GAMES
Coming Soon to Xbox Game Pass: Bugsnax, Unsouled, 7 Days to Die, and More
I’m happy to report that more games are coming to Game Pass (please share your favorite shocked face meme). We’ve got you covered on all the games you can play soon, updates for ones you’re probably already playing, and more cloud enabled games with Touch Controls. There are more games on the horizon we’ll give you a sneak peek into, so let’s dive in!
More Ubisoft Games Coming to Game Pass
I’m excited to share that we’re working with Ubisoft to bring even more incredible games to the Game Pass library! In the next two months, Assassin’s Creed Origins will join the library for cloud, console, and PC via Ubisoft Connect app. We will also bring For Honor: Marching Fire Edition to PC via Ubisoft Connect app, and upgrade to the Marching Fire Edition for cloud and console.
Available Today
F1 2021 (Cloud) EA Play
It’s lights out and away we go! Game Pass Ultimate members can experience a gripping F1 story with cloud gaming via EA Play. Hit the track with their own team and live every Formula 1 fan’s ultimate fantasy as F1 2021 joins a collection of racing games available to play on EA Play.
Need for Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered (Cloud) EA Play
Feel the thrill of the chase and the rush of escape in Need for Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered, now available with cloud gaming via EA Play. Unleash a savage sense of speed both as an outlaw and a cop in the world’s hottest high-performance cars. Outsmart the heat or take down lawbreakers with the tactical weaponry at your disposal in a heart-pumping, socially competitive racing experience. It’s time to reignite the pursuit.
Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion (Cloud, Console, and PC) [email protected]
Take control of the titular turnip seeking a way to pay back his debts to a corrupt onion mayor. Featuring a blend of puzzle solving, dungeon exploring, and plant harvesting, Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion is a cute, but epic journey to avoid paying taxes and tear down the establishment.
Coming Soon
7 Days to Die (Cloud, Console, and PC) [email protected] – April 26
Set in a brutally unforgiving post-apocalyptic world overrun by the undead, 7 Days to Die is an open-world game that is a unique combination of first-person shooter, survival horror, tower defense, and role-playing games. Play the definitive zombie survival sandbox RPG that came first. Navezgane awaits!
Research and Destroy (Console and PC) – April 26
Available on day one with Game Pass: Take control of three brilliant Super Scientists in this turn-based action game as you research and develop strange new weapons and gadgets to destroy the Supernatural hordes that have all but crushed humanity!
Bugsnax (Cloud, Console, and PC) [email protected] – April 28
Bugsnax takes you on a journey to Snaktooth Island, home of the legendary half-bug half-snack creatures, Bugsnax. Invited by intrepid explorer Elizabert Megafig, you arrive to discover your host nowhere to be found, her camp in shambles, and her followers scattered across the island alone… and hungry!
Unsouled (Console and PC) [email protected] – April 28
Available on day one with Game Pass: Test your reflexes to the limit and land uber-satisfying combos in Unsouled, a punishingly difficult (yet fair) Action RPG. During the journey, you’ll have to master the ability to execute various skill combos and counterattacks for maximum damage if you hope to survive.
DLC / Game Updates
Age of Empires IV Season 1: The Festival of Ages – Available now
Age of Empires IV Season 1: The Festival of Ages kicks off the official start of 1v1 Ranked Seasons and Seasonal Events, and also introduces powerful creator tools with the Mod Editor’s beta release, as well as a brand-new map, Art of War challenge, and many quality of life and balance features.
Ark: Survival Evolved Eggcellent Adventure – Available through April 25
Eggcellent Adventure returns for the 7th year! Available now through April 25, follow the trails of wild Bunny Dodo’s and Bunny Oviraptor’s to gather Bunny Eggs for special event loot. Place down Bunny Eggs to paint on them, or use them in a Crafting Pot to craft special holiday-themed cosmetics including 5 new chibi’s and a full-body bunny suit costume!
