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Xbox Game Pass has hit 25 million subscribers

Microsoft has confirmed that its Xbox Game Pass service has reached 25 million subscribers.

The company revealed the milestone as part of its landmark announcement that it will acquire Activision Blizzard in a deal valued at $68.7 billion USD (about $85.96 billion CAD).

Game Pass is Microsoft’s Netflix-esque service that offers unlimited access to hundreds of games for a single monthly fee. In addition to Xbox consoles, Game Pass is available on PC and mobile devices (via ‘Cloud Gaming’ streaming). Game Pass on console and PC is priced at $11.99 CAD/month, while Game Pass Ultimate — which includes both versions of Game Pass, Xbox Live Gold, EA Play and Cloud Gaming — costs $16.99/month.

Of course, one of the main reasons why Microsoft is purchasing Activision Blizzard is to bolster Game Pass. In a statement, Xbox boss Phil Spencer said the company will “offer as many Activision Blizzard games as [it] can within Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass, both new titles and games from Activision Blizzard’s incredible catalogue.”

This means that titles from the likes of the Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, Starcraft and Crash Bandicoot franchises could eventually make their way onto Game Pass.

The payoff of Microsoft’s last major gaming purchase, ZeniMax, has also yet to be fully realized. Two major titles from the company’s Bethesda subsidiary, this summer’s Redfall and November’s Starfield, will launch exclusively on Xbox and PC with day one Game Pass availability. Other games, like last year’s critically acclaimed Deathloop and the upcoming Ghostwire: Tokyo, are also expected to come to Xbox following one-year PlayStation exclusivity periods.

It’s also worth noting that PlayStation is rumoured to launch its own Game Pass-esque subscription service, codenamed ‘Spartacus,’ early this year. Spartacus is said to combine PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now on top of offering an expanded games catalogue that includes PS1 and PS2 games. Should that happen, it remains to be seen how the two services will compete.

Source: Xbox

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Mobile Syrup

What’s new on Xbox Game Pass on console, PC and mobile in late January 2022

Every month, Xbox adds new games to its Xbox Game Pass subscription service.

Typically, new games are rolled out in two waves, and now, Xbox has revealed January’s second batch of Game Pass catalogue additions.

As previously confirmed, Canadian games Rainbow Six: Extraction (Ubisoft Montreal) and Nobody Saves the World (Toronto’s DrinkBox) are coming to the service on day one. However, there are several other titles hitting Game Pass in the final weeks on January:

  • Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc Anniversary Edition (Cloud, Console and PC) — January 18th
  • Nobody Saves the World (Cloud, Console and PC) — January 18th
  • Death’s Door (Cloud, Console and PC) — January 20th
  • Hitman Trilogy (Cloud, Console and PC) — January 20th
  • Pupperazzi (Cloud, Console and PC) — January 20th
  • Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Extraction (Cloud, Console and PC) — January 20th
  • Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege: Deluxe Edition (PC) — January 20th
  • Windjammers 2 (Cloud, Console and PC) — January 20th
  • Taiko no Tatsujin: The Drum Master (Console and PC) — January 27th

Meanwhile, the following nine games have received touch controls on mobile:

  • Anvil (Game Preview)
  • Archvale
  • Exo One
  • The Forgotten City
  • Nobody Saves the World
  • One Piece Pirate Warriors 4
  • Space Warlord Organ Trading Simulator
  • Stardew Valley
  • Unpacking
  • Death’s Door (when the game releases on January 20th)

Finally, these four titles are leaving Game Pass on January 31st:

  • Cyber Shadow (Cloud, Console and PC)
  • Nowhere Prophet (Cloud, Console and PC)
  • Prison Architect (PC)
  • Xeno Crisis (Cloud, Console and PC)

Xbox Game Pass is available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC and Android and iOS in beta. Game Pass for Console and PC Game Pass each cost $11.99 CAD/month.

Meanwhile, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate costs $16.99/month and is required for streaming (which Xbox refers to as ‘Cloud’) to mobile devices and browsers. On top of that, this tier includes Game Pass for both Console and PC, as well as subscriptions to Xbox Live Gold and EA Play.

Find out what came to Game Pass earlier this month here.

