland foes. Fight your way through alluring sirens, spell-weaving forest witches, and majestic fae queens—each wielding wild nature magic and a flair for the dramatic.

Ancient Farm

Ultimate Games S.A.

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$14.99

$13.49

Pre-order

Ancient Farm – September 24
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S

Plow, plant, water, and harvest as you build your ancient Egyptian farm from the ground up. Start with nothing and unlock workshops, production buildings, and temples through your own hard work. Ancient Farm is a hands-on farming experience set in ancient Egypt. Begin with empty land and basic tools—no automation, no shortcuts. Every field, building, and harvest is created by you as you transform barren land into a thriving farm.

Beer Manufacture Simulator

Games Incubator S.A.

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$11.99

$10.19

Pre-order

Beer Manufacture Simulator – September 24
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S / XBOX Play Anywhere

Start small with basic tools and a simple recipe, then expand step by step. Turn a passion for craft beer into a thriving business, managing every stage of the brewing process and transforming your tiny workshop into a bustling beer manufactory. Experience brewing like never before. Mash the grains, boil the hops, cool the wort, ferment the beer, and finally bottle or keg your creation. Each stage affects the final product, ensuring that patience, timing, and attention to detail really matter.

Farming Camp

SOEDESCO

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Farming Camp – September 24
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S / XBOX Play Anywhere

Farming Camp is a cozy, single-player farm management game that follows the journey of an ambitious teenager competing to become the best farmer in the camp. Manage your farm alongside your companions, complete chores for points, and deal with the dynamics of a colorful cast in their teenage years. Step into the boots of young Alessandra, before she became the renowned Evertree Farmer. Experience her life at the Evertree Farming Camp where it all began. Learn the ropes and face the fun and chaos of camp life.

Fit and Grow (Xbox Series)

Afil Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Fit and Grow – September 24
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S

Get ready to get your hands dirty and let your creativity bloom in Fit and Grow, a relaxing puzzle game where every planted piece can completely transform the board! Here, seeds and watering cans work together to create something bigger. Place the pieces carefully, make the plants grow, and watch as they expand into new spaces across the board. But be careful: the more your plants grow, the less space remains for your next moves. Planning the right moment to plant and water will be essential to finding the perfect solution!

Heroes of Magic & Cards

Forever Entertainment S.A.

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Heroes of Magic & Cards – September 24
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Heroes of Magic & Cards is an inventive deckbuilding poker roguelike that rewards both careful buildcrafting and poker skills. Choose your class and chart your path across the world, from encounter to encounter, upgrading your deck, collecting relics, and refining your tactics to take down powerful bosses, earning powerful rewards!

Kalanoro

New Tales

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Kalanoro – September 24
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S / XBOX Play Anywhere

A world inspired by Madagascar’s folklore. Once a paradise, it now suffers under the witch Raneny’s ruthless rule. Having grown tired of exploiting its people, she decided to host a huge concert with the island’s most famous band. You’re sent on a mission to fight back by rallying legendary musicians to your cause!

Laundering Simulator

Ritual Interactive

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Laundering Simulator – September 24
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S / XBOX Play Anywhere

Run your own forgery workshop with a laundromat as its front! Believe it or not, but Eddie Wiser is a clever manager and a brilliant inventor. Laundering Simulator revolves around him combining his talents to start a laundering operation… for both clothes and money. And you get to help him with his little project…

Owlen and the Starbound Mountain

EpiXR Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$9.99

Pre-order

Owlen and the Starbound Mountain – September 24
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S

Venture into a realm of towering ice peaks, shimmering frost, and skies so high they brush the stars. As Owlen, you glide above frozen cliffs, drifting clouds, and ancient structures built into the mountain’s heart. Guided by distant spirits, your mission is to restore harmony by flying through magical circles that awaken frozen landscapes, rekindle star-touched flora, and breathe life back into forgotten heights.

PUPU's Adventure Park

Happy Player

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$14.99

Pre-order

PUPU’s Adventure Pack – September 24
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S

Run a fantasy theme park where heroes get to play adventurer!

The Relic: First Guardian

Perp Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

The Relic: First Guardian – September 24
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S – XBOX Play Anywhere

Created by a small and passionate core team of a dozen people, Project Cloud Games has created a fresh new take on combat, with a heavy emphasis on balancing action and vulnerability, their unique, dark, and gritty spin on classic Korean stories has been in the making for six years. Traverse a vast, interconnected realm filled with forgotten ruins, hidden dungeons, and atmospheric landscapes. The world of Arsilthus rewards curious Guardians who venture off the beaten path with ancient artifacts, secret encounters, and pieces of lost lore buried deep within its ruined regions.

Sandwalkers

Red Art Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Sandwalkers – September 24
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Every decade, the Mka tribe sends caravans of adventurers into the Phithi, the meteorological chaos that keeps the Uwando tribes isolated from each other and makes life outside the refuges almost impossible. Their mission: to establish diplomatic and trade relations, to explore and reclaim the lands left to the mercy of monsters and pirates, and, most importantly, to plant a new tree city that can become a refuge for the Mka and their allies. Regardless of the success or failure of their mission, the caravans must send the memories they have gained back to the capital, using the crystospheres carried by traveling beetles.

Seafarer: The Ship Sim

astragon Entertainment

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Seafarer: The Sim Ship – September 24
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S / XBOX Play Anywhere

Set sail and build your career at sea in Seafarer: The Ship Sim. Take the helm of various vessels solo or in multiplayer with a crew of up to 4 players, explore a vast open world inspired by Northern Europe, and take on maritime jobs ranging from cargo transport and rescue missions to firefighting, patrols, and unexpected events. In multiplayer, share duties on board, coordinate during missions, and tackle the challenges of life at sea as a crew.

Tiny Tanks Showdown

EpiXR Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$9.99

Pre-order

Tiny Tanks Showdown – September 24
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S

Deafest the enemy tanks while dodging their deadly bullets. Improve your aim and maneuver skill while war itself is trying to end your adventure. Level by level the enemy’s tanks get faster, smarter, and deadlier. Can you make it to the end and defeat their leader?

The Trolley Solution

Take IT Studio! sp. z o. o.

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

The Trolley Solution – September 24
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Philosophers already waste their time and lives thinking about thinking. Why not have fun while doing it? The Trolley Solution is a compilation of minigames based on the famous trolley problem, originally proposed in 1967 by British philosopher Philippa Foot. Put your thinking power to the test through humorous variations of the problem. Unlock a variety of minigames where you can also put your gaming skills to the test. Challenge yourself, gain important and useful philosophical knowledge, and expand your mind!

Retro Cube Slider (Xbox Series)

Sweet Bread Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Retro Cube Slider – September 25
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S

Dozens of engaging single-screen sliding puzzles! Retro goodness! Crazy contraptions to master! Anyone can play Retro Cube Slider, just press the direction button and let the stylish neon cube slide away!

Used Cars Simulator

PlayWay S.A.

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Used Cars Simulator – September 25
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S

Welcome to the world of trading used (or stolen) cars! Got little money and nothing to lose? We were waiting for you! In Used Cars Simulator, you’ll fix up cars, put them up for sale, grow your business in an old shed, drive around an abandoned city, drink beer, and wander the desert with a metal detector. And it all starts when you meet a beautiful woman in a red dress at your favorite bar… Are you in?

Samson – A Tyndalston Story

Liquid Swords

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Samson – A Tyndalston Story – September 21
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S / XBOX Play Anywhere

Samson comes home to the worst streets of Tyndalston, a place that built him hard and never forgave him. Muscle, speed, and nerve decide who stays upright. Close-quarters fights, tight corners, and no room for hesitation. Samson’s debt hangs over everything, and his sister is the pressure point his enemies squeeze. Time is short, and the bill keeps growing.

Fading Echo

New Tales ; Com2Us Holdings

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Fading Echo – September 22
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S / XBOX Play Anywhere

Explore the surreal landscapes of the floating islands of Corel as a young Legend on a quest to discover her past and secure her future. Unleash chain reactions as you learn to control the elements in a fast-paced desert punk action-adventure.

Rivage

Raw Fury AB

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Rivage – September 22
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S / XBOX Play Anyway

In the 25th century, humanity has been forced to expand beyond its solar system. Among the stars, the planet VESTA is discovered, a world that may hold the promise of a new home. To study it, the A.R.E.S. space station is launched into orbit to analyze its potential. But when the station, and the crew, was caught up in a space phenomenon, calamity struck…

THE BATHROOMS

Take IT Studio! sp. z o. o.

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

THE BATHROOMS – September 23
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S

A first-person horror adventure that begins with an ordinary trip to work, until you awaken in a deserted high school swallowed by fog with your Shiba nowhere to be found. After a strange Halloween ritual, the school’s bathrooms have become a shifting labyrinth where every escape has a price, and only enough coins can buy your way out. Search the maze, upgrade your vacuum, evade the relentless Custodian, and decide whether to leave while you still can or risk everything to rescue your faithful companion.

Five Elements Chess

Candleman Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Five Elements Chess – September 24
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Five Elements Chess is a spell-duel game that combines the Five Elements theory and match-three gameplay featuring simple rules, deep strategy, calm, zen-inspired visual style, and a balance of strategy and luck that anyone can enjoy

Such a Guy

NiuGamer

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$19.99

Pre-order

Such a Guy – September 24
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S / XBOX Play Anywhere

A first-person narrative game that blends live-action interactive storytelling with light management gameplay. You play as Zane Zheng, a young man who leaves his city job in search of meaning and, together with two close friends, renovates a lakeside guesthouse by the sea.

Angle Of Attack

Ratalaika Games S.L.

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Angle Of Attack – September 25
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Climb into your state-of-the-art fighter jet and brace yourself for intense 2D fights over sprawling fields, bustling cities, and treacherous seas. From intercepting warheads on the fly to smashing through huge air fortresses, every operation demands razor-sharp reflexes and shooting precision.

Gods With Guns

Mifa Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$9.99

Pre-order

Gods With Guns – September 25
Optimized for XBOX Series X/S / Smart Delivery

Become a Norse myth hero and play as legendary characters like Odin, Thor, Loki, and Hela to fight against Ragnarok. Enjoy fast-paced 2D gunplay with smooth gun handling as you battle through storms of bullets and waves of enemies. Build card combinations to enhance your power and collect cards to strengthen your character and face endless enemies.

Moonlight Chess

Desert Water Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Moonlight Chess – September 25
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S

A turn-based auto-battler tactics game where you build your own army, defeat waves of enemies, and conquer the evil raging across the kingdom. Deploy units on a gridded battlefield. Every unit fights automatically, but the outcome depends entirely on your tactics and positioning.

Roots

Phoenix Reborn Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Roots – September 25
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S

Your grandfather left you a farm and one simple wish: take good care of it. In Roots, bring his old farm back to life. Till the soil, plant seeds, gather resources, and sell your produce to fund your next step. Turn small harvests into thriving fields as you unlock upgrades and expand across islands.

Runes Quest

Xitilon

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Runes Quest – September 25
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S

A sokoban-like game where you help the knight to find the way back home. Lots of game elements: buttons, grates, keys, runes, boxes, pits and traps; 30 levels in total; 2 biomes, light and dark, enhanced by cute graphics and relaxing music.

Vampire Blood Dynasty

GamePoc LTD

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Vampire Blood Dynasty – September 25
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S / XBOX Play Anywhere

Step into the shadows of a modern metropolis where ancient bloodlines wage silent wars for supremacy. As a powerful vampire thrust into a world of political intrigue and supernatural conflict, your choices will shape the destiny of an entire city’s vampire society.

The post Next Week on XBOX: New Games for September 21 to 25 appeared first on XBOX Wire.

More...

Co-op roguelite Shape of Dreams launches today on PS5

PlayStationBot — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 04:30:02 GMT

Hi everyone, PlayStation players! I’m Eunseop Shim, developer at Lizard Smoothie.

I’m thrilled to finally be sharing this news. Shape of Dreams launches today on PlayStation 5, arriving alongside The Starless Path — our 1st Anniversary Update, and the largest update we’ve ever made.

Watch our newly released launch trailer first, then read on to see what’s waiting deep inside the dream world.

Combat and Travelers

Shape of Dreams is fast-paced, spectacular and aggressive. You become one of completely different nine Travelers, and descend deep into the Rapids — a dream world that reshapes itself every time you enter. Once you’ve chosen your Traveler, it’s time to dive into the Rapids.

Memories and Essences

Combat is fast and flashy, but how you take control of the battlefield is entirely yours to decide.

Memories are the core abilities you equip. Essences slot into those Memories and fundamentally rewrite how the ability works.

Take a single-target attack Memory and attach an Essence that chains the ability to nearby enemies, or one that cuts its cooldown every time you land a hit, and it becomes something else entirely — an ability capable of wiping out an entire room. With more than 200 Memories and Essences available, no two runs are the same, and a run isn’t about finding the right answer.

It’s about deciding what to make out of what you’ve found. Digging up wild synergies nobody saw coming — that’s the real heart of this game.

Traveler Memory and Identity Memory

Every Traveler begins with two unique traits at the center of their build: the Traveler Memory, an active skill, and the Identity Memory, a passive. Before each run begins, you pick one of two options in each of these slots. Your choices let you go beyond simply stacking abilities on top and adjust the starting point itself.

