Torben Ellert Design Director of Forza Horizon Playground Games
Summary
In our newest collaboration with Rivian, an American electric vehicle manufacturer, you will be able to unlock two Rivian EVs: the R1T and the R1S.
The R1T is an all-terrain truck while the R1S is a luxury — filled SUV. Both can take any terrain head on.
Both vehicles will be unlocked by completing two different EventLab races on the Festival Playlist.
The team here at Playground Games are thrilled to announce our latest and most electrifying collaboration to this day: Rivian is joining the Horizon Festival!
Two all-terrain, all-electric vehicles are available to unlock on the Festival Playlist during the second and third week of Horizon Creatives.
This new update is now available for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC on Windows and Steam, and Cloud Gaming (Beta), keep a heads up for the specific weeks in which these two cars will be available.
Meeting the Rivian Family
This very special collaboration features two new-to-Horizon cars:
2022 Rivian R1T
An adventure–ready truck, the 2022 Rivian R1T isn’t only practical because of its dimensions. This car can handle like a pro on any type of surface you put it through – rocks, water, sand, you name it, and the R1T can dominate it.
Once you are done putting it through the most extreme terrains, the R1T can perform just as well on the road.
Players will be able to unlock the Rivian R1T on the second week of Horizon Creatives by completing the “Mudslinger’s Scramble” EventLab challenge on the Festival Playlist.
2022 Rivian R1S
Built to elevate your on and off-roading adventures, the 2022 Rivian R1S has all the luxury you’d expect from a high-end SUV, with the tools to make it an all-terrain master, and all this packed into a completely electric package.
The R1S can be unlocked by completing the “Stadium Supercross” EventLab.
Horizon Creatives
The new update for Forza Horizon 5 is all about customization, building, and, of course, creativity.
We are excited to see players creating new events, building prefabs, and sharing all this content with other members of our community.
For more details on the new customization features and reward cars in the latest Forza Horizon 5 update, check out the Forza.net blog.
Stay tuned to see new collaborations, cars, and other rewards coming later to Forza Horizon 5!
Your Ultimate Horizon Adventure awaits! Explore the vibrant and ever-evolving open world landscapes of Mexico with limitless, fun driving action in hundreds of the world’s greatest cars.
Saw X is Lionsgate and Twisted Pictures’ tenth installment of the beloved horror film series, featuring Tobin Bell reprising his role as the original Jigsaw — with an all-new set of diabolical and twisted traps. So, in honor of the film’s release and the return of one of cinema’s most iconic villains, Jigsaw and Xbox have teamed up with Lionsgate and Twisted Pictures to allow fans to be the heroes of their own Saw experience.
Solving Jigsaw: An Interactive, Trap-Filled Livestream
Jigsaw invites the world to “play a game” in the form of an interactive livestream that gives viewers everywhere the chance to become a Saw protagonist. Jigsaw has trapped a range of items in one of his infamous traps, and it’s up to the viewers to use Twitch commands to solve the puzzle. If the trap is disarmed, participants have the chance to win prizes, including the newly launched Xbox Series S – 1TB in Carbon Black, a Saw Billy Puppet and 3 month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscriptions.. The livestream will start at 11am PST on September 27th, so tune in on the Xbox Twitch channel for your chance to defeat Jigsaw. No Xbox consoles will be harmed during the livestream.
Virtual Insanity: Six Flags, Lionsgate, and Twisted Pictures Debut Saw Experience in Roblox
In connection with the film release of SAW X in theatres this Halloween season, Lionsgate and Twisted Pictures have teamed up with Six Flags Fright Fest to bring Saw straight to your screams — sorry, screens. Gamers worldwide can join a new Roblox world with a twisted obstacle course designed by Jigsaw himself. Every section of the obstacle course will feature classic SAW choices that players must overcome, using their wits to defy certain death and figure out the puzzles.
Each week, those who survive with the fastest time will be eligible to earn limited-edition Saw-themed cosmetics for their Roblox avatar. Xbox is also part of the terror and fun and will feature within the experience.
About Saw X
John Kramer (Tobin Bell) is back. The most chilling installment of the SAW franchise yet explores the untold chapter of Jigsaw’s most personal game. Set between the events of SAW I and II, a sick and desperate John travels to Mexico for a risky and experimental medical procedure in hopes of a miracle cure for his cancer — only to discover the entire operation is a scam to defraud the most vulnerable. Armed with a newfound purpose, John returns to his work, turning the tables on the con artists in his signature visceral way through a series of ingenious and terrifying traps.
See Saw X in theaters September 29, 2023. For more trailers and information, visit saw.movie.
