Introducing the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 – Core, now in red and blue. We expanded the core version of the Xbox Elite Series 2 lineup to give gamers more options to play like a pro. Play in style with just the components you need to unleash your best game.
The new, vibrant red and blue color schemes of the core version of Xbox Elite Series 2 are sure to make a statement amongst your friends while delivering key performance-focused benefits. Turn on a dime with adjustable tension thumbsticks where inches are the difference. Make split seconds count with hair trigger locks and stay on target with wrap-around rubberized grips. Enjoy limitless customization with exclusive button mapping options to find your groove. Perfect your game day prep with assignable custom profiles so you can dominate regardless of playbook or sport.
Custom profiles can be set up through the Xbox Accessories App, where you can adjust other settings like the color the Xbox button lights up with on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows PC devices. Use Xbox Wireless, Bluetooth®, or the included USB-C cable to play across your Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, and mobile. Stay in the game with up to 40 hours of rechargeable battery life and refined components built to last1. For added peace of mind, Xbox Elite Series 2 controllers come with Microsoft’s 1-year limited warranty2.
The best part is that Xbox Elite Series 2 controllers are designed to be fully customizable, so you can play with a specific setup that works best for you. Add even more customization to the core version of Xbox Elite Series 2 with the Complete Component Pack (sold separately) for $59.99 USD MSRP. Tailor the controller to your preferred gaming style with interchangeable thumbsticks, paddle shapes, and D-pad. Includes a carrying case, charging dock, and USB-C cable. Add an extra splash of color with Xbox Design Lab, where you can personalize component packs for Xbox Elite Series 2 controllers to match your style.
Your voyage begins at first light. The sun ascends as you sail out, its sparkling reflection dancing on the gentle waves of the bay. Plentiful shoals of fish can be seen through the glassy surface as you peer into the water below. It’s a fine day for fishing. And the townsfolk are hungry.
Dredge opens with the above sequence, putting you behind the wheel of your boat within the first minute of gameplay. The scene is picturesque. Our glossy, stylized water ripples against islands with their trees swaying in the wind. Soon, sparse piano keys will join the cries of the seagulls overhead.
You’d be forgiven for thinking you’re in a happy place.
The sun sets sharply at six o’clock, and the fog descends soon after. Any anglers still left out on the water better have good lights, or they’ll never make it back to safe harbor.
Cosmic Horror Fishing
Dredge initially presents itself as a fishing game, and the premise is deliberately simple: catch fish, sell fish, upgrade your equipment. You’ll want to invest in your boat, as it’ll allow you to equip faster engines, better rods, and store more fish – all in a grid-based inventory that grows with your vessel. Money might seem important, but arguably your most vital resource is time. As you sail around, a day-night cycle is in motion, and it’s something to behold.
While you’re more likely to catch valuable, corrupted specimens in the dark, eldritch encounters are also more frequent – particularly in deeper water. You’ll also come across larger, hostile creatures which can be outsmarted (via abilities) or outmaneuvered (via a sufficiently upgraded vessel) rather than outgunned. Dilapidated towns you come across are home to peculiar residents with even stranger requests.
We try to twist every feature that might feel familiar into something unexpected, so that right from the start, you’ll sense that something sinister lurks under the surface. It’s no accident that the name ‘Dredge’ is adjacent to “dread” – we’ve infused every aspect of the game with an unsettling atmosphere. In this article, I’ll delve into the ways we’ve achieved this, and touch on how each element contributes to the overall experience.
A Harsh Aesthetic
The visuals of the game will immediately feel familiar to fans of typically joyous adventure and exploration games – and that’s where our subterfuge begins. What may appear to be very low-poly models are deceptively detailed, with jagged edges and shapes carved to accentuate false shadows. A dark and dreary color tone underpins the world, offsetting any warmth from the sun’s bright colors. It’s crucial to visually remind players that something unexpected could happen at any moment, even if everything seems calm right now.
We added angular edges to the portraits of characters – reminiscent of paint applied by palette knife – leaving harsh patterns on their faces and sleeves to match their already prickly dialogue. This same geometry is reflected in the clouds; normally light and fluffy things, here we made them sharp, and they shift between broken shapes.
This world doesn’t want you here. It wasn’t made for you. But you’ll explore it all the same.
The weather can be as unpredictable as the people you meet. Overcast days can turn into thunderous storms, causing high waves to slow your return to port. On that note, civilization itself is scarce and often dilapidated. It only makes sense that the others in this world are suffering as much as you, and have been for many years. This bleak and unforgiving landscape only adds to the feeling of isolation and despair that permeates the game.
When you drop your line to catch some fish, we pull the camera up above your boat, showing you the dark depths below. As we do this, we conveniently eliminate your peripheral vision. You’re focused on fishing, after all. At night, we bring the oppressive fog down around you, leaving you with nothing but a small circle of vision to navigate rocks and other hazards. The shapes you see through that fog might be imagined or real – I’m not sure which is worse.
This world doesn’t want you here. It wasn’t made for you. But you’ll explore it all the same.
No Wasted Words
In the world of Dredge, people are efficient and practical. As a result, we made sure their spoken dialogue reflects this utilitarian mindset. Each line tries to achieve at least two of the following goals:
Give you an instruction.
Add to the story of the world.
Carry a sinister, suspicious or strange tone.
Despite the importance of dialogue in Dredge, we understand the value of brevity, and don’t want to keep you from the gameplay for too long. To avoid overwhelming you, most conversations are optional and can be skipped if you want. The world itself should do most of the talking, and the people in it aren’t so keen on gossip anyway. These characters don’t have names, either – they have roles, like “The Fishmonger”, and “The Mayor”. You wouldn’t want to get too familiar with them. They’re not your friends.
The atmosphere bleeds into item descriptions too, particularly in the fish. Strange, corrupt specimens you haul aboard might give you an insight to where they came from, and why.
