Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 4

Activision Publishing Inc.

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$69.99

Pre-order

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 – October 23
XBOX Play Anywhere

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 pushes the series into darker and more dangerous territory, where consequence and escalation bring long-running storylines to a powerful and emotional breaking point. Pre-order Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 today to gain Early Access to the game’s Campaign starting Friday, October 16 ahead of its global launch on October 23.

FINAL FANTASY RESONANCE

SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$49.99

Pre-order

Final Fantasy Resonance – October 22
XBOX Play Anywhere

What if FINAL FANTASY had continued to push the limits of pixel art? The first FINAL FANTASY to join the HD‑2D lineup, FINAL FANTASY RESONANCE delivers a visually striking experience that feels both nostalgic and new, enhanced by dynamic camera angles and pixelized 3D models that make every moment more dramatic and immersive. A classic RPG adventure unfolds in a world filled with beloved FINAL FANTASY elements—airships, crystals, espers and moogles woven into the fabric of the story, and so much more.

Shoresy: Legends of the North

Treewood Games, New Metric Media

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$14.99

Pre-order

Shoresy: Legends of the North – October 19

Shoresy: Legends of the North is a fast-paced hockey RPG set in the Shoresy universe. Create your skater and join the Sudbury Blueberry Bulldogs on a quest to save the world from the legendary Hockey Godz, or go head-to-head with friends with a roster of fan-favourite characters.

Candlemates (Xbox Series)

Afil Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Candlemates – October 20

Get ready for a bright adventure full of strategy in Candlemates! Control two enchanted candles and push the fire stones onto their matching braziers, but be careful: each candle has a limited number of moves, and every step can make all the difference!

Christmas Across America Collector's Edition

Ocean Media LLC

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Christmas Across America Collector’s Edition – October 20

Immerse yourself in the holiday spirit! Journey into the heart of winter America to create traditions, find hidden treasures, and experience the magic of the coziest time of year.

Cruise Adventure: Hidden Journey Collector's Edition

Ocean Media LLC

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Cruise Adventure: Hidden Journey Collector’s Edition – October 20

Feel the sea breeze and the endless horizon! This is the beginning of a grand journey. For the first time, you step aboard a luxurious liner to spend an unforgettable honeymoon! In Cruise Adventure: Hidden Journey, warm encounters and cozy evenings await, as your route takes you through the colorful islands of the Pacific Ocean. This isn’t just a sightseeing tour, it’s a celebration of life, where every day brings new emotions.

Elite Sports Gaming Football – October 20

ESG Football 27 is bigger, faster, and more connected than ever. Build your player, compete with friends, and experience football your way with brand-new 11v11 Rec Mode, cross-play between PlayStation and Xbox, improved matchmaking and connectivity, tutorials to learn the fundamentals, nostalgia-inspired mini-games, and a deeper player progression system with grindable badges and boosts to increase your character’s attributes. Whether you’re playing Head-to-Head, teaming up in 11v11, or grinding to build your player, ESG Football 27 brings the ultimate football experience to life.

Family Journey: Hidden Across The World Collector's Edition

Ocean Media LLC

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Family Journey: Hidden Across The World Collector’s Edition – October 20

Pack your bags and join a loving family on a heartwarming journey around the world! Sharpen your eye for detail across 60 beautifully crafted hidden object scenes, each inspired by real-world cities and iconic landmarks. Take a break from searching with 12 delightful mini games and brain teasing puzzles that the whole family can enjoy together. This Collector’s Edition is packed with exclusive extras, enjoy bonus levels, a music player and achievements to keep the adventure alive. Personalize your experience in a special interior scene where you can buy furniture, and test your skills to unlock 10 unique achievements.

Hail to the Rainbow

Sometimes You

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$14.99 $11.99

Pre-order

Free Trial

Hail to the Rainbow – October 20
Smart Delivery / XBOX Play Anywhere

Hail to the Rainbow is a first-person, story-driven adventure with horror and shooter elements. Set in a richly detailed world, the game challenges you to survive in a new reality, uncover the secrets behind the surrounding chaos, and experience the protagonist’s memories and inner struggles.

We Were Here Tomorrow

Total Mayhem Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

We Were Here Tomorrow – October 20

On an expedition to save your fellow Explorers, you and your partner become trapped beneath the ice of Antarctica. When you awaken, you find yourselves inside the mysterious Norček Industries facility with little recollection of what happened. Director Kathleen Bowe needs your help to continue the work of her missing research team before a global crisis unfolds.