About Lionsgate Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF.A, LGF.B) encompasses world-class motion picture and television studio operations aligned with the STARZ premium global subscription platform to bring a unique and varied portfolio of entertainment to consumers around the world. The Company’s film, television, subscription and location-based entertainment businesses are backed by an 18,000-title library and a valuable collection of iconic film and television franchises. A digital age company driven by its entrepreneurial culture and commitment to innovation, the Lionsgate brand is synonymous with bold, original, relatable entertainment for audiences worldwide.
Hey Xbox Insiders! We have a new Xbox Update Preview coming to the Alpha ring. It’s important we note that some updates made in these preview OS builds include background improvements that ensure a quality and stable build for Xbox consoles.
We continue to post these release notes, even when the noticeable changes to the UI are minimal, so you’re aware when updates are coming to your device. Details can be found below!
System Update Details:
OS version released: XB_FLT_2310ZN25398.2424.230920-2200
Available: 2 p.m. PT – September 22, 2023
Mandatory: 3 a.m. PT – September 23, 2023
Fixes Implemented
Thanks to the hard work of Xbox engineers, we are happy to announce the following fixes have been implemented for this build:
System
Various updates to properly reflect local languages across the console.
Note: Users participating in Preview may see “odd” text across the console, for more information go here.
Known Issues
We understand some issues have been listed in previous Xbox Insider Release Notes. These items aren’t being ignored, but it will take Xbox engineers more time to find a solution.
Audio
We have received reports of users experiencing intermittent issues with audio across the dashboard, games, and apps.
Note: If you experience issues with audio, please submit feedback via Report a Problem immediately with the “Reproduce with advanced diagnostics” option, then select the category “Console experiences” and “Console Audio Output Issues”.
Be sure to include as much information as possible:
When did the issue start?
Did you lose audio just in the game/app or system audio as well?
Does changing the audio format resolve the issue? If yes, what was the format before and after?
Does rebooting resolve the issue?
What does your setup include? Equipment, layout, etc.
And any additional information you can provide to reproduce the problem.
Keyboard Button Mapping for Xbox Controllers
In the Xbox Accessories app, the “Learn More” button is currently not functional.
If you change your keyboard language settings while the Xbox Accessories app is open, the change will be reflected after quitting the app or rebooting your console.
Manage Queue
We are aware recently installed titles may wrap to a second row unexpectedly, and we are working on a fix.
Networking
We are investigating reports of an issue where the console may not connect to their network as expected on boot. If you experience this, be sure to report the issue via Report a Problem as soon as you’re able.
Workaround: Wait a minute for the connection to establish. If your console still hasn’t connected, restart your Xbox from the Power Center by holding the Xbox button > Restart console > Restart.
Upload your Captures to OneDrive
If you are backing up a very large collection of captures (1000+) to OneDrive, it may take a while. Please allow for a few days for everything to appear.
Make sure to use Report a problem to keep us informed of your issue. We may not be able to respond to everyone, but the data we’ll gather is crucial to finding a resolution.
If you’re an Xbox Insider looking for support, please reach out to the community subreddit. Official Xbox staff, moderators, and fellow Xbox Insiders are there to help with your concerns.
When posting to the subreddit, please look through most recent posts to see if your issue has already been posted or addressed. We always recommend adding to threads with the same issue before posting a brand new one. This helps us support you the best we can! Don’t forget to use “Report a problem” before posting—the information shared in both places helps us understand your issue better.
Thank you to every Xbox Insider in the subreddit today. We love that it has become such a friendly and community-driven hub of conversation and support.
For more information regarding the Xbox Insider Program follow us on Twitter. Keep an eye on future Xbox Insider Release Notes for more information regarding your Xbox Update Preview ring!
EA Sports FC 24’s New PlayStyles+ Are Your Players’ Personal Superpowers
Son Heung-min is doing what he does best. He’s received the ball on the left flank, skinned the defending full-back, deftly touched the ball to the right as he reaches the box and – as he has so many times before – aims to send a curling ball arcing into the far corner of the goal from long range. And then a little golden diamond pops up above his head.
This is the moment I first come across EA Sports FC 24’s new feature, PlayStyles+. A moment later, I’ve scored the beautiful goal I was attempting to recreate, I’m 1-0 up, I’m irritating my neighbor with the noise I’m making – and it’s thanks to Sonny’s PlayStyle+ in Finesse Shots.
Think of PlayStyles+ as special abilities – each one aiming to represent the world’s best players’ own personal athletic genius. PlayStyles come in two forms: PlayStyles (without the +) are an evolution of the series’ previous Traits, innate abilities that each player possesses. But PlayStyles+ are rarer, offering extra abilities beyond that of the regular professional’s scope.
