Xbox Series S News, Tips, Tricks & Ideas

Iron Gate Studio has rolled out update v0.218.14 for Valheim's public test build, encompassing tweaks to building pieces, food recipes, enemy spawning mechanics, and more. Additionally, this Valheim update is packed with a plethora of fixes and improvements across various aspects of the game.

Video game industry analyst Mat Piscatella has revealed that growth for video game subscriptions has been stalled. According to Piscatella, spending on non-mobile game subscriptions only rose by 1 percent compared to April 2023.

Street Fighter 6 has been a smash hit for Capcom, and the Japanese gaming giant is already hard at work on post-launch content for the same. It was previously announced that franchise favourite character Akuma would be coming to the game as a playable character. The developer also released an OST for Akuma’s theme, check it out down below.

While previously alleged for May, the gameplay reveal of Assassin’s Creed Codename Red is seemingly happening at Ubisoft Forward on June 10th. Sources speaking to Insider Gaming’s Tom Henderson revealed that press and content creators will go hands-on with it during the Summer Games Fest week, with the embargo ending on June 12th.

Developer Evil Raptor and publisher Plaion have announced a new third-person action title, Akimbot. Slated for release on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, Akimbot will be out later this year. Currently, the game can be wishlisted on all three platforms. Check out the teaser trailer announcing Akimbot below.

Microsoft has been catching flak after the closure of Tango Gameworks, Arkane Austin, Roundhouse Studios and Alpha Dog Studios. While Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty assured employees of upcoming Bethesda releases in an internal email, its other projects are an entirely different matter. The Initiative’s Perfect Dark, announced in December 2020, is a good example.

Electronic Arts has revealed that it is planning on releasing two currently-unannounced titles before the end of the current fiscal year. For context, the fiscal year is set to end on March 31, 2025. As caught by VideoGamesChronicle, the company made the announcement through an update to its product release slate.

With Arkane Austin shutting down and the previous update or Redfall being its last, players who own the Hero Pass won’t have anything to look forward to. Servers are also online for now, but the promised offline mode is also not happening. Despite the lack of updates on future content, IGN reports that the developer was working on a roadmap before its closure.

Alan Wake 2, Control developer Remedy has announced that it has cancelled its multiplayer project, codenamed Kestrel. The studio has revealed that it will instead be focusing more on its existing franchises. According to the announcement, Kestrel had started development in November 2023, and was a reboot of previous project, Vanguard.

Spike Chunsoft has announced that Master Detective Archives: Rain Code+ will be coming to PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S on July 18. Making the announcement on social media platform X, the announcement is accompanied with a short trailer with characters from the game speaking with each other.

Developer Starward Industries has released a new update for its narrative adventure game The Invincible. The update, dubbed the Voyager update, has a new trailer that you can check out below. Among the features of the Voyager update are the addition of dynamic camera views for when the player is riding the rover, allowing players to switch between first-person and third-person perspectives.

Ubisoft’s Rocksmith+ has proven to be a great source of learning music through play for fans across the globe, and the game will finally be making its way to Steam after being available on PC via the Ubisoft Store. Ubisoft announced this news via an official tweet, and you can check that out down below.

In an announcement made on May 7, Xbox stated that it is ending all development on Redfall. In the same memo, Xbox also announced the closure of Arkane Austin, the developer of the game. Redfall’s developer wasn’t the only studio shut down, as several others are also shutting their doors.

Redfall celebrated its first anniversary recently, with fans questioning the lack of information on DLC characters promised with the Hero Pass. With Microsoft shutting down Arkane Austin, the co-op shooter’s November update is the last, and development has officially ceased.

Wizard with a Gun launched to its fair share of acclaim last year, but though it’s been a few months since its release, developer Galvanic Games is continuing to support the roguelike twin-stick shooter. Since release, Wizard with a Gun has supported two-player co-op, but soon, that cap will be increasing.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 has made lofty promises with the little that it’s been shown off so far, with its crunching, brutal combat looking to recapture the vibe of its acclaimed predecessor. A lot of that will, of course, will come through the game’s campaign – which can be played both solo and co-op – but will a PvP multiplayer component also be on offer? After, all, PvP in the original Space Marine was quite a fan-favourite, so will its sequel follow in its footsteps?

