Tee it up on the golf course, get rich or die trying, adventure out into the world as the new Maega class, or explore Tamriel once more in this packed Free Play Days weekend. PGA Tour 2K23, Black Desert, and Bravery and Greed are available for Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members to play from Thursday, April 6 at 12:01 a.m. PDT until Sunday, April 9 at 11:59 p.m. PDT, and The Elder Scrolls Online will be available until April 17.
How to Start Playing
Find and install the games on each of the individual game details page on Xbox.com. Clicking through will send you to the Microsoft Store, where you must be signed in to see the option to install with your Xbox Live Gold or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership. To download on console, click on the Subscriptions tab in the Xbox Store and enter the Gold member area to locate the Free Play Days collection on your Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.
Keep the Fun Going
Purchase the game and other editions at a limited time discount and continue playing while keeping your Gamerscore and earned achievements during the event! Please note that discounts and percentages may vary by title and region.
Challenge the greatest players on the PGA Tour and find your swagger in PGA Tour 2K23. Bolstered by a diverse cast of playable pros, featuring Tiger Woods, Jon Rahm, Collin Morikawa, Brooke Henderson, Lydia Ko, and many more, you can swing on world-renowned, officially licensed courses. Enjoy a bevy of online competitive modes, ranging from competitive Online Societies to the always-fun Topgolf mode and adrenaline-inducing Divot Derby. More golf and more games await in the latest iteration of the PGA Tour 2K franchise.
Black Desert
Jump into Black Desert during the new season and experience Maegu – the newest class in an ever-growing cast. Enter a world created with state-of-the-art graphics, spectacular scenery, realistic environments, and sophisticated details. Experience an innovative combat system unlike any other MMORPG. Join formidable guilds as they fight head-to-head on the battlefield. Be victorious, become lords, seize control of resources, and more! Don’t like fighting? Countless other activities await! Farming, cooking, fishing, sailing, hunting, gathering… dive into diverse life skills! Experience an insane level of customization with a character creator like no other. Not feeling a specific outfit’s color? Dye it to suit your style and become your true self!
Bravery and Greed
Get rich or die trying with up to 4 friends via local or online co-op in Bravery and Greed. Get ready to battle against new fearsome bosses waiting for you in the jungle and ice caves. Grab that sweet loot to unlock new content and game changing augmentations. Discover thrilling dungeons in adventure mode or engage in robust combat with PvP and survival mode. Whether you play as the valiant Warrior, mighty Amazon, agile Rogue or spellcasting Wizard, greed is eternal.
The Elder Scrolls Online
Download and play The Elder Scrolls Online Standard Edition for free from April 6 to April 17 on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. With access to the base game, you can explore 24 story zones, including iconic Morrowind, dive into the game’s Battlegrounds, Imperial City, and Cyrodiil PvP areas, and even get an opportunity to begin your Legacy of the Bretons year-long adventure via the High Isle Prologue. Explore the new Necrom Prologue quest starting April 12 in the base game.
Don’t miss out on this exciting Free Play Days for Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members! Learn more about Free Play Days here and stay tuned to Xbox Wire to find out about future Free Play Days and all the latest Xbox gaming news.
Spring is a time of awakenings and new opportunities. In celebration of the season, Wild Hearts is adding new content all month, from new Kemono and Karakuri, to new quest types. If you’ve yearned to join the hunt, Xbox players can now try Wild Hearts for 10 full hours. Explore the beautiful but dangerous land of Azuma right up to the gates of Minato for free now through April 13, 2023.
Plus, you can get up to 20%* off either the Standard or Karakuri Edition (which includes the base game and six exclusive items: the Karakuri Samurai and Karakuri Ninja armor sets, a decorative Tsukumo Lantern, and three Emotes) through April 20, 2023.
New Kemono
The falling cherry blossom petals that once delighted the people of Azuma now fill them with dread. For they are delicate harbingers of a deadly foe, the beautiful but destructive Murakumo. Don’t be beguiled by its loveliness, this massive fox-like Kemono dances through the air and unleashes a whirlwind attack that can bring a quick end to almost any battle.
How will you overcome the ferocious power of this beast and protect the people of Azuma? Mastery of a new Karakuri may be your only hope…
New Karakuri
The spinning top is a cunning and powerful addition to your Karakuri toolset. Though it may appear quite simple, it has the power to banish Murakumo’s savage winds. But it’s also important to know that the spinning top gains power each time it ricochets off any surface. The more objects (or Kemono) it hits, the stronger it becomes, so choose your hunting grounds wisely and you will be able to stagger almost any foe.
Other Updates
Wild Hearts is also introducing a new Limit Break system for weapons and armor that will allow you to enhance your equipment with core orbs you obtain after defeating Volatile Kemono. The addition of Marakumo also means new materials for your weapons and armor, both every bit as beautiful as the beast that inspired them.
And, of course, there will be bug fixes and overall game improvements coming as well. You can visit the Wild Hearts website for a look at the latest Patch Notes for more details.
More Coming April 20
The new content doesn’t end after this first update. Be sure to check back for more information on the new Deeply Volatile Kemono, the Deathhaze Gloombeak, as well as challenging Serial Hunts, and new Emotes and Chat Stamps.
Serial Hunts will push your skills to the limit as you pursue a succession of Kemono in time-limited hunts – and without the ability to draw upon the healing water from wells. These new quests will be risky indeed, but with great risk comes great reward. But only if you make it to the end of your quest.
Now is the time to hone your skills and prepare for everything April has in store for you in the world of Wild Hearts.
*Conditions and restrictions apply. See here for details.
