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Roundup Here's What Was Revealed At The Xbox Developer Direct 2026 Showcase
All the big announcements!
- Xbox
- Xbox Developer Direct
- Showcase
- Features
- Xbox Series X
News Xbox Exec Explains Why Some Games Are 'Day One' For PS5, And Others Aren't
"We're going to try and be more consistent"
- Xbox
- Xbox Game Studios
- PS5
News Fable Showcases Stunning Gameplay Deep Dive, Arrives On Xbox, PC & PS5 Later This Year
A fabled reveal
- Xbox
- Fable
- Developer Direct
- Playground Games
- Xbox Game Pass
Opinion Xbox Dev Direct 2026 Was Great, And One Game Clearly Stole The Show
We'll all be chicken chasing later this year
- Xbox
- Xbox Developer Direct
- Opinion
- Features
News Xbox Studios Boss Shares Update On Progress For State Of Decay 3
"I have done a number of visits to that studio..."
- Xbox
- State of Decay 3
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News Forza Horizon 6 Is Tweaking Progression In The Hopes Of Addressing A Common Series Complaint
Making your way through the ranks
- Xbox
- Forza Horizon 6
- Playground Games
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
Latest News
YesterdayFri, 23rd Jan 2026
Opinion Xbox Dev Direct 2026 Was Great, And One Game Clearly Stole The Show
We'll all be chicken chasing later this year
Xbox Developer Direct is always one of my favourite events of the year. Not only is it so much easier to cover from a Pure Xbox perspective than other showcases (!), but it also gives four games (or occasionally one or two more) a chance to breathe — a chance to escape from the rapid pace of the Xbox...
- Xbox
- Xbox Developer Direct
- Opinion
- Features
News Xbox Studios Boss Shares Update On Progress For State Of Decay 3
"I have done a number of visits to that studio..."
It's been a long time since we last heard anything on the upcoming Xbox first-party title State of Decay 3, but the head of Xbox Game Studios was actually questioned about it in an interview this week with GamesRadar. When asked about whether we'll see more of the game in 2026, Xbox Game Studios...
- Xbox
- State of Decay 3
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News Xbox Exec Explains Why Some Games Are 'Day One' For PS5, And Others Aren't
"We're going to try and be more consistent"
There have been some excellent interviews with the likes of the Halo: Campaign Evolved and Gears of War: E-Day teams going live over at
- Xbox
- Xbox Game Studios
- PS5
News Forza Horizon 6 Is Tweaking Progression In The Hopes Of Addressing A Common Series Complaint
Making your way through the ranks
Xbox has finally lifted the lid on Forza Horizon 6 this week, and while lots of the focus so far has been on open-world Japan and what Playground Games is packing into the world, we've spotted a nice bit of fan service that could have a major impact on how Horizon 6 plays. Kicking off its gameplay overview at Xbox...
- Xbox
- Forza Horizon 6
- Playground Games
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
Time Extension Audio director Dan "Toasty" Forden reflects on an incredible 37-year career
In October 2025, Dan Forden, the legendary sound designer and composer behind the Mortal Kombat series, announced his retirement from the games industry and the Midway successor Netherrealm, after 37 years in the business. For many fans of the series, the announcement...
- Interviews
- Features
- Mortal Kombat
- VGM
News Playground Games Explains Fable's Open World & How It Compares To The Forza Horizon Series
"There's tons to explore..."
With this year's Fable reboot, the series is going truly open world with the backing of Forza Horizon specialists Playground Games, and that leads to questions about the size of the world and how it compares to other genre examples. In a new interview, Playground's Ralph Fulton has talked about just that - and how it all...
- Xbox
- Fable
- Forza Horizon
- Playground Games
News Xbox Has Just Quietly Added Two Sims Classics To PC Game Pass
Via the EA Play program
We weren't expecting any Xbox Game Pass additions on the day of the Xbox Developer Direct except perhaps a shadow drop at the event itself (which didn't happen), but instead we ended up getting two surprise PC Game Pass titles! These are some absolute classics as well, with The Sims 1 and
- Xbox
- PC
- Sims
- PC Game Pass
Talking Point What Are Your Favourite Fable Memories?