Constellation

Every Traveler has their own Constellation to fill in, and progress isn’t lost when a run ends — it accumulates. Travelers who return to the Rapids again and again grow to heights a single descent could never reach. The Starless Path adds new Stars you can slot in.

Four-player co-op

You can play the whole game by yourself, or run it as a four-player online party. In co-op, builds lock into one another: one player freezes enemies while a teammate drives extra damage into the frozen targets, or someone pulls everything into a single point so the rest of the party can sweep it all at once.

Nobody is forced into a fixed role. Four independent builds collide and interlock on the battlefield until they come together into one perfect rhythm.

Cross-play is live at launch. PS5 lobbies are fully unified with PC and other consoles, so you can head straight out with friends without waiting around.

New in The Starless Path

Our largest update ever. Every improvement and piece of new content we’ve forged over the past year alongside more than 1.5 million players on Steam is fully baked into today’s PS5 version.

New Traveler Cetus joins as a ranged frost tank, locking down the battlefield with ice while keeping shields up on himself and everyone around him. If you want to be the reason your party survives a bad map, start with Cetus.

The Way of Stars is a new system where each Traveler’s story is woven together like a constellation. Travelers who reach the depths of the Rapids unlock hidden episodes and illustrations, and face a new ending along with the toughest final boss in the game. On top of that, existing world bosses gain threatening secondary attack patterns, turning out craftier and more lethal behavior at higher difficulties.

Fallen Stars and Faded Memories: A new feature in The Starless Path. The Identity Memory introduced above can now be swapped for one of 6 Universal Identity Memories, rather than being limited to your Traveler’s own. This opens up a completely new progression path for your Traveler!

A year ago, we asked players a single question. Would you risk everything to shape a dream? Today, we finally get to put that question to PlayStation players too.

Thanks for reading — we’ll see you in the Rapids.

More...

Demo Out Now for Clive Barker's Hellraiser Revival

Shawn Zipay — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 21:55:16 GMT

Raise some hell! But only a little bit for now.

A playable demo for Clive Barker's Hellraiser: Revival is now available through Steam. Along with the demo release, a new trailer, Scarlet Church, was also released today. Both of these come a few weeks ahead of the full game release, which is slated for October 8, 2026 on PlayStation 5, XBOX Series X|S, and PC. A Switch 2 release is also happening but won't be available until October 8.

If you can't see the new trailer below, you can always watch it through the Clive Barker's Hellraiser: Revival website.

In the brand-new Steam demo for Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival, players can dive into the mysterious hellscape of the Labyrinth and face off against the wicked Scarlet Church, which has taken the coveted Genesis Configuration into its possession. You'll be introduced to the main characters of the story and their twisted machinations while traversing an ever-shifting realm of nightmares. Discover the basics of combat, crafting and puzzle solving while preparing your body for the complete experience at launch!

The new trailer for Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival peels the skin back further on one of the game's core antagonists: Marlowe and his sacred (or sacrilegious?) Scarlet Church. Backed by an army of unholy priests, deviants, and cultists, Marlowe seeks the Genesis Configuration puzzle box for his own devious ends. With every slice and drop of blood, the Scarlet Church recruits those bold enough – or foolish enough – to covet Hell’s blasphemous temptations and gifts.

Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival is now available to pre-order on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2 for $39.99. The Deluxe Edition is also available to pre-order digitally for $49.99. Players who pre-order either edition of the game will unlock the exclusive in-game Labyrinth Pistol Skin and Martyr Sawblade Skin at launch.

Overwatch w/Devs: Doctrine, Grimsvötn, Reworks, and More | Official XBOX Podcast

XboxBot — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 21:00:08 GMT

On this episode of the Official XBOX Podcast, we’re at BlizzCon and sitting down with the Overwatch team to talk all about Season 5’s newest hero: Doctrine. We’re also diving into the new map Grimsvötn, talking updates to Sombra and Roadhog, and so much more.

TRANSCRIPT

LINA MADRID: Games in this podcast range from E to N.
[ XBOX sound ]
Hey, everyone, welcome to the official XBOX podcast, the only podcast, coming to you from inside XBOX.
I’m Lina, this is Jeff, and we’re here at BlizzCon 2026.
JEFF RUBENSTEIN: In case you didn’t hear the noise behind you — we hear the noise, don’t we?
LINA MADRID: Yeah, yeah.
JEFF RUBENSTEIN: All right, Ben Bell, Aaron Keller, fresh off the stage here at BlizzCon.
Thank you so much for joining us during your Super Bowl weekend.
AARON KELLER: Thank you so much for having us.
BEN BELL: Thank you.
AARON KELLER: Super excited.
JEFF RUBENSTEIN: I would love to talk about this year in general.
Starting with the Overwatch Spotlight at the beginning of the year, from that point forward, it felt like everyone I was talking to, they’d be no, I’ve really gotten back into Overwatch this year.
And then announcement after announcement, new characters, and then sort of peaking here on stage with yet another announcement of both a map and a character.
I’d love to hear, just tell us about the state of Overwatch here as you’re wrapping up 2026.
AARON KELLER: Yeah, we wanted to go big this year, and we had this plan to do all of that early on in our Spotlight event in February.
We announced five new heroes, the return to story to Overwatch.
And since then, every season we’ve released a new hero, we’ve moved the story forward.
And you’re right, it culminated here at BlizzCon 2026 where we announced our ninth hero of the year.
His name is Doctrine, and he has a big part to play in the wrap-up of the whole story that we’ve been telling that’s going to end next season in Season 5.
LINA MADRID: Yeah, I’m very much looking forward to February, the Spotlight, because I loved last Spotlight.
And so, looking forward to kind of what’s coming to Overwatch.
Is there anything that you could maybe share, maybe tease?
I don’t know?
BEN BELL: So, Aaron talked a little bit about Spotlight next year.
And I think first I’d say we want every season to feel big, but we want to blow people away at Spotlight.
And it’s not going to be exactly the same formula as this year, but we’re going to bring some new gameplay, new heroes, things that people want and have asked for, and some things that are really, I think, going to surprise people, and they’re going to be excited by.
The thing about this team is we’re just so focused on players, and like the team is just so passionate about the game.
So, I think we’re going to blow people away.
AARON KELLER: It’s going to be really cool.
BEN BELL: And this is BlizzCon.
So we really wanted to make sure we showed up in a big way.
JEFF RUBENSTEIN: Ben, you mentioned the players.
This is your first BlizzCon, right?
What was it like announcing things in front of them, seeing them immediately jump on and play and enjoy these new characters and that.
BEN BELL: Yeah, it’s really humbling and awesome.
We do this to make people happy and to bring people together.
And I said it on stage, but it’s really true.
It’s totally inspirational to be here and see people out there.
We have this event called Play the Devs and just like seeing the interactions between players and our team, it’s amazing.
So I can’t wait to go down to the floor and see some more of it.
And I can’t wait to be at BlizzCon again in the future.
LINA MADRID: So, for folks who may have just seen the reveal, nothing else, who is Doctrine?
AARON KELLER: Okay, so Doctrine is Overwatch’s take or inspired by a vampire.
And you can kind of see it when you look at him.
And I do think when Overwatch is at its best, when we’re making our best heroes, you can look at them and just kind of understand what that fantasy is supposed to be.
You can take a look at Reinhardt, this medieval knight, or Mercy, who is like an angel.
And I think Doctrine kind of fits in with all of some of those greatest hits that we’ve made over the years.
And Doctrine is a support hero, which is maybe a little bit surprising because it’s a vampire and he’s a villain at the same time.
But he’s got this past that really fits in with him being a support and him dealing with the life energy of people.
So that person in that role of being able to decide whether somebody lives or dies is something that is integral to who he is as a character.
JEFF RUBENSTEIN: Do you want to talk to us a little bit about his kit?
We’ve been playing, and he’s got some really unique, very technical things, especially this one ability that can amp up any of his other abilities.
A lot of thinking going on in this character.
AARON KELLER: I think that’s what makes Doctrine so exciting.
So you can look at him and immediately understand the fantasy, but there is a lot of depth to his kit.
So first and foremost, it’s this is a first-person shooter, right?
So his weapon is his scepter, and it can actually both heal allies and damage enemies, but it is a very precise weapon.
So, just at the start, there’s high aim skill involved in playing Doctrine.
He has a dash where he can take reduced damage and get around the level a little bit.
He can send his drone out to allies and it heals them and it speeds up their attacks, but you’re right.
He has this ability that does transform everything else he does, and he actually has multiple charges of it available at any time.
So while there is a lot of skill involved with his other abilities, there’s a strategic element to Doctrine.
There’s a lot of high-level decision-making that you need to be doing because when you transform something like his dash, now you can fly.
So do you need to get to high ground?
Or if you transform his drones, it also speeds up your attacks and it starts healing you.
And if you empower his scepter, now it pierces people; you can finish people off in the back line, if you have enough awareness of what’s happening and can do something like that.
So I think that this is like a very high-skill cap hero when he’s being played right.
JEFF RUBENSTEIN: Very cool.
Alongside Doctrine, as a support main, like eating good, I’m going to get to use Sombra now?
AARON KELLER: Yes!
JEFF RUBENSTEIN: I would love to hear about both that and with Roadhog.
What are you aiming to do?
What are you hoping is the outcome from these reworks?
AARON KELLER: Yeah, so I think with both of those heroes, we’re calling them re-reworks because we have reworked these heroes multiple times over the years.
And one of the reasons why is because their kits have elements of them that are very sharp, that are also integral to the fantasy of who those characters are.
But with Sombra, we’re actually moving her role from DPS to support.
We recognize that we actually have to make a really big change to Sombra in order to get her to work out on the battlefield.
She still keeps her identity, she can still stealth.
She can still hack people’s abilities, but only by ulting now.
But she’s also going to be around the team more.
So if you have a Sombra on your team, you’re going to see the benefit that you get out of her all the time because she’s going to be around you healing you, while still having those moments where she gets to go off and do somber things for a little bit.
And then Roadhog, he’s got an ability now where he can actually absorb damage from the enemy team without just letting it hit his body.
So he can do that and he can absorb all of that.
We’ve also reduced the ability to get his one-shots off.
It’s going to be really difficult to do now, primarily because his primary fire now, it fires in a two-hit cadence.
So it’s boom, boom, to actually do it.
So you’ll pull people in, you can try to hit them with both.
It’s probably not going to take them out, and they have so much more time to actually be able to react to it.
JEFF RUBENSTEIN: Our warriors are going to be able to escape in between.
LINA MADRID: Yeah.
[inaudible]
And then, along with the new hero reveal, there was also a new map that came in.
And you’re going to have to help me with the pronunciation because — BEN BELL: It’s “Grímsvötn.” LINA MADRID: Thank you, Grímsvötn.
AARON KELLER: That’s better than I can do it.
JEFF RUBENSTEIN: Yeah, I can [inaudible]
longer the hardest part.
AARON KELLER: Yeah, right.
LINA MADRID: So, what do we need to know about Overwatch’s trip to Iceland?
AARON KELLER: So, Grímsvötn or Watchpoint Grímsvötn is the highest security prison on the planet.
And it is where the most dangerous criminals have been locked away for years.
And actually, this is where Doomfist was imprisoned before he escaped and started leading talent again.
But this is where Doomfist met Doctrine, was in this prison and learned about him and recognized the talents and the abilities that Doctrine actually has.
The cool thing about this map: it’s an escort map, and you can see the aftermath of this battle that just took place there.
So, like at the end of that cinematic, where you see Doomfist take out that Sentinel robot.
That robot’s at the end of the map right there.
You can see the cell that Doomfist was locked away in.
And there’s all these other cool little Easter eggs and things, little hints and the other types of characters that we’ve had locked up in this prison.
LINA MADRID: Oh, the Easter eggs that you sprinkle out throughout the maps, love those.
So we need to keep our eyes out for those for sure.
BEN BELL: Yeah, very cool.
JEFF RUBENSTEIN: We know you all have to run.
And so we just wanted to wrap up with one final question.
As we were looking through everything and we’re putting together blogs for XBOX Wire, we were looking at some of the images.
And I want to know: who is this?
Who is this?
LINA MADRID: Who is that?
AARON KELLER: Okay, so when we had Spotlight last year, we announced our five new heroes and we had silhouettes of everybody else and there’s been a lot of speculation on that character.
And we didn’t want to go through this whole BlizzCon without giving people at least a better glimpse of who they are.
So, right now, we can’t say anything else about them, but they’ve got a big part to play in the story that’s coming up next year.
JEFF RUBENSTEIN: And they’ve got a cool hat.
AARON KELLER: And they’ve got a cool hat.
Yeah.
JEFF RUBENSTEIN: I love that.
So we talked a little bit about the reworks of certain characters.
What do the characters themselves think about those reworks?
We’re asking them right now.
LINA MADRID: We have a very special bonus segment.
I’m joined by some of the cast of Overwatch.
Thank you guys for being here with me.
I’m so excited to kind of chat through why you’re here.
Yeah, so BlizzCon, the energy is phenomenal.
SPEAKER 1: It’s wild.
LINA MADRID: How are you all feeling kind of being in the midst of it?
SPEAKER 1: I’m too excited.
I couldn’t get to sleep yesterday because I was still pumping energy from it.
I was super, super excited.
My first time here, by the way.
Yeah.
SPEAKER 2: First time in America, first time at BlizzCon.
SPEAKER 1: I love the first times.
Yeah.
LINA MADRID: Yeah, yeah.
That’s exciting.
How about some of you who have been to BlizzCon before?
How’s this feeling a little different?
SPEAKER 3: I haven’t been to BlizzCon since many years ago.
And so coming back to it still feels just kind of as new as it did back then, and especially with what we’re doing this time, it feels super brand new.
Plus, the excitement of the 10-year anniversary of Overwatch is palpable, and I’m really excited about getting to celebrate that with everyone.
SPEAKER 4: We were in the elevator coming up to the press area, and we heard the crowd cheering, and it was insanely loud and exciting.
And it reminded me of when Sombra came out.
And I was oh, yep, it’s still a very unique feeling.
SPEAKER 5: I remember being here for the very first BlizzCon, for my guild meetup at the server meetups here, and I’ve been like almost every BlizzCon since then.
And so then to transition into the professional side of things has been very odd in its own right.
And now to come together with all these wonderful people to be doing such a grand stage experience like we’re doing on Sunday has been wild.
So, needless to say, the energy is palpable indeed.
LINA MADRID: Yeah, I mean, speaking of Sunday, you all are here for something extra special.
Westwatch, which the crowd went wild when that was announced.
I’m personally very excited to watch.
Could someone kind of give me a little spiel on what it is?
SPEAKER 5: Yeah, yeah.
Westwatch is a wonderful collaboration with the folks at Blizzard to do a two-hour actual play Dagger Heart game using the Dagger Heart system from Darrington Press.
We are going to be playing a tabletop game for two hours as our Overwatch characters, playing characters in the game.
So you’re basically watching a live game night improvised recreation of all these characters coming to Cassidy’s game night and then playing through the game as themselves as the characters that they made.
It’s going to be wild.
LINA MADRID: That is amazing.
SPEAKER 5: There’s also going to be some audience participation.
There’s going to be moments in the story where the audience can scan a QR code to change some of the course of the story.
If anybody drops to zero hit points, they could possibly see if the character lives or dies.
It’s going to be very, very cool.
LINA MADRID: Okay, the stakes are high then.
SPEAKER 5: Oh, yeah.
LINA MADRID: Yeah.
Wow, that’s awesome.
So, a lot of huge news for Overwatch that was announced.
A lot of reworks, character reworks, Sombra.
Yeah, a lot of people.
What?
What?
Am I going to not have to wake up in the middle of the night hearing your voice?
SPEAKER 6: Yeah, sorry.
I don’t know what that means, guys.
I’m excited, and I hope that I don’t get banned as much, maybe, for that reason.
LINA MADRID: Yes, I’ll stop banning you.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER 6: But I almost feel like I was a Gemini and they’re telling me I’m going to be a Virgo or something.
My identity has changed.
I don’t know how to be support.
But we’ll see how the gamers are.
LINA MADRID: It’s really exciting, though.
Because then you’re using Sombra’s powers for good on your team.
SPEAKER 6: We’ll see.
I don’t know.
I’m excited to play.
Yeah.
LINA MADRID: Last question for you all.
We have a Season 5 coming, new voice lines that you have recorded.
Your favorite niche line.
I would love to hear that.
SPEAKER 2: I mean, I do it.
I kind of fall in love with him, and I get used to talking as him.
And I’ve been very lucky.
I do a lot of Make-A-Wish, and then you change the light in a child’s eyes when you just go to them, going, “You are my shield.
I am so proud to know you and you make me stronger.” So it’s not a line that’s in the game, but the voice affects somebody.
And ultimately, that should be what the job is about, is that we’re making you feel something.
So that’s just me.
Everybody else probably has something.
I’m a very old man.
So I talk in that kind of stuff.
SPEAKER 1: Are we supposed to go after that?
[ Laughter ]
Because I can basically answer the question, I was just being very kind.
I’m like the Phil Rosenthal of Overwatch.
Cookies are nice.
Everybody should have a cookie.
Hey, what’s your favorite cookie?
Like the question was not about cookies, Rhino.
Okay, I still like a cookie.
SPEAKER 5: A great transition to this, though, speaking of Make-A-Wish, is that the game that we are playing, the miniatures, the set pieces, signed posters, we have a lot of things that’ll be auctioned off after the game for Make-A-Wish.
So we’re doing it for fun, but we’re also doing it for charities.
LINA MADRID: That’s amazing.
SPEAKER 5: Everyone gets a chance to watch it.
Please check into any of the things that will be auctioned if you want to try and help and support them.
It’s some cool stuff.
LINA MADRID: Great.
Awesome.
Thank you so,so much.
SPEAKER 6: No, I’m not done with the line that doesn’t go.
I will.
LINA MADRID: Please.
SPEAKER 6: It’s one that never gets enough attention, and it’s like hacking a marshmallow.
And the one that I want in game, because Sombra quotes movies and stuff, is “You’re killing me, Smalls.” LINA MADRID: Come on!
SPEAKER 6: Wishes, just maybe it’s a wish list.
Make-A-Wish, wish list.
I’m connecting the two.
SPEAKER 5: I’m here for Sandlot references.
SPEAKER 3: I still just want Symmetra to say “dope.” LINA MADRID: Yes.
SPEAKER 3: I’d love for her to say that.
But I do love the line, “if I can think it, I can create it.” LINA MADRID: That’s a great one.
SPEAKER 1: I really love the line, “Let ambition flame burn and starve the enemy of blood.” Because I think that’s [inaudible]
SPEAKER 5: So cool.
SPEAKER 1: I would really love if there was a line, like something like, “They throw me amongst the wolf, and I came back as the alpha.” LINA MADRID: Yeah!
SPEAKER 3: You got someone back there nodding and cheering, you guys here.
SPEAKER 1: Yeah!
LINA MADRID: Amazing.
SPEAKER 5: You introduced yourself as like the nicest person ever.
And now you’re, I like the toxic one.
SPEAKER 1: Yes, I do.
SPEAKER 3: You’ve got to get it out of your system somewhere.
LINA MADRID: There we go.
SPEAKER 5: I was like, I hear you, pumpkin.
LINA MADRID: I love that one.
SPEAKER 5: It’s simple, but it’s great.
LINA MADRID: So good.
SPEAKER 3: Oh, I love hearing Cassidy call me perfect.
LINA MADRID: Thank you again so much for joining me.
And that wraps things up for Overwatch at BlizzCon 2026.
SPEAKER 2: Bye-bye.
LINA MADRID: My life is made.
[ XBOX sound ]