WILD HEARTS™ is a twist on the hunting genre where technology gives you a fighting chance against giant nature-infused beasts.
For a while, none could stand against the Kemono’s overwhelming might. But hope arrives in the form of a formidable hunter, armed with deadly weapons and ancient technology called Karakuri that could turn the tide of battle.
HUNT GIANT NATURE-INFUSED BEASTS
Survive their attacks, learn from their behaviors, and use your Karakuri and your weapons in combination to cut these creatures down to size.
CRAFT YOUR HUNTING GROUNDS
You are the only one in Azuma able to wield the Karakuri technology. This ancient tech enables you to adapt your environment into creative hunting grounds ideal for taking down the giant Kemono.
HUNT IN A PACK, OR BE A LONE WOLF
In WILD HEARTS you can face the Kemono alone or unite with up to two friends (or fellow players) to stalk and hunt your prey.
GEAR UP TO HUNT, HUNT TO GEAR UP
The more you hunt, the more you progress. Create your character, then gather materials from each hunt and build an array of armor and weapons to bring down even bigger beasts.
EXPLORE A FANTASY FEUDAL JAPAN
Experience four season-based hunting grounds – each region with its own beautiful landscapes and dangers.
Leave a lasting impression on your fellow hunters with the WILD HEARTS™ Karakuri Edition which includes the base game and six items: Karakuri Samurai and Karakuri Ninja cosmetic armor sets, a decorative Tsukumo Lantern, and three Emotes.
WILD HEARTS™ Karakuri Edition includes:
– 2 x full cosmetic armor sets (Karakuri Samurai + Karakuri Ninja)
– Decorative Tsukumo Lantern
– 3 x Emotes (Fighting Spirit, Grovel, Conch)
Developed for this generation of platforms by Omega Force, the Japanese studio behind the DYNASTY WARRIORS franchise, WILD HEARTS™ takes you on an epic adventure set in a fantasy world inspired by feudal Japan.
WILD HEARTS™ is a unique twist on the hunting genre where technology gives you a fighting chance against fearsome beasts infused with the ferocious power of nature itself. Take on these creatures alone or hunt with friends in seamless co-op.
No one remembers why the Kemono began their rampage through a once prosperous Azuma. Fueled by desperation, they wield the power of primal nature at its most destructive. For a while, it seemed that none could stand against their overwhelming might. But hope arrives in the form of a formidable hunter, armed with deadly weapons and ancient technology called Karakuri that could turn the tide of battle.
HUNT GIANT NATURE-INFUSED BEASTS
Survive their attacks, learn from their behaviors, and use your Karakuri and your weapons in combination to cut these creatures down to size.
CRAFT YOUR HUNTING GROUNDS
You are the only one in Azuma able to wield the Karakuri technology. This ancient tech enables you to adapt your environment into creative hunting grounds ideal for taking down the giant Kemono.
HUNT IN A PACK, OR BE A LONE WOLF
In WILD HEARTS™ you can face the Kemono alone or unite with up to two friends (or fellow players) to stalk and hunt your prey.
GEAR UP TO HUNT, HUNT TO GEAR UP
The more you hunt, the more you progress. Create your character, then gather materials from each hunt and build an array of armor and weapons to bring down even bigger beasts.
EXPLORE A FANTASY FEUDAL JAPAN
Experience four season-based hunting grounds – each region with its own beautiful landscapes and dangers.
Developed for this generation of platforms by Omega Force, the Japanese studio behind the DYNASTY WARRIORS franchise, WILD HEARTS™ takes you on an epic adventure set in a fantasy world inspired by feudal Japan.
I first began making Shukuchi Ninja as a bit of a fun hobby, just for something to do and pass the time. I was working as a self-employed sports trader, but then COVID happened and there were no sports to trade, so to keep myself occupied I decided to see if I could make a little game. It was always something I wanted to do, but never had the time nor money to do it — add this to the fact I can’t draw, I can’t compose music, and I can’t code to save my life, I knew it would be a challenge.
One day, I reminded myself about Construct 2, a game making software that I had previously looked at many years ago, and it sounded like the perfect starting place to look as I recall it being more of a visual/drag and drop style engine. Obviously C2 was made obsolete years prior, but C3 had superseded it. I found a couple of templates and started to learn how the engine worked. I then found the perfect template, a little physics-based throwing object that immediately called out “crazy ninja game”!
After about three months tinkering with it, adding the abilities that are in the game now, along with making the graphics look better with premade game assets etc., I had about 15 levels done, but no real aim for the game, sports were back on, so I stopped development.
Then again, another lockdown, sports were not like they used to be, so I opened up C3 again. Decided to get some actual character design done (remember, I said I couldn’t draw, or use any graphics software at the time), so I paid a designer to make some simple mockups. After this, it gave me the surge to go for it, and finish the game. I got the characters fully complete and found someone to animate them. I then invested in some nice backgrounds, tile maps and some custom music. I’d then made about 40 levels, but stopped development again due to family circumstances.
Development picked back up after a few months, adding more details to bring a bit more life to the game, until I finally had it ready. I mostly enjoyed the 18 months or so it took me to make the first deployable version: from some very mundane parts of making a game (like adding details manually, for example) to the discovery that there were far simpler ways to do things and having to redo them—it all contributed to the final product and part of an amazing learning process!
