Latest Reviews of Xbox Game Studios Games
Review Ara: History Untold (PC) - Xbox Game Studios Delivers Yet Another Great Strategy Title
History evolved
Following the release of Age of Mythology: Retold earlier this month, the Microsoft-published simultaneous turn-based “historical grand strategy” game Ara: History Untold has now arrived exclusively for PC under the Xbox Game Studios label. This isn’t exactly your average take on history – blending all sorts of histories,...
Review Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 (Xbox): An Incredible Spectacle That Lacks An Essential Hook
Diminishing Returns
If we cast our minds all the way back to 2019's The Game Awards, all the way back to that very first reveal for Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2, it's a strange thing that, amidst all of the next-gen hype and excitement of that specific time, we still clearly remember considering a sequel to Ninja Theory's 2017 tour-de-force a weird,...
Review Forza Motorsport (Xbox) - The Next Generation Of Racing Is Here
All revved up with lots of places to go
It's been a long time coming, but developer Turn 10 has finally rounded the bend to deliver its vision for next-gen racing on Xbox Series X and S - yep, Forza Motorsport is here. We've been waiting for this one since 2017's Forza Motorsport 7 brought gorgeous 4K / 60FPS racing to Xbox One X, but the question...
Review Minecraft Legends - The Action Strategy Spin-Off That's Even More Fun With Friends
Rise up against the Piglins and save the overworld
Reflect on Minecraft and you’ll likely find yourself thinking about the original crafting, building and survival sandbox title which has gone from strength to strength over the past decade – becoming one of the greatest video game IPs of all time. Since Microsoft’s acquisition of Mojang in...
Review Forza Horizon 5 Rally Adventure - A Love Letter To Rally
Eat dirt in this latest expansion
Rally has played a significant role in the automotive industry over the years, and Forza Horizon 5 is now acknowledging this important history (and the many rally games over the past few decades) in its latest ‘Rally Adventure’ expansion. Surprisingly, this isn’t the first time there’s been a rally add-on...
Review Age Of Empires 2: Definitive Edition - Microsoft's PC Classic Makes Its Debut On Xbox
RTS historical battles…with a controller
Where do you start with Age of Empires 2? It’s arguably the greatest RTS (and perhaps one of the best games) of all time. When it made its debut back on Microsoft Windows in 1999, it received absolutely huge levels of praise for not only taking the series to the next level, but also bettering the genre in...
Review Pentiment - Obsidian's Medieval Murder Mystery Is A Game Pass Delight
A narrative adventure most unexpected
We've been really looking forward to getting our hands on Obsidian's Pentiment ever since it was first announced back at the Xbox & Bethesda Summer Showcase in June of this year. A uniquely stylised narrative-driven murder mystery, it ticked all the boxes for us in terms of presenting a game world so...
Review Forza Horizon 5: Hot Wheels – Back For An Enjoyable Second Lap
The skies above Mexico are calling
There was definitely some confusion when the first Forza Horizon 5 expansion was leaked on the Steam Store – indicating it would be Hot Wheels (again). While it was thought to be placeholder artwork for something else at the time, it was in fact another Hot Wheels expansion. This announcement received mixed...
Review As Dusk Falls - A Cracking Crime Thriller On Xbox Game Pass
Free fallin'
Going into As Dusk Falls we were a little apprehensive. Xbox's marketing push has been somewhat light with this one considering it's an Xbox Games Studios effort, and we've only just seen Road 96's similar tale of loss and hope through to its fantastic conclusion. As it turns out, we needn't have worried at all; As Dusk Falls is a...
Review Halo Infinite - Master Chief's Latest Outing Was Worth The Wait
Hail to the Chief
After a couple of weeks' worth of blasting around the same ten maps in its excellent multiplayer component, Halo fans are about to get their hands on the next part of their early Xmas present, the campaign component of Halo Infinite is finally here. It's been six whole years since our last mainline Master Chief experience and this...
Latest Xbox Game Studios Articles
News Microsoft Adds Another Free Dynamic Background On Xbox Series X|S
Celebrating the return of Indiana Jones
It's a massive month on the Xbox front with the arrival of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on Series X|S, PC and "day one" on Microsoft's Game Pass subscription service. To celebrate this special occasion, Xbox has added a brand-new dynamic background on Xbox Series X|S. It's available to all users and can...
News Xbox Exec Talks 'Honouring Our Craft' As They're Named In Variety's Gaming Leaders List
Matt Booty was recently promoted at Xbox
American magazine Variety has highlighted ten '2024 Gaming Entertainment Leaders' in the past week or so, and Xbox executive Matt Booty has made the list this time around. Booty was recently promoted within Microsoft's new gaming leadership structure - the longtime exec is now President of Game Content and...
