Category: Video Gaming

A roadmap for what’s coming to Animal Crossing-alike Disney Dreamlight Valley has revealed the life sim will be going multiplayer this year. Along with the option to drag your mates into bothering popular Disney characters and creating a magical kingdom of your very own, Dreamlight Valley’s roadmap shows that Encanto’s Mirabel, Frozen’s Olaf, and Simba from animated classic The Lion King will be coming to the game in free updates over the next few months. The roadmap also promised more new characters, realms, and gubbins such as clothing and furniture to stuff your house full of.

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This return would rock the MCU fanbase.

Although the Secret Invasion Disney+ series is in a state of limbo right now with no set debut date, that’s not stopping MCU fans from speculating about who might appear in the first Phase 5 TV show. Despite there being a handful of Shield members to choose from that could back up Nick Fury, one character, in particular, seems to have a bit of momentum in the online community.

She hasn’t been seen in any MCU content since the Agents of Shield TV series, but it seems like fans are clamoring for the return of Chloe Bennet as Quake/Daisy Johnson. Bennet has stated in the past that she is in no way involved with Secret Invasion. Of course, she wouldn’t be able to confirm her involvement anyway without approval from the studio.

Yet, things are looking good for Bennet on Reddit. A recent post by user Divine_Rose brought up the idea of Quake’s return which was met with extremely positive comments all about how much they loved Bennet in Agents of Shield and would love to see her return for Secret Invasion. While fan reaction isn’t the end-all and be-all, there’s no doubt that Marvel Studios would be able to ignore such a positive reaction.

You may be feeling a sense of deja vu at news that social virtual reality platform AltspaceVR is being closed down. This almost happened once before, after its developers announced in 2017 they didn’t have enough funding to keep the servers on. Shortly after they were saved by Microsoft, which acquired AltspaceVR in what seemed like a response to Facebook’s pivot to VR. That renewed lifespan is about to end, with the announcement that AltspaceVR will be sunset on March 10 (opens in new tab).

“As we look to the future,” the post from Team AltspaceVR says, “we see the opportunity for VR expanding beyond consumer into business and now have an even greater goal: a more open, accessible, and secure version of immersive experiences in the metaverse. To achieve that we have made the difficult decision to sunset the AltpaceVR platform on March 10, 2023, and shift our focus to support immersive experiences powered by Microsoft Mesh.”

We recorded Unlocked immediately after Microsoft’s Xbox Developer Direct presentation this week, so these are our in-the-moment reactions to the excellent presentation, from the deep-dive on Redfall (including a May 2 release date to look forward to) to another look at the gorgeous Forza Motorsport (though it came without any release date attached) to the surprise new game from Tango Gameworks, Hi-Fi Rush, that’s available right now! And in our final segment, we spent some time discussing the current uncertain state of Halo in the wake of the layoffs at 343 Industries.

Subscribe on any of your favorite podcast feeds, to our YouTube channel, or grab an MP3 of this week’s episode. For more awesome content, check out our interview with Todd Howard, who answered all of our Starfield questions after the big reveal at the Xbox Showcase:

For more next-gen coverage, make sure to check out our Xbox Series X review, our Xbox Series S review, and our PS5 review.

Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s executive editor of previews and host of both IGN’s weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, as well as our monthly(-ish) interview show, IGN Unfiltered. He’s a North Jersey guy, so it’s “Taylor ham,” not “pork roll.” Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.

Workers at Boston-based World of Warcraft support studio Proletariat (also known as Blizzard Boston) are pulling their petition with the National Labor Relations Board, and will not vote on a union. They announced their petition in late December, but withdrew the application on Tuesday.

A representative of Communications Workers of America blamed management’s “confrontational tactics” for the withdrawn petition, claiming the company held “a series of meetings that demoralized and disempowered the group, making a free and fair election impossible.”

Proletariat Workers Alliance was looking to secure the company’s current paid time-off plan, as well as flexible remote options, healthcare benefits, and ensuring transparency and diversity are top priorities.

With the petition withdrawn, workers at Proletariat will not vote on a union.

“We appreciate that the CWA has unilaterally decided to withdraw its petition in response to employee feedback,” media relations VP Joe Christinat said in a statement to Polygon. “As we’ve stated, we welcomed the opportunity for each employee to safely express their preferences through a confidential vote. Our team at Proletariat does extraordinary work every day. They remain focused on working with their teams to continue to make Proletariat a place where all can grow, thrive, and be part of an amazing team and culture.”

Dustin Yost, a software engineer at Proletariat, said in a statement issued through CWA that, originally, the majority of workers supported the union. The worker said “meetings which framed the conversation as a personal betrayal” to management took a toll on that support. “While we are withdrawing our union election petition today, and truly hope that management will prioritize the concerns that led us to organize, I still believe that a union is the best way for workers in our industry to ensure our voices are being heard,” Yost said.

Other workers, some of whom described themselves as pro-labor, felt that the process was rushed — announced when the company was on holiday break followed by confusing communication, Proletariat user interface artist and user experience designer Kat Dolan told Polygon. Dolan disputed the characterization that management folded union efforts. She added that some workers felt “disenchanted” by the process, saying that had they been approached differently, things might have ended up differently.

Proletariat Workers Alliance was slated to go to a vote with the National Labor Relations Board — the same process that both Raven Software and Blizzard Albany’s QA unions went through. Activision Blizzard challenged the election in both studios’ cases, and sought to expand the proposed bargaining unit beyond QA testers.

Companies sometimes fight to expand the size of a unit to water down union organization efforts, to increase the probability of a union vote failing. But an NLRB ruling in 2022 made it easier for organizers to unionize smaller groups within a company (called micro-units), which puts the onus on a company to provide overwhelming evidence that a group should be opened up.

CWA has filed multiple unfair labor complaints against Activision Blizzard for its alleged union-busting tactics; Activision Blizzard representatives have denied any wrongdoing.

Seth Sivak founded Proletariat in 2012, and the studio operated independently, working on games like Spellbreak and StreamLegends until Activision Blizzard acquired the studio in 2022. Sivak is now vice president of development at Blizzard Entertainment, overseeing the Boston-based Proletariat studio, which is now working on World of Warcraft. Allison Brown, a software engineer developer in testing, told Polygon earlier in January that union talk started before the acquisition, but around the rumblings of working with the company.