My main inspiration for Shukuchi Ninja was the ancient Japanese culture as a whole. I tried to work out a way I could incorporate the typical pop-culture aspects of the Ninja, (cool, quick and mysterious) with the honorable Samurai, and what a Samurai actually fought for. For instance, the little circle that appears around the ninja when you’re throwing him around is the symbol for the Seven Virtues of Bushido, the Samurai warrior code. By no means am I a game developer of any real talent, but I’m full of drive, determination and have the imagination of a child and I’m very pleased with what I’ve accomplished! If you’re looking at getting started with games development but don’t know where to start, pick up some game-making software and start learning. You’ll find you’ll pick up lots of other skills along the way including creating your own graphics (yes, I can make some myself now, but I still can’t draw!). Shikuchi Ninjais available today on Xbox!
Journey through ancient Japan as the Shukuchi Ninja, exiled from his former clan for wanting a more honorable way of life. Travel through vast areas defeating the Shukuchi Ninja’s newfound foe to bring peace and prosperity in a time of turmoil.
A full, action-packed adventure awaits with over 70 levels, 7 troublesome bosses, an inspiring storyline, and unique controls – there’s no other game like it!
Shukuchi literally translated means shrink earth method, to travel at great speed, an ability that our hero has perfected over years of training. Take control of the Shukuchi Ninja and fly through the air at astonishing speed, attack enemies with your ninjatō, throw shuriken (ninja stars) at hard to reach enemies, and instantly teleport to quickly counter enemy attacks. With the power of healing, you must also aid the Shukuchi Ninja to ensure he doesn’t die!
The awkward silent moments that linger between conversations when meeting new people at restaurants or cafes, waiting for the food to arrive. Your mind looks for distractions. Your thoughts go wild.
Persona Theory Games wants you to not only experience that discomfort but also to understand its purpose through their latest game Kabaret, a dark fantasy folklore visual novel based on Southeast Asian culture and myths.
It may seem easy to just click your way through the entirety of Kabaret, but players must find patience in themselves as they go through the game. The game’s intentional slow pacing forces the player to ponder and soak in the experience, while allowing the mechanics of the game to inaugurate the story that’s being told.
Revelation Behind the Boredom of Making Tea
With Kabaret, the game’s main focus is the narrative. The gameplay mechanics and minigames found within the game exist to bring out the narrative behind the world through its characters, which is the essence of Kabaret. The tea ceremony is a representation of Southeast Asian culture and one of the many mechanics built in as design to give the player a subliminal lesson in patience.
Persona Theory Games believes that the slow pacing of Kabaret mimics the feeling of boredom with a specific purpose in mind.
In recent studies, social neuroscientists have found that boredom can foster creative ideas, refill dwindling reservoirs, replenish the energy for work and provide an incubation period for embryonic work ideas to hatch.
It is this exact feeling and purpose that Persona Theory Games want people to experience. Being bored is an essential part of being human and one of boredom’s purposes is to drive us to take action. This feeling is an essential part of slow cinema – a genre of film characterized by long takes and a minimalist aesthetic – and Kabaret draws inspiration from slow cinema to immerse you in its dark universe.
Slow cinema puts the viewer in a sensory-deprived situation that forces them to think. The lack of stimuli will either create internal chaos or allow the viewer to realize a sense of peace in the mundane. Without editing or splicing, it makes the viewer feel real time, an essential aspect of slow cinema that creative director of Persona Theory Games, Buddy Anwardi, admires.
Mindfulness in Kabaret
Persona Theory Games believes that this aspect of the game is able to create a sense of mindfulness and awareness that we all take for granted with the overload of information from social media forums like TikTok, Youtube and others.
As gamers of today seek the adrenaline hit from fast-paced gameplay, the goal of Kabaret is to encourage mindfulness while playing. Understand the story, think about the meaning and value of life, which explains the many life decisions the player must make in the game.
What It Means to Serve Tea
In the world of Kabaret, the dwellers are made up of ghosts and monsters who are either coping with regret or hoping to find their true selves. Are they still human? Is it so wrong to be a monster? What does it mean to continue suffering in the afterlife after all the hardship found in real life?
We understand that life can be full of suffering, but it is rewarding in its own way. Taking the time to understand the horrors and suffering that these characters have gone through is a big part of the narrative experience. Serving these Southeast Asian mythical creatures tea, waiting for it to brew while embracing the uncomfortable and still silence that we so often fear. Understand their pain and maybe you can find out who you really are.
The losses you feel when playing Guli with ghosts from old wars that taunt you. Understand the intricate game of Congkak with a trickster monster laughing at your horrible math skills. The lessons of strategizing, being prudent and accepting defeat. Realize that every calculative action you make has far reaching consequences.
People are searching for ways to escape the fast pace of the modern world. Why not find a sense of renewal and develop a sense of belonging by serving the dwellers at Kabaret. Let the music and experience of Kabaret give you a new perspective on what it means to save your humanity or be a monster.
Kabaret is available on Xbox Today! You may follow Persona Theory Games on Twitter to stay notified about the game’s release and updates.
Kabaret is a dark fantasy folklore adventure game. The story unfolds through the eyes of Jebat, a cursed boy who is uprooted from his small town to a mystical, violent, and unforgiving monster realm. Astray and lonely in a place of unfathomable cruelty, Jebat confronts monsters both supernatural and human in the Kabaret.
The Fox-summoning “Do” wielder of the Jwado School and newest addition to the roster, Maegu, is available now for Black Deserton Xbox! Maegu has similar, yet distinct characteristics and combat style from her twin sister, Woosa, who was released last December. We are very excited to introduce this new class as she has quite the (Fox) Charm; let’s take a look at her weapons and key skills.
Maegu’s Weapons: Fox Charm/Binyeo Knife
Signing a deal with a revered fox spirit, Maegu lures her enemies with the Fox Charm, then lands a fatal blow with the Binyeo Knife.