Time Extension We'd love to know your favourite anecdotes from across Lionhead's classic series
Last night's Xbox Developer Direct 2026 Showcase saw Playground Games reveal the latest look at its upcoming reboot of the Fable series, and it's inevitably got me waxing all nostalgic about all of the hijinks I got up to in Lionhead's original trilogy. From the joyful...
- Talking Point
- Features
- Fable
- Xbox
News Forza Horizon 6's Controversial Game Pass Upgrade Costs As Much As The Game Itself
Here in the UK at least
Forza Horizon 6 made a big splash at last night's Xbox Developer Direct, with an impressive showing that finally gives us a glimpse at Playground's vision for open-world Japanese racing. It's launching soon too — with a May release date on Xbox — but folks are starting to spot that the game's DLC is l
- Xbox
- Forza Horizon 6
- Xbox Game Pass
- Premium Upgrade
- Microsoft
News Free Play Days: Try These Xbox Games For Free (January 22-25)
Five games, and they're all well worth playing!
In the midst of all the Xbox Developer Direct news on Thursday, we didn't get a chance to tell you about this week's Xbox Free Play Days games — and there's too much good stuff here for you to miss out on! Four games are technically included with Xbox Free Play Days this week, and they're all well...
- Xbox
- Free Play Days
- Xbox Game Pass
- Microsoft
Thursday22nd Jan 2026
News Fable Showcases Stunning Gameplay Deep Dive, Arrives On Xbox, PC & PS5 Later This Year
A fabled reveal
After what feels like an absolute eternity since it was first announced, Xbox and Playground Games have finally pulled back the curtain on the upcoming Fable reboot - and wow, this could be an Xbox game for the ages if all comes together in Autumn 2026. The Forza Horizon specialists are set to deliver a sprawling open world RPG with...
- Xbox
- Fable
- Developer Direct
- Playground Games
- Xbox Game Pass
Roundup Here's What Was Revealed At The Xbox Developer Direct 2026 Showcase
All the big announcements!
Weren't able to catch January 2026's Xbox Developer Direct showcase earlier today? No worries! You can always go back and watch the on-demand version for yourself, which you'll find elsewhere on Pure Xbox. If you don't want to watch it all the way through, we've also detailed all the important reveals in this article...
- Xbox
- Xbox Developer Direct
- Showcase
- Features
- Xbox Series X
News Forza Horizon 6 Officially Launches On Xbox In May, Here's Your First Look At Open-World Japan
It looks stunning!
As part of today's Xbox Developer Direct showcase, Playground Games has given us our first proper look at Forza Horizon 6 - and what a first look it's turned out to be. The team has taken us behind the scenes at its Leamington Spa studio to showcase its greatest hits rendition of open world Japan - from the dizzying mountains of...
- Xbox
- Forza Horizon 6
- Developer Direct
- Playground Games
- Xbox Game Pass
Roundup The First Reviews Are In For Final Fantasy 7 Remake On Xbox Series X
"It's officially the best version"
Today marks the long-awaited arrival of Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, and therefore we've started to see a few reviews going live at various outlets over the past 24 hours. Here at Pure Xbox, I recently shared my thoughts on playing FF7 Remake's free demo as someone who'd...
- Xbox
- Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade
- Round Up
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News Microsoft Is Hosting A Huge 'Buy One, Get Two Free' Sale Featuring Lots Of Xbox Indies
Live for the next week on the Microsoft Store
Xbox has just set live another one of its eclectic 'Buy One, Get Two Free' sales on the Microsoft Store; this one featuring lots of different indie titles across multiple genres. There are some more well-known indies on this list such as Valheim, Untitled Goose Game, A Little To The Left, Poppy Playtime...
