If you love confident imagination and surreal spectacle in your AAA games, then it doesn’t get much better than the work of Remedy Entertainment. I was enthralled by the X-Files-by-way-of-David-Lynch world of paranormal bureaucracy that they created for CONTROL, and (like many) have been eagerly awaiting its sequel.

This past weekend at Summer Game Fest: Play Days, I played the opening hour of CONTROL Resonant and a combat arena from later in the game, to get a taste of its full mechanical complexity. I’m happy to report that they’ve still got that magic.

Where CONTROL opens with Jesse Faden entering The Oldest House, CONTROL Resonant inverts that by starting with her brother Dylan escaping its bowels to step outside after years of being held there as a prisoner/test subject/director candidate. We see a vision of Jesse looking over her sedated brother and calling him to action before plunging a sort of vibrating dark metal rod into his chest.

A full decade before Nathan Drake, Lara Croft was the original face of cinematic action-adventure gaming, making her debut in Tomb Raider (1996). I was 10 at the time, and remember being blown away by the (at the time) revolutionary 3D graphics. The Tomb Raider series has always pushed at the boundaries of what’s visually possible in games, which makes it a perfect candidate for remakes as technology improves over the years. There’s already been one remake of the original with Tomb Raider: Anniversary (2007), but now a full 30 years on from the original, it’s once again time for Lara to return to where she started – and show off how far she’s come.

Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis is an upcoming “reimagining” of the original Tomb Raider, developed in collaboration between Flying Wild Hog (Shadow Warrior) and Crystal Dynamics, who are best known for the “Survivor Trilogy” (Tomb Raider (2013), Rise of the Tomb Raider (2015), and Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018), which served as an origin story prequel to the original game. Legacy of Atlantis picks up and continues that Lara’s journey, but also with a new actor (Alix Wilton Regan) and a new, more vibrant style all its own.

At Summer Game Fest: Play Days this past weekend, I got to play a brief demo of the game’s early levels in Peru’s Lost Valley. First, I did a bit of classic tomb raiding, solving puzzles in jungle ruins in an attempt to enter the Tomb of Qualopec. Like in previous versions, this involved finding and arranging several large gears, hidden around the environment (alongside various other optional secrets and collectibles). Unlike previous versions, the environment was far more organic, detailed, and beautiful.

We’ve learned so much about RGG Studio’s newest project Stranger Than Heaven this year, from the cities and eras we’ll inhabit, to the characters we’ll meet and experience this new world through. At Summer Games Fest: Play Days this past weekend, we had our first opportunity to pick up the sticks and learn how the game feels – and it’s a world apart from anything RGG has ever created.

This first demo was all about combat, offering a series of encounters of escalating difficulty across Fukuoka, Hiroshima, and Osaka. It can’t be overstated how much of a sea change Stranger Than Heaven is from their previous titles, or other melee-dominated action games. Gone are mashing face buttons to attack, replaced by a more granular, bumper- and trigger-dominated approach, with LB and LT activating Makoto’s left-sided attacks (light and heavy respectively), and RB/RT doing the same on the right. This allows for a tremendous amount of variety and player expressiveness, where each thug you encounter can be dispatched differently than the last.

Stranger Than Heaven arrives January 15, 2027, for XBOX Series X|S, XBOX on PC, and included day one with Game Pass. Play it on both console and PC at no additional cost with XBOX Play Anywhere.

STRANGER THAN HEAVEN Deluxe Edition

SEGA

☆☆☆☆☆ 33

★★★★★

$89.99

Pre-order

Pre-order STRANGER THAN HEAVEN to get the “Dosu: Kagekiri” weapon to use in-game. *To use this content, the base game STRANGER THAN HEAVEN (sold separately) is required. If a patch is required, please update the game to the latest version before use. This content can be procured and used in-game by progressing through the main story. The details, specifications, and release timing of the pre-purchase content are subject to change without notice. Add an original outfit for the protagonist Makoto Daito, this upgrade also includes new weapons to expand players' combat options, new skilled performers to enhance shows, new stage production elements, a special promotional poster, a record player that lets you enjoy music from each era at your home base, and an electronic camera that expands the photography functionality. Deluxe Edition Contents: – Base Game – Original Outfit (Makoto Daito) – Set of 4 New Weapons – Set of 4 New Skilled Performers – Set of 3 New Stage Production Items – Special Promotional Poster – Record Player (in-game soundtrack) – Electronic Camera *If a patch is required, please update the game to the latest version before use. This content can be procured and used in-game by progressing through the main story. ■ FACE DOWN FATE A fifty-year saga of those with nowhere to go and their desperate struggle to find a home. San Francisco, 1915. Our story begins as a young boy sneaks aboard a mysterious ship in the dead of night. His name? Makoto Daito. Born to an American father and a Japanese mother, Makoto's world is one of harsh persecution, a fate cruely cast upon him simply because of his Asian heritage. After losing both of his parents and finding himself completely alone, Makoto, in an act of desperation, decides to risk it all and travel to his mother's birthplace. If the United States won't accept him for who he is, maybe Japan will… With nothing but the shirt on his back, Makoto soon learns, however, that his voyage across the Pacific is anything but a ""free ride,"" and that this one choice will forever change the course of his life. What awaits our young stowaway in Japan? And where will the years take him next? ■ 5 ERAS, 5 CITIES The story unfolds across a version of Japan that may have existed in another life altogether, immersing you in 5 sprawling cities, each modeled after real locations of their respective eras. 1915, Kokura, Fukuoka: home of what was said to be one of the world’s largest foundries, a smoke-scorched town bursting with the passion of hard-driven, equally fiery workers. 1929, Kure, Hiroshima: a port town dominated by Japan’s largest naval arsenal and heavily influenced by the presence of yakuza organizations. 1943, Minami, Osaka: the biggest entertainment district in western Japan, set against the ever-rising tension of a world at war. 1951, Atami, Shizuoka: a bustling seaside getaway synonymous with tourism in postwar Japan. 1965, Shinjuku, Tokyo: Japan’s most iconic pleasure district—a city of swirling and unpredictable chaos. ■ THE MOST CREATIVE, INTUITIVE, AND EXTREME VIOLENCE In these turbulent times, fighting to survive means one thing: doing whatever it takes. Experience this struggle through the raw brutality of an ever-changing combat system that feels alive. You won't just control Makoto Daito, you'll become him—moving his left and right sides independently and instinctively as you attack, defend, and force your way to victory. Follow a jab with a crushing blow, send enemies flying with a charged attack, tackle them while they stagger or pin them to the ground and unleash a relentless flurry of punches. Nothing is off the table in Makoto's world. You can also block enemy strikes with one hand and instantly counter with the other. Reading their moves and creating your own openings is key to coming out on top. Additionally, you’ll master and enhance a wide array of weapons—knives, hammers, katanas, and more—as you fight your way through era after violent era. ■LIFE OF A SHOWMAN In the earliest chapters of our story, Makoto's guide and mentor discovers his hidden talent for music, and, before long, Makoto finds himself not only singing a tune or two but stepping into the role of a showman, producing a wide variety of incredible acts throughout all of Japan. In order to get these shows off the ground, Makoto must gather rumors from the streets and use them to scout skilled singers and performers. He can then head out into town to create new music—collecting any and every sound he can find: the swish of a broom, snoring of a sleepy neighbor, the rumble of passing trains, distant animal cries, even the grunts and growls of the enemies he fights. By combining these sounds, Makoto can craft original tracks, brand new music for the whole nation to hear. From there, he'll choose the setlist, arrange the band, assign a cast, and design the production—from lighting colors to staging—all in an effort to bring each show to life. As you tour the country staging performances and captivating audiences, you’ll experience Makoto's rags-to-riches rise to success as a master showman. Will the relentless determination of two men racing through fifty years of chaos change the future as we know it? From RGG Studio—the master storytellers behind some of gaming's most intense battles and heartfelt drama—comes their latest unforgettable adventure.

