Timeline
Thursday13th Jul 2023
Soapbox Test Drive Unlimited Was Special, And I'm Excited For Its Xbox Comeback
That solar crown is mine
After years and years of anticipation, we finally locked eyes on Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown gameplay yesterday during Nacon's TDU Connect presentation. While the game didn't quite shout 'next-gen racer' during its gameplay debut (we're hoping it'll be nice and polished up for 2024), it did look very Test Drive Unli
Guide The Best Games On Xbox Game Pass (July 2023)
Our picks for the best games on the service
Looking for a list of the best Xbox Game Pass games? We've gone through the hundreds of titles available on the service, and handpicked the very best highlights as of July 2023. If there's one standout reason to pick up an Xbox console these days it's very obviously Microsoft's phenomenal Xbox Game Pass...
News $25 Xbox Gift Cards Are Being Given Away To Samsung Galaxy Owners
As part of the "Summer Of Galaxy" promotion
If you're located in the United States and you own a Samsung Galaxy device, then it might be your lucky day! As part of the "Summer of Galaxy" promotion, Samsung is giving away free $25 Xbox Gift Cards. To see if you're eligible, you'll need to follow the link in the tweet below and go to "See New Daily...
News Everspace 2 Is 'Better' On All Platforms Because Of Xbox Game Pass, Says Dev
"Even the Playstation fans are getting a better game"
The hype train has returned for Everspace 2 ahead of its release on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and PS5 in just over a month's time, and Xbox Game Pass has evidently played a big role in its success on PC so far. Speaking to the Xbox Expansion Podcast earlier this week, Rockfish Games CEO...
News 'Banishers: Ghosts Of New Eden' Is A Narrative-Focused RPG Hitting Xbox This Year
"Experience a powerful and intimate narrative"
Life is Strange developer Don't Nod first unveiled Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden last year for Xbox Series X|S, and the team is back in 2023 with a fresh look and some release details. Alongside the above trailer, the dev has announced the game's launch date of November 7th, 2023. As you'd probably...
News Xbox Exclusive Hi-Fi RUSH Wins Award For 'Best Original IP' Of The Last 12 Months
The team seems extremely happy about it!
Hi-Fi RUSH remains probably the biggest Xbox surprise of the year so far, and the brand-new title from Tango Gameworks is still impressing the industry and players alike. During this week's Develop Conference in Brighton, UK, the game was handed the Best Original IP award - with the panel judging titles...
News Classic Call Of Duty Matchmaking Appears To Have Drastically Improved On Xbox
That's some coincidence
The Call of Duty series in particular has been a hot topic since Xbox moved to acquire Activision Blizzard, and for good reason - it's still hugely popular and would be a great get for Xbox. Well, that popularity extends as far back as the early Xbox 360 days, and funnily enough, those titles seem to have received an...
News Multiple Games Announced For Xbox At Limited Run 2023 Showcase
Including Gex, Jurassic Park and much more!
Limited Run Games held its 2023 Summer Games Showcase last night, and it included a bunch of upcoming Xbox titles! Some of these announcements were for physical versions of games that have already been announced / released, while others were for games that had never been revealed before. Firstly, here's...
News Free Play Days: Try These Xbox Games For Free (July 13-16)
Included with Xbox Live Gold & Game Pass Ultimate
Xbox Free Play Days returns for the coming weekend, with the program offering up four games for Xbox users to try for free this week. Finely-tuned sim racer Assetto Corsa Competizione leads the pack, and what's more, none of this week's inclusions are Game Pass titles! Here's the full lineup:...
News FTC Appeals Court's Ruling Permitting Microsoft's Acquisition Of Activision Blizzard
The regulator refuses to back down
Update [Thu 13th Jul, 2023 03:00 BST]: Microsoft's vice chair and president Brad Smith has now issued a statement, mentioning how the tech giant is "disappointed" by the FTC's appeal. Here's what he had to say: Brad Smith: “The District Court’s ruling makes crystal clear that this acquisition is good for...
