Hello, Survivors! We’re excited to reveal that Warhammer Survivors will launch on Xbox Series X|S later this year!

If you haven’t heard of Warhammer Survivors, it’s a fast-paced roguelite survivors’ game, where you’ll choose from a roster of iconic Warhammer champions and lead them against endless tides of enemies from the Warhammer 40,000 and Warhammer Age of Sigmar universes.

To celebrate the announcement, we’re sharing new gameplay details about one of the enemy factions coming to the game: the mean and mighty menace, Orks!

Formed in marauding mobs of Waaagh!, Orks stomp through the battlefields of the 41st Millennium in pursuit of a good fight. They don’t attack to control territory; they relish only the pure act of a good scrap and raucous warmaking.

There is a whole manner of Orks at the Warboss’s disposal, including the brutish Ork Boyz and the cowardly but vicious Grots. Today, we’re going to focus on the broader forces of the Orks (and we’re reticent to call them specialists; all of them are just as eager as any Ork to mindlessly krump you into the dust)

Killa Kans

Orks are brutal Xenos who love the thrill of battle, so shaking off pain to fight one last time comes naturally to them. But the odds for a feeble limbed grot aren’t very promising. The Killa Kan answers that problem: a hulking smoke-spewing canister, loosely controlled by grots and armed to the teeth with blood-encrusted Killsaws! Beware of the Killa Kan as it stomps toward you in Warhammer Survivors; this ramshackle monstrosity explodes when destroyed!

Lootas

Lootas are dakka-obsessed boys, responsible for creating da best dakka (firepower) from whatever scrap they can lay their big green hands on. In Warhammer Survivors, Lootas are stationary enemies who unleash rounds of projectiles towards the player, so not only will you have to endure against the green tide of the Orks, but a hailstorm of dakka as well.

Big Mek (with Shokk Attack Gun)

Ork Big Meks are the most dakka-obsessed tinkerers within the Ork Mobs. Ork inventors that show the sheer ingenuity (and often clamatous) endeavours of Ork weapons development. Big Meks are responsible for developing some of the most devastating dakka , unleashing utter destruction and carnage upon their foes.

Bolder, brighter and bigger than their Mek counterparts, Big Meks have found a resourceful method to make use of snotlings (a smaller cousin of your average grot): ammunition. In Warhammer Survivors, Big Meks pursue the player, creating tunnels through the warp, delivering terrified, insane snots through the warp unprotected, causing them to arrive near, on top of, and even inside enemies, tanks and buildings, tearing them apart in a gibbering mass.

Weirdboy

Weirdboyz are the most physically attuned of the Ork race, drawing upon the power of the Waagh! The Weirdboyz power manifests in often fatally spectacular shows of force. In Warhammer Survivors, the Weirdboy throws out numerous hazards to avoid all while being beset by the throngs of frenzied Orks.

His powers include:

• The Weirdboy can jump himself and enemies around him to a new location as well as shoot out bolts of Warp energy.
• In his wildest display of power, the Weirdboy manifests a giant, warty green foot of Gork to crush both player and (unfortunate) enemies caught beneath its shadow.
• …and when all that gets too much for his tiny brain, the Weirdboy charges you down and releases all that pent-up psychic energy in one final devastating blast of destructive power. It doesn’t end well for the Weirdboy, let me assure you – but watch out for the blast!

Pretty weird, right?

Makari

Meet the most famous grot in the galaxy. Makari, banner-grot to the strongest Warboss of all: Ghazghkull Thraka. Makari follows after Ghazghkull, waving his banner, aptly named ‘Da Lucky Stikk’. For a grot, and particularly in Warhammer Survivors, he has a knack for staying alive. Good luck finding this sneaky git, and if you can, he might just hold a piece of the puzzle in stopping the Ork Waaagh!

Who’s Ghazghkull Thraka, you say? Well, you’ll have to watch our brand-new Warhammer Survivors trailer to find out. We still have lots of exciting reveals hidden up our sleeves, so follow Auroch Digital on X, TikTok, Instagram and YouTube for all the latest news and updates. Warhammer Survivors launches later this year on Xbox Series X|S.

Warhammer Survivors

Auroch Digital

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Warhammer Survivors is a fast-paced roguelite survivors' game, pitting a host of iconic Warhammer characters against endless hordes of enemies from multiple Warhammer factions. Developed by Auroch Digital (Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun) in partnership with Warhammer and poncle (Vampire Survivors), discover the universes of Warhammer 40,000 and Warhammer: Age of Sigmar in all its pixel glory in this new surviv-a-ton.

Pre-orders are now open for Directive 8020, a cinematic sci-fi survival horror game from Supermassive Games, launching May 12 on Xbox Series X|S.

Want the full breakdown fast? Watch our “Everything You Need to Know in 60 Seconds” trailer below:

1. Cinematic Performance Led by Lashana Lynch

Directive 8020 features Hollywood actor, Lashana Lynch (“Bob Marley: One Love,” “The Woman King”) as the ground-breaking astronaut, Young, battling to save her crew from an alien organism that is slowly taking over the ship and her crew mates! Experience immersive cinematic storytelling and edge-of-your-seat horror on a deep space mission to save humanity.

2. A Mission Where Every Choice Matters

Earth is dying and humanity is running out of time. Twelve light years away, the planet Tau Ceti f offers a small sliver of hope, but when the colony ship Cassiopeia has a disastrous malfunction and crashes onto the planet, the crew soon realize they’re far from alone.

Hunted by an alien organism capable of mimicking its prey, the crew of the Cassiopeia must outwit their pursuers to make it home alive. As they battle to survive, they are confronted with the hardest choice of all: to save themselves, they must risk the lives of everyone on Earth.

As you may have come to expect with a Supermassive Game – choices really do matter in Directive 8020.  Live, die, save, shoot, run, confront – what you choose to do matters, and will determine how your game pans out. For instance, early in the game you need to reroute power from either the landing computer or the fire suppressant system.  Both have implications for your playthrough – not all of them good!  This is just one such choice in a game full of difficult dilemmas and tough moral choices, so choose wisely.

3. Trust No One

Directive 8020 is inspired by classic sci-fi horror film “The Thing,” but is set in deep space. The crew will encounter an alien lifeform that perfectly imitates its prey. Years of training and trust are lost among the crew when their enemy hides in plain sight. Who is human and who is not – how will you be able to tell?

