The latest entry in the Guilty Gear series, Guilty Gear -Strive-, is now available on Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and Windows!
Xbox is no stranger to fighting games and we are excited to rejoin this passionate community. Even better, Xbox Game Pass allows gamers to pick up new and exciting titles with incredible ease, and with Guilty Gear -Strive- coming to Xbox and Game Pass, this is a match made in heaven (or hell).
With revolutionary graphics, an intense story mode, online multiplayer pitting players from all over the world against each other, and more, Guilty Gear -Strive- provides the cutting edge of the fighting game experience. And now you can experience it for yourself on Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and Windows!
The Cutting Edge of Fighting Games
Guilty Gear -Strive- has received such awards as The Game Awards 2021 Best Fighting Game and 25th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards Fighting Game of the Year for its balance of ease of entry and the deep game mechanics Guilty Gear is known for!
A Smooth Online Experience for Players Across the World
A balance between accessibility for players new to Guilty Gear and the gameplay that defines the series. Step onto the stage of intense battle, from the exciting stage wall break system, to the deep game mechanics designed to bring out the strategy unique to fighting games, to the rollback netcode allowing players far apart to enjoy smooth online matches!
The Story Comes to a Climax!
Guilty Gear -Strive- brings more than just matches with its next generation visuals, further evolved down to the smallest details and hardly distinguishable from hand-drawn anime. Don’t miss the hefty Story Mode delving into the deep world of Guilty Gear.
The in-depth story of Guilty Gear has been told across more than 20 years. Now, the many interconnected fates of the cast come to a conclusion! What shocking truth awaits them?
Guilty Gear -Strive- brings jaw-dropping visuals, incredibly fun head-to-head combat, and a blistering hard rock soundtrack to Xbox. The game has been optimized for the Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows, bringing the performance you expect on the platform you love. We look forward to seeing the many Xbox gamers jumping online with some of the best netcode around and showing the world that they too are ready to ROCK!
Take this chance to play Guilty Gear -Strive- with your friends and family!
Amazing graphics and animations! New revolution in fighting games!
[Game Contents]
“Guilty Gear -Strive-“ is the latest entry in the critically acclaimed Guilty Gear fighting game franchise. Created by Daisuke Ishiwatari and developed by Arc System Works, “Guilty Gear -Strive-“ upholds the series’ reputation for groundbreaking hybrid 2D/3D cell-shaded graphics and intense, rewarding gameplay.
There is a fully voiced story mode diving deep into the Guilty Gear universe, new characters joining fan favorites, and robust rollback net code.
◆Amazing Graphics and Animations
The cutting-edge 2D/3D hybrid graphics pioneered in the Guilty Gear series have been raised to the next level in “Guilty Gear -Strive-“. The new artistic direction and improve character animations will go beyond anything you’ve seen before in a fighting game!
◆New Revolution in Fighting Games!
Guilty Gear -Strive- brings a number of new and innovative game play mechanics designed to allow players new to the series to quickly learn the fundamentals while maintaining the deep, creative gameplay Guilty Gear is praised for. New additions to the series such as a wall-breaking mechanic will allow for new and exciting approaches to battle.
◆The fate of the universe will be determined…
The story of Guilty Gear, spanning over 20 years, will finally come to a conclusion in “Guilty Gear -Strive-“. The trials and tribulations of the series’ heroes and villains will finally be resolved. Discover the astonishing truth awaiting at the end of all things.
Everyone has a favorite color, something that speaks to you unlike any other. At Xbox, we’re quite partial to green. That’s why we are excited to announce the Xbox Wireless Controller – Velocity Green, which sports our signature green color. This is the newest addition to our line of colorful wireless controllers, joining fan favorites like Shock Blue, Pulse Red, Deep Pink, and Electric Volt. The Velocity Green wireless controller comes with all the features you need to elevate your game and adds a vibrant pop of color to your gaming experience.
The benefits of the Velocity Green wireless controller go beyond aesthetics, as this generation of Xbox controllers are packed with game-changing features. This includes textured grip on the triggers, bumpers, and back case for added control. The hybrid D-pad provides accurate yet familiar input, and up to 40 hours of battery life allows you to play uninterrupted for long periods of time, making gaming sessions more satisfying. Attach your favorite headset using the 3.5mm jack to chat with friends or get further immersed in the action. Share with your friends your best clips and highlights using the dedicated Share button, which can be customized to record or take screenshots using the Xbox Accessories App. While on the Accessories app, you can customize your controller even further with button remapping and create custom controller profiles. Feel free to take your controller beyond the Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One consoles, with Bluetooth technology that allows for wireless gaming on your PC and mobile devices.