Wednesday12th Jul 2023
News Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown Extended Gameplay Debuted Ahead Of Xbox Launch
Finally, real gameplay footage!
During today's 'TDU Connect' event, developer KT Racing has finally revealed real gameplay of Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown. The presentation started out with a short, sizzle reel-style trailer before the dev team presented a lengthy demo - showcasing open world driving, racing, player houses, clubs and more. All...
News New Xbox Feature Will Allow You To Report Inappropriate Voice Chats
Rolling out first to Xbox Insiders
Xbox has revealed today that it's implementing a new reporting feature which will allow players to report inappropriate voice chats in multiplayer games - and it's rolling out this week to Alpha and Alpha Skip-Ahead Xbox Insiders. The way it works is that you'll be able to record the previous 60 seconds of footage...
News Xbox's ActiBlizz Deal Seems Closer, But Some Game Pass Arrivals Could Be Delayed
A recent CMA report mentions COD on Game Pass
Following yesterday's blockbuster news that the FTC's attempted injunction against Microsoft has been denied, the Activision Blizzard deal going through feels closer than ever. Even so, the acquisition is still not confirmed by any means, and a remaining authority that still needs winning over has also...
News Blizzard President: We Have So Much Coming, We're Just Getting Started
"The 'sleeping giant' is awake and in full force"
Microsoft's takeover of Activision Blizzard has taken a step closer to going ahead following this week's victory against the FTC, and it seems like great timing for Blizzard in particular according to president Mike Ybarra's recent comments. Taking to Twitter earlier today, Ybarra was full of praise...
Guide Exoprimal Release Date, Launch Times And Preload Details On Xbox Game Pass
Here's everything you need to know
Capcom's Exoprimal is the next big Xbox Game Pass launch, and its full rollout is right around the corner. This is a service-focused title so it's well worth knowing exactly when things go live on Xbox, and therefore we've decided to break down everything you need to know ahead of this week's launch. Let's go!...
News Xbox's New Summer Accessory Collection Includes Colourful Xbox 360 Controller Replicas
Room for another?
Xbox has unveiled its next 'collection' of gaming accessories from third-party manufacturers — this time for summer 2023 — and this one includes some neat-looking shiny versions of the recently released 'Hyperkin Xenon' controller. Yep, we reckon the two Xbox 360 controller replicas stand out the most here - especially because...
News Microsoft And UK CMA Agree To Pause Legal Battle Over Activision Blizzard Deal
Update: CMA warns of a potential "new merger investigation"
Update: The CMA has warned that its latest discussions with Microsoft and Activision Blizzard are at an "early stage", and a restructured deal could ultimately lead to a "new merger investigation". Here's a statement courtesy of The Verge: "Whilst merging parties don’t have the...
Guide These 50+ Activision Blizzard Games Could Be Heading To Xbox Game Pass
The updated list for 2023!
Update (Wed 12th Jul, 2023): It's been well over a year since we first published this list, but with the Activision Blizzard deal seemingly nearing completion, we thought we'd spruce it up and add a few more recent titles. Something to keep in mind that is that brand-new Call of Duty games aren't expected to start joining...
News Xbox Studio Reveals Inspirations Behind Steampunk RPG 'Clockwork Revolution'
And it's NOT BioShock
During last month's Xbox Summer Showcase, Clockwork Revolution made headlines for its visual similarities to Irrational Games' Bioshock Infinite. While the two titles clearly share big steampunk vibes, inXile's new Xbox game is very much an RPG at its core, and one of the game's developers has revealed a couple of games that...
News Halo Infinite Adds 8v8 'Squad Battle' Mode On Remade Halo 3 Maps
Fans wants this as a permanent playlist!
