Dreamhaven Showcase Recap: All the News From a New Publisher With a Legendary Past
Jackie Cole, Community Lead, Dreamhaven
Summary
Dreamhaven founder Mike Morhaime revealed the publisher’s full slate of games in today’s showcase presented by The Game Awards.
Wildgate, developer Moonshot Game’s edge-of-the-galaxy multiplayer shooter with ship-on-ship combat, was unveiled for the first time.
Also revealed were release dates for Sunderfolk and the 1.0 release of Lynked from the publisher’s line-up.
In today’s showcase presented by The Game Awards, our founder Mike Morhaime shared the most in-depth look yet at Dreamhaven’s upcoming slate of games. Sitting down with Geoff Keighley, Morhaime unveiled Wildgate, a brand-new crew-based PvP shooter set in the far reaches of space, alongside official release dates for Sunderfolk and Lynked: Banner of the Spark—and much more.
Commit Space Crimes in Wildgate, Unveiled Today
We were thrilled to debut Wildgate with not one, but two full-length trailers, showcasing the high-stakes action of this spacefaring PvP shooter from Moonshot Games. In Wildgate, four-player crews must navigate a vast, procedurally generated map, outmaneuvering rival ships, claiming valuable loot, and upgrading their vessels to survive the dangers of deep space.
Wildgate is set to launch later this year on Xbox Series X|S, and players eager to test their skills and explore the Reach early can sign up for the playtest happening next month at playwildgate.com.
Sunderfolk Launch Date Revealed
We’re excited to confirm that Sunderfolk, our innovative couch co-op tactical RPG, launches on April 23! Designed to capture the magic of game night, Sunderfolk brings players together with a fresh approach to turn-based combat and exploration. With up to four players controlling the action using a free app on their smartphone or tablet, Sunderfolk makes it easy for adventurers of all experience levels to jump in and play.
Developed by Secret Door, Sunderfolk will be available on Xbox Series X|S.
Lynked: Banner of the Spark Gets an Official Release Date
Lynked: Banner of the Spark—a colorful rogue-life RPG blending cozy town-building with challenging roguelite combat—is officially launching on May 22 for Xbox Series X|S!
In the year 30XX, an evil robot force has overrun the world, but hope isn’t lost. With your trusty Wyre grapple and a growing crew of Unibot allies, you’ll take on swarms of mechanical foes, scavenge their parts, and build a thriving community from the wreckage. Battle solo or in co-op, wield an arsenal of customizable weapons, and personalize your home and hero with deep customization options. Whether you’re rebuilding or battling, every spark counts—will you light the way?
A Haven for All Players
A passion for every kind of play is at the heart of Dreamhaven’s mission statement, and from the deep-space multiplayer chaos of Wildgate to the lively couch co-op adventures of Sunderfolk, their slate of upcoming games has something for every kind of player. Be sure to stay tuned for even more updates and announcements coming soon!
Minecraft: Vibrant Visuals Transforms the Game Into What You’ve Always Imagined in Your Head
At Minecraft Live, we got a glimpse of the future of Minecraft in the form of Vibrant Visuals – an upgrade that will transform the way players experience the game. Coming later this year to Minecraft: Bedrock Edition on selected platforms, Vibrant Visuals will give the game a huge visual boost, adding improved graphical elements such as directional lighting, volumetric fog, and much more – and will be available as a simple menu toggle, letting you switch between old and new looks at will.
The team at Mojang has a perfect way of summing up their intentions – Vibrant Visuals is designed to evoke how Minecraft looks in your head. This isn’t a total conversion, or a handbrake turn into a new visual style, but a deepening of Minecraft’s iconic look.
Art Director Jasper Boerstra spearheaded the project, and explained that it all began by seeing how the community approached Minecraft: “Vibrant Visuals was inspired by the streamers. When I was thinking about this project, I watched streamers build to see how people play with shaders and how they react to them. One thing I noticed is that players often turn off shaders when doing specific tasks, like building, because they want to see things more clearly. That inspired me to think about how we could create graphics that you don’t have to turn off—graphics that are comfortable to build with. That’s exactly what we aimed for: simple and impactful for players.”
I was lucky enough to visit Mojang Studios in Stockholm to see Vibrant Visuals in action, and that overriding philosophy is clear from the moment I drop into one of two maps created specially to show off the huge amount of work that’s gone into creating Vibrant Visuals. It’s one thing to see it in screenshots or trailers, but you truly can’t understand the effect of Vibrant Visuals without playing the game yourself.
