All new games and release dates for Xbox titles

Entitled X018, the event was aimed at Microsoft’s core fans and had a number of announcements aimed at that audience, with some having broader implications across gaming generally.

A comic-art inspired sci-fi strategy shooter entitled Void Bastards was premiered at the event, in which the player leads a group of space-convict misfits through a series of adventures salvaging derelict space ships and firing laser guns a lot in the process.

Anticipated (and delayed) open-world shooter Crackdown 3 has been given a February 15 release date — with the new “wrecking zone” multiplayer mode shown off looking to be a lot of fun, too.

Forza Horizon 4 fans will be pleased to hear there’s additional content coming for the racing car on December 13 , entitled “Fortune Island”, taking place “in the remote northern reaches of the British Isles, where they will encounter extreme conditions including fierce lightning storms, perilous cliffside dirt roads, and sweeping paved mountain switchbacks under the mystical glow of the aurora borealis in search of hidden treasure”.

Sea of Thieves is also getting a new content updated early next year, entitled ‘The Arena’. Described as “an all-new competitive game mode that allows players to test their pirating skills in fast-paced matches against rival crews”, it will also include a new tavern and a new Trading Company known as The Sea Dogs.

A free content pack for zombie survival title State of Decay 2 was also announced — the Zed Hunter Pack, adding new weapons and items to the game.

Highly respected games studios Obsidian and inExile have been acquired by Microsoft, possibly suggesting a stronger focus on role-playing games for the publisher — Obsidian in particular were responsible for the beloved classics Fallout: New Vegas and South Park: The Stick of Truth, as well as the outstanding Pillars of Eternity games.

Interestingly, Microsoft also announced mouse and keyboard support for the Xbox One would arrive next week– further blurring the lines between the console (frequently billed as “the world’s most powerful gaming console”) and dedicated gaming PCs. Battle Royale game Fortnite will be one of the first titles to support the new input methods, with horde shooter Strange Brigade, crew management game Bomber Crew and online combat game War Thunder adding the support later this month, and Microsoft have confirmed that following the forthcoming update, all developers will have the option to include it in their new games if they choose.

There will also be a range of ‘Designed for Xbox’ mice and keyboards, which will feature a dedicated Xbox key and support dynamic lighting — much as is found on PC gaming keyboards and mice. Fittingly, peripherals manufacturer Razer have been the named the exclusive partner for the first ‘Designed for Xbox’ keyboard and mouse; the peripherals will be formally unveiled at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), being held in Las Vegas in early January.

One of the advantages the Xbox One offers is backwards compatibility, enabling a growing number of games from the Xbox 360 and even the original Xbox to run on the consoles.

Microsoft announced Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XIII-2 and Final Fantasy XIII — Lightning Returns are being added to the backwards compatibility library, while Civilisation Revolution will get an Xbox One X Enhancement update to take advantage of the console’s advanced capabilities.

Another interesting announcement for the budget-conscious gamer was the news Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass — unlimited access to more than 100 games, including all of the company’s own first-party titles as well as popular Battle Royale game Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) — will be available for just $1 for the first month and is likely to be a very popular offer indeed over the holidays.