Our storytelling doesn’t stop at the borders of the game itself, of course. The achievement descriptions and OST music track titles add a different perspective or give names to things which were unknowable or unspeakable inside the game itself.
Blending Genres
Juxtaposition is one of my favorite words to use when describing Dredge. The juxtaposition of ‘cosmic horror’ and ‘fishing’ genres is one of the things players love about it. We combined a lot of features, mechanics and concepts that wouldn’t normally exist together in the same game. We set out to create something fresh, unexpected, and unpredictable – and what better way to evoke the sense of cosmic horror than by diving into the unknown?
The ultimate pack for your impending voyage. The DREDGE Deluxe Edition includes everything you’ll need to weather the seas and trawl the deep for sinister secrets.
Includes:
DREDGE
Blackstone Key in-game item
Custom Rod (Pre-Purchase only)
Give yourself an advantage with this improved starting rod. You’ll start the game with this stylish piece of equipment, decorated with the company colors of its creator. But it’s not all just looks. Unlike other equipment you might find in DREDGE, this rod is in reasonable condition and should allow you to get the edge on other anglers – for a while at least.
This grants access to the following item:
Custom Rod
This rod replaces the normal starting rod when beginning a new save. It can catch fish more effectively than some other rods of its size.
Captain your fishing trawler to explore a collection of remote isles, and their surrounding depths, to see what lies below. Sell your catch to the locals and complete quests to learn more about each area’s troubled past. Outfit your boat with better equipment to trawl deep-sea trenches and navigate to far-off lands but keep an eye on the time. You might not like what finds you in the dark…
Game Features
● Unravel a Mystery: Captain your fishing trawler across a collection of remote islands, each with its own inhabitants to meet, wildlife to discover, and stories to unearth
● Dredge the Depths: Scour the sea for hidden treasures and complete quests to gain access to strange new abilities
● Study Your Craft: Research special equipment and upgrade your boat’s capabilities to gain access to rare fish and valuable deep-sea curios
● Fish to Survive: Sell your discoveries to the locals to learn more about each area, and upgrade your boat to reach even more secluded locations
● Fight the Unfathomable: Strengthen your mind and use your abilities to survive trips out on the water after dark
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.
Run, jump, and roll your way to a new high score as hazards and bonuses pop up all around the planet. Step into the shoes of RunBean, an astronaut who landed on a hazardous planet that tries its best to kill the intruder. Try to delay your inevitable fate by running around the diminutive 2D globe, jumping over spikes, sliding under killer platforms, collecting bonuses, and quickly reacting to sudden direction changes.
Take the reins of your dream restaurant. Choose and customize dozens of kitchen components (cooking surfaces, food processors, ovens, etc.) to build your dream kitchen! Before firing up your burners, organize your team and manage your suppliers to obtain premium ingredients that would impress the most demanding of gourmets.
Bigger and badder than ever before, Kingdom Rush: Frontiers is a whole new level of the furiously fast, enchantingly charming gameplay that made the original title an award-winning hit. Command your troops through an epic (mis)adventure as you defend exotic lands from dragons, man-eating plants, and ghastly denizens of the underworld.
Available on day one with Game Pass: MLB The Show 23 gets you closer than ever to living your baseball dreams on the diamond. Shock the game and own the show with your favorite players, your favorite rivalries, and all your favorite MLB moments. Want to hit the field early? Game Pass members can get four days early access starting today including additional in-game items with the purchase of the Early Access Bundle. Read more about the new updates and features coming to MLB The Show 23here. Playable on Cloud and Console.
Sifu – March 28 Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery
In Sifu, you will ponder the value of life and revenge as you hunt down your family’s assassins. One against all, you have no allies, countless enemies, and a mysterious amulet that brings you back to life every time you die. Yet, be warned. Your secret weapon comes with a hefty price to pay: aging and its consequences.
Captain your fishing trawler to explore a collection of remote isles, and their surrounding depths, to see what lies below. Sell your catch to the locals and complete quests to learn more about each area’s troubled past. Outfit your boat with better equipment to trawl deep-sea trenches and navigate to far-off lands but keep an eye on the time. You might not like what finds you in the dark…
Uncover the dark origin of humanity’s new home and the truth about yourself in this epic sci-fi adventure! Set on a distant planet ruled by a totalitarian regime, Lunark is a modern take on the 2D cinematic platformer genre of the ’90s. As Leo, a courier with unique abilities and a mysterious past, you’ll run, jump, hang, climb, roll, and shoot through gorgeously animated pixel-art environments ranging from a dystopian megalopolis to eerie caves to an alien forest.
Palindrome Syndrome is an escape room sci-fi game that will test your deduction skills. Solve puzzles, decode secret codes, find hidden objects, and investigate the different rooms of the spaceship while you discover the events that led you there.
It’s time to atone for your sins! Saga of Sins is an action-adventure game featuring a mystical storyline and arcade gameplay where you’ll immerse yourself into a world of stained glass inspired by the Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch. Play as the righteous cleric Cecil — who can enter people’s minds by transforming into four unique demonic creatures such as a howling werewolf or a fierce gargoyle — to fight the seven deadly sins and free the plague infested village of Sinwell.
Take on the role of Rex, veteran cop turned hard-boiled detective, as you investigate crime in a future cyberpunk world, where the magnificent sky city blots out the sun. In this retro-style, pixel-art adventure set in a fully realized cyberpunk cityscape, you’ll encounter innumerous items to investigate and a whole cast of interactive NPCs. You must analyze every detail and discover the truth that lurks behind the heavy mist to solve a strange murder that may be tied to a robot rebellion.
An interactive game experience designed to relax your mind and soul. Jump into the role of a little bird, explore beautiful landscapes, and collect magical crystals that mark certain landscapes. Because there are no enemies or other dangers in this game, you will be able to lean back and enjoy the scenery and the sensation of flying. A great game to play for relaxing and calming down after an exhausting day.