CyberBot: Zero (Xbox Series)

GameDi Studio

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

CyberBot: Zero – October 21

In this thrilling 2D platformer, you play as CyberBot, a brave autonomous unit that must navigate a corrupted mega-facility. Get ready for a nostalgic adventure filled with digital challenges! Explore detailed and colorful cyber environments, crafted with a charming retro style. Use your logic to hack systems, move units, and overcome creative obstacles.

Dreadway

Take IT Studio! sp. z o. o.

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Dreadway – October 22

Dreadway is an online co-op survival horror with crafting, proximity voice chat, terrifying monsters, and voice-driven interactions. You and up to three friends travel through a post-apocalyptic world, collect junk, craft survival devices, and interact with the game through voice chat.

Entwined: Strings of Deception

Joindots® GmbH, Germany

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Entwined: Strings of Deception – October 22
Smart Delivery

The famous inventor Christopher Edward has been brutally murdered in his own home. As Detective Karla Robbins, you take on the case. You question his wife, his secretary, the butler, the maid, and the family doctor. Everyone smiles politely; everyone tells their own version of the night’s events. Who is lying? Listen closely, compare statements, and spot the contradictions. Record every piece of evidence in your interactive case file and piece the puzzle together, bit by bit. Sometimes, the crucial clue lies in the very detail you overlooked the first time around.

Moadra

Gloomsoft

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Moadra – October 22
XBOX Play Anywhere

Traverse a massive interconnected world on the sand-swept planet of Protea VI. Unveil the grim mysteries of Protea VI at your own pace as Moadra. Endure challenging combat and evolve Moadra’s abilities, solve puzzles, and reveal countless hidden paths and secrets throughout your mission to uncover your lost Neera heritage.

Mortal Sin

Nikola Todorovic

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Mortal Sin – October 22

Eyes locked on your prey. You kill without remorse. After all… it’s either you or them. Sentience fades. This moment is your release. Descend into a surreal, ever-shifting nightmare. Procedurally generated levels, randomised quests, and hundreds of hand-crafted rooms make every run feel fresh. Unlock a growing roster of distinct classes, from the great sword-wielding Berserker to the gun-toting Pirate, each with their own play style and wild synergies.

Spray Trace (Xbox One)

Afil Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Spray Trace – October 22

Grab your spray can and step into a colorful adventure in Spray Trace! Control a talented graffiti artist and move through each environment, painting the tiles along your path. But you can’t just paint everything you see: each color has an exact number of tiles that must be filled!

Tidy Up the Flower Shop

Over The Moon

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Tidy Up the Flower Shop – October 22
XBOX Play Anywhere

“Your big flower delivery came, so I unpacked it all for you!” Your niece has a spare key and the best of intentions. The shop opens tomorrow, and every flower you ordered is somewhere on the floor. It’s okay. You know where they all go. Pick flowers up until your arms are full. Cycle through what you are carrying, find the basket that wants a rose, and set it in. Each basket takes one kind of flower, and it tells you when it is done.

Warrior Cats: Clans of the Forest

Trailmark Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$29.99

Pre-order

Warrior Cats: Clan of the Forest – October 22

Warrior Cats: Clans of the Forest is an immersive action-adventure game set in the Lake Territories of the beloved Warrior Cats book series. Embark on a variety of quests to gain favor with your Clan and battle others in turn-based combat to strengthen your cat and grow your legend.

Carry The Glass

NAISU

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Carry The Glass – October 23
XBOX Play Anywhere

Team up as two quirky construction workers in this fun 2-player co-op platformer! Carry a fragile glass window through colorful levels filled with challenges. Communicate and coordinate to dodge obstacles and solve puzzles. Can you finish the job without breaking the glass?

Darkenstein 3D Director's cut

Dolores Entertainment S.L.

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Darkenstein 3D Director’s Cut – October 23
Smart Delivery / XBOX Play Anywhere

trying to rescue his dog from the clutches of the Nazis. Fast, brutal, and demanding. Darkenstein 3D doesn’t make it easy for you. You can dodge enemy projectiles, but surviving requires quick movements, precise aim, and sharp reflexes. Every battle is a deadly dance of dodges and spins. No cover, no aim assist—just pure, unadulterated action.

FIRE AND ASHES

Axyos Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

FIRE AND ASHES – October 23

Henry Gray is haunted by the ghosts of his past. He awakens in 1977 inside Paul Staderbeiger Psychiatric Hospital, about to begin a maddening journey that will push his sanity to the breaking point. Descend through derelict hospital halls and beyond, where reality and nightmare mix into something far worse than either.

House 2

Glowstick Entertainment

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

House 2 – October 23
Smart Delivery

As a terrible storm rages on, Tabby finds herself once again trapped in a never-ending nightmare. Uncover the mystery of the curse or succumb to it in the sequel to the 2020 horror game, House.