The post Overwatch w/Devs: Doctrine, Grimsvötn, Reworks, and More | Official XBOX Podcast appeared first on XBOX Wire.

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Control Resonant Launch Trailer

Shawn Zipay — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 19:59:30 GMT

One week out from release.

It's almost time to take back a paranaturally altered version of New York. Control Resonant is out September 24, 2026, from Remedy Entertainment, and a new launch trailer dropped today.

This launch trailer features the track "My Favourite Game" by The Cardigans. It builds up the hype ahead of release without revealing too much of the mysteries that await players.

In Control Resonant, players take on the role of Dylan Faden "as he unleashes the full force of the paranatural, tearing through surreal, reality-bending encounters and mastering different forms of the Aberrant to overcome overwhelming enemies and monumental bosses."

Pre-orders are, of course, open for Control Resonant. It will launch on September 24 digitally on PlayStation 5, XBOX Series X|S, Steam, Epic, and on GeForce Now. Physical editions will launch on October 15 for PlayStation and XBOX. PlayStation 5 players who get the Digital Deluxe Edition will get 48-hours of advanced access. Good luck avoiding spoilers for two days.

Standard Editions of the game will be €59.99 / £49.99 / $59.99 (regional pricing may vary).

The full breakdown of pre-order bonuses and digital and physical versions for CONTROL Resonant is below.

Pre-Order bonuses

Pickpocket’s Tool Artifact
Hiss Corruption Outfit for Dylan
Occult Outfit for Dylan (PlayStation Exclusive)

CONTROL Resonant Standard Edition (Digital)
Available for pre-order on Steam, Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.

Includes the base game

Price: €59.99 / £49.99 / $59.99 (regional pricing may vary)

CONTROL Resonant Digital Deluxe Edition
Available for pre-order on Steam, Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.

Includes the base game
AWE Mission Outfit for Dylan
Exclusive Untapped Artifact (Wallet)
Starter Resource Bundle
Digital Artbook
Original Soundtrack
The PlayStation 5 Digital Deluxe Edition also includes 48-hour early access.

Price: €69.99 / £59.99 / $69.99 (regional pricing may vary)

CONTROL Resonant Standard Edition (Physical)
Available for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S from October 15, 2026.

Includes the base game

Price: €59.99 / £49.99 / $59.99 (regional pricing may vary)

CONTROL Resonant SteelBook® Edition (Physical)
Available for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S from October 15, 2026.

Includes the base game
SteelBook® Case
Fine Art Prints (x3)
Key Art Poster

Price: €69.99 / £59.99 / $69.99 (regional pricing may vary)

CONTROL Resonant will also be available on Mac via Steam and the App Store later in 2026.

Minecraft Bedrock 26.50 Wilderness Bound: What Android Players Need Before Downloading

Shawn Zipay — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 19:14:00 GMT

Minecraft Bedrock 26.50 Wilderness Bound can make an established Android world feel new again. The update focuses on outdoor exploration, autumn-colored environments, camping features, and new building options, but players should still prepare before replacing a stable installation or opening an important world in a new build.

What Android Players Should Check Before Installing Bedrock 26.50

Before updating, players can review the build details and supported files when they download Minecraft Bedrock 26.50, then compare the release number with the version already installed on their device. This matters most for anyone using add-ons, resource packs, custom worlds, servers, or Realms that may not move to the new build at exactly the same time.

Wilderness Bound expands exploration with the Dappled Forest, a biome built around red, orange, and yellow poplar foliage. The warmer palette makes it easy to recognize on a phone screen and gives builders a fresh wood family. Fallen trees, shrubs, mushrooms, and other details make the biome feel more like a place to explore slowly than another generic source of resources.

Abandoned Camps add small landmarks to that journey. They fit the outdoor theme and break up long stretches of travel with structures that look as though someone stopped there before the player arrived. For mobile sessions, these smaller points of interest are useful because they create short goals without requiring a major expedition.

Feature	What It Adds	Why It Matters
Dappled Forest	Autumn woodland	New exploration and building atmosphere
Poplar wood	New wood family	More construction choices
Abandoned Camps	Small points of interest	Short exploration goals
Cushions	Decorative seating	Better camp and interior builds
Straw Beds	Temporary rest option	Supports travel-focused survival

New Camping and Building Options

Wilderness Bound is not only about finding a new biome. Cushions, straw beds, and additional building pieces support a more deliberate camping style. A cushion can be used around a campfire or inside a house, while new wool-based shapes give builders more control over decorative forms.

Straw beds are especially relevant to travel because they are meant for temporary use rather than permanent settlement. That makes them useful when a player wants to continue an expedition without treating every overnight stop as a new home.

Small mechanics like these can change the rhythm of survival. Instead of carrying the same permanent setup everywhere, players can move through unfamiliar terrain, rest, collect materials, and continue exploring with less interruption.

Performance Still Depends on the Android Device

A content-rich release can behave differently across phones. New vegetation, particles, lighting, and visual effects add work for the GPU and memory. A recent device may handle those changes easily, while an older model can lose frame rate in dense areas or when several visual packs are active.

The safest approach is to begin with moderate settings. Render distance, texture resolution, background applications, battery-saving modes, and device temperature can all influence performance. Changing everything at once makes it harder to identify the real cause of stutters or crashes.

A copied world without optional packs is a good baseline. If the game runs normally there, add-ons and resource packs can be re-enabled one at a time. This makes it easier to separate a core game problem from a compatibility issue caused by community content.

What to Check Before Downloading

A few practical checks can prevent most avoidable problems before installation:

back up important worlds outside the active save location;
confirm whether the build is stable, Beta, or Preview;
leave more free storage than the package size alone suggests;
verify whether favorite add-ons and servers support the new version;
test the update before opening the only copy of a long-term world.

Why Backups Matter

Minecraft worlds contain more than visible blocks. They also store chunks, entities, inventories, structures, commands, player data, and information created by add-ons. When a newer Bedrock build opens a save, some of that information may be converted for the current version.

That is why downgrading is risky. An older build may not understand data written by a newer release, especially when new blocks or components are involved. A separate backup keeps the original save available if something unexpected happens.

Add-ons deserve the same caution. A pack may import correctly and still show missing textures, broken animations, or entities that refuse to spawn. Testing compatibility before committing a main world is much easier than repairing a damaged setup later.

Before Installation	Recommended Action	Reason
World saves	Create a separate backup	Protects against conversion problems
Add-ons	Check the supported version	Prevents broken behavior or assets
Storage	Keep extra free space	Android needs room for unpacking and cache
Graphics	Start with moderate settings	Makes performance issues easier to diagnose
Servers	Confirm version compatibility	Avoids connection failures

Should You Update Immediately?