The second in the Formula Retro Racing series, retro-style arcade racing games influenced by the classic arcade racing games of the early ‘90s. Featuring fast and exciting gameplay, crisp low poly visuals, a retro soundtrack, and high-speed action. Do you have what it takes to master each racing line, hug every apex, and cross the checkered flag to victory?
A stylish action-platform and shooter game, containing super specials and dash mechanics at a fast-paced speed. Unlock hundreds of meticulous challenges and battle bosses. All of this with an immersive soundtrack and an individual narrative for each of the 8 characters!
Infinite Guitars – March 30 Xbox Game Pass
Available on day one with Game Pass: The metal war machines have reawakened — and only your electric guitar can turn their technology against them! Gather up your party, tune up your favorite axe, and get ready to rock in Infinite Guitars, a rhythm RPG featuring vibrant anime-inspired art, adrenaline-fueled Mech battles, and a blazing original soundtrack. Playable on Cloud, Console, and PC.
An immersive narrative adventure centered around a lone worker’s last stand in an increasingly automated world. A unique blend of work simulation and stealth strategic gameplay set in a lonely, oppressive but strangely beautiful environment, with characters designed by comics legend Mick McMahon. Featuring an all-star cast starring Jason Isaacs, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Clare-Hope Ashitey, David Hewlett, Zelda Williams, and Tommie Earl Jenkins.
Get ready to skid around at full speed with your family and friends! In Rally Rock ‘N Racing, you’ll enjoy a wide variety of natural environments, such as deserts, snow-covered mountains, and forests where you can show your skill at the wheel, competing against everyone to become the fastest.
I’m happy to share some facts about what’s sure to become your favorite park management game of all time! Park Beyond is coming to Xbox Series X|S on June 16, 2023. From the beginning, we’ve been developing the game on console to give you the best experience. The entire UI and all our features have been custom designed for the Xbox version to provide an optimized gaming experience.
In Park Beyond, we give you the opportunity to build the park of your dreams. You can do this in our unique campaign guided by our loveable written characters or jump right into our sandbox mode.
Of course, we also have a deep management system with different layers, depending on how deep you would like to dive into this world of numbers but…
What makes Park Beyond special are the “Impossifications” – over the top versions of theme park feature that let you go beyond the humdrum and ordinary. And you can use these with so many features, it’ll make your head swim! You may have already seen how our normal Ferris wheel becomes a colossus with eleven wheels instead of just one. Or the Crazy Kraken is transformed from an (already awesome) whirling animatronic ride into a colossal, living, breathing octopus that throws guests through the air.
For purists, it is possible to stay within the limits of what is physically possible and enjoy all aspects of the game. But if reality is just too restrictive, there’s very little you can’t Impossify, even the deepest levels of our park management systems!
A janitor with a broom is a bit too dull? No problem! Give him a flamethrower and any garbage guests leave behind is incinerated on the spot. Your mechanics are only carrying around normal, boring equipment? No problem! See what a few extra exo arms can do.
You can also Impossify any beverage or grocery store in Park Beyond, increasing the fun factor for visitors. You’ll gasp in delight along with your guests the first time you see what happens to a simple kebab store or a coffee shop.
Our story is also Impossified. How is that possible, you ask? We’ve crafted a hearty selections of story missions for you to play through. Additionally, in our extensive campaign you will have different choices before each mission to drag you deeper into the story and increase the replayability. Our unique characters will take you by the hand and teach you all aspects of the game. Even simple tutorials are always connected with fun and entertaining dialogs or cutscenes.
You want infinite possibilities? The sandbox mode is the perfect place for that. You can use all the features we mentioned in the sandbox mode and combine them to design the park of your dreams. Just let your modular roller coasters whiz past your Impossified rides and then rush them right through one of your modular buildings and shoot your coaster through a cannon into a mountain, you created with terraforming.
And believe me when I say that is just the beginning…
Finally, you may wish to share your awesome creations with your friends. We’re all show-offs sometimes, aren’t we? Especially when we have spent hours or even days with the wildest creations and parks. I have very good news for you. We wanted to make sure you could share your creations with the world, and we are so excited to see what you come up with. We’ll give you the opportunity to share your content on Xbox Series X|S.
If all this sounds great and you can’t wait for the release anymore, then you won’t have to wait much longer. Park Beyond will be coming to Xbox Series X|S on June 16, 2023 and you can already pre-order it now on the Xbox Store.
Everyone who pre-orders the game gets the Park Beyond: Pac-Man Impossification Set to bring some classic arcade flavor to their creations!
We can’t wait to see what the park of your dreams will look like, but right now you’ll have to excuse me, it’s my turn to board the Fireball Express Screammaker 8000, so I’ll see you in the park!
LEGO 2K Drive is an all-new, open-world driving adventure coming to Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S
Cruise around the huge open world of Bricklandia in awesome transforming vehicles that let you drive across Street, Off-Road, and Water terrains! Explore multiple biomes, compete in races, complete quests, and build new rides!
Welcome to Bricklandia, home of a massive open-world driving adventure in LEGO 2K Drive! This all-new AAA LEGO driving game is coming to Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S on May 19 and is now available for pre-order.
Developed by Visual Concepts as part of a multi-title partnership between 2K and the LEGO Group, LEGO 2K Drive lets you race anywhere, play with anyone, build your dream rides, and defeat a cast of wild racing rivals in your quest for the coveted Sky Cup Trophy. This is driving made awesome.
In LEGO 2K Drive, your transforming vehicle gives you the freedom to speed seamlessly across Street, Off-Road, and Water terrains as you explore the vast landscape of Bricklandia.