On the first of these maps, I load into a cave, looking up a flight of stairs to a sunset sky. Light pours in from the outside, pooling down the edges of the stone walls, vines cutting twisting shadows through it, as hovering fireflies cast lazily dancing pools of light over water blocks around me. As I leave the cave, I’m presented with a mountainous desert, the low sun casting long shadows across the landscape. It’s an atmosphere that vanilla Minecraft has never had before.
Switching to the second map, I’m suddenly in a verdant valley at the height of the afternoon. Sunshine plays through the gaps in cherry blossom trees, and falling petals (added as part of the Spring to Life game drop) cast their own fluttering shadows around me. I dive into a nearby pool, and realize that light even plays a part down here, gold rays of sunshine spearing their way through the water. Every single block is touched by the change – you can see how light interacts on everything, even across the backs of scuttling wildlife living here.
Boerstra explained more about how Vibrant Visuals isn’t just a graphical overhaul, but a distinctly Minecraft-themed take on a modern look: “When you play, you’ll notice that the shadows in the game are pixelated. All the reflections are pixelated, too. When you drop an item and the sun casts a shadow on it, it’s also pixelated. We wanted to keep it Minecraft-y, and Vibrant Visuals is a great way to bridge familiar elements with new features. It’s about adding something to the world that feels immersive while staying true to the essence of the game.”
But perhaps the biggest testament to how successfully these enhanced visuals have been implemented is that, very quickly, I forget all about them. It’s not such an overwhelming shift that I’m constantly reminded that this is an all-new look – it feels perfectly pitched, retaining everything you know of Minecraft. In fact, the most incredible part of the demonstration was when I started using a single hotkey to shift back and forth between the old look and the new – I’d continuously find amazing looking vistas, then toggle back to the original visuals, and realise, all over again, quite how much has changed.
In the original look, mountain ranges surrounded me like the enormous chunks of blocks they are – but with Vibrant Visuals, volumetric fog effects mean that they disappear into a haze, offering a sense of depth to the map. It’s not just that it looks better, it feels bigger, adding a newfound sense of scale and mystery to the world around you.
And this is only the beginning for Vibrant Visuals. This isn’t a one-and-done moment for Mojang, but the beginning of an ongoing effort to improve what Minecraft can look like, without abandoning its signature vibe.
“Vibrant Visuals is not the end; it’s the beginning of our journey,” explains Executive Producer Ingela Garneij. “We want to keep working to add more visual updates, as our goal is to reach players across platforms with approachable graphics. We’ll continue to build on these features while staying true to what makes Minecraft’s art style so special and beloved by our community.” –
It’s also presented as an option for players – and not just in the fact that you can switch back to the original look at any time. Vibrant Visuals is planned for Minecraft: Java Edition in the future, but this doesn’t spell an end to community-created visual mods, or RTX-enabled maps. Vibrant Visuals is presented as a new way for a whole new swathe of players to upgrade the look of the game, without the more in-depth work that can take.
The benefit to us, the players, is clear – for longtime fans, this represents Minecraft evolving to match their imaginations. For new players, it helps modernize the game without ever losing what made it special in the first place. And for all of those players, accessing Vibrant Visuals is as simple as downloading the update.
We’re so used to Minecraft increasing its scope through content – new blocks, new mobs, new mechanics – that it’s fascinating to see the team take a totally different approach here. Vibrant Visuals doesn’t just feel like a new look for the game – it feels like a new dawn.
Vibrant Visuals will arrive for free in Minecraft: Bedrock Edition later this year.
CREATE
Build whatever you can imagine in your own infinite world that’s unique in every playthrough.
EXPLORE
Discover biomes, resources and mobs, and craft your way through a world filled with surprises in the ultimate sandbox game.
SURVIVE
Experience unforgettable adventures as you face mysterious foes, traverse exciting landscapes, and travel to perilous dimensions.
PLAY TOGETHER
Have a blast with friends, whether you’re sitting on the same couch in split screen or miles apart in cross-platform play for console, mobile and PC. Connect with millions of players on community servers or subscribe to Realms Plus to play with up to 10 friends on your own private server.
EXPERIENCE MORE
Get creator-made add-ons, thrilling worlds, and stylish cosmetics on Minecraft Marketplace. Subscribe to Marketplace Pass (or Realms Plus) to access 150+ worlds, skin & textures packs, and more – refreshed monthly.
Designing the Iconic Liquid Metal T-1000 Terminator for Mortal Kombat 1
Joe Epstein, Combat Designer, NetherRealm Studios
Do you think there’s a villain cooler than the T-1000? Get out of here, no you don’t. The T-1000 in Terminator 2: Judgment Day stands right on the intersection of early ‘90s cool, late 20th century technological advancements, visionary storytelling, and a perfect match of performer to role. One of the guiding lights we use to decide on which guest characters to incorporate in Mortal Kombat 1is simply… who’s the coolest fit that we haven’t included yet? Enter the T-1000.