“There was a concern that suddenly becoming part of a bigger organization that we might lose some of the things that made Proletariat special,” Brown said.

She continued: “No matter how much trust we have for management […], things can change. I started in the industry 14 years ago, I’ve been laid off more than once. I’ve watched benefits change and get worse. There’s no control over it. But if we’re bargaining collectively, if we get these things in writing, there are mechanisms in place to make sure that we have a voice.”

After the petition was announced, Proletariat leadership published a blog in which it declined to recognize the Proletariat union, forcing the union to a vote with the National Labor Relations Board. Proletariat leadership described the company as “pro-worker,” and implied that some workers had concerns, which is why management wanted to hold an anonymous vote.

Activision Blizzard’s response to previous unionizing efforts has been in contrast with Microsoft’s so-called labor neutrality agreement. The agreement, signed with CWA, means that Microsoft will not interfere with organizing efforts at the company — neither with current Microsoft workers, or with workers potentially joining Microsoft as part of its $68.7 billion deal to acquire Activision Blizzard (currently subject to a Federal Trade Commission lawsuit).

That agreement was tested late last year when QA workers at ZeniMax Media, responsible for franchises like The Elder Scrolls, Doom, and Fallout, announced their intention to unionize. Microsoft agreed to recognize the union after a speedy vote outside of the NLRB; the company was able to sidestep a lot of the bureaucracy because of the neutrality agreement. ZeniMax QA workers voted through union authorization cards and an online portal, where a supermajority of workers pledged support for the union.

Update (Jan. 9): This story has been updated to include comment from Activision Blizzard.

Update (Jan. 10): On Monday, Proletariat leadership published a blog post in which it declined to recognize the Proletariat union, forcing the union to a vote with the National Labor Relations Board. Proletariat leadership described the company as “pro-worker.”

The Proletariat Workers Alliance disputed that, saying that not recognizing the supermajority of signed union cards is anti-union. “Their actions this week have been right out of the union-busting playbook used by Activision and so many others,” workers wrote in a statement. “Management held a town hall last week which disappointed many of our workers. The meeting was inappropriate due to its anti-union influence.”

Workers continued: “We can decide for ourselves if we want a union. We don’t need help from management. We need — and deserve — respect and neutrality. We want to do right by our team and collaborate with management without contention. We can help make Proletariat the best it can be by having each others backs.”

Update (Jan. 24): Workers at Proletariat withdrew the union petition on Jan. 24. This story has been updated to reflect that new information.

Update (Jan. 24): Activision Blizzard responded to CWA’s withdrawn petition:

We appreciate that the CWA has unilaterally decided to withdraw its petition in response to employee feedback. As we’ve stated, we welcomed the opportunity for each employee to safely express their preferences through a confidential vote. Our team at Proletariat does extraordinary work every day. They remain focused on working with their teams to continue to make Proletariat a place where all can grow, thrive, and be part of an amazing team and culture.

Update (Jan. 25): This story has been updated to include comment from another Proletariat worker.

There’s a surprising new talking point for American conservative media and politicians: Xbox. On Monday, U.S. senator and former presidential candidate Ted Cruz (R-TX) tweeted, “First gas stoves, then your coffee, now they’re gunning for your Xbox,” linking to an article on right-wing site Blaze News. Within hours, Freedom Caucus member Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX) had paraphrased Cruz’s tweet (throwing guns in to spice it up a bit); Fox News had run an article with a headline claiming, “Woke brigade is after video games”; and a Fox & Friends host had said, “They’re going after the children!”

What is it that has these culture warriors so exercised? A new “carbon aware” power-saving mode that Microsoft is rolling out for Xbox consoles, along with some changes to their default settings intended to reduce their environmental impact.

Why have conservatives suddenly decided to target Xbox?

There’s never a good answer to this kind of question, although as Cruz’s tweet hints, the Xbox news (which broke two weeks ago) fits into a narrative that the right has been constructing about progressive forces seeking to curtail personal conveniences and comforts amid the climate crisis. In recent weeks, right-wing media and commentators have seized on an academic study into the carbon footprint of coffee and on regulatory concerns about the public health impact of gas stoves. Attacking Microsoft’s new green settings is a convenient way to keep the subject rolling, garlanded with a recognizable brand and some youth-audience appeal.

Also, Cruz is known to be a bit of a gamer, which may help explain him tackling this topic.

What does the ‘carbon aware’ mode do?

Being “carbon aware” means that your Xbox, as long as it has an internet connection, will adjust when it does updates and downloads to times when the local power grid uses the most renewable energy and is least reliant on fossil fuels. It determines the right time by checking regional carbon intensity data online. The carbon-aware mode is on by default, but it works only when a console has been powered down using the Shutdown setting, not Sleep mode. (More about these later.)

Though new to Xbox, carbon awareness is not a brand-new initiative— all Windows 11 updates became carbon aware last year. (Microsoft intends to be carbon negative by 2030, not only in its own operations but through how its products are used.)

Right-wingers have targeted the carbon-aware mode for the same reason that Microsoft chose to headline its news release with it — it has a hip, progressive-sounding name. But in fact, another change Microsoft is making at the same time will have a far bigger environmental impact.

Is Microsoft forcing players to power down their Xboxes?

No — Microsoft isn’t “forcing” anyone to do anything other than accept the “carbon aware” update, which has zero impact on the user experience, as it only affects the timing of downloads and updates when the console is switched off.

However, Microsoft is updating all Xbox consoles to use the Shutdown (aka “energy saving”) setting by default, rather than Sleep. While Sleep mode still exists as an option, people who want to use it will need to go into the settings and reselect it after the update.

Shutdown draws up to 20 times less power than Sleep, so the cumulative power-saving effect of Microsoft moving every Xbox to Shutdown by default is considerable. Even if some users choose to reverse the decision — a minor inconvenience, at worst — this update should have a meaningful impact on the carbon footprint of Xbox gaming worldwide.

What’s the difference between Shutdown and Sleep?