The unique biomes of Bricklandia are rich with personality and exhilarating challenges, with tons to see and discover as you cruise around, compete in races, meet colorful characters, complete quests, collect treasures, and build new rides! The world is packed with LEGO humor and carefree fun, with lighthearted commentary provided by Awesome News Network anchors Vikki Wheeler and Parker Carr.
LEGO 2K Drive‘s expansive Story mode follows your journey from rookie roadster to renowned champion, with the ultimate goal of winning a Grand Brix Cup hosted on tracks among the clouds to claim the coveted Sky Cup Trophy. But to be the best, you’ll have to prove yourself against a series of rival racers and eventually triumph over the infamous Shadow Z, a braggadocious villain who doesn’t want to share the road with anyone. As you claim victory in more races and complete events throughout Bricklandia, you’ll unlock new areas and level up your License Class for additional abilities and extra speed.
Outside of the Story mode, which you can enjoy solo or in two-player splitscreen co-op, you can also jump straight to action with the single track Race and Cup Series tournament modes, or let loose in off-the-wall Minigames. Speaking of co-op multiplayer, you can roam across Bricklandia in a party of up to six pals in the Play With Friends online mode—and if you’re looking for some friendly competition, Play With Everyone mode lets you take on racers around the world to see who’s the fastest.
Drivers of all skill levels will have a blast cruising around Bricklandia, but LEGO 2K Drive‘s deep mechanics make it easy to learn and tough to master. The pick-up-and-play accessibility is great for younger audiences, while experienced drivers can go for the fastest times with clever use of exciting power-ups and techniques like drifting, boosting, quickturns, and even instantaneous jumps. Your drives can be as casual or competitive as you like!
When you’re not behind the wheel, unleash your creativity in the Garage, where building Street, Off-Road, and Water vehicles is as easy as snapping bricks together. Construct new cars and boats from scratch, modify any vehicle in your collection, or unwind by following guided builds, then take your creation for a spin. There are tons of customization options in the Garage, from individual brick shapes and paint jobs to finer details like the sounds of your horn and engine. Using Brickbux earned via gameplay, you can also unlock new vehicles, brick types, flairs, and more for your growing collection.
LEGO 2K Drive is available for pre-order as LEGO 2K Drive Standard Edition, LEGO 2K Drive Awesome Edition, and LEGO 2K Drive Awesome Rivals Edition, with the latter two editions offering bonus content packs and the Year 1 Drive Pass* featuring four seasons of post-launch content. Pre-order LEGO 2K Drive on the Xbox Store today and prepare to put the pedal to the plastic on May 19!
*Year 1 Drive Pass included with 2K Drive Awesome Edition and Awesome Rivals Edition. Also available for individual purchase. Base game required. For digital orders, Year 1 Drive Pass content will be automatically delivered in-game upon release. For physical orders, Year 1 Drive Pass content will be delivered via a code in box to be redeemed in game and available upon release. More details on the Year 1 Drive Pass will be shared in the future.
The Awesome Edition includes LEGO® 2K Drive for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.
Welcome to Bricklandia, home of a massive open-world LEGO® driving adventure. Race anywhere, play with anyone, build your dream rides, and defeat a cast of wild racing rivals for the coveted Sky Trophy!
THE ULTIMATE LEGO DRIVING EXPERIENCE
Get behind the wheel and gear up for tons of open-world exploration and thrilling races! Take on the exciting Story mode, jump into a single race or Cup Series tourneys, and let loose in off-the-wall minigames. Master the art of drifting, boosting, jumping, and using power-ups to defeat opponents!
RACE FOR THE SKY TROPHY
Story mode follows your journey from rookie racer to famous champion as you compete against a series of charismatic rivals. With each victory, you’ll work your way up the ranks to take on the infamous Shadow Z.
OPEN-WORLD EXPLORATION
The vast and vibrant world of Bricklandia is yours to explore as you see fit, full of colorful characters and kooky quests. Zoom past lush fields on Turbo Acres’ pavement, go off-roading in the deserts of Big Butte County, cruise across Prospecto Valley’s picturesque waterways, and more.
UNLEASH YOUR CREATIVITY
Building vehicles in the Garage is as easy as snapping bricks together. Construct new cars and boats from scratch, modify any vehicle in your collection, or unwind with guided builds, then take your creation for a drive!
PLAY TOGETHER AT HOME AND ONLINE
Roam around Bricklandia in local splitscreen or join your driving buddies online!
THERE’S MORE AWESOME IN THE AWESOME EDITION
LEGO 2K Drive Awesome Edition includes:
– Aquadirt Racer Pack
– Year 1 Drive Pass: Includes Season 1, 2, 3 and 4 DLC packs. the Awesome Pizza Vehicle. Release timing of the DLC contents will be revealed at a future date.
– 550 Coins
– Awesome Bonus Pack: Includes Wheelie Stunt Driver Minifigure, Machio Beast Vehicle and a Vehicle Flair.
– 3 Day Early Access
“Gaming sustainability is something that Xbox is very proud of, and making big strides in. But, with climate [change], you can’t beat your competitor at it. You have to compete against your own best self in every category. And just like we’re saying, ‘When everyone plays, everyone wins,’ the same goes for, ‘When everyone reduces energy and emissions, everyone on the planet wins.’ No doubt about it.”
Appearing on the podcast following Xbox’s announcement of a new suite of developer tools designed to reduce energy use and emissions through game code, Patterson explained how she and her team have been making ground-breaking strides to help the entire industry apply more sustainable thinking, and to “create powerful good using the gaming industry”
It’s not been a simple task. “For a long time, the industry has maintained that there’s no gains to be found in greening game code,” Patterson explained. “And that’s because there’s an enormous complexity between the hardware, the software, the electrical and other engineering, the design, and then the game code itself that creates the power that is required in order to create the gaming experience.”