If you’re looking to round out your setup in a stylish way, consider the Razer Universal Quick Charging Stand – Velocity Green. This charging dock makes for a perfect place to store your controller and ensures that you have enough battery charge to jump right into gameplay without interruption.
Dress to impress with the Xbox Icon Collection Velocity Green Hoodie from the Xbox Gear Shop. Inspired by the new Velocity Green wireless controller with a dash of added luck, this new Velocity Green hoodie is sure to make your squad green with envy.
The Xbox Wireless Controller – Velocity Green is available worldwide for $64.99 USD ERP. Check your local retailer for product availability in your region. For more product details, visit Xbox.com.
Today’s livestream announced Sea of Thieves’ fifth anniversary celebrations, promising bonuses, supersized in-game events and feature-length documentary ‘Sea of Thieves: Voyage of a Lifetime’
The celebrations also include a jam-packed Community Weekend, which will see 50m Ancient Coins given away throughout the period
The Sea of Thieves Season Nine Content Update trailer also premiered during today’s broadcast, offering a first look at the update coming to shores March 16
It’s been almost five years since Sea of Thieves launched on March 20, 2018, and we’re planning on celebrating the momentous milestone in true style! Starting today, an amazing array of activities, bonuses and swag will be on offer for keen corsairs to collect as they set sail throughout the month of March.
All the details were announced on this evening’s stream, recorded at Rare’s on-site tavern – so if you’d like to catch up on the reveal as it happened, please head over to ourYouTube channel for the full unveiling. However, for those of you who might appreciate a word-based whistle-stop tour through March’s seafaring schedule, we can help you out with all the key dates to mark in your calendar now.
Marauder’s Medley
Today saw the kickoff of the Marauder’s Medley Event, with Challenges that revisit updates and additions from Sea of Thieves’ last five years over the course of 10 days. Drop in regularly to complete Goals and unlock cosmetics, and enjoy being taken on a greatest hits tour of some of Sea of Thieves’ most memorable updates.
A Cornucopia of Cosmetics
Joining in with the festivities may be its own reward, but just in case you still need a little push, all players who sail the seas from March 17–22 (10am UTC) will also be awarded the celebratory Lustrous Legend Figurehead.
Players swinging by the Emporium to spend their Ancient Coins will find that their currency travels a little further too, as there’s a huge discount sale active from March 17–28 – including some classic ship sets, costumes, weapons and Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life items. Visitors to the Emporium can also pick up a Down the Hatch Emote for free during this sale!
Twitch Perfect
Anyone hoping to grab more free gear should head on over to their Sea of Thieves Twitch stream of choice from March 16–20. Just a few hours of viewing will help pad out your cosmetic chests nicely, with a suite of sought-after skins available throughout this period. Before you tune in to any participating streamer, just make sure you’ve got your Twitch account linked to guarantee your goodies making it to your pirate safely.
Sea of Thieves: Voyage of a Lifetime
On the anniversary itself, March 20, we’ll be premiering a feature-length documentary about the journey of Sea of Thieves from inception through to today. Featuring previously unseen footage and a candid look at the highs and lows of Sea of Thieves’ development and release, this honest and in-depth doc pulls back the curtain and shows the game’s evolution in the most detailed and raw way it’s ever been discussed.
Community Weekend
The heart of Sea of Thieves has always been its community, so we can’t let an anniversary pass by without a chance to celebrate our pirates during a Community Weekend from March 25–27! Double the length of regular Community events, this special weekend comes with the promise of big multipliers, exclusive login bonuses like the gold and black Community Day flag and Baker’s Barrel Disguise Emote, and a free Pirate Legend Voyage for all who log in while the event is active.
Not only that, but if our players successfully push us to Community Emissary Grade Five, Ancient Skeletons will appear more frequently within the game while the event is still live. These special skellies will have 50m Ancient Coins to hand out before their appearances start to slow once more – so be quick off the mark to ensure you can capitalize! There’ll be more on how this event will work closer to the time, so please keep your eyes peeled for the particulars.
Sea of Thieves Season Nine
While the first half of today’s stream focused on how we’re celebrating the journey so far, the second half focused on the future of Sea of Thieves – namely Season Nine, which will release on March 16. To close out the stream’s shenanigans, the Season Nine Content Update trailer premiered, giving players a full preview of what to expect from the next few months on the seas:
Season Nine’s headlines include a high-value loot item named the Chest of Fortune, which brings its own new Commendations and cosmetics. Players can also expect linked changes to Reaper’s Chests, new Voyages for Captains and Pirate Legends, World Events being better balanced based on crew size and much, much more – including 100 more levels of Seasonal progression for players to work through and earn rewards by raising Renown!