Omni Growth

Brainium Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Omni Growth – October 23
Smart Delivery / XBOX Play Anywhere

Humans invaded a massive galactic ship and nearly wiped out an ancient arachnid species. But one hatchling survived… Now you are the last hope of your kind. Explore the abandoned sections of the colossal spacecraft, hunt space insects and invaders, consume your prey, and evolve from a helpless creature into a deadly predator. Each level takes you to a new part of the ship, featuring unique environments, biomes, traps, and enemies. Use your surroundings to survive, grow stronger, and unlock new abilities.

Railroad Swap (Xbox Series)

Afil Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Railroad Swap – October 23

Get ready for a journey full of challenges in Railroad Swap! Help Mat, an adorable train-driving cat, build the tracks needed to guide his train to the final destination. But be careful: the available pieces aren’t enough to complete the entire route, so you’ll need to think beyond the tracks!

Seahorse Soap Patrol

Cascadia Games LLC

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Seahorse Soap Patrol – October 23
Smart Delivery

When polluting sea creatures fill the ocean with trash, it’s up to the Seahorse Soap Patrol to clean things up! Float through different underwater biomes, blowing sud bubbles at naughty nautiluses, smelly sharks, and more! Pick up the trash and make the ocean a fresh, clean home for all to enjoy. Two player co-op, retro platforming fun!

Vixen 357

Ratalaika Games S.L.

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Vixen 357 – October 23
Smart Delivery

One day, a mysterious unit attacked the base of Slash Unit, who had been training to become the pilots of Vectors. But who are they…? Now, the battle begins again, with the secrets lie hidden! This Sci-fi simulation game is based on exciting story with various events and unique characters and epic battles with dozens of units.

The Walking Trade

PlayWay S.A.

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

The Walking Trade – October 23
XBOX Play Anywhere

Run a shop in the zombie apocalypse! Trade batteries, craft stock, manage your staff, and fend off undead hordes. Will you be a hero, or profit at any cost? Your choices shape your store – and your fate. The Walking Trade is a quirky, action-packed zombie apocalypse store management game where chaos and commerce collide!

The post Next Week on XBOX: New Games for October 19 to 23 appeared first on XBOX Wire.

Miami Zero is a massive free expansion that transports you to the sun-soaked (and frequently rain-soaked) streets of Miami, back to when the virus was first unleashed on the world. This was ground zero for the outbreak and in this DLC you’ll find yourself right in the thick of it, screening desperate survivors, identifying symptoms, and making tough calls about who lives and who dies. The fate of the world rests on your shoulders, and your scanner, but hey – at least the sun is shining!

So far, so familiar. But Miami Zero is much more than just a change of scenery. This is a major update to the game, adding new inspection mechanics, tools, survivors, minigames, quests, and more. We’ve been releasing regular updates for Quarantine Zone since it launched in January, but this is by far the biggest chunk of new stuff yet. We’ve also taken the opportunity to let your imaginations run wild, and some of the new content we’ve been cooking up is a little wild ‘n’ wacky, just like Miami itself.

SURVIVOR VARIETY

If you’ve played Quarantine Zone you’ll know that you spend a lot of time getting familiar (maybe too familiar) with the people lining up for processing. In the Miami Zero expansion, the flavour and variety of these characters has been dramatically increased. Over 30 unique survivors have been added to the game, all with their own distinct personalities, voice lines, appearances, and quirks. We’ve also added new animations, additional body type variety, and lots of new reactions to really make the game’s characters come to life. You never know who’ll show up next.

NEW DISCOVERIES

New survivors also means new symptoms. Whether it’s suspicious scars, rotten organs, or wriggly stomach parasites, there are lots of wonderfully disgusting new things to discover as you use your various high-tech screening tools to probe the potentially infected. But, this being the city of vice, it’s not just signs of infection you have to search for – there are drugs to sniff out too. This illicit contraband can be slipped under hats, swallowed, hidden in a fist, or concealed in other tricky ways, adding a whole extra layer of inspection gameplay to the classic Quarantine Zone experience.

FRESH DISTRACTIONS

Miami Zero also introduces a new research centre that lets you perform experiments on the infected – with surprising and shocking results, including freakish mutants that could threaten the safety of the checkpoint. Or if you’d rather escape, why not try your hand at a campaign-spanning quest to repair a ship and sail to calmer waters. This combined with a new campaign, storyline, quests, and characters means Miami Zero is absolutely stuffed with new content. Oh, and you can feed people to sharks. Did we mention that? You just better make doubly sure they’re infected first.