News Xbox Fans Are Wondering What Happened To Series X|S Exclusive 'Contraband'
It was revealed over 3 years ago!
Remember Contraband, the open world co-op game announced by Xbox Game Studios back in 2021? Well, we've seen or heard very little on the Avalanche Studios game since then - and Xbox fans are starting to wonder what the heck is going on with it. Over on the platform's
Roundup Avowed's Latest Previews Are In, And It's Already Being Touted As 'One Of 2025's Best Games'
Xbox's next big Game Pass release sounds very promising
Ahead of Avowed's Xbox Game Pass launch early next year in February, the latest round of previews for this upcoming action-RPG have now gone live. Based on this latest build, the consensus seems to be it's looking quite promising right now - with most outlets and critics talking up the game,...
News Xbox Could Have A Major 'Open-World Shooter' In The Pipeline, But It's Still Early Days
The team at Blizzard is now recruiting
Xbox's development teams already deliver some of the best first-person shooters on the market, and now, it seems the talent at Blizzard could be looking to adapt another blockbuster IP to this genre. Following recent rumours about a supposed StarCraft shooter being in development, Blizzard is now recruiting...
News Surprise! Xbox's Avowed Has Been Confirmed For Another Platform
Even Blizzard's digital service "is an Xbox"
Well, here's a bit of a surprise. Xbox has today revealed it's bringing Obsidian Entertainment's upcoming fantasy RPG Avowed to not only Xbox Series X|S, Windows, and Steam platforms, but also Blizzard's Battle.net launcher on PC. This was confirmed in an announcement today on Xbox Wire. While we've seen...
News Microsoft Boasts About Owning '20 Franchises That Have Generated Over $1 Billion'
Including ActiBlizz and Bethesda games of course
Microsoft's Satya Nadella has certainly been in the headlines today and not always in the most positive light, but one section of the CEO's recent annual company update at least talks about some of Xbox's more positive achievements in recent tim
News Xbox Boss Namedrops Marvel's Blade & Everwild Following Recent Studio Visits
Phil has been busy!
As of late, the Xbox exec team have been a bit quieter on social media, especially in the wake of Microsoft's recent studio closures and developer layoffs. However, Phil Spencer has been breaking that trend recently with a return to the Threads platform - and the boss has delivered some interesting Xbox Game Studios updates over...
News Xbox Co-Founder Joins Amazon, Says He'll Be Working On 'New Ideas'
He's now VP of devices and services
One of the original Xbox co-founders, J Allard, has joined Amazon as the company's vice president of devices and services. He told The Verge it's "too early" to say what's on the way, but he'll be working on "new ideas" at the tech giant. Interestingly, Allard will supposedly report to the former Windows and...
Rumour Blizzard Is Supposedly Working On A New StarCraft Shooter
Hell, it's about time
Until yesterday, it didn't seem like Blizzard's legendary StarCraft series would be making a comeback any time soon, and now, both titles are on their way to PC Game Pass. If this wasn't already enough for one week, there are also new rumours about a supposed "StarCraft shooter" being in development. During a chat with IGN...
Soapbox Forza Horizon 4 Hosted The Best Racing In The Series, And I'll Be Sad To See It Go
One more trip to the lakes
Well, Forza Horizon's British racing festival is about to close its doors - with Xbox announcing that Forza Horizon 4 will be delisted from digital storefronts later this year. Of course, the game will remain playable for existing owners after this date, but it's being removed from Xbox Game Pass
News Xbox's Avowed Is Fully Playable In Third-Person, Confirms Obsidian
One for you over-the-shoulder fans!
In the aftermath of the Xbox Games Showcase, Avowed developer Obsidian starting going a bit more in-depth about its upcoming fantasy RPG, including the ability to switch to a third-person perspective. At the time, details on this were a little vague, but now the team has confirmed that the game is fully playable...
News State Of Decay 3 Development Is Being Supported By Two Other Xbox Teams
Better with friends
Since its major acquisitions, Xbox has mentioned how studios within its ecosystem would be able to collaborate on projects and generally help each other out. We've already seen this before with some games in the past, and it seems the developer behind State of Decay 3 has also had some assistance crafting the next entry in its...
News South Of Midnight Gets Gameplay Reveal, Coming To Xbox Game Pass In 2025
Another Xbox exclusive!