Community feedback has fuelled a lot of Season Nine’s changes and updates, with improvements coming to harpooning treasure, the introduction of a food radial menu and seagulls circling the loot from sunken player ships. Reapers will no longer be able to run into the Devil’s Shroud to make their treasures inaccessible, with loot from these out-of-bounds running ships now spawning to a safer spot nearby – a fairer outcome for chasing crews.
We’ll be revealing more about Season Nine in a Deep Dive video soon, with our developers spilling the beans on new features and their design intent, so make sure you’re subscribed to the Sea of Thieves YouTube channel to catch that when it lands! However, for now, we’re thrilled to be offering such an exciting month for sailors old and new – we’ll see you on the seas!
Find Out More
For more information on the latest Sea of Thieves update, including full release notes, visit the Sea of Thieveswebsite. The update is available for free to all Sea of Thieves players who have bought the game on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows 10/11 PC or via Steam, or players who have access to it with Xbox Game Pass. Simply download and install the latest Sea of Thieves update to get access.
New to Sea of Thieves? Find out about the latest free content updates on ourWhat’s New page, get familiar with Who’s Who or pick up some gameplay tips from ourPirate Academy, which provides invaluable information on topics ranging from sailing to swordplay as you prepare for your maiden voyage. Learn more about Sea of Thieveshere, or join the ongoing adventure at www.seaofthieves.com where you can embark on an epic journey with one of gaming’s most welcoming communities!
Xbox Live Gold membership required to play on Xbox One; sold separately.
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About the game
Sea of Thieves offers the essential pirate experience, from sailing and fighting to exploring and looting – everything you need to live the pirate life and become a legend in your own right. With no set roles, you have complete freedom to approach the world, and other players, however you choose.
Whether you’re voyaging as a group or sailing solo, you’re bound to encounter other crews in this shared world adventure – but will they be friends or foes, and how will you respond?
A vast open world
Explore a vast open world filled with unspoiled islands, sunken ships and mysterious artefacts. Take on quests to hunt for lost treasure, seek out cursed Skeleton Captains or gather valuable cargo for the Trading Companies. Go hunting and fishing or choose from hundreds of optional goals and side-quests.
Unforgettable stories
Play through the Tall Tales to experience Sea of Thieves’ unique take on a story-driven campaign. With 11 tales to play through across two epic storylines, these immersive and cinematic quests provide around 30 hours of the ultimate pirate fantasy.
Become Legend
On your journey to become a Pirate Legend you’ll amass loot, build a reputation and define a unique personal style with your hard-earned rewards. Adventurer. Explorer. Conqueror. What will your legend be?
A game that’s always growing
With five major expansions and almost a year’s worth of monthly updates, Sea of Thieves is a service-based game that is continually growing and evolving. Check back each month to see what new content has been added.
It’s time to play some games! Paradox Interactive announced three new titles and more exciting content at the Paradox Announcement Show 2023.
We have been working on some exciting projects for some time and today, with our Announcement Show sponsored by Xbox, we finally shared them all with our fans! Nine new content releases, including full games and expansions for titles in the Paradox catalog.
In case you missed it, you can watch the Paradox Announcement show here!
Let’s start from the beginning, as we kicked off our Announcement Show with The Lamplighters League, an original game created by Seattle-based Harebrained Schemes, featuring globetrotting pulp adventure and strategic turn-based combat set in an alternate, stylish 1930s.
The next big update we reserved for our beloved Crusader Kings III. Alexander Oltner, the Game Director of Crusader Kings III, joined us in the studio to talk about the next expansion, “Tours and Tournaments”, which adds new actions and adventures for characters, with new ways to gain prestige at home and abroad!
The team at Paradox Tinto, our studio in Sitges, Spain, came to visit us in Stockholm to tell us more about Europa Universalis IV: Domination. In this new expansion pack, many of the most popular and powerful nations are getting updated mission trees and other historical details, in an add-on with truly global reach: it’s time to change history once again!
Talking about ever-evolving scenarios, alternate stories, and looming dangers, we invited the Game Director of Surviving the Aftermath to share some interesting details about their last expansion “Rebirth.” Thanks to terraforming, it seems that with this expansion your colonists can finally see the light at the end of the Aftermath!