Players using mostly vanilla Bedrock can usually move to a stable release with fewer complications than users running several add-ons or custom packs. For heavily modified worlds, waiting until important projects confirm support may be the safer option.

Multiplayer users should also check server and Realm compatibility. Updating too early can leave the client temporarily out of sync with the world they want to join, even when the new version itself installs correctly.

Wilderness Bound gives Android players meaningful reasons to explore and build, but a careful update routine is still valuable. Backups, version checks, free storage, and a short test session can make the move to Bedrock 26.50 much safer.

FAQ

Is Minecraft Bedrock 26.50 connected to Wilderness Bound?

Yes. Bedrock 26.50 is the release branch associated with the Wilderness Bound content drop.

What is the main exploration feature?

The Dappled Forest is the headline environment, with autumn-colored poplar trees and new outdoor details.

Should I back up my world before updating?

Yes. Important worlds should be copied before they are opened in a newer build.

Can older add-ons stop working?

Yes. Changes to Bedrock components, resources, or experiments can make some add-ons partially incompatible.

Should weaker Android phones use lower settings?

Starting with moderate graphics and render distance is a sensible way to test performance before enabling demanding packs or effects.

Character Development and Storytelling in Kernel Hearts, Out Now on XBOX

XboxBot — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 19:00:08 GMT

Summary

Action RPG that combines two cultures in a post-apocalyptic world.
The creative process behind bringing a unique world to life.
Character personalities and how they relate to gameplay.

Kernel Hearts is an action RPG about magical girls fighting angels to save the world, but it’s so much more than a punchy soundbite can explain. The game and its characters are a love letter to two cultures that have shaped the lives of the developers. Japanese culture inspired the art, the story, even the language of the game itself; but the culture of Argentina, the home of Ephemera Games, permeates through everything, down to Fernet drinking yerba mate during one of her idles.

The game itself takes place in a sort of post-apocalyptic Patagonia, painting the story of a world that had collapsed and is now trying to rebuild. It’s a theme that is familiar in many video games, but not necessarily a setting. The Argentine team at Ephemera Games is uniquely poised to tell this familiar story in a new way. And they do this by combining elements of their favorite games into something new entirely.

Kernel Hearts was born in a game jam in 2020, a rough idea of a world that would eventually become Babel, but the game’s style was developed over years. Akira, the Game Director of Kernel Hearts, says that long action RPGs and JRPGs have always held a special place in his heart; but like many of us, his ability to get absolutely engrossed in those games in the way that we love has changed. Not because of the games themselves, but because the time we have to play as we grow older changes.

So, the team thought: What if we could combine the epic stories we love with the more bite-sized run times of a roguelike? It was this combination of elements that captured our attention at Whitethorn Games: a story-driven game that could be enjoyed in small chunks, incorporating a style of gameplay that we had yet to see in our catalog? We were so on board.

The characters also make up a vital part of both the story and the gameplay. In any game with an ensemble cast of characters, it’s important to balance abilities and personalities to make a cohesive group for character interactions in and out of combat. The four girls of the M.A.H.O.U unit do just that, and it’s easy to see even in the trailer.

Akira defined one of the guiding ideas that lead to the design of the four main characters by stating: “A character shouldn’t just have a different weapon. You should be able to watch a few seconds of gameplay and immediately understand something about their personality. Their animations, silhouettes, magic, movement, and even the rhythm of their attacks all have to tell you who that person is.”

What if we could combine the epic stories we love with the more bite-sized run times of a roguelike?

That’s how you end up with the differing characters in Kernel Hearts. Fernet fights with swords and spirits which allows her to be the most versatile member of the team. Spika fights up-close with her katana with very clean and disciplined attacks that reflect her disciplined personality. Laika is the most physically impressive of the team, and her massive sword and heavy attacks follow suit. Finally, Dolce fights in a way that you might not expect in a post-apocalyptic setting: incorporating performance and dance into her fighting style, a callback to some of the more familiar magical girls in pop culture.

Assembling your team in the game is just as vital as assembling it in real life. Kernel Hearts is a game that can be completed solo; but the developers made a story about a squad teaming up to take down the insurmountable together, and they think that’s something that’s integral to the experience of the game. It makes sense to play the game in co-op because that’s the nature of the story itself. Just like with the gameplay, though, the developers are aware that trying to get your friends gaming at the same time is a mission all of its own. That’s why Kernel Hearts is a game that can be experienced fully in both single player and multiplayer, though we encourage you to try multiplayer if you can.

Kernel Hearts is filled with action-packed fights, beautiful scenery, fields of enemies to slash your way through, and so much heart.This game is a project nearly six years in the making, and the teams at Ephemera Games and Whitethorn Games are so proud to bring it to you now.

Only you can save the world from drowning in ashes, so we hope we’ll see you there.

Kernel Hearts

Whitethorn Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Kernel Hearts is a unique blend of action RPG and roguelike elements with multiplayer co-op. As part of the M.A.H.O.U Unit, you are tasked with climbing the Tower of Babel, eliminating the angelic creatures in your path as you dethrone God and save a world drowning in ashes.

ONE MORE GOD REJECTED
Mix and match your attacks, spells, and movement with unique powers during each run to unleash devastating combos on the enemies you encounter. Punch biblical monsters in the face with up to four friends. Each level culminates in an intense boss fight against the domain's guardian.

EQUIP & CUSTOMIZE YOUR UNITS
After each expedition, you will return to the last memory backup in a laboratory located on the outskirts of humanity's last holdout.
Spend the rewards from each run to unlock and equip up to 256KB of chips onto your Unit MAHOU.OS, and customize them as you see fit.

TRANSFORM INTO A MAGICAL GIRL
Harness the strength of the tower to dispel the Heavenly Curse from yourself, unleashing a devastating attack on nearby foes and attaining your true form for a short period.

BOND WITH YOUR ALLIES
Interact with the tower's unique inhabitants and give them gifts to deepen your bond.

The post Character Development and Storytelling in Kernel Hearts, Out Now on XBOX appeared first on XBOX Wire.

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Five Years of Solo Development – Interview with Fountains Creator John Pywell

XboxBot — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 17:30:08 GMT

Summary

Launching today on XBOX.
John’s game design and creation process.
Sources of inspiration and teamwork during development.

Fountains is a solo-developed Metroidvania inspired by Dark Souls and Hollow Knight, built over five years by creator John Pywell. With the game now launching on XBOX, we spoke with Pywell about its development, influences, and unexpected international success.

Sam: So firstly, tell us a bit about yourself – a brief introduction of anything you’d like to say or not say.

John: I’m John Pywell, a computer science graduate from Canada. Halfway through high school, I took my first computer programming course, and when I realized I was good at it, I never stopped. I work full time in the field, plus a ton of my free time as you can see.

Sam: What was your earliest memory of video games?

John: I think my earliest memory of video games was seeing my older brother play a racing game on our Windows XP desktop. The first video game I remember owning is Wii Sports, around 2006. I was around six years old, and my parents brought me to some kind of technology exhibition at our local university. There was a display of the newly-released Wii, which I remember being fascinated with. A few months later, we had one of our own, and Wii Sports is the game that comes with the system.

Sam: Could you tell us some of your favourite games? Do you see anything of those games in Fountains?

John: Well, it might be obvious from the content of Fountains, but Dark Souls 1 is my favourite single-player game of all time. The twisting, interlocking world design of the first game in the series is so mysterious to me. After playing it, I wished there were more games with world designs like that, and unfortunately the sequels are more linear. That’s one of the main reasons I made Fountains. Another favourite game of mine is Satisfactory. If you don’t know of it, it’s a first-person factory-building game. It’s obviously nothing like Fountains, but I love optimizing and solving problems, so I think it appeals to the programmer part of my brain.

Sam: What was your main motivation for making Fountains? Seeing a video game through to the end is not an easy task.

John: Like I touched on earlier, I love when games are mysterious. When you find a secret in an RPG, it sometimes feels like you’re the first person to ever see that part of the game. My goal in making Fountains was to create a world with a real feeling of mystery. If you play the game, you’ll notice this; there is practically nothing telling you what your goal is or where to go. Your only option is to explore the world and uncover the story for yourself.

“Most ‘concept art’ I made is mostly gameplay focused and looks like a five-year-old drew it”

Sam: How did you choose the mechanisms for battle and exploration in the game?

John: The mechanisms for exploration are very inspired by the Metroidvania genre. The main idea is that the entire world is technically open to you at all times, but there are certain tools and skills you need to acquire to progress. This creates a satisfying loop where players encounter a barrier, make a mental note of it, and later return with the right skill or item to push forward. It’s about rewarding curiosity and giving players those “aha!” moments as they gradually learn the world’s layout and secrets. The main battle mechanic of hitting enemies to regain your magic resource was shamelessly stolen from Hollow Knight, although I’m not sure who first invented it. Hollow Knight is my favourite game in the Metroidvania genre, so it was also a big inspiration for the exploration-focused gameplay in Fountains.

Sam: What was the most challenging thing about creating the game? Or which part took the longest to get right?

John: Since I already had a background in programming, the most difficult part for me was learning to create pixel art. If you look at early builds of the game, the art was a lot more rudimentary and had a “MS Paint” vibe. As my skills improved over the approximately five years of development, I went back and replaced my terrible early art with slightly less terrible art. You might also notice that the later you progress into the game, the characters and enemies are progressively more well-animated. At the start of development, I wasn’t using the proper software to have a good preview of what character animations would look like before fully adding them to the game. So, lots of the early animations are still there, and look a bit more “stiff”.

“I’m sure the ominous entity imprisoned in the crystal is capable of reason and our talk will proceed smoothly”

Sam: Did you feel any restrictions when making the game, or was it a smooth process? Is there something you’d like to explore in the future that you would have liked to explore in Fountains but didn’t get the chance?

John: The release version of Fountains is the final product I always imagined when I started work on it. It’s also a considerably longer game than I thought I was capable of making myself. However, I do wish I had more time to include a few more *really* secret bosses. There are secret bosses, of course, but if there were one that only one percent of players could find, I think that would be really cool. Unfortunately, spending that much time on something so few people would see wasn’t in the cards, since the last boss in the final game was added only a few months before release.

Sam: How did you approach the programming and systems of the game?

John: The game is written in Godot engine. I chose this engine because it’s a free and open source project, and (in my opinion) the best engine all-around for 2D games. If anyone is reading this and is interested in game development, I recommend they start with Godot. Of course, the engine isn’t quite ready for AAA graphics, but solo devs don’t need to worry about that.

Sam: How did you approach the music of the game?

John: The music for the game was entirely composed by Travis Moberg, and honestly, he absolutely nailed it. I’d explain the atmosphere I was going for – whether it was eerie, tense, or calm, and somehow he’d come back with a track that perfectly captured that mood. His ability to translate vague descriptions into music that feels spot-on is kind of unreal. The soundtrack really helps set the tone throughout the game, and his work brought a whole new layer of depth to the experience.

Sam: Other than games, what kind of media influenced this game? Be it music or films… etc.

John: The 1986 fantasy movie “Labyrinth” gives off really similar vibes to what I was going for in Fountains. It’s a bit corny, but it has similar themes: exploring a strange world, characters speaking in riddles, and a sense of mystery throughout.

Sam: Could you speak about the 3D modelling in the game, how did you achieve them?

John: There’s actually no 3D modelling in Fountains at all. It may seem that way in some parts, but everything is made of flat 2D sprites. There’s some forced perspective to make it seem like they have depth, but in reality everything’s 2D. The only time I used 3D modelling in development was to help me visualize the perspective of one of the “spiral staircase” sprites I drew. However, the original prototype I made for Fountains was a top-down 3D game, as opposed to the fully 2D game that was released.

If anyone’s interested in this, there’s a short video showing the original 3D prototype on the Fountains YouTube channel.

Spritesheet for the main character’s movements in one of the armor sets

Sam: Your game got a lot of attention, could you speak about your feelings towards doing so well in your first commercial endeavour?

John: When I started this project, I imagined only my friends would play it. I had no idea it would become popular, no less that people would be playing it all the way over in Japan. If I could, I would personally thank anyone who played the game.

Want to see Fountains in action for yourself? The game and DLC are available now!

FOUNTAINS

Crunching Koalas

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$14.99

Get it now

The Fountain of Youth was hidden away. Nonetheless, it is fated that a Usurper will slay the Ageless and unearth it once more.

FOUNTAINS is a soulslike action-RPG built around fighting your way through a maze-like interconnected, seamless world. You'll take the role of a hooded stranger, recently imprisoned by a tyrannical regime. Will you escape and uncover the mysteries of this war-torn empire?

Demanding, but fair combat
Tight, responsive combat puts every tool and tactic in your arsenal to the test, rewarding precision and quick thinking. Your enemies will hit hard and punish hesitation, turning each fight into an intense back-and-forth where the tide of battle can shift in an instant. Adjustable difficulty settings let you feel that thrill at exactly the intensity you crave, no matter your experience.

Exploration that rewards curiosity
The world of FOUNTAINS is one, seamless, giant dungeon. It is a tightly packed labyrinth which twists and loops back on itself. You'll always discover something new: items, powers and upgrades to unlock new parts of the world.

Leave Your Mark
FOUNTAINS features an online message system. Leave hints throughout the world to help out your fellow players, or trick them into doing something foolish!