The “degradation” of the user experience in the name of climate politics that conservative culture warriors are complaining about amounts to longer boot times, mostly. According to Microsoft, a console can take up to 45 seconds to boot from Shutdown mode, whereas booting up from Sleep mode is much faster. Also, features that allow the Xbox to be woken remotely or with your voice are no longer available in Shutdown — you have to physically press a button on the Xbox or the controller to turn on the console.

Crucially, the Quick Resume feature that allows games to be picked up exactly where they were left off still works with Shutdown.

Should I leave my Xbox on Shutdown mode?

It’s up to you! But even aside from its impact on the climate emergency, the mode offers considerable power savings that could help reduce your electricity bills during this time of soaring power costs. So it’s a fiscally sensible as well as environmentally responsible option, with only a minor downside — unless you cannot live without remote wake, or you find 45 seconds to be an unbearably long period of time.

Or unless you like paying the power company extra to own the libs.

Chained Echoes deceives at first glance, making you question if you missed it back when its seeming contemporaries, like Final Fantasy VI and Chrono Trigger, were making a big splash. Of course, the reality is this lavish and imaginative RPG is brand new, crafted mostly by a single developer as both an homage to and celebration of those old games, even while injecting a healthy dose of new concepts. The resulting adventure may look like something from 30 years ago, but it plays with a sophistication that deserves attention from any genre fan.

The developer delights in playing with your preconceived ideas. Sometimes, it’s fulfilling those expectations at precisely the pace and moment you are most ready for them, in both story and gameplay, and at other times it’s about subverting them. Ready for a new twist on combat? Here’s a new additional system in which you control mechs in a fascinating alternate combat style, recalling classics like Xenogears. Think you understand the arc of the fated hero storyline? Maybe things are more complicated than you first guessed.

Along the way, the staples of classic JRPG-style adventuring appear in a balanced and rewarding loop. The thoughtfully designed combat system scales back on grindy, repetitive battles. Instead, every fight demands your full attention, leveraging enemy weaknesses, character abilities, on-the-fly party formation changes, and a unique overdrive mechanic to keep your party in the sweet spot of damage dealing. The party fully heals between combat, so it’s always about throwing everything you have at the enemy. Even regular fights sometimes come down to only having one hero standing to strike the final blow. I found the high challenge enjoyable, especially since bad decisions and a game over led to an immediate choice to replay the battle, so the penalty for failure is negligible.

The upgrade, gear, and leveling systems are all engaging and filled with compelling decisions. Wearing a class emblem can enrich your chosen skills for each character, letting you specialize each hero in powerful ways. Weapons and armor can be improved and tweaked with gems that apply new bonuses, encouraging players to spend time in the menus playing the optimization game. There’s even a fun “Reward Board” that offers precious materials and leveling options for completing specific tasks around the world, encouraging extensive exploration and discovery.

While playing within the established constraints of the genre, Chained Echoes also tells a mature and nuanced story, touching on themes of fate and free will, recovery from trauma, and the weight of guilt. Those and other tropes have plenty of room for exploration across dozens of hours of available stories and sidequests. Thankfully, it’s an enjoyable fantasy world, filled with unusual species and monsters, intriguing biomes, and a complex geopolitical structure. At times, that last component of political elements can become overwhelming and hard to follow and distracts from the more compelling character drama. But give Chained Echoes enough time, and everything begins to make sense.

A beautiful throwback musical score is accompanied by pixel-style visuals that relay nostalgia without being a game you’ve played before. Even so, the scope of the narrative and maturity of the character interactions sometimes feels at odds with the retro aesthetic. That incongruity can be a plus, emphasizing moments of terror, war crimes, or betrayals. But at certain dramatic moments, the visual constraints hold the narrative back.

While Chained Echoes has the advantage of decades of distance from the games it looks to for inspiration, it’s a better experience in many instances than those vaunted games from which it arose. I prefer this combat, storytelling, and approach to progression and exploration to many of the JRPGs I grew up so enamored with playing. That’s the highest praise I can heap on a game so removed in time from the games to which it might be compared. Whether you currently count yourself a JRPG connoisseur or fondly recall the ʼ90s heyday of the genre, Chained Echoes is well worth your time. 

A seven-minute look at Forza Motorsport was shown as part of today’s Xbox and Bethesda Developer Direct presentation, where more details were shared about the racing game.

During this time, the developers discussed how they are striving to make the game look, sound, and feel real through the cars, tracks, and audio – all of which promise to deliver a “generational leap in fidelity, immersion, and realism.”

There will be over 500 real-world cars in the game, each are more dynamic than ever. You can collect and race these cars, 100 of which are new to the series, as well as customize them using more than 800 unique upgrades and modifications.

In addition to the number of cars, improvements have been made to how they look by using a spectrophotometer. This captures multiple data points of light behavior on a surface and using this technique, the paint models have a more realistic light response across colors, metal flake, and gloss levels.

The next in the racing series also features cars with context-aware damage and dirt buildup, all authentic and unique to each vehicle, gathering more in the low-pressure areas like recesses and alcoves.

Turn 10 is also striving to create a more fun and rewarding driving experience using the advances it’s made in physics simulation, which are greater than Forza Motorsport 5, 6, and 7 combined.

Forza Motorsport will start with 20 environments featuring multiple track layouts. In addition to fan favorites, you can race on five all-new-to-Motorsport locations including the first in South Africa – Kyalami.

Due to the level of detail that went into the tracks through photogrammetry and laser-scanned images, Turn 10 was able to depict 10 times more realistic detail for vegetation and overgrowth.

New to Forza Motorsport is a dynamic time of day mechanic with weather including track temperatures, wet driving surfaces and rubbering in for each track. This ensures no track will play the same way twice.

For a more visceral audio experience, the team worked with Windows Sonic and Dolby Atmos. Each audio system was rebuilt to create an immersive soundscape to enhance car sounds at the highest fidelity possible. This includes improved tire and suspension audio, and exhausts and turbos that change as they’re modified to sound like their real-world counterparts.

Forza Motorsport is slated for release this year on PC and Xbox Series X/S.

I’m a sucker for mechanical keyboards, but I don’t discriminate against high-end membrane or scissor switch boards either. One of the best non-mechs I’ve tried over the last few years has been the Logitech MX Keys, which is available in a compact MX Keys Mini model or as the full-size MX Keys. Today, the full-size UK model is discounted on Amazon UK, where it’s down from £120 to £80 – a nice 33% or 40 quid off.