MIAMI VIBES

For the authentic Miami experience, we’ve also added a new dynamic weather system to the game. From cloud-splitting sunshine to dust storms and tropical rain, the elements are as unpredictable as the people who’ll come through the checkpoint. We’ve also added new locations and scenery, including a pier, city streets, and a music festival, as well as upgrades to the game’s environmental audio. The level of immersion in Miami Zero has been ramped up massively, making it a more effective backdrop for the unfolding origin story of the chaotic early days of the outbreak.

Whether you’re a returning veteran or a newbie, there’s never been a better time to experience Quarantine Zone. Not only does the Miami Zero expansion offer a radically different new setting and a lore-expanding story, but the original campaign has been tweaked, updated, and improved too. So, if you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to be at the frontline of the apocalypse, now’s your chance. Quarantine Zone: Miami Zero is available now on XBOX Series X|S and PC – including via XBOX and PC Game Pass – and is free to all owners of the original game. Don’t forget your sunscreen.

Quarantine Zone: The Last Check

Devolver Digital

☆☆☆☆☆ 1929

★★★★★

$19.99 $12.99

Get it now

PC Game Pass

Xbox Game Pass

— FREE CONTENT UPDATE — WELCOME TO MIAMI, WHERE IT ALL BEGAN Experience the chaotic early days of the outbreak at ground zero: sun-kissed (and stormy) Miami, Florida. Discover how the infection began through encounters with a brand new cast of quirky characters, and dispose of any infected suspects in the most economical way possible: by feeding them to the sharks! INVESTIGATE AN INFECTION THAT KEEPS EVOLVING The virus is still evolving, and so is your understanding of it. Study its mutations and trace the infection back to its source while the situation around you grows stranger by the day. The deeper you dig, the harder it becomes to believe that the outbreak was simply an accident. REBUILD YOUR WAY OUT Keep the hastily constructed checkpoint running while preparing for the one thing everyone in Miami desperately needs – a way out. Recruit survivors who can help restore a damaged luxury yacht and turn it into your best chance of escaping the city. New symptoms, new tools and new challenges will keep you guessing as Miami falls deeper into chaos… — Quarantine Zone: The Last Check puts you in charge of a critical checkpoint during a zombie outbreak. Armed with advanced screening tools and your own instincts, you must decide who gets through and who stays behind. One wrong choice could let the infection slip past your post. But holding the line is only the beginning. You’ll need to manage scarce resources, reinforce defenses, and keep your camp alive as chaos intensifies with each passing day. SEE IT? SORT IT Use high-tech tools to uncover signs of infection among the terrified survivors. Identify contraband, forbidden items, and even rare collectables as you work to keep your checkpoint secure. Send those with suspicious symptoms to quarantine for observation, to the lab for additional screening, or save healthy survivors by sending them to the living block. And those who show to be infected… well, they don't stand a chance anyway. COMMAND THE CATASTROPHE As the survivor population swells, you’ll be relied upon to provide essentials such as power, food, and medicine. When the alarms are raised, pilot armed drones to ensure the infected don’t breach the compound. The better you manage your ever-expanding base, the more resources, tools, and weapon upgrades you’ll unlock. LEARN. ADAPT. SURVIVE. When a quarantined survivor becomes an undead predator, all is not lost! Keep newly turned zombies confined to harvest and prepare samples in return for new tools, staff XP, and long-term upgrades. Individuals with unknown symptoms can also be analyzed, but these tests are always fatal to the subject. Will you choose to preserve life? Or will you pursue knowledge at any cost?

The post Quarantine Zone’s Miami Zero DLC is the Perfect Excuse to Return to the Smash Hit Zombie Checkpoint Simulator appeared first on XBOX Wire.

NBA 2K27 Standard Edition is also available beginning Friday, October 16 at 12pm PDT until Sunday, October 18.

Watch out! The Alters will have a free 3-hour timed trial from Thursday, October 15 until Sunday, October 18. All players can try it out, no Game Pass membership required.

How to Start Playing

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

Keep the Fun Going

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

Free Play Days (Game Pass Membership Required)

NBA 2K27 Standard Edition 
Hit the court and hoop with friends this weekend as NBA 2K27 joins Xbox Free Play Days.

Starting October 16, you can create a MyPLAYER and lace up in The City, build a legacy in MyCAREER, and compete with NBA and WNBA superstars in Play Now. Take advantage of Xbox Free Play Days from October 16 to October 18 and get ready for NBA Tip-Off.  Also, from October 16 to October 29, purchase any digital edition of NBA 2K27 and get an Xbox Gift Card plus a 15,000 Virtual Currency Pack.

NBA 2K27

2K

☆☆☆☆☆ 1841

★★★★★

$69.99

Get it now

Crusader Kings III
Love, fight, scheme, and claim greatness. Determine your noble house’s legacy in the sprawling grand strategy of Crusader Kings III. Death is only the beginning as you guide your dynasty’s bloodline in the rich and larger-than-life simulation of the Middle Ages. Play Crusader Kings III for free now on XBOX Series X|S!

