Tag: Xbox Game Studios
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...
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,...
News Xbox Lists 'Announced' First Party Games In New Social Media Graphic
We've got plenty of dates for 2024 and 2025
Today's Gamescom Opening Night Live event is officially in the books, and as you can see in the special new graphic above, we've got a much better idea of release dates for various Xbox first-party games in 2024 and 2025! Well... 2024 at least. The likes of Starfield: Shattered Space and
News 343 Responds To Rumours About The Studio Outsourcing Halo Development
It ain't happening, chief
There seems to have been some strong rumours going around recently suggesting that Xbox studio 343 Industries was moving towards an 'overseer' role for future Halo games - hinting that they'd no longer be the series' core developer. Well, a number of sources have now come out to shut down those rumours, including a comment...
News Here's A Look At The Updated Xbox Studios Roadmap For 2024 & Beyond
What an unbelievable lineup!
Well, another Xbox Games Showcase is in the books! Many Xbox fans believe that this year's Showcase was one of the best of all time, and we've definitely got an amazing couple of years ahead when it comes to first-party titles. As we've highlighted numerous times here at Pure Xbox in the past, Xbox fan Klobrille...
News Xbox Hires Squanch Games Co-Founder For First-Party Leadership Team
"I look forward to the journey ahead"
Xbox has added some new talent to its first-party roster! Squanch Games (High On Life, Trover Saves The Universe) co-founder Tanya Watson has announced she's joined Microsoft as "part of the Xbox Game Studios leadership team". Here's what Tanya had to say in a message on LinkedIn last week: "I am thrilled...
News Xbox Influencer Klobrille Shares Impressive Player Numbers For First-Party Lineup
Two games now have over 35 million players!
If Xbox Game Pass helps drive one thing it's huge player numbers - especially for some of the bigger AAA games out there. Naturally, Xbox's own first-party releases get lots of attention on Game Pass — and indeed the platform in general — and influencer Klobrille has gathered some of the team's recent...
Pick One Which 2024 First-Party Game Are You Most Looking Forward To From Xbox?
Let's talk games before tomorrow's 'business update'
We have a super serious day ahead of us tomorrow when Xbox delivers its 'business update' on what's next for the platform, but for today, let's talk about some video games. Putting all of the multiplatform drama aside for a minute here, Xbox has a really good games lineup planned for 2024. As was...
News PS5 Survey Lists Top 10 'Most Wanted' Xbox Franchises On PlayStation
Based on around 12,000 votes
You may have seen earlier this week that our sister site Push Square began running a survey to discover the top 10 most-wanted Xbox franchises on PS5, with the results being listed in real-time over the past few days. That poll has now come to an end, with around 12,000 votes being cast in all, and it makes for some...
News 343 Hires New Art Director To Lead 'A Very Exciting New Era' For Halo
"I am incredibly proud to join 343 Industries"
Halo developer 343 Industries appears to making moves for its next major release. Following on from hints last month at an 'unannounced' project being in the works, the team has hired a brand-new art director to lead the series "into a very exciting new era". The news comes from LinkedIn, where former...
News Shapeshifter Games Apparently 'Co-Developing' Xbox Game Studios Project
Update: Confirmed as Clockwork Revolution
Update: It's now been confirmed by InXile Entertainment that Shapeshifter Games has been working on the upcoming Clockwork Revolution as a "co-development partner". Here's a bit more about the collaboration: "Shortly after Volition closed, we flew to Illinois and worked with Xbox and the then ex-Volition...
Talking Point Do You Think Xbox Will Ever Stop Making Consoles?
Or will Team Green always make hardware?
It's been an interesting start to the year for Xbox. We have a new Developer Direct announced that makes 2024 on Xbox look quite tantalising indeed, and there've been some great Game Pass announcements already - and we're not even halfway through January! Things are looking good then, especially with that...
Pick One Which Is Your Favourite Xbox First-Party Release Of 2023?
Is it Starfield or something else?
Earlier this week we talked about Xbox's first-party lineup for 2023 - asking you for your overall grade of Xbox's output over the last 12 months. At the time of writing a 'Grade B' has been the most popular pick, which is a respectable rating, but now we want to know which release in particular you all liked best...
Feature In The End, Are You Happy With Xbox's First-Party Lineup For 2023?
What have you made of it?
After Xbox's much-documented barren spell in 2022, this year finally delivered some major first-party games to help fill out our 2023 gaming calendars. Largely bolstered by the recent addition of Bethesda alongside Xbox Game Studios, it's been quite a big year for Xbox with several AAA titles gracing the Game Pass library...