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At first glance, Minecraft Legends may seem like a bold pivot in a new direction, but rest assured that this new strategy title still includes all of the familiar elements of the epochal survival title – you just might not notice right away. You can expect to see all of your favourite resources, mobs and tools, but in a brand-new strategy game setting – and even in a 4v4, PvP mode, which was introduced in today’s Developer_Direct showcase.

So what is Minecraft Legends? The new title, developed by Mojang Studios with partner Blackbird Interactive, offers a brand-new story campaign, and a fresh new PvP mode. Take on the campaign alone or with friends, or hop into a 4v4 match to take down the enemy team by destroying their base, while building your own. It sounds very different to the original Minecraft, but – if you’ll forgive the pun – it’s built out of many of the same blocks. 

Of course, key to Minecraft is its procedurally generated maps, which offer up a unique experience every time you jump into a new game. Minecraft Legends is no different, generating new maps to conquer for each new battle. Traditionally, everyone is on the same side in a classic Minecraft server (or, at least, they should be), but in Minecraft Legends, the twist is that the map’s resources are competitive, and its terrain is key to how you progress — both must be used to triumph against the enemy team.  

Speaking to Xbox Wire, Minecraft Legends Executive Producer Dennis Ries and Blackbird Interactive Producer Lee Pederson explain how Minecraft Legends uses randomly generated maps in both its campaign and multiplayer modes to shake up the traditional PvP experience: 

“It’s not like your traditional multiplayer situation where you have a set few maps. Every time you go to play PvP, the strategy that you want to use to win  could be different than it was the game before,” Ries says. “When we had the added this procedurally generated dynamic with the variety, it really started to feel like Minecraft. The chaotic fun really shone through and we wanted to embrace that chaos.” 

Being Resource-full 

When each multiplayer map is generated, resources that you can use in battle will appear in random areas, and some are more unique and useful than others. You’ll have to decide which strategy is best to take on the enemy team based on where you build your base, and the resources around it. 

“Every game is a new scene, and there’s different environmental challenges,” Pederson explains. “So when building your base, you can take advantage of being on a mountaintop for example, or build a tower behind one to hide it. You’re going to have to really tune your strategy based on what the world is generating for you.” 

Ries adds that this could be a Redstone strategy, a Diamond strategy , or an Iron strategy – each resource offers different units and upgrades to build, and which you happen to have can fundamentally alter how you gain an advantage over an enemy. You’ll need to change up how you proceed through the game based on what you can secure to get ahead in those early game moments. 

“You just don’t know what’s going to happen, so with that, you might shift your strategy and go with say, a Redstone strategy because that’s what’s closest to you,” he adds.

Mob Rule(s) 

It’s not just the environment that can provide resources either. Minecraft Legends features many familiar mobs, from the classic Creeper to the Nether-native Piglins, who will attack anyone that passes through their territory. They all carry important items, and they can be used to plot your win in a number of ways.  

Some Minecraft enemies such as Skeletons and Zombies are also here but, this time, they’re on your side, and you can take advantage of their abilities too. Seasoned Minecraft players will have a sense of how all of these mobs will act (and attack), but will need to readjust to how useful they can be in this brand new context. 

“Creepers are always going to explode, but now you have the ability to actually use a Creeper […] and pinpoint it to go in a certain direction,” Ries explains. “In PvP, the Piglins are an annoyance, but they’re necessary because they have items that you need to [use to] upgrade. On another hand, they can attack you, so while you’re off implementing your strategy, they can disrupt it if you’re not careful.” 

While combat is at the forefront of Minecraft Legends, there’s a role for every kind of player, from planning huge sieges against the enemy or simply exploring the map. Ries adds that you may naturally gravitate towards a certain role in a team of four, and you can choose what to do based on your own personal preference, whether that’s swinging swords at enemies or hunting down a specific resource for your base. 

All About That Base 

As you might expect by this point, just like classic Minecraft, building things is a truly enormous part of your time spent in Minecraft Legends. Building up your base and ensuring it can withstand enemy attacks is just as important as besieging the enemy. Once you’ve built a basic structure, it’s time to get creative with ways to deter your attackers. Build additional walls that enemies must navigate through, place hidden traps, or set up mobs to keep your base safe. Be sure to lay down your upgrade tower in a good spot too, so your base can be upgraded to withstand even the heftiest assaults. 

Setting up your base in Legends serves a new purpose, but it shares many of the components of classic Minecraft building. You need to collect wood, stone and other world resources to stack up walls, towers and gates block-by-block, and adventure for ores and hidden treasures that’ll help your team level up. The difference is you’ll need to craft with a little more thought into how your base functions, rather than how it looks in the sunset. Winning with a cool looking base is an obvious flex, though. 

While there’s a lot of freedom in how you plan your battles (and your defences), Pederson adds that the PvP experience is designed to be approachable for new players, and you don’t need a grand strategy or a ton of experience to hop in. “Because the maps are procedurally generated, you don’t have people who have mastered a map who are then dominating newer players who are coming in,” she adds.  

And this really is the crux of how Minecraft Legends can feel so akin to Minecraft, despite being part of a totally different genre. Like the original, Legends doesn’t just feature random elements – it builds its whole identity around them, rewarding players for working with what they’ve got, rather than doing the same thing every time.  

Pederson puts it in very simple terms – terms that feel almost like a mantra for the game’s design as a whole: “Everyone is coming into a new experience each time.” 

Minecraft Legends launches April 18 on  Windows PC (day one with PC Game Pass), Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One (day one with Xbox Game Pass), Xbox Cloud Gaming, PlayStation, Steam, and Nintendo Switch. 

Minecraft Legends

Xbox Game Studios

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Discover the mysteries of Minecraft Legends, a new action strategy game. Explore a gentle land of rich resources and lush biomes on the brink of destruction. The ravaging piglins have arrived, and it’s up to you to inspire your allies and lead them in strategic battles to save the Overworld!

Learn the story of Minecraft Legends and explore its new, yet familiar world, while experiencing the Minecraft Universe in an exciting new way in this new action strategy game.

Explore a beautiful land, both familiar and mysterious, full of diverse life, lush biomes, and rich resources needed to build your defenses and defeat the piglin invasion.