Maegu channels various spells through the Fox Spirit Charm. She can tackle enemies from long distances, and spread a dazzling display of Fox Spirit Charms.
Much like a fox, Maegu is cunning on the battlefield. Her swift movement enables her to instantly avoid enemies and dodge incoming attacks.
Maegu can also collaborate with the revered Fox Spirit on coordinated attacks that can confuse and devastate approaching enemies.
Maegu’s Key Skills
Maegu flows in with an array of combat moves and abilities that would make any enemy turn and run. Skills such as the Tethered Souls ability enable her to throw her Fox Charm and disrupt opponent movements, gaining the opportunity to then thrust her handy Binyeo Knife in their chest as shown below.
Maegu can also take a more stealthy and cunning approach by using the Foxspirit: Deceiver ability. With it, Maegu creates a doppelganger to freely switch between in the midst of battle in order to confuse enemies. Whatever skill you choose to utilize in combat, Maegu has you covered for every strategy in your arsenal.
New Class And a New Season
Along with the new class release, Black Desert is also launching a new season. If you are just starting out, this is a perfect time to create a new seasonal character and start your journey. The season servers are designed to focus on character growth, making it easier for Adventurers to get accustomed to the world of Black Desert.
Season servers are only accessible during certain periods, and only season characters can access these special servers. As you progress through the season server and gain valuable experience, season characters can graduate and enjoy the rest of the content available in Black Desert. Season servers not only have special equipment, but also a variety of benefits.
This season, new fishing benefits have been added so players can exchange Season server-exclusive fish for seasonal growth items. Fishing on the season servers will not only get you great items, but also Combat XP!
You can enjoy Black Desert on Xbox Game Pass today. Jump into the game this weekend during Black Desert’s Xbox Free Play Weekend — No Game Pass subscription necessary!
Black Desert supports backward-compatibility on Xbox Series X|S.
Black Desert is a living-world MMORPG. Experience fast-paced, action-packed combat, hunt monsters and huge bosses, fight with friends in a guild to siege nodes and region castles, train your life skills such as fishing, trading, crafting, cooking, and much more!
Players will enjoy jaw-dropping graphics,
intuitive skill-based combat, and an immersive story encased in our expansive
world that’s just waiting to be explored. Accompanied by a Black Spirit, a
companion whose destiny is intertwined with their own, players will discover
the secret of the Black Stones and the history of their corrupting effects.
In a medieval fantasy setting, the game
chronicles a conflict between two rival nations, the Republic of Calpheon and
the Kingdom of Valencia. With a battle based on achievements and personal
qualifications, Black Desert gives full control to players that can directly
aim, escape and make numerous different skill combinations.
[Accolades]
– Join over 10 Million Registered Users in Black Desert
– The 10 Best MMOs of 2017 – MMORPG.com
– 2016 Best new MMORPG – MMORPG.com
– 2016 MMORPG OF THE YEAR – MASSIVLY OP
It’s been lovely to watch our Xbox and Game Pass players enjoying what Fractal (our first No Man’s Sky update of 2023) had to offer and it’s been thrilling to watch you all cruising around in your shiny new Utopia Speeders and filling up your Wonders Catalogues with your latest discoveries.
Barely 6 weeks later and we are delighted to launch another major update for No Man’s Sky, and it’s one of our largest in recent memory. We’re calling Interceptor, with a brand new class of incredibly varied Starship, a bunch of new gameplay features, new world variants and a ton of new content!
The ever-present tyrants of universe enforcement, the Sentinels, have become prey to a corruption that is spreading through their factions. Only the bravest Travellers will dare venture to forsaken Sentinel worlds to investigate.
Those that do, however, will find abandoned encampments to explore, intriguing crystals to harvest and, for the most persistent, the blueprints for a hitherto undiscovered Sentinel Interceptor starship which come in a huge variety of models.
Obtaining the Interceptor for your own fleet will not be easy. The mission to recover the secret Sentinel equipment and turn this stolen technology back against the horde is fraught with danger, not least because the Sentinels have been developing advanced defence and attack technologies which they are not shy of deploying against any puny threats to their dominance.
The rewards are substantial though. Aside from the Interceptor itself, there is the prospect of securing a brand new weapon – the “Hijacked Laser” – and a unique backpack – the “Aeron Turbojet”.
As you may expect, we anticipate a fair amount of heavy combat as Travellers go toe-to-toe with their long-time adversaries at closer quarters than ever before. That’s why Interceptor comes with a large number of quality of life combat improvements, not least the opportunity to see what happens when a Sentinel freighter explodes under your attack!
As is now customary, a No Man’s Sky update comes with a huge range of other additions and improvements to almost every other area of the game. Xbox and Game Pass players can discover what’s new by downloading Interceptor today. We are really excited to bring Interceptor to our Xbox and Game Pass players, but there’s plenty more to come from our tiny team in 2023.
No Man’s Sky comes complete with all 21 major updates up to and including Waypoint, our 4.0 update.
Inspired by the adventure and imagination that we love from classic science-fiction, No Man’s Sky presents you with a galaxy to explore, filled with unique planets and lifeforms, and constant danger and action.
In No Man’s Sky, every star is the light of a distant sun, each orbited by planets filled with life, and you can go to any of them you choose. Fly smoothly from deep space to planetary surfaces, with no loading screens, and no limits. In this infinite procedurally generated universe, you’ll discover places and creatures that no other players have seen before – and perhaps never will again.
Embark on an epic voyage
At the centre of the galaxy lies a irresistible pulse which draws you on a journey towards it to learn the true nature of the cosmos. But, facing hostile creatures and fierce pirates, you’ll know that death comes at a cost, and survival will be down to the choices you make over how you upgrade your ship, your weapon and suit.