- Xbox
- Microsoft
- Deals
- Xbox Sale
- Xbox Series X
News Beast Of Reincarnation Continues To Impress, Releases On Xbox Game Pass In Summer 2026
"A one-person, one-dog action RPG"
It was back in June of last year that we first learned of Beast of Reincarnation — a new action RPG from the team behind the Pokémon games of all things — and it was announced at the time to be coming to Xbox Game Pass. Today's Xbox Developer Dir
- Xbox
- Beast of Reincarnation
- Xbox Game Pass
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News Gears Of War: E-Day Will Be Packed With 'Heart & Emotion', Set In A Single War-Ravaged City
New details on the next Gears of War
Gears is going back to its roots, and we couldn't be happier about it. The Coalition has been, up to this point, light on details about the upcoming Gears of War: E-Day - but a new interview sheds a bit more light on what the team is going for, and it all has us incredibly excited to see the game in action. As...
- Xbox
- Gears of War: E-Day
- The Coalition
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News Double Fine's 'Kiln' Revealed As The Surprise Game At Xbox Developer Direct 2026
And it's releasing on Game Pass pretty soon
We'd been hearing in the lead-up to today's Xbox Developer Direct 2026 showcase that a surprise game would be revealed during the event, and it turned out to be a new multiplayer brawler from Double Fine! The game is called Kiln, and it sees you creating your own pot through an accessible and surprisingly...
- Xbox
- Double Fine
- Kiln
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
Poll How Would You Grade 2026's Xbox Developer Direct?
Give us your verdict
The dust is now beginning to settle on 2026's Xbox Developer Direct showcase! If you haven't had a chance to watch it yet, you can catch the full thing over at our live coverage page, as well as check out our recap of everything that happened as part of the show. So, all things considered, what grade would you give the Xbox...
- Xbox
- Xbox Developer Direct
- Showcase
- Polls
- Features
Wednesday21st Jan 2026
News Xbox Reporter Says Bethesda's Fallout 3 & New Vegas Remasters 'Aren't Imminent'
We might be waiting a while to play them
Earlier this month, we heard that Xbox and Bethesda were working away on new versions of Fallout 3 and New Vegas thanks to a big report from Windows Central - but now the same source is warning us that the pair of Fallout remasters/remakes are a while away from releasing just yet. Yep, ahead of
- Xbox
- Fallout 3
- Fallout New Vegas
- Bethesda
- Microsoft
News Three Games Are Available Today With Xbox Game Pass (January 21)
Including a MASSIVE addition from Kojima Productions
Welcome to your latest Xbox Game Pass roundup! Following yesterday's XGP update that mapped out the rest of January, we have three big titles landing in the library today, including Kojima's once-PS4 exclusive Death Stranding. Here's some more details on tha
- Xbox
- Xbox Game Pass
- Microsoft
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News Here's Your First Look At The 60FPS Far Cry 3 Upgrade On Xbox Series X|S
Blood Dragon and Primal get upgrades today too!
Last week, Ubisoft quietly announced that Far Cry 3 Classic Edition, Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon Classic Edition and Far Cry Primal would all be receiving native 60FPS upgrades on January 21st, and those upgrades are now live! As we've mentioned before, Far Cry 3 technically already ran at 60FPS on Xbox...
- Xbox
- Far Cry 3
- Upgrade
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News Ubisoft Cancels Multiple Games, Closes Studios, And Unveils New Strategy For The Future
The Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake is no more
In a shocking announcement today, Ubisoft has cancelled the Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake along with various other games, while also closing studios and unveiling a new strategy for the company going forward. Ubisoft says it needs to "reclaim its creative leadership, regain agility and...
- Xbox
- Ubisoft
- Prince of Persia: The Sands Of Time Remake
News Prince Of Persia Remake Team Shares Final Message Following Game's Cancellation
"We want to share this with you directly"
The Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake feels like it's been doomed from the start. After first being announced all the way back in September of 2020, the game ended up suffering numerous delays before eventually switching development teams to Ubisoft Montreal in 2023, and progress then seemed to be...