News Multiple Xbox Exclusives Nominated At BAFTAs, But None Make The 'Best Games' List
The nominees are in
Around a month ago we found out that Starfield wasn't going to be up for 'Game of the Year' at The Game Awards, and it's now the same case for this year's BAFTA ceremony. Although the winner won't be announced until next April, Starfield isn't in the running for 'Best Game' at the event - in fact, nothing from Xbox Game Studios...
News It Looks Like Xbox Has Another Exclusive Aiming For 2024 Release
Alongside Hellblade 2, Avowed & more!
At the moment we have quite a few Xbox exclusives locked in for 2024, including Hellblade 2, Avowed and Towerborne - just to name a few! Now, it looks like we might have another big first-party to game to add to that list of 2024 releases. Compulsion Games' South of Midnight —
News Xbox Game Studios Reveals First Look At New Hideo Kojima Project 'OD'
Finally!
It's been a long wait, but The Game Awards 2023 finally pulled back the curtain on what Hideo Kojima has been working on with Xbox Game Studios! The project is called "OD", and you can watch the first teaser trailer up above. Here are some official details on what you can expect: "KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS and XBOX GAME STUDIOS officially...
News Microsoft Appoints Former Forza Boss As New Xbox Game Studios Head
Matt Booty recently moved into a new role
Last month, Xbox revealed a company reshuffle with multiple executives moving into new roles. One of these individuals was Matt Booty, who is now 'President of Game Content and Studios' overseeing Bethesda and leaving behind his old role as Xbox Game Studios head. If you're wondering who is replacing this...
News Xbox Announces 'Partner Preview' Event Taking Place This Week
"We are delighted to announce our next broadcast"
We've got an Xbox event taking place this week! This is what's officially known as the "Partner Preview" broadcast, and it'll apparently showcase around 20 minutes of "trailers and new gameplay footage". The focus of the event is third-party games, and it's already been confirmed we'll hear nothing...
News Xbox Receives Multiple Nominations For Golden Joystick 'Ultimate GOTY' Award
Voting is open right now!
Awards season is upon us, and ahead of the prestigious Golden Joystick Awards taking place in London on November 10th, the nominees have finally been revealed for the "Ultimate Game of the Year" category. The good news is that Xbox is in here multiple times! The likes of Starfield, Forza Motorsport and Hi-Fi RUSH all make...
News Here's A Look At Every Xbox Studio Following The ActiBlizz Acquisition
It's a ridiculous list!
Activision Blizzard King is now officially part of the Xbox family, and that means the list of Microsoft-owned first-party studios has just grown in a massive way. If you thought it was impressive before, it's on a whole other level now! Xbox fan and creative genius Klobrille has put together a fantastic look at the new...
News Xbox Is Using A Licensed Board Game To Revive A Dormant First-Party IP
"It presents a valuable chance for Microsoft..."
The last time we saw a game in the Zoo Tycoon series was all the way back at the launch of the Xbox One in 2013, and now Microsoft is now finally reviving the dormant franchise in the form of a licensed board game! Created by German designers Marc Dür & Samuel Luterbacher, Zoo Tycoon: The Board...
Deals Get Up To 85% Off Major Xbox Titles In The Steam Summer Sale
Bargains to be had!
The Steam Summer Sale is always a major event for PC gamers, especially those looking to add a bargain to their Steam libraries. We're even more interested these days due to Xbox's renewed investment in PC gaming, including bringing first-party games to Steam. As part of this year's summer promo, Xbox Game Studios is hosting...
News Xbox Exec: We're Still Hesitant To Develop VR Games Until There's A Bigger Audience
"It’s not quite there yet"
Over the past few years, members of Team Xbox have continually batted away suggestions that Xbox might be interested in getting into VR, and that's basically what's happened again courtesy of Matt Booty in a new interview. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, the Xbox Game Studios boss was questioned whether Xbox was...
Talking Point What Else Do You Expect To See From Xbox Before The End Of 2023?
A Gamescom showcase? Dates for Avowed & Hellblade 2?
The biggest event in the calendar for Xbox is usually always the Xbox Games Showcase, and now that it's come and gone, we already have a much better idea of what the Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda roadmap is looking like. However, the year is certainly not over for Team Xbox! We've obviously got...
News Here's The Latest Xbox Game Studios & Bethesda Roadmap (June 2023 Version)
Exciting times ahead!