No Man’s Sky Outlaws Update – Available now
Become an interstellar rebel in Update 3.85, Outlaws! Introducing outlaw systems; the ability to recruit your own squadron of pilots; improved space combat; a stunning Solar Sail Starship, and much more! Learn more about the Outlaws update here.
Sea of Thieves: The Shrouded Deep – Available April 21 through May 12
Summon the Megalodon! Hunt down a pale beast from the depths of legend to help Belle and the Pirate Lord find the Veil of the Ancients – all in ‘The Shrouded Deep’, Sea of Thieves‘ third time-limited Adventure running from April 21 – May 12!
Minecraft Dungeons: Luminous Night (Seasonal Adventure, Season 2) – Available on April 20
Become the avatar once more and earn new radiant rewards in Luminous Night – Minecraft Dungeons’ second seasonal adventure. Explore the Tower by night in a whole new light, with floors that include mysterious murals, perplexing puzzles, and fiery foes. New challenges and quality -of-life features await you – what will you discover before daybreak? Learn more about this new adventure here.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perks
MLB The Show 22: Launch Bundle – Available now
MLB The Show is back on Xbox Game Pass. Kickstart a new year of MLB The Show 22 with 10 The Show Packs to build out your Diamond Dynasty. Once acquired, items should be redeemed upon booting the game. Information on items redeemed should be listed in your Profile mail inbox.
F1 2021: Deluxe Upgrade Pack – Available now
Upgrade your F1 2021 experience with the Deluxe Upgrade Perk, provided by EA Play. The Deluxe Upgrade features seven iconic drivers, a set of customization items, 18,000 PitCoin, and an in-game item pack inspired by the fictional stars of ‘Braking Point’.
Halo Infinite: 2XP and Challenge Swap Bundle – Available nowMake every match count with four 2XP Boosts and six Challenge Swaps! The Perk requires Halo Infinite Multiplayer to use, available free on Xbox, Windows, and Steam.
Super Animal Royale: Season 3 Perks Pack – Available now Unlock the Season 3 Xbox Perks Pack to earn an all-new cosmetic set including the Green & Black Cap, Green & Black Shotgun skin, and Green Sunglasses.
Apex Legends: 24-Carat Coffin Weapon Charm – Available now
Show the competition what you’re made of with your new 24-Carat Coffin Weapon Charm, brought to you by EA Play! Equip this to your favorite weapon and battle for glory, fame, and fortune in style.
Xbox Touch Controls Added to 12 More Games
Ultimate members, we’ve added Xbox Touch Controls to 12 more games ready to play from the cloud today, including two games with native touch enabled: Zero Escape: The Nonary Games and Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc Anniversary Edition! Jump in on the Xbox app for Windows PCs, Xbox Game Pass mobile app on Android devices, or Xbox.com/play on your Windows PCs and Apple phones and tablets, no controller needed!
- Ben 10
- Besiege
- Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc Anniversary Edition
- Edge of Eternity
- Hitman Trilogy
- Lawn Mowing Simulator
- Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered
- Paw Patrol
- Race with Ryan
- Transformers Battlegrounds
- Windjammers 2
- Zero Escape: The Nonary Games
Leaving April 30
The following games will be leaving the Game Pass library soon, so be sure to carve out some time out of your gaming schedule to play before they leave! Remember to use your member discount to save up to 20% to keep these in your library.
- Cricket 19 (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Outlast 2 (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Secret Neighbor (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Streets of Rage 4 (Cloud, Console, and PC)
That’s a wrap for April! I’m going to watch some clean-tok videos and see if they have tips for cleaning up my backlog. In the meantime, stay tuned for updates on Twitter at @XboxGamePassPC and @XboxGamePass. Catch you next time!
GAMES
This Week’s Deals with Gold and Spotlight Sale
GAMES
The German Empire Marches to Italy in a Free Expansion Today
We have a new expansion for our WW1 Italian Front FPS game Isonzo releasing today! It’s the first part of our Caporetto season of free expansions, and features a whole new faction with the arrival of the German Empire on the Italian Front, and brings a new map for the Offensive game mode. There will be two more releases in the Caporetto season, each one with a new map to ultimately link together into a three map Caporetto Offensive.