The threats have 3 different stages to look out for. At first, they look identical to humans, so it’s quite hard to spot – this is where the ship’s scanner may come in useful! As they start to mutate, they take a hybrid form – grotesque half-human, half-monster abominations – and from this point you really don’t want to meet them! The final stage is ‘the hunter’ – fast, violent and very deadly. We suggest you avoid contact and run…

4. A New Kind of Threat

Players of our previous games will know that exploration forms an integral part of the experience but, new for Directive 8020, exploration can now come with a deadly twist.

For the first time, Directive 8020 introduces stealth gameplay to certain sections of the game, adding an extra layer of tension to an already scary and hostile environment. This is where you will meet mimics and hunters!

You will need to take extra care as you move through the Cassiopeia. Try to avoid being seen and watch where you step, as the mimics and hunters are sound and light sensitive – stepping on glass or turning on your flashlight will alert them to your presence.

To give you a fighting chance, your character is equipped with a scanner which can identify organic matter through walls and solid objects. This tool becomes indispensable in helping you avoid the horrors that lie in wait for you on the stricken Cassiopeia.

 5. Rewind Your Fate with Turning Points

Directive 8020 features lots of tough choices and difficult dilemmas. However, for the first time in The Dark Pictures, Directive 8020 introduces Turning Points: a brand-new feature that allows players to revisit pivotal decisions using a visual branching story tree.

The game has two playstyle modes – Explorer and Survivor.  Explorer mode includes Turning Points and allows players the ability to rewind their decisions at pivotal moments in the game.  With Turning Points, you can revisit the sections that you missed, change your choices, explore a different branch or simply rewind because the character you loved is now a squashed mess!

However, if you prefer to live life on the edge and accept the consequences of your actions, then Survivor mode is for you.  In this mode, there is no turning back if a character dies or a “wrong” choice is made; you’ll have to live with your actions.

In group settings – especially in Movie Night mode – Turning Points can add a new layer of social tension and excitement. If a character dies that the group has grown attached to, players can collectively decide whether to accept the consequence… or rewind and attempt to save them.

6. Don’t Play Alone

You can brave the mission alone in single player or recruit up to four other players and play together in Movie Night mode. This mode brings people together for an immersive horror experience as you pass the controller and make decisions together, taking turns to play different characters through the story.

Online Movie Night multiplayer will arrive in a free post-launch update.

7. Pre-order Now and Get the Digital Deluxe Upgrade

So, with less than one month left until launch, pre-purchase Directive 8020 now to get the Digital Deluxe upgrade at no additional cost. (Available separately after launch)

The Directive 8020 Digital Deluxe Upgrade includes:

• The Dark Pictures Outfit Pack
• The Dark Pictures Collectibles
• Cinematic Filters Pack
• Digital Artbook
• Digital Soundtrack

Pre-order Directive 8020 on Xbox Series X|S!

In space, death takes many forms.

Directive 8020 Pre-order

Supermassive Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$49.99

Pre-order

DELUXE UPGRADE INCLUDED For a limited time only, receive with every purchase: The Dark Pictures Outfit Pack, Additional Dark Pictures Collectibles, Cinematic Filter Packs, Digital Artbook and exclusive soundtrack From the creators of UNTIL DAWN and THE QUARRY, an all-new cinematic sci-fi horror adventure that blends intense survival gameplay with meaningful choices and a branching storyline. Earth is dying and humanity is running out of time. 12 light years from home, Tau Ceti f offers a small sliver of hope. When the colony ship Cassiopeia crash lands on the planet, its crew soon realize they are far from being alone. Hunted by an alien organism capable of mimicking its prey, the crew of the Cassiopeia must outwit their pursuers to make it home alive. As they battle to survive, they are confronted with the hardest choice of all: to save themselves, they must risk the lives of everyone on Earth. NEXT-GEN CINEMATIC SURVIVAL HORROR Featuring Hollywood actor, Lashana Lynch (Bob Marley: One Love, The Woman King) as the ground-breaking astronaut, ‘Young’, experience immersive cinematic storytelling and edge-of-your-seat horror on a deep space mission to save humanity. REAL-TIME ALIEN THREATS Evade a deadly alien threat that roams the dark corridors of the ship, intent on eradicating human life. Overcome your enemies using improvised weapons, lightning reflexes, and stealth. TRUST NO ONE Encounter an alien lifeform that perfectly imitates its prey. Years of training and trust are lost among the crew when their enemy hides in plain sight. Who is human and who is not? Your choices are now more important than ever! DON’T PLAY ALONE Recruit up to five players to join you on your mission in couch-co-op movie night mode. Choose which crew members to control and work together with your friends to survive alien infiltrators, deadly dilemmas, and catastrophic system failures. In space, death takes many forms.

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!

Kiln

Xbox Game Studios

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$19.99 $17.99

Pre-order

Kiln – April 23
Game Pass / Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

Double Fine Productions presents Kiln, a pottery power-fantasy that celebrates both Creativity and Destruction: the pleasure that comes from both making beautiful things, and then smashing those things to smithereens. Create your pot, grab your friends, and join a team of colorful spirits who face off against one another in online arenas, where the ceramic creations you sculpt on a pottery wheel become the bodies you bring into battle. Pre-order Kiln now to get access to the Warrior-Artist Decoration Pack, including two new glazes, two new stickers, and a new pot lid attachment, perfect for the artist-turned-warrior in all of us.

Vampire Crawlers: The Turbo Wildcard from Vampire Survivors

Poncle Limited

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Vampire Crawlers: The Turbo Wildcard from Vampire Survivors – April 21
Game Pass / Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery / Xbox Play Anywhere

In a dark world, a new adventure begins. Explore maps, level up powers, kill monsters. Find treasures. From the somehow triple-BAFTA‑winning creators of Vampire Survivors, Vampire Crawlers: The Turbo Wildcard from Vampire Survivors turns the snowballing thrill of Survivors into a hyper turn‑based, card‑driven BLOBBER with rogue-lite elements. Build busted decks, explore familiar dungeons from a new perspective, and unleash world‑ending combos. Either take your time and be tactical, or play turns as fast as you humanly can: The outcome is always accurate, we call it hyper for a reason!