In our Announcement Show, we wanted to celebrate the 8th Anniversary of Cities: Skylines coming up on March 10. But we didn’t do just that…we also took the next step for the franchise and announced Cities: Skylines II!
Much more happened during the show, we also shared updates for Stellaris and Age of Wonders, so, let’s go back and rewatch the whole thing! 2023 is going to be memorable and we can’t wait to see you creating your own stories with our games.
Welcome to Next Week on Xbox! In this weekly feature we cover all the games coming soon to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows, and Game Pass! Get more details on these upcoming games below and click their profiles for further info (release dates subject to change). Let’s jump in!
Great New Games Spotlight has officially kicked off and we’re excited to bring you a ton of games every week for the next six weeks — more than 100+ new games will launch on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One between February 28 and April 10 – and if you spend $50 on eligible games and movies, you can receive 2,500 Microsoft Rewards points! Get more details here.
Take a bite into Romancelvania, a darkly comic genre mashup, combining side-scrolling action and tongue-in-cheek romance into one completely absurd and unforgettable adventure. Play as a lovelorn, brooding Drac who, after a century of moping around post-heartbreak, is thrown into a monster reality-dating show, hosted by the Grim Reaper.
In this isometric action game where enemies are coming at you in droves, try to defend yourself and survive against the growing and strengthening threat by making the right strategy and moves.
Descend into tunnels beneath the surface of Mars in a mad dash to destroy the reactor and furthest depths of the enemy’s base. Dodge debris, clear out obstacles, and blast enemies, all while conserving ammunition as you descend at high speed into enemy territory.
Guide a father as he searches the countryside and a mysterious cult-like town in hopes of bringing his daughter home. Accompanied by his brother, Logan, you’ll need to search for notes, drawings, keys, and other clues along the way.
Originally released in Japan in 2008 as the fourth game in the Fatal Frame series, Mask of the Lunar Eclipse returns for current-gen platforms with upgraded graphics along with new modes and costumes. After returning to Rogetsu Isle following a supernatural event when they were younger, a group of teenagers will learn to rely on the Camera Obscura, a camera with the power to capture and seal away unthinkable horrors, as they attempt to discover the truth of their haunting past.
KartRider: Drift is coming to Xbox with free-to-play online cross-platform kart racing and deep customization. Race in a variety of modes on different tracks with players across the globe in this latest entry to the KartRider series.
Mud, sweat, fun and adrenaline: find the rider in you and jump into the action with Monster Energy Supercross 6. Live all the emotions of the Monster Energy Supercross 2022 Championship with the official bikes, riders, and tracks. Take advantage of the wide range of settings to customize every detail of your game experience, freely choosing the amount of realism and riding ease.
A fast-paced football game where you don’t get to catch your breath. With simple controls that let anyone pick up and play, online and local multiplayer, and more, every match is sure to grab your attention from kick-off until the final whistle.
Play as an alien hive-mind who murders bosses, steals their abilities, and wears their skulls. Zapling Bygone is a twisted metroidvania where you murder your foes and steal their abilities by wearing their skulls. Make every inch of the alien planet your playground as you learn its secrets and use them to your advantage.
Play as Pseudo, a master of martial arts who lives as a recluse in the strange land of Zenozoik. When you cross paths with the Boy, a small creature whose mysterious powers have attracted the attention of Gemini, the Mistress of the Artifacts, you decide to protect him, unaware that much greater forces are involved.
Nightmares have shattered the Moral Compass, making The Mind unable to function properly. Dusty and his ever-optimistic sidekick, Piper, must travel to Creed Valley, where The Mind’s ideals are formed to restore peace. A journey filled with musical showdowns and mind-bending puzzles await in this action-adventure game set in the human mind.
Papetura is a labor of love and a love letter to both the craft of paper modeling and to old-school adventure games. Let the game transport you into a world of imagination and immerse yourself fully in paper fantasy as the soft and fragile music of Floex sets the mood for your journey.
A 2.5D adventure platformer that immerses the player in a deep, emotional plot, and lets them explore new planets and interact with alien civilizations. A story about self-exploration, transformation, and understanding of the world around us.
The classic transport simulation genre has a new gold standard with Transport Fever 2. Discover a whole new world by navigating transport routes through land, water, and air. Provide the world with the transport infrastructure it needs and make a fortune with custom-made transport services. Carry people on their way to work or play and be the reason cities grow and thrive.
A retro-looking cyberpunk game where you pilot a huge and agile exoskeleton to crush hordes of crazed security drones and abominations while working to uncover a global conspiracy.