Image credit: IO Interactive

Source: Xbox

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Mobile Syrup

Wendy’s dunks on Xbox over missing campaign co-op in Halo Infinite

If you pay any attention to Halo Infinite, then you probably know that 343 Industries delayed the launch of the game’s campaign co-op mode. People are understandably upset about it since campaign co-op is considered a staple of the Halo series.

Fast-food restaurant and ruthless Twitter brand account Wendy’s managed to condense that anger into a six-word tweet at the Xbox Twitter account:

Oof, that’s going to leave a mark.

While I typically don’t care much for brand-on-brand action on social media, the Wendy’s tweet is actually kind of funny. As for why Xbox and Wendy’s are even interacting on Twitter, the Wendy’s account put out a call for people to get roasted for “#NationalRoastDay” and Xbox decided it was a good idea to participate.

Social media brand account shenanigans aside, Halo Infinite will get campaign co-op at some point, possibly May 2022 at the earliest. That’s a long way off for Halo fans who want to play through the campaign with friends.

Some players have even managed to glitch their way into co-op fun with friends, although it remains unclear how, exactly, it happened. Those who’ve tried replicating the glitch have broken their save files, however.

If you enjoy these brand interactions, the Wendy’s Twitter account has been roasting other brands too.

Source: Wendy’s (Twitter) Via: Kotaku

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Mobile Syrup

Acclaimed Hitman trilogy coming to Xbox Game Pass on January 20

IO Interactive has revealed that its critically-acclaimed Hitman “World of Assassination” trilogy will be coming to Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass day one on January 20th.

The news was confirmed in a larger blog post about the Danish developer’s plans for “Year 2” of Hitman 3 new content.

The collection, simply titled Hitman Trilogy, bundles together 2016’s Hitman, 2018’s Hitman 2 and 2021’s Hitman 3. The first two games are available on Xbox One (and playable on Xbox Series X/S via backwards compatibility), while Hitman 3 is on both last-gen and new-gen consoles. Xbox’s ‘Smart Delivery’ feature will ensure that you’ll get the enhanced Series X/S version if you play on those consoles.

Hitman Trilogy will also launch on PlayStation 4/5, Steam and the Epic Games Store on January 20th. Hitman VR, which allows the entire trilogy to be played in virtual reality, is also debuting on PC on that date.

Other “Year 2” content revealed for Hitman 3 includes a new roguelike-inspired ‘Freelancer’ mode coming in the spring and a new map codenamed “Rocky” dropping sometime later this year.

The World of Assassination trilogy has garnered significant praise for its robust sandbox stealth gameplay that gives players an extensive amount of freedom in how to approach contracts. The games have been so well-received that IO Interactive has since been tapped to make its own original James Bond title, although details on the project are currently under wraps.

Source: IO Interactive

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Mobile Syrup

Microsoft has officially discontinued the Xbox One family of consoles

Microsoft has confirmed to The Verge that it has ceased manufacturing all Xbox One consoles.

While we learned back in July 2020 that the 4K-capable Xbox One X and all-digital Xbox One had been discontinued, Microsoft is now revealing that the base Xbox One model is also no longer in production.

Notably, this move came not in 2021, but in 2020.

“To focus on production of Xbox Series X / S, we stopped production for all Xbox One consoles by the end of 2020,” Cindy Walker, senior director of Xbox console product marketing, confirmed in a statement to The Verge.

The timing of this reveal is particularly notable, as it comes shortly after Bloomberg confirmed that Sony is looking to produce more PlayStation 4 units in 2022 than originally planned. Per the outlet, Sony is looking to lean on the PS4 amid PS5 shortages, which are expected to continue for some time.

It should be noted, however, that Microsoft’s broader gaming approach isn’t as platform-specific as Sony’s. In addition to the Xbox Series X/S being able to play all Xbox One games via backward compatibility, there are hundreds of Xbox One titles that can also be played natively on PC or even Android, iOS and web browsers through Xbox Game Pass’ Cloud Gaming streaming service.

The company is also still set to support the Xbox One for a yet-to-be-determined amount of time. Beyond the fact that many games (like the recently released Halo Infinite) are still coming out on all Xbox consoles, the few titles so far that are Series X/S exclusive, like Microsoft Flight Simulator, will be made playable on the Xbox One via Cloud Gaming.