Jay and Silent Bob: Chronic Blunt Punch

Atari, Digital Eclipse, The MIX GAMES

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$19.99 $17.99

Pre-order

Jay and Silent Bob: Chronic Blunt Punch – April 20
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Xbox Play Anywhere

Brawl your way through the streets and mall in the View Askewniverse as Jay and Silent Bob where you unleash a dizzying array of irreverent combos, special moves, collect and summon assists, in this over-the-top beat ‘em up. You’ll need to harness every ounce of smoke-fueled creativity to get past the throngs of hockey-stick wielding teenage thugs, dookie demons, hipsters with babies, old grumpy danglers and massive, movie-inspired boss battles. 

Tides of Tomorrow – Pre-Order

THQ Nordic GmbH

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$29.99

Pre-order

Tides of Tomorrow – April 22
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

The Delta civilization mastered technology beyond imagination. Delta Agents were elite operatives—deployed only when missions were too perilous for anyone else to complete. Carry the Delta legacy across the ocean—and shape the fate of this world before the tide turns. In a flooded world struggling to survive, you embark on a singleplayer-mission – yet you’ll never be alone. You’ll constantly feel the presence of other Tidewalkers through the echoes of those that came before you.

Saint Slayer: Spear of Sacrilege

Lillymo Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$9.99

Pre-order

Saint Slayer: Spear of Sacrilege – April 20
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

The year is 1698. A mysterious figure named Father Pacer has shattered the peace negotiated after the War of the Grand Alliance, obsessively and violently stealing Catholic relics throughout the Holy Roman Empire. Can the ex-soldier-turned-farmer Rudiger protect his people from a power-mad priest and his horde of monsters and minions? Can he become Saint Slayer?

Collie Call: The Future is Calling (Xbox Series)

Afil Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Collie Call: The Future is Calling – April 21
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

Get ready for intergalactic barking and clever strategy in Collie Call: The Future Is Calling. Here, you control a robotic dog in outer space on a very unusual mission: organise floating sheep into air-bubble pastures before chaos takes over the galaxy. Each stage is a smart puzzle where every push matters. Teleporters flash, buttons activate futuristic gates, and every move can mean the difference between a perfect solution or a sheep stuck in the wrong corner of the universe. Plan carefully, test routes, use undo without fear, and refine your strategy until everything clicks into place.

GluMe – Xbox Edition

Eastasiasoft Limited

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

GluMe – April 22
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery / Xbox Play Anywhere

Stick together to solve brainteasing stages in retro sliding puzzle style! Get ready for GluMe, a sliding puzzle game where you control a slime, and any friends you pick up along the way. Move through top-down grid stages, collecting gems across 80 unique puzzles of growing size and complexity.

One Button Games 5-in-1 vol. 6

Xitilon

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

One Button Games 5-in-1 vol. 6 – April 22
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

All 5 games are fast-paced and controlled with a single button. Froog: You are a frog trying to cross the road. Snake 1: Play Snake with just one button. Screen: Your screen is split into halves with enemies falling down on each side. Only one side of the screen is visible at a time. Your goal is to shoot the enemies to prevent them from going down. Ball Tour: Your goal is to fly forward and avoid the spikes in the air. SpeaRain: You are constantly running from side to side. Your goal is to avoid getting hit by the spears falling from the top.

Shy Cats Hidden Orchestra 2

Lucky Raccoon Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Shy Cats Hidden Orchestra 2 – April 22
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery / Xbox Play Anywhere

Shy Cats Hidden Orchestra 2 is the sequel to the cozy hidden object game Shy Cats Hidden Orchestra. This time, you must find not only the cats, but also their instruments. Each level hides a key that opens a treasure chest, granting a hidden instrument and revealing the shyest cat of them all. Explore 10 charming levels filled with cute details and carefully hidden surprises.

Star Fire: Eternal Cycle

E-Home Entertainment Development Company Ltd

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$16.99 $13.59

Pre-order

Star Fire: Eternal Cycle – April 22
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Xbox Play Anywhere

Star Fire is a quick-to-pick-up, action-packed roguelite built for fast, satisfying gameplay — no steep learning curves, no overcomplicated systems. It combines the precision of side-scrolling action with the unpredictable buildcraft of roguelites, offering tight feedback, responsive movement, and random skill progression.

Urban Jungle

Assemble Entertainment

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$11.99

Pre-order

Urban Jungle – April 22
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Xbox Play Anywhere

Urban Jungle is a charming and relaxing simulation game that invites you to transform ordinary apartments into a lush, green haven by placing delightful plants with savvy. But no worries, you won’t have to deal with watering or pest control – the plants just need a good spot, and that’s enough to create to comfiest and coziest home of them all. Oh, and don’t forget to pet your cat!

Wild Seas (Windows)

Afil Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Wild Seas – April 22

In Wild Seas, a 2D tower defense game, you play as a friendly crocodile who possesses a jewel that has been passed down through generations, protecting the nearby islands. Now, you need all the help you can get to combat the pirates who want to conquer everything in their path and steal the great jewel.

Causal Loop

Headup

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Causal Loop – April 23
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

Exo-archaeologist Bale arrives on Tor Ulsat with his colleague Jen, an exo-linguist, to study the ruins of the lost Tor civilisation. But when he unwittingly activates the Chronolith – an ancient alien device – reality shatters. Jen vanishes, and Bale is trapped in a fractured world where time loops and echoes of the past and future bleed together. With no way to contact mission control, Bale must navigate countless obstacles, unravel the fate of the Tor, and outwit the cryptic and mysterious forces that oppose him. As reality unravels and truth remains buried in the ruins, Bale’s only hope is to solve the mystery of the Tor – before he’s lost to the loop forever.

Combat Kart

Happy Player

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$14.99

Pre-order

Combat Kart – April 23
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery / Xbox Play Anywhere

Drift, Nitro, Speed! Casual fun meets competitive racing. Experience a physics-driven drifting system that delivers smooth controls and an exhilarating sense of speed. Build up nitro by drifting and unleash powerful boosts that perfectly match your kart and track. Sharpen your drifting and boosting skills, fine-tune your cornering strategy, and chase your best lap times!

A Difficult Game About Letters

Abelix Games LLC

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$4.99

Pre-order

A Difficult Game About Letters – April 23

When your best friend falls into trouble, it’s up to you to embark on a daring journey through the Land of Letters. In A Difficult Game About Letters, you take control of a character who can transform into any letter of the alphabet. Each letter’s shape provides unique abilities, which you’ll need to solve puzzles, navigate obstacles, and complete challenging platforming levels.