“Broadly considered, the industry decided that this was a completely intractable problem – in fact, within the UN’s Playing for the Planet Alliance, it was considered even as of a month ago to be an impossible problem to solve.”
The solution to that seemingly impossible problem was to create resources for developers to identify ‘Energy Bugs’ – previously invisible problems created by coding that can unintentionally use more power than needed – at source, and fix them quickly. While Xbox has already taken strides to reduce power usage in consoles themselves, this new effort will aid developers in reducing power consumption caused by the games you play on them.
“You can have fun breaking things in a game. And right now we’re not having fun breaking the planet. Let’s have fun fixing it.”
At GDC, Xbox announced the rollout of a new Developer Sustainability Toolkit, a power monitoring system, certification reports, power consumption dashboards, guides, case studies, and a pilot program that offers specialist assistance to game devs looking to work on their games’ energy consumption. The goal is to, “precision engineer the visual and analytical feedback that is needed for game developers to make changes to their code that will allow them to reduce energy consumption on the consoles in the living room of every gamer in the world.”
That openness, that this isn’t only applicable to the Xbox platform, is key here: “The thing that I find really remarkable is that when a studio sees what a no-brainer it is to fix so many of these Energy Bugs, they fix them in a way that is not just reducing emissions on the Xbox console platform, but they’re instituting [them] to the entire game code. And that game code then gets released to almost every other platform that they are releasing to in the future.”
The work won’t stop with Xbox developers, either: “We are empowering and inviting the rest of the industry to use these insights, these case studies, these tools, and also inspire their own investigations in order to be able to create impact, no matter how small or large their gaming studio is.”
The overall goal here is to make the enormous size of the games industry not a problem for sustainability, but a part of the solution – and making use of the inherent positivity of that creative space:
“In the environmental field, things are going haywire right and left. It’s a depressing field. If society focuses on everything going wrong all the time, and we’re encountering stories of loss and destruction, it’s true that statistically there are many challenges in front of us, but gaming opens up all of this remarkable, creative problem solving… You can have fun breaking things in a game. And right now we’re not having fun breaking the planet. Let’s have fun fixing it.”
There’s an Elite controller for everyone. No matter what games you like to play, the controller provides you with the best experience to fit your gaming style. To highlight this, we’re introducing Xbox Elite Cereal, which puts passionate gamers at the forefront of popular culture in a way that’s reserved for traditional athletes and celebrities. While not a real cereal, it’s a metaphor for all the ways any gamer can be Elite with their own perfect Elite Series 2 controller.
We’ve partnered with gaming influencers, Chica, Myth, and Loserfruit to celebrate the unparalleled value, choice, and diversity of the Elite Series 2 lineup. They will share more about their experience with Elite and this new partnership on their respective TikTok channels throughout the rest of this month.
Of course, if this was a real cereal, it would need to come complete with an Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 inside as a prize. We’ve even come up with some fictional flavors for Xbox Elite Cereal, each representing the three different members of the Elite family:
Wheat Flakes: Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2
Frosted Wheats: Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 – Core in white
Mallos: Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 with Xbox Design Lab
Every good cereal also needs its own jingle and mascot. Inspired by the iconic characters and catchy tunes of classic cereal advertisements, the Xbox Elite Cereal commercial introduces our new Elite mascot, who’s here to help everyone choose the Elite Series 2 controller that’s best for them. Watch the official Xbox Elite Cereal commercial below/here:
Visit the brand-new Elite Family page on Xbox.com to learn more and find your own Elite Series 2 controller.
I went hands-on with Redfall, playing a solo mission twice to discover how much of a difference your character choice will make.
Redfall launches with four characters, each with wildly differing abilities and upgrade paths, making each paythrough different.
Redfall arrives on May 2 for Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC, and will be part of Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass on day one.
Arkane has always been a studio that puts player choice at the heart of its ideas. Dishonored gives you huge choice about how to approach your hapless targets. Deathloop, created by Arkane Austin’s sister studio in Lyon, lets you tackle its story in a close-to-infinite number of ways. Prey offers you tools to uncover the mystery hidden at its core, but doesn’t stand in the way of you using them however you’d like. It stands to reason that Arkane Austin’s newest project, Redfall, would live by the same code. But the way it’s approaching that player choice is strikingly new – your approach to taking back a vampire-strewn Massachusetts island will be defined as much by the character you choose to play, as it is your actual interactions.
Redfall’s cast of four playable heroes is the largest an Arkane game has offered. After playing through a 90-minute demo twice, using two different solo characters, it becomes abundantly clear what the team is aiming for here – Redfall is a game that opens up in very different directions based on who you play as – in mechanics, in combat, in exploration, and even in the way it tells its story.
The story mission I was presented with was fairly simple. Get to a mansion on the edge of town, enter a scientist’s lab, and discover his connection to the vampire plague that’s seen you trapped on the island. Getting to that mansion is the tougher part. I chose to make a beeline through the heart of Redfall, passing through Vampire Nests and violent cultist territory, and eventually into the mansion grounds – patrolled, as you’d expect, by a large number of enemies. Much of your route is urban by design, meaning tightly packed streets, high walls, and not a huge amount of room in which to manoeuvre.
Each character comes with a range of upgradable skills and, as I discovered, they make an enormous difference to that journey. I played this same mission with two characters – Devinder Crousley and Remi de la Rosa – and found that the way played was affected entirely by that choice. Here’s how those playthroughs went:
Playing With Remi
An elite Navy rescue team member, Remi is the prototypical action star of the bunch. Having spent her life on combat frontlines, she’s equipped to take on Redfall’s many monstrosities with brute force. But she’s also an engineer, and has brought along a robot buddy, Bribón to help her do so with more finesse than simply “stake anything that moves”.