Found in among your players’ line-up of stats, PlayStyles are an attempt to not just rate your squad by stats alone, but in what each squad member can do beyond their base abilities. PlayStyles+ elevate the very best players beyond a counterpart who might otherwise share a similar numerical rating.
A PlayStyle+ can apply anywhere on the pitch – players can have them for various facets of goalkeeping, ball control, physicality, defending, passing, or shooting – and can be deeply relevant to how you choose to use that player, or how to set up your team.
“Think of PlayStyles+ as special abilities – each one aiming to represent the world’s best players’ own personal athletic genius.”
Taking Son as an example again, his PlayStyle+ with Finesse Shots – which means they’re taken faster, with more curl, and extremely high accuracy – means that I now aim to use that kind of shot more than any other.
Moving over to Bayern Munich, I quickly discover that wing-back Alphonso Davies comes equipped with the Quick Step PlayStyle+, meaning his initial burst of speed from an explosive sprint is freakishly fast – so I quickly begin routing my counter-attacks through him to make use of that immense speed. With Man City, I suddenly see new signing Josko Gvardiol arc out a leg almost impossibly to stop a shot, in a way I’ve never seen before – all thanks to his Block PlayStyle+ – and know that I’ll be taking control of him the next time a marauding attacker approaches.
In a lovely touch, each time you activate PlayStyles+, an icon appears above the player’s head – and there’s an unexpected joy in seeing that appear for the first time, a scramble for the Team Management menu to check it out, and a desire to see it again. As much as I admire the system for what it adds to FC 24’s simulation make-up, what I’m loving about it is that old fashioned, deeply video game-y feeling of unlocking a new spell, or stumbling on a fighting game special move you didn’t know about. Each time I see a new one, I’m delighted all over again.
EA Sports FC 24 launches on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One on September 29 – but you can play it in Early Access today by playing the Ultimate Edition, with an EA Play trial, or with EA Play Pro.
EA SPORTS FC 24 Ultimate Edition Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S
Pre-Order* EA SPORTS FC 24 Ultimate Edition before 29 Sept to receive:
– Up to 7 Days Early Access, start playing on 22 Sept
– 4600 FC Points
– Access to a Nike Campaign in Ultimate Team from 22 Sept to 29 Sept
– Nike Ultimate Team Campaign Loan Player Item (24 matches)
– Nike x EA SPORTS FC Ultimate Team Kit
– Untradeable Team of the Week 1 Ultimate Team Player Item
– 1 Month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (new members only)︎
– Plus all Standard Edition incentives
Play by 1 Nov to earn Founder Status*.
EA SPORTS FC 24 includes Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S games.
EA SPORTS FC 24 is a new era for The World’s Game: 19,000+ fully licensed players, 700+ teams, and 30+ leagues playing together in the most authentic football experience ever created.
Feel closer to the game with three cutting-edge technologies powering unparalleled realism in every match: HyperMotionV**, PlayStyles optimised by Opta, and an enhanced Frostbite Engine.
HyperMotionV captures the game as it’s truly played, using volumetric data from 180+ pro men’s and women’s matches to ensure movement in-game accurately reflects real-world action on the pitch.
PlayStyles dimensionalise athletes, interpreting data from Opta and other sources into signature abilities which heighten the realism and individuality of each player.
The enhanced Frostbite Engine delivers The World’s Game in lifelike detail, bringing a new level of immersion to each match.
Develop club legends and improve your players with the brand new Ultimate Team Evolutions, and welcome women’s footballers to the pitch alongside men as you craft your dream XI.
Write your own story in Manager and Player Career, and join friends on the pitch with cross-play*** in Clubs and VOLTA FOOTBALL.
EA SPORTS FC 24 is the next chapter in a more innovative future of football.
This game includes optional in-game purchases of virtual currency that can be used to acquire virtual in-game items, including a random selection of virtual in-game items.
FC Points not available in Belgium.
*Conditions and restrictions apply. See https://www.ea.com/games/ea-sports-fc/fc-24/game-offer-and-disclaimers for details.
**HyperMotionV technology only available on Xbox Series X|S.
***Cross-play enabled in certain modes on same-generation platforms. Cross-play not available on Nintendo Switch version. See ea.com/games/ea-sports-fc/fc-24/news/fc24crossplayupdate for details.
︎Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Codes will be delivered via Xbox system message after full payment is received. Redeem at microsoft.com/redeem by January 1st, 2024. Valid for new Xbox Game Pass members only. Valid payment method required. Unless you cancel, you will be charged the then-current regular membership rate when the promotional period ends. Limit: 1 per person/account. Subject to the Microsoft Services Agreement, Game Pass terms and system requirements at: xbox.com/subscriptionterms. Available in all Game Pass Ultimate regions except Russia see xbox.com/regions.