Find your own destiny
Your voyage through No Man’s Sky is up to you. Will you be a fighter, preying on the weak and taking their riches, or taking out pirates for their bounties? Power is yours if you upgrade your ship for speed and weaponry.
Or a trader? Find rich resources on forgotten worlds and exploit them for the highest prices. Invest in more cargo space and you’ll reap huge rewards.
Or perhaps an explorer? Go beyond the known frontier and discover places and things that no one has ever seen before. Upgrade your engines to jump ever farther, and strengthen your suit for survival in toxic environments that would kill the unwary.
Share your journey
The galaxy is a living, breathing place. Trade convoys travel between stars, factions vie for territory, pirates hunt the unwary, and the police are ever watching. Every other player lives in the same galaxy, and you can choose to share your discoveries with them on a map that spans known space. Perhaps you will see the results of their actions as well as your own…
Attention Fans: April is a big gaming month for EA Play members!
EA Sports PGA Tour
Get ready to hit the golf course early with EA Sports PGA Tour. Starting today, EA Play members can jump into a 10-hour early access trial of the game – three days before its release!
The exclusive home of the Majors, EA Sports PGA Tour’s Pure Strike shot system – featuring ShotLink powered by CDW, PGA Tour’s proprietary real-time scoring system – gives players all the tools they need to realistically attack every hole on every course the same way the pros do. With unrivaled access to 30 of the world’s most exclusive golf courses, such as Augusta National Golf Club, Pebble Beach Golf Links and more, EA Sports PGA Tour’s features all four majors in men’s golf, including the Masters Tournament, the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open Championship and The Open Championship.
Alongside Early Access, EA Play members will also receive monthly drops of Pro Shop perks such as exclusive headcovers, shirts, hats and more, as well as 10% off pre-orders, PGA Tour Points and more.
EA Sports NHL 23
From the course to the rink, hockey fans are in for a treat this month with EA Sports NHL 23, the most authentic and immersive NHL game ever, coming to The Play List on April 13.
Powered by the Frostbite engine, the game brings fans new levels of authenticity with gameplay improvements that include over 500 new last chance playmaking animations, living arenas and atmosphere, as well as deep franchise-mode customizations – allowing the best women’s and men’s players in the world to compete on one lineup. Moreover, with cross-play, players can also play against each other on the same platform generation.
April Rewards
In addition to all the great offerings, here are even more member-only content and rewards available now in EA Play:
Battlefield 2042 Ravine Specialist Set for Paik – Now to May 1
Apex Legends Gilded Fortunes Weapon Charm – April 11 to May 15
Need for Speed UnboundNissan Fairlady ZG 1971 Epic Custom – Now to June 6
PGA Tour Golf Hat – Now to May 8
NHL 23 WOC The Uprise Set – Now to April 30
FIFA 23 adidas Run for the Ocean White Tee and COINS – Now to April 27
FIFA 23 FUT Season 5 XP Boost – Now to April 27
FIFA 23 Pro Clubs 80s Skate Zig Zag Mask – Now to April 27
FIFA 23 Vol. 3 Stadium Set – Now to April 27
FIFA 23FUT Hero Jürgen Kohler Tifo Set – Now to April 30
Madden NFL 23 MUT April Pack – Now to May 1
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and Xbox Game Pass PC members receive EA Play at no additional cost with their Game Pass subscription. Members enjoy great player benefits, including in-game challenges and rewards, special member-only content, trials of select brand-new titles, access to a collection of EA’s best-loved series and top titles, and 10% off purchases of Electronic Arts digital content.
Lifeweaver is the newest Overwatch hero, a support class with abilities that help his team both with healing and movement.
We can exclusively reveal his Origin Trailer, and spoke to Lead Narrative Designer Gavin Jurgens-Fyhrie to find out more about this new character’s story.
You’ll be able to play as Lifeweaver from April 11, and he’ll be free to use for a limited time.
Xbox can exclusively reveal the Origin Trailer for Lifeweaver, the newest hero coming to Overwatch 2. This new support hero will arrive as part of Season 4 on April 11, and offers some very new options to players looking to assist their team – and a brand new thread to the Overwatch storyline.
Niran ‘Bua’ PruksaManee is a Thai scientist who combines nature and technology to offer new ways to heal, move and damage, both for himself and his team. As with all of Overwatch’s heroes, he also comes with a rich backstory, which you can check out in the new trailer below:
All of Lifeweaver’s abilities stem from his background as a naturalist. Brought up wealthy in the sheltered world of Chiang Mai, Lifeweaver grew to love the natural world but, upon leaving home, he saw the devastation being wreaked on the environment outside of his home. He developed a new technology, bio-light, which uses the hard light wielded by the likes of fellow heroes Symmetra but fuses it with living plants. Refusing to let his parents or the Vishkar corporation use his technology for nefarious purposes, he fled home, determined to use his creation only for good.
To learn more about the creation of this unique new hero, we spoke to Overwatch 2’s Lead Narrative Designer Gavin Jurgens-Fyhrie. He explains that, as with all of Overwatch’s heroes, Lifeweaver began life as a series of gameplay ideas that needed a story created around them:
“He was design first and, from there, the story developed. What really struck the Narrative team is we knew we were going to do a plant hero, then we had to figure out how this person has plant powers. Then we saw the early prototypes and realized it doesn’t look like plants, but more like hard light, which led to his story being developed. It really highlights how the Overwatch team develops heroes, it’s very collaborative.”