Inspire unexpected friends to form valuable alliances and lead them in strategic battles to protect their home. Take the fight to the piglins before their Nether corruption devours the Overworld!

Challenge your friends –or team-up with them – in exciting battles as you defend your village and lead your allies to defeat your opponents.

If you tuned into Xbox’s Developer Direct on January 25, you’ll already know about Hi-Fi Rush shadow-dropping on Xbox Game Pass after the presentation ended. But, that’s not all, as Xbox has also now confirmed every game hitting the service before the end of the month, and a few more for the start of February as well including Hot Wheels Unleashed, GoldenEye 007, Age of Empires 2, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure All-Star Battle R, Grid Legends, and more.

Games to already hit Game Pass this month include Persona 3 and 4, alongside Monster Hunter Rise and Stranded Deep. For now, here’s everything coming to Xbox Game Pass in January 2023.

Hi-Fi Rush is Available on Xbox Game Pass Right Now

Tango Gameworks’ next game is Hi-Fi Rush, a rhythm adventure game under development exclusively for the Xbox Series X|S, and it’s coming out tonight. Announced during the Xbox Developer_Direct showcase, the trailer revealed a bombastic comic-like art style, original tunes and rhythm-based movement and combat. Tango Gameworks has already released the game, including on Xbox Game Pass, and you can install it right now if you want to.

Everything Coming to Xbox Game Pass in January 2023

• Stranded Deep – January 3 (Console, PC, Cloud)
• Persona 3 Portable – January 19 (Console, PC, Cloud)
• Persona 4 Golden – January 19 (Console, PC, Cloud)
• Monster Hunter Rise – January 20 (Console, PC)
• Hi-Fi Rush – January 25 (Console, PC)
• GoldenEye 007 – January 27 (Console)
• Roboquest (Game Preview) – January 30 (Console)
• Age Of Empires 2: Definitive Edition – January 31 (Console, Cloud)
• Inkulinati – January 31 (Console, PC)
• JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure All-Star Battle R (Cloud, Console, and PC) – January 31

Bonus Games We Now Know About for February on Game Pass

• Darkest Dungeon (Cloud, Console, and PC) – February 2
• Grid Legends (Cloud) EA Play – February 2
• Hot Wheels Unleashed – Game of the Year Edition (Cloud, Console, and PC) – February 7

Persona 3 Portable and Persona 4 Golden on Xbox Game Pass

The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom is the next chapter of ZeniMax Online’s MMORPG, and will introduce a new class, reimagined locations that are bound to be exciting for Elder Scrolls lore-heads, multiple ancient mysteries to unravel, and tentacles. Lots and lots of tentacles.

As revealed in the recent Xbox and Bethesda developer direct, Necrom will arrive June 5, 2023 on PC and Mac (or for those on consoles, June 20) and bring players back to Morrowind–specifically the eastern, coastal region known as the Telvanni Peninsula that is home to the ancient dark elf city from which the chapter draws its name. Since Necrom was last seen in 1994’s The Elder Scrolls: Arena, the first game in the series, the new expansion gives ZeniMax Online an opportunity to update and expand upon the city of the dead for modern audiences. It also presented an opportunity to revisit the fan-favorite region of Morrowind, a place that ESO creative director Rich Lambert said the development team has a particular affinity towards and one that the team previously dove deep on for the game’s 2017 Morrowind chapter.

“Obviously we are not going to go back and recreate one-for-one what was there in Arena,” Lambert said. “Things have changed a lot since then, and the overall fidelity of things wouldn’t work if we did it that way. But we wanted to capture that essence. We did lots of lore delving, really digging into what the city was about, its history, why it was so important. And then taking a lot of the descriptors from the lore books and interpreting that in a way that was believable and realistic but also lends itself to the legends. In one of the legends, Necrom was built on the bones of this giant beast that Vivec killed. When you advance to the city you see these tall spires, rock-like structures. If you look at it you could interpret it as the ribs of a giant creature. And then you want to dig in…We really leaned heavily on that kind of stuff when we were going in designing the city and also the surrounding spaces.”

Welcome To Apocrypha

But that’s just one part of the expansion. The other will take players to the Oblivion realm of Apocrypha, the home of Hermaeus Mora, the Daedric prince of knowledge who commonly appears as a writhing mass of tentacles and eyeballs. Despite Mora’s Cthulhu-esque appearance, the Daedric prince is neither good nor evil, and will recruit players to help them protect a deep, dark secret that, if discovered by the wrong people, could unravel all of reality.

Apocrypha is a mysterious realm filled with literal mountains of books and ancient manuscripts. It was last seen as part of Skyrim’s Dragonborn DLC, and while ESO will be staying true to the look and feel of Apocrypha as established there, the ZeniMax Online team will be putting their own flourishes on the realm as well.

“It’s very different from anything we’ve done in ESO up to this point…one of the biggest things we try to do is make sure it feels different from year-to-year-to-year,” Lambert said. “That was a big goal, choosing something that was a little bit more alien, a little bit different. I love the cosmic horror vibe and feel. Everything is just a little bit strange and off. It’s something different and unique in Elder Scrolls.”

Enter The Arcanist

Hermaeus Mora and all the forbidden knowledge hidden within Apocrypha goes hand-in-hand with what is likely expansion’s most exciting new addition: the Arcanist, the game’s seventh class and the first new class since the addition of the Necromancer in 2019. The tome-wielding Arcanist is a combo-point generating, builder-spender casting class that uses forbidden knowledge to both support allies or dish out damage to enemies. From transforming their arm into a wave of tentacles in order to damage foes to teleporting around the battlefield and casting runic magic, the Arcanist sports offensive, defensive, and support abilities. Lambert said the goal was to make the Arcanist easy to pick-up-and-play, while still offering plenty of depth. For players who want to dive even deeper, the game’s skill morph system will allow for even greater customization, with some abilities able to be morphed from a combo-point generator into a spender or vice versa. Some skills that by default don’t interact with the combo-point system can even be morphed to do so.

“There’s a lot of mastery to it but it’s also really easy to pick up and understand,” Lambert said. “It’s ‘I hit this button and I get this thing. And while this thing is going, I hit another ability and it spends it and does something cool for me.’”