Crusader Kings III

Paradox Interactive

☆☆☆☆☆ 2119

★★★★★

$49.99 $20

Get it now

Bus Simulator 21 Next Stop
Hop aboard Bus Simulator 21 Next Stop during Xbox Free Play Days, October 15–18! Drive officially licensed buses, explore two open-world cities, and build your bus company solo or with friends in online co-op.

Bus Simulator 21 Next Stop

astragon Entertainment

☆☆☆☆☆ 133

★★★★★

$29.99

Get it now

Soccer Story
Try Soccer Story for free as part of Xbox Free Play Days, and if you want to play even more, you can grab the game for 85% OFF! The world might as well be over – Soccer Inc. has closed down every local stadium, team and tournament. What kind of world can survive without the beautiful game? Thankfully a magical soccer ball has chosen you, our Savior of Soccer!

Soccer Story

No More Robots

☆☆☆☆☆ 308

★★★★★

$19.99 $2.99

Get it now

Ravenswatch
Recall the fairy tales of old and join the Ravenswatch! In this roguelike action game, battle nightmares, power up your abilities, and collect items to craft a build that takes you to the endgame.

 Playable solo or in up to 4-player co-op, Ravenswatch recently celebrated its second anniversary. A new hero, Kintaro, inspired by Japanese folklore, has joined the fray, fighting alongside his bear companion. The DLC arrives alongside a talent rework for all heroes, changing the way they play. And for those who don’t want the fun to end, Ravenswatch will be 65% off during the free play weekend.

Ravenswatch

Nacon

☆☆☆☆☆ 214

★★★★★

$29.99 $10.49

Get it now

Free Play Days For All

The Alters
Stranded on a hostile planet, you create alternate versions of yourself to survive. But each Alter is shaped by a branching life path, and they don’t always agree on your choices – current and past ones. The Alters is a personal survival game that fuses mechanical depth with emotional storytelling, asking one haunting question: What if you had made different choices? Build your base, manage resources, care for your Alters mental wellbeing, and reckon with regret in this award-winning experience.

The Alters

11 bit studios

☆☆☆☆☆ 1337

★★★★★

$34.99 $15.74

Get it now

PC Game Pass

Xbox Game Pass

Free Trial

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

The post Free Play Days – NBA 2K27, Crusader Kings III, The Alters, Bus Simulator 21, Soccer Story and Ravenswatch appeared first on XBOX Wire.

The XBOX Nano Controller, at a little over 5 inches in length and just 3.5 ounces, is our smallest controller, lighter and shorter than most modern smartphones. It includes all 18 standard gameplay inputs, delivering a familiar controller layout players already love. 

At $49.99, the XBOX Nano Controller gives players a new, approachable option for jumping in and sharing the fun. It’s an easier way to be ready for games the whole family can play together, like Minecraft Dungeons II, where up to four heroes can team up for local co-op in the living room or online. 

The pocketable design also makes it easy to slip into a bag or bring along for the day, giving you a convenient way to play whether you’re traveling, visiting friends and family, or simply taking games like Forza Horizon 6 beyond the living room. 

The XBOX Nano controller includes a rechargeable battery and a programmable Action Button that can be customized for features like screenshots, gameplay capture, and other frequently used shortcuts. With XBOX Wireless and Bluetooth support, it connects across a range of compatible devices with ease. 

Players can pre-order the XBOX Nano Controller beginning today for $49.99 USD. It will be available beginning in November in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Czechia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Guatemala, Hong Kong SAR, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Trinidad & Tobago, the United Kingdom, and the United States, with additional markets to follow. 

Pricing and availability vary by country. Visit your local Microsoft Store or authorized retailer for more information. 

To make it easy to get started, we’re teaming up with Samsung, to introduce a special XBOX Nano Controller and 2-months of Game Pass Ultimate offer (for new members) in the US with the purchase of select Samsung TVs this holiday season. With the XBOX app available through the Gaming Hub built into Samsung TVs, players in select regions can use their monthly cloud playtime to play hundreds of XBOX Game Pass titles by simply connecting their controller.  

We’re also working with Meta on a holiday offer in the US that includes an XBOX Nano Controller and a 2-month Game Pass Ultimate subscription for new members with the purchase of a Meta Quest. 

The post Meet the XBOX Nano Controller appeared first on XBOX Wire.

Summary

• Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse releases October 15 on XBOX Series X|S and XBOX on PC. Play it on console and PC at no additional cost with XBOX Play Anywhere.
• Publisher KONAMI developed it in partnership with Dead Cells studios Evil Empire and Motion Twin.
• Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse is a triumphant return from a long-neglected series that stands among the best modern examples of the genre it helped inspire.