Remember South of Midnight from Compulsion Games? The bayou-inspired Xbox title got its big reveal last year - and now we have actual gameplay and a confirmed release window! Yep, the We Happy Few developer is bringing the game day one to Xbox
News State Of Decay 3 Is Back As Part Of 'A New Era' For Xbox's Undead Labs
Coming soon!
Gosh, it's been a while but State of Decay 3 is back! Yep, Xbox's open-world zombie sequel has re-emerged after almost four years of radio silence - and it's looking like development has come along nicely since. Up above, we've got a brand-new look at the game from developer Undead Labs, who themselves have undergone some major changes...
News Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6 Launches This October On Xbox Game Pass
Just a few months to go!
We already know that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is launching day one on Xbox Game Pass, and now we have a launch date! Yep, the next Black Ops title arrives for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S on October 25th, 2024. Of course, this marks the first time ever that a
Rumour State Of Decay 3 Is 'Coming Along Very Nicely' Over At Xbox
In a good state
State of Decay 3 is one Xbox title that we've heard basically nothing about since its announcement back in 2020 — aside from news that Gears developer The Coalition is helping out on development — but a new rumour from Windows Central's Jez Corden suggests that the game is shaping up rather nicely over at Xbox. Talking on a...
News Xbox Reiterates Every First Party Title Is Coming To Game Pass 'Day One'
A recent report suggested Call of Duty could be excluded
Following a recent report claiming Xbox was considering not including new Call of Duty releases on Game Pass, it seems Microsoft's gaming division remains committed to "day one" releases. Xbox president Sarah Bond has mentioned at the Bloomberg Technology Summit this week how "day one"...
News Xbox Mobile Store Launches This July With Its Own 'First Party Portfolio'
Expect games like Candy Crush and Minecraft
For some time now Microsoft has been planning to launch its very own Xbox mobile store in hopes of shifting consumers away from the competition. Now, in a new interview at Bloomberg's Technology Summit, Xbox president Sarah Bond has confirmed the launch is on the horizon. Xbox's mobile store will...
Reaction Xbox's Push Towards 'Microsoft Gaming' Looks More Drastic Than We First Thought
The price of ever-expanding growth
It's been a wild few years over at Team Xbox, with the brand being marked by vast change since the launch of Xbox Series X and S back in late 2020 - which is starting to feel like a lifetime ago now. Huge acquisitions like that of both Bethesda and Activision Blizzard have massively changed how the team now...
News Xbox Exec Provides Reasoning Behind Bethesda Studio Closures
"I’m sharing changes we are making to our Bethesda teams"
We're all somewhat in shock by today's news surrounding the closure of four Bethesda development studios, including the teams behind the likes of Hi-Fi RUSH and Redfall. While it's hard to wrap your head around why Xbox would go out and buy these studios only to shut them down a few years...
News Phil Spencer Set To Take Part In Big Interview After 2024 Xbox Games Showcase
Things are heating up ahead of the big day
Xbox Showcase season is really starting to kick into gear now! We recently got all the details on when exactly the 2024 summer show will take place, and now outlet IGN has announced that it will be hosting an interview with Xbox Boss Phil Spencer right after the show. According to IGN's Xbox guru Ryan...
News Xbox's Towerborne Beta Is Opening Up To More Players Ahead Of 2024 Launch
"Sign up thru the Insider Program today"
Xbox Game Studios' Towerborne first opened up pre-release playtesting last year, and now the team has announced another expansion to its Insider Program. Developer Stoic will be "opening the doors" to more players "very soon" as the team continues to build towards the game's full launch. At the moment we...
Talking Point What Do You Want To See Xbox Do With State Of Decay 3?
Rumour has it the game could make an appearance soon
Late last week, a certain Jez Corden tweet started to spread around like wildfire - a tweet that some corners of the Xbox community believed was teasing a State of Decay 3 summer showcase appearance. While we felt that the tweet was perhaps a bit too vague to report on, we do think that Undead...
News Gears Of War Creator Thinks 'The More, The Merrier' In Regards To Getting Gears On PS5
"You know, I think ‘the more, the merrier'"
Xbox has ported a small selection of its games to other platforms recently — as was much publicised last month — however, despite just four titles having been mentioned by Microsoft, fans are still wondering what might be next to move over. And, in a recent interview with Game Rant,
News Microsoft Adds Another Free Dynamic Background On Xbox Series X|S
Celebrating the return of Indiana Jones
It's a massive month on the Xbox front with the arrival of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on Series X|S, PC and "day one" on Microsoft's Game Pass subscription service. To celebrate this special occasion, Xbox has added a brand-new dynamic background on Xbox Series X|S. It's available to all users and can...
