Xbox Game Studios
Xbox Game Studios business and news from across the web.
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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Dispatch lead at BAFTA Awards 2026
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Dispatch each won three awards at the BAFTA Awards 2026. Clair Obscur secured Best Game, Debut Game, and Performer in a Leading Role for Jennifer English, while Dispatch won for Animation, Audio Achievement, and Performer in a Supporting Role for Jeffrey Wright. Ilkka Paananen, CEO of Supercell, received a BAFTA Fellowship.
New Game Pass Tier Will Offer Cloud Gaming With Time Limits – Rumor
A new rumor suggests that a forthcoming, first-party games-only tier of Xbox Game Pass, codenamed Triton, will include Cloud Gaming access with a monthly hour limit. This change, potentially driven by Microsoft Gaming CEO Asha Sharma's goal to make the service more affordable, contrasts with the current unlimited cloud access. The memo from Sharma indicated a need for a better value equation and a more flexible Game Pass system.
Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 Launcing in 2027
Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 is set to launch in 2027 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Developed by Dimps and Bandai Namco, this story-driven RPG allows players to create their own hero within the world of Dragon Ball, set in West City during AGE 1000. Additional details will be revealed in the coming months.
Announced, Delayed, Disappeared: The Games Still In Limbo
Numerous video games remain in limbo, with long development cycles and minimal updates causing concern among players. Titles like Beyond Good & Evil 2, The Wolf Among Us 2, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake have faced significant delays and development challenges. While some studios offer reassurances, the prolonged uncertainty surrounding these projects leaves their eventual release in doubt.
Forza Horizon 6 Tokyo City Biome Showcase Released
Playground Games and Xbox Game Studios have released a showcase trailer for the Tokyo City biome in Forza Horizon 6, highlighting landmarks like Tokyo Tower and Shibuya Crossing. The game is set to launch for Xbox Series X|S and PC on May 19, with a PlayStation 5 release planned for later in the year.
Microsoft Gaming CEO Seemingly Plans New Game Pass Subscription Tier
Microsoft Gaming is reportedly considering a new, more affordable subscription tier for Xbox Game Pass, potentially featuring only first-party titles. CEO Asha Sharma expressed concerns about the current price point being too high for players and indicated plans to evolve the service into a more flexible system. A rumored tier codenamed "Triton" has been spotted in data, suggesting a lower-cost option with games from Xbox Game Studios.
Halo dev accusing the studio of harassment fights "devs hate Halo" theories in tell-all post: "No one works a 60- or 80-hour week out of spite"
A former Halo art director, Glenn Israel, has addressed fan theories about developers disliking the franchise amidst his harassment allegations against 343 Industries. Israel stated that the studio primarily hired fans and that the narrative issues in games like Halo 4 stemmed from an over-reliance on deep lore rather than developer spite.
Forza Horizon 6 has reportedly already sold 500k on Steam a month before launch, while my beloved Motorsport has crashed…
Forza Horizon 6 has reportedly sold over 500,000 copies on Steam a month before its May 19 launch, indicating strong pre-release demand. Meanwhile, the mainline Forza Motorsport series, particularly the 2023 entry, is struggling, with reports of significant staff layoffs at developer Turn 10 Studios suggesting its future is uncertain. The article suggests the Horizon series' success, partly due to its multiplatform availability including on PlayStation 5, may now represent the future of the franchise.
Next Week on Xbox: New Games for April 20 to 24
This weekly feature highlights new games coming to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, and Game Pass between April 20 and 24. The list includes titles like Kiln, Vampire Crawlers, Jay and Silent Bob: Chronic Blunt Punch, and many more, with details on their release dates and platforms.
Microsoft Gaming CEO Plans to Introduce Game Pass Tier With Only First-Party Games – Rumor
Microsoft Gaming CEO Asha Sharma is reportedly planning a new, more affordable tier for the Game Pass subscription service that would exclusively feature first-party Xbox Game Studios titles. This move comes as Sharma has stated the current Game Pass model is "too expensive for players." Discussions are also underway with Netflix for a potential bundled subscription.