Just like that pesky Count Dracula, the Castlevania series refuses to stay dead.

40 years after legendary vampire hunter Simon Belmont’s debut, and 18 (!) after the last original 2D entry, Rose Belmont is here to whip undead ass and show that this portmanteau parent to the “Metroidvania” genre of action-exploration platformers can still throw down with the best of them. Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse is an incredible return to form for the series, standing tall among the many excellent recent games inspired by it.

Set in Paris, 1499, Rose is the daughter of Trevor Belmont and Sypha Belnades, whom you may recognize as protagonists of the excellent Netflix animated Castlevania series. Trevor and Rose arrive in Paris, summoned by the Bishop to handle a mysterious evil terrorizing the city, but Trevor is just there to pass the torch (and whip) to his very capable daughter, who’s taking over the family business of carefully exploring a big map full of secrets, accumulating special powers, and murdering a menagerie of mythical monsters.

This theme of a generational hand-off is particularly appropriate because Belmont’s Curse is the first 2D Castlevania developed by KONAMI in partnership with Evil Empire, the studio that spun off to manage Dead Cells updates and DLC from creator Motion Twin, who also advised on this project. 2018’s Dead Cells was itself a slick, randomized, run-based twist on the Castlevania formula from the peak of the action-roguelike genre explosion. What it lost in a sense of exploration from the procedural levels, it more than made up for in lush pixel art animation and lightning-fast, buttery-smooth action.

Belmont’s Curse inherits that strong aesthetic and mechanical foundation and builds a spectacular edifice of a fixed world on top that allows the game to shine as a cohesive whole, like the bright blood moon looming over so many Castlevania games.

Blood Cells

I was immediately enchanted by the opening, when Rose and Trevor arrive to find Paris ablaze in vibrant, magenta flames. Where Dead Cells converted rigged 3D animations into pixel-art sprites, Belmont’s Curse makes its 3D models look more graphic and 2D with cel shading, and the results are gorgeous. The benefits really stood out to me when I saw some of the same zombies that I’d been fighting in front of a window in a dark room, rendered backlit in silhouette with a bright red rim highlight, dynamically fading into clearer view as I got closer. Castlevania has always had fun, imaginative design for its enemies and environments, and Belmont’s Curse elevates it with a vibrant and unique visual style. In addition to many returning monsters and characters, there are some fun and surprising French historical figures in the mix, which is appropriate to France as the setting for both the game and the studio that made it.

The action is also as good as the series has ever been. 7 types of weapon are available to Rose (longsword, whip, gauntlets, spear, greatsword, sword and shield, and twin swords), each with its own move set to master. Like with Dead Cells, enemy attacks are well telegraphed, providing a satisfying opportunity to develop mastery as you learn to anticipate them. There’s also a parry, which adds a lot of new dynamism to fighting series-classic foes, like in another excellent revival from its peer, Metroid Dread.

The Belmont family’s iconic whip also takes on new significance, doing double-duty as a grappling hook. Rose can swing around and zip towards rings throughout the environment, but can also latch directly onto enemies and hurl herself toward them for a devastating attack. This makes both combat and platforming far more kinetic than previous Castlevanias. Rose likes to quip “You’re trapped in here with me!” at the start of the regular arena fights, and that brash confidence is perfectly reflected in her aggressive, fearless playstyle of throwing herself right into danger.

All of this culminates in spectacular boss battles, which are demanding tests of your skill, and incredibly satisfying to overcome. I was a little taken aback by how punishing the very first boss was and how much I needed to lock in to defeat him, but it never felt unfair. It’s always thrilling to follow the arc of a boss feeling impossible to learning their tricks and slugging it out – one mid-game boss in particular was about as hard-earned and exhilarating a victory as I’ve had in recent memory

Black Magic Woman

Defeating bosses feeds into the game’s other core system: the deck of tarot Arcana provided by Rose’s late mother Sypha. After defeating each boss (or completing certain other puzzles and accomplishments), you gain a spell associated with their Arcana, so each new ability you gain has a flavorful connection to the character from whom you claimed it. It’s also a great example of a game trope I always enjoy: tarot-style archetypes that are not actually from the traditional 22 Major Arcana (see also Cult of the Lamb or Hades II).

You then upgrade those spells through a clever system called Works of Mercy. Each Arcana has 2-3 associated achievements, related both to using the spells in particular ways or completing other deeds in the world. These unlock points to spend on upgrades that improve the spell’s effect, like being able to throw out a second cross boomerang. It’s a great way to take advantage of how achievements encourage players to engage more deeply with a game and tie it back into progression.