Bandai Namco’s SAND LAND, developed by ILCA of Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl fame, is available for Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and PC. You can check out our review here, but the publisher has released a new accolades trailer outlining praise from other outlets. Check it out below.

NetherRealm has released the first trailer for Mortal Kombat 1’s next DLC character, Homelander from The Boys. It’s pretty faithful to the character (right down to the milk), but that’s not all fans have to look forward to. On Twitter, director Ed Boon also teased the addition of character skins based on the 1995 Mortal Kombat film.

Even with updates, Arkane Austin’s Redfall remains an underwhelming release. However, after celebrating its first anniversary on May 2nd, it’s worth noting that fans still haven’t received the characters promised as part of the Hero Pass.

Mortal Kombat 1 has revealed the Homelander trailer, presenting the first in-game look at how the character of The Boys will be portrayed in Netherrealm Studios' game. Mortal Kombat 1 players are anxiously awaiting Homelander's debut in the game, as he will expand the cast of characters with what will surely be a very powerful addition.

Crystal Dynamics announced back in 2022 that it had started development on the next Tomb Raider game, and though official information on the title has been scarce since then, some new potential details may have arrived courtesy of a leak by Twitter user V Scooper.

Starfield is set to add some long-awaited features with its upcoming update, including graphics modes on console, expanded ship building options, surface maps, and much more, while later on in the year, Bethesda Game Studios will also finally be adding a land vehicle to the game. Beyond that, however, the developer is also working on a full-fledged expansion for the space-faring RPG in the form of Shattered Steel, and though not much is known about it yet, some interesting new details may have potentially been unearthed.

Mortal Kombat 1 is set to welcome its fifth DLC character soon in the form of iconic supervillain Homelander of Amazon Prime’s The Boys fame, and though WB Games and developer NetherRealm Studios still haven’t announced a specific release date for his arrival, they’ve shared another glimpse of what the deranged supe is going to look like in the fighter.

The prospect of a survival Terminator game set in a post-apocalyptic open world is one that instantly grabs attention, so it’s no surprise that Terminator: Survivors has turned a few heads since its announcement earlier this year. Developer Nacon Studio Milan has now also revealed new details on the game through an official FAQ page on Steam.

Other than its brief cinematic announcement trailer earlier this year, we’ve seen very little of Terminator: Survivor, but though it remains to be seen how long we’ll have to wait before Nacon showcases gameplay for the open world survival title, the developer has offered new details on the game via an FAQ published on Steam.

The PC system requirements for Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 have officially been unveiled. Ahead of the game's release, developer Ninja Theory shared the different tiers of Hellblade 2 system requirements for PC players.

Thunderful’s deep dive trailer for SteamWorld Heist 2 is live, showcasing how the turn-based tactical RPG has evolved over its predecessor. The side-scrolling perspective, cover-based shooting and precise aiming remain as you ricochet shots creatively to overcome enemies. Check it out below.

2024 is looking like a packed year for Microsoft, and though the majority of the company’s first-party releases are likely planned for the back half of the year, one of the more prominent ones is not that far away. Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is set to launch in under three weeks’ time, and ahead of its release, starting next week, Microsoft will be kicking its marketing campaign into gear.

After showcasing it in Ultrawide on PC, Ninja Theory has announced the system requirements for Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2. All systems will require Windows 10/11 64-bit, a solid-state drive and 70 GB of installation space.

Nacon Studio Milan has offered new details on its upcoming open-world survival action game Terminator: Survivors, launching later this year for PC. A new FAQ explained the choice of setting based on the franchise’s Judgment Day occurring in 2005 since Sarah Connor averted it in 1997.

With Resident Evil Village now three years old, demand for a new mainline entry in Capcom’s celebrated survival horror series is continuing to grow by the day, and it seems Capcom is going to oblige surprisingly soon. That’s as per prominent leaker Dusk Golem, who recently took to Twitter and stated that recent rumblings that he had shared about Resident Evil 9 potentially being delayed out of 2025 are, as it turns out, inaccurate.

With CI Games and Hexworks releasing the final update for Lords of the Fallen, the Souls-like action RPG is allegedly bound for Game Pass in the last week of May.