In contrast to the tank or trucklike brute-force-instrument qualities of the T-800, the T-1000 is a sportscar. Instead of the T-800’s towering, aloof, biker-jacketed demeanor, you get Robert Patrick’s gracile and intense police officer impersonator. The T-1000 fights, shoots, and sprints without wincing, blinking, or heaving for air. He walks and scans in a hawklike, inhuman way. But when needed, he’s a better social chameleon than his predecessor. Patrick’s T-1000 can plausibly question civilians as a friendly cop and demonstrates emotions like frustration and arrogance in places the T-800 would not. Surprisingly, extreme moments are when Patrick’s T-1000 seems most human (realizing you have a live grenade round implanted in your midsection qualifies as extreme).
That’s just talking expressions and demeanor. The kicker here is what the T-1000 is made of. While the T-800 is a solid cyborg—machine endoskeleton surrounded by living flesh—the T-1000 is an experimental android composed of a cloud of liquid metal material, described in the movie as a prototype ‘mimetic polyalloy.’ With a chrome flicker that ‘resets’ its surface to a reflective silver blank slate, it can reshape itself to mimic humanoids, objects, and simple weapons. It can pour through small openings or around obstacles like an evil molasses, it can flatten and extend its mass to blend into the floor or run along it like a live oil slick, and it can extrude and then harden portions of itself to act as improvised blades, bludgeons, or prybars depending on what the situation requires. The rule in the fiction is, if the T-1000 has touched something or someone, it has scanned for information and is now capable of impersonating appearances.
The upshot for us as developers is a faster, more flexible, and cunning infiltrator than the classic T-800 Terminator (itself a guest character in Mortal Kombat 11), with an abundance of reference material to draw from, and seemingly unlimited gameplay, special effect, and cinema potential. Spoiled for choice is the expression.
But flavor-wise, its lack of blood needed addressing. A T-1000 getting slashed up by Baraka wouldn’t send red matter everywhere. At best it would be small chrome drops of the goop it’s made of getting flung away from the main mass. And that stuff wouldn’t just sit wherever it splatted, either. After the initial shock of being scattered, pieces would dust themselves off and go looking for the main entity.
An even bigger issue: Mortal Kombat 1 is filled with dozens upon dozens of signature Fatalities, Animalities, Brutalities, Fatal Blows, etc., and each one of these finishing moves is a bone crushing cinematic moment with various unpleasant things happening in detailed X-ray and cross-sectioned ultra-HD views. Well, the T-1000 is a liquid metal android so you can imagine how pulling or slicing the machine apart might be sort of like ballistics tests through dense fluids. Dedicated attention was paid to every cinema to convey the T-1000’s unique viscous characteristics when meeting grisly ends as a losing kombatant.
Then there’s the limb and form morphing. It was decided early on gameplay-wise what the T-1000 would be about, broadly—as not just a Terminator but the most advanced Terminator, he should seem implacable, always steadily forward moving, and feature an arsenal brimming with every direct movie reference we can cram in, alongside fun extrapolations we can add.
Direct film references include numerous attacks where some or all of the T-1000 reforms. For example, forearms reshaping into large blades or hooks and fingers extending into thin needles, which you’ll see throughout most of the character’s arsenal of moves. And as a police officer imposter, it’s clear the T-1000 has acquired service pistols that provide a kinetic way to stand off at range or to slowly advance. A particularly strong enhanced special move combines the two, with the T-1000 sprinting while shooting, before lunging with extended spear-arms, just like in the hospital corridor scene in the 1991 movie. A couple normal combo chains feature bladed finger extensions that skewer like little spears or the T-1000 extending a portion of itself to use as a rebar-like bludgeon mid-combo, both callbacks to the iconic steel mill setting towards the end of the film.
Some moves take creative license, embellishing to open new gameplay avenues and display more of the T-1000’s capabilities. Taking inspiration from the character dropping through the ceiling of a ruined elevator in a poured-liquid form, it can quickly reform in midair and fall to the ground as a dense fluid droplet. And like after being frozen, shattered and thawed, the T-1000 can dive into a surging blob form low to the ground, closing distance before emerging with bladed attacks. For a move that’s in between a mid-range poke and a long-range projectile attack, it can melt halfway into the floor to send out a spiny tendril of liquid metal, quickly forming the base for a rising stalagmite-like spear. The most whimsy is displayed within the T-1000’s moveset that clues eagle-eyed fans it has faced familiar Outworld kombatants before, picking up a duplication trick or two along the way.