STRANGER THAN HEAVEN

SEGA

☆☆☆☆☆ 33

★★★★★

$69.99

Pre-order

Pre-order STRANGER THAN HEAVEN to get the “Dosu: Kagekiri” weapon to use in-game. *To use this content, the base game STRANGER THAN HEAVEN (sold separately) is required. If a patch is required, please update the game to the latest version before use. This content can be procured and used in-game by progressing through the main story. The details, specifications, and release timing of the pre-purchase content are subject to change without notice. ■FACE DOWN FATE A fifty-year saga of those with nowhere to go and their desperate struggle to find a home. San Francisco, 1915. Our story begins as a young boy sneaks aboard a mysterious ship in the dead of night. His name? Makoto Daito. Born to an American father and a Japanese mother, Makoto's world is one of harsh persecution, a fate cruely cast upon him simply because of his Asian heritage. After losing both of his parents and finding himself completely alone, Makoto, in an act of desperation, decides to risk it all and travel to his mother's birthplace. If the United States won't accept him for who he is, maybe Japan will… With nothing but the shirt on his back, Makoto soon learns, however, that his voyage across the Pacific is anything but a "free ride," and that this one choice will forever change the course of his life. What awaits our young stowaway in Japan? And where will the years take him next? ■5 ERAS, 5 CITIES The story unfolds across a version of Japan that may have existed in another life altogether, immersing you in 5 sprawling cities, each modeled after real locations of their respective eras. 1915, Kokura, Fukuoka: home of what was said to be one of the world’s largest foundries, a smoke-scorched town bursting with the passion of hard-driven, equally fiery workers. 1929, Kure, Hiroshima: a port town dominated by Japan’s largest naval arsenal and heavily influenced by the presence of yakuza organizations. 1943, Minami, Osaka: the biggest entertainment district in western Japan, set against the ever-rising tension of a world at war. 1951, Atami, Shizuoka: a bustling seaside getaway synonymous with tourism in postwar Japan. 1965, Shinjuku, Tokyo: Japan’s most iconic pleasure district—a city of swirling and unpredictable chaos. ■THE MOST CREATIVE, INTUITIVE, AND EXTREME VIOLENCE In these turbulent times, fighting to survive means one thing: doing whatever it takes. Experience this struggle through the raw brutality of an ever-changing combat system that feels alive. You won't just control Makoto Daito, you'll become him—moving his left and right sides independently and instinctively as you attack, defend, and force your way to victory. Follow a jab with a crushing blow, send enemies flying with a charged attack, tackle them while they stagger or pin them to the ground and unleash a relentless flurry of punches. Nothing is off the table in Makoto's world. You can also block enemy strikes with one hand and instantly counter with the other. Reading their moves and creating your own openings is key to coming out on top. Additionally, you’ll master and enhance a wide array of weapons—knives, hammers, katanas, and more—as you fight your way through era after violent era. ■LIFE OF A SHOWMAN In the earliest chapters of our story, Makoto's guide and mentor discovers his hidden talent for music, and, before long, Makoto finds himself not only singing a tune or two but stepping into the role of a showman, producing a wide variety of incredible acts throughout all of Japan. In order to get these shows off the ground, Makoto must gather rumors from the streets and use them to scout skilled singers and performers. He can then head out into town to create new music—collecting any and every sound he can find: the swish of a broom, snoring of a sleepy neighbor, the rumble of passing trains, distant animal cries, even the grunts and growls of the enemies he fights. By combining these sounds, Makoto can craft original tracks, brand new music for the whole nation to hear. From there, he'll choose the setlist, arrange the band, assign a cast, and design the production—from lighting colors to staging—all in an effort to bring each show to life. As you tour the country staging performances and captivating audiences, you’ll experience Makoto's rags-to-riches rise to success as a master showman. Will the relentless determination of two men racing through fifty years of chaos change the future as we know it? From RGG Studio—the master storytellers behind some of gaming's most intense battles and heartfelt drama—comes their latest unforgettable adventure.