Conditions & restrictions apply. See ea.com/legal for details.
Player-created Guilds are arriving in Sea of Thieves at the launch of Season Ten this October.
Further headline features will be released monthly as part of Season Ten throughout the rest of the year.
Sea of Thieves is available free for all players with Xbox Game Pass and can be played across Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows 10/11 and Steam.
Sea of Thieves players are getting their first look at the much-anticipated Season Ten this week, with a new video showcasing Rare’s plans for this ambitious ‘Super Season’. With Season Ten due for release on October 19, this content breakdown offers an early opportunity to find out what new features you can expect to be enjoying later this year and when each update is scheduled to arrive!
Shared Progression
Unlike former Seasons, the content for Season Ten will be released in instalments over several months. First up is the introduction of a new way to play and share progress with your friends: Guilds. Launching alongside the new Season on October 19, this progression system is designed to help players form meaningful bonds beyond their immediate crew and unlock a series of rewards along the way.
Once a Guild has been formed by a Captain pledging an owned ship, up to 24 players can team up to work towards shared goals. Members of a Guild will be able to sail on other players’ pledged ships, complete with all their chosen cosmetics, and progress their Ship Milestones even when the vessel’s owner is offline. By doing so, they’ll help to contribute to the shared Guild Reputation and unlock brand new cosmetics for all their Guildmates to enjoy.
With customizable names, branding, and mottos, Guilds can be personalized to reflect their members and bring everyone together under the same banner. Through the new system, pirates will be able to more fully express themselves and their play styles, and create a much broader network of friends than has previously been possible with the standard four-person crew system.
Competitive Questing
The second major Season Ten update is also intended to bring players together, though in a slightly less collaborative manner! A new type of world event is set to arrive in November, as strange ghostly notes start appearing pinned to ships’ masts with directions for locating and retrieving a valuable new artefact known as the Skull of Siren Song.
There’s a catch, though: this unique Voyage is offered to all players sailing the seas simultaneously. All crews who accept it will share the same treasure maps, pointing them to the same chest and key necessary to claim the Skull. Being the first to reach a dig spot will leave you in possession of one of the two components, but it’s useless without the other half and as soon as you dig it up, it’ll emit a beacon for all other crews to see and give chase. Claim both chest and key for yourself, however, and you’ll be rewarded with this powerful ancient artefact.
Challenging as it might be, unlocking the chest and getting the Skull is only the first part of the battle. Once aboard, the Skull will place a curse on your ship to reduce its sailing speed, giving those enemy crews time to catch up and try to claim the prize for themselves. If you want to the be the one handing it in and walking away with the gold – and the glory – then you and your crew will need to man those cannons and battle your way back to land!
A New Way to Play
Just as we hope that the Skull of Siren Song will encourage competitive play, we recognize that for some players, a quieter, more independent experience can be preferable. That’s why, in December, Season Ten’s third major feature will introduce an entirely new game mode that grants players the ability to sail the Sea of Thieves alone or with a crew of friends, within their own private game session.
Safer Seas is intended to offer a gentler introduction to Sea of Thieves for new players, as well as providing a quieter map for existing players looking to pursue their own solo adventures. If you’re hoping to get some peaceful fishing done, or complete a few Tall Tales without interference, Safer Seas is the perfect choice. All applicable Commendations can be progressed in this game mode, so there’s a lot to work towards without needing to keep an eye on the horizon for enemy players.
At the same time, the reduced risks of Safer Seas mean that the rewards you can earn will be correspondingly decreased from the main game mode, which will become known as High Seas. Trading Companies will offer less gold and reputation for treasures handed in (although Seasonal Renown will be granted as normal), and the rank 40 cap means that Pirate Legend status cannot be attained while in Safer Seas, nor can Voyages on behalf of the Athena’s Fortune Trading Company be undertaken. Some other challenging and PvP-focused aspects of the game will also be out of reach, such as The Reaper’s Bones, the Emissary system and Faction battles.
While High Seas will remain the primary and most aspirational way to play Sea of Thieves, Safer Seas offers a complimentary way to explore and learn more about the pirate life in a more predictable environment. Our hope is that this broadens Sea of Thieves’ appeal and encourages ever more players to find their sea legs, before graduating to the High Seas and proving themselves as Pirate Legends!
Find Out More
For more information on the upcoming changes arriving in Season Ten, check out the full preview video on YouTube and keep an eye on Sea of Thieves social channels for future news. Season Ten begins on October 19 and will be free to all Sea of Thieves players who have bought the game on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows 10/11 PC or via Steam, or have access to it with Xbox Game Pass.