Implementing a character design isn’t always straightforward, depending on the nature of the fighter. Of course, most characters are complicated with different moves, animations, and FX, and T-1000 has just about every complication possible. Throw animations—anything where a grappler and their victim need to be synced up—are trickier to design, motion-capture, animate, and implement than typical strikes. Moving, warping, and morphing options set up all kinds of potential variables to account for. FX themselves can be complex, involving cross-discipline efforts to solve lighting, physics, and model issues that get in the way of coordinating the intended look and feel.
Doing justice to the T-1000 was a full-team effort, and we couldn’t be more excited to add this amazing guest fighter to the Mortal Kombat 1roster. The T-1000 Terminator is available today on Xbox Series X|S as part of the Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos ReignsExpansion, or a la carte via separate purchase.
New to Mortal Kombat 1? Get started with the Kollection Edition! Mortal Kombat 1 ushers in a New Era of the iconic franchise with a New fighting system, game modes, and fatalities.
Includes instant access to the Base Game, Kombat Pack, and Dragon Krystals. Gain access to the upcoming Story Expansion, Kombat Pack 2 and more!
Khaos Reigns Story Expansion
Kombat Pack 2*
Khaos Reigns Fighters Available At Launch:
Noob Saibot
Cyrax
Sektor
Guest Fighters Available Post-Launch (includes 1 week early access)
Ghostface (Scream Franchise)
T-1000 (Terminator 2)
Conan the Barbarian
Kombat Pack (Available Now):
Omni-Man (Invincible)
Quan Chi
Peacemaker (DC’s Peacemaker)
Ermac
Homelander (The Boys)
Takeda Takahashi
The T-1000 embodies the ultimate evolution of assassination technology. This pack includes playable character the T-1000, including all new move-sets based on Terminator 2
Atomfall Arrives: Six Tips to Survive the Quarantine Zone
Rich MaySenior Programmer, Rebellion
With the Deluxe Edition of Atomfall launching today, and the regular game releasing with Xbox Game Pass this Thursday, March 27, I thought it would be an opportune moment to give you a few choice tips for how to survive life inside the Quarantine Zone.
For those of you new to the game, Atomfall is an action-survival mystery set in the UK. The story takes place five years after the real-life events of the 1957 Windscale Disaster in the North of England. In the world of Atomfall, a quarantine zone has been established around the Windscale Atom Plant and no one has been allowed in or out for five years. Life and society have changed and adapted under these trying circumstances, and gangs of strange folk now wander the countryside.
You wake up in a bunker with no idea who you are or how you got there. Given the circumstances, you have little choice but to set out on a journey to discover what really happened at Windscale and maybe try to find out who you are in the process.
The world of Atomfall is essentially a large sandbox where you are free to explore and investigate at your own pace and in your own style. The way you approach every encounter and each scenario is completely up to you, but here are a few bits of advice to get you started.
1) Pick your Playstyle
Before you start the actual game, you‘ll be prompted to set your playstyle. There are five pre-sets to cater for different approaches, as well as the option to customise this further should you wish. They adjust the challenge of combat, survival and exploration in the game.
Sightseer – a low-pressure mode for those who want to enjoy the narrative and exploration of Atomfall.
Investigator – for players who enjoy unguided exploration but prefer lighter survival and combat.
Brawler – you enjoy combat but prefer lighter survival and guided exploration.
Survivor – the classic Atomfall experience. A balance between combat and survival.
Veteran – harsh combat and consequences, a gritty battle for survival.
Survivor offers the recommended Atomfall experience but pick whichever best suits you and the way you want to play. And don’t worry, if you get into the game, and feel you’ve made a mistake, these settings can be adjusted at any time in the Options menu.
2) Following Leads
Atomfall doesn’t have a traditional quest or mission system. Instead, we have Leads – snippets of information that you will uncover as you explore the world. There are numerous ways you can discover Leads, such as through conversations, tape recordings or by finding letters and items as you investigate the areas in the game. Discovering a new Lead will help you piece together the puzzle of what happened inside the Quarantine Zone, but how you use that information is up to you.
In Survivor difficulty, the game does not add waypoints to your map or compass by default, but you can manually place markers on the map, which will then be shown on the in-game compass during play. If you do prefer a more guided experience, you can also adjust the Exploration settings in the Options menu.
3) Where to Start…
So, where is a good place to gather some Leads at the start of the game? When you leave the bunker, you are greeted by the lush open countryside of Slatten Dale. Directly in front of you is a ringing phone box that is just begging to be answered.
Head down the hill to the left and you’ll come across Nat. He’s a talkative fellow and – provided you don’t offend him – might be convinced to give you directions to find the nearby Molly, a trader who happens to indulge in lots of juicy gossip. Once you’ve have had a chat with Molly and maybe done a deal or two, why not visit the nearby village of Wyndham, where there is plenty to explore? We heartily recommend taking in the sights. Maybe visit the church or frequent the village shops, bakery and, of course, the village pub, to discover some Leads.