News Xbox Exec Talks 'Honouring Our Craft' As They're Named In Variety's Gaming Leaders List
Matt Booty was recently promoted at Xbox
American magazine Variety has highlighted ten '2024 Gaming Entertainment Leaders' in the past week or so, and Xbox executive Matt Booty has made the list this time around. Booty was recently promoted within Microsoft's new gaming leadership structure - the longtime exec is now President of Game Content and...
News Xbox Fans Are Wondering What Happened To Series X|S Exclusive 'Contraband'
It was revealed over 3 years ago!
Remember Contraband, the open world co-op game announced by Xbox Game Studios back in 2021? Well, we've seen or heard very little on the Avalanche Studios game since then - and Xbox fans are starting to wonder what the heck is going on with it. Over on the platform's
Roundup Avowed's Latest Previews Are In, And It's Already Being Touted As 'One Of 2025's Best Games'
Xbox's next big Game Pass release sounds very promising
Ahead of Avowed's Xbox Game Pass launch early next year in February, the latest round of previews for this upcoming action-RPG have now gone live. Based on this latest build, the consensus seems to be it's looking quite promising right now - with most outlets and critics talking up the game,...
News Xbox Could Have A Major 'Open-World Shooter' In The Pipeline, But It's Still Early Days
The team at Blizzard is now recruiting
Xbox's development teams already deliver some of the best first-person shooters on the market, and now, it seems the talent at Blizzard could be looking to adapt another blockbuster IP to this genre. Following recent rumours about a supposed StarCraft shooter being in development, Blizzard is now recruiting...
News Surprise! Xbox's Avowed Has Been Confirmed For Another Platform
Even Blizzard's digital service "is an Xbox"
Well, here's a bit of a surprise. Xbox has today revealed it's bringing Obsidian Entertainment's upcoming fantasy RPG Avowed to not only Xbox Series X|S, Windows, and Steam platforms, but also Blizzard's Battle.net launcher on PC. This was confirmed in an announcement today on Xbox Wire. While we've seen...
News Microsoft Boasts About Owning '20 Franchises That Have Generated Over $1 Billion'
Including ActiBlizz and Bethesda games of course
Microsoft's Satya Nadella has certainly been in the headlines today and not always in the most positive light, but one section of the CEO's recent annual company update at least talks about some of Xbox's more positive achievements in recent tim
News Xbox Boss Namedrops Marvel's Blade & Everwild Following Recent Studio Visits
Phil has been busy!
As of late, the Xbox exec team have been a bit quieter on social media, especially in the wake of Microsoft's recent studio closures and developer layoffs. However, Phil Spencer has been breaking that trend recently with a return to the Threads platform - and the boss has delivered some interesting Xbox Game Studios updates over...
News Xbox Co-Founder Joins Amazon, Says He'll Be Working On 'New Ideas'
He's now VP of devices and services
One of the original Xbox co-founders, J Allard, has joined Amazon as the company's vice president of devices and services. He told The Verge it's "too early" to say what's on the way, but he'll be working on "new ideas" at the tech giant. Interestingly, Allard will supposedly report to the former Windows and...
Rumour Blizzard Is Supposedly Working On A New StarCraft Shooter
Hell, it's about time
Until yesterday, it didn't seem like Blizzard's legendary StarCraft series would be making a comeback any time soon, and now, both titles are on their way to PC Game Pass. If this wasn't already enough for one week, there are also new rumours about a supposed "StarCraft shooter" being in development. During a chat with IGN...
Soapbox Forza Horizon 4 Hosted The Best Racing In The Series, And I'll Be Sad To See It Go
One more trip to the lakes
Well, Forza Horizon's British racing festival is about to close its doors - with Xbox announcing that Forza Horizon 4 will be delisted from digital storefronts later this year. Of course, the game will remain playable for existing owners after this date, but it's being removed from Xbox Game Pass
News Xbox's Avowed Is Fully Playable In Third-Person, Confirms Obsidian
One for you over-the-shoulder fans!
In the aftermath of the Xbox Games Showcase, Avowed developer Obsidian starting going a bit more in-depth about its upcoming fantasy RPG, including the ability to switch to a third-person perspective. At the time, details on this were a little vague, but now the team has confirmed that the game is fully playable...
News State Of Decay 3 Development Is Being Supported By Two Other Xbox Teams
Better with friends
Since its major acquisitions, Xbox has mentioned how studios within its ecosystem would be able to collaborate on projects and generally help each other out. We've already seen this before with some games in the past, and it seems the developer behind State of Decay 3 has also had some assistance crafting the next entry in its...