Simplified arcade volleyball where you hit the ball and pass it to your opponent’s field. However, in Volley Pals, you can also do many other interesting things including but not limited to: invading your opponent’s area, using your opponent’s service before they do, increasing the height of the net, playing rock/paper/scissors, and various other things.
Get in the driver’s seat and put the pedal to the metal! Smash your way through hordes of zombies and countless obstacles in a rip-roaring racing arcade. Experience the zombie apocalypse like you’ve never seen it before.
An adventure for roguelike and RPG fans. Fight with bloodthirsty monsters, explore the dark corners of the labyrinths, and improve your skills and character development with challenging quests, various equipment, numerous types of enemies, and random generation of levels that will make your every attempt unique.
Take part in an exciting, head-to-head fight to the finish in Flashout 3, featuring ultra-fast ships, loops, jumps, and razor-sharp turns! Test your skills on the most impressive sci-fi racing tracks and try not to fall behind by unleashing rockets, guns, bombs, and mines to help you level your competition.
Meg’s Monster is now available to purchase on Xbox Series X and Xbox One.
Meg’s Monster is an emotionally-charged RPG featuring a duo of delightful characters.
A new twist on the “saving the world” formula.
Ever wonder what would happen if you were an invincible player in an RPG? Meg’s Monsteris available now on Xbox consoles and combines a heartfelt story with a unique twist: The main character shrugs off almost every hit, but he has to protect his newly found friend if he wants to protect his world from a sudden disaster.
There is a place known as the Underworld where monstrous creatures snack on humans that find their way into the land. Unfortunately for the lost girl Meg, she’s in grave danger… until Roy comes in. An invincible ogre that’s the strongest in the land, he reluctantly decides to help her reunite with her mother. However, there’s one little problem: If she starts crying, then the Underworld will be destroyed. Players will need to guide Roy to reunite Meg with her mom in an adventure filled with quirky characters and dangerous enemies.
While the story of Meg’s Monster revolves around Meg and Roy, there are a number of cool creatures to encounter. The Council consists of four intimidating (but well-meaning) monstrous members, and each enemy has a quirky personality that oozes out of each battle. Each fight will come with a unique creature and a different way to navigate the fray. The turn-based battle system also keeps you on your toes, even when you can tank hits with ease. You need to help Roy balance dishing out damage while protecting Meg from harm.
Meg’s Monster is Odencat’s most ambitious title so far. This is our first title made specifically for consoles, and our team has put their heart and soul into creating a story that will stay with you long after the credits roll. From the amazing soundtrack of Reo Uratani (Monster Hunter, Atelier Ryza 2, Hi-Fi Rush)and Laura Shigihara (Deltarune, Plants Vs. Zombies, Rakuen) to the luscious pixel art of Tomas Praestholm, we’ve made sure that this journey is a memorable one.
From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for taking the time to experience Meg’s Monster on Xbox. Stay tuned for more updates, and have fun!
Welcome to the Underworld—a land of monsters and mutants who eat humans for breakfast.
One such monster—a hulking ogre by the name of Roy—has no interest in eating humans. But one day, he and his best friend Golan stumble upon a lost little girl named Meg, and discover something truly terrifying: the moment she starts wailing in fear, a blood-red hue washes over the sky, and the earth itself begins to tremble and quake.
That’s right: this small girl’s tears hold the power to bring forth the apocalypse—and the only way to stop it is for them to help find her mother so she can make it safely back home.
Meg’s Monster is a short, story-driven JRPG with a big twist. Players control Roy, who begins the game with 99,999 HP and is virtually untouchable—but the real concern is keeping Meg safe, because if she starts crying, it’s game over for everyone. Players will have to master the unique mechanics and mini-games baked into each battle, all while protecting Meg and using her favorite toys to keep her pacified.
Over the course of their journey together, Roy and Meg will encounter a host of quirky and colorful characters, all lovingly rendered in Odencat’s trademark vibrant pixel aesthetic that makes even scary monsters look cute. There’s plenty of drama and intrigue to be found here—and even previously defeated enemies can be befriended through optional sub-events.
What begins as a relatively simple and heartwarming story about two unlikely friends ultimately expands into something much greater, as Roy and Meg slowly begin to unravel the mysteries surrounding the Underworld and themselves. The result is an emotional journey that, like any good storybook, will remain in your heart for years to come.
Pre-order Strategic Mind: Spectre of Communism with 10% off, launching March 9th.