Absorbing bosses into the tarot deck also has the narrative effect that Rose has freed their spirits from Dracula’s influence and can hear their voices in her head. Some are grateful and eager to aid Rose’s quest, while others mostly mock her. Defeated bosses becoming a peanut gallery in your head providing commentary for the rest of the game is a really fun way to pack in extra characterization. The voice acting is charming throughout—everyone really gets the assignment and chews an appropriate amount of scenery for the series that memorably gave us “What is a man? A miserable little pile of secrets!”

The Arcana also act as hubs to collect clues as to their whereabouts, such as spirits and statues giving you little tidbits of gossip from around the castle. This is great both in a mechanical sense for providing structure and guidance to a genre that can often devolve into randomly poking around corners of the map, as well as in a narrative sense for characterizing and grounding the bosses in context. It creates anticipation before you find all of them, and a sense of who they are and what they’ve been up to. Castlevania bosses can traditionally feel like guys you just sort of happen to stumble onto as you explore, so I’ve really enjoyed the additional work that’s gone into making them feel more meaningfully connected. This culminates in a little dialogue scene for each Arcana after you complete all its Works of Mercy, resolving their character arc.

Vania Mania

Different areas of the map are also well distinguished from one another by music, visual style, and cool, unique mechanics and environmental puzzles that have flavorful connections to the settings. I’m currently trying to eke out the last few precious percentage points of each zone’s completion as I track down those fiendish final secrets. I’ve enjoyed the completionist approach because Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse has all sorts of thoughtful, modern quality-of-life touches that reduce unnecessary friction while still maintaining the genre’s core, challenging appeal, like map pins available from the start or several ways to get around the map that become available eventually.

As has become a genre go-to since Hollow Knight, besides weapon and spell choice your build comprises three relic slots, which can be used to support various playstyles. I particularly appreciated that you can change these, your weapon, and spell at any time while paused, encouraging situational experimentation. I got a lot of great use out of 75% trap damage reduction when grinding my way through tough platforming challenges, for example. In many ways, Belmont’s Curse most reminded me of the under-appreciated Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown for its thoughtful integration of accumulated genre wisdom, but with an even stronger and more fully realized creative vision.

Like protagonist Rose Belmont, Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse is an unquestionably worthy heir to a rich legacy, bringing forward the best of its parents and invigorating it with the style and bombastic energy of youth. I hope it’s just the beginning of a new era for the series, which deserves to stand among the best of the genre it helped inspire.

Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse is available on October 15 for XBOX Series X|S and XBOX on PC. Play it on console and PC at no additional cost with XBOX Play Anywhere.

Castlevania: Belmont's Curse

KONAMI

☆☆☆☆☆ 41

★★★★★

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[Pre-order Bonus] Alucard Style Costume This bonus item is available to players who pre-order Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse. Medieval Paris, Where the Tolling Bells Herald the End 1499. Paris is engulfed in flames as monstrous creatures suddenly emerge from the shadows. Trevor Belmont, the hero who defeated Dracula, ventures into the burning streets with his daughter, Rose Belmont. Armed with the legendary holy whip, the Vampire Killer, they hunt down the beasts bleeding from the looming castle. Rose is soon swept up in the dark conspiracy that lurks beneath. Will she succeed in saving Paris from devastation? Satisfying Whip Action Castlevania's iconic whip action is more satisfying than ever! Crack your whip to move around freely like a trapeze artist! Master the whip mechanics and be creative to pounce on your prey like a wolf in fast-paced combat! Diverse Bosses and the Arcana System Face-off against legendary bosses including Death, Medusa and Carmilla in addition to enigmatic new bosses such as Joan of Arc. Once defeated, bosses are sealed into Rose's tarot cards, turning them into Arcana – use their skills to cast spells and obtain unique special actions Customize Your Battle Style with Weapons and Relics Customize Rose’s battle style by using a variety of equipment, including weapons spanning seven distinct categories and Relics that trigger powerful effects through both offense and defense. Combine equipment you discover through exploration to create your own playstyle! Iconic Castlevania Atmosphere, Reimagined in New Stages From iconic Gothic aesthetics to vivid, refined visuals, the game presents a fresh take on the world of Castlevania. Explore maps filled with both new features and familiar elements inspired by classic Castlevania titles.

ⓒKonami Digital Entertainment

The post Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse Is a Worthy Heir to its Legacy appeared first on XBOX Wire.

Team,

The first video games emerged some 75 years ago. In the time since, there have been booms and busts, but every year there are more great games to play, more devices to play them, and best of all, more people than ever playing. That growth helped make XBOX what it is today, and we’ve helped shape the industry in return, from bringing hard drives to consoles and online gaming through Xbox Live to Game Pass and cloud gaming, alongside franchises that have brought millions of people together.