Wyndham is under the control of Protocol – a military force who was sent in when quarantine was put into effect to keep the peace. You can find their leader, Captain Sims at the band stand in the centre of the village, where he regularly harangues the populace.
4) Pick your Fights
As you explore the various areas in the game you will encounter all sorts of colourful characters and gangs, some friendly, some less so. Remember that, when confronted, force is not always the best course of action – many folks you’ll meet are just trying to make their way, same as you. Knowing when to back down and head for safety can be a great survival tool.
Before charging into any fight, our suggestion is “observe, plan, execute.” Think about who you’re fighting. Are they armed and, if so, with what? Can you take them out silently or should you just slip past and hope they don’t notice you? Any course of action is open to you. It is, in fact, entirely possible to complete the game without killing anyone (although it is extremely challenging).
5) Listen Carefully
You will meet a host of weird and wonderful folk as you explore Atomfall. Some of these will want to trade but remember that money is useless in the Quarantine Zone, so bartering will be key. Others may have Leads that could help you understand what really happened at the Windscale Atom Plant. Some may have both. Others will simply push their own selfish agendas.
You need to listen carefully and give real thought to the way you reply in order to gain an understanding of who you want to trust and who you don’t. Some characters will play you off against another and may even want you to kill for them. Choosing the path you take, which Leads to follow, and who to trust will ultimately determine the end of the game, so choose wisely!
6) Search and Scavenge Whenever You Can
Resources are scarce in the Quarantine Zone. Guns and ammunition are particularly hard to come by, so waste them at your peril. Take every opportunity you can to search areas for resources – be that food, weapons or other items.
As you explore you will also uncover Manuals that teach you new skills – and unlock them by finding Training Stimulants. You can then choose which skills will be most beneficial to you and your playstyle.
You will also acquire the ability to craft various resource and tonics that will help you fight, survive and heal. There is limited space in your backpack, so make sure to craft what you need as you go in order to have the best weapons and tools at your disposal.
You can also make use of pneumatic dispatch tubes that you find in various places around the game world, a still-functioning relic of the military and science facilities. These are extremely useful for storing items that you don’t immediately need access to. For example, you might find a great shotgun but have no bullets – so you can choose to store it and then grab it back once you have enough shells to make the best use of it.
Hopefully that little lot should give a little bit of a head start in the world of Atomfall. I hope you enjoy playing the game as much as we have enjoyed building such a unique and mysterious experience.
Deluxe Edition includes:
• The entire Atomfall game
• 3 days Early Access
• “Story Expansion Pack” – (*not available Day 1):
• “Basic Supply Bundle” Pack
• “Enhanced Supply Bundle” Pack
A survival-action game inspired by real-life events, Atomfall is set five years after the Windscale nuclear disaster in Northern England.
Explore the fictional quarantine zone, scavenge, craft, barter, fight and talk your way through a British countryside setting filled with bizarre characters, mysticism, cults, and rogue government agencies.
From Rebellion, the studio behind Sniper Elite and Zombie Army, Atomfall will challenge you to solve the dark mystery of what really happened.
Player Driven Mystery: Unravel a tapestry of interwoven narratives through exploration, conversation, investigation, and combat, where every choice you make has consequences.
Explore this Green and Unpleasant Land: The picturesque British countryside, with rolling green hills, lush valleys, and rural villages belie the dangers that await you.
Search, Scavage, Survive: You’ll need to scavenge for supplies, craft weapons and items, and fight desperately to make it out alive!
Pre-order the Atomfall Standard Edition to receive:
• “Basic Supply Bundle” – Supplies are scarce in the quarantine zone. Improve your chances for survival with additional items to find, including an exclusive melee weapon to help you in those brutal close-quarters engagements.
• Exclusive Melee Weapon Variant
• Additional Loot Cache
• Item Recipe
A survival-action game inspired by real-life events, Atomfall is set five years after the Windscale nuclear disaster in Northern England.
Explore the fictional quarantine zone, scavenge, craft, barter, fight and talk your way through a British countryside setting filled with bizarre characters, mysticism, cults, and rogue government agencies.
From Rebellion, the studio behind Sniper Elite and Zombie Army, Atomfall will challenge you to solve the dark mystery of what really happened.
Player Driven Mystery: Unravel a tapestry of interwoven narratives through exploration, conversation, investigation, and combat, where every choice you make has consequences.
Explore this Green and Unpleasant Land: The picturesque British countryside, with rolling green hills, lush valleys, and rural villages belie the dangers that await you.
