This year, Microsoft is holding a big celebration for Xbox in Mexico City. The event spans from Nov. 10 to 11, and is similar to its competitor Sony’s PSX, which isn’t happening this year. On the Saturday of the event, Inside Xbox held a two-hour livestream full of all kinds of juicy announcements for Xbox fans, including 16 new Xbox Game Pass titles.
The event opened with an announcement of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds being added to the Xbox Game Pass roster. The battle royale is set to launch on Game Pass on Nov. 12. In addition, starting Nov. 10, new subscribers to the service can get one month for $1. Afterwards, every month will cost $9.99. Fifteen other games were announced throughout the event, and the full list can be found at the bottom of this story.
Microsoft also announced a release date for its much anticipated (and many times delayed) Crackdown 3. The game will be launching on Feb. 15, and it will also be coming to Game Pass on day one. We saw some gameplay of the third-person shooter, which promises completely destructible environments thanks to cloud-processing technology. There will be a new multiplayer mode as well called Wrecking Zone. The event showed off two maps, where two teams of five agents fight against each other under different rule sets. Additionally, the original Crackdown is currently free on the Windows Store until Nov. 30.
Square Enix played yet another trailer for the upcoming Kingdom Hearts III. The title will feature a wacky assortment of gameplay, as expected of the series. For example, the new trailer showed off a puzzle game set in the Winnie the Pooh universe. Additionally, starting next week, the Final Fantasy XIII trilogy will receive backward compatibility on the Xbox One. Final Fantasy VII, IX, X, X-2, and XII will also make their way to the console in 2019.
Rare announced a new competitive mode for Sea of Thieves called The Arena, which is coming in 2019. This mode is meant for shorter, more concentrated sessions that pits crews against each other as they all search for treasure.
Bandai Namco revealed new gameplay footage for the massive anime crossover fighter Jump Force. It opens with a focus on Dragon Ball Z, emphasizing the new Super Saiyan Blue transformations for Goku and Vegeta, as well as the Golden Freeza form. The release date is Feb. 15.
State of Decay 2 will be getting an update in November featuring new weapons, gear, and gameplay modes. The Zedhunter Update will launch for free on Nov. 16. Specifically, the update will feature crossbows and new melee weapons. Another update is planned for early 2019, but details are scarce.
Francesco Antolini, the creative director for Just Cause 4, came on stage after an action-packed trailer. Antolini confirmed that every weapon will have a secondary fire, all in the name of creating more chaos. The game launches on Dec. 4.
Director Hideaki Itsuno and Producer Matt Walker gave us a sneak peek at some new features in Devil May Cry 5, starting with something called The Void. The Void is a game mode that acts as a training mode, allowing players to practice their stylish combos. Itsuno showed off some of the Devil Breakers in the game, a mechanic that gives players a variety of ways to defeat enemies.
The Minecraft team announced its next update, which will bring cats and pandas to the game. The team also reiterated the 91 million monthly player count, to remind everyone of the ravaging success the game has seen going into its 10-year anniversary.
Microsoft has also announced a list of games that will officially support keyboard and mouse support. The major names include Fortnite, Warframe, Warhammer: Vermintide 2, and DayZ. The other games are Bomber Crew, Warface, Children of Morta, Minion Master, Strange Brigade, Deep Rock Galactic, Moonlighter, Wargroove, Vigor, Warthunder, and X-Morph Defense. An update on Nov. 14 will roll out the keyboard and mouse support.
ID@Xbox, the indie-game initiative at Xbox, had its moment in the spotlight. Senior Director Chris Charla put many smaller titles announced at E3 under the limelight again, including Ooblets, Sable, Tunic, and After Party. In December, Xbox will also be launching Winter of Arcade, a play on the well-known Summer of Arcade. Charla did not announce any games for that event, but said to tune into The Game Awards on Dec. 6 for more.
A new expansion for Forza Horizon 4 was revealed. Fortune Island, a new location for drivers to explore, is boasted to have some of the most extreme terrain ever seen in a Forza game. The winding roads will put some of the best drifters to the test, and players can expect thunderous storms as an addition to the game.
To end the show, the head of Microsoft Studios Matt Booty announced that the company acquired inXile Entertainment. The developer has a rich history working on RPGs, including Wasteland 2 and The Bard’s Tale 4. Additionally, Booty said they’ve obtained Obsidian Entertainment, famous for its work on RPGs like Pillars of Eternity, Fallout: New Vegas, and South Park: The Stick of Truth.
To wrap up, below is a full list of the 16 games coming to Xbox Game Pass.
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds – Nov. 12
Void Bastards – Early 2019, on launch
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice – Dec. 17
Ori and the Blind Forest – Dec. 20
Ori and the Will of the Wisps – On launch
Thief of Thieves Season 1 – Live now
Kingdom: Two Crowns – Mid-December
Aftercharge – Jan. 2019
Supermarket Shriek – 2019, on launch
Mutant: Year Zero – December
Pathologic 2 – On launch
Secret Neighbor – On launch
The Good Life
Agents of Mayhem – Nov. 22
MXGP 3 – Nov. 22
Thomas Was Alone – Nov. 22