The German faction comes with more than ten new weapons, as well as historically accurate uniforms and equipment. This first Caporetto map sees you taking part in the early stages of the Twelfth Battle of the Isonzo, with German troops assaulting Italian positions on the road to Caporetto. Historically it was a military disaster for Italy which brought down the government – but maybe things can go differently with you on the battlefield?
The update sees new uniforms and equipment from the German Empire for Isonzo’s six classes: Rifleman, Assault, Engineer, Officer, Marksman and Mountaineer. For those who aren’t familiar with the game, each class has different weapon, gear and perk options that allow you to specialize your play style within the overall focus of the class. For instance, Marksmen are always sharpshooters, but a lot depends on your loadout. You could be a long-range sniper and observer identifying and eliminating high value targets with a scoped rifle, or you could equip body armor to take and hold a front line position with deadly accurate mid-range fire. Every class has choices to make in this regard.
In Isonzo’s signature Offensive game mode, one side must attack and break through multiple defensive lines. Thick layers of barbed wire, trenches, and whatever extra defenses the enemy engineers put together will stand in the way of a successful attack. Objectives can be taking and holding key points, or planting dynamite to sabotage enemy supply stashes or heavy artillery guns.
The new Caporetto map – the first of three in the season – is a huge battlefield based on the strategically important Monte Kolovrat. There are five defensive lines, where each line has two objectives for the attackers before they can advance further. While in the historical Battle of Caporetto both German and Austro-Hungarian forces were involved, in Isonzo we’ve chosen to focus on the German contribution, so the map recreates the stunning German advance from the town of Tolmein all the way to Kolovrat Ridge. It’s a damp, overcast day when the attack begins, and the attackers must first cut their way through lines of wire to break into a devastated town – including capturing a church defended by multiple heavy machine gun positions. Fortunately, in Isonzo there are many tactical options available to deal with such strong points: artillery barrages, smokescreens, snipers, rifle grenades, even poison gas. From there, it becomes a literal uphill battle for the German attackers as they begin to climb towards the peak of Kolovrat Ridge. They’ll need to sabotage bunkers and capture command posts while navigating rocky trenches and steep forested slopes. At the penultimate fourth defensive line there is a huge siege mortar to sabotage and a cluster of houses providing cover to the Italian defenders – then it’s one last climb to reach the final objective: Hill 1114. If the Germans can take it, the Italians will finally be the ones fighting uphill as their reinforcements stream in to try and counterattack.
Of course, things are no walk in the park for the defenders either – although it’s easier to maneuver when going downhill, and it’s much simpler for officers to deploy flares to call in support, the extensive trench lines can become a liability once the Germans get a foothold, providing cover as they advance. Some of the Italian defensive positions can be exposed against the sky, making it easy for German marksmen to pick off targets. Italian engineers should make good use of their construction abilities to put down additional sandbags and lay out extra wire to prevent German assault troops sneaking through the trees to flank trenches with their grenades or light machine guns.
As we mentioned before, historically the Battle of Caporetto was a disaster for the Italians. Appalling leadership led to poorly motivated and unprepared troops falling apart in the face of the combined Austro-Hungarian and German armies using cutting edge infiltration tactics. The Italian soldiers were not allowed to retreat until too late, and in the end hundreds of thousands would surrender. After Caporetto the top Italian general was fired and replaced by someone far more competent, who managed to turn the war around for the Italians. In Isonzo, it’s a more fair fight where both sides have an equal chance of winning, if they can use all the tactical options available better than their opponents.
The release will also bring other improvements to the game, including a prestige mode and higher level cap. Additionally, for those who want more options for visual customization of their character, the Royal Units DLC is releasing alongside the free expansion and contains uniforms from the German Kingdoms of Bavaria and Württemberg. Though part of the German Empire, these states had their own distinctive uniforms which we’ve carefully recreated with the same accuracy and attention to detail as with the other uniforms in the game.