Dragon Is Dead

PM-Studios, Inc.

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Dragon is Dead – April 23

Dragon is Dead delivers 2D platformer action requiring precise dodging and pattern-breaking. Each area is a vertically and horizontally intertwined, multi-layered structure that regenerates in a rogue-lite fashion with different terrain, monster placement, and loot composition on each run. When you die, you lose your gold and temporary buffs, but your gear and runes are permanently preserved and become the basis for the next cycle. Defeating bosses yields rune stones that can be used to craft or awaken legendary gear, and artifacts found during exploration can bring both powerful blessings and dangerous curses depending on the combination, providing new tactical tension each time.

Kingdom's Return: Time-Eating Fruit and the Ancient Monster

INTI CREATES

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Kingdom’s Return: Time-Eating Fruit and the Ancient Monster – April 23

Rebuild your kingdom with action and strategy! Kingdom’s Return is an action RPG where you’ll adventure to restore your fallen kingdom. Collect materials in 2D side-scrolling adventure stages, then use them in the strategy part to rebuild your kingdom and power up your characters!

Kristala

Astral Clocktower Studios, Inc.

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Kristala – April 23
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

Kristala is a dark fantasy Action RPG that invites you into the role of a magically gifted feline warrior on a quest to master the ancient magics of the Sacred Kristals. Simultaneously, you must battle to cleanse a cursed world teeming with mutated, monstrous creatures and the grim remnants of a devastating war. Blending challenging, fast-paced combat with agile parkour, feline stealth, and deep worldbuilding, Kristala offers a rich and atmospheric journey across Ailur…where every battle is brutal, every choice holds weight, and every path hides mysterious secrets waiting to be unraveled.

Our Metal Bowl

Intrugli Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Our Metal Bowl – April 23
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Xbox Play Anywhere

Explore a vast network of abandoned industrial structures alongside your loyal robotic companion XIU. Your goal: extract life-giving nutrients to revitalize a decaying world and restore life to ancient, forgotten greenhouses. Face intense, high-speed combat in narrow corridors. Use quick reflexes to survive, but remember: you can’t just blast through every situation. Study enemy movements and master their patterns: every encounter is a tactical challenge to overcome.

Piggy’s Farm (Xbox Series)

Afil Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Piggy’s Farm – April 23
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

Get ready for a relaxing and charming puzzle where every move matters and every solution brings that satisfying sense of accomplishment. You take control of a dedicated farmer pig on a mission to organize carrots and radishes into their correct planting spots. Inspired by classic logic games, it transforms simplicity into a clever challenge. Push, test paths, undo mistakes when needed, and discover the best way to organize each scenario without pressure or time limits.

Rumbral

Pdpartid@games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$17.99 $16.19

Pre-order

Rumbral – April 23
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

You wake up in a dark, mysterious forest with no memory of who you are or why you’re there. Move through a world filled with abandoned structures and puzzles, perhaps left behind by others. Survivors? Explorers? Discover strange magenta liquids that reveal secrets of the past… and maybe of yourself. But be careful: you might not be alone in this desolate place.

Sudden Strike 5

Kalypso Media

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$49.99 $44.99

Pre-order

Sudden Strike 5 – April 23
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

Command massive battles: Sudden Strike 5 delivers a truly immersive strategy experience, with  25 missions across huge, diverse maps and the highest unit counts ever seen in the series, setting the stage for large-scale tactical warfare. Command over 300 authentic WW2 units – including more than 190 vehicles and 110 infantry units – such as the Sherman tank for the Western Allies, the Messerschmitt Bf 109 for the German troops, and the T-34 for the Soviet troops.

Until Then

Maximum Entertainment

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Until Then – April 23
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

In a world still recovering from catastrophe, Mark Borja and his friends navigate the joys and woes of another year of high school. Wake up in a typical teenage bedroom, practice piano, race to meet homework deadlines, and build (and burn) relationships, as you reminisce about the daily insecurities of high school life. That is, until a fateful meeting sets off a chain reaction, upending Mark’s life. People disappear and memories prove unreliable. Uncover a hidden truth with Mark and his friends in this narrative adventure and race to unravel the mystery before it’s too late.

DIMENSIONS 2

Villano Wild Studio

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Dimensions 2 – April 24
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Xbox Play Anywhere

Dimensions 2 is the culmination of years of development by a single creator: the definitive conclusion of a story that has evolved across multiple dimensions. As a direct sequel, it continues the narrative… and also brings together Dimensions and Dimensions: The Catalyst, now fully integrated and remastered into a single experience. The entire journey has been rebuilt and elevated: new mechanics, visual improvements, and a redesigned progression system that redefines how each dimension is experienced.

Emoji Battlefield – Summer Vacation

EpiXR Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$4.99

Pre-order

Emoji Battlefield – Summer Vacation – April 24
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

You came for a relaxing getaway — but the emojis had other plans. In this rogue-like first-person shooter, paradise has fallen into chaos as waves of emojis invade beaches, pools, and sunny resorts across the coast. Before each run, choose your favorite modifiers: crank up the challenge with Hard Mode, make every emoji wear ridiculous summer hats, or turn on Bouncy Mode to watch them hop around like beach balls gone rogue.

Farm Manager World

Ultimate Games S.A.

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Farm Manager World – April 24
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

Immerse yourself in the farming world of Farm Manager World! Build your agricultural empire in exciting new locations around the world, cultivate exotic plants, breed animals, utilize crop rotation and fertilizers to care for the soil, and trade resources with friends. Strategically design your farm layout and unlock advanced farming tools to streamline your operations. Always pay attention to the shelf life of harvested crops. A new logistics and storage system will help control the flow of goods and facilitate their sales management.

Guts 'n Grunts Sr.

Cascadia Games LLC

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Guts ‘n Grunts Sr. – April 24
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery / Xbox Play Anywhere

March 30, 2052, the Technate remains intact. After 17 years of speedily fighting Slaughterhouse AI, Gunnar Harsvin has one last run in him. Can he send one final message to the evil technocrats? Or will time stop him in his tracks? A twin game to Guts ‘n Grunts Jr, “Sr.” offers new challenges and enemies. Roll, shoot, survive!