The Necrom chapter release this summer is the highlight of Elder Scrolls Online’s 2023 roadmap, but the yearlong storyline titled Shadow Over Morrowind will technically begin in March with the Scribes of Fate update, which will add two new dungeons and serve as a prologue for the Necrom chapter. Additional updates in the second half of the year year will also likely excite fans. In an unorthodox move, the team will forgo adding an extra dungeon later in the year as they have in years past in order to deliver a quality of life update that will focus on bug fixes, improving performance, and delivering some long-requested features, like a premade group finder. The game will still receive four major updates per year as has been the case for the last eight years, only this time one of those updates will be dedicated solely to polish and quality-of-life, something Lambert said the community has asked for.

“Last year we had a bit of a bumpy ride in terms of stability,” Lambert said. “A lot of self-inflicted wounds. So we want to shore up a lot of those processes and clean up a lot of that stuff.”

But that isn’t to say there isn’t any new content for Elder Scrolls Online players to look forward to later in the year. Teased at the tail-end of the chapter’s reveal stream, Lambert confirmed the team is working on an “endless dungeon with a buddy” mode for ESO. When asked for additional details or if the mode would feature roguelike elements, Lambert simply chuckled and said players would have to wait to find out more information, but it certainly sounds like something fans will want to keep an eye on towards the end of the year.

The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom will release June 5, 2023 for PC and Mac players, and will arrive a few weeks later on June 20 for those on consoles. It’s available for preorder now.

Master the new Arcanist class as you explore mainland Morrowind’s eastern coast in The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom!

Announced as part of the Developer_Direct and ESO Global Reveal, The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom arrives June 20 on Xbox consoles. ESO’s biggest release of 2023 introduces a new class, zones, and storyline for you and your fellow adventurers to learn, explore, and discover.

Wield the Power of Oblivion

Necrom introduces an all-new class — the Arcanist — which allows you to master three new skill lines (Herald of the Tome, Curative Runeforms, and Apocryphal Soldier). Each new skill line draws from Oblivion to help you deal damage, support your allies, and absorb punishment. As an Arcanist, you can call upon Runeblades, which launch Oblivion-empowered projectiles at your foes, or the Apocryphal Gate, which summons a portal to assist your party’s mobility.

With the Arcanist’s new Crux system, you can use select Arcanist abilities to generate a new resource called Crux that you can then spend to empower other abilities. How you spend your Crux can make a big impact on the way you play your Arcanist, and those that take the time to truly master all the Lord of Knowledge’s gifts can become truly formidable.

Explore New Worlds

Necrom also introduces two new zones for you to explore. Situated along the eastern coast of mainland Morrowind, the Telvanni Peninsula is home to the mysterious mages of House Telvanni and the great city of Necrom. For the first time since The Elder Scrolls: Arena, you can walk the solemn streets of this Dark Elf spiritual center.

In addition, this Chapter unveils Apocrypha, Hermaeus Mora’s realm of Oblivion. Do you dare venture deep into the Daedric Prince of Knowledge’s world to discover the mind-bending wonders of the Endless Library and even stranger locations?

Both zones feature their own quests, NPCs, challenges (such as world bosses, delves, public dungeons, a Trial, and an all-new kind of world event), and rewards — including new achievements, titles, item sets, collectibles, and more. Necrom also introduces two new companions to join you in your adventures, a Redguard Arcanist Azandar Al-Cybiades and Argonian Warden Sharp-as-Night!

Shadows Threaten Tamriel & Oblivion

Part of the Shadow Over Morrowind adventure, the upcoming Necrom Chapter continues a story that begins with the Scribes of Fate DLC. Hermaeus Mora’s realm of Oblivion has come under threat from a mysterious foe, and the Prince of Knowledge needs a champion to help defend a secret that if revealed could unravel reality itself.

While each release this year features standalone stories, each also builds upon and expands the larger Shadow Over Morrowind adventure. What you may discover in the dungeons of the Scribes of Fate DLC has consequences for the characters and events of the Necrom Chapter. A compelling, intertwined tale awaits!

Pre-Purchase Necrom Now

Master the new Arcanist class, venture into the Telvanni Peninsula and Apocrypha, and defend Hermaeus Mora from threats unknown in The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom — arriving this June 20, 2023, for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. Pre-purchase Necrom today from the Microsoft Store to receive unique bonus rewards at launch and immediate access to the Sadrith Mora Spore Steed mount and Sadrith Mora Spore Pony pet (The Sadrith Mora Spore Pony pet is available only until April 18, 2022).

The Elder Scrolls Online Deluxe Collection: Necrom

Bethesda Softworks

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$79.99

$63.99

Begin a unique adventure filled with the unparalleled storytelling and deep lore of The Elder Scrolls. Journey to Tamriel – a living, breathing, fantasy universe of magnitude, where your choices shape your experience. Battle, loot, craft, steal or role-play as an archer, mage, merchant, scholar or warrior. Play solo or with friends and combine equipment and abilities to suit your own play style. No game subscription required – buy once, play anytime.

What truths are best left hidden? Discover Necrom and the forbidden secrets of Apocrypha. From the Telvanni Peninsula in Eastern Morrowind to the cosmic realms of the Prince of Fate – fight to uphold reality and unlock the runic power of a new Class – the Arcanist!

PRE-PURCHASE

Pre-purchase the Elder Scrolls Online Deluxe Collection: Necrom now to start your adventure immediately within the game (base game or previous Chapter zones), get instant access to the Sadrith Mora Spore Steed & Pony* pair, plus more items when Necrom launches – as listed below. *Spore Pony pet only available with pre-purchases until 18/4/2023.

Unlock instantly:
• Sadrith Mora Steed & Pony* pair

Get the following at launch:
• Sadrith Mora Formal Attire costume
• Apocryphal Bookwyrm pet
• x1 Unfeathered crate
• x3 Treasure maps
• x2 Experience scrolls (+100% for 1 hour)

COLLECTION

The Elder Scrolls Online Deluxe Collection: Necrom is like “8-games-in-one” and best for adventurers who wish to access the Deluxe items, plus all major Chapter zones, biomes and quest arcs from across Tamriel. The Deluxe Collection: Necrom includes the base game, Necrom, Deluxe items and all previous Chapters, as below.