The third installment of the turn-based Strategic Mind wargame series, set in WWII.
Rich storytelling with about 60 minutes of cutscenes, challenging gameplay with advanced mechanics, and expanded strategic possibilities.
Hello there, Xbox wargamers!
This is Oleksandr Sienin, I am the COO and developer from Starni Games. Today I wanted to bring to your attention Strategic Mind: Spectre of Communism, which is the third installment of Strategic Mind series coming to Xbox One with Xbox Series X|S compatibility.
The first installment Strategic Mind: The Pacific, about the fight between the USA and the Empire of Japan, was brought to Xbox One by our porting partner and publisher Klabater, on June 26th, 2022. The second, Strategic Mind:Fight for Freedom, showing World War II from the Allies’ perspective, came to Xbox on September 22nd, 2022.
And this time, we’re coming to you with Spectre of Communism – the Cold War played from the Soviets’ perspective. Read more and dive with me into the world of political intrigue and experience the tension of the Cold War era.
What is Strategic Mind: Spectre of Communism about?
The game tells an alternate story of the Red Army after World War II. You take on the role of a commander leading your nation through the challenges of the Cold War.
The game features a deep, immersive storyline that will allow you to explore the struggles of the time and the spectre of communism that hung over the world. With engaging gameplay mechanics, 3d graphics, and a rich, detailed world, Strategic Mind: Spectre of Communism offers long hours of intense brain challenge and tons of fun.
Is your mind strategic? Let’s see about that.
The strategy is the Strongest Point of the Game
The Soviets had a simple strategy for World War II and the Cold War – to throw so many people at their enemies that the enemies will run out of ammo.
This will not work for the game. If you are in love with strategies, you’ll enjoy a wide array of tactical possibilities to overcome your foes in Strategic Mind: Spectre of Communism.
The Spectre of Communism haunted the world. You will haunt your adversaries.
The elements that come into play are:
Different types of units – you have tanks, artillery, infantry, aircraft, and many more, each with its strengths and weaknesses,
The development of the units – choose your go-to formation and maximize it, or spread the development to have a more balanced setup,
The terrain – you may use it for your protection or get a higher ground,
The movement of the units – moving your units together in a way they can protect each other is crucial,
The planning – while moving units around you need to keep an eye on the chain of supplies.
There are endless combinations of approaching each stage. Changing one variable can mean the difference between winning and losing a battle and ultimately the whole round.
Also, what’s interesting, the progression is historically accurate, which means you are able to unlock a certain type of unit no sooner than the moment it was introduced in history.
It takes some time to get a grasp of understanding of the game, and it may become challenging, but after all – it’s the challenge what it’s all about, right? What’s worth having, never comes easily. If you truly are a strategic mind, you’ll feel comfortable moving around the Soviet Union in no time.
You will be able to experience all the thrills of this classic political thriller from the comfort of your home. If you have not played any of the Strategic Mind series yet, we hope this installment, and its 10% discounted Pre-order offer, will encourage you to discover the rich storytelling, challenging gameplay, extensive cutscenes, and expanded strategic possibilities of the Strategic Mind: Spectre of Communism or the other WWII campaigns of Strategic Mind.
Strategic Mind: Spectre of Communism is a (hi)story-driven turn-based strategy set in the WW2 period. It offers refined wargame mechanics, story-rich gameplay, and modern 3D graphics. Lead the USSR Armed forces staging the world Communist revolution. For Stalin! For the Motherland!
The game has many historical operations and events but also features a number of alternate history moments. It is created with great care and attention to historical details by a team which is passionate about WW2 history. Watching cinematics before and after every operation you can almost feel that you are indeed a participant of the unfolding epochal events. Moreover, numerous primary and secondary objectives allow you to explore every battle in detail. The gameplay is plot-driven and features many historical personalities such as Joseph Stalin, Georgy Zhukov, Vyacheslav Molotov, Kliment Voroshilov, Lavrentiy Beria, Aleksandr Vasilevsky, Konstantin Rokossovsky and others.
Strategic Mind: Spectre of Communism is the third installment in the Strategic Mind line of games. The first one – “Strategic Mind: The Pacific” – was about naval warfare during the Pacific War, while the second one – “Strategic Mind: Blitzkrieg” – was telling the story of the European theater from the German perspective. It is high time “Strategic Mind: Spectre of Communism” tells the USSR story in WW2, a story filled with valiant hearts and vile betrayals. As a part of the Strategic Mind franchise, it will retain many features of the series along with adding new content and features to the existing variety.