Indoor Baseball

Snow Day Software

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$14.99

Pre-order

Indoor Baseball – April 24
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery / Xbox Play Anywhere

Play a fast-paced game of 1v1 baseball where your parents wouldn’t let you. Break windows for home runs, smash toys and other house hold items, and avoid all the destruction while playing an arcade style baseball game.

OBLITACRATER

Strangely Named

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Oblitacrater – April 24
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Xbox Play Anywhere

Obliticrater is a twin stick shooter where you fight endless alien monsters in increasingly difficult waves on a cute little planet! There is only one goal: increase your score. Each drop to the planet adds to a single running score. You can end the drop at any time by pressing the big red button at the top of the planet which also locks in your score and adds it to your total. There is no end to the number of waves in Obliticrater. You last as long as you dare and then get out!

Party Club

Lucid11 Interactive

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Party Club – April 24
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery / Xbox Play Anywhere

Seat customers, serve drinks, and manage chaos with up to 4 players! Keep the peace by considering customer types while seating them. Survive disasters, handle quirky customers, and design the perfect venue to keep the party going!

If you’ve ever found yourself endlessly doom-scrolling on your phone, you already understand the core idea behind Death by Scrolling. The difference is: here, stopping isn’t an option.

As we bring Death by Scrolling to Xbox today, alongside a major update for all platforms, I wanted to share how we built the game’s central mechanic – and why something as simple as endless vertical movement became the foundation for everything else.

Insert Coin or 80s arcade

Early on, back with the prototype, something we began to notice was a similarity Death by Scrolling had to classic vertically-scrolling arcade games. In fact, with the exception of the need to get change for some more quarters after a few games, it seemed to be the closest design comparison for us, and that became a guide to a lot of our design decisions.

We wanted a game whose mechanics almost begged for it to be in an arcade cabinet, and gave you that “one more round…” feeling. It should be relatively short, get tougher as it goes on, to either reach your objective and unlock something new, or at least feel you’ve gotten further or gotten better, improving how things would go for you next round.

It’s why the Xbox feels like a natural home for the game – pass-the-controller for the next round is as close as most people ever get to a video arcade these days.

Stack of quarters not required.

Why Death is Always Behind you

In early design we experimented with different ways to create pressure: timers, hazards, even traditional “closing zones.” None of them felt right. They either became background noise or something players could ignore.

So we gave that pressure a face.

The Reaper in Death by Scrolling isn’t just a visual flourish – they are a system. They follow you, react to you, and force you to keep moving. You can stun, dodge, and buy yourself a little breathing room, but you can never remove The Reaper from the equation.

That changes the emotional rhythm of a run. It’s not just about optimization – it’s about survival through motion. You’re always aware that something is coming for you, and that awareness shapes every action.

Building Chaos you Can Still Read

One of the biggest challenges was balancing intensity with clarity – especially knowing the game would be played with a controller from a couch.

With a constantly scrolling environment, multiple enemies, and environmental hazards, things can get overwhelming very quickly. So, we made a conscious effort to keep actions as readable and responsive (and fun) as possible.

Attacks are designed to feel immediate. Enemy behaviors are distinct and telegraphed. Even in the middle of chaos, you should feel like your decisions matter – that when things go wrong, it’s because you took a risk or made a call under pressure.

That balance becomes even more important as you grow stronger during a run. You start chaining abilities, customizing your character for your play style, and taking bolder risks – but the scrolling never slows down to accommodate you.

Many Small Decisions

When the game moves fast and the screen is constantly scrolling, you can’t give players complex choices. We experimented early on with just how complex the puzzles could be, and found that at a certain point if a puzzle or maze wasn’t instantly obvious with what you had to do, people often just ignored it.

With this in mind, we kept a design philosophy of trying to give the player constant small decisions about risk to manage. Decisions so small they barely even felt like decisions a lot of the time. It’s a game about position and movement choices.

When you encounter a chest or a powerup but it’s next to a tough enemy or requires back-tracking towards the ever-encroaching screen, do you risk it?

When you see a bag of gold behind a bunch of spikes, do you eat the damage or risk ducking back through a few enemies to flip a switch lowering the spikes?

Early on in the game, when things are easier, you may just eat a heart or two of damage from the spikes – but later on, knowing the risks, when you’re low on health and the reaper is close behind you, that decision becomes tougher.

Bringing the Climb to Xbox

With today’s Xbox launch, alongside a major update that adds a new playable character, a new biome, and a range of improvements, we’ve focused on making sure this constant sense of motion feels just right on console.

Controls are tight and immediate. Navigation is smooth. Most importantly, the pace – the feeling that the world is always pushing you forward – remains intact no matter how you play.

Because in Death by Scrolling, the core idea never changes:

The screen is moving.
The Reaper is behind you.
And the only way out is up.

Death By Scrolling

MicroProse Software

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$7.99

Get it now

Welcome to Death By Scrolling, an action game set in the chaotic depths of Purgatory, inc. now under new management! Choose your character—each with unique perks and abilities, and race upward through endless levels. Battle bizarre monsters, dodge death itself, and collect gems to pay the Ferryman’s exorbitant fee! With each screen inching upward, time is never on your side. Outsmart the Reaper, grab power-ups, complete quirky side quests, and shop from vendors mid-run. Stay alive, pay your dues, and maybe, just maybe, you'll cross that river. Choose your hero. Outsmart death. Outrun scrolling. Earn your passage. Are you ready to survive Purgatory, inc.?

At Broken Arms Games, the mission has always centered on the “how” and “why” of simulation. The studio was founded on the premise of transforming complex real-world systems—from the delicate art of winemaking to the high stakes of sports management—into deep, accessible experiences. The core philosophy dictates that a great management game should never feel like homework; it should feel like a playground.

This vision is at the heart of the latest project, Under Par Golf Architect.

A Love Letter to a Classic

The spark for this game did not originate from a market spreadsheet, but from the community. For years, across forums and social media, a dedicated audience of players asked a recurring question: “Why has no one made a spiritual successor to Sid Meier’s SimGolf?” Having grown up playing those classics, the team at Broken Arms Games felt that same void and decided it was time to return to the fairway—not to build a time machine, but to evolve the genre.

Capturing the “Nostalgia Effect”

When designing Under Par Golf Architect, the goal was not to replicate the technical limitations of the early 2000s. Instead, the focus remained on capturing the nostalgia. The development process was dedicated to bottling that specific feeling of joy experienced when a digital golfer sinks a perfect putt on a hole designed by the player.