Beastro is out on XBOX today, with day one Game Pass access. If you’ve heard of our ‘cozy deckbuilder’ and are wondering how those two things can be blended together, then there is a simple answer: Deckbuilders are cozy at their very core. 

Let me explain. At first glance, Beastro is approachable. You farm, plant, water and grow your ingredients to make delicious meals. The cards are colorful, the creatures and inhabitants of the village you live in are charming, and the world is full of food, flavor and discovery. 

But scratch beneath the surface, and the deckbuilding challenge becomes clear. The ingredients you farm enable you to build different and diverse decks. Those decks, in turn, form the basis of how the village protectors, the Caretakers, defend the village throughout the day. 

This is the ethos that we’ve made Beastro with – it takes a moment to learn, but hours to master.

It’s cozy, but it’s also a deckbuilder that opens the door to the genre for players who may not have thought this game was for them. 

And it all started with our own love of trading card games… 

Build, Battle, BBQ – How It All Started

For me, card games are intrinsically cozy. Sitting around the fire with friends and family, whether it’s on holiday or at Christmas, is both a deeply personal memory and a shared experience that people of all generations can relate to.

My wife’s family spend a whole bunch of their time playing traditional card games like Bid Whist, Spades and Euchre. Also, our friends and I host Build, Battle and BBQ nights, where we open a bunch of trading cards, create decks and battle them together before eating some barbecue. 

These are things that bring people together, and we wanted to bottle that energy and bring it to video games with Beastro. 

But there is a challenge. Deckbuilders, and trading card games in general, can be intimidating. Either the community around them, or just the mechanics of the game itself. Keywords. Effects. Card types. Synergies. Metas. It’s… a lot. They aren’t always the easiest place to pick up and play. 

Beastro changes that. 

How Beastro Brings Cozy Into Deckbuilding

We’ve built Beastro to be the first deckbuilding game people ever play. You might collect cards that are cute, or maybe enjoy playing traditional card games with your family. If that’s you, then Beastro is a great entry point. 

At its core, we wanted it to mirror a traditional playing card, but cut out some of the fluff that makes other trading card games a little overwhelming. So the core information on Beastro’s cards is the number, then the flavor (effectively the ‘suit’). That’s it. 

From there, there’s more depth if you want it. Different flavors balance and enhance each other, which can be make-or-break as part of your deck. It’s a feature we took from trick-taking card games and then gave it a fresh new feel to suit Beastro.

So if you’re the sort of person who enjoys really getting into their decks, then you can go down that route – but you also grasp everything essential in the first few minutes. 

Crucially, there are also methods to advance your deck outside of the actual deckbuilding. You can grind it out if you prefer, or you can spend more time investing in your farming, planting or cooking techniques to improve the cards you have already.

So no matter how you play, you can still enjoy what might be your first deckbuilder on your own terms. 

Tips for Building Your First Deck 

If you do find yourself picking up Beastro and are looking to build out your first deck in this cozy-crunchy title, then these tips will help: 

Look at effects when you’re ready – there’s no rush! Once you’re comfortable, start looking beyond numbers and flavors. Some cards have effects that can create new opportunities and open up new ways to build your deck. They aren’t essential, but they can help your Caretakers when they’re beyond the walls. 

Keep a good mix of flavors. You never know what you’ll encounter in the wild, so bring a little bit of everything to keep your approach varied. This also gives you a chance to explore different mechanics whilst you discover who – and what – is outside the village walls.

Balance and enhance. Balancing a monster’s card can be useful, but enhancing your own flavor is just as important. Sometimes you won’t win by countering your opponent, but you’ll win by strengthening your own strategy instead. 

Use what you love. There are definitely some cards, and some Caretakers, that have a wider range than others. But each one has its strengths. If you find cards and recipes that you like and they fit your style, but they aren’t that strong yet, then look into techniques that help you improve them. 

Beastro

Timberline Studios

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$19.99

Get it now

PC Game Pass

Xbox Game Pass

Palo Pori is a beautiful and peaceful village of artisans and tastemakers. Beyond the village’s protective wall, darkness has begun to stir. Ravenous monsters have claimed the land and threaten to sink their teeth into this final morsel of hope and happiness. Play as Panko, a young, talented chef, helping to run the local eatery. When Panko’s teacher goes missing, a mysterious visitor arrives with warnings of the dangers beyond the wall. It's up to Panko to step up and take over the restaurant and tend to the ingredients and patrons. But that’s not all, Panko also finds himself serving the Caretakers, brave adventurers, sent to save the world. In this adventure, preserving peace starts in the kitchen! FEATURES – WHAT’S ON THE MENU? FROM TOWN TO TABLE In Palo Pori, fresh is best! Gather ingredients and resources, care for animals and grow your own fruit and veg to build up your very own cozy town to table restaurant. Forage for wild herbs and unlock new seeds to grow to expand your meals. SERVING YOUR COMMUNITY Chop, flip, and sizzle your way through mouthwatering mini-games as you whip up delightful dishes for the townsfolk. Good food is always better with company, so work hard to improve your cooking and experiment with ingredients, to keep your patrons happy. Tailor your restaurant to the tastes of your community, develop new meals, progress your know how through a skill tree and adjust the decor to increase your restaurant’s appeal. FEED THE CARETAKERS You’ll also need to feed the hungry Caretakers; these brave denizens of the land will venture out into the wilds to fight the ravenous monsters threatening the peace of Palo Pori. Each Caretaker hails from their own flavour region, affecting their own tastes and preferences: some like it bitter, some like it sweet and some are just looking to fulfil their craving of the day! Craft thoughtful meals and balance the flavour profiles to boost their spirits, sharpen their skills, and unlock new abilities. Because let’s face it… Who can save the world on an empty stomach? DELICIOUS DECK BUILDING Now it’s time to put your meal to the test! This is where taste meets tactics. The dishes you serve will build your Caretaker’s deck – each ingredient unlocking a card. And once they’ve eaten, they’ll venture into the wilds to fight the monsters. Upon their return, they’ll recount their journey and play out their battles through a charming puppet theatre sequence. They might even bring you back some MONSTEROUS ingredients from their ventures. Fight the monsters in turn-based deck building combat, inspired by traditional trick-taking card games. Outplay the monsters, by matching their flavour magic or neutralising it with a balancing card. Add an enhancing card to power up your moves! Your magic can turn the tables! Utilize the unique effects of your ingredients to put your enemies to sleep, blow away their cards, and more, but watch out, you’re not the only one with special abilities. If you’re not paying attention, you might get burned. In this food-based fantasy adventure, it’s time to give peas a chance! – Are you ready to get cooking? Unlock the magic in food.