– Souls-like action combat set in a metroidvania-style interconnected world.
– Find new abilities and tools to help you to defend yourself and to traverse the world.
– Rich dark fantasy lore told through exploration and environmental storytelling.
– Online message system for community interaction.
– Secrets are everywhere, so always keep an eye out!

The post Five Years of Solo Development – Interview with Fountains Creator John Pywell appeared first on XBOX Wire.

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Gears of War: E-Day Has Gone Gold, Pre-Install Begins September 29, Full PC Specifications Revealed

XboxBot — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 16:00:08 GMT

Today, I’m proud to share that Gears of War: E-Day has officially gone gold, marking a major milestone for the team as we enter the final stretch toward launch.

On behalf of everyone at The Coalition, I want to thank the many people who helped bring us to this moment, especially the fans. Your passion for Gears has inspired us every step of the way and reminds us why this franchise continues to mean so much to so many. Thank you to everyone who has played, watched, and shared feedback throughout the journey so far.

Reaching gold is an important milestone for the studio. More importantly, it means we’re one step closer to players experiencing Emergence Day for themselves. We’re excited to finally put the game in your hands when Early Access begins October 1, ahead of launch on October 6.

Gears of War: E-Day will be available on XBOX Series X|S, XBOX on PC, Steam, and is available day one with Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. Players can pre-order today at GearsofWar.com.

We also shared the full achievement list.

Pre-Install Begins September 29

Pre-install for Gears of War: E-Day begins September 29 at 8am Pacific Time (15:00 UTC) on XBOX Series X|S, XBOX on PC, and Steam.

Whether you’re joining through Game Pass or have pre-ordered, pre-installing ahead of time ensures you’re ready to deploy when Early Access begins on October 1 at 8am Pacific (15:00 UTC), or at worldwide launch October 6 at 8am Pacific (15:00 UTC).

Premium Edition players can begin playing up to five days early starting October 1. Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass members can join the fight starting October 6.

PC Features and Specifications

Today we are also revealing the complete PC specifications for Gears of War: E-Day.

Since our Multiplayer Open Beta in July, we’ve continued to iterate and improve PC stability and performance across a wide range of hardware configurations. Today, were excited to share our final PC Specifications for Launch.

Mark your calendars for September 29 when pre-installs begin and get ready to experience Emergence Day when Gears of War: E-Day is released on October 6.

For the latest updates on Gears of War: E-Day, follow @GearsofWar on social media, or visit GearsofWar.com

Gears of War: E-Day Premium Edition Pre-Order

Xbox Game Studios

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$99.99

Pre-order

Emergence Begins

Pre-order Gears of War: E-Day to get early access to the Open Beta, get an XBOX gift card and unlock the Exfil Dom Character Skin and the Exfil Weapon Skin Set in-game at launch.* more details here https://aka.ms/Gears26

The Gears of War: E-Day Premium Edition Includes:

– Base Game
– Up to 5-Days Early Access
– Bravo Squad Signature Weapon Pack
– Five Seasonal Customization Packs, starting with the Emergence Pack at launch (the remaining packs will be available as released)
– 1,000 Iron (premium in-game currency)

Experience the horror and brutality of Emergence Day. Fourteen years before the original Gears of War, join Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago in a gripping origin-story campaign as the Locust Horde first erupt from below, igniting a desperate fight for survival. Rally your squad and fight on in multiplayer with a reimagination of Gears’ iconic PvE mode, Horde Siege, or go head-to-head with a refined Versus PvP.* Built from the ground up in Unreal Engine 5, Gears of War: E-Day delivers the most immersive Gears yet.

The Story of E-Day

Fight through the chaos of Emergence Day in a gripping origin story campaign.

Battle alone, side by side in two-player split-screen, or rally up to four players online across Campaign, Horde Siege, and Versus.*

Horde Siege PvE – Back and Bigger Than Ever

Survive a city under siege in an evolved take on Gears’ iconic co-op wave survival mode built for larger maps, more players, and bigger battles.

Choose your class – Assault, Marksman, Medic, or Breacher – then drop in as a 4-player squad to fight back the Locust.

Team up with multiple squads to conquer shared objectives and take down world bosses. Survive to earn rewards, unlock customization and improve your loadout for the next match.

Versus Returns – Refined and Focused PvP

Battle across all-new maps and refined fan-favorite 4v4 modes.

Choose your level of competition. Lock in and climb the ranks in Ranked or jump into Social playlists for a more relaxed match.

Modernized controls and movement make combat feel more fluid while retaining Gears’ signature cover-based feel. Jump, vault, slide, and flank with intent.

A Terrifying Threat from Below

A darker, grittier tone and reimagined enemies restore fear and dread to the series.

Atmosphere and detail are pushed further than ever. The world feels more grounded, believable, and dangerous.

Familiar enemies are more threatening, joined by all-new creatures and villains that reestablish a true sense of horror.

Feels Like Gears. Plays Like New.

Iconic cover‑based combat returns, enhanced with modernized movement and traversal that add freedom and verticality.

Fan‑favorite weapons return and are reimagined, alongside all‑new weapons built for brutal, close‑quarters combat.

Rebuilt in Unreal Engine 5

A new technical foundation for Gears. Built for modern performance with 4K resolution and up to 60FPS across Campaign and Multiplayer.*

*Important Information

Pre-Order Offer: valid with pre-orders made before October 6, 2026 (7:59 am PT) except early access to the Open Beta requires pre-order before the end of the Open Beta early access period (expected to be from August 6-10, 2026; dates may vary by platform and subscription). At participating retailers while supplies last. Pre-order benefits may require redemption of a single-use code. Consult your retailer for details. Limit: 1 offer per person/account.

Online Multiplayer: Online campaign co-op, Horde Siege, Versus, Open Beta and other multiplayer features require a Game Pass subscription that includes online multiplayer, sold separately.

Open Beta: Early access date may vary by platform and subscription.

2-Player Split-Screen: is available for console only.

4K and 60FPS: require a compatible display.

Game requires initial download. May require future updates (additional storage may be required). All downloads and updates require significant storage and broadband internet connection (ISP fees apply). You must accept the Microsoft Services Agreement (microsoft.com/msa). May require additional hardware and subscriptions. Content, features, services, online play (if applicable), and support not available in all regions (xbox.com/regions) and may vary, change, or terminate. Microsoft Account required.

WARNING: Some people may experience a seizure when exposed to flashing lights or patterns in video games. (xbox.com/healthandsafety).

Gears of War: E-Day Pre-Order

Xbox Game Studios

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$69.99

Pre-order

Emergence Begins

Pre-order Gears of War: E-Day to get early access to the Open Beta, get an XBOX gift card and unlock the Exfil Dom Character Skin and the Exfil Weapon Skin Set in-game at launch.* more details here https://aka.ms/Gears26

Experience the horror and brutality of Emergence Day. Fourteen years before the original Gears of War, join Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago in a gripping origin-story campaign as the Locust Horde first erupt from below, igniting a desperate fight for survival. Rally your squad and fight on in multiplayer with a reimagination of Gears’ iconic PvE mode, Horde Siege, or go head-to-head with a refined Versus PvP.* Built from the ground up in Unreal Engine 5, Gears of War: E-Day delivers the most immersive Gears yet.

The Story of E-Day

Fight through the chaos of Emergence Day in a gripping origin story campaign.

Battle alone, side by side in two-player split-screen, or rally up to four players online across Campaign, Horde Siege, and Versus.*

Horde Siege PvE – Back and Bigger Than Ever

Survive a city under siege in an evolved take on Gears’ iconic co-op wave survival mode built for larger maps, more players, and bigger battles.

Choose your class – Assault, Marksman, Medic, or Breacher – then drop in as a 4-player squad to fight back the Locust.

Team up with multiple squads to conquer shared objectives and take down world bosses. Survive to earn rewards, unlock customization and improve your loadout for the next match.

Versus Returns – Refined and Focused PvP

Battle across all-new maps and refined fan-favorite 4v4 modes.

Choose your level of competition. Lock in and climb the ranks in Ranked or jump into Social playlists for a more relaxed match.

Modernized controls and movement make combat feel more fluid while retaining Gears’ signature cover-based feel. Jump, vault, slide, and flank with intent.

A Terrifying Threat from Below

A darker, grittier tone and reimagined enemies restore fear and dread to the series.

Atmosphere and detail are pushed further than ever. The world feels more grounded, believable, and dangerous.

Familiar enemies are more threatening, joined by all-new creatures and villains that reestablish a true sense of horror.

Feels Like Gears. Plays Like New.

Iconic cover‑based combat returns, enhanced with modernized movement and traversal that add freedom and verticality.

Fan‑favorite weapons return and are reimagined, alongside all‑new weapons built for brutal, close‑quarters combat.

Rebuilt in Unreal Engine 5

A new technical foundation for Gears. Built for modern performance with 4K resolution and up to 60FPS across Campaign and Multiplayer.*

*Important Information

Pre-Order Offer: valid with pre-orders made before October 6, 2026 (7:59 am PT) except early access to the Open Beta requires pre-order before the end of the Open Beta early access period (expected to be from August 6-10, 2026; dates may vary by platform and subscription). At participating retailers while supplies last. Pre-order benefits may require redemption of a single-use code. Consult your retailer for details. Limit: 1 offer per person/account.

Online Multiplayer: Online campaign co-op, Horde Siege, Versus, Open Beta and other multiplayer features require a Game Pass subscription that includes online multiplayer, sold separately.

Open Beta: Early access date may vary by platform and subscription.

2-Player Split-Screen: is available for console only.

4K and 60FPS: require a compatible display.

Game requires initial download. May require future updates (additional storage may be required). All downloads and updates require significant storage and broadband internet connection (ISP fees apply). You must accept the Microsoft Services Agreement (microsoft.com/msa). May require additional hardware and subscriptions. Content, features, services, online play (if applicable), and support not available in all regions (xbox.com/regions) and may vary, change, or terminate. Microsoft Account required.

WARNING: Some people may experience a seizure when exposed to flashing lights or patterns in video games. (xbox.com/healthandsafety).

The post Gears of War: E-Day Has Gone Gold, Pre-Install Begins September 29, Full PC Specifications Revealed appeared first on XBOX Wire.

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Free Play Days – Sea of Thieves and Hell Let Loose Vietnam

XboxBot — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 15:00:04 GMT

Time to clear the flank and walk the plank with Free Play Days! Hell Let Loose is available on XBOX and PC this weekend for XBOX Game Pass Ultimate, Premium and Essential members to play from Thursday, September 17 until Sunday, September 20.

Additionally, Sea of Thieves is free for all XBOX members to try from September 17 until September 20 on XBOX and PC (XBOX Game Pass Game Pass Ultimate, Premium and Essential membership not required).

Free Play Days (Game Pass Membership Required)

Hell Let Loose Vietnam
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S, XBOX Play Anywhere
Unleash Hell in the Jungle. Enter the explosive conflict of the Vietnam War and fight your way through some of the fiercest clashes in modern history. Join the battle raging across an extreme landscape of vast mountain gorges and thick jungle, where the North Vietnamese Armies clash with the military strength of the US Armed Forces. Build tunnels, fly helicopters, drive patrol boats, use historically accurate weapons and work with your team to achieve victory.

Hell Let Loose: Vietnam

Team17

☆☆☆☆☆
959

★★★★★

$39.99

$35.99

Get it now

Free Play Days For All

Sea of Thieves
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S, Smart Delivery, XBOX Play Anywhere
Sea of Thieves is a smash-hit pirate adventure game, offering the quintessential pirate experience of plundering lost treasures, fighting intense battles, vanquishing sea monsters and more. Season 20 is all about putting the power in players’ hands. Custom Seas introduces a suite of tools that enable you to bring your own Sea of Thieves game ideas to life, setting up unique modes to challenge your crewmates and create content in ways that previously wouldn’t have been possible. Alongside this, a shake-up of the Seasonal rewards structure promises clearer, more reliable ways of ensuring your time on the seas always feels valuable!

Sea of Thieves: 2026 Edition

Microsoft Studios

☆☆☆☆☆
21679

★★★★★

$39.99

$13.99

Get it now

Xbox One X Enhanced

PC Game Pass

Xbox Game Pass

Don’t miss out on these exciting Free Play Days for XBOX Game Pass Ultimate, Premium and Essential members! Learn more about Free Play Days here and stay tuned to XBOX Wire to find out about future Free Play Days and all the latest XBOX gaming news.

The post Free Play Days – Sea of Thieves and Hell Let Loose Vietnam appeared first on XBOX Wire.

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Tokyo Game Show 2026: Bill Skarsgård Cast as Lead Role in PHYSINT

XboxBot — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 12:00:13 GMT

Just when it appeared that the XBOX Tokyo Game Show 2026 Broadcast had come to a close, legendary game creator Hideo Kojima arrived with one more surprise: fresh updates on OD – KNOCK and PHYSINT, including the news that Swedish actor and producer Bill Skarsgård will portray the lead role in PHYSINT, the upcoming action-espionage game from KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS.

Kojima-san also shared a new poster for the title featuring a photo he personally shot of Skarsgård alongside Charlee Fraser, offering a fresh glimpse at the talent helping bring this ambitious project to life.

