Dark Light

In case you missed it, here’s our round-up of all the big announcements from X018, the fourth-annual Xbox FanFest event.

More than 10,000 Xbox fans attended this year’s FanFest, which was held in Mexico City. In addition to the panels and game demos, there was a raft of announcements from Microsoft, including details of new studio acquisitions, a release date for Crackdown 3, and confirmation that PUBG is coming to Xbox Game Pass. Here’s a quick roundup.

Obsidian and inXile become first party studios

Following on from last year’s studio spending spree on Playground Games, Ninja Theory, Undead Labs, and Compulsion Games, RPG specialists Obsidian Entertainment, and inXile Entertainment have now joined Microsoft Studios. No game projects have so far been confirmed.

Crackdown 3 release date confirmed

Crackdown 3 will be released on February 15, 2019, on Xbox One and Windows 10. The game will come to Xbox Game Pass at launch, and will be an Xbox Play Anywhere title. The game’s new trailer shows off Crackdown 3‘s Wrecking Zone Multiplayer mode. The original Crackdown – now updated with Xbox One X enhancements – is available free of charge until November 30, 2018.

New Xbox Game Pass titles announced

PlayerUnknown’s Battleground will be available to Xbox Game Pass subscribers from November 12. Agents of Mayhem, MXGP3, and Thomas Was Alone will be added to the service on November 22, 2018.

Ori and the Blind Forest, Kingdom Two Crowns, and Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice are the confirmed titles for December. In addition, a range of ID@Xbox games will also come to the Xbox Game Pass on release. These include Aftercharge, Supermarket Shriek, Mutant Year Zero, The Good Life, and Secret Neighbor. Ori and the Will of the Wisps will also come to the service in 2019.

Xbox Game Pass App and subscription discounts

The Xbox Game Pass app is now available on iOS and Android. The app lets users browse and download titles to their home console on the go. Xbox Game Pass is also available at $1 for the first month for new subscribers until January 3, 2019.

Forza Horizon 4 Fortune Island expansion revealed

Fortune Island will be released on December 13, 2018. The expansion is set on a remote Scottish island, and is available as part of the game’s Expansions Bundle. It will also be sold separately with a 10% discount for Xbox Game Pass subscribers. Ken Block’s custom-built Ford vehicles from GymkhanaTEN are also coming to the game.

New Sea of Thieves content confirmed

Sea of Thieves‘ fifth content update is The Arena. The new mode lets players compete in fast-paced treasure hunts against rival crews. It also includes a new tavern area and trading company, and will be released in early 2019.

State of Decay 2 DLC dated

State of Decay 2 will receive the Zedhunter Pack on November 16, 2018. The pack adds new weapons, consumables, and gameplay updates.

Winnie the Pooh confirmed for Kingdom Hearts III

A new trailer for Kingdom Hearts III confirms the return of Winnie the Pooh, and teases the dastardly plans of Master Xehanort, and Organization XIII. A new demo featuring the Hercules and Toy Story worlds is available on X018 show floor.

Final Fantasy XIII games get Xbox One Backward Compatibility

Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XIII-2 and Lightening Returns: Final Fantasy XIII will be Backward Compatible from November 13, 2018. Civilization Revolution is also receiving Xbox One X enhancements.

Mouse and Keyboard support confirmed

Mouse and keyboard will arrive next week on Xbox One. Xbox Insiders will have access to selected titles at launch. Games confirmed to be get compatibility include Fortnite, Deep Rock Galactic, Strange Brigade, Vermintide 2, DayZ, and Warface.

Xbox One Black Friday deals

Discounts of up to $100 will be available on selected Xbox One consoles, including the Xbox One X, which will be reduced to $399.99. New Xbox Live Gold memberships will also be available at $1 for the first month, and there will be discounts on a range of Xbox exclusives, including Forza Horizon 4, and Sea of Thieves.

The Xbox Adaptive Controller Launches Worldwide

The Xbox Adaptive Controller will be released new countries next year, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Hong Kong, Hungary, Israel, Japan, Slovakia, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Taiwan, Turkey and UAE.

And also…

  • There was new cinematic trailer from Just Cause 4
  • Bandai Namco confirmed that SSGSS Vegeta and Golden Frieza will be playable characters in Jump Force
  • The first of seven DLC adventures coming to Shadow of the Tomb Raider is called The Forge
  • Capcom’s Hideaki Itsuno revealed The Void, the training mode for Devil May Cry 5
  • Winter of Arcade returns to the Xbox games store from December 6-21, 2018
  • Minecraft’s Marketplace now has 77 partners, with 13 million purchases made since launch
  • Reveal of Void Bastards, new shooter from ex-BioShock and System Shock 2 devs
Related Posts