Jump into a weekend of survival, spectacle, and all-out warfare with Free Play Days! Hell Let Loose is available this weekend for XBOX Game Pass Ultimate, Premium and Essential members to play from Thursday, June 11 until Sunday, June 14.

State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Edition is free for all XBOX members to play from Thursday, June 11 until Sunday, June 14 (XBOX Game Pass Game Pass Ultimate, Premium and Essential membership not required).

Blasphemous 2 is free for all XBOX members to play from Thursday, June 11 until Sunday, June 14 (XBOX Game Pass Game Pass Ultimate, Premium and Essential membership not required) with a 5hr-timed trial.

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)

Hell Let Loose

Team17

☆☆☆☆☆ 7326

★★★★★

$49.99

Get it now

Hell Let Loose
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S, XBOX Play Anywhere
Enlist in the ever-expanding Hell Let Loose experience, bringing you World War II on an epic scale. This first-person shooter demands teamwork, communication, and strategy, not only to win but to survive! With battles of 50v50 players that include infantry, tanks, artillery and a dynamically shifting front line – be ready for combat on a whole new scale.

Free Play Days For all

State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Edition

Xbox Game Studios

☆☆☆☆☆ 10117

★★★★★

$29.99 $23.99

Get it now

Xbox One X Enhanced

PC Game Pass

Xbox Game Pass

State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Edition
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S, Smart Delivery, XBOX Play Anywhere
State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Edition is an improved version of the popular zombie survival game and includes the all-new Homecoming Update – a fully remastered, open world version of Trumbull Valley for the core game, reintegrating the Mount Tanner and Fairfield regions to the map, and adding new sites to scavenge, along with new sights to behold.

Blasphemous 2

Team17

☆☆☆☆☆ 279

★★★★★

$29.99

Get it now

Free Trial

Blasphemous 2
Optimized for XBOX Series X|S
The second scripture in the Blasphemous series portends the return of The Penitent One, with a story that continues from the free Wounds of Eventide DLC for the original game, where The Heart in the sky heralded the return of The Miracle and foretold the birth of a new miracle child. Trial Blasphemous II and begin your penance. Dive into a perilous, afflicted world and tear your way through monstrous foes that stand between you and your quest.

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.

This message was just sent to Team XBOX employees globally.

Team,

Over the first 100 days together, we have started to revive XBOX.

Our platform teams have already shipped more updates in the last 100 days than during the prior year combined. We now have more active partners on XBOX than ever before. Our Game Pass team set to work fixing our offering and after 8+ months of decline, our service has started to grow again. And through Player Voice, we have a 24/7 channel to hear directly from players, creators, and developers.

With the XBOX Games Showcase and the return of FanFest, we brought together hundreds of millions of fans globally. We reintroduced exclusives with Gears of War: E-Day in 2026 and Clockwork Revolution in 2027. Players can continue to expect signature exclusives from us every year. In parallel, Playground Games reminded us that established franchises can achieve incredible new highs.

These results are early, but they demonstrate what is possible when we move faster, stay close to our community, and align behind a shared vision. We have made mistakes, and will continue to make them, but what matters is that we listen, learn, and adjust the course where needed. Remember, our fans are rooting for us.

Now we start the next 100 days. It is important to have both optimism and realism as we work to reset the business.

Here are the realities that we need to navigate:

#1: Over 1 billion players choose to play XBOX and our games each year, for a total of 72 billion hours across Console, PC, Mobile, and Streaming (excluding much of China and a few other properties). Our franchises are also among the largest and most beloved globally and are now breaking records in TV and film. Going forward, our competition is attention. There are more great games, TV series, franchises, creators, content formats, apps, etc., than ever before.

#2: We will end this fiscal year at about a 3% accountability margin, down year-over-year. Excluding Activision Blizzard King, over the past five years, we have spent over $20 billion on ongoing investments in our content, platform, and hardware subsidy, but our annual revenue has declined nearly half a billion during that time. Going forward, this cannot continue.

#3: We are in a hardware component crisis. When I joined as CEO in February, the price we paid for console storage components was over 2x as high as we paid last fall. These costs have since doubled again. And as we plan for the 2027 holiday season, we expect another significant increase, taking us over 5x the prices we paid only two years earlier. Memory costs have followed a broadly similar trajectory. While the entire industry is facing a components crisis, we believe we have been impacted more greatly than many of our peers due to the choices we made over the last half decade. We are currently unable to make as many consoles as players want to buy, and we need a new business model and partnerships for hardware as we remain committed to Helix.

#4: We expanded our studio system when we needed a pipeline of content to meet multiple strategies across subscription, streaming, and devices. In the process, we have found ourselves over extended as we executed on changing strategies in a landscape of more readily available content. We are the fortunate stewards of industry-defining franchises that have enormous potential and player demand, but we have not adequately funded them to compete and win. At the same time, as we saw this past weekend at Showcase, a reliable pipeline of first- and third-party exclusives and new IP are critical to our success. We need to reassess the balance between these and our investment priorities for the next 5 years.