Many players are still waiting for the Redfall DLC they spent $100 on. Redfall was positioned to be the next big release from popular developer Arkane Studios. Arkane became well known for games such as Dishonored as well as their more recent release Deathloop, which have both received praise for their unique combat and traversal mechanics.

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is coming up in less than three weeks’ time, and with its release drawing closer, developer Ninja Theory recently confirmed that it would be sharing something new from the game every day until its launch.

EA’s long-awaited Skate reboot has been in the works for a while, and though it’s still unknown how long it’ll be before the game is ready for launch, developer Full Circle has done an impressive job of continuing to share new details on the game, as well as how development is progressing. The studio has now released another episode in its dev diary series “The Board Room”, this time focusing on Skate’s customization options.

After a round of improvements, Xbox Cloud Gaming and console users will soon be able to manage their save files on the go and manage more than one Wi-Fi network in the OS settings. The changes are now available for Xbox Insiders to test on compatible Xbox Cloud Gaming devices and Xbox Series X/S, with a general release to the public likely happening after a short testing window.

After multiple delays and recent reports of development issues, Ubisoft said that the release date for XDefiant would finally be unveiled soon, and soon is finally here. The company has announced that the free-to-play multiplayer shooter will be launching later this month, on May 21.

The Summer of Gaming hasn’t even kicked off yet, but THQ Nordic already has a showcase lined up for August. The THQ Nordic Digital Showcase 2024 goes live on August 2nd at 12 PM PT/3 PM ET/8 PM BST, with a pre-show by HandyGames (of Endling – Extinction is Forever fame).

Developer Ninja Theory has announced that it will be sharing something from Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 every day throughout May until the game's launch. On day one, the developer revealed an impressive Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 screenshot showcasing the game's visuals.

Looking at the baffling lack of marketing from Microsoft, you wouldn’t think Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is a major first-party game that fans have been waiting for for several long years, but even though Microsoft and Ninja Theory are being unusually quiet about the game, it seems like they do intend to change that to some degree as the game’s launch draws closer.

With all the top-selling titles over the past three months in the US there’s been one constant – the PS5. Circana analyst/executive director Matt Piscatella confirmed that it topped console charts in unit and dollar sales for March 2024 and the first quarter. The Nintendo Switch ranked second in unit sales, while the Xbox Series X/S claimed second place in dollar sales.

Hypercharge: Unboxed is finally coming to Xbox consoles on May 31. The shooter, set in a world of toy soldiers, has been slated to receive an Xbox console release after the viral Hypercharge craze from a couple of years ago, and it seems that time has finally come.

The next big update for Bethesda Game Studios’ Starfield is arguably its most exciting, with new gameplay options, proper Surface Maps and more display modes on Xbox Series X. But what about the future? The development team confirmed other features in development, including the game’s first land vehicle.

Xbox is working on a new dashboard feature that will enable users to combine dynamic backgrounds with static game art when scrolling through their games and apps on the dashboard. Currently, having static game art enabled as the background and hovering over games or apps that don't have game art attached will display the default Xbox background.

Bethesda Game Studios’ fourth major update for Starfield launches on May 15th with many quality-of-life features and improvements. As director Todd Howard promised, there are “other display modes” for console players, which means you can finally play the game at 60 FPS on Xbox Series X.

Starfield’s largest update yet is launching on May 15th. It adds several much-requested features, like proper Surface Maps for planets, indicating points of interest and markers for vendors in the major cities. You can fast travel to the latter from the map or your Scanner, which should make it much easier to quickly sell excess items.

Capcom’s Dragon’s Dogma 2 has emerged as the top-selling premium game in the United States for March 2024, per Circana analyst and executive director Matt Piscatella. It’s the third best-selling game of the year to date, with dollar sales surpassing the combined lifetime figures for Dragon’s Dogma and its expansion, Dark Arisen.

Digital Cybercherries’ shooter HYPERCHARGE: Unboxed, which made an impact for its unique setting and visuals, finally has a release date on Xbox. It launches on May 31st for Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One, retailing for $29.99. Check out the announcement trailer below.

Remedy Entertainment, the developer of Alan Wake 2, released a financial report showing that Q1 2024 profits are still below the title's budget even though sales have done well. The report shows more than just Alan Wake 2 earnings, with a full breakdown of the developer's financial situation.