Now that the madness of the summer showcase season is over, we've got an even better picture of what Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda are working on — and it's looking like a bright future for first-party releases! The popular Xbox fan Klobrille has put together one of their famous Xbox Game Studios & Bethesda roadmaps on...
News Would Activision Be A Good Fit For Halo? Xbox's Matt Booty Shares His Thoughts
"It would have to come from the studios"
Xbox Game Studios boss Matt Booty has certainly been doing the rounds over the past few days following the very well-received Xbox Games Showcase 2023, and his latest interview has gone live today courtesy of Axios. As part of the discussion, Booty explained how his team at Microsoft
News Xbox's Internal Teams Are No Longer Making Games For Xbox One, Confirms Exec
”We’ve moved on"
It's been clear for quite some time now that the teams at Xbox Game Studios have been focusing on the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S for development on new titles such as Redfall, Starfield, Forza Motorsport and many others — although the likes of Minecraf
News Xbox Announces Plans For Exclusives To Arrive 'More Reliably' In The Future
Ideally, at least four first-party titles per-year
Following today's Xbox Games Showcase 2023 event, the official Xbox Wire website has put out an extensive blog detailing how the brand is planning for a bright future, which includes a more reliable rollout of exclusives. Specifically, the intent is for Xbox to release at least four first-party...
News Xbox Is 'Focused' On Finding New Developers Outside Of Well-Known Locations
"We have focused on trying to get more global with it"
Major deals like Xbox's huge push to acquire Activision Blizzard make regular headlines, of course, but Xbox is keen to expand its development portfolio in different ways as well. Speaking to UK outlet The Guardian, Xbox's Sarah Bond spoke about Microsoft's attempts to find developers who...
News Obsidian Has 'No Plans' For A Sequel To Xbox Exclusive Pentiment
"I always intended it as a standalone story"
Last year's Pentiment was an Xbox exclusive that probably flew under the radar a little bit, all things considered. Sure, it wasn't the most 'AAA' affair from famed RPG developer Obsidian, but we thought it was fantastic when it dropped onto Xbox Game Pass last November. However, it's looking like we'll...
News Xbox Boss Insists Microsoft Will Deliver A Packed Schedule Of Releases
"We've got collections of games coming"
The Xbox Series X|S generation has had a lot of exciting moments, but there's also been a lot of delays and a lot of waiting for releases. So, when will Microsoft actually start getting more games out the door on a regular basis? Speaking on the Kinda Funny Games Xcast, Microsoft's head of gaming Phil Spencer...
News Phil Spencer Says Xbox 'Needs To Improve' Its Development Process
"I think we need to improve on engaging in games that are midway through production"
In a first appearance since the launch of Redfall, Xbox Boss Phil Spencer today featured on a Kinda Funny podcast to discuss the state of Xbox moving forward. Naturally, the discussion quickly moved to Redfall's launch and how Xbox might go about navigating its...
News Microsoft CEO: I've Never Been More Excited About Xbox's Pipeline Of Games
"Great content remains the flywheel behind our growth"
Microsoft revealed its earnings results for FY23 Q3 last night, and following the publication of the report, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella appeared on a conference call to discuss those results - including how they relate to Xbox. As part of his comments, Nadella revealed that the company "set...
Deals Xbox Game Studios Hosts Extensive Steam Sale (April 20 - May 4)
Looking for a new Steam Deck game?
Xbox is hosting another major Steam sale for the new two weeks-or-so, shortly following its recent Spring Sale on the platform. This selection of discounts doesn't include anything from Bethesda unfortunately, but there are still some great deals to be had from Xbox's other first party studios and partnership...
News One Of Xbox's 'Forthcoming' Games Could Take An Entire Decade To Develop
"According to one Microsoft executive"
We all know that Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda are hard at work on some ambitious first-party titles such as Fable, The Elder Scrolls 6 and many others, and one of these reportedly could take a literal decade to develop! This bit of information was dropped in a new amended co
News Xbox Exclusive Wins GDC Award Following Microsoft's Metacritic Disqualification
Obsidian Entertainment takes the prize
Yesterday, we brought the unfortunate news that review aggregator Metacritic decided Xbox Game Studios "failed to qualify" for its annual publisher rankings - due to the fact that it launched less than five titles in 2022. However, one of the four qualifying games it did launch seems to have down well with the...
News Xbox 'Fails To Qualify' As Metacritic Reveals 2023 Game Publisher Rankings
Here's a look at the top ten
We were taking a look at the new 2023 Game Publisher Rankings over at Metacritic earlier today, trying to figure out where Xbox Game Studios had landed in the list of 45 different publishers, and then we realised... Xbox isn't there. The reason? Well, these rankings are actually based on all of 2022's releases, and...