The solution was to create the idea of bio-light, a new iteration of Overwatch’s existing hard light technology – already wielded by the likes of Symmetra and Lúcio. Lifeweaver created it to heal wounds and damaged plants, and wanted it to become free to use across the world – but his invention was claimed by the Vishkar corporation, a company most closely linked to Symmetra among the existing heroes.
It means that Lifeweaver’s story offers more to learn about Symmetra by association. “She was pretty much the one person at school who he understood and who understood him,” says Jurgens-Fyhrie, “and there is a lot there to explore. We can’t share too much about what is to come, but Vishkar is an important of the story, particularly for Symmetra and Lifeweaver.”
At the time of his introduction, Lifeweaver isn’t part of the in-universe Overwatch team, but Jurgens-Fyhrie says he’s known them while living as a fugitive, and is “loosely tied” to them in the same way Torbjörn is. Jurgens-Fyhrie won’t say if his story will become a part of the upcoming PvE story for the game, but we know that, “at the time of this announcement, Lifeweaver is living in the Atlantic Arcology, trying to find a way to cure diseases and heal the world.”
You’ll be able to play as Lifeweaver for free for a limited timefrom April 11, and an in-game event celebrating his addition to the roster will run until April 24. The event, also celebrating Thai New Year, will add an arcade mode, B.O.B. and Weave (which will allow players to play only as Lifeweaver), and by participating you can earn Lifeweaver’s Cassia skin (based on the national flower of Thailand, the Ratchaphruek).
We aspire to create a future of gaming in a world that we want to play in. Earth Day is just around the corner, and it provides all of us with a special opportunity to reflect on how we can improve our impact on the planet. To celebrate this year, we’ve created an Xbox controller that features recovered plastics with one-third of it made from regrind and reclaimed materials.
Mixing post-consumer recycled resins with regrind consisting of previously molded colored parts creates custom, earth-tone colors with subtle variations, swirling, markings, and texturing – giving each Remix Special Edition controller its own look and feel.
Regrind is the process of mechanically recycling leftover Xbox One generation controller parts into a raw material that can be used to partially create new controllers – while maintaining durability and performance. Post-consumer recycled resins are incorporated from reclaimed materials like automotive headlight covers, plastic water jugs, and CDs.
By incorporating these regrind materials, post-consumer recycled resins, and including the Xbox Rechargeable Battery Pack – Xbox is exploring ways to use less new plastic and reduce waste. Our goal is to bring fans along with us on our journey towards greater sustainability across the Xbox product portfolio. Visit the new Xbox Sustainability Hub to learn more about our commitments and explore a collection of controllers that use less new plastics.
We drew inspiration from natural landscapes and the physical world around us when designing the Remix Special Edition controller. The various earth-tone colors create a patchwork effect , featuring bright pops of color that create a vibrant yet serene vibe. The bright green Xbox button, D-pad, and front case color are inspired by lichen found in the Pacific Northwest Forest. The bumpers, triggers, and side grip areas feature a topographic texture pattern, a nod to the earth’s dynamic landscape, while maintaining the tactility that our customers like.
The included Xbox Rechargeable Battery Pack lets you play without using disposable batteries. Recharge while you play or afterwards with a full charge for up to 4 hours, and up to 30 hours of battery life per charge. The bottom of the controller sports a 3.5mm stereo headset jack which can be used to plug in any compatible headset. Chat with your friends online or share some of your best gaming highlights, captured using the dedicated share button. Make the controller your own by customizing button mapping with the Xbox Accessories app for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows 10/11. 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.
The Xbox Wireless Controller – Remix Special Edition is available for preorder worldwide for $84.99 USD MSRP, and will be released on April 18. Check your local retailer for product availability in your region. For more product details, visit Xbox.com.
Recently, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to spend some three hours with the upcoming Star Wars Jedi: Survivor — the much-anticipated sequel to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order — before its upcoming release date of April 28, 2023, for Xbox Series X|S.
Now, while I enjoyed the first game immensely, it was not without its faults. Its map design could be confusing (with no fast travel), combat difficulty felt inconsistent, and the reward factor for going off the beaten path would very often reward you with… a different colored poncho (yay?). These aren’t just my opinions – the developers at Respawn clearly felt the same, and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Director Stig Asmussen spoke incredibly candidly to me about some of those very same shortcomings. As it turns out, many of the things fans like myself were looking for, and some of those criticisms, were aspects Respawn admits should have been there from the start. This time around, the developers are aiming improve on every single one.
“When you’re making a game, you really don’t know exactly what it is until it goes out into the wild,” explains Asmussen. “You can do as much focus testing as you want, but once millions of people are playing, it becomes a different story. It validates a lot of the things you thought, but it also confirms things and wondering that this was something we could brush up — one of those things was fast travel.”
Stig explained to me that the team had initially fought against features like this, wanting to stay true (to a fault) to the “Metroidvania” gameplay design it aimed for – seeing you return to previously explored areas, unlock new paths with new abilities, and make progress across multiple areas rather than follow a single path through the game. The challenge was that Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order just wasn’t really designed around fast travel or built to have that type of feature in-place. But once the fan feedback came in, and once Respawn began to scope its sequel, a fast travel mechanic was part of those discussions on day one. You’ll be happy to know that moving through Jedi: Survivor’s levels feels far more intuitive, and rewarding as a result.
“You can do as much focus testing as you want, but once millions of people are playing, it becomes a different story.”
Another of the cornerstones from the original game that the team is expanding upon heavily is what the definition of a “hub world” is. In the first game, it was confined to the starship Mantis. You could talk to the crew, look at some of your collection, interact with some objects, but that was about it. Which is fine – it fit nicely within the narrower narrative scope of the original. But these hub worlds have now been given a significant expansion, as befits a much wider storyline.