Search, Scavage, Survive: You’ll need to scavenge for supplies, craft weapons and items, and fight desperately to make it out alive!
I didn’t have riding a fixed-gear bike possessed by an entity named Skully on my list of games to play this year, but that’s part of the fun of attending events like the ID@Xbox Showcase at GDC – you never know what new game is going to catch your eye. Wheel World, with its mix of open-world exploration, loot scouring, and surprisingly fun and competitive racing has put this radical take on bike racing on my radar as it speeds its way to Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC with Xbox Play Anywhere support for release later this year.
In Wheel World you play Kat, a bike rider fated to save this unique realm that’s full of rival riders, spare parts, and portal potties — outhouses that work as a fast-travel option. That hits on another aspect I enjoyed about my time with the game: its humor. It never seems to take itself too seriously, as one should expect when it features a bike possessed by an entity in charge of marshaling spirits to and from the Moon. Helping Skully gather these spirits is your central goal during your time in Wheel World, but to do that you need to assemble the best ride possible.
Traversing the realm of Wheel World and looking for loot (spare parts) is a big part of the fun, as you can uncover these items that contain a variety of pieces to customize your bike – everything from its frame, to wheels, to handlebars, and more are all swappable which affect stats like speed and handling. These parts can also come in ‘Legendary’ status and can give unique powers like increasing your boost meter to help during races.
Another rule of this world is Reputation, needed to unlock higher-leveled zones, which you can gain by facing down other riders you encounter on the road, or when you take down a rival bike gang by – you guessed it – racing. Which is great, because it feels so fun to ride throughout Wheel World.
All the competitions I tried out, whether they were up against a single rider or a pack, were very fun and lightly challenging with a nice pumping soundtrack running in the background (courtesy of Italians Do It Better). As I would glide through a pack of rivals, I found that both drafting (that’s moving behind the rider to reduce wind resistance), and utilizing boost at the opportune times, were keys to success. Winning races can also net you coupons that you can use at bike shops found within the world, giving you access to even more spare parts for your bike.
The physics for the handling of the bike also felt very natural, as you would have to factor in things like speed around turns, heavy peddling up hills, or just gliding downhill, it all felt very refined – which is great because the game relies so much on this aspect. In addition, its cell-shaded world itself is beautiful to ride through, reminiscent of games like Sable or Dungeons of Hinterberg.
Independent developer Messhof describes Wheel World as about the joy and freedom of living around bikes – and that feels like the case here. From racing, to tinkering, to exploring or even just going out for a cruise through the hills, it captures that spirit of riding a bike and the freedom of exploration that comes with it. Look for Wheel Worldto come to Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC, with support for Xbox Play Anywhere, later this year.
Welcome to Wheel World, where the fate of the universe rests on your handlebars.
You are Kat, a young cyclist with one mission: save Wheel World from total collapse. Explore a stunning open world filled with impressive vistas, hidden secrets, and races that will test your skills. Customize your bike with an endless array of parts, from sleek speedsters to off-road beasts—there’s no limit to how you can ride.
Wheel World is packed with things to do:
Race and Dominate: Take on elite cycling teams and quirky rivals in high-stakes races where every second counts.
Upgrade Your Ride: Scour the world for rare parts to build the ultimate bike, perfectly tailored to your style.
Carry Out Your Destiny: Recover your stolen Legendary parts to ultimately perform The Great Shift ritual and save the world. No big deal.
All of this is backed by an original soundtrack from Italians Do It Better, pumping energy into every race and moments of breathtaking semi-open world exploration.
It’s time to pedal your way to glory, save the spirits of Wheel World, and keep the universe on track. Hop on, ride fast, and don’t look back.
Brian Mitsoda, who penned the story and its fantasy world, shares insights about development.
Branching narrative, where choices you make define your character’s fate and the fate of Faelduum.
Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree is an ambitious action RPG set in a dark fantasy world. Developed by Primal Game Studio, it features challenging Soulslike combat and an expansive story that promises over 40 hours of gameplay.
With six classes to master, an intricate Talent Tree system to progress, and a sprawling, interconnected world to discover, this is a world you can truly succumb to.
Find out more about how Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree immerses you in its dark fantasy with insights from writer Brian Mitsoda.
Defy Your Fate, Inquisitor
Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree is set in the world of Faelduum. Inspired by myths, folklore, and fairy tales, this is a land where magic is very real, but outlawed.
City-states are governed by tyrannical archmages, and justice is done upon magic-using ‘heretics’ by Inquisitors. You play one such Inquisitor, whose fateful decision at the start of the game sets them on a path of defiance that will lead them to the darkness festering in the heart of Faelduum.