Halo developer 343 Industries has unveiled its latest rotational multiplayer playlist for Halo Infinite, and it seems to be going down very well so far. The new matchmaking mode, Squad Battle, is an 8v8 playlist featuring Slayer and objective game types on community-made maps, and it's a huge throwback to...
News Xbox Boss Acknowledges 'Team Effort' In Victory Against FTC
"We take an important step forward"
Xbox boss Phil Spencer has had a busy few months not only promoting Xbox's upcoming lineup at the recent showcase but also attending the Microsoft v FTC hearing. Now that the acquisition has been given the all-clear in the United States, Phil has taken the time to t
Tuesday11th Jul 2023
News 'The Making Of Karateka' Brings Its Interactive Documentary To Xbox Later This Year
"Discover the story behind a legendary game"
The classic 1984 game Karateka is getting a starring role in a brand-new "interactive documentary" launching on Xbox later this year courtesy of Digital Eclipse - the masterminds behind Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration. Karateka was created by Prince of Persia developer Jordan Mechner, and is...
News Three Xbox Game Pass Titles Get New Reveals At July's Indie Showcase
Including a date for Everspace 2!
Today's [email protected] July 2023 Showcase brought us a few new Xbox Game Pass reveals, most of which were in the form of new trailers. We also we treated to a release date for Everspace 2 on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S! Before you hit "play", be warned that the Texas Chainsaw Massacre trailer is a brutal one! We'll...
News Mobile Hit 'Stumble Guys' Will Be A Timed Console Exclusive For Xbox
Fall Guys? Never heard of it...
You ever heard of Stumble Guys? No, not Fall Guys... it's Stumble Guys! You might laugh, but this game has been a huge hit on mobile over the past couple of years. And it's now coming to Xbox as a timed console exclusive. Stumble Guys pretty much follows the same formula as Fall Guys, requiring you to "run, stumble...
News Here's Everything That Was Revealed At July's Xbox Indie Showcase
Missed the event? Here's a recap
Weren't able to catch the Xbox Indie Showcase event 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. The following list is everything that was revealed during July's [email protected] Showcase: Monolith: Requiem of the Ancients brings...
Poll How Would You Grade The [email protected] July 2023 Showcase?
Give us your verdict
The dust is now beginning to settle on the Xbox Indie Showcase for July 2023! If you haven't had a chance to watch it yet, you can catch the full thing over at our live coverage page, and we've also provided an extensive recap of everything that happened as part of the show. So, all things considered, what grade would you give...
News Xbox Series S 'xScreen' Reduced By 40% For Amazon Prime Day
"Get it while it lasts"
Alright, so we know we highlighted the Xbox Series S 'xScreen' as recently as last week, and we promise we aren't affiliated with these folks (!), but we thought you might be interested in a "40%" discount for Amazon Prime Day. UPSpec Gaming (the creator of the xScreen) is describing t
Live Watch The [email protected] July 2023 Showcase Here
"You’re in for a treat"
Who's up for another Xbox Showcase?! Today marks the return of the [email protected] Showcase for July 2023, which promises trailers, announcements, gameplay and at least a couple of indie related surprises. "If you’re like us and can’t get enough indie games, you’re in for a treat. [email protected] is partnering with IGN to bring the...
News Xbox's Phil Spencer 'Grateful' For Speedy Court Decision On FTC Activision Blizzard Case
"I’m proud of our efforts to expand player access and choice"
The FTC has just lost its case to block Microsoft's Activision Blizzard purchase, and company executives are already out there on the internet, reacting to the news and providing statements on the matter. One of those execs is Xbox boss Phil Spencer, who has released a multi-post...
News Xbox Wins FTC Court Case As Judge Denies Preliminary Injunction
"The Court DENIES the motion for preliminary injunction"
It's official! Microsoft, Xbox and Activision Blizzard have won their court case against the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, as the judge has denied the FTC's request for a preliminary injunction over Microsoft's attempted takeover of Activision Blizzard. Here's a sample from the 53-page...