Microsoft has a stacked lineup of major first-party releases lined up for 2024, but while a number of them are officially confirmed for this year, not many of them have specific release dates. That, however, is going to change at the company’s summer showcase in June, as per a report published by The Verge.

Bandai Namco’s Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO, the successor to the Budokai Tenkaichi series, has received a new gameplay trailer. The theme is “Master and Apprentice” and reveals ten additional playable characters, including some fan-favorites. Check it out below.

Bandai Namco promised a balance patch for Tekken 8 this Spring, and based on the recent notes, it’s a doozy. Going live on May 7th at 7 PM PDT, Ver.1.04.00 contains adjustments to several fighters. Right off the bat, characters like Asuka, Bryan, Jack-8, Panda, Zafina, and Kuma have received some buffs, improving the usability of the game’s new Heat mechanics or further carving a niche for them.

After launching on Nintendo Switch last year, Forever Entertainment’s Front Mission 2: Remake is now available on PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. While it’s a remake of the 1997 classic, it also marks the first time worldwide audiences can experience the tactical RPG. Check out the launch trailer below.

Remember Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League? Rocksteady’s live service looter shooter hasn’t been doing so good, peaking at a measly 193 concurrent players on Steam in the last 24 hours (per SteamDB). Nevertheless, the development team is preparing Episode 2 of Season of the Joker, which goes live next month.

For all long as the Fallout franchise has been around, it has never been set outside of the United States. Of course, its over-the-top, retro-futuristic Americana satirization is a core aspect of what makes Fallout, Fallout, but on new few occasions, large chunks of the series’ fanbase have wondered how locations outside of the US are faring in Fallout’s post-apocalyptic setting, and whether they could fare as suitable settings for a future Fallout game.

Earlier this year, multiple leaks and reports claimed that Hi-Fi Rush was headed to the Nintendo Switch, and though Tango Gameworks’ acclaimed rhythm action game has received a multiplatform launch, it’s only released for PS5, with there being no official word on it coming to Nintendo’s console.

DON’T NOD is no stranger to narrative adventure titles with extensive dialogue systems, where your choices can affect the course of the story. While Lost Records: Bloom and Rage sees one playing through two timelines – Summer of 1995 and 2022 – and making decisions that affect each, the development team at DON’T NOD Montreal is going with a slightly different approach to its dialogue system.

DON’T NOD recently announced that Lost Records: Bloom and Rage, its next narrative adventure, would launch in late 2024. The new trailer showcased Swann, one of the main characters, and some locations in Velvet Core. Players go through the Summer of 1995 and 2022 when the core cast reunites, making decisions that shape both timelines.

Microsoft has announced the first wave of titles coming to Game Pass in May. It’s kicking things off early with Have A Nice Death, a 2D action rogue-like available today on console, PC and the cloud.

poncle’s Vampire Survivors is gearing up for some Contra collaboration DLC next week, but for now, a free new update is available. Version 1.10 “Laborratory” adds seven new Achievements, a new Challenge Stage, a new Bonus Stage and a new character. Check out the trailer below to see it all in action.

Moonana and Serenity Forge revealed a new gameplay trailer for Keylocker during the recent ID@Xbox Showcase, and it looks more sumptuous than ever. The turn-based cyberpunk rhythm RPG launches this Summer and will be available for Xbox Series X/S and PC.

Bethesda's Todd Howard updates fans regarding the Creation Kit, an important feature that will be coming to Starfield soon. Most Bethesda fans are already familiar with the concept of the Creation Kit. When The Elder Scrolls:Skryim launched its Creation Kit, around 2,500 mods were available in just a week's time. Since it allows for easier modification of game files, creators have more flexibility in-game. This is partly the reason why Starfield fans are highly excited about its introduction to the game.

As excited as some may be for new ship-building options or city maps in Starfield, there’s the ever-present question of when official mod support will go live. Director Todd Howard confirmed it would be this year, previously stating the sci-fi RPG would be a “modder’s paradise.” As it turns out, some new information will be dropping soon.

Pocketpair’s Palworld appeared during the recent ID@Xbox Showcase, with the upcoming Summer update receiving its first trailer. It revealed four new Pals, two new weapons, and a new island players will traverse. While the new Pal count may seem low, the developer reiterated that the roster will grow with subsequent updates.