• The Sounds of the Green: To truly evoke the spirit of the original inspiration, the studio focused on the auditory landscape. The soundtrack and sound effects lean into the iconic, quirky “noises” that players remember so fondly—from the specific chatter of the golfers to the rhythmic environmental cues. These elements serve as an emotional bridge to the past while anchoring a modern gameplay loop.
• Modern Depth: While the atmosphere leans into these retro charms, the systems are entirely modern. A robust engine allows for intricate terrain sculpting and complex resort management without the clunky menus of the past.

Accessibility at the Fingertips

One of the primary challenges in bringing a “builder” game to consoles is the control scheme. Too often, ports attempt to mimic a mouse with an analog stick, leading to a frustrating experience.

Under Par Golf Architect was built from the ground up with the Xbox Wireless Controller in mind.

“Accessibility is defined by how a game feels in the hands of the player. Months were spent refining the UI to ensure that laying down a fairway or placing a clubhouse feels as fluid and natural as any modern action title.” – Yves Hohler, CEO at Broken Arms Games

The First Tee Awaits

The team is incredibly proud to share this journey with the Xbox community. Whether the player is a veteran designer who spent hundreds of hours in SimGolf or a newcomer looking for a relaxing way to spend an afternoon, this course was built for everyone.

Under Par Golf Architect is available now on Xbox Series S|X.

Under Par Golf Architect

Broken Arms Games

☆☆☆☆☆ 1

★★★★★

$19.99

Get it now

Design and Manage Prestigious Courses around the World. Design world-class golf courses by terraforming rough wasteland into lush fairways for smooth drives and pristine greens to ensure a true roll for every putt. Raise and lower terrain and lay the course for rivers and lakes to craft breathtaking landscapes that will fill your golfers with awe. Every course you create is a masterpiece waiting to be explored! Build and maintain your golfing paradise to keep your members happy and entertained with bars, pools, restaurants and training facilities. Hire the right staff for the job to ensure services are top-notch quality. Manage your budget wisely as you expand your course with new holes and amenities, balancing the demands of profitability with the pursuit of perfection. Golfer membership will ensure your profit and the growth of your first-class resort! Play your own course and test your skills against challenging layouts and unpredictable hazards, from towering trees to treacherous water features. Simple controls and a point and click mechanic will let you test the par of every hole to ensure they’re up to scratch for your members. Don’t want to play but still like to experience the challenges of your design? Click on the teeing area to simulate the game! Customize your golf course across a range of different biomes, from bustling cities to some of the most remote regions in the world. Experiment with different landscaping elements to evoke a variety of atmospheres, from classic elegance to modern extravagance. VIP golfers love exclusitìvity; if they can only reach your course by helicopter they’ll do it, but it needs to be worth their while – fine-tune every detail to suit their preferences and taste!

EA Play members can run the rink with unlimited access to a revamped Be A Pro mode, HUT Season updates, and so much more.

• EA Sports NHL 26 is now available on The Play List.
• Members can add to their Ultimate Team and boost their World of Chel experience with double XP in the EA Play Supercharge Bundle until May 16.
• Stay hot on the ice with recurring member rewards like 3,000 WOC Coins and Season Pass XP Multiplier Tokens every month.

Game Pass Ultimate members can take on the ice and play like a superstar with EA Play. Get unlimited access today, plus 10% off EA digital purchases, including NHL Points, game downloads, and DLC.

Snag your Supercharge Bundle with double XP and a HUT card pack by May 16. From NHL EDGE data powering how superstars perform in-game to a reimagined Be A Pro mode that immerses you in the stakes and emotions of playing at the highest level, it’s time to show out and tell the world to Check My Game.

What’s new in NHL 26?

• ICE-Q 2.0 powered by NHL EDGE
  • ICE-Q 2.0 utilizes powerful NHL EDGE data so you can think, move, and play like your favorite superstars.
• Be A Pro Updates
  • A revamped Be A Pro mode lets you live your hockey journey from rookie to superstar.
• HUT Seasons
  • HUT Seasons is an all-new, dynamic game mode experience where every match-up matters.
• X-Factors
  • X-Factors enhance an arsenal of 28 abilities over five different categories.

Hit the ice today in EA Sports NHL 26 and experience how NHL EDGE data powers your favorite superstars, a reimagined Be A Pro mode, and more.

April Member Rewards

Fresh member rewards are in full bloom. Don’t miss your chance to claim them and make this season your best one yet!

• Apex Legends
  • Add some flair to your arsenal with the Gold Hail Henrietta! Weapon Charm, available through April 27.
• EA Sports F1 25
  • Take on the racetrack with a 5,000 XP Boost and unlock tiers of the Podium Pass, available until April 30.
• EA Sports FC 26
  • Go for glory with a Football Ultimate Team EA Play Draft Token from March 12 – April 23, and compete in style with a Clubs Right Arm Tape starting April 23.
• EA Sports Madden NFL 26
  • Hold onto that Sunday stadium hype with a Madden Ultimate Team EA Play April Pack, available until April 30.
• EA Sports NHL 26
  • Score 2 Season Pass Multiplier Tokens & 3,000 CHEL Coins by May 7
  • Celebrate NHL 26 coming to the Play List with a limited-time EA Play Supercharge Bundle, available until May 16.
• Battlefield 6
  • Gear up for all-out warfare and claim your EA Play Deployment Pack, if you haven’t already.
  • Then, grab a Season 2 EA Play Pack, available until May 11.

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.

Metro 2039 is the upcoming fourth mainline entry in 4A Games’ iconic series of post-apocalyptic first-person shooters. Like the previous games in the series, it will be a story-driven, single-player campaign, crafted with skill and passion by a global team founded and still majority-based in Ukraine.

Today we got a first look at the game, its story, and its creators in a video presentation. Not had a chance to watch? Read on for a summary of everything we learned about this exciting new entry in a beloved series.

The Story

After Metro Exodus expanded the scope of the series’ world, Metro 2039 will return to its roots in the Moscow Metro, going “back to the tunnels and leaning into what makes Metro, Metro,” according to Creative Director Andriy ‘mLs’ Shevchenko. 