“I’m delighted to confirm the lead role for PHYSINT will be Bill Skarsgård,” said KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS founder Hideo Kojima in a press release. “We are both long-time fans of each other’s work, and we’ve decided to embark on this new adventure together. The costume fittings, scans, and camera tests we conducted with Bill and Charlee earlier this year gave me tremendous confidence in the direction of the project.”

Most recently, Skarsgård received rave reviews for his performance in Gus Van Sant’s Dead Man’s Wire (2026). He next stars in Peter Bergs’s The Mosquito Bowl and Andrew Niccol’s Lords of War opposite Nicolas Cage. Earlier this year he co-starred in The Death of Robin Hood (Michael Sarnoski, 2026) with Hugh Jackman and Jodie Comer.

Skarsgård gained international recognition for his portrayal of the iconic clown Pennywise in It (Andy Muschietti, 2017), a role he reprised in It: Chapter Two (Andy Muschietti, 2019).

His film career spans titles such as Nosferatu (Robert Eggers, 2024), Barbarian (Zach Cregger, 2022), The Crow (Rupert Sanders, 2024), Atomic Blonde (David Leitch, 2017), John Wick: Chapter 4 (Chad Stahelski, 2023), The Devil All the Time(Antonio Campos, 2020) and Boy Kills World (Moritz Mohr, 2023).

On television, he recently starred in It: Welcome to Derry (2025), the It prequel series for HBO Max, in which he reprised the role of Pennywise and also served as executive producer. His television credits also include Clark (Jonas Åkerlund, 2022), Castle Rock (2018–2019), and Hemlock Grove (2013–2015).

He joins an ensemble cast that includes Fraser, Don Lee, and Minami Hamabe with Kojima-san promising further casting updates in the future.

For OD – KNOCK, Kojima-san shared an update on development progress, revealing behind the scenes footage of stars Sophia Lillis and Hunter Schafer in a performance capture session.

Last week, XBOX and KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS announced that XBOX will publish PHYSINT, expanding a relationship that already includes OD. The collaboration also extends beyond games, with the companies working together across film and television to bring new stories to broader audiences.

Watch these announcements from the XBOX Tokyo Game Show 2026 Broadcast here, and stay tuned for more updates as development progresses.

The post Tokyo Game Show 2026: Bill Skarsgård Cast as Lead Role in PHYSINT appeared first on XBOX Wire.

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XBOX @ Tokyo Game Show 2026: All the Announcements, Including an Appearance by Hideo Kojima

XboxBot — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 12:00:13 GMT

Tokyo Game Show is a celebration of the creators, developers, and communities shaping the future of gaming. As we celebrate 25 years of XBOX and over 20 years in Japan, Tokyo Game Show is an opportunity to recognize the players, creators, and developers who have helped define gaming culture.

During the XBOX Tokyo Game Show 2026 Broadcast, we offered players a look at what’s coming to XBOX from Activision, Bethesda, KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS, KOEI TECMO, and SEGA. The show featured 17 fresh gameplay reveals, announcements, a surprise release, and a world premiere.

We saw a new campaign trailer for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, launching October 23, 2026, while Fallout 76 showed an animated trailer for its eerie new update, The Slasher, available now.

Studios throughout Asia and around the globe brought even more surprises. Serenity Forge unveiled a world premiere for Faraday Blues, Netmarble bought brand-new gameplay for Bloomwalker (which is now officially part of the beloved Ni No Kuni universe), and SEGA revealed Japan as one of the locations coming to Crazy Taxi: World Tour.

We also saw new gameplay for Raji: Kaliyuga, Wo Long 2, Wings of Ember and Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement, a character reveal for Persona 4 Revival, and shared that Shape of Dreams is available to play on XBOX today.

And the broadcast ended with an unforgettable “one more thing” appearance by none other than Hideo Kojima. Check out our full recap below to catch up on everything shown during the broadcast.

KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS Reveals the Talent Behind PHYSINT’s Lead Role

Just when it appeared that the XBOX Tokyo Game Show 2026 Broadcast had come to a close, legendary game creator Hideo Kojima appeared to reveal fresh updates on OD – KNOCK and PHYSINT, including that Swedish actor and producer Bill Skarsgård will portray the lead role in PHYSINT, sharing a new poster for the title featuring Skarsgård and Charlee Fraser. Read the full story here.

Atelier Karia: The Night Kingdom & the Guide of Memories Confirms Two Returning Characters

A new trailer for Atelier Karia: The Night Kingdom & the Guide of Memories reveals the return of Rutger and Lenja from Atelier Yumia. Now experienced members of the Aladiss Pioneering Team, the two will support Karia and her companions on their new adventure, with their interactions with new companions revealing new sides of both returning characters. Wishlist now on XBOX Series X|S.

Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement Unleashes New Gameplay Trailer

Japanese developer ArtPlay revealed an action-packed new gameplay trailer for Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement, coming in 2027. From legendary producer IGA (Koji Igarashi), Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement is a new metroidvania adventure set in the gothic world of 16^th Century England. The new trailer showcases the game’s fast-paced 2.5D action, with protagonists Leo and Alex battling their way through formidable enemies while exploring a sprawling, cursed land.

Bloomwalker’s New Trailer Reveals New Gameplay and Pocket Dimension

Bloomwalker unveiled a new trailer, this time showcasing the Pocket Dimension! Through a door inside the Moving House, the Pocket Dimension is a special, self-contained area where players can construct buildings and freely customize their surroundings. Alongside their Familiars and Higgledies, players can gradually transform the space into a lively home and enjoy the game’s crafting and housing experience.

Experience aheartfelt crafting adventure in Bloomwalker, driven not by the pressure to survive, but by the joy of bringing a broken world back to life. Bloomwalker is heading to XBOX Series X|S and XBOX on PC. Play it on both console and PC at no additional cost with XBOX Play Anywhere. Wishlist today to stay updated.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Reveals Campaign Trailer

Price is on the run, war has erupted on the Korean Peninsula, and a catastrophic weapon of war is on the verge of falling into the wrong hands. The October 23 launch date is fast approaching for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, with Campaign Early Access going live on October 16 for those who pre-order the Standard Digital Edition or Vault Edition of the game.

Watch the official Tokyo Games Show Campaign trailer for a deeper look at the elements in play. The stakes have never been higher, and with this much on the line, one wrong move could result in disastrous consequences for the world as we know it. This is Modern Warfare 4.

Crazy Taxi: World Tour Reveals Japan Map

SEGA has revealed that Japan is one of the locations coming to Crazy Taxi: World Tour. A place beautifully suspended between two worlds, Japan’s historic neighborhoods and traditions sit alongside the bustling energy of the modern city. Players will be able to freely explore Japan’s exciting streets, get to know the locals, and pick up a souvenir or two. Get ready to fall in love with the land of the rising sun when Crazy Taxi: World Tour hits the streets in 2027! Wishlist now on XBOX Series X|S.

Edge of Memories Set to Launch on November 5, 2026

Action-JRPG Edge of Memories has revealed its November 5 release date. Developed through a collaboration between a small French studio and veteran Japanese developers, this gorgeous anime-style world is threatened by a mysterious disease that corrupts the land as you progress through the story, opening new paths in areas you’ve already explored.

Join Eline and her companions on a journey to stop the spread of the Corrosion and save their home. The latest trailer showcases the Japanese dub, featuring a cast of renowned Japanese voice actors. Whether you’re playing in English or Japanese, pre-order Edge of Memories now on XBOX Series X|S.

Fallout 76: The Slasher Premieres New Animated Trailer

In Fallout 76’s new animated trailer for its latest update, The Slasher, Vault Boy comes face to face with the Pint-Sized Slasher Imposter…

Available now for all Fallout 76 players, The Slasher brings a new eerie storyline unfolding over multiple weeks that evokes a certain waist-high menace from the days before the Great War. An emergency broadcasts lead players to unravel the mystery behind a spree of masked murders, with tasks ranging from fighting Infestations of fanatical Slasher supporters to digging up unmarked graves for clues. Corner the villain behind the grisly spree for the chance at a unique Power Armor set, a new Super Slasher weapon, and a chance to rest easy that night.

Faraday Blues Unveiled in World Premiere

Faraday Blues made its world premiere during the XBOX Tokyo Game Show Broadcast, revealing Serenity Forge’s surreal sci-fi adventure about a daughter searching for parents who don’t know she exists. Players will collect and play character cards to rewrite tragic choices across three interconnected visual novels, with decisions carrying forward through three distinct eras and visual styles. The game features 64 reality-altering endings, where changing one moment can reshape an entire family’s future. Faraday Blues is coming to XBOX Series X|S, XBOX on PC, and cloud. Play it on both console and PC at no additional cost with XBOX Play Anywhere. Wishlist it now on the XBOX Store.

GACHIAKUTA: BREAKOUT Gets Extended Gameplay Trailer

Based on the hit TV anime, GACHIAKUTA: BREAKOUT is a survival action RPG featuring intense melee-focused combat. Explore the vibrant world of Gachiakuta, brought to life with premium cartoon-style rendering and evocative visual design. During the XBOX Tokyo Game Show Broadcast, we saw an extended look at new gameplay. GACHIAKUTA: BREAKOUT is coming toXBOX Series X|S and XBOX on PC in 2027. Play it on both console and PC at no additional cost with XBOX Play Anywhere.

A Fresh Look at Genigods: Nezha with Developer Commentary

Genigods: Nezha is an original hardcore action RPG rooted in ancient Chinese genesis mythology. Players step into the role of the Spirit Pearl – the primal life essence crafted by Goddess Nüwa – reincarnated as the legendary Nezha to embark on an epic primordial adventure. Developed by the 20-year veteran team at Genigods Lab, this hardcore action RPG reimagines ancient Chinese creation mythology for a global audience.

Join Producer Young and Creative Director Erdi in a new developer diary for Genigods: Nezha. Explore a world born from the remains of primordial giant Pangu, fluid aerial divine combat, Nezha’s seven transforming relics, and the profound themes of defiance, life, and rebirth woven into this re-imagined mythic journey. Genigods: Nezha is coming to XBOX Series X|S and XBOX on PC soon. Play it on both console and PC at no additional cost with XBOX Play Anywhere.

Hope in the City is coming to XBOX and PC November 10, 2026

Anticipated narrative mystery Hope in the City is coming to XBOX – and soon. A new trailer, exclusive to the showcase, offered a deeper look at teenage Hope’s investigation of her parents’ sudden disappearance, relying on her artist’s eye and sketchbook. Canadian studio Lofty Sky Games revealed that the title will be on XBOX Series X|S and XBOX on PC. Play it on both console and PC at no additional cost with XBOX Play Anywhere.

Once Human Announces October 22 Launch date for Biggest Expansion Ever on XBOX

Once Human, the free-to-play strange worlds survival game, unveiled a new trailer for its upcoming Ocean Expansion: Isles of Abyss – its largest free content update to date. The update brings full ship-building, island-and-ocean dual survival, deep-sea exploration, and terrifying endgame boss encounters.

The trailer presents six survival rules for a forbidden sea where nothing is what it seems: ghost vessels drift with no living crew, the sea is hunting, and entire islands may begin to move. Isles of Abyss launches October 22, 2026 on XBOX Series X|S and is included with Game Pass.

Persona 4 Revival Introduces Detective Naoto Shirogane

Atlus has released the latest character trailer for Persona 4 Revival, the upcoming remake of Persona 4. This new video introduces Naoto Shirogane, a member of the Special Investigation Team. The cool and sharp-witted high school detective Naoto Shirogane joins the protagonist in uncovering the truth behind a series of mysterious incidents, and brings a signature flair to the game’s combat. Persona 4 Revival is scheduled for release on February 18, 2027, and will be available on XBOX Series X|S, XBOX on PC, cloud, and included with Game Pass. Play it on both console and PC at no additional cost with XBOX Play Anywhere.

Raji: Kaliyuga Gets An Extended Gameplay First Look

Developer Nodding Heads unveiled a first look at gameplay for Raji: Kaliyuga, alongside developer commentary. The video focused on the unique game systems at the core of the combat design in Raji: Kaliyuga. Set six years after the original game, Raji: Kaliyuga expands on the conflict, portraying not just a war among mortals but a cosmic struggle involving gods, asuras, and mystical forces. The sequel also makes bold new strides into a new genre, pivoting from the first game’s isometric interpretation of ancient India, into a full third person action-adventure. Raji: Kaliyuga is slated to launch on XBOX Series X|S, XBOX on PC, cloud, and included with Game Pass. Play it on both console and PC at no additional cost with XBOX Play Anywhere.

Shape of Dreams Launches Today on XBOX Series X|S and Game Pass

Surprise! Shape of Dreams is available today on XBOX Series X|S, and is available on day one with Game Pass. The new trailer cuts between animated story sequences and gameplay, following its Travelers into combat – including Cetus, the newest to join them – as Memories build up their power. One run’s end flows straight into the next, showing the roguelite loop at the core of the game, before four players take it on together. Cross-play is supported at launch, so XBOX players can team up with friends across other available platforms.

Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember Reveals Powerful New Boss

Watch the newly revealed boss fight against Zuochi, a powerful demon, featuring a voice-over introduction by the game’s producer, Masakazu Hirayama! Learn key combat skills, then take on the Alpha Demo, available until September 30. Complete the Alpha Demo to claim your special reward: Fledgling Phoenix Helmet in the full game at launch! Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember launches March 4, 2027 for XBOX Series X|S, XBOX on PC, and cloud. Play it on both console and PC at no additional cost with XBOX Play Anywhere. Pre-orders are now open.

The post XBOX @ Tokyo Game Show 2026: All the Announcements, Including an Appearance by Hideo Kojima appeared first on XBOX Wire.

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Modern Warfare 4: Tokyo Games Show Campaign Trailer

XboxBot — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 10:30:05 GMT

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Action Roguelite Shape of Dreams Launches on XBOX Today With its Biggest Update Yet

XboxBot — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 10:30:05 GMT

Summary

Shape of Dreams, a co-op action roguelite, is available today for XBOX Series X|S and is day one with Xbox Game Pass.
The XBOX version launches alongside the game’s 1st Anniversary Update, The Starless Path, which adds a new Traveler, a new final boss, and a new ending.
Shape of Dreams supports cross-play, and a console bonus costume is available to all XBOX players, including XBOX Game Pass members.

Hello, Xbox! I am very happy to finally say this: Shape of Dreams is available today on XBOX Series X|S, and it is day one with XBOX Game Pass.

It has been one year since we first opened the world of dreams. In that time, more than 1.5 million players have entered it. Today that world opens on XBOX -and it does not arrive alone. Our biggest update yet, The Starless Path, launches at the same moment.

Step Into the World of Dreams

Shape of Dreams is a co-op action roguelite. You take on the role of one of nine Travelers, each drawn to the Rapids for a different reason, and descend deep into a dreamscape that reshapes itself every time you enter.

Each of the nine playable Travelers fights completely differently. To name a few, Lacerta fights with firearms, Shell wields a blade, and Nachia commands summoned companions. Every Traveler has their own weapons and abilities, a unique combat rhythm, and a personal story waiting to be uncovered.

Every Run Builds a Different Dream

Combat here is fast, stylish hack-and-slash action, and how you fight is completely up to you. Memories are your abilities. Essences modify and combine with them. With over 200 Memories and Essences to draw from, no two runs shape the same way, and there is no single correct build waiting to be solved.

Some runs turn you into a frost mage freezing everything in place. Others build toward critical strikes, or summoned allies, or sheer maximum health. Finding a combination nobody expected is the heart of this game.

Play Solo, or Co-op for Up to Four Players

You can play Shape of Dreams alone from beginning to end. But the Rapids change when you bring company – enemies come faster and hit harder, and builds start working together in ways they never could alone. Up to four Travelers can share the same dream in online co-op.

The game supports cross-play from day one, so you can adventure with other XBOX players – and with friends on other platforms as well.

The Starless Path

The Starless Path is the largest update we have ever made, and the XBOX version includes all of its content from day one.

A new Traveler joins the roster. Cetus is a ranged fighter who wields the frost within his body. He builds up frost to unleash devastating bursts, controls the battlefield with massive glaciers, and protects his allies. More than a conventional tank or support character, Cetus can take on a wide range of roles depending on how you build him — from a ranged mage dealing massive burst damage from the back line to a heavy melee bruiser tearing through the front.

A new path, and a new ending. The Way of Stars expands how you grow with each Traveler. Every time you play one, their episodes connect like a constellation, revealing illustrations, exclusive emotes, and hidden stories. Follow it far enough and a new ending opens – a new adventure, and a stronger final boss than any before it.

Broken stars, old memories. Six shared Identity Memories have been added, letting you uncover the secrets of the Rapids and replace a Traveler’s core playstyle. Heroic bosses have also gained harder attack patterns at higher difficulties, so even familiar fights have teeth again.

One Year of Updates – All of It Included Today

Shape of Dreams launched on Steam in September 2025, and we have kept building on it ever since. XBOX players will benefit from the learnings of our early build -every improvement we have made over the past year is already incorporated into the version you download today.

We added Limbo, an endgame difficulty far beyond Nightmare, for Travelers who wanted a real test. We introduced new shrines and rewards that let you steer a build rather than simply accept the one you are handed. We completely overhauled critical strike mechanics and carried out a broad balance pass on Memories and Essences, reviving forgotten options and greatly expanding the range of viable builds. And throughout, we kept working on performance and stability -work the XBOX version builds directly on top of.

None of this is something you have to wait for. It is all here, from your first run.

Day One with Xbox Game Pass

Shape of Dreams is available with XBOX Game Pass from day one, so members can step into the Rapids right away. A console bonus costume, Crimson Flash Lacerta, is also available to all Xbox players, including Game Pass members, with no purchase required. You can claim it in game.

One year ago we asked a question: will you risk it all to shape your dreams? Today we get to ask it to all of you.

See you in the Rapids.

Shape of Dreams

NEOWIZ

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Shape of Dreams is an action roguelite that blends hack-and-slash combat, MOBA-inspired team play, and strategic decision-making.

Journey through surreal dreamscapes, dodge swarming enemies, and break through each encounter with precise skill shots and quick decisions.

Play solo for tense, skill-based challenges, or team up in up to 4-player co-op, where different combat styles come together to create powerful synergies. Combine ever-changing skills and upgrades to carve your own path of progression, and face the dream world in a new way every run.

No two challenges are the same, and no single fixed build or strategy will always carry you to victory.

8 Travelers, Each with a Distinct Combat Style

From swift close-range assaults and precise skill shots to wide-area attacks and supportive playstyles, each Traveler approaches combat differently.

Build around your chosen Traveler’s combat style and face enemies in a new way with every run.

Solo and Co-op, Two Ways to Fight

When playing solo, dodge incoming attacks, land your skills with precision, and shape your build through the choices you make.

In up to 4-player co-op, combat becomes even more dynamic. When different Travelers’ abilities and builds come together, powerful combinations and explosive synergies emerge—ones that could never be created alone.

Create Your Own Build

Use ever-changing choices to alter your attacks, enhance your abilities, and discover unexpected combinations. Even with the same Traveler, the build you create can lead to a completely different combat style.

There is no single answer. Build your strategy from the options offered in each run, and take on challenges that may seem impossible.

A World That Changes with Every Run

The dream world is filled with new choices and variables every time you play. Four difficulty levels, distinctive boss encounters, and Lucid Dream modifiers demand different tactics and build decisions with each run.

Rather than follow a familiar path, try new combinations that match each changing situation. The more you play, the more powerful strategies you will discover as you break through the dream world in your own way.

The dream awaits.

The post Action Roguelite Shape of Dreams Launches on XBOX Today With its Biggest Update Yet appeared first on XBOX Wire.

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Bloomwalker: Healing a Broken World, One Bloom at a Time

XboxBot — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 10:30:05 GMT

Summary

Bloomwalker is a heartfelt crafting adventure set in the fallen world of Luminoa, coming to XBOX Series X|S and XBOX on PC.
Players travel with a moving house to cleanse the pollution spreading across the land, restoring its sanctuaries and freeing its guardians.
Get a new look at the Pocket Dimension, where players can build a cozy, personalized home.

Some worlds ask to be conquered. Bloomwalker asks to be brought back to life.

Luminoa was once a land shared by people and the spirits of nature. But its sanctuaries have been ravaged by pollution, and the guardians who once protected them have succumbed to madness, becoming incarnations of that pollution. Even the little nature spirits known as higgledies are under threat. You arrive as a traveler with a rare purpose: to restore this fading world alongside your moving house.

Your home travels with you. Bloomwalker‘s moving house is both your base and your companion, carrying you from sanctuary to sanctuary. As your journey takes you deeper into the world, your house grows alongside you, gaining new functionality that helps you cleanse pollution and press on through hardship.

Here’s what makes Bloomwalker feel different: this is a game driven not by the pressure to survive, but by the joy of bringing a world back to life. Instead of destroying what stands in your way, you cleanse it – washing the pollution from the land and its creatures until color, life, and higgledies return. It can be tense in the moment, but it always lands somewhere warm.

Between journeys, there’s a home to build. Your house’s door opens onto a pocket dimension all your own. A place to raise structures, arrange facilities, and decorate to your heart’s content. Crafting here is never something you do alone; the fruits of that shared work become tools for restoring villages, building housing, and creating gifts that bring you closer to your friends.

Newly revealed in the latest trailer, the Pocket Dimension lets players build, customize, and create a home of their own. With Familiars and Higgledies, players can bring their space to life while enjoying crafting and housing.

Bloomwalker is a journey to restore a broken world and, slowly, to restore your own inner peace along the way.

The post Bloomwalker: Healing a Broken World, One Bloom at a Time appeared first on XBOX Wire.

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Faraday Blues: Rewrite Your Family’s Fate Across Three Shattered Realities

XboxBot — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 10:30:05 GMT

Summary

Faraday Blues is a surreal sci-fi adventure coming to Xbox Series X|S and PC in 2027, with XBOX Cloud support.
Play character cards to rewrite tragic choices across three interconnected visual novels, each with its own era, aesthetic, and narrative style.
Manipulate relationships, memories, and character states across time to discover 64 reality-altering endings.

Hi, I’m Zhenghua Yang (Z), Founder of Serenity Forge and Game Director on Faraday Blues. If you just watched the XBOX Tokyo Game Show Broadcast, you saw the world premiere of a game we’ve kept close to our hearts for a long time.

Faraday Blues is a surreal sci-fi adventure about a daughter searching for parents who don’t know she exists.

You play as Lina, a mysterious girl who awakens somewhere she doesn’t understand. An old computer introduces her to a strange tabletop filled with playing cards. Two of them bear the faces of her parents. However, they have no idea who she is. Worse yet, their lives are already filled with tragedy.

So Lina does the only thing she can: reset the board and try again.

Rewrite Fate With the People Who Lived It

The cards in Faraday Blues don’t summon creatures or deal damage. They represent people.

The game is built around a 52-card deck containing characters, memories, items, and subversive pieces of the Faraday family’s history. You place character cards into conversations, locations, and major events, then enter the timeline and experience the consequences of your choices.

Place one person outside a bedroom instead of another, and a tragedy might unfold differently. Send two characters to spend time together, and their relationship may permanently change. Let someone discover a memory or object, and they may carry its influence decades into the future.

Characters can move toward Order or Entropy, change suits, transform shapes, and develop in ways that affect future possibilities. These changes may even persist as the story moves forward in unexpected ways.

One of my favorite parts of the game system is also one of the simplest: people cannot be everywhere at once. If you send someone into a smaller interaction, they may be occupied when the next major event occurs. Saving one relationship can mean leaving another person alone at exactly the wrong moment.

Sometimes you’ll find what seems like the perfect solution, but then something else goes wrong…

… And you reset the board again.

Three Visual Novels That Transform With Your Choices

Faraday Blues is really three interconnected visual novels, three visual realities, three tragedies, spread across three different eras of the Faraday family. Each reality takes a completely different shape, with its own visual identity, atmosphere, narrative style, and version of the apartment you’re exploring.

But they are not separate stories.

What happens in the first visual novel changes the board in the second. Relationships, memories, items, character states, and the endings you reach propagate forward through time. By the third era, you’ll be unexpectedly entering the accumulated result of every choice you’ve made.

Across those stories are 64 endings. Some can be victories, but most aren’t.

You may save someone only to create a different tragedy. You may reach an ending that appears better until you understand what it cost. And certain paths will only become possible once you’ve learned enough about the people involved to manipulate the timeline in ways you couldn’t before.

There are also systems, card transformations, hidden conditions, and parts of the game we aren’t ready to talk about yet, or perhaps will never talk about.

A Game About Wanting to Change What Already Happened

This story is intensely personal to me, but it’s not mine alone. I’m creating Faraday Blues alongside co-creator and lead artist Satchely (character artist of Doki Doki Literature Club) and narrative director Kevin Ye. All three of us have brought different pieces of ourselves into the game.

Most of us have moments in our lives we mentally rewrite even though we know they can never change, so we built Faraday Blues around those emotions, and what that temptation could mean for the future of the world we live in.

In addition to Satchely and Kevin Ye, we are also working with Kris Wilson, creator of Cyanide & Happiness, who is composing music for the game. And Nichole Goodnight, the voice of Slay the Princess, along with our cast of amazing actors, who we will reveal at a later date.

For all of its timelines, cards, strange technology, and 64 endings, Faraday Blues is ultimately a heartfelt story about humanity and a reflection of ourselves.

Faraday Blues is coming to XBOX Series X|S and XBOX PC in 2027, with XBOX Cloud support. You can wishlist it now!

I can’t wait for you to meet Lina and the Faraday family, and decide for yourself when it’s finally time to stop resetting the board.

The post Faraday Blues: Rewrite Your Family’s Fate Across Three Shattered Realities appeared first on XBOX Wire.

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(For Southeast Asia) PlayStation Plus Tokyo Game Show promotion starts 17 September

PlayStationBot — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 08:30:04 GMT

Players who join PlayStation Plus during 17 September to 30 September can save up to 25% on a PS Plus 12-month membership!