New to Sea of Thieves? Find out about the latest free content updates on our What’s New page, get familiar with Who’s Who or pick up some gameplay tips from our Pirate Academy, which provides invaluable information on topics ranging from sailing to swordplay as you prepare for your maiden voyage. Learn more about Sea of Thieveshere, or join the ongoing adventure at www.seaofthieves.com where you can embark on an epic journey with one of gaming’s most welcoming communities!
2023 Edition Out Now
Celebrate five years since Sea of Thieves’ launch with this special edition of the game, which includes a copy of Sea of Thieves itself with all permanent content added since launch, plus a 10,000 gold bonus and a selection of Hunter cosmetics. The Hunter Cutlass, Pistol, Compass, Hat, Jacket and Sails will ensure you cut a formidable figure as you set sail for adventure!
About the Game
Sea of Thieves offers the essential pirate experience, from sailing and fighting to exploring and looting – everything you need to live the pirate life and become a legend in your own right. With no set roles, you have complete freedom to approach the world, and other players, however you choose.
Whether you’re voyaging as a group or sailing solo, you’re bound to encounter other crews in this shared world adventure – but will they be friends or foes, and how will you respond?
A Vast Open World
Explore a vast open world filled with unspoiled islands and underwater kingdoms. Take on quests to hunt for lost loot, forge a reputation with the Trading Companies and battle foes from Phantoms and Ocean Crawlers to Megalodons and the mighty Kraken. Try your hand at fishing, make maps to your own buried treasure or choose from hundreds of other optional goals and side-quests!
Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life
Play the Tall Tales to experience Sea of Thieves’ unique narrative-driven campaigns, and join forces with Captain Jack Sparrow in Sea of Thieves: A Pirate’s Life, an acclaimed original story that brings Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean sailing into Sea of Thieves. These immersive and cinematic quests provide around 30 hours of the ultimate pirate adventure.
A Game That’s Always Growing
With each Season bringing in new game features every three months alongside regular in-game Events and new narrative Adventures, Sea of Thieves is a service-based game that’s still growing and evolving. Check back regularly to see what free content has been newly added, and see how far you can climb through each Season’s 100 levels of Renown to earn special rewards.
Become Legend
On your journey to become a Pirate Legend you’ll amass loot, build a reputation and define a unique personal style with your hard-earned rewards. Adventurer. Explorer. Conqueror. What will your legend be?
The Xbox Mastercard will be available beginning today, in waves, exclusively to Xbox Insiders in the continental United States, Alaska, and Hawaii. To become an Xbox Insider, visit Xbox Insider Program.
The Xbox Mastercard allows cardmembers to earn card points with everyday purchases and redeem those points on games and add-ons at xbox.com.
Earlier this month, we announced the no annual fee Xbox Mastercard in partnership with Barclays. Beginning today, we are thrilled to share that Xbox Insiders 18 years and older who reside in the continental United States, Alaska, and Hawaii can start applying for the Xbox Mastercard. With the Xbox Mastercard credit card, players can earn card points with everyday purchases to redeem on games and add-ons at xbox.com.
How to apply
The Xbox Mastercard will be made available to Xbox Insiders on a rolling basis throughout this fall. Look for the Xbox Mastercard Preview in the Xbox Insider Hub app on your Xbox or Windows PC.
To get started on an Xbox console:
Open the Xbox Insider Hub.
Navigate to Previews.
Select Xbox Mastercard Preview.
Select Join.
How to join Xbox Insiders
If you would like to join the Xbox Insider Program, you can get started by downloading the Xbox Insider Hub app on your Xbox or Windows PC. For more information, visit the Xbox Insider Program.
With the Xbox Mastercard, players can earn card points for every $1 spent on purchases including:
Xbox & Microsoft – Earn 5X card points on eligible products at the Microsoft Store.
Streaming Services – Earn 3X card points on eligible streaming services, such as Netflix® and Disney+®.
Dining Delivery Services – Earn 3X card points on eligible dining delivery services, such as Grubhub® and DoorDash®.
Everyday purchases – Earn 1X card points on all other everyday purchases.
You can read more about the Xbox Mastercard’s additional benefits, such as a bonus of 5,000 card points (a $50 value) after your first purchase, and more here.
For more information on earning and redeeming card points or card benefits, visit our Terms and Conditions.
We look forward to hearing feedback and we’ll continue to find new ways to deliver value to the Xbox community!
Experience the joys and challenges of modern agriculture, survive the zombie apocalypse with your friends, or unleash your fighting skills with Free Play Days! Farming Simulator 22, State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Edition and Tekken 7 are available this weekend for Xbox Game Pass Core and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members to play from Thursday September 21 at 12:01 a.m. PDT until Sunday, September 24 at 11:59 p.m. PDT.