Xbox Wire can exclusively reveal one of Overwatch 2’s upcoming One-Punch Man collaboration skins – support hero Kiriko in the form of Terrible Tornado. The legendary skin comes as part of a wider collaboration between Overwatch 2 and One-Punch Man, which has already seen Doomfist revealed in a skin based on the eponymous superhero himself, Saitama.
The Legendary Terrible Tornado – Kiriko skin will arrive as part of a bundle, available for 2,100 coins in the Overwatch 2 in-game store. The bundle includes the legendary skin, the Terribly Impressive Victory Pose, and the Terrible Tornado namecard. The skin – and the rest of the One Punch Man collaboration – will be available from March 7 until April 6.
It’s the first major in-game collaboration for Overwatch since a LEGO-inspired Bastion skin in 2019, and I caught up with Art Director, Dion Rogers to find out how this unexpected partnership emerged:
“It’s something we’ve been wanting to do for a while,” he begins. “You know, Overwatch’s art style is kind of a marriage of West-meets-East aesthetics and values – there’s a bit of an anime look to Overwatch. So, being fans of anime, we were looking for a partner to collaborate with. And we looked at various studios, and then when One-Punch Man came up, it was surprising how many people on the team knew the anime, they loved it, they watched it. Aaron Keller, our game director totally knows all the characters and things backwards and forwards.
“So it was pretty surprising. We felt like that’s a great one because the team would be very excited by this idea – because the team knew the anime so well, and they were so excited, it’s at that point that it really felt like the right fit.”
Rogers wasn’t wrong. He says that the collaboration was so popular in the studio that, on the very first team meeting about it, the character artist for the Saitama – Doomfist skin began drawing designs during the call, and was sharing them soon after. If you wanted some measure of how much the Overwatch team likes One Punch Man, consider the fact that Doomfist had a voice line referencing the show for years – “One punch is all I need” – before this crossover came together. “Yeah, we were inspired,” Rogers laughs when I ask about it.
So, what about Kiriko’s costume specifically? Terrible Tornado is an incredibly powerful psychic in the world of One-Punch Man, and comes with a distinct personality all of her own. What made Kiriko the right fit to put on her costume?
“Part of the challenge of bringing some of the heroes in is basically [because of] a silhouette change. So gameplay-wise, we have to be careful. Doomfist, for example: as Saitama he gains a cape. Doomfist, we never give him a cape, in any of the skins, so that his silhouette – the shape that players are used to seeing – remains. So we were very careful when we applied this.
“Kiriko – on top of needing some more skins, because she’s a newer hero in the game – she fits the silhouette of [Terrible Tornado] pretty well. So it just felt like a natural choice – we could do her hairstyle, but a lot of Kiriko’s base silhouette comes from her skirt, the little kind of angled parts on her clothing. So we could keep that look while capturing [Terrible Tornado] in kind of cosplay form.”
Rogers raises an interesting point about this collaboration – in most games, you’d kind of assume the heroes were meant to be a version of the One-Punch Man characters but, in Overwatch 2, they’re cosplaying as them.
“Our heroes are basically aware of the anime and are fans too. And they’re cosplaying as the heroes.”
“That’s our approach; that our heroes are basically aware of the anime and are fans too. And they’re cosplaying as the heroes. So when you see Doomfist wearing the Saitama outfit, he’s a fan too.”
It raises the question – is this a one-off, or could we see more cosplay-esque collaborations for Overwatch 2 in future?
“We definitely want to do more collaborations over time, but with the right opportunity [because] it took us a long time to reach here – hopefully it doesn’t take us as long for the next one. But our goal is to do more. It was super fun for the team. It’s surprising, I think our approach overlaps with Overwatch very well.”
“And what I like about the new game is it’s seasonal, we have the seasonal cadence of things now. It’ll allow us to pursue more things like this, because we have targeted seasons that we can plug these things into.”
I can’t let Rogers go without asking the obvious follow-up: what would his dream collaboration be once One Punch Man is done? “Oh yeah. Dragon Ball – that’s one of them. Actually, Street Fighter, I’d love to combo with Street Fighter at some point.” Here’s hoping one (or both!) happen one day soon.
Overwatch 2 is out now on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One. The Overwatch collaboration event, including the Legendary Terrible Tornado – Kiriko skin, will begin on March 7 and run until April 6.
Overwatch 2 is an always-on and ever-evolving free-to-play, team-based action game set in an optimistic future, where every match is the ultimate 5v5 battlefield brawl. Team up with friends and dive into the reimagined PvP experience as a time-jumping freedom fighter, a beat-dropping battlefield DJ, or one of over 30 other unique heroes as you battle it out around the globe.