#5: Our current platform infrastructure is not built for the battle ahead. Our systems are overly complex, spanning hundreds of dependencies, which hinders our ability to move fast. We’ve become too reliant on vendors to operate our systems and must become more self-reliant as an engineering culture to build for the future. We must increase the value we ship to players while decreasing the time it takes to do so. Going forward, we’ll evolve and rebuild our stack and look at capabilities across all of XBOX and potential M&A to help us win in hardware, PC, mobile, and streaming.

For some of you, these realities will be surprising and even frustrating to discover. We won’t succeed by hiding hard truths, nor will we succeed by doing the same thing and expecting different results. Like the ‘everyday wins’ mentality from the first 100 days, we will sprint to make progress against hardware, content, experience, and services together.

XBOX is one of the few places where people come not just to play, but to connect with others to create memories. With console at the center of how our showcase experiences are defined, Windows as one of the largest gaming platforms in the world, and incredible games under our roof as one of the largest publishers in the world, we have the foundation in place.

Let’s reset for a stronger XBOX and build the #1 gaming and entertainment company.

Asha and Matt

Join Us wastes little time in letting me know how silly things are about to get. Shortly after navigating its cultist creator and adorning my robes in a brightly colored yellow, white, and green checkerboard pattern, selecting a flying saucer as my cult’s icon, and insisting everyone refer to each other as a number, is when I set my expectations for hilarity – and was not disappointed.

Join Us has all the markings of an ambitious indie that, on the surface, describes itself as sandbox survival game, but it feels much deeper than that. The 10-person team at Wolf Haus Games has seemingly kept throwing ideas at the wall and instead of rejecting them, found ways to make them work. Want to ride a deer? Sure. What if we had aliens? Yes. Want to drive a forklift? Of course you do. And that’s a big part Join Us’ charm, is giving you a wide range of methods to both enjoy your time in the game’s world and ways for your party of cultists to infiltrate the local populace.

Exiting the cultist creator screen, I soon found myself in a large outdoor compound with dozens of fellow cultists adorned in my colors, all in a synchronized dance, guiding me to a makeshift obstacle course to get a feel for the controls and a test of my indoctrination – shooting a pig (or not) at the behest of our great Leader. I’m then sent to the House of Business (a barn) to receive my orders: travel to the nearby county of Bedford and spread the good word of our little cult. And by spreading the good word, we mean violently.

Bedford is incredibly rural, surrounded by wilderness, military bases, an abandoned circus, and rusted cars. This is also home to the start of our own little compound, located just outside of town, featuring a variety of followers already on-site, pounding drums, caring for chickens, and harvesting tomatoes. It isn’t long until the locals arrive to take offense to our presence by rushing in guns blazing.

Combat was one of the central focuses of my hands-on time with Join Us, giving us a sample of the variety of weapons you can use in the game, ranging from pistols to machine guns and serrated machetes. Cycling through weapons was a breeze and combat felt pretty good for the current state of the demo build — it has good bones and will no doubt see some further refinement leading up to its full release next year.

After we took care of the invaders in an extremely bloody battle, I then conscripted other cultists in our compound to pile into a white van and drive over to the nearby farm to take out the rest of these ruffians while “Cielito Lindo” was playing on the radio – there are a half-dozen radio stations to cycle between while driving vehicles, because of course there are (the wall, remember?).

Once we arrived at the enemy farm, I looted a nearby weapon cache that uncovered a grenade launcher, flame thrower, and chainsaw – that’s when the chaos really started to unfold as we began to put these enemies out to a bloody pasture. It wasn’t long until the flurry of explosions and hail of bullets attracted the attention of the local police who arrived on the scene and immediately opened fire on us – even a police helicopter arrived – and really laid into my character until he was toast. That was the end of Number 14. My cult was gone, or so I thought…

You know all those cultists back at the compound? If your playable character is killed off, you’ll switch over to any surviving follower to continue your game. You can even swap into the body of any nearby cult member at any time, even during combat, with the long-distance swaps functioning like a cult-powered form of fast travel.

Join Us also features permadeath, meaning the poor sap I was playing who got caught up in the hail of bullets back at the farm, is gone forever from the game. Now in a newfound body with a desire to spread our cult’s influence even further, I hit the road and explore more of the vast surrounding area.

One such stop included a small neighborhood where I walked up to and converted more of the local populace – this not only increases my cult’s following but gives me some additional respawn options should I fall victim to another round of bullets. Pulling this off required influence that can be obtained by putting flyers up all over town, handing out personalized autographs from our Leader, or just threatening them to death.

Soon I had a half-dozen new followers adorned in a matching wardrobe, who hilariously ran over to the nearest vehicle, hijacked it, and drove to the compound – which left me without a set of wheels, leaving me to walk all the way back to the compound. Unfortunately, I passed by a police station on the way back home and thus was a swift end to Number 53.

There’s much more to Join Us than dispatching a bit of ultra-violence and exploration. Their official channels mention base building, farming, indoctrination of members, domesticating animals, and aliens. It’s all over the place – but that’s part of its charm. Wolf Haus wants to give you one of the wildest and weirdest sandboxes for you to play in and it seems like they’re well on their way in doing so. Consider myself indoctrinated.

Look for Join Us to launch in 2027 for XBOX Series X|S, XBOX on PC, cloud and included with Game Pass. Play it on both console and PC at no additional cost with XBOX Play Anywhere.

The immediately appealing pitch of Bad Magpie – a world premiere from developer Milktooth in the XBOX Games Showcase – is right there in the title. Be a bird; cause trouble. Like their fellow corvids, crows and ravens, magpies are particularly intelligent and curious birds, with a reputation for stealing shiny things. Amorally creating problems for everyone around them in pursuit of collecting arbitrary treasures? Magpies sound like gamers to me.

In the roughly half-hour demo I got to play, you have been injured and separated from your fellow magpies (like a murder of crows, apparently it’s “a mischief of magpies” – delightful), since you can only hop around instead of flying, with a little band-aid cross on one of your wings. You meet and become obsessed with a fallen star, and at its demand go seek shiny trinkets to earn its favor.