Game Pass Core will give players access to our advanced multiplayer network, a select collection of over 25 games to play with friends around the world, and exclusive member deals! Read more about Game Pass Core at Xbox Wire.
How to Start Playing
Find and install the games on each of the individual game details page on Xbox.com. Clicking through will send you to the Microsoft Store, where you must be signed in to see the option to install with your Xbox Game Pass Core or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership. To download on console, click on the Subscriptions tab in the Xbox Store and navigate down to the Free Play Days collection on your Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.
Keep the Fun Going
Purchase the game and other editions at a limited time discount and continue playing while keeping your Gamerscore and achievements earned during the event! Please note that discounts and percentages may vary by title and region.
Enjoy a huge variety of farming operations focusing on agriculture, animal husbandry and forestry in three diverse American and European environments. Now with the exciting addition of seasonal cycles and production chains! Operate more than 400 authentic machines and experience the relaxed farming fun. Join cooperative farming with your friends, or even challenge them in competitive game modes! Benefit from a discount of up to 20% for a limited time and let the good times grow.
State of Decay 2 is an open-world survival-fantasy game set just after the zombie apocalypse. Your small community of survivors seeks to rebuild a corner of civilization, and you get to make all the decisions about how that happens: who to recruit to your team, where to settle your community, how to upgrade your base, how to complete missions, and much more. And make sure to keep an eye out for Curveballs, our brand new in-game events that create exciting changes to missions, your home base, and the wider world.
The best fights are personal in Tekken 7! With over 30 characters, you’ll be sure to find the fighter to suit your style. All the attitude, showmanship, and competitiveness of the arcades are resurrected for this supreme gaming experience. Play Tekken 7 during Free Play Days and be sure to also check out Tekken 8, the upcoming title in the Tekken Franchise!
Don’t miss out on this exciting Free Play Days for Xbox Game Pass Core and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members! Learn more about Free Play Days here and stay tuned to Xbox Wire to find out about future Free Play Days and all the latest Xbox gaming news.
During the Xbox Digital Broadcast at Tokyo Game Show 2023, White Owls’ iconic Swery (Deadly Premonition, D4: Dark Dreams Don’t Die), and Goichi Suda of Grasshopper Manufacture (Lollipop Chainsaw, Shadows of the Damned), announced details of the upcoming Hotel Barcelona, a brainchild of the two creators.
The title and genre of this game were already out in public, unexpectedly announced at an event four years ago – but the fact that two popular game creators with a huge following were planning to work together attracted the most attention. My personal fantasy was of a dual-personality agent protagonist wielding a beam katana, and my expectations for the game only grew.
In the last four years, we’ve heard very little more, and as those years passed by without any announcement, I almost gave up and wondered if the game really was in development.
The fact that we got not only got confirmation of Hotel Barcelona’s development through this year’s Xbox Digital Broadcast, but a gameplay reveal and an appearance from the two creators has brought back the feeling of anticipation and hype; we had to hear more about it. Xbox Wire immediately contacted Swery to hear more about the long awaited game.
To lay out the groundwork, can you tell us how the project for Hotel Barcelona launched?
Swery: It all started when I was a guest at a talk event hosted by Suda-san called “Travis Monday Nitro 2”, which was held in Shibuya, Tokyo in October 2019. At the event, we talked about creating a game like this together. At that time, we also announced the title: Hotel Barcelona. It initially was merely a vocal agreement between the two of us, where we just said “Let’s collaborate!” without much thought put into it. We weren’t sure if we were really going to commit or not.
But shortly after that, I got together with Suda-san again, now at an event in Canada at the end of October 2019. There, Suda-san gave me his firm commitment, mentioning he’d like to “pursue that opportunity seriously”. We worked out the plan and details in one fell swoop over dinner, together in Canada.
Was the framework of the game created then?
Swery: We had already announced back at the event that we wanted to make a horror themed, side-scrolling action game with the title Hotel Barcelona, so we started discussing ideas while keeping that in mind. We came up with the idea of taking in concepts and creating the atmosphere you would find in horror movies, while the protagonist would delightfully defeat serial killers from across the United States. And all of that would happen in a place called Hotel Barcelona. The general framework was decided on right during that time, and I worked with Suda-san to put it all together into a proposal.
As far as I can tell from the trailer, there seems to be an abundance of weapons.
Swery: The melee items, such as an enlarged surgical knife, are your main weapon, and the long-range items, such as a shotgun or Molotov cocktail, are your subweapon. You will go on missions equipped with each of these weapon types. Weapons are basically obtained from treasure chests that drop during missions. There are, of course, differences in appearance and performance.