- Xbox
- Prince of Persia Remake
- Ubisoft
News Xbox 'Developer Direct Sale' Now Live With Big Discounts On Xbox Game Studios Titles
Microsoft debuts a new Dev Direct sale
Ahead of Xbox Developer Direct airing tomorrow, January 22nd, the Microsoft Store is hosting a new Dev Direct sale - featuring a bunch of Xbox Game Studios titles at up to 80% off. This particular promo contains everything from Psychonauts and Jade Empire on the OG Xbox to South of Midnight,
- Xbox
- Deals
- Developer Direct
- Microsoft
- Xbox Series X
News Halo Studios Admits That The Series Needs A Bigger Playerbase As PS5 Community Awaits
"There are people who've never been exposed to Halo"
Halo: Campaign Evolved is set for a PS5 launch later this year, as the team at Halo Studios plots its first-ever multiplatform release. It's a big shift for the Halo series, but ultimately, it sounds like one the famous Xbox IP needs to make for it to thrive in the future. In a new interview with
- Xbox
- Halo: Campaign Evolved
- Halo Studios
- PS5
- Microsoft
News Here's What's Included In The Xbox January 2026 Update
PC, handheld and cloud are the focus
The Xbox January 2026 update is now being highlighted by the folks over at Xbox Wire, and as usual with these updates in recent months, it's not really very console-focused — the updates encompass everything nowadays. Having said that, the Xbox PC app has gotten some fresh updates, Xbox Cloud Gaming is...
- Xbox
- Microsoft
- Updates
- January 2026
- Xbox Series X
Tuesday20th Jan 2026
One hellishly beautiful game
Today, Microsoft has revealed its next batch of Xbox Game Pass titles, with some huge additions coming our way including Death Stranding Director's Cut later this week. However, it's one of next week's arrivals that's caught our eye, with Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2
- Xbox
- Features
- Xbox Game Pass
- Space Marine 2
- Xbox Series X
News These 10 Games Are Coming To Xbox Game Pass, Multiple Major Additions (January 21 - February 3)
More big titles for XGP!
Microsoft has today revealed another new roundup of Xbox Game Pass titles for January 2026, with 10 games joining the service from January 21 - February 3, including multiple major additions in Space Marine 2 and Death Stranding and Ninja Gaiden Ragebound! Don't forget that
- Xbox
- Microsoft
- Xbox Game Pass
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News Xbox Ally Owner Explains How They Added Real Game Boy Cartridges To Their Handheld
Even the Game Boy Camera works!
There are so many amazing things you can do with the ROG Xbox Ally, but here's one we'd never anticipated — adding real, working Game Boy cartridges to it! That's what one owner has been showing off on Reddit today, and it's got us inspired to try something similar ourselves. In their post a few hours ago, Reddit...
- Xbox
- ROG Xbox Ally
- Handhelds
- Game Boy
- Random
News Two Games Are Available Today With Xbox Game Pass (January 20)
Two big additions to XGP
Welcome to your latest Xbox Game Pass update! Today, two big additions are arriving on the service, including a well-loved survival horror title from Capcom in the form of Resident Evil Village. Here's a quick introduction to that, alongside today's other XGP arrival, which is a day one release! MIO: Memories In Orbit...
- Xbox
- Xbox Game Pass
- Microsoft
- Xbox One
- Xbox Series X
News Loads Of Leaked Fable Concept Art Shows Open World Environments, Dungeons & More
Full gameplay reveal coming this week
It's been a long time coming, but things are really kicking into gear now with Playground's Fable reboot. We've got the team's full gameplay reveal coming later this week via Xbox Developer Direct, and ahead of that showcase in a few days' time, a load of fresh Fable concept art has leaked online. Coming by way...
- Xbox
- Fable
- Playground Games
- Concept Art
- Microsoft
Feature Xbox Play Anywhere Is Convincing People To Buy Their Multiplatform Games On Xbox
It just makes sense if you have a good PC
Last night, it was reconfirmed that 007 First Light will be supporting Xbox Play Anywhere when it releases on May 27th, which means anyone who buys the Xbox Series X and S version will also get a free PC version on the Xbox PC app. That's obviously huge news if you're a big PC gamer, which includes Windows...