News South Of Midnight Gets Gameplay Reveal, Coming To Xbox Game Pass In 2025
Another Xbox exclusive!
Remember South of Midnight from Compulsion Games? The bayou-inspired Xbox title got its big reveal last year - and now we have actual gameplay and a confirmed release window! Yep, the We Happy Few developer is bringing the game day one to Xbox
News State Of Decay 3 Is Back As Part Of 'A New Era' For Xbox's Undead Labs
Coming soon!
Gosh, it's been a while but State of Decay 3 is back! Yep, Xbox's open-world zombie sequel has re-emerged after almost four years of radio silence - and it's looking like development has come along nicely since. Up above, we've got a brand-new look at the game from developer Undead Labs, who themselves have undergone some major changes...
News Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6 Launches This October On Xbox Game Pass
Just a few months to go!
We already know that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is launching day one on Xbox Game Pass, and now we have a launch date! Yep, the next Black Ops title arrives for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S on October 25th, 2024. Of course, this marks the first time ever that a
Rumour State Of Decay 3 Is 'Coming Along Very Nicely' Over At Xbox
In a good state
State of Decay 3 is one Xbox title that we've heard basically nothing about since its announcement back in 2020 — aside from news that Gears developer The Coalition is helping out on development — but a new rumour from Windows Central's Jez Corden suggests that the game is shaping up rather nicely over at Xbox. Talking on a...
News Xbox Reiterates Every First Party Title Is Coming To Game Pass 'Day One'
A recent report suggested Call of Duty could be excluded
Following a recent report claiming Xbox was considering not including new Call of Duty releases on Game Pass, it seems Microsoft's gaming division remains committed to "day one" releases. Xbox president Sarah Bond has mentioned at the Bloomberg Technology Summit this week how "day one"...
News Xbox Mobile Store Launches This July With Its Own 'First Party Portfolio'
Expect games like Candy Crush and Minecraft
For some time now Microsoft has been planning to launch its very own Xbox mobile store in hopes of shifting consumers away from the competition. Now, in a new interview at Bloomberg's Technology Summit, Xbox president Sarah Bond has confirmed the launch is on the horizon. Xbox's mobile store will...
Reaction Xbox's Push Towards 'Microsoft Gaming' Looks More Drastic Than We First Thought
The price of ever-expanding growth
It's been a wild few years over at Team Xbox, with the brand being marked by vast change since the launch of Xbox Series X and S back in late 2020 - which is starting to feel like a lifetime ago now. Huge acquisitions like that of both Bethesda and Activision Blizzard have massively changed how the team now...
News Xbox Exec Provides Reasoning Behind Bethesda Studio Closures
"I’m sharing changes we are making to our Bethesda teams"
We're all somewhat in shock by today's news surrounding the closure of four Bethesda development studios, including the teams behind the likes of Hi-Fi RUSH and Redfall. While it's hard to wrap your head around why Xbox would go out and buy these studios only to shut them down a few years...
News Phil Spencer Set To Take Part In Big Interview After 2024 Xbox Games Showcase
Things are heating up ahead of the big day
Xbox Showcase season is really starting to kick into gear now! We recently got all the details on when exactly the 2024 summer show will take place, and now outlet IGN has announced that it will be hosting an interview with Xbox Boss Phil Spencer right after the show. According to IGN's Xbox guru Ryan...
News Xbox's Towerborne Beta Is Opening Up To More Players Ahead Of 2024 Launch
"Sign up thru the Insider Program today"
Xbox Game Studios' Towerborne first opened up pre-release playtesting last year, and now the team has announced another expansion to its Insider Program. Developer Stoic will be "opening the doors" to more players "very soon" as the team continues to build towards the game's full launch. At the moment we...
Talking Point What Do You Want To See Xbox Do With State Of Decay 3?
Rumour has it the game could make an appearance soon
Late last week, a certain Jez Corden tweet started to spread around like wildfire - a tweet that some corners of the Xbox community believed was teasing a State of Decay 3 summer showcase appearance. While we felt that the tweet was perhaps a bit too vague to report on, we do think that Undead...
News Gears Of War Creator Thinks 'The More, The Merrier' In Regards To Getting Gears On PS5
"You know, I think ‘the more, the merrier'"
Xbox has ported a small selection of its games to other platforms recently — as was much publicised last month — however, despite just four titles having been mentioned by Microsoft, fans are still wondering what might be next to move over. And, in a recent interview with Game Rant,