The game is presented in lovely 3D isometric minimalism, a little like Untitled Goose Game, but with a pixelated fuzziness and cell shading that gives it a lovely, painterly softness all its own. Untitled Goose Game is the obvious comparison in concept as well, as a sort of simple adventure game about being a rude bird, though where that game felt grounded in realism as you terrorized the quaint little populated hamlet, here people are pointedly absent (at least so far) and there’s an interesting element of magical realism that kept me unsure of what to expect next at any given moment.

You start on a section of road and make your way into what looks like an abandoned human schoolyard, populated by mice playing like children (building sandcastles, drawing on the pavement with chalk, etc.) When you do find the trinket, a huge serpent with jeweled rings around its neck snatches it and demands you find 20 of the meteorite shards scattered around the area nearby from when the star fell.

The shards were distributed behind simple environmental puzzles. You have three actions: chirping, pecking/picking something up, and contextually interacting with whatever object you’ve picked up (such as shaking a soda can or chirping into a megaphone).

True to the spirit of chaos implied by the name, the very first thing that the game teaches you is that pecking or striking wooden objects against the shiny, flint-like boulders scattered around the level will set any nearby wood and grass on fire. One of the very first puzzles I solved was to knock a log from a tree (all of which have the Kirby tree face, making you feel a little bad about it), setting it on fire, then using that to bust through a car window and get through to the crystal on its hood.

A lot of the puzzles are solved by setting fire to things, breaking glass with loud noises, or by being very rude to those playing mice (such as smashing their sandcastle to get the shard inside). The game generally revels in satisfying your id for being a little gremlin and causing trouble. I saw other shards that I didn’t collect, and when I went to turn in my 20, a pop-up said that there were 30 in total if I wanted to continue, giving a generous flexibility to ignore any you might have trouble with while providing completionists with more to do.

The interactions were all delightfully playful and surprising, so I expect to be among the latter. The systemic nature of the fire and physics objects elevates it above a simple adventure game to feeling like a light immersive sim, which makes me all the more excited to explore and see what surprises they have in store when the game comes out in full next year.

Bad Magpie

Milktooth

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Get it now

Bad Magpie is a narrative adventure game about a magpie with one wing, a fixation on shiny things, and no interest in connecting the two dots. — YOU ARE A MAGPIE One wing. No flock. One obsession: a fallen star that wants shiny trinkets and nothing else. Burn a meadow, drain a swimming pool, write off a car… You can't fly but there are plenty of other ways to navigate the world… and you’re going to try all of them. Your plan is simple: Find the trinkets. Win over the star. Cure your loneliness. — A WORLD TEEMING WITH SECRETS Explore a small, densely packed, non-linear open world full of things to peck, steal, combine, and meddle with. Bad Magpie runs on a delightfully elastic cartoon logic. Screech into a megaphone to shatter glass. Peck flint to spark fires. Drop an apple in oil and see what happens. Tear through the world in a fury, or carefully sweep every corner leaving no stone unpecked. There's no dialogue, no text, and no cutscenes. Just a world that rewards anyone curious enough to mess with it. Every puzzle has multiple solutions. Most of them are intentional. — FIND SHINY THINGS You want the star. The star wants trinkets. But trinkets don’t come free. Not when there’s meteorites to be found. So what’s the use of wallowing? You have shiny things to find. — A MYSTERY DRIVING THE WHOLE THING You are haunted by a mysterious vision. What is it? Why is it appearing now? And how long will the star keep you distracted from it? It's probably nothing.

I’ve enjoyed ARPGs (action role-playing games) ever since discovering the original Diablo as a preteen, but they really clicked a few years later when Diablo II became the first game I played online with friends. The ecstatic flashing colors of exploding demon hordes combined with the drip feed of incrementally better loot cast a soothing spell that I find is best enjoyed with company. Later on, when I finally played Diablo III in couch co-op on a console instead of with mouse and keyboard, I understood: ARPGs are for chilling.

Having played a demo after its XBOX Games Showcase appearance, Minecraft Dungeons II understands this, and has clearly been built from the ground up to allow as wide a range of players as possible to jump in and have fun, from casual ARPG dabblers, up through more hardcore genre devotees.

The contemporary mainstream ARPGs out there tend to embrace complexity, particularly in their endgames, adding a profusion of new systems to tweak, customize, and enhance your character and extend the interest of their most dedicated players. That’s great when I want a puzzle to min-max, but when I’m not in the mood to spend an hour re-speccing my whole build around a new item, it can be too much friction between me and the actual gameplay.

Minecraft Dungeons II strikes a really smart middle ground between the first game and its genre peers by increasing gameplay and build expressivity, while keeping things decidedly friendly and streamlined. I can very easily imagine a younger Minecraft fan and an older relative that loves ARPGs finding common ground here and having a great time, which is a rare offering for a game. It’s the ARPG for everyone.

A Greater Sense of Place

Where the original Minecraft Dungeons had a more old-school structure of selecting discrete missions, the sequel dials up the RPG by setting the action in a contiguous, fixed and interconnected world, dotted with dungeons. This is one of many touches that really enhances the foundation of the original and makes it feel more alive. The newly added ability to jump is another, making your presence in the world feel much more tactile and enhancing the possibilities for exploration.

After a solid five minutes of playing cat-and-mouse with an invisible Covenant Elite, having to quietly duck around corners and constantly watching my back, before finishing him off and then taking his sword as the prize, it became clear that to me that this is still the classic Halo experience I know and love. However, technological leaps and 20+ years of hindsight from both the community and the studio itself have built an experience that sits truly at home in the modern gaming landscape. Here’s what we know.

This week, I was able to spend some time with a new demo from the upcoming Halo: Campaign Evolved – specifically, the game’s version of ‘Assault on the Control Room’ – the memorable fifth level from the original Halo: Combat Evolved’s original campaign, and the longest level in the game by quite a margin. This level became memorable for the spaces and combat opportunities it introduced in the original game. Its snowy, open landscapes are linear in design, but grant players total freedom in how to approach them, with almost every weapon in the game on offer to use throughout its duration.