- Xbox
- Xbox Play Anywhere
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
- PC
Roundup MIO: Memories In Orbit Gets Strong Reviews As It Arrives On Xbox Game Pass
A new Metroidvania comes to XGP
Two games are landing on Xbox Game Pass today, and one of them — MIO: Memories In Orbit — is a brand-new day one release, which means early reviews are now starting to come out for this new Metroidvania title. The early outlook seems pretty positive for MIO, with it hovering in the low 80s in terms of an...
- Xbox
- Round Up
- MIO: Memories In Orbit
- Xbox Game Pass
News Life Is Strange: Reunion Finishes Max & Chloe's Story On Xbox This March
"By and for fans of the original"
We've got a new Life is Strange game on the way! It's been announced today that Life is Strange: Reunion will be coming to Xbox Series X and S on March 26th, and it'll serve as the conclusion to Max and Chloe's story. These are the characters that have mainly defined the Life is Strange series since 2015, of...
- Xbox
- Life is Strange
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
Monday19th Jan 2026
Feature Five Things I've Learned After Using The ROG Xbox Ally X For Eight Hours Per-Day
Let's call it a three-month review!
Just over three months ago, I published my initial thoughts on the ROG Xbox Ally X handheld in a review here at Pure Xbox, concluding that it was "the only gaming device I've wanted to use over the past two weeks, and it's handled most things that I've thrown at it with confidence". A month later, I decided to...
- Xbox
- Features
- ROG Xbox Ally
Guide Xbox Developer Direct 2026: Event Date, Start Times & What To Expect From The Showcase
It's going to be a big show for Microsoft
It's almost time for Xbox Developer Direct 2026! Yep, this year's edition of the team's January showcase takes place this week, with three games confirmed for the show already. So, we're going to gather up all the details you need to know for this next Xbox showcase, including when it begins, which games...
- Xbox
- Developer Direct
- Showcase
- 2026
- Microsoft
News Bungie's Marathon To Release In March 2026, Voice Cast & Pre-Order Details Revealed
Update: Pre-orders now live for £34.99 / $39.99
Bungie is back today with its latest update on survival extraction FPS Marathon, which now has a release window of March 2026 and has been re-confirmed to release on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S in addition to PS5 and PC. You can get a fresh look at the game in the 22-minute documentary above, and...
- Xbox
- Marathon
- Bungie
News Some Xbox Users Were Surprised With Free Gift Cards Over The Weekend
Stemming from a promotion in December
Xbox has been giving out some free gift cards again! Various Xbox users were surprised with some extra credit over the weekend, and it all stems from a promotion that started back in December. When the Xbox Countdown Sale began on December 18th, it was quietly revealed that buying EA Sports and/or 2K Sports...
- Xbox
- Xbox Gift Card
News Footage From Xbox's Cancelled ZeniMax Online Game Leaks, Looks Very Cyberpunk
Here's what the ESO dev was working on
Back in July of last year, Microsoft cancelled The Elder Scrolls Online dev's next game — Project Blackbird — despite reports that some Xbox execs were "blown away" by it previously. Unfortunately, the public never got to see the title in action, but now, some footage of the canned MMORPG has leaked online,...
- Xbox
- Zenimax
- Project Blackbird
- The Elder Scrolls Online
- Microsoft
Report Microsoft Is Set To Launch An Xbox Cloud Gaming Ad-Tier This Year
Messages are already popping up for some users
Late last year, we heard that Microsoft had started doing internal tests for an ad-supported tier of Xbox Cloud Gaming, and while this hasn't gone live for the public yet, a new report — along with some concrete evidence from other sources — suggests that the new tier is real and will launch in the...