EVER EVOLVING HEROES, NEW MAPS, NEW WAYS TO PLAY AND UNIQUE COSMETICS! Lead the charge, ambush your enemies, or aid your allies as one of Overwatch’s distinct heroes. Take them into battle across 24 futuristic maps inspired by real-world locations, and master multiple unique game modes.
SEASON THREE IS NOW LIVE
New heroes, maps, and game modes will be added in seasonal updates every nine weeks. Drop into Season Three to explore new terrain in the newest map, ANTARCTICA, and over 20 tiers of completely free rewards on the Battle Pass. Purchase the Premium Battle Pass to unlock an additional 60 Tiers of cosmetic rewards including the all-new Mythic Kiriko skin, legendary skins, sprays, voice lines, weapon charms, and more!
A mobile phone number must be linked to your Battle.net Account to play Overwatch.
Hey there, this is Alex Tintor, co-founder of Blue Isle Studios. We’re launching a new game called Leapthat has major mod support…something that is pretty near and dear to my heart.
I got my first taste of modding at ten years old, when I started making mods for the Command & Conquer series of games. I worked on the Command & Conquer:Red Alert map editor which I continued to collaborate on with a group of others through my high school years with the Blitzkrieg 2 mod for Command & Conquer: Generals. I met my colleague and studio co-founder Brenden years down the road when Starcraft 2 came out with an impressive set of modding tools. I was on a mission to start a total conversion modding project and had been told I needed to connect with Brenden.
Together at Blue Isle Studios, we have brought numerous games to market over the past decade and have always envisioned developing a game where players are offered the opportunity to mod within the game and create content that adds to the game’s playability. Leap was the perfect game to introduce our Leap Design Works suite of mod tools.. All of our games have amazing communities, and Leap has had an especially active community of modders who have been in the game since our Early Access launch last year. Their content paired with our new partnership with the modding leader Overwolf has set us up to have a nice selection of user-generated content (UGC) from modders all over the world available to play today!
Some of the UGC I am most looking forward to checking out include a mod called “One Bullet One Kill” by Overwolf modder “th_mrow,” and another is located within a private server from another Overwolf modder, Lukas, called “Leap Hardpoint.”
In addition to modding being one hundred percent functional for console launch, Leao also features two modes (PVE and PVP), tons of map maps, weapons, and personal vehicles as modes of transportation (my personal favorites being the robo moose and hoverboard). Leap continues to grow daily as our modding community expands and continues to implement new servers and content. We also have a solid roadmap of content planned for the coming months that includes new weapons and levels among other things that we will reveal soon.
While Leap delivers on what players have come to know and expect from a solid FPS, we are excited to stand out with our partnership with Overwolf, and look forward to keeping our servers filled with imaginative players.
This is a big moment for Brenden and me, as we look back on those hours spent in our teenage bedrooms come full circle; we hope with the launch of this game, it will provide an avenue for new and experienced modders to create content for years to come.
Welcome to Leap! We can’t wait to see what experiences you’ll have and what creative modding content you’ll create – not that I’ll be judging or anything.
LEAP is a fast-paced, multiplayer first-person shooter featuring epic large scale battles, each with players armed to the teeth. Become an elite LEAP mercenary as you soar into battle. Fight for either the United Earth Defense Coalition (UEDC) or the rebel Exo-Terrans – whoever pays the most, wins your trigger finger and excessive arsenal.
Work together with your teammates, use powerful weapons and unique class abilities, and traverse the terrain quickly with grappling hooks, jetpacks and outrageous vehicles to seize victory.
Jump on your hoverboard and backflip into battle, or saddle up onto a mechanical moose and lead the charge. Whatever your play style, every LEAP mercenary is equipped with a Personal Vehicle (PV), allowing you to quickly cover distances and close the gap on your enemy.
Every exosuit comes equipped with match altering abilities – Call in an Orbital Laser to wipe out a group of enemies, or throw down a Support Shield to take temporary cover from enemy fire.
Every obstacle is an opportunity to soar, dash or charge, and an elite mercenary will use their unique movement abilities to navigate the battlefield quickly. Use your grappling hook to reach greater heights or your directional dash to dodge enemy fire.
The glory of victory only gets sweeter with rewards. Customize your mercenary with helmet emojis and distinct skin options for exosuits, vehicles and weapons. Flaunt and taunt your frenemies with style and sass.