In the portion of the game I played, Cal has taken up residence in Rambler’s Ranch, a small town located on the planet Koboh. Despite having to carry the weight as one of the last surviving Jedi, he also taken it upon himself to help the locals by improving their town piece by piece. This starts to give the upcoming game a veneer of a space western, building upon narratives that we’ve seen in Star Wars television shows like “The Book of Boba Fett” — Cal has, essentially, become a small-town sheriff who aims to clean up this small town and rid the area of those dang bandits. Drop that on top of the rich Star Wars universe and you’ve got something that just feels much more tangible and immersive to play around in. Oh, and you can also collect seeds, set a plot, and grow a garden in the middle of town (not kidding) — this now feels more like living Cal’s life than reliving a single story within it.
One of the highlights of the first game was the small cast of characters who joined Cal, and Rambler’s Ranch offers even more of that feeling – this town is full of locals who add color to the game world. There’s Mosey Cimmaron, who runs the town stables; Ashe Javi & DD-EC, a pair of DJs who play music at the local Cantina; MXNK-6, a fast-talking and humorous droid bartender; and Dom Dendra, the de facto mayor of Rambler’s Ranch who can sell you cosmetics.
On that note, this was another major area the team invested resources in to build upon what, unintentionally, did feel like a bit of an afterthought in the first game: while it was fun to collect various colors and parts for your own personal lightsaber, other areas of customization were lacking.
“Really, [customization] was kind of an afterthought in the first game, and it came in really late in development,” says Asmussun. “The first time we got the whole game together, we were playing it… but I’m not really getting rewarded. There were skins for BD-1, skins for the Mantis, but those were just skins. And I think people saw through that. But the one that we talked about, that I think we got right, was lightsaber customization. And people kind of responded to that. So that’s what we’re going to do — we gave all the customization features ‘the lightsaber treatment.’”
This is extremely evident in our time with the game, being able to not just swap colors but swap parts on BD-1, or to fully customize Cal’s facial features and hair, and a variety of unique-looking outfits. Practically everything has been given new options to make your take on Cal’s adventure feel personal. Of course, the lightsaber customization remains, which continues to look like a Star Wars fan’s dream to tinker with endlessly by swapping parts in and out as the mood suits.
“We gave all the customization features ‘the lightsaber treatment.’”
Finding your way through this world has also been improved, another area that Asmussun admits was a pain point in the original game. Thanks to valuable feedback from players, the redesigned map was added very early on in the iteration process to deliver something closer to what players wanted. While you shouldn’t expect this to be an open world – these are still crafter levels with choices and exploration built in – getting around them should be far smoother and more open to interpretation.
“There’s huge improvements in terms of clarity and of being able to add markers,” explains Asmussun. “BD-1 has binoculars now as well that allows you to scan the environment and drop beacon points. There’s just a lot more legibility in general regarding where you need to go next. Lots of lessons learned here and areas we wanted to improve upon.”
But amid all these improvements, Respawn also acknowledged the strengths of the first game. They were not going to break them or remake them; they were going to make them better and refine them. One of those pillars is Fallen Order’s excellent combat system, which offered an unexpectedly Soulslike spin on lightsaber combat and Force abilities. This returns, but with several new ideas grafted on to help build it out.
“One of the things we were not able to complete for the first game was Dual Wield,” explains Asmussen. “We had that as a late-game pick-up in Jedi: Fallen Order, and that was something that we wanted to have as a full stance, but we just kind of ran out of time, so it became this special instead. But there was a lot there. It was probably ready to roll within the first six weeks of working on Jedi Survivor.”
Cal appears to have lost none of his talents from the original adventure and in fact has a much clearer grasp on his Force and lightsaber abilities.
What becomes immediately clear as a fan of the original, is just how fluid the combat now feels. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what’s improved, other than everything feels significantly more responsive. Part of that, I imagine, is tied to the story — when we meet Cal in the upcoming game, it’s been some five years since the previous adventure, giving him plenty of time to brush up on his skillset. Also, there doesn’t appear to be any forced moments where you must unlearn what you have learned – Cal appears to have lost none of his talents from the original adventure and in fact has a much clearer grasp on his Force and lightsaber abilities. But that’s not to suggest there aren’t fresh combat tricks for players to learn. New this time will be the five “stances” that each have their own strengths to utilize to counteract with the variety of enemy types in the game.
These are Single, which is your standard lightsaber stance, a balance for offense and defense; Double-bladed, which is great to use for crowd control; Dual Wield, where Cal’s lightsaber splits into two, which is ideal for more aggressive playstyle; Crossguard, which is a powerful, deliberate stance that has Cal dealing massive damage (at the cost of long wind-up times); and Blaster, which has Cal dealing with long-range foes with… well… a blaster.
“It’s easily the biggest improvement [to Star Wars Jedi: Survivor], in that you can now carry five stances and they each have a unique personality,” details Asmussen. “There’s a kind of synergy that we have the way that we’re constructing the enemies in the game that some stances might be able to reveal exploits faster against some enemies than another one. But to be clear, you can take down any enemy with any stance.”
The challenge for Respawn is finding ways to balance what is essentially a “one-hit-kill” weapon like a lightsaber and continue to make it feel fun, especially now that Cal is so well-versed in both his growing abilities as a Jedi and as a master wielder of the weapon of a more civilized age.
“Oh, there’s also dismemberment in this game,” Asmussen underscores with a bit of a smile.