- Xbox
- Microsoft
- Xbox Cloud Gaming
- Ad-Tier
- Xbox Game Pass
News Ubisoft's Retrofuture Far Cry Game Has Always Deserved 60FPS, And It's Almost Here
The next 60FPS Far Cry trailer has landed
At the weekend, Ubisoft announced that three Far Cry games were set for 60FPS updates on current-gen consoles this week - and now that the Blood Dragon trailer is here for us to feast our eyes on, we can't wait to replay this one at a smooth frame rate on Xbox Series X|S. We've chucked this 60FPS update...
- Xbox
- Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon
- Ubisoft
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
Talking Point Do You Think The Game Awards FPS 'Highguard' Will Actually Hit Xbox Next Week?
We're officially a week away from launch, or are we?
One of the big talking points coming out of The Game Awards last month was how much the event's final trailer fell flat for viewers. Highguard, from new studio Wildlight Entertainment, is an upcoming free-to-play FPS that (supposedly) hits Xbox i
- The Game Awards
- Xbox
- Highguard
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
Sunday18th Jan 2026
News Seven Games Are Leaving Xbox Game Pass In Late January 2026
Here's what's on the chopping block
Microsoft has revealed the next seven games leaving Xbox Game Pass in late January 2026, with all of these being highlighted as "leaving soon" on the official Xbox mobile app. Although there aren't any major AAA titles in the mix, there are still some excellent games in here — Citizen Sleeper 2 was a 2025 Game...
- Xbox
- Xbox Game Pass
- Xbox One
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
Feature 50 Backwards Compatible Xbox Games That Are 'Disc Only' In 2026
Digitally delisted, but all hope's not lost!
There are hundreds and hundreds of backwards compatible games from the original Xbox and Xbox 360 eras that we can enjoy on our modern consoles, and it's ultimately one of the best initiatives Xbox has ever put together for us. That said, there are obviously some games that aren't part of the program —...
- Xbox
- Features
- Backwards Compatible Games
Retro Recap All The Classic Gaming News From The Past Week (January 18th 2026)
Time Extension News, features and talking points from the retro gaming world
Welcome to Retro Recap, a regular feature we run each and every weekend which rounds up all of the best retro gaming news and content of the past week in one place. Commodore (Not That One) Is Launching A NewZealand Story Reboot Next Month: That's right, Commodore Industries (not the...
- Retro Recap
- Features
Roundup All Of These Games Are Reduced By 90% In January's Xbox Publisher Spotlight Sale
Bag yourself a bargain
There are multiple sales taking place on the Xbox Store this week as usual, but arguably none more interesting than the January Publisher Spotlight Series Sale, which sees various games getting the heavy discount treatment! So, we thought we'd go through and highlight all the games reduced by 90% in the Publisher Spotlight...
- Xbox
- Deals
- Discounts
- Xbox One
- Xbox Series X
Saturday17th Jan 2026
Feature These 20+ Games Are Coming To Xbox Next Week (January 19-23)
Including another three Game Pass titles!
Welcome to your Xbox games roundup for January 19-23! We've got two major releases over the next few days in 2XKO and Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade, along with three Xbox Game Pass titles including Resident Evil Village! There's a whole bunch of great indie games to look through as well. Here's what's...
- Xbox
- Features
- Weekly Roundup
- Xbox One
- Xbox Series X
News Three Games Are Confirmed For Xbox Game Pass In February 2026 So Far
An early look at Feb's lineup
As we always do around this time of the month, we're taking an early look today at what's ahead for February 2026's Xbox Game Pass selection, with three titles having been confirmed for the service next month already. The headline game so far is definitely High on Life 2; this absurd-looking sequel aims to level up...
- Xbox
- Xbox Game Pass
- Microsoft
- February 2026
Poll What Are Your First Impressions Of Star Wars Outlaws On Xbox Game Pass?
The massive Ubisoft game hits XGP
Last week's major addition to Xbox Game Pass was definitely Star Wars Outlaws; Ubisoft's recent open world epic has been live for Game Pass Ultimate players for a good few days now. So, if this is your first introduction to the Massive Entertainment title, what do you think of it so far? Here at Pure Xbox HQ, we...
- Xbox
- Features
- Polls
- Star Wars Outlaws
- Xbox Series X