“Personally, one of the things that drew me to the project was the strong Castlevania influence, as that’s one of my favorite games series of all time,” says writer Brian Mitsoda, who shaped the lore, characters, and worldbuilding in Mandragora together with the team at Primal Game Studio.
“The dark fantasy elements reminded me of Berserk, and there was also a bit of traditional folk tale and fairy tale influence.”
Some of that influence can be seen in the monsters. From wild wolves to bloodthirsty vampires and other creatures of the night, there’s a veritable bestiary out for your blood. Blades (or spells) at the ready, then.
Entropy Is Coming
At the beginning of your Inquisitor’s quest, they discover that monsters are bleeding into Faelduum through tears in reality created by the mysterious, parallel plane of Entropy. The path forward is clear: Entropy must be cut off if Faelduum is to survive. And to do that, you’ll have to contend with legions of beasts and even more challenging bosses.
But even with world-ending stakes, Brian says it’s important to keep players focused on having a good time.
“The most important part of the game is the gameplay, so for me, I always ask how I can complement it without bringing it to a grinding halt,” says Brian.
“For example, if you’re fighting a bandit, I want you to know why they’re in your path aside from the fact that they’re called “bandits” and they’ve got enemy HP bars over their heads. If you want to know more, you can get some information from the environments and bestiary. If you pay attention to background dialogue, you’ll learn more about the state of the area.”
Characters are vividly brought to life by a cast of incredible voice actors—including Aysha Selim (Overwatch 2, World of Warcraft)—with many unique regional accents fleshing out the geographical scope and cultures of Faelduum.
Ripples Through Reality
“I’ve been playing video games since I was old enough to hold a controller, but what made me want to write them is that, unlike traditional mediums, the player can have a more active role in deciding everything—from their relationship with a character to the way the world is changed by their actions. There’s an active element in game design that makes everything feel a lot more personal.”
With Brian’s background in branching narratives, it’s no surprise that players will be presented with choices at various points in the game.
“We let the player define who the Inquisitor is with their dialogue and story choices, so the main character’s fate isn’t set in stone,” says Brian.
And though the world is extremely dark and cynical, he believes there is “hope for redemption” for your Inquisitor. But that choice lies in your hands.
Finally, Brian has one piece of advice for new Inquisitors set to begin their quests in Mandragora: “Don’t sleep on the Caravan character quests. You get to learn a lot more of their secrets if you do these. Really happy with the way they came out!”
What will you become at journey’s end? Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree is coming to Xbox Series X|S on April 17. Add it to your wishlist and discover the fate of Faelduum for yourself soon!
Slash, burn, and rage your way through Mandragora, a 2.5D side-scroller action-RPG with deep Metroidvania and Soulslike elements. Light your Witch Lantern, enter the dark realm of Entropy, and tear reality asunder.
UNIQUE SIDESCROLLING SOULSLIKE
Traverse 2.5D side-scrolling levels with skill-driven combat that deals punishment and reward in equal brutal measure. From the leering Caretaker to the Vampires of Braer Island, face ruthless foes and uniquely horrifying bosses that will make or break you.
FALL INTO A DARK FANTASY WORLD
Get lost in a rich and atmospheric world brought to life by timeless painterly art direction and the epic, twisted music of Christos Antoniou. Discover every detail with Metroidvania exploration, tearing down crumbling walls, utilizing new skills such as ground strike, and scaling buildings with your grappling hook.
A BRANCHING TALE OF LOST HUMANITY
Acquire the legendary Witch Lantern and enter the otherworldly plane of Entropy through tears in the fabric of reality. Make devastating choices in a sinister and immersive story by acclaimed writer Brian Mitsoda.
SLAY YOUR WAY
From Vanguard to Spellbinder, master one of multiple unique classes and customize your skills and powers through a deep and satisfying character development system. Find Artisans to join your Caravan and unlock new upgrades, and craft powerful weapons, armor and trinkets to help you die less and deal death faster. And when all is said and done, restart stronger and wiser with new difficulty levels in New Game Plus.
Detective Dotson is far and away one of the most charming games I’ve played this year. It’s as if you were to throw Ace Attorney and classic Monkey Island games together, wrap it up in a Bollywood film, and then set it in modern-day India. That should give you an idea of what independent developer Masala Games is trying to achieve, as Detective Dotson is fast approaching its April 24, 2025, release date for Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC with support for Xbox Play Anywhere.
The developer, which houses talent that has worked at studios like Pixar, Electronic Arts, and Prana, was one of the featured teams at this year’s ID@Xbox Showcase during GDC and it was a standout experience for me at the show — I also had a chance to speak with Director Sharlin Shodhan separately about the game’s support for Xbox Play Anywhere.