“We introduce a variety of different ways that enemies can block a lightsaber, and something we work with Lucasfilm on is what kind of technology can we bring to the combatants who are basically loaded up to take on a Jedi,” explains Asmussen. “What kind of Star Wars tech can we give to them? Whether it’s shields or electrified devices that can block a lightsaber. A lot of the enemies are one hit kills; you just need to find the opening. Most of them aren’t though.
“That’s always the challenge. How can we provide contextually the tools that can block a lightsaber but also weave into the narrative that these things have a reason to exist. It’s something we’re always trying to make sure we’re underscoring. Oh, there’s also dismemberment in this game,” Asmussen underscores with a bit of a smile. “Fans have been asking for that and we got the green light from Lucasfilm.”
There have also been several adjustments to really make you feel powerful. Force Push and Pull are still tied naturally to the controller’s Right and Left triggers respectively from the start, allowing you jump in right away and play with a myriad of new combat features that weave together powerful Force powers and cinematic-like lightsaber combat. Think of it as a combat sandbox: If you think you can Force Pull a Stormtrooper, hold him in the air while you ram your lightsaber through him, or parry blaster fire back on a variety of enemies while dashing back and forth, or manipulate them to attack their own colleagues… you can.
Presenting this in action during our event, one member from the team’s combat team took the controller and showcased the level of hurt one can unleash on enemies in the game once you become in tune with all of Cal’s abilities. We watched as he moved through each of the five stances, demonstrating the various ways in which you can approach and cut down enemies with the saber, or by using some end-level Force powers where you can group enemies together, slow down time, and charge your pistol to unleash a barrage of blaster fire.
Everything we’ve seen so far promises a bigger, better, more customizable adventure with Cal Kestis and BD-1
Everything we’ve seen so far promises a bigger, better, more customizable adventure with Cal Kestis and BD-1: responsive combat, engaging characters, and an ancient mystery that is just waiting to be solved. We can’t reveal too much more about the latter, as that would be delving into some spoiler territory, but we did get enough of a tease that once these credits roll, our mouths are going to be on the floor.
Thankfully we don’t have long to wait to dive in, as Star Wars Jedi: Survivoris launching in just a few short weeks from now on April 28, 2023, for Xbox Series X|S. If you’ve yet to experience the original game, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, it’s available to play now for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S with Xbox Game Pass.
Pre-order* STAR WARS Jedi: Survivor™ Standard Edition to outfit Cal with the Obi-Wan Kenobi™ inspired “Jedi Survival” Cosmetic Pack:
• The “Hermit” Cosmetic
• The “Hermit” Lightsaber Set
• The “Combustion” Blaster Set
The story of Cal Kestis continues in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor™, a third person galaxy-spanning action-adventure game from Respawn Entertainment, developed in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games. This narratively-driven, single player title picks up five years after the events of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order™ and follows Cal’s increasingly desperate fight as the galaxy descends further into darkness. Pushed to the edges of the galaxy by the Empire, Cal will find himself surrounded by threats new and familiar.
• Continue Cal’s Journey – No longer a Padawan, Cal has come into his own and grown into a powerful Jedi Knight. The Dark Times are closing in – with enemies new and familiar surrounding him, Cal will need to decide how far he’s willing to go to save those closest to him.
• Go Beyond Your Training – The cinematic combat system returns with additional Force abilities and new lightsaber fighting styles. Creatively leverage all these abilities and weapons to strategically take on an expanded host of enemies, sizing up strengths and weaknesses while cleverly utilizing your training to overcome your opponents and solve the mysteries that lay in your path.
• Explore an Untamed Galaxy – Discover new planets and familiar frontiers in the Star Wars galaxy, each with unique biomes, challenges, and enemies. Master new skills, equipment, and abilities that will augment the ways you explore, fight, and roam. With larger areas to explore and more to discover off the beaten path, players who adventure beyond the horizon will find hidden rewards.
Unlock exclusive cosmetic items inspired by Han Solo™ and Luke Skywalker™, as seen in STAR WARS: A New Hope, with Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Deluxe Edition*.
• The “Galactic Hero” Cosmetic Pack
– The “Scoundrel” Cosmetic
– The “Rugged” BD-1 Cosmetic
– The “DL-44” Blaster Set
• The “New Hero” Cosmetic Pack
– The “Rebel Hero” Cosmetic
– The “BD-Astro” BD-1 Cosmetic
– The “Rebel Hero” Lightsaber Set
Plus also receive the Obi-Wan Kenobi™ inspired “Jedi Survival” Cosmetic Pack*:
• The “Hermit” Cosmetic
• The “Hermit” Lightsaber Set
• The “Combustion” Blaster Set
The story of Cal Kestis continues in STAR WARS Jedi: Survivor™, a galaxy-spanning third-person action-adventure game from Respawn Entertainment and Lucasfilm Games. This narratively driven single-player adventure continues five years after the events of STAR WARS Jedi: Fallen Order™ and follows Cal’s increasingly desperate fight to protect the galaxy from descending into darkness.
• Continue Cal’s Journey – No longer a Padawan, Cal has come into his own and grown into a powerful Jedi Knight. The Dark Times are closing in – with enemies new and familiar surrounding him, Cal will need to decide how far he’s willing to go to save those closest to him.
• Go Beyond Your Training – The cinematic combat system from Jedi: Fallen Order returns with additional Force abilities and new lightsaber fighting styles. Combine all these abilities and weapons to find your distinct style and defeat enemies new and old.
• Explore an Untamed Galaxy – Discover new planets and revisit familiar frontiers in the Star Wars galaxy, each with unique biomes, challenges, and enemies. Master new skills, equipment, and abilities that will enhance the ways you explore, fight, and roam.