All told, though, the Xbox One has had a storied run since its November 2013 launch. Under the leadership of executive Don Mattrick, the console had an infamously rocky launch that controversially emphasized general entertainment, the Kinect and an “always-on” internet requirement. Sony took advantage of the early stumbles and used them to get a strong start with its own PS4 console.

In 2014, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella appointed then-Microsoft Studios (now Xbox Game Studios) chief Phil Spencer to take over the brand. In the years since, Spencer’s team has helped increase the Xbox brand’s popularity through initiatives like backwards compatibility, Xbox Game Pass, cross-play and major acquisitions.

Looking ahead, Xbox Game Studios’ lineup includes Redfall (summer 2022) and Starfield (November 2022), as well as undated titles like Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, The Outer Worlds 2, Avowed and Everwild. A more extensive breakdown of what to expect from all of Xbox studio’s can be found here.

Source: The Verge

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Mobile Syrup

Forza Street mobile game shutting down in Spring 2022

Xbox is shutting down its Forza Street game on Android and iOS, under two years after it first released.

Developer Turn 10 confirmed the news in a Q&A post on the official Forza support site, adding that the racing game will remain playable until Spring 2022. A specific closure date was not provided.

“We’re proud and grateful for the community of players we were able to build with Forza Street, and we want to use what we learned on building new and exciting Forza products,” Turn 10 wrote in response to why the game is closing.

Ahead of this, Turn 10 has also rolled out the final update for the game, which includes:

  • A new unreleased car
  • 12 weeks of Spotlight++ featuring Rare & Epic cars, starting on January 17th, 2022
  • Faster Energy recharge and increased Energy storage
  • Reduced wait times on car shows
  • Reduced prices on the vast majority of items purchased with in-game currency

This is the latest Microsoft mobile game to shut down, following the closure of both Minecraft Earth and Gears Pop last year. That said, the company seems to be focused more on Xbox Cloud Gaming on mobile. Available through a $16.99 CAD/month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, Xbox Cloud Gaming allows you to stream dozens of games to mobile devices, including Forza Horizon 5, Halo Infinite and Minecraft Earth. 

While it’s unclear how many people use Cloud Gaming overall, the company revealed in December that 20 percent of the service’s overall player base uses touch controls.

Source: Xbox

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Mobile Syrup

Microsoft is reportedly testing Age of Empires IV on Xbox consoles

It looks like Age of Empires IV (Age IV) could make its way to Xbox consoles in the future.

According to the Twitter account @ALumia_Italia, a Twitter account that often digs through the Microsoft Insider Hub for product code names, ‘XIP_CAR_JANUARY_2022’ recently appeared in the Xbox version of the app.

According to Video Games Chronicle (VGC), “CAR’ is the internal code name at Microsoft for Age of Empires IV. While an Xbox version of the real-time strategy game has never officially been confirmed, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Age IV make its way to console.

Prior to Age IV’s release, I spoke to Michael Mann, the executive producer at World’s Edge, about the possibility of the title releasing on Xbox consoles. To my surprise, Mann didn’t outright deny the possibility and instead emphasized that the team was, at the time, focused on getting the PC version of the title ready for release.

“Our focus right now is the PC and we want to make sure the game is good. We have eight diverse civilizations, the graphics; we want to make sure that we deliver to a spectrum of PC machines and hardware first and land that this year,” said Mann.

Of course, Age of Empires IV would likely need a gamepad-focused control scheme to work well on Xbox, which could prove difficult. That said, Halo Wars 2 was able to pull it off quite well. It’s also worth mentioning that Xbox consoles also support mouse and keyboard controls.

As someone who at one point considered buying a new gaming PC specifically to be able to play Age of Empires IV on max settings, this is good news. The prospect of playing the game in glorious 4K on my Xbox Series X with mouse and keyboard definitely appeals to me.

For more on Age IV, check out my story about the game from back in October.

Source: @ALumia_Italia

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Toronto-based DrinkBox’s Nobody Saves the World releasing January 18

Canadian-made Nobody Saves the World has an official release date: January 18th.