In Detective Dotson, you take on the role of the title character, an aspiring actor turned amateur detective who is trying to track down who killed his father. That’s the high-level pitch. But the fun of the game are the wild adventures he’ll embark on as he becomes a more honed gumshoe, taking on unexpectedly riveting cases like who shunned someone from attending a prominent tea party, or who’s responsible for stealing someone’s lunch to ruin a film production.
These lighthearted quests play out in a traditional adventure game style, where you guide Dotson across a 2D plane with a brightly colored, Indian-influenced 3D backdrop, talking with other characters for clues, picking up objects for your inventory, scanning the environments for hints, and taking down notes to later piece all your evidence together.
Once all your notes and clues are assembled, you’ll then head to an evidence board to solve the active case. Here you’ll effectively move sticky notes with clues on them like, “Broke Up With,” “Trained by,” and “Hides in,” to then draw lines between all your suspects to solve the mystery at hand.
What I enjoyed the most during my time with the game is that it taps into classic adventure gaming, a genre I love. It’s not quite point-and-click, but it’s similar enough in its functions that it scratches that adventure game itch. It also feels like an incredibly accessible, cozy experience that gamers of all skill levels will be able to enjoy.
It also looks like nothing I’ve seen before, with its brightly colored world, diverse characters, and dance-offs. I’m not proficient in the realm of Indian customs, but the game does a good job of easing you into the experience with its terminology, presentation of characters, as well as the cases you’re given. There’s a reason why being shunned from a tea party can have a dramatic impact on someone’s social standing, which makes it the kind of thing Dotson would want to solve for – who seems to not only be a better detective than advertised, but also a standup dude who is just trying to do right in his community.
Even though my demo was short, it’s clear there are many more layers to explore within Detective Dotson, ones that I’m eager to uncover. This lighthearted story of a reluctant hero has already moved to the top of my “Can’t Wait to Play More of This” list – which thankfully isn’t a long wait: Detective Dotson is set to launch April 24, 2025, for Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC with support for Xbox Play Anywhere.
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!
Breakout Beyond – March 25 Optimized for Xbox Series X|S, Smart Delivery Breakout is back! Choice Provisions (Bit.Trip) has flipped the legendary series on its head. Or rather side. In this neon-drenched take on the classic, you’ll need to literally break through each puzzle by clearing bricks to breach the final goal. Longer play will rack up a combo and increase the intensity of the effects creating a spectacular light show as a reward for the most skilled players.
Atomfall – March 27(Deluxe Edition March 24) Optimized for Xbox Series X|S, Smart Delivery, Xbox Play Anywhere A survival-action game inspired by real-life events, Atomfall is set five years after the Windscale nuclear disaster in Northern England. Explore the fictional quarantine zone, scavenge, craft, barter, fight and talk your way through a British countryside setting filled with bizarre characters, mysticism, cults, and rogue government agencies. From Rebellion, the studio behind Sniper Elite and Zombie Army, Atomfall will challenge you to solve the dark mystery of what really happened.
Blue Wednesday – March 27 Optimized for Xbox Series X|S, Smart Delivery An interactive game where the player can move through the city and chat with various NPCs, play the piano, and interact with lots of other items through the main character, Morris. The main parts of the game are mini games and adventures, and learning more about Morris’s story through vivid cutscenes that pop up at key moments in the game.
Sports: Renovations – March 27Optimized for Xbox Series X|S Your hometown basketball court is in danger – once home to a top-tier league team fostering many new talents in the field, now covered in cobwebs and dust. And now a big developer is only waiting to get his grubby hands on the place, tear it down and build a new shopping mall instead. But you won’t accept that. Give sports facilities a second life in this relaxing story-driven simulator. Restore the glory of old gyms, courts and pitches, and add a sprinkle of your own style.
The First Bezerker: Khazan – March 27Optimized for Xbox Series X|S The First Berserker: Khazan is a hardcore action RPG based on the Dungeon Fighter Online (DnF) universe, Nexon’s flagship IP with more than 800 million players worldwide. Set 800 years before the events of DnF, the game unfolds on the continent of Arad and explores the untold story of Khazan, the first Berserker. Players will experience Khazan’s legendary journey firsthand as they master intricate and engaging combat mechanics and strategic battles that bring his epic tale to life.
Dollhouse: Behind the Broken Mirror – March 28 Optimized for Xbox Series X|S Dollhouse: Behind the Broken Mirror is a terrifying first-person horror adventure game that tells a dark and mysterious story in a cinematic style. Enter the broken mind of Eliza de Moor, once a celebrated singer, now trapped in the labyrinth of her own forgotten memories. Since collapsing on stage during a performance, Eliza has been suffering from amnesia. The only hope for recovering her memories lies with Dr. Stern and his experimental medicine.
1: Khaos Reigns Kollection