Fable’s Development Was Helped by Blizzard’s Cinematics Team
Microsoft Gaming's chief content officer Matt Booty revealed that Blizzard's cinematics team assisted Playground Games with Fable's development. This collaboration is part of a broader initiative to foster synergy between Xbox Game Studios, with other examples including Compulsion Games using Activision's MoCap studio and Rare helping Double Fine with multiplayer features. Fable is slated for a Fall release on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
On Sale
Xbox Game Studios is holding a publisher sale on Steam, offering significant discounts on several titles. Players can save 50% on Roots of Pacha, 65% on Cat Quest: The Fur-tastic Trilogy, and 40% on Hello Kitty Island Adventure.
Blizzard is "helping out" with Fable cinematics, Xbox's Matt Booty casually reveals, which sounds…
Xbox chief content officer Matt Booty revealed that Blizzard Entertainment is assisting Playground Games with the cinematics for the upcoming Fable reboot. This collaboration leverages Blizzard's renowned expertise in creating high-quality in-game cinematics, aiming to enhance the visual presentation of the highly anticipated RPG.
Cinematic Specialist Blizzard Helping Out on Fable's Cutscenes
Blizzard Entertainment is collaborating with Playground Games to assist with the cinematics for the upcoming title Fable. Xbox's chief content officer Matt Booty highlighted this partnership, noting that Blizzard's renowned cinematic expertise is being applied to Fable's cutscenes, which have already been showcased in trailers. Fable is expected to launch on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC in Autumn 2026, though speculation suggests a potential delay to 2027.
Blizzard is assisting with Fable's cinematics, while the Sea of Thieves team is lending its expertise to quirky pottery brawler Kiln
Xbox's studios are collaborating on various projects, with Blizzard assisting Playground Games with Fable's cinematics and Rare lending multiplayer expertise to Double Fine's Kiln. This cross-studio support aims to leverage unique strengths without compromising individual studio cultures, as explained by Xbox's chief content officer Matt Booty.
Call Of Duty Movie - Everything We Know About The Activision/Paramount Film Coming In 2028
Paramount has announced a release date of June 30, 2028, for the Call of Duty movie, with Peter Berg directing and Taylor Sheridan writing. While the specific plot is undecided, Activision is considering fan input on whether to base the film on sub-brands like Modern Warfare or Black Ops, or create an entirely new story. This project marks a significant step forward after over a decade of development plans for a Call of Duty cinematic universe.
Xbox CCO details unified approach for next-gen Project Helix console
Microsoft's Xbox division is adopting a unified approach for its next-generation console, codenamed Project Helix, with close collaboration between hardware and development teams. CCO Matt Booty highlighted early involvement from publishing and development in planning and specs, and cross-studio support, such as Blizzard assisting Playground Games with Fable. Xbox VP Jason Ronald mentioned the console will leverage new technology developed with AMD and aims for alpha versions by 2027.
After Wolfenstein, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle felt "very natural" to MachineGames since it involved…
MachineGames creative director Axel Torvenius stated that Indiana Jones and the Great Circle felt like a natural fit for the studio, similar to their work on Wolfenstein, due to the prominent inclusion of Nazis as antagonists. He acknowledged the studio's history with similar enemy types but did not confirm if this was an intentional choice.
Starfield Sales On PS5 Don’t Look Great
Starfield sold 140,000 copies on PlayStation 5 in its first week, generating $7.7 million. While decent for a port, these figures are considered underwhelming compared to its Xbox launch and other recent Xbox titles released on PlayStation. The game has sold nearly 5 million copies across all platforms, with PC sales at approximately 3.7 million and Xbox sales around 1 million, the latter likely influenced by Game Pass availability.
Beat the Heat Update: How Obsidian Built King Dozer – Grounded 2’s Biggest Boss Yet
The Beat the Heat update for Grounded 2 introduces King Dozer, the game's largest boss yet, inspired by medieval dragons and horned lizards. Obsidian Entertainment's Game Director Chris Parker discusses the design process for this formidable foe and the new environmental mechanics players will need to master. The update also adds the Sinkhole Anthill to explore and enhances the Buggy progression system, making these mounts more viable for combat and traversal.