The Battle for Caporetto Begins…
Isonzo is available right now on the Microsoft Store for Xbox, and the free Caporetto expansion is out today! Plenty of time to master the art of mountain warfare before the German Empire joins the action on the Italian Front. Follow us to get the latest development news as we add the finishing touches!
We’ll see you in the trenches!
Isonzo
BlackMill Games
$29.99
World War One expands to the mountains of the Italian Front – beautiful but deadly in equal measure. Inspired by the two year struggle for control of the Isonzo river valley and the Alps during World War One, Isonzo elevates the WW1 Games Series, figuratively and literally.
From the makers of Verdun and Tannenberg…
Take part in historical offensives from the Sixth Battle of the Isonzo to the Strafexpedition. Reflecting the course of the actual battles, as the attackers advance the fighting will shift through vastly different landscapes within a single offensive: from hillside fortresses to mountain trenches and fierce urban combat on city streets. Everything is recreated based on research and field trips, from sound effects and uniforms down to the houses, vineyards and trenches you’ll be fighting over.
The new Offensive game mode puts you right in the middle of key historical offensives on the Italian Front. Lead the charge across stunning Italian landscapes as you choose your path to victory – cut paths through barbed wire, flank your enemies by following mountain trails, or man a mortar to blast a way through. Shape a dynamic battlefield by laying sandbags and wire, placing ammo crates, deploying trench periscopes or sniper shields, and more.
Call in support with a unique historically accurate flare system: flare guns can mark targets for artillery or biplane flybys, or different colored flares can be used to guide your team. Once the big guns have softened up the enemy, finish the job at close quarters with an Arditi dagger or mountaineer’s pickaxe. Man heavy machine guns, mortars and even mountain guns for more direct fire support.
Choose from six classes based on historical combat roles and build your loadout from a selection of weapons, equipment and perks linked to that class, giving flexibility and variety while staying grounded in what real soldiers might have carried. You’ll be operating wire cutters, bandaging yourself and wounded teammates, and blowing the whistle to start an assault. One shot can kill and even lighter injuries can lead to quickly bleeding out.
Being an effective soldier in Isonzo is not just about being a good marksman. Mastering the terrain is also key – the mountain can be a friend or foe. Learn how to navigate well to maintain cover and surprise your enemies or support your allies.
Finally… watch out for the dreaded poison gas. You’ve never experienced WW1 action quite like this!
Isonzo key features include:
• MOUNTAIN WARFARE: Assaulting mountain fortifications, battling through ruined towns, and fording rivers are just a few of the challenges you’ll face as you fight your way through numerous enemy positions
• TACTICAL MULTIPLAYER FPS: Choose your role and loadout carefully to survive this high altitude combat – play a sniper to pick off the enemy engineers before they can cut your wire, use rifle grenades to clear enemy machine guns, and much more
• WORLD WAR ONE GAMEPLAY: Historical Offensive game mode based on real battles and focused on the unique challenges of Alpine warfare. Fight with 30+ WW1 weapons, poisonous gas attacks, and intense artillery barrages
• BUILD FOR VICTORY: Place your own wire, sandbags, trench periscopes, and more! Whether you’re digging in or on the attack, shaping the battlefield to your advantage will be key to victory
• FACES OF WAR: Make every class your own by picking from a variety of historically class-appropriate uniforms, accessories and headgear. As a finishing touch, you can even pick your mustache from several famous period-accurate styles!
• AUTHENTIC WW1 ATMOSPHERE: Accuracy in everything from maps and weaponry to music and the uniforms – fight for the Kingdom of Italy, the German Empire or the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy
MORE GAMES IN THE AUTHENTIC WW1 GAME SERIES
Immerse yourself in more WW1 action with our other standalone titles Tannenberg and Verdun. Experience trench warfare on the Western Front in Verdun, or maneuver for control of key sectors in Tannenberg on the Eastern Front. These authentic WW1 shooters let players choose from a range of squads from across the war, as they fight for control of the ever-changing frontlines.