Hotel Barcelona, the place where all the action takes place, is an integrated leisure complex, featuring facilities such as a casino and camping ground around the hotel to create a single, living world with seven smaller worlds inside.
Due to the fact that Suda-san and I are making the game, the worlds each have some twisted tricks, and each of them has a serial killer boss. The objective of the game is to somehow defeat the boss, and clear the seven worlds.
You mentioned that the boss characters are inspired by movie characters, but do you have a character in mind for each boss?
Swery: The bosses are not a tribute to any single character. They’re more like an embodiment of a subgenre of horror films. For example, there are many subgenres of horror, such as slasher movies, zombie horror, summer camps, babysitters, and so on. We came up with the idea of our bosses through the tropes that each subgenre has built up over their time.
Tell us more about the Slasher Phantom, which seems to be one of the game’s main pillars.
Swery: The Slasher Phantom was of my personal ideas to incorporate into future action games. This was brought into Hotel Barcelona because I thought it would be a great match.
Simply put, the player’s past character will move as it did in the last run automatically, while still retaining all hitboxes. Something close to this would be the ghost feature in racing games, but with hit detection; it will feel like you are fighting with your past self. You can hold up to three Slasher Phantoms, which will help your adventure in each level.
You might then think, “If I have three Slasher Phantoms with me all the time, all the levels will be a piece of cake”. I assure you it is not that easy.
Each of the seven worlds consists of several areas to be cleared, and the boss appears in the last area. When you clear an area, you can choose a power-up, which may restore your health or increase your attack power. However, if you get hit and are sent back to the beginning of the area, you may find it appealing to chose a different route than the previous one, say to increase your attack power. When you do so and choose a different route, the Slasher Phantoms will reset completely.
As you get used to the game, you will gradually be able to beat the bosses without the assistance of Slasher Phantoms. We are making adjustments with the goal that you will find yourself getting better at the game itself, as the player gains experience.
─Where did the idea for the Slasher Phantom come from?
Swery: While there are many death loop games that make you start over from the beginning when you are hit and downed, I have always wanted to make an action game that would embed the looping into its “action” aspect well. My thinking was to focus on carrying the action itself into the next loop, not the items and EXP. The result was an idea of looping the actions of your past play alongside the current player character.
From what I’ve seen during tests, the less good you are at action games, the more the player will value the Slasher Phantom. I had the impression that these players were really struggling in situations where they had to decide between recovering health and keeping their Slasher Phantoms.
Hotel Barcelona is being developed by the team that worked on The Missing: J.J. Macfield and the Island of Memories, and at the start of development, I told them that Hotel Barcelona was a side-scrolling, battle action game, and didn’t discuss anything about the Slasher Phantom system. Since the team had experience developing side-scrolling games but not combat-focused action games, my first goal was to make sure we had a good feel for the game. When it began taking shape, I then asked the team to add the Slasher Phantom system in.
I found the visuals to be very intriguing. What were some particular points you took great care with?
Swery: We started with the difficult task of incorporating the best of both worlds, which would mean figuring out what makes both our games iconic from a visual perspective. First of all, as a common characteristic, we identified that we both like to create games with animated expressions. So, at first, we tried to use the art style of D4: Dark Dreams Don’t Die with the inclusion of shaders that created abstraction. However, the characters were too small to be expressed well through this art style, so we decided to use ray tracing and added glistening effects, but this time, the frame rates became unstable. In the end, we mixed the colors and atmosphere of Japanese animation along with the expression of shadows in a typical ’80s Hollywood horror movie to create what we have now. We make an effort to keep the frame rate at a steady 60FPS, especially because it was an action game, and also at the same time, had to develop an art style that people had never seen before.
Speaking of animations, that transition when entering the boss fight looked very interesting.
Swery: We asked animation artist Saho Nanjo (who has recently created music videos for popular anime and artists) to create them. Cool hand-drawn animations will be played when each boss appears, so please look forward to them as well.
You’ve mentioned that Hotel Barcelona’s launch is in 2024, but when do you envision it becoming available?
Swery: The framework of the game is ready and the amount of content is also comfortably ready. 2024 is definitely the year, but the true game-making process begins here… Speaking of action games, it all comes down the balance of the gameplay. It really depends on how long it takes to get that right.
Lastly, please give a few words to the users who are looking forward to Hotel Barcelona.
Swery: First of all, thank you all for your interest in Hotel Barcelona. This game is a collaboration between two creators, myself and Goichi Suda. Although it may look like something out of the ordinary, we have created a challenging and rewarding action game together. The game is being developed by White Owls with the team who created The Missing, and we are proud to present it to you. Please look forward to playing it.