Deals Get Up To 85% Off In Xbox & Bethesda Spring Sales On Steam (March 16-23)
Plenty of titles discounted
If you're anything like us and have caved at Valve's current Steam Deck offer (or you game regularly on PC), you might be looking for some new Steam titles to bulk out your PC library. Well, you're in luck! Both Xbox and Bethesda are running major Steam sales right now, with some deep discounts available across a bunch of...
News Xbox Marketing Budget Reportedly 'Reduced' In The Wake Of Microsoft Layoffs
Will we hear less from the company in the coming months?
While the team at Xbox have finally been a little more vocal about their upcoming slate of games recently — namely in the form of Xbox Developer Direct and future showcase announcements — it turns out that the platform's marketing push, generally speaking, could actually be reduced in...
News Here's A Look At The Updated Xbox Game Studios Roadmap For 2023 & Beyond
We've got some great stuff to look forward to!
Yesterday's Xbox Developer Direct gave us release dates for a couple of upcoming Xbox first-party games, as well as the announcement of Hi-Fi RUSH, and therefore it's a good time to take a look at the upcoming slate of XGS titles. Fortunately, the supremely talented Xbox fan Klobrille over on Twitter...
News Rare's Everwild Team 'Warming Up' For 2023 As Work Continues On New Title
"Back in studio this week"
Remember Everwild? Rare's brand-new IP was first unveiled way back in 2019 at this point, and we've been eager to hear more about it since its mysterious reveal. While the team has remained largely quiet about the game over the past few years, we do at least have some confirmation that work on the title is ongoing. Louise...
Pick One Which Game Are You Most Excited For At The Xbox 'Developer_ Direct' Event?
Redfall? Forza? Minecraft? Tell us!
It's time for another round of Pick One! This week, to celebrate the announcement of the Xbox Developer_Direct event happening on January 25th, we want to know which of the four confirmed titles you're most excited for. Microsoft has revealed information about what we can expect from Forza Motorsport, Minecraft...
Talking Point Are Games Announced Too Far In Advance?
Microsoft, CDPR, we're looking at you
Today's 10-year anniversary of the teaser trailer for Cyberpunk 2077 got us thinking about about game announcements and how long we often have to wait between reveals and releases. CD Projekt Red's almost eight-year gap between teaser trailer and launch might be
Pick One Which Xbox Game Studios Title Are You Most Excited For Right Now?
Looking at the upcoming slate
It's no secret that Xbox's first-party developers have had a quiet year, especially when it comes to the big AAA experiences we all expect from a platform holder like Microsoft. Recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic certainly hasn't helped, with game delays largely contributing to such a barren year on Xbox. However, the...
Feature Looking Ahead To A Brighter 2023 For Xbox Game Studios
On track
A lot has been said about Xbox Game Studios this year, with Microsoft's first-party output dropping quite significantly from last year - especially when talking big AAA titles. While that's true and has indeed been disappointing, we want to look ahead to 2023 as we all hope for a much stronger output from Team Xbox. The first offerings...
News Xbox Confirms Exclusivity Plans For Three Upcoming Bethesda Games
"Designed to be played primarily alone or in small groups"
Microsoft and Activision Blizzard's initial court responses to the FTC Lawsuit have been published today (as we've highlighted elsewhere on Pure Xbox) and as part of this, Microsoft mentions that three upcoming ZeniMax (Bethesda) games are anticipated to become Xbox and PC exclusives at...
News Xbox Unveils Job Listing For 'Director Of Japan Creator Partnerships'
Another major hire in the region
Microsoft has made a big deal about the need to grow Xbox's presence in Japan over the past couple of years, and it seems like that's still a major focus for the team right now, as a major job role has just opened up at the company. The ad, posted on the Microsoft website, is for a "Director of Japan Creator...
News Hideo Kojima Reveals More About His 'Unusual' New Xbox Project
He's been thinking about it for "five or six years"
We've known that Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima has been working on a project with Xbox Game Studios for a little while, but both parties have remained largely quiet about what we can expect from it. However, speaking to IGN in an interview this week, Kojima
Rumour Xbox Might Be Planning 'Some Kind Of Event' For Early 2023
Definitely not a guarantee though
The Game Awards 2022 definitely ended up feeling a little disappointing from an Xbox perspective last week. Sure, we saw plenty of games announced for the platform, but none of them came from Xbox Game Studios. Since then, Windows Cent