• Necrom (NEW for 2023)
• High Isle
• Blackwood
• Greymoor
• Elsweyr
• Summerset
• Morrowind
• Base game

NECROM**

UNLOCK THE NEW CLASS – Become empowered by the secrets of Apocrypha and the forbidden knowledge of Hermaeus Mora. The Arcanist is a powerful new Class capable of destructive, restorative, or defensive magic by channelling the arcane, ancient runes, and lost tomes of power.

ALL-NEW ZONES – Explore the Telvanni Peninsula, home of colossal mushrooms, arcane magic, rocky spires and the capital city of Necrom, additionally, behold the forbidden books of the endless library of Apocrypha.

A COSMIC STORY – The Prince of Fate holds secrets too dangerous for mortals or Daedra to comprehend. Now hidden yet turbulent powers threaten Hermaeus Mora’s realm of Apocrypha and if the Daedric Prince’s secret is uncovered, it could unravel all of reality.

NEW WARDEN AND ARCANIST CLASS COMPANIONS – Two new allies seek grand quests and glory! Unlock the Arcanist-power-wielding Redguard and Argonian Warden Companions to battle by your side and keep you company on your journey across Tamriel.

**Available when Necrom launches.

DELUXE

In addition, those who buy the Deluxe Collection: Necrom will receive the Deluxe in-game items when Necrom launches:

• All past Chapter Collector’s Edition / Deluxe items†
• Hermitage Servitor mount
• Cipher’s Eye Pocket Watcher pet
• Dark Lady’s Headrest memento
• Knowledge Eater Armor outfit style
• Leaning / Sitting / Standing Scholar emotes

†Does not include past Chapter pre-order / pre-purchase in-game items.

The Elder Scrolls Online Collection: Necrom

Bethesda Softworks

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$59.99

$47.99

Begin a unique adventure filled with the unparalleled storytelling and deep lore of The Elder Scrolls. Journey to Tamriel – a living, breathing, fantasy universe of magnitude, where your choices shape your experience. Battle, loot, craft, steal or role-play as an archer, mage, merchant, scholar or warrior. Play solo or with friends and combine equipment and abilities to suit your own play style. No game subscription required – buy once, play anytime.

What truths are best left hidden? Discover Necrom and the forbidden secrets of Apocrypha. From the Telvanni Peninsula in Eastern Morrowind to the cosmic realms of the Prince of Fate – fight to uphold reality and unlock the runic power of a new Class – the Arcanist!

PRE-PURCHASE

Pre-purchase the Elder Scrolls Online Collection: Necrom now to start your adventure immediately within the game (base game or previous Chapter zones), get instant access to the Sadrith Mora Spore Steed & Pony* pair, plus more items when Necrom launches – as listed below. *Spore Pony pet only available with pre-purchases until 4/18/2023.

Unlock instantly:
• Sadrith Mora Steed & Pony* pair

Get the following at launch:
• Sadrith Mora Formal Attire costume
• Apocryphal Bookwyrm pet
• x1 Unfeathered crate
• x3 Treasure maps
• x2 Experience scrolls (+100% for 1 hour)

COLLECTION

The Elder Scrolls Online Collection: Necrom is like “8-games-in-one” and best for adventurers who wish to access all major Chapter zones, biomes and quest arcs from across Tamriel. The Collection: Necrom includes the base game, Necrom and all previous Chapters, as below.

• Necrom (NEW for 2023)
• High Isle
• Blackwood
• Greymoor
• Elsweyr
• Summerset
• Morrowind
• Base game

NECROM**

UNLOCK THE NEW CLASS – Become empowered by the secrets of Apocrypha and the forbidden knowledge of Hermaeus Mora. The Arcanist is a powerful new Class capable of destructive, restorative, or defensive magic by channelling the arcane, ancient runes, and lost tomes of power.

ALL-NEW ZONES – Explore the Telvanni Peninsula, home of colossal mushrooms, arcane magic, rocky spires and the capital city of Necrom, additionally, behold the forbidden books of the endless library of Apocrypha.

A COSMIC STORY – The Prince of Fate holds secrets too dangerous for mortals or Daedra to comprehend. Now hidden yet turbulent powers threaten Hermaeus Mora’s realm of Apocrypha and if the Daedric Prince’s secret is uncovered, it could unravel all of reality.

NEW WARDEN AND ARCANIST CLASS COMPANIONS – Two new allies seek grand quests and glory! Unlock the Arcanist-power-wielding Redguard and Argonian Warden Companions to battle by your side and keep you company on your journey across Tamriel.

**Available when Necrom launches.

The Elder Scrolls Online Deluxe Upgrade: Necrom

Bethesda Softworks

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$49.99

$44.99

What truths are best left hidden? Discover Necrom and the forbidden secrets of Apocrypha. From the Telvanni Peninsula in Eastern Morrowind to the cosmic realms of the Prince of Fate – fight to uphold reality and unlock the runic power of a new Class – the Arcanist!

The Elder Scrolls Online Deluxe Upgrade: Necrom requires The Elder Scrolls Online Standard Edtition (base game) to play.

PRE-PURCHASE

Pre-purchase The Elder Scrolls Online Deluxe Upgrade: Necrom now to get instant access to the Sadrith Mora Spore Steed & Pony* pair, plus more items when Necrom launches, as listed below. *Spore Pony pet only available with pre-purchases until 4/18/2023.

Unlock instantly:
• Sadrith Mora Steed & Pony* pair

Get the following at launch:
• Sadrith Mora Formal Attire costume
• Apocryphal Bookwyrm pet
• x1 Unfeathered crate
• x3 Treasure maps
• x2 Experience scrolls (+100% for 1 hour)

NECROM**

UNLOCK THE NEW CLASS – Become empowered by the secrets of Apocrypha and the forbidden knowledge of Hermaeus Mora. The Arcanist is a powerful new Class capable of destructive, restorative, or defensive magic by channelling the arcane, ancient runes, and lost tomes of power.

ALL-NEW ZONES – Explore the Telvanni Peninsula, home of colossal mushrooms, arcane magic, rocky spires and the capital city of Necrom, additionally, behold the forbidden books of the endless library of Apocrypha.