In recent weeks, we’ve seen games rapidly decompiled and rebuilt to run on hardware they were never originally designed to support. Windows PC builds have been translated to run on Apple Silicon or ported to run inside a browser through WebAssembly and WebGPU, the latter now approaching 90% global browser support. Perhaps more surprisingly, we’ve seen many of the biggest games in the world have been remixed into the source code of another.

These experiments challenge long-held assumptions about our industry: the tether between software and hardware, the boundary between creation and play, and how people discover and experience games. While it is hard to predict the future of gaming, it is easy to see the possibilities in making great games easier to access, giving old games new life and allowing more players to become creators and co-creators. These are unmistakably good outcomes for players, even when (and sometimes because) they challenge our existing business models. To explore these possibilities, I’ve asked Scott to stand-up XBOX LABS, a small group of game makers, engineers and scientists whose job is to turn emerging ideas into things our players and developers can experience. We’ll build in the open, learn from what people do, and measure success by whether more people are playing and creating. 

I think XBOX has an important role to play here. Coding became the first major workload for agents because they can write, run, and test software. Games share many of those same properties, and people spend more than 72 billion hours a year playing XBOX games, roughly five times the estimated time spent writing code worldwide. We’ve spent 25 years learning how to make great games, and I want our game makers to help shape what these new technologies make possible. As we learn, we’ll share the tools we build with developers across the industry, just as we always have.

Our priorities aren’t changing. We remain committed to the 4Cs, to making great games, to our hardware and to being responsible stewards of IP and the communities built around it. LABS gives us a way to explore new technology without abandoning the work already underway.

Asha

The post Introducing XBOX LABS appeared first on XBOX Wire.

Since Warframe debuted on XBOX One in 2014, we’ve thrived on stories and reports from our welcoming community of players across two generations of XBOX. In that time, we’ve brought them parity in content across platforms, introduced new ways to engage with a more global community with the introduction of cross-play and cross-save, and have dedicated platform-specific resources for players on XBOX to communicate with us directly.

From fan art, to handwritten thank-you letters, to bug reports and the constructive criticism we need to improve the experience day after day, and year after year, our XBOX community gives us the medicine we need to be stronger, smarter, and more inclusive. And we’re certainly not done yet.

From Warframe’s humble beginnings, we’ve teased the far-future narrative of Tau, a distant Star System shrouded in mystery. This year, we’re finally going together, and our community of XBOX players can help us get there. Alongside millions of players worldwide, we invite the community to join us in Epoch Operation: Taubound, arriving in Warframe on October 15. This unique, one-time community event will rally players everywhere, anywhere, for the ultimate cooperative challenge: fuel the trip to the distant Star System, Tau. Participation will be rewarded, and XBOX players won’t want to miss out before the event concludes on November 17.

In Epoch Operation: Taubound, new and returning XBOX players are invited to jump into missions on Eris in The Origin System, where they’ll destroy Infested enemies and obtain a new resource — Moonflesh — to power up the Sentient Mothership, Praghasa, and trade this curious new resource for event rewards. Coveted event rewards highlight what players on XBOX can discover and unlock alongside the community, including brand-new Armor Sets, exclusive event Honoria, Somachords, and other stunning cosmetics ranging from Glyphs, Sigils, Floofs, Syandanas, Signas, Badges, Blueprints, and so much more.

But that’s not all we have in store for our XBOX community. Also arriving is Prologue to Tau, a bite-sized entry in our single-player cinematic quest campaign that invites players to go hands-on with The Lotus for the first time ever (as seen during TennoLIVE 2026), setting the narrative stakes for this next monumental chapter in Warframe. Players can also finally use their Vessel they customized during TennoCon on the surface of Eris in a unique level and face off in a massive Infested boss fight. These permanent additions to Warframe’s Quest Codex are not time-limited and are available to XBOX players who have completed The Hex and The Old Peace Quests.

From Tau and back, we are incredibly thankful to our XBOX community for being a part of this journey for 13+ years, and we look forward to the adventures ahead with you.

Warframe

Digital Extremes

☆☆☆☆☆ 25907

★★★★★

Get it now

Awaken as an unstoppable warrior and battle alongside your friends in this story-driven free-to-play online action game. Confront warring factions throughout a sprawling interplanetary system as you follow the guidance of the mysterious Lotus and level up your Warframe, build an Arsenal of destructive firepower, and realize your true potential across massive open worlds in this thrilling, genre-defining third-person combat experience.

The post Warframe Sets Course for a Distant Star System in Epoch Operation: Taubound appeared first on XBOX Wire.