As you might expect, Remi’s toolkit is designed to let her take down groups of enemies from close range (and she has passive upgrade that allow her to increase close range damage, pushing you further down that path), and to keep her alive while she does so. Her most aggressive ability is a sticky C4 charge that can be detonated remotely, letting you damage multiple enemies at once, or set traps as you guide enemies you grief into its path. To help you with the latter, Remi can also use Bribón (who is a separate AI character, with its own healthbar and attacks) to set off a siren, letting you alert multiple enemies and draw them to you.
Combining these two abilities became key to how I got through Redfall’s streets smoothly. After spotting enemies, I’d throw down a C4 charge and set off Bribón’s siren – a group would charge the robot, while I snuck around cover and flanked them. Having upgraded my siren ability to let me do more damage to enemies that had been attracted by it, I’d then finish off the group with a shotgun, using its attached stake to take down any vampires I put into a vulnerable state.
Playing with Remi as a solo character turns Redfall into an action-packed experience, asking you to balance risk and reward constantly.
If things got too hairy, I could turn to Remi’s ultimate ability, Mobilize, creating a rally point that healed me while I was inside its radius. In these moments, I played like a classic tank, absorbing lots of damage while dealing even more of my own. Most vampires can’t be killed with bullets alone, so in battle with multiple monsters, I’d switch out my shotgun-and-stake for a weapon that fired a UV beam – useless against human enemies, but able to turn vampires to stone in short order, letting me shatter them with a simple melee attack.
I cleared vampire nests (psychical spaces that offer big rewards in return for taking on their challenges) and unlocked a safehouse, which offers safe harbour, a new fast travel point, and extra missions. But attracting so much attention on the streets also increased the attention of the island’s Vampire Gods. As I approached the mansion, a lightning storm erupted around me, and saw the appearance of the Rook – a brutal, melee-focused mini-boss sent to kill me for doing so much damage along the way. It’s a lovely, emergent touch, and an extra trial designed to test you after you’ve begun to master combat.
With the experience I earned from taking down the Rook, I also upgraded my C4 charge to let me ‘boom jump’, taking no area of effect damage and eliminating fall damage, but I used this mainly as another means to get behind enemies while they were distracted – and once I entered the mansion grounds, I combined my abilities to clear out as many enemies as possible in its gardens because of how much aggression I could absorb, before entering its winding corridors with a stake launcher (able to one-shot most vampires) to take down any stragglers.
As you can tell, playing with Remi as a solo character turns Redfall into an action-packed experience, asking you to balance risk and reward constantly. But playing as Devinder offered a very different vibe while engaging with the same mission.
Playing With Devinder
Think of Devinder as, essentially, all four Ghostbusters rolled into one – he has the scientific expertise of Spengler, the wonder of Stantz, the cool demeanour of Zeddemore, and the wit of Venkman. A filmmaker and author with an audience interested in the paranormal, his kit revolves around inventions he’s created to find and document supernatural entities – but he’s now had to upgrade it to kill them off as well.
Devinder’s kit is very different to Remi’s. His Arc Javelin is a mid-range attack that acts as a combined stake and area-of-effect attack, sending electricity out to incapacitate enemies (and vampires can be outright killed by being hit by its lightning). His ultimate, Blacklight, is a super-powered UV beam weapon, which can transform an entire area of vampires into stone near-instantly – very useful for getting out of a tight spot.
And this is the interesting thing about playing as Devinder – the final piece of his toolset is as much about avoiding attention as it is dealing with it. The Translocator is Redfall’s closest analogue to Dishonored’s Blink, a throwable device that lets you instantly transport to where it lands. As a result, instead of getting into action on the streets, I spent most of my journey getting onto rooftops, quietly taking out Watchers (a Vampire form that act like roving security cameras) with my Javelin, and sneaking past larger groups.
Think of Devinder as, essentially, all four Ghostbusters rolled into one.
Like with Remi, I took out a Vampire Nest on my way – but instead of running in guns blazing, I carefully scaled a church roof, entering a belltower and creeping into the encounter instead of taking down the guards around it. And without attracting so much ire, I also didn’t have to take on the Rook, who would have been a sterner challenge with a set of weapons built more for long-range combat.
Even the more manicured mansion grounds played out differently with Devinder. Instead of entering through the front gates, I used my translocator to sneak into the back garden, bypassing deadly areas of Blood Mist that had forced Remi to use the front door. It felt like playing the same game made by a different set of developers, with different interests in how to challenge you, adding a puzzle layer on top of its meaty gunplay.
But perhaps my favorite part of playing with Devinder wasn’t mechanical at all – it was how he told the story along the way. As a para-scientist, Devinder’s interactions with all of this weren’t defined by anger, fear, or triumph as much as they were by fascination. Every new type of vampire I met was greeted by Devinder talking about their physiology or behavior, ending with him giving them a name – a Watcher, a Shroud, and so on (clearly, Devinder is the member of the group creating the vampire taxonomy that the rest of the team use). It’s a lovely choice, making playing with Devinder as much of a documentary about the vampire plague as it is an action story.
Mixing it Up
Of course, the two other characters, Layla and Jacob, would have changed this experience for themselves. And this is just in solo play – every character also comes with abilities designed for co-op play (which also increases the number of enemies you need to fight as you go). Remi can upgrade Bribón to heal the whole team is they stay close by, while Devinder can up allies’ damage through ‘Color Commentary’. I’m just as fascinated to see how these disparate toolsets work when combined as I am to try them all solo.
Even at this early stage, this spin on Arkane’s traditional openness to player expression is intoxicating, enlivening both solo and co-op play. I’m very excited to try out those other characters and delve deeper into how Redfall will let us experiment with its tools.
Redfall is an open-world, single player and co-op FPS from Arkane Austin, the award-winning team behind Prey and Dishonored. Continuing Arkane’s legacy of carefully crafted worlds and immersive sims, Redfall brings the studio’s signature gameplay to this story-driven action shooter.