The Fallout franchise has been the center of attention despite the Next-Gen Update’s issues, but Bethesda continues supporting Starfield. The space-faring RPG will receive its first paid expansion this Fall with Shattered Space, and an update is coming up to add maps for cities and “some great stuff” for shipbuilding.

One of the most bizarre yet compelling puzzle titles in recent years is making its way over to Xbox consoles. THA Limited and Enhance’s Humanity, released last year for PlayStation and PC via Steam, and the acclaimed puzzle action title will soon be opening the gates for a new audience.

Bethesda Game Studios has been promising new content and features for Starfield for a while now, and though updates for the space-faring RPG haven’t been as significant as many would have hoped, more new details have emerged on when to expect some of that. Shattered Space, for instance – which will be Starfield’s first paid expansion – has been given a narrower launch window.

It’s been six years since Fallout 76 came out, and close to a decade since Fallout 4. Even if fervour surrounding the franchise wasn’t as high as it is right now thanks to the wild success of Amazon Prime’s Fallout series, demand for a new game would still be ravenous, but in the aftermath of the show, that feels doubly true. And even though it’s clearly going to be a while (to say the least) before that long-awaited new game releases, it seems like Bethesda might actually have two unannounced Fallout projects in the works in some capacity.

Xbox fans are all set to get a new game, Humanity, which was a day one PS Plus game. That's not all, as Humanity will also be available as a day one Xbox Game Pass game, which means existing subscribers will be able to try it out for absolutely free.

Gun Interactive has revealed new cosmetics coming to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre on April 30 will be free to level 99 players. The cosmetics are a thank you to the community for devoting so many hours to the title. Additional content for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre will be available through the regular patch released at the same time.

During the 2024 ID@Xbox Showcase, Pocket Pair pulled back the curtain on an upcoming Palworld update introducing at least four new Pals and a new island for players to explore. The new Palworld update is slated to launch in the summer of 2024, and Pocket Pair shared a short teaser video of the new Pals that players will encounter in the update.

Since its announcement last year, Dungeons of Hinterberg is a game that many have had their eyes on. Set in the Austrian Alps, where players will be exploring magical dungeons during their virtual vacation, the action RPG has made some intriguing promises, and at Microsoft’s recent ID@Xbox showcase, we got another new trailer for the title.

After announcing it last month, Odd Bug Studios has released a new gameplay trailer for Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter. As a sequel to the 2001 cult classic, it sees players controlling Arlo battling through the North to defeat the Dark Wings, who have more than a taste for blood. Check it out below, courtesy of IGN.

Alan Wake 2 enjoyed widespread critical acclaim upon its launch last year, while as of the beginning of February, it had also sold over 1.3 million units worldwide, becoming Remedy Entertainment’s fastest-selling game to date. In spite of a solid start, however, it hasn’t quite sold enough to start turning a profit yet.

Announced at last year’s Xbox Games Showcase, Thunder Lotus’ 33-player co-op action roguelike 33 Immortals has looked like an exciting prospect each time it has been shown off, and during the recent ID@Xbox showcase, the developer offered another glimpse at the upcoming action game.

In its most recent quarterly report, Remedy Entertainment has provided updates on which stage of production each of its many current projects is at.

Late last year, Life is Strange developer Don’t Nod revealed its next narrative adventure game with Lost Records: Bloom and Rage, and at the recent ID@Xbox showcase, we got another look at the title with a new trailer, revealing more details about its story, characters, and more.

Pocketpair is working on adding PvP to Palworld via the Arena. However, in the meantime, it’s preparing a sizable Summer update. In a new trailer revealed during the ID@Xbox Showcase, the developer revealed the new island, Pals and weapons included in the update. Check it out below.

Alien Day 2024 came and went this past Friday, celebrating Ridley Scott’s acclaimed Aliens franchise. While a new VR title,Alien: Rogue Incursion, was announced for this Holiday, Cold Iron Studios’ Aliens: Fireteam Elite also received a free update.

Bandai Namco’s Tekken 8 has a busy year ahead, but first, there will be a balance patch this Spring. Before you count the days till it ends, the developer has confirmed that the “first battle balance adjustments” for the season are “coming soon.” Patch notes for update 1.04 will also go live tomorrow.