“This is one of the all-time iconic and beloved missions from Halo: Combat Evolved that really exemplifies the core sandbox experience,” says Max Szlagor, Creative Director on Halo: Campaign Evolved. “The snowy valleys provide a nice contrast to the beach of ‘Silent Cartographer’ and also present the opportunity to pilot a wide range of different vehicles in a large environment.”

It also became somewhat memorable for its sprawling interior sections – winding, repetitive Covenant corridors leading into small rooms full of close-quarters combat and few supplies – something that the Halo Studios team knew it could improve upon, without completely changing the flow of the level.

Needless to say – it looks absolutely fantastic. Everything you see has been recrafted with the utmost care – from the wider environment, to the tiniest details tucked away inside it. The Forerunner spaces that once felt like grey voids are now striking, complex tapestries that reflect not just how far technology has come, but how much detail the Halo universe offers in terms of filling them –   not to mention how much consideration has gone into ensuring they feel correct while looking brand-new., That attention to detail applies to every cog in the machine here, from enemy encounters, to combat, and even a more thoughtful, reorganized UI.

The original spirit of the level feels entirely retained, but with several updates and tweaks that make it feel more streamlined than ever before. Szlagor notes that the most iconic moments throughout the level are preserved as they were, like the battle with the Zealot on the first bridge, the introduction of the Scorpion and a subsequent battle on the narrow bridge, and the race against the Elite for the Banshee.

“We ultimately decided to make more targeted improvements to areas of frustration, slow pacing, or navigation confusion based on where players wanted to see adjustments,” Szlagor says. Effectively, the set pieces we remember best remain, but the gaps between them have been tightened, polished, and refined.

For example, there are fewer interior sections than in the original level, and a short voice line offers immediate guidance on how to navigate them that doesn’t feel too intrusive to exploration. They’re not all the same layout, either – these rooms have been trimmed down and configured differently, making each one feel like a fresh combat puzzle to solve.

That environmental direction feels prevalent across the level – in the outside areas, which feel more sprawling and impressive than ever – you’re quietly nudged towards the next checkpoint by way of thawed patches of snow, openings in trees, and an excellent use of lighting that the original Combat Evolved couldn’t have made work in 2001.

Long-time fans will remember that this level is where you’ll find the Scorpion Tank for the first time – alongside a handful of Marines. Here is where we see Halo Studios not just tweaking, but improving  – Chief can now equip Marines with different weapons, including the rocket launcher and sniper rifle, and they can all ride on the tank alongside you offering heavy support in mowing down waves of enemies, rather than running alongside it with no defence. It’s a true upgrade – one that makes the fight feel like a newly collaborative effort between Chief and the Marines. Their stacked arsenal also means you can take the weapons from them if you need them later. A much better option than the ultimate last resort – having to use a Plasma Pistol.

You’ll need that variation of weapons, too – because The Covenant feel more intuitive and reactive than ever before, which feels magnificent in practice. Enemy aggression and spawn rate are now altered by difficulty – not only are your foes tougher and smarter, there’s also more of them. Some enemy units like Elites and Hunters will pursue you relentlessly, on foot, on vehicles, and from every conceivable angle, prompting constant vigilance and careful treading, both indoors and outdoors.

That snow-coated battlefield is made even more fun with the ability to hijack and drive Covenant vehicles, a feature originally introduced in Halo 2. Of course, there’s still a Warthog and a Scorpion to plough through enemies with – but when your tank gets blown up – which mine inevitably does – there’s a new array of traversal outside of simply running through the level. Chief can also operate Ghosts, Wraiths, and of course, the flying Banshees from the original. There’s even a conveniently parked Wraith that players can pick up – either as a fresh tank if you’ve destroyed your first one, or an additional tank that your co-op partners can take.

While I played this demo on my own, the prospect of four-player co-op sat at the forefront of my head. These spaces weren’t originally built to accommodate so many players, but they’ve been rebuilt to ensure that no Chief is left behind.

“Every level requires thoughtful consideration of checkpoints for single player and co-op scenarios; navigation markers, co-op catch up points, as well as enemy and weapon placements for different player counts and difficulty levels,” Szlagor adds. “We also evaluated the size of interior spaces and made targeted adjustments based on player flow through spaces while trying to preserve the feel of locations that are intended to be more intimate combat scenarios. Our goal is to provide something unique for each player to do in each canyon.”

The final section of the level – which sees Chief fighting his way up a pyramid to the entrance of the control room, really felt like a true example of where Halo: Campaign Evolved has been rebuilt to shine. Even on normal difficulty, the battle to get to the top of the pyramid – if you choose not to use a Banshee to fly to the top – is punctuated by enemy encounters, and a real struggle for resources and ammo. By the end, my UNSC loadout was completely exhausted, which led to me precariously trying to take down a lone Hunter with two Plasma Pistols and a dream. This for me, is also the spirit of Halo – taking care of business with whatever’s leftover after a huge firefight, and getting to the end no matter what.

It could be considered a bold manoeuvre to make such noticeable changes to such a familiar, beloved Halo level, but my experience fills me with confidence that the redesign is nothing but a good thing – making it look visually striking, implementing ideas that didn’t or couldn’t make it into the original vision, and most importantly, bottling the impact of seeing these spaces for the first time, and delivering it to seasoned and brand-new players alike.

Halo: Campaign Evolved presents the original vision with stunning accuracy, showing that the bones of this 25-year old XBOX titan can still stand tall among its modern peers without the need for significant change – just a few practical, modular tweaks pulled from later Halo games that only make the debut experience even better.

Halo: Campaign Evolved launches globally on July 28, 2026, with early access beginning July 23 for Premium Edition owners. It will be available for XBOX Series X|S, XBOX on PC, cloud, and included with Game Pass. Play it on both console and PC at no additional cost with XBOX Play Anywhere. Also available on Steam and PlayStation 5.  The game supports cross-play and cross-progression across XBOX Series X|S, Windows PC, Steam, and PlayStation 5.