Dig your teeth into the Bite Back Edition and receive the Redfall Hero Pass, the Throwback Outfit Pack, Laser Beam multi-weapon skin, and the Tactical Knife Stake weapon attachment for close-range fights. The Redfall Hero Pass gives you access to two future heroes with unique powers and gameplay. The Throwback Outfit Pack includes a unique outfit and backpack for each of the four base heroes inspired by their lives before Redfall.
INCLUDES:
– Redfall Base Game
– Redfall Hero Pass with Two Future Heroes
– Laser Beam Multi-Weapon Skin
– Tactical Knife Stake Weapon Attachment
– Northern Expedition Devinder Outfit
– Eyes in the Dark Jacob Outfit
– War Clothes Layla Outfit
– Engineer Volunteer Remi Outfit
Pre-order or play on Game Pass to receive the Vampire Hunter Pack, including:
– Level 2 Unrivaled Grim Tide Shotgun
– Polar Vortex Multi-Weapon Skin
– Blood Ravager Stake weapon attachment
FEATURES:
Uncover the Truth, Take Back Redfall
The island town of Redfall, Massachusetts, is under siege by a legion of vampires who have blocked out the sun and cut the citizens off from the outside world. Explore the open world and immerse yourself in a deep story campaign as you unravel the mystery behind the vampires’ appearance. Ally with a handful of survivors against the creatures threatening to bleed the town dry.
Slay Alone or Squad Up
Redfall blends single- and multiplayer options seamlessly, allowing the player to venture into the darkness alone or to squad-up for up to four player co-op. Teammates can try different hero loadouts and combine their strengths to find creative solutions to the vampire apocalypse. You will collect an arsenal of specialized weaponry and customize your character with unique upgrades and abilities to suit your playstyle for guns blazing, stealth combat, and everything in-between.
Unconventional Heroes Vs. The Night
Created by science experiments gone wrong and gifted with psychic abilities, Redfall’s vampires will challenge you and your squad to get creative. You will choose from a team of diverse heroes – each with their own character-specific abilities – to overcome the vampire legion and their brood of maniacal followers.
– DEVINDER CROUSLEY – The Verified Cryptid Hunter: A cryptozoologist and aspiring inventor. Armed with weapons of his own creation, he’s on a mission to prove himself.
– LAYLA ELLISON – The Telekinetic Threat: A biomedical engineering student who volunteered for a medical trial where something went very wrong, leaving her with intense telekinetic abilities.
– REMI DE LA ROSA – The Ingenious Ingeniera: A brilliant combat engineer who has spent her life on the frontlines. With the help of her robot cohort, Bribón, she’s determined to help rescue Redfall’s survivors.
– JACOB BOYER – The Deadeye with an Undead Eye: An ex-military sharpshooter turned private contractor. Strange happenings on Redfall have left Jacob with a mysterious vampiric eye and a spectral raven that’s never far from his side.
The Open World of Redfall
Redfall is a true Arkane experience set in a rich world that blends the familiar with the extraordinary. Redfall’s open world is handcrafted by the master level designers behind Prey’s Talos I space station and Dishonored’s Dunwall. From the town’s once-bustling downtown and the haunted forest to the decimated seaside boardwalk and beyond, you will fight through cultist outposts and supernatural psychic spaces as you piece together Redfall’s many mysteries.
Redfall is an open-world, single player and co-op FPS from Arkane Austin, the award-winning team behind Prey and Dishonored. Continuing Arkane’s legacy of carefully crafted worlds and immersive sims, Redfall brings the studio’s signature gameplay to this story-driven action shooter.
Pre-order or Play on Game Pass to receive the Vampire Hunter Pack, including:
– Level 2 Unrivaled Grim Tide Shotgun
– Polar Vortex Multi-Weapon Skin
– Blood Ravager Stake Weapon Attachment
Upgrade to the Bite Back Edition to receive:
– Redfall Base Game
– Redfall Hero Pass with Two Future Heroes
– Laser Beam Multi-Weapon Skin
– Tactical Knife Stake Weapon Attachment
– Throwback Outfit Pack (Unique Outfit for Each Hero)
FEATURES:
Uncover the Truth, Take Back Redfall
The island town of Redfall, Massachusetts, is under siege by a legion of vampires who have blocked out the sun and cut the citizens off from the outside world. Explore the open world and immerse yourself in a deep story campaign as you unravel the mystery behind the vampires’ appearance. Ally with a handful of survivors against the creatures threatening to bleed the town dry.
Slay Alone or Squad Up
Redfall blends single- and multiplayer options seamlessly, allowing the player to venture into the darkness alone or to squad-up for up to four player co-op. Teammates can try different hero loadouts and combine their strengths to find creative solutions to the vampire apocalypse. You will collect an arsenal of specialized weaponry and customize your character with unique upgrades and abilities to suit your playstyle for guns blazing, stealth combat, and everything in-between.
Unconventional Heroes Vs. The Night
Created by science experiments gone wrong and gifted with psychic abilities, Redfall’s vampires will challenge you and your squad to get creative. You will choose from a team of diverse heroes – each with their own character-specific abilities – to overcome the vampire legion and their brood of maniacal followers.
– DEVINDER CROUSLEY – The Verified Cryptid Hunter: A cryptozoologist and aspiring inventor. Armed with weapons of his own creation, he’s on a mission to prove himself.
– LAYLA ELLISON – The Telekinetic Threat: A biomedical engineering student who volunteered for a medical trial where something went very wrong, leaving her with intense telekinetic abilities.
– REMI DE LA ROSA – The Ingenious Ingeniera: A brilliant combat engineer who has spent her life on the frontlines. With the help of her robot cohort, Bribón, she’s determined to help rescue Redfall’s survivors.
– JACOB BOYER – The Deadeye with an Undead Eye: An ex-military sharpshooter turned private contractor. Strange happenings on Redfall have left Jacob with a mysterious vampiric eye and a spectral raven that’s never far from his side.