GAMES
Transport Fever 2: Console Edition is Bringing the Full Transport Tycoon Experience to Xbox
Today, we proudly share a sneak peek into the development of Transport Fever 2: Console Edition, and how we managed to bring the full transport tycoon experience to Xbox.
Transport Fever is a very popular and highly rated transportation tycoon franchise on PC. Its latest entry, Transport Fever 2, delivers a level of size and detail never before seen in the genre. The goal of the game is to build a successful transportation company by constructing railroads, streets, water and air lines. Starting in the 19th century, the player connects towns and industries to transport both passengers and cargo. In addition to a customizable free game mode, there is also a fully-fledged campaign mode with challenging missions set in real-world transportation history.
After the huge success of Transport Fever 2 on PC, it was only logical to bring the experience to consoles as well. Not only that, but no efforts were spared to give the console community the full experience that made the game great on PC. In order to achieve this, the engineers at Urban Games had to pull some rabbits out of their engineers’ hats.
Always providing the freshest layer of paint
One of the most cherished features of Transport Fever 2 are its highly detailed vehicles. The game comes with more than 200 lovingly hand-modeled trains, ships, and airplanes, each sporting multiple 4k textures and normal maps.
On PC, it is easily affordable to have all the models and textures in memory whenever needed, as a typical rig has 16 GB of RAM and a GPU with a dedicated extra memory. Consoles, however, are built differently. They have a unified architecture with an overall smaller amount but ultra-fast memory. The key to make it work on consoles is texture streaming, which allows to clear textures of models that are not in view anymore. Moreover, this technology is used in Transport Fever 2 to constantly load textures at the highest affordable resolution to present the stars of the show, like the classic Class A 3/5 steam locomotive, in their best coat of paint at all times.
Keeping the ground like a console pro
A trademark of Transport Fever 2 are its huge maps. During development of the game, it was always paramount to provide a real sense of scale. The engine should allow for maps where a high-speed train, such as the famous Japanese Shinkansen, can really make use of its superior speed. So, a lot of effort was put into designing a highly effective terrain rendering pipeline that can handle maps of more than 120 sq miles of size with a detail resolution of almost 1 yard. Central to this is a dynamic terrain tessellation algorithm on the CPU that, while costing a bit of extra memory, makes sure the engine can render these maps on a wide variety of PCs.
Now, enter the world of consoles with their incredibly well-designed GPUs and graphic APIs. Here, the hardware can be leveraged very well for terrain rendering by making use of the GPU tessellation feature. This feature generates the render mesh for the terrain fully on the graphics card, saving valuable processing time for the complex economy and city growth simulations. While generating more triangles, the hardware approach still costs less memory overall due to its efficiency. So vast maps can be viewed from a bird’s view high up in the sky and seamlessly zoomed in down to individual rocks on a riverbank.
Inspiring the inner architect
Finally, let’s talk about constructions, a central and defining part of the Transport Fever 2 experience. Constructions are large assemblies that consist of dozens of assets, street segments, ground decals and terrain modifications. Think of structures like airports, train stations, docks, highway crossings, and many more. Anything that is needed to build a vast transportation empire.
For a smooth construction experience, it is key that the player really feels that he has precise control over the building placement. On PC, constructions are typically built using the mouse. As the average PC user is very well adjusted to this method of input, it is sufficiently performant to calculate the entire construction each frame and place it under the cursor. However, on consoles, the best way of building constructions is to have them always kept in the center of the screen and move the camera along the map for placement. And moving the camera needs to be as smooth as silk.
So, for the console release of Transport Fever 2, the construction preview pipeline was overhauled. All dynamic calculations are now performed in the background while a static preview of the structure and its underlying ground plan are shown. Not only are constructions now completely stable in terms of FPS, but they also give feedback to the player on what environment features the construction would tear down when built.
Let’s get tycooning on console
We are very excited to bring the Transport Fever franchise to consoles for the first time ever with the release of Transport Fever 2: Console Edition on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One in February 2023, and we hope you will enjoy it as much as we did developing it.
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