Halo: Campaign Evolved – Standard Edition

Xbox Game Studios

☆☆☆☆☆ 189

★★★★★

$49.99

Pre-order

Pre-purchase Halo: Campaign Evolved and get the Foundry Armory Pack, featuring legendary looks for the Master Chief’s iconic Mark V Mjolnir armor. PRE-PURCHASE INCLUDES: • Classic 2001 Mark V Armor skin • Classic 2001 Assault Rifle skin • Gilded Onyx Armor style • Gilded Onyx Assault Rifle style EXPERIENCE WHERE THE LEGEND BEGINS Halo: Campaign Evolved is a faithful yet modernized remake of Halo: Combat Evolved’s campaign. Experience the original story rebuilt with high-definition visuals, updated cinematics, refined controls, plus a brand-new three-mission adventure featuring the Master Chief and Sgt. Johnson. A broader arsenal of weapons, vehicles, enemies, and gameplay-modifying “Skulls” – optional modifiers that change combat in fun and challenging ways – add fresh tactics and endless replayability. Play it your way: solo or up to 4-player online co-op with full crossplay and cross-progression support. Whether you’re discovering Halo for the first time or returning to the ring after 25 years, Halo: Campaign Evolved delivers an adventure that feels both timeless and brand new. DISCOVER THE RINGWORLD: After crash landing on a mysterious ringworld known as Halo, the Master Chief is tasked with helping the remaining humans survive against overwhelming Covenant forces. Alongside his AI companion Cortana, he uncovers Halo’s dark secrets and fights to avert the annihilation of all life in the galaxy. THE COMPLETE CAMPAIGN, REBUILT: Battle through the original missions, remade with high-def visuals, updated cinematics, and refined level design. CINEMATICS AND AUDIO OVERHAULED: All-new visuals and animations, plus a remastered soundtrack and fully rebuilt sound design for deeper immersion. COMBAT AND WEAPONS EXPANDED: Classic Halo combat feels sharper than ever, now with 9 additional iconic weapons from across the series to add to your arsenal. THREE NEW MISSIONS: Play as the Master Chief alongside Sgt. Johnson in Operation: Meteorite, a standalone combat operation featuring new environments, gameplay, and enemies. PLAY SOLO OR WITH FRIENDS: Experience the complete campaign your way, solo or in 4-player online co-op, complete with crossplay and shared progression across console and PC. DRIVE, HIJACK, WREAK HAVOC: Halo’s iconic vehicles return with more ways to create unforgettable chaos. For the first time in Halo: CE, hijack enemy vehicles and pilot a fully drivable Wraith tank. ENDLESS REPLAYABILITY: Remix every mission with optional “Skull” modifiers that add variety and challenge with randomized weapons, enemies, and environments.

Halo: Campaign Evolved – Premium Edition

Xbox Game Studios

☆☆☆☆☆ 189

★★★★★

$69.99

Pre-order

Pre-order the Premium Edition and get up to 5 days early access and the Foundry Armory Pack, featuring legendary looks for the Master Chief’s iconic Mark V Mjolnir armor. PRE-ORDER INCLUDES: • Up to 5 days early access, beginning July 23, 2026 • Classic 2001 Mark V Armor skin • Classic 2001 Assault Rifle skin • Gilded Onyx Armor style • Gilded Onyx Assault Rifle style PREMIUM EDITION INCLUDES: • Halo: Campaign Evolved game • Alpha Halo Armory Pack, featuring 5 Master Chief Armor skins & 6 weapon skins • Art of Halo: Campaign Evolved Digital Artbook • Halo: Hungry Buzzards Digital Short Story • Digital Game Manual EXPERIENCE WHERE THE LEGEND BEGINS Halo: Campaign Evolved is a faithful yet modernized remake of Halo: Combat Evolved’s campaign. Experience the original story rebuilt with high-definition visuals, updated cinematics, refined controls, plus a brand-new three-mission adventure featuring the Master Chief and Sgt. Johnson. A broader arsenal of weapons, vehicles, enemies, and gameplay-modifying “Skulls” – optional modifiers that change combat in fun and challenging ways – add fresh tactics and endless replayability. Play it your way: solo, in 2-player split-screen co-op (console only), or up to 4-player online co-op with full crossplay and cross-progression support.* Whether you’re discovering Halo for the first time or returning to the ring after 25 years, Halo: Campaign Evolved delivers an adventure that feels both timeless and brand new. DISCOVER THE RINGWORLD: After crash landing on a mysterious ringworld known as Halo, the Master Chief is tasked with helping the remaining humans survive against overwhelming Covenant forces. Alongside his AI companion Cortana, he uncovers Halo’s dark secrets and fights to avert the annihilation of all life in the galaxy. THE COMPLETE CAMPAIGN, REBUILT: Battle through the original missions, remade with high-def visuals, updated cinematics, and refined level design. CINEMATICS AND AUDIO OVERHAULED: All-new visuals and animations, plus a remastered soundtrack and fully rebuilt sound design for deeper immersion. COMBAT AND WEAPONS EXPANDED: Classic Halo combat feels sharper than ever, now with 9 additional iconic weapons from across the series to add to your arsenal. THREE NEW MISSIONS: Play as the Master Chief alongside Sgt. Johnson in Operation: Meteorite, a standalone combat operation featuring new environments, gameplay, and enemies. PLAY SOLO OR WITH FRIENDS: 2-player split-screen (console only) or 4-player online co-op, with crossplay and cross-progression across console and PC. DRIVE, HIJACK, WREAK HAVOC: Halo’s iconic vehicles return with more ways to create unforgettable chaos. For the first time in Halo: CE, hijack enemy vehicles and pilot a fully drivable Wraith tank. ENDLESS REPLAYABILITY: Remix every mission with optional “Skull” modifiers that add variety and challenge with randomized weapons, enemies, and environments.