The Open World of Redfall
Redfall is a true Arkane experience set in a rich world that blends the familiar with the extraordinary. Redfall’s open world is handcrafted by the master level designers behind Prey’s Talos I space station and Dishonored’s Dunwall. From the town’s once-bustling downtown and the haunted forest to the decimated seaside boardwalk and beyond, you will fight through cultist outposts and supernatural psychic spaces as you piece together Redfall’s many mysteries.
Hello there, fellow Agents! It’s been a long time coming, but I’m incredibly excited to announce that Deceive Inc. – my studio’s brand new social stealth PvP extraction shooter – is out now on Xbox Series X|S!
As Deceive Inc. Agents, you’ll be dropped into exotic locales – tasked with remaining undercover, gathering intel, and competing with rival Agents to thwart each respective evil villain’s plan for world domination. Secret agent caper? Nah! Just another day at the office.
Deceive Inc. is not your typical multiplayer game. One of the shining examples of this is in how we approach map design. Each map in Deceive Inc. effectively serves as its own tiny open world. Crawling with NPCs, secret corridors, a VIP villain, and more, the maps we’ve designed at Sweet Bandits Studios are purpose-built to feel uniquely alive and full of discovery.
To prepare you for your new life as a secret agent, I threw together this summary of all four maps available at launch. Just don’t tell IRIS, they may get mad at me.
Hard Sell
In the regal home of information broker-turned-supervillain, Sebastian Garcia, Agents must infiltrate an auction to steal the Bull’s Eye: an art piece containing a hard drive full of secret government data.
In operation Hard Sell, you’ll find yourself navigating Garcia’s Super-Villa as attendees and party-goers await a high-profile auction. As a tried-and-true super villain, Sebastian Garcia has retrofitted his mansion with loads of corridors and secret passageways to discover.
Silver Reef
As two disruptors in the world of high-fashion bulletproof fabric, the Evensen Twins know how to show up in style. Which is why they’ve booked the luxurious Frozen Coral Hotel for the unveiling of a brand new prototype. Fashion is serious business. Especially for Deceive Inc.! Which is why the Agents have been tasked with preventing this prototype from hitting the market.
A shining example of the extravagance and excess of high fashion, Silver Reef is a hotel resort designed to be pure spectacle, but it also serves another purpose. This map is the only one to feature two VIP characters, the Evensen twins. Having two VIP characters to disguise yourself as makes it twice as hard for players to sus out who could be a player, and who is the NPC. Use this tactic to your advantage.
Diamond Spire
Jati bin Teh is a force to be reckoned with. As a business mogul, actor, musician, and athlete; his sphere of influence has inflated to an incredibly dangerous level. His Aspire by Jati Tower contains a R&D Laboratory where they have reportedly synthesized a highly addictive secret ingredient for the entrepreneur’s new sports drink. Jati has become big enough. It’s up to Deceive Inc. to balance the market.
Diamond Spire is the Deceive Inc. map with the most verticality. How you approach exploring the map’s many levels will determine your success during the insertion phase. Choose your gadgets wisely, and you may find that the increase in mobility will help you sweep through this skyscraper quicker than your rival agents.
Fragrant Shore
For this mission, Deceive Inc. is sending you to San Flores – a gorgeous tropical port city in the Caribbean. Intel suggests that this quaint island getaway is also where fragrance maven Luana is synthesizing her new eau de parfum. Not only will it make you smell amazing, it will also give her complete control over your mind. If you don’t mind, follow the scent, and extract this toxin, agents. We’re counting on you.
Fragrant Shore takes place primarily outdoors. There are tons of alleyways to take cover in if you find yourself overwhelmed in a firefight. Once it comes time to infiltrate the vault, you’ll find that there are less places to hide, and you may come across a bottleneck that brings you face to face with your rival agents. Make sure you explore all of your options for entering the vault, as the most obvious option may not be the best one.
Stay up to date on Deceive Inc. by following @PlayDeceiveInc on Twitter and Instagram, and also make sure to join the top-tier agents over on our Discord! Most importantly, play Decieve, Inc.on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One today!
Go undercover as the world’s greatest secret agents in this multiplayer game of social stealth and subterfuge. Disguise yourself as anyone to blend into the crowd, deploy high-tech gadgets to gain the upper hand, and extract the package before the competition takes it for themselves! No trick is too dirty when you work for DECEIVE INC.
Game Features:
MEET THE SPIES – Pick your play style with a roster of diverse agents, each with their own customizable weapon and skillset. From world-renowned burglars to up-and-coming espionage sensations, DECEIVE INC. prides itself on being an equal opportunity employer.
GEAR UP – Create your loadout from a plethora of highly versatile gadgets. With agent’s favorites like the Inflatable mat, holo-mimic, and bulletproof umbrella, our world-class R&D department has you covered. Literally.
MASTER YOUR DISGUISE – Use your trusty holographic watch to avoid detection and infiltrate restricted areas by disguising yourself as one of the various types of NPCs. Or equip the holo-mimic gadget to fully blend in by taking the form of inanimate objects like toilets, chairs, plants, and more!
VISIT EXOTIC LOCALES – While working for DECEIVE INC., you’ll visit many locations all over the globe. Teeming with sophisticated NPCs and full of secrets for you to discover, every map comes to life the minute you load into a match.
CHOOSE YOUR MODE – Squad up with other agents and craft the perfect heist in Teams mode, or squash the competition as a lone wolf in Solos.
DECEIVE INC. also features support for gaming in 4K HDR at 60 FPS on Xbox Series X|S
Want to get a taste of what it’s like to work at DECEIVE INC.? From November 11th to November 13th come join us for an invite-only Closed Alpha Internship! (Unpaid and potentially unsafe, of course)