Toronto indie developer DrinkBox (Guacamelee!) made the announcement in a new trailer:

Nobody Saves the World is coming to Xbox consoles, Windows 10 and Steam, with cross-play co-op supported between each platform. Additionally, the action-RPG will be available on Xbox Game Pass on consoles, PC and through the cloud on day one.

In Nobody Saves the World, you play as a featureless “Nobody” who must stop The Calamity to, as the title suggests, save the world. The game features over 15 different forms that Nobody can turn into, ranging from a Knight or Horse to a Robot or Mermaid. There are also more than 80 Form abilities that can be mixed and matched, such as a Horse with a Ranger’s bow.

Mastering these mechanics will be essential to navigating the game’s expansive overworld, exploring a multitude of dungeons and taking on all kinds of quests.

For more on Nobody Saves the World, check out our interview with DrinkBox co-founder Graham Smith.

Image credit: DrinkBox

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Mobile Syrup

Ubisoft+ coming to Xbox, Rainbow Six Extraction launching day one on Game Pass

Ubisoft has announced that its Ubisoft+ game subscription service is officially coming to Xbox platforms.

Starting at $19.99/month, Ubisoft+ offers unlimited access to a catalogue of more than 100 Ubisoft games and their add-on content. Ubisoft+ is currently only available on PC and Google Stadia, making the upcoming Xbox launch the service’s console debut.

While a specific launch window for Ubisoft+ on Xbox wasn’t provided, Ubisoft did also reveal that Rainbow Six: Extraction is coming to Xbox Game Pass on January 20th, the same day it releases on every other platform.

It’s a significant get for Game Pass, as Rainbow Six Siege, Ubisoft Montreal’s massively popular predecessor to Extraction, has amassed more than 70 million players since releasing in December 2015. Additionally, Siege — which is already available on Game Pass for consoles — is coming to Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass, allowing mobile and PC subscribers to jump in.

Formerly known as Rainbow Six Quarantine, Extraction offers a four-person co-op PvE experience that has players facing off against a mysterious alien threat. Extraction features 18 playable operators and a slew of unique gadgets and weapons as part of its signature Rainbow Six tactical gameplay.

Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass each cost $11.99/month, while Game Pass Ultimate — which includes both, plus Xbox Cloud Gaming, Xbox Live Gold and EA Play — is priced at $16.99/month.

Source: Ubisoft

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What’s new on Xbox Game Pass on console, PC and mobile in early January 2022

Every month, Xbox adds new games to its Xbox Game Pass subscription service.

Typically, new games are rolled out in two waves, and now, Xbox has revealed January’s first batch of Game Pass catalogue additions.

Notably, BioWare Edmonton’s Mass Effect: Legendary Edition leads the early January Game Pass lineup.

  • Gorogoa (Cloud, Console and PC) — January 4th
  • Olija (Cloud, Console and PC) — January 4th
  • Embr (Cloud, Console and PC) — January 6th
  • Mass Effect Legendary Edition (Console and PC) — January 6th
  • Outer Wilds (Cloud, Console and PC) — January 6th
  • Spelunky 2 (Console and PC) — January 13th
  • The Anacrusis (Game Preview) (Console and PC) — January 13th

Additionally, here’s what’s leaving Xbox Game Pass on January 15th:

  • Desperados III (Cloud, Console, and PC)
  • Ghost of a Tale (PC)
  • Kingdom Hearts III (Console)
  • Mount & Blade: Warband (Cloud, Console and PC)
  • Pandemic (Console and PC)
  • Yiik: A Postmodern RPG (PC)

It’s also worth noting that PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds will be removed from Game Pass on January 10th, but it’s then going free-to-play for everyone on January 12th.

Xbox Game Pass is available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC and Android and iOS in beta. Game Pass for Console and PC Game Pass each cost $11.99 CAD/month.

Meanwhile, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate costs $16.99/month and is required for streaming (which Xbox refers to as ‘Cloud’) to mobile devices and browsers. On top of that, this tier includes Game Pass for both Console and PC, as well as subscriptions to Xbox Live Gold and EA Play.

Find out what came to Game Pass in December here.

Image credit: EA