A COSMIC STORY – The Prince of Fate holds secrets too dangerous for mortals or Daedra to comprehend. Now hidden yet turbulent powers threaten Hermaeus Mora’s realm of Apocrypha and if the Daedric Prince’s secret is uncovered, it could unravel all of reality.

NEW WARDEN AND ARCANIST CLASS COMPANIONS – Two new allies seek grand quests and glory! Unlock the Arcanist-power-wielding Redguard and Argonian Warden Companions to battle by your side and keep you company on your journey across Tamriel.

**Available when Necrom launches.

DELUXE

In addition, those who buy the Deluxe Upgrade: Necrom will receive the Deluxe in-game items when Necrom launches:

• Hermitage Servitor mount
• Cipher’s Eye Pocket Watcher pet
• Dark Lady’s Headrest memento
• Knowledge Eater Armor outfit style
• Leaning / Sitting / Standing Scholar emotes

Requires The Elder Scrolls Online, sold separately.

The Elder Scrolls Online Upgrade: Necrom

Bethesda Softworks

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$39.99

$35.99

What truths are best left hidden? Discover Necrom and the forbidden secrets of Apocrypha. From the Telvanni Peninsula in Eastern Morrowind to the cosmic realms of the Prince of Fate – fight to uphold reality and unlock the runic power of a new Class – the Arcanist!

The Elder Scrolls Online Upgrade: Necrom requires The Elder Scrolls Online Standard Edition (base game) to play.

PRE-PURCHASE

Pre-purchase the Elder Scrolls Online Upgrade: Necrom now to get instant access to the Sadrith Mora Spore Steed & Pony* pair, plus more items when Necrom launches, as listed below. *Spore Pony pet only available with pre-purchases until 4/18/2023.

Unlock instantly:
• Sadrith Mora Steed & Pony* pair

Get the following at launch:
• Sadrith Mora Formal Attire costume
• Apocryphal Bookwyrm pet
• x1 Unfeathered crate
• x3 Treasure maps
• x2 Experience scrolls (+100% for 1 hour)

NECROM**

UNLOCK THE NEW CLASS – Become empowered by the secrets of Apocrypha and the forbidden knowledge of Hermaeus Mora. The Arcanist is a powerful new Class capable of destructive, restorative, or defensive magic by channelling the arcane, ancient runes, and lost tomes of power.

ALL-NEW ZONES – Explore the Telvanni Peninsula, home of colossal mushrooms, arcane magic, rocky spires and the capital city of Necrom, additionally, behold the forbidden books of the endless library of Apocrypha.

A COSMIC STORY – The Prince of Fate holds secrets too dangerous for mortals or Daedra to comprehend. Now hidden yet turbulent powers threaten Hermaeus Mora’s realm of Apocrypha and if the Daedric Prince’s secret is uncovered, it could unravel all of reality.

NEW WARDEN AND ARCANIST CLASS COMPANIONS – Two new allies seek grand quests and glory! Unlock the Arcanist-power-wielding Redguard and Argonian Warden Companions to battle by your side and keep you company on your journey across Tamriel.

**Available when Necrom launches.
Requires The Elder Scrolls Online, sold separately.

Today’s Xbox Developer Direct ended with a walkthrough of gameplay from Arkane’s Redfall. In addition to detailing how players will liberate the town of Redfall from its vampiric captors, the team also shared a release date: May 2.

The bulk of the presentation showed off how players, either alone or working with up to three other friends, will cleanse Redfall of vampires neighborhood by neighborhood. In addition to gathering intel about the island and completing side quests, such as rescuing human hostages, you’ll capture safehouses. These become additional human HQs, and gaining more brings you closer to battling the area’s ruling vampire underboss. These elite enemies boast unique attacks and require your full might, along with your team’s efforts, to kill for good.

We also got a look at vampire nests. A giant heart fuels these otherworldly dens, and infiltrating one means cutting the heart from the body. Swarms of vampires will try to stop you, of course, but succeeding causes the collapse of a nest, meaning you’ll have to get out fast. Additionally, Arkane showed off the Shroud enemy type, a vampire that can blanket areas in pitch darkness, fire projectiles, as well as phase through floors to evade danger. We also saw a little more of the heroes’ specialized abilities and upgrades, such as granting Layla’s umbrella with a perk that allows it to absorb and fire incoming bullets. 

Redfall will be available on Xbox Series X/S and PC and will be available on Game Pass at launch.

Last summer, Turn 10 Studios and Xbox announced a new entry in the esteemed Forza Motorsport series, built from the ground up for Xbox Series X/S. The studio made lofty promises regarding the kind of experience it would be able to deliver with the new hardware, and during today’s Xbox Developer Direct, we received more information on the next entry of the sim-racing franchise, simply called Forza Motorsport.

Turn 10 Studios calls this entry “a generational leap ahead for the Forza Motorsport series.” For the first time in series history, Forza Motorsport has fully dynamic time of day and weather, which impact how cars handle; track temperatures and surface conditions combine with the texture of the driving surface to ensure that each lap is distinct. 

These races take place over 20 environments with multiple track layouts available at launch. Fans can expect their favorites from past Forza Motorsport titles, as well as five all-new locations. One of those locations is Kyalami, the first South African location in Forza Motorsport history. By utilizing photogrammetry and laser-scanned images, Turn 10 is able to depict 10 times the level of detail than past games. Environments feature more detailed vegetation and overgrowth, plus tens of thousands of fully 3D animated spectators.

Of course, the stars of the show will always be the cars, and Forza Motorsport brings a ton in that regard as well. At launch, the game features more than 500 real-world cars. Each of these cars is customizable using more than 800 unique upgrades and modifications. Each vehicle features a level of detail beyond what nearly any player will notice, with context-aware damage and dirt buildup that is unique to each vehicle, down to what kind of paint is currently applied. Advanced physics mechanics also improve the realism in how cars accelerate, brake, and corner. Thanks to special partnerships with Windows Sonic and Dolby Atmos, the cars and their respective modifications also sound better than ever before.

Players can expect to slide into the driver’s seat and take to the tracks at some point this year through an all new online racing mode and single-player career mode when Forza Motorsport arrives on Xbox Series X/S and PC.