All the various independent factions that previously populated the Metro have now been united under a fascist dictatorship, led by a literal Fuhrer. You will play as The Stranger, “a recluse plagued by his violent nightmares, forced to undertake a harrowing journey back down to the Metro, a place he swore to never return,” as described by Co-Creative Director and Lead Audio Designer, Pawel Ulmer. Notably, The Stranger will be the series’ first fully voiced lead protagonist. 

The cinematic reveal trailer took us into one of The Stranger’s nightmares, bouncing around associatively between grim and violent moments and images from throughout his traumatic life, never knowing what is truly real. On waking in the present, he starts heading, with grim determination, back down into the Metro.

This will be the darkest chapter in the Metro saga yet, according to Ulmer. “We are not romanticizing the post-apocalypse, or making a theme park out of it. Metro has always been a more tragic view on our actions as humanity.” 

Gameplay

The presentation ended with a brief clip of mixed gameplay and cinematics, our first taste of what Metro 2039 has in store. Set in a ruined Metro station, we see hallmarks of the series – familiar hand-crafted weaponry, gorgeous visuals, and a preference for using in-game objects rather than a traditional UI, most notably The Stranger’s watch ticking down. We see some glimpses of exploration, with The Stranger looking to examine a body slumped against a pillar, before we get an action setpiece.

The Stranger is attacked by Nosalises – returning monsters that resemble ferocious moles, with the size and proportions of gorillas – which have crashed down into the tunnel leading to the station. The sequence gives us a sense of the tactical nature of combat – The Stranger chooses to rush down an escalator rather than take on the fight immediately, but upon readying his weapon it misfires, seemingly indicating how the player will need to pay close attention to ammo and maintenance. As a Nosalis begins to maul him, The Stranger pulls out a knife and stabs the beast in its neck.

As they turn back to escape, we see a kneeling older man with an assault rifle, guarding a populated Metro tunnel, giving us a quick look at the kinds of settlements we’ll be able to visit. The Stranger quickly crawls backwards as two more monsters bear down and the heavy metal doors slide shut just in time…

Environmental Storytelling

Every detail of Metro 2039’s world will be deliberately handcrafted to create a sense of history and lived-in specificity. Shevchenko described this approach to narrative level design as “frozen stories.” These aren’t your grandma’s environmental storytelling skeletons and graffiti, but rather areas thoughtfully staged with items, bodies, and props to allow observant players to piece together micro-narratives throughout the environment.

“Nothing is prefabricated – everything is unique and grounded,” explained Executive Producer Jon Bloch. “When you walk into a room, it’s clear that a person lived there. You can feel what they were doing right before they left or died.”

The Engine

Like all their previous games, Metro 2039 has been built in 4A Games’ own custom engine. Having their own engine has always allowed them to make the Metro games visually stunning and performant. This shared technological lineage of now over 15 years allows each entry in the series to take advantage of and build upon everything developed for the preceding games.

“4A Engine is purpose-built to make the games that we want to make,” said Bloch. “If we need to build a new feature or do something in a specific way, with our own engine we can just make it. We’re limited only by our vision.” He explained that 4A Engine allowed them to be early pioneers of ray tracing with Metro Exodus, and they are pushing this even further in Metro 2039.

Shaped by War and Ukrainian Pride

A recurring theme throughout the presentation, both implicit and explicit, was how Metro 2039 has been informed by the majority-Ukrainian studio’s recent experience of war from the invasion of Russia. It even led to the entire planned story of this game being reworked to reflect the real lives of the people making it.

“Everything we had planned for the next chapter of Metro changed,” said Bloch. Dmitry Glukhovsky, who wrote the novels the games are based on, has returned to help craft the story for Metro 2039, all while living in exile from his native Russia for criticizing the government, including for its invasion of Ukraine.

“The meaning [of our games] has always been about preventing war,” said Ulmer. “But now,” Shevchenko added, “war is our reality, and our message has shifted to be about the consequences, the cost of silence, the horrors of tyranny, and the price of freedom.” Ulmer continued: “When Russia’s full-scale invasion began, it changed the lives of everyone in the studio – but more so of our team and families in Ukraine. Even today, the majority of our team works from various locations around Ukraine.”

“Reality forced us to take a different approach, told from a uniquely Ukrainian perspective, but this is still a Metro story, in the Metro universe,” said Shevchenko.

We look forward to learning more about Metro 2039 in the lead-up to its release this winter.

METRO 2039

Deep Silver

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

METRO 2039 is the next landmark FPS from acclaimed storytellers, 4A Games. Journey into the dark heart of post-apocalyptic Moscow in a harrowing conflict for the very soul of the Metro. The year is 2039. For a quarter century, the last survivors of nuclear war have been locked in bitter conflict deep in the Metro tunnels beneath the poisoned city of Moscow. Now, finally, they have been united by a single leader, a fanatical Spartan known as Hunter. But this is no peace: Hunter’s Novoreich regime rules through propaganda and fear, subjugating the population in the name of a new war for the surface against a dark and terrifying enemy. In the wilderness beyond the city, the reclusive Stranger is haunted by violent waking nightmares. When the ghosts of his past force him out of exile, he must undertake a harrowing journey into the shattered ruins of Moscow, to the one place he swore he’d never go. The Metro. Experience the most shocking METRO adventure yet in a powerful single-player story that weaves exploration, survival, combat and stealth across a hauntingly beautiful but deadly world with unparalleled immersion. Inspired by the worldwide best-selling METRO book trilogy by Dmitry Glukhovsky

Prepare to jump into tactical plays and snow day mayhem this Free Play Days. Football Manager 26 Console and South Park: Snow Day are available this weekend for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Premium and Essential members to play from Thursday April 16 until Sunday, April 19.

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.

Football Manager 26 Console

SEGA

☆☆☆☆☆ 146

★★★★★

$59.99 $35.99

Get it now

PC Game Pass

Xbox Game Pass

Football Manager 26 Console
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S, Smart Delivery, Xbox Play Anywhere
Shape your football destiny in Football Manager 26 Console. Explore the cutting edge of football tactics and feel closer to every match-defining moment with the series’ richest Match Day experience. Choose from 148 playable leagues to manage in, including 14 Women’s Football competitions, and supercharge your squad in the transfer market with our unrivalled database. Football belongs to you and your vision.

SOUTH PARK: SNOW DAY!