This marks an incredible week for PC Game Pass members – on the heels of Starfield, highly anticipated titles Lies of P, Payday 3, and Party Animalsall arrive this week – and October is shaping up sterling as well with the likes of Forza Motorsport and The Lamplighter’s League. That’s on top of well over a hundred more PC games available at your fingertips; sometimes the question is: where to start?
To help players find the right game for them, we asked one of our favorite variety streamers, Bruce Greene, to pick some of his favorites from the PC Game Pass library. Why him?
“I’ve been playing PC games for 25 years and I’m super impressed by what’s on PC Game Pass,” he told me, as he shared his list. “When I was asked to pick games from PC Game Pass that you would recommend, I picked like 40 or 50 cause like there were so many good games on there and I had to pare them down which is hilarious. Being a curator, it’s perfect for me.”
You’ll find Bruce’s full list of picks in the Xbox App for your Windows PC, and he dives a bit deeper into some of his selections below. You can also find more of Bruce Greene’s picks of favorite games in the PC Game Pass catalog by checking out the Xbox app for Windows PCs or follow him on Twitch.
Astroneer “This game I played when it was first in Alpha back in, I think it was 2017, and it was kind of like this epiphany I had because generally those sorts of crafting games just don’t get me. Astroneer is like the perfect mix of survival, crafting, and exploration. And it’s also space and I love space. I just recently played through it again a few months ago and it’s practically perfect. It’s basically LEGO in space — it’s just an amazing progression of exploration and crafting.”
Hitman World of Assassination “I liken Hitman very much to a Bethesda Softworks game, because it’s an open world, go anywhere, do anything type of game — you can be as ridiculous as you want. You can dress up as wacky characters, like a clown or a mascot or whatever, and eliminate people in discrete ways. That’s the best part of all of the newest Hitman’s in 1, 2, and 3. The World of Assassination is all of those packaged together, in addition to a rogue-light mode for Hitman. That’s even wilder because it’s like you’re playing a bunch of Hitman levels in a row, but you can’t get caught or die — which is so hard in Hitman! You can play it really fun and wacky, or you can be super “tryhard” about it and then go through the rogue-light mode. But Hitman is just like the perfect example of an open world game that really vibes with my personality.”
Microsoft Flight Simulator Standard 40th Anniversary Edition
Microsoft Flight Simulator “I’ve been playing PC games for 25 years, so I have a real attachment to, in general, flight simulators. Microsoft Flight Simulator is the one that I remember first playing when I was a kid. It blows my mind because it’s like, ‘wait… how can you fly anything like a real aircraft, or even a fun fictional aircraft?’ The newest Microsoft Flight Simulator is just otherworldly. It’s almost exactly what you would want, because now you can travel and see different parts of the Earth via a flight simulator, which is something I’ve always wanted to do. I wanted to be a pilot, so yeah, it vibes perfectly with me.”
Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord “The best part of Mount & Blade 2 Bannerlord is you are moving across a map, conquering different parts, very much like Civilization. However, each encounter, when you’re conquering, turns into third-person massacre. So, you get on your horse with your polearm and then battle a bunch of people individually as you’re conquering. So rather than just watching the numbers go up or down when you’re conquering specific areas of the map, you’re actually getting out there along with a bunch of other friendly or enemy AI. It’s great.”
Starfield and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition “Working a full-time job and making content for YouTube, I never had time to sit down and put hours into these games. Now that I’m streaming — and I’ve been streaming for four years full-time — it’s perfect because if you want to play two hours of it, you can play a couple of hours of it. If you want to play seven or 16, you can do it and it’s like this constant stream of meeting new NPCs and combat. And the really fun, engaging stories work perfectly for not only my own personality, but also for streaming. I had never played Skyrim or, well, obviously Starfield, but I hadn’t played those games until recently. I played Skyrim for the first time for a 24-hour stream and as soon as I was done with that, I stopped the stream, rested, and then came immediately back to Skyrim because I was having so much fun.”
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide “I’ll be perfectly honest: I’ve never been attached to Warhammer or Warhammer 40K lore. I’ve been playing Warhammer miniatures for years; we’re talking 10-15 years, long before they were ever major video games like Vermintide. Darktide is the “sequel” to Vermintide, and Darktide, in my opinion hits that formula pretty close to perfection. In terms of Vermintide and Darktide, it’s Left 4 Dead, but in the Warhammer universe and it’s just fun to play again and again with your friends — I have played Darktide for 100 hours so far. Fatshark (the developers) have a really passionate community and are always wanting to make sure the game is perfected. They’re working very, very hard to make sure that that game gets better and better. It’s great.”
24 Ultimate Edition Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S
︎