Current PlayStation Plus members can save big on the remainder of their membership when upgrading a current plan to PlayStation Plus Extra or Deluxe.*

With PlayStation Plus Extra and Deluxe, get access to monthly games, exclusive discounts, online multiplayer, and hundreds of games through the Game Catalog and Classics Catalog, including hit titles like Helldivers 2, Ghost of Tsushima and many more. Explore the Classics Catalog with PlayStation Plus Deluxe, try select games like the epic Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 with Game Trials, and more.*

*Availability of Classics and Game Catalog varies over time, region/country, and plan. See https://www.playstation.com/Plus for details and updates on PlayStation Plus offerings. PlayStation Plus is an ongoing subscription subject to a recurring subscription fee taken automatically (at the then-current PS Store price) at the frequency you choose at purchase until cancellation. Terms apply: play.st/psplus-usageterms

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Final Fantasy VII Revelation hands-on report: Into the Whirlwind Maze where Sephiroth awaits

PlayStationBot — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 08:30:04 GMT

Final Fantasy VII Revelation, launching April 8, 2027 on PlayStation 5, marks the epic final chapter in the remake trilogy following Final Fantasy VII Remake and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.

At Tokyo Game Show 2026, we had our first chance to play a hands-on demo of the PS5 title, featuring a combat-focused portion of the main story. In this demo, we explored the Whirlwind Maze and got the chance to test out combat with newly added playable characters Vincent and Cid, the new FITS System, and battle against Jenova Deathmourner.

Exploring the Whirlwind Maze where black-robed figures linger

Airship pilot Cid joins Cloud and the rest of the party at the beginning of the demo. With a group totaling eight members, you set off for the Whirlwind Maze where Sephiroth awaits.

The terrain requires shimmying along cliff faces and vaulting over ledges with parkour traversal. An eerie atmosphere hangs over the field. Winds howl across the cliffs. Aurora-like ribbons of light illuminate the darkness. Black-robed figures linger along the path.

Vincent: Fighting in two styles as human and beast

In this game, Vincent and Cid join the party as playable characters, and both were available at the beginning of this hands-on session.

Vincent fights using two distinct powers: gunplay and monster transformation. The versatile fighter unleashes ranged gunfire and fights up close in monster form.

Landing consecutive standard firearm attacks causes Vincent’s unique abilities to evolve from Blood Moon to Execration and then Retribution, increasing in power relative to the hit count. There is no need to manually aim; simply firing with the Square button and executing abilities with the Triangle button makes battle feel satisfyingly effortless and snappy.

Holding the R1 button transforms Vincent into a powerful monster. Moving swiftly on all fours like a beast, he can slash enemies with sharp claws. Holding the Triangle button while in monster form allows him to stagger enemies faster.

Monster form is unlimited, but as time passes the Chaos level rises, reducing Vincent’s maximum HP. Switching between human and beast forms while reacting to enemy types make him a unique and versatile addition to the party.

Cid: Dancing swiftly through the air with spear in hand

As a spear wielder, Cid excels at airborne combat. Chaining standard attacks with the Square button and pressing the Square button again at the exact moment he becomes cloaked in a blue aura leads into derivative attacks like Dragon Spin, Hyper Dive, and Ground Pound. His long spear offers impressive reach, perfect for sweeping away groups of enemies.

Pressing the Triangle button fires Target Spear, which can be charged by holding the button to launch up to five spears. Pinning enemies with spears empowers Cid’s abilities like Skydive and Burst Spiral, creating engaging tactical options.

Unlocking unique abilities with the new FITS System

The game introduces the FITS (Function-Integrated Tactical Suitwear), a new mechanic where choosing from four specialized FITS — Warrior, Knight, Black Mage, and Summoner — each unlocks different capabilities and abilities based on the equipped uniform.

In this hands-on demo, Cloud started with the Summoner FITS equipped. Selecting FITS from the command menu during combat summons Ifrit, Shiva, Titan, and other powerful beings to fight alongside Cloud for a limited duration.

Selecting FITS again while a summon is active unleashes the high-damage attack Pledge Roar. Using Pledge Roar drains HP, so this massive power comes with risk.

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Battling Jenova Death through flames and tentacles

Tough foes like Dragon Riders and Gigas await deep inside the Whirlwind Maze. Sephiroth himself appears toward the end of the demo, leading into a fight against Jenova Death. Debuting in the original Final Fantasy VII, the creature returns here with a sinister redesign featuring an unsettling spiky body.

Jenova Death rains down wide-area Fire attacks, including fireballs and scorching gusts. Dodge or guard these attacks or risk severe damage to the party.

Midway through the battle, Jenova Death’s tentacles sprout and shield the main body from damage until you destroy each one. As the battle continues the tentacles begin spewing fire like flamethrowers. In our session, combining Synergy Abilities and Limit Breaks finally brings down the colossal Jenova Death.

From the distinct fighting styles of Vincent and Cid to the new FITS System and intense boss encounters, this hands-on session offered a great look at what makes this third entry unique. Finish the adventure when Final Fantasy VII Revelation launches on PS5 April 8, 2027.

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A Close Quarters Look at Proto Man in Mega Man: Dual Override

PlayStationBot — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 02:30:15 GMT

At long last, the Blue Bomber is leaping back into action with Mega Man: Dual Override. However, he’s not the only one making a return in the highly anticipated game. Capcom’s latest evolution of the Mega Man series also features a second playable character!

Proto Man is making his comeback in Mega Man: Dual Override, and the fan favorite is armed with a powerful playstyle that’s entirely his own. Today, we’re excited to share a closer look at Proto Man and the unique arsenal he’ll unleash in this all-new adventure.

Proto Man’s return in Dual Override is something we’ve been teasing from the very jump. Fans may have heard his signature whistle in our reveal trailer, but now it’s official. Proto Man is back, and in the latest footage, you can catch the first look at him in action.

Alongside the arrival of Mega Man: Dual Override, next year marks the 40^th anniversary of the series. It’s a long legacy, and Proto Man has been a key part of that story over the years. As Dr. Light’s first creation, he’s the legendary prototype who started it all. The mysterious red-clad robot originally debuted as an adversary in Mega Man 3. Over time, however, Proto Man has moved beyond his rivalry with the Blue Bomber. Now, he’s a trusted ally who appears when Mega Man is in trouble, lending a hand when it matters most.

It’s been a bit since Proto Man’s last appearance as a playable character in Mega Man 10, but he’s picked up some new tricks since then. Over the course of Dual Override, players will discover Proto Man and Mega Man each excel in different areas, possessing their own distinct strengths, combat philosophies, and even progression systems.

Contrasting with Mega Man’s longer-range approach to combat, Proto Man excels in close quarters. The wandering warrior has a more aggressive but technical playstyle that rewards rushing into the fray with precision. His iconic weapon, the Proto Buster, may have a relatively short range, but it packs a serious punch with high attack power at point blank.

The Proto Shield also returns in Dual Override, and this time around, players will have the chance to wield it on both offense and defense, as part of Proto Man’s special abilities. Unlike Mega Man, who replicates the powers of Robot Masters he defeats, Proto Man walks his own path. By defeating bosses over the course of the journey, he’ll unlock new attacks (many of which revolve around his shield), reinforcing his role as a close-range fighter.

Instead of switching between these tools one at a time, Proto Man will develop a versatile loadout of Shield Actions that can all be used on command to tap into more offense and mobility on the fly. However, this power comes at a cost. Overreliance on these skills puts a strain on Proto Man’s body, causing him to overheat with repeated use. So please be mindful of Proto Man’s temperature to help him stay cool in the heat of battle.

Choice and customization are also at the core of Dual Override. Beyond selecting between Mega Man and Proto Man, players can also enjoy added flexibility with the Custom Chip system – one of the brand-new gameplay features in Dual Override.

There are more than 50 chips in the game, each of which grants an active ability or passive effect, so you can experiment by creating tailor-made builds with countless combinations. Whether it’s more offense, survivability, or something else entirely, Custom Chips open up a whole new world of tactical options for Mega Man and Proto Man to explore.

Another one of the game’s key features (it’s in the title, after all!) is the Override system. This new addition allows the game’s dual protagonists to transcend their normal limits, unleashing tremendous power and amplifying their abilities for a short period of time.

You can catch a glimpse of Proto Man activating his explosive Override in the latest trailer. This dramatic transformation shouldn’t be undertaken lightly, though! Once Override ends, our heroes will find themselves in a more vulnerable state. So, it’s important to choose the perfect moment to pull the trigger on harnessing this high-risk, high-reward maneuver.

With two playable heroes, each with their own unique playstyles, and new features that add layers of strategy to the experience, fans can look forward to plenty of variety of depth in Mega Man: Dual Override when it launches in Spring 2027 for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4. Until then, you can wishlist the game now on the PlayStation Store.

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Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance hands-on report – taking on new monster Araketa and Elder Dragon Teostra

PlayStationBot — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 02:30:15 GMT

Currently in development for release in 2027, Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance is a massive expansion that adds new storyline, areas, monsters, actions, and Master Rank to the game. At the PlayStation booth during Tokyo Game Show 2026, we got the very first opportunity to play a hands-on demo of the title. This demo offered three quest types featuring Chatacabra, the boss variant of new monster Araketa, and Elder Dragon Teostra. Here is what we learned from experiencing the new Boost Action mechanics firsthand and hunting Araketa in the new Skybound Eyrie area.

Experiencing Boost Action, the new feature evolving the hunt even further

Added in Ascendance, Boost Action is a new mechanic that unleashes weapon specific attacks and empowers certain weapon actions for a limited duration by activating the Boost Bracer.

What stood out during this demo was how seamlessly Boost Action integrates with existing moves to sustain continuous attacks. Because Boost triggering actions can be activated mid combo or right when you are exposed after finishing an attack, you can instantly press the offensive without breaking momentum.

The Boost gauge fills gradually over time and with every strike landed. Crucially, destroying wounds with Focus Strike while in the Boost state recharges the draining gauge, enabling high-level tactics such as shattering a wound just before Boost wears off to keep the momentum going.

Armed with the Sword and Shield, the Boost activation move delivered lightning fast mobility while slashing through monsters. Closing the gap on distant targets to dive inside their guard and unleash devastating boosted combos feels exhilarating. Triggering it up close pivots you instantly around to their flank, doubling as a brilliant dodge mechanic.

Taking on the Araketa pack in the new Skybound Eyrie area

Next, we jumped into a quest to hunt the boss variant of the new monster Araketa in the breathtaking Skybound Eyrie. While traversing this realm dotted with floating islands, mounting your Seikret lets you catch updrafts, rocket skyward, and seamlessly glide between floating landmasses. Towering ruins loomed in the distance against a crystal-clear blue sky, creating an awe-inspiring backdrop.

The target monster Araketa hunts in packs, and without Slinger Dung Bombs to scatter them on this run, we were forced to clash with multiple beasts at once.

Araketa inflates its wings with air to blast hunters back or rocket forward in heavy charge attacks. Watch those wings closely, as a massive swell signals an incoming strike.

What truly stole the show was the terrifying coordination between the boss variant and its pack. The alpha barks commands to send pack members pouncing in rapid succession, culminating in a signature ultimate move where the entire pack leaps into the heavens before diving straight down in a synchronized, high speed charge. Throwing up a hasty Great Sword guard was nowhere near enough, sending us hurtling through the air. Fortunately, the boss exposes a throat weak spot whenever it roars, and landing a clutch Focus Strike successfully cuts off its orders to the pack.

Weaponizing Gundoraja, a small creature inhabiting the area, adds fantastic dynamic flair to the hunt. Wrapped in rock solid hide, a curled up Gundoraja can be hoisted directly by hand and hurled at targets. Sniping the hyper active Araketa takes real precision, but connecting delivers a heavy blow that staggers the monster in its tracks.

The assault was so relentless that we completely forgot to trigger Boost state at times, even with a maxed out Boost gauge. Somehow, we managed to take down the boss variant right before time ran out. It was a fierce uphill battle, but nothing beats the sheer thrill of hunting a brand new monster for the first time. Given another chance, we can’t wait to thoroughly explore every corner of Skybound Eyrie.

New attacks arrive in the battle against Teostra

Finally, we stepped into the Oilwell Basin to go head-to-head with Elder Dragon Teostra. Alongside franchise staples like charges, flame breath, and blast explosions, this demo showcased brand new attack patterns we had never seen before.

What left the biggest impression was a terrifying move where Teostra rears high and slams both forelegs down with crushing force. Attempting to circle around its flank, Teostra remained upright while pivoting on the spot to realign its target. Luckily, a quick reaction with the Switch Axe Offset Rising Slash landed cleanly, deflecting the heavy slam right back at the monster. While the windup looks horrifying, mastering the timing makes for an incredibly rewarding counter option.

Fighting Teostra inside the Oilwell Basin created an especially toxic combination. Whenever dust scattered to signal an impending blast, getting stuck in thick oil mud repeatedly sabotaged our movement, continually robbing us of the precious seconds needed to dodge away.

While Teostra remains an absolute nightmare to fight, leveraging Focus Mode, wound destruction, and new Boost Actions allowed us to trade blows effectively. Ultimately, a devastating surprise hit wiped out our health, and exhausting our recovery items triggered a heart breaking quest failed screen as time expired.

Between breathtaking new locales, formidable beasts, and revolutionary combat depth brought by Boost Action, this short taste proved that Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance is set to evolve monster hunting in spectacular ways. Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance launches on PS5 in 2027.

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