THQ Nordic

☆☆☆☆☆ 917

★★★★★

$29.99 $11.99

Get it now

South Park: Snow Day!
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S
Play South Park: Snow Day! During Xbox Free Play Days and save 60% when you buy!
Join Cartman, Stan, Kyle, and Kenny, in three-dimensional glory, to celebrate the most magical day in any young child’s life – a snow day! A massive blizzard has thrown the town into chaos and, more importantly, canceled school. Play with up to three friends, use matchmaking, or solo the game with ally bots and battle through the snow-piled town of South Park. Engage in frenetic, action-packed combat against warring factions in an all-new story where you make the rules. Equip unique weapons and deploy devastating, upgradable special abilities on a new adventure to save the world and enjoy a day without school. It’s a snow day, dude! 

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.

Pragmata – which arrives for Xbox Series X|S tomorrow, April 17 – is a wildly satisfying throwback to the third-person shooters of old, combining familiar, chunky combat with a unique hacking minigame woven into every encounter. It’s a mixture of old and new, meaning everything will feel familiar, but with enough nuance to keep things fresh.

That also means that, when you start the game off, you might be missing some of the little details to help you succeed – and that’s where I come in. Having played a huge chunk of the game, I’m here to offer some of the little tips I wish I’d known early on to help make Hugh and Diana’s journey across a robot-blasted Moon that little bit smoother.

Don’t Be Afraid to Seek Shelter

The Shelter is your evolving hub area throughout the game. Here you can buy upgrades, equip new outfits, have a little chat with Diana, save the game, and more. And it’s not just accessible before and after missions – you’ll regularly find unlockable ladders during missions that take you right back here, and I’d recommend you use them.

You’ll pick up upgrade materials and unlocks constantly during levels, and travelling back to the Shelter means you can effectively power up mid-mission. It’s not just a way of healing and restoring your repair packs, but a meaningful way of making the entire rest of the level that little bit easier.

Prioritize Your Main Weapon

In the early game, you’ll begin vacuuming up precious upgrade components pretty quickly, which can be spent on upgrading your armor, hacking ability, or primary weapon – and I’d very much recommend focusing on the last of those as you start out.

With secondary weapons limited on ammo, and before you’ve collected up mods and other additions, you’ll be relying on your Grip Gun pistol to take down a lot of threats, so ensuring it’s powerful enough to make quick work of them is essential to forging an easy path.

Look Off the Beaten Path (But Don’t Get Too Distracted)

Pragmata hides a lot of useful things around its levels – from new mods, to currencies, to seemingly cosmetic upgrades that offer bonuses back at the Shelter. Often you’ll find them around unassuming corners, at the end of mini platforming puzzles, or behind mysteriously locked doors that require some poking around.

I’d highly recommend gathering anything you can get to – not least because they can be used or equipped mid-level – but don’t get fixated on something you simply can’t find a way into, as there’s a little bit of gear-gating going on. Some hidden items will only become accessible later in the game, meaning you’ll want to come back to early levels and clear them out some more – a task eased once you unlock Diana’s item ping system a few hours into the game.

Learn Your Enemies’ Weak Points

You’ll quickly get into the rhythm of Pragmata’s unique mix of hacking and combat – hacking an enemy to open it up, before pummelling it with ammunition. But there’s an added element here – every enemy also has particular weak points, which you’ll know when they flash red when being hit. They’re usually fairly self-evident – exposed heads, jutting fuel tanks and the like.

Hitting these weak points not only results in more damage, but adds to a stagger gauge (you can see it under the enemy’s health bar) – when filled, they’ll fall down, and you can press RT to deliver a Critical Shot, which is an instant kill against most foes.

Don’t Ignore Your Defense Gadgets

Your weapon loadout is sorted into four categories – Primary, Attack, Tactical, and Defense. The first two speak for themselves, and your Tactical weapons make their combat-changing value clear very early on, but Defense gadgets might initially not make clear quite how powerful they are.

The first one you unlock, Decoy Generator, can send literally every robot currently chasing you in the wrong direction, and even works on bosses – meaning you’ll want to save them for a special occasion. Subsequent unlocks can be equally life-saving, so make sure to use them all and make the hardest fights that little bit safer.

Play Some Bingo

Fairly early on, a robot named Cabin will pop up in your Shelter – aside from bringing the general vibe of the place up, he’ll begin offering you stamp cards to fill out using a new currency, Cabin Coin. While many of the rewards on offer tend towards the cosmetic, there are some genuinely major upgrades in here, including new hacking nodes and mods that can change you approach combat. Some of these are tied to completing bingo-style lines across the stamp card, so building them up sensibly is key.

Put Your Trainers On

Cabin isn’t just hanging around to collect its namesake coins; early on, the friendly bot provides access to a series of Training Simulations offering big payouts. A few minutes successfully running training gauntlets in between stages can yield enough materials to upgrade your weapons, mods, and abilities. New challenges unlock as Hugh and Diana progress through the game, so it’s worth checking back regularly to max out your upgrades.

PRAGMATA

CAPCOM CO., LTD.

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Note: This content may be available as part of one or more bundles. Please check your purchases to avoid overlap. "Wherever you go, I'll be there." Pragmata is a unique, sci-fi action-adventure game from Capcom. Follow Hugh, a member of an ill-fated investigation team, and Diana, a young android, as they navigate a lunar facility taken over by rogue AI in search of a way to Earth. ONE TRAGIC ACCIDENT. AN UNLIKELY DUO. At a remote lunar research facility, humanity discovers a new ore—one that, when properly refined, can be used to create almost anything using 3D printers. When the facility suddenly falls silent, Hugh and his team are dispatched to investigate…but then disaster strikes. Hugh is saved by Diana, a lone android wandering the complex. The two of them must join forces to find a way off the moon while working their way through an AI-controlled facility bent on stopping them. Half-realized replicas of human civilization sprawl across the lunar surface, while inside, only scattered traces of the facility's vanished inhabitants remain. What buried truth awaits at the end of Hugh and Diana's journey? TAKE CONTROL OF TWO CHARACTERS—AT THE SAME TIME. Guide both Hugh as he moves, shoots, and jumps, and Diana, who hacks at the same time. Enjoy a fresh, new blend of gameplay in this truly unique system that will push your brain to its limits. *Ray tracing is not supported on Xbox Series S. ©CAPCOM PRAGMATA is a trademark and/or registered trademark of CAPCOM CO., LTD. and/or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and/or other countries.