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New Arc Raiders Map, New Threat: Your Guide to the Arc Turbine in Riven Tides

Posted on May 3, 2026 by faz_business

Summary

The new Arc Turbine joins the roster in Arc Raiders’ new update and map, Riven Tides.
Learn about this new large Arc enemy and its unique characteristics.
Plus, get some insider tips from the devs on how to beat it!

The latest free update for Arc Raiders, Riven Tides, launched this week, and alongside the new Riven Tides map the update also introduces the new Arc Turbine, an enemy that can operate both in the air and on the ground. In this article you’ll find out more about the new Arc threat, how to fight it, and get some tips from the devs on how to set yourself up for success.

A new Arc threat patrols the skies

Scouts have reported sightings of a new Arc enemy in the Rust Belt. Moving slowly across the sky, the conical-shaped Arc Turbine scans the surface looking for suitable places to land. Although its ultimate purpose is unclear, scout reports suggest it uses its inner machinery to collect airborne particulates from its surroundings, and enterprising Raiders are already eyeing its high-value Arc parts.

Defensive by design, dangerous when provoked

Rather than proactively attacking, the Arc Turbine relies on a series of defensive maneuvers to deter Raiders from interfering with its operations and actively tries to find landing spots far away from any threat, making it very challenging to reach, as it’s frequently spotted perching high up on roof tops and towers.

Dev tip: “Pick your spot. It’s safer to fight it in the open”

Mines, grenades, and zero mercy

The Arc Turbine is not the gentle giant it first appears to be and will respond with brutal force if provoked. Raiders who insist on hunting it down should adopt extreme caution as its electrically charged attacks will seek out anyone using the environment as cover, and motion detection mines will punish Raiders who try to charge up close to it.

Dev tip: “Plan your approach carefully and move slowly as you get closer – I wouldn’t recommend trying to hitch a ride on it!”

However, your chances to take it down increase dramatically if you band together, stalk it patiently and launch a flurry of coordinated attacks when it’s at its most vulnerable since it’s quick to relocate to safer grounds if threatened.

Dev tip: “Prepare for anything – pack traversal gear and Adrenaline Shots”

RIVEN TIDES UPDATE

The Riven Tides Update is the sixth free content update from Arc Raiders since launch, and the fourth update from the Escalation roadmap.

As well as a brand new Map, Riven Tides, The Riven Tides Update introduces a new large Arc threat, the Arc Turbine, plus a new minor Map Condition. Additional new content includes a Player Event and seasonal Raider Project, the spread of the Vaporizer to additional maps, plus new equipment, items and quests.

See you Beachside, Raiders!

ARC Raiders – Deluxe Edition

Embark Studios

☆☆☆☆☆
10427

★★★★★

$59.99

ARC Raiders Deluxe Edition includes the base game and the following content:

The Wanderer Set, including the following cosmetic items:
– “Valente” Outfit,
– “Pathfinder” Backpack,
– “Blanket Roll” Backpack Attachment.

Plus:
Lip Scar Character Cosmetic,
Finger Gun Rapid Fire Emote,
Cowboy Scrappy Body Type and Outfit,
2 400 Raider Tokens.

ARC Raiders

Embark Studios

☆☆☆☆☆
10270

★★★★★

$39.99

SCAVENGE, SURVIVE, THRIVE

In ARC Raiders, gameplay flows between the surface ruled by lethal machines, and the vibrant underground society of Speranza. Craft, repair, and upgrade your gear in the safety of your own workshop, before venturing topside to scavenge the remnants of a devastated but beautiful world. Play solo or in parties up to three, navigating the constant threat of ARC’s machines and the unpredictable choices of fellow survivors. In the end, only you decide what kind of Raider you are – and how far you’ll go to prevail.

EXPLORE AN IMMERSIVE WORLD

Explore four distinct maps at launch, with more to be revealed as the underground society evolves and expands its reach. Each destination carries the weight of a world twice-destroyed, and the scars of conflicts both old and new. Sift through the remnants for valuable loot, and piece together the past as it’s slowly reclaimed by nature. Evolving map conditions ensure that no two runs are the same, with varying weather, enemies, and mechanics adding unpredictability and danger.

STAKE YOUR CLAIM

In a society built on boldness and bravado, it is up to you to stake your claim as a Raider. The loot you scavenge can be sold for coin or crafted into all-new gear, allowing you take on increasingly lethal dangers head-on. Through both victories and hardships, you’ll gain valuable experience; unlocking varied skills that enable all-new ways of play. In addition, you’ll complete quests for Traders with differing motives and agendas; uncovering both the friction and comradery of a community under constant threat of collapse.

BEWARE THE MACHINES

Lethal machines known as ARC rule the surface, ranging from unrelenting drone swarms to mechanical giants that obliterate everything in their path. Their origins remain a mystery, but their ever-present danger is felt with every step you take. Each machine comes with distinct strengths and tactics, forcing you to pinpoint their weak spots and constantly think on your feet. And remember: the noise of battle carries. Other Raiders may be listening; eager to claim what you leave behind.

FORGE YOUR OWN PATH

Raiders survive by kitbashing scavenged materials; using long-lost tech and looted ARC parts to craft weapons, gadgets, and gear. Upgrade your workshop stations and learn blueprints to craft even more advanced items, or improvise quick fixes in the field to get yourself out of a bind. As you make a name for yourself, you’ll be able to measure your skill against other Raiders by taking on Trials; rising through the leaderboards to earn valuable rewards.

QUESTS

In Speranza, everyone has an agenda, and the Traders are no different. They’ll send you topside on missions in exchange for rewards, slowly revealing more about who they are and what they want for Speranza’s future. Complete quests to earn gear, crafting materials, and XP to level up your Raider and unlock new skill points.

SKILL TREE

The ARC Raiders skill tree branches into three paths: Survival, Mobility, and Conditioning. Spend your points to shape your playstyle. Loot faster and move quieter with Survival skills. Outmaneuver your opponents and threats with Mobility. And enhance your Strength and Stamina with Conditioning. Choose how you grow and what your Raider brings to the battle.

BUILD YOUR ARSENAL

Whether you’re preparing to take down specific ARC enemies or fend off rival Raiders, there’s a choice of weaponry for every fight. Cater to your style with a range of firearms including SMGs, rifles and shotguns, as well as more advanced options such as railguns and energy weapons. Grenades, traps, ziplines and deployables offer the tactical depth needed to outsmart your enemies, while augments allow you to tailor your loadout to your preferred playstyle; unlocking dedicated inventory slots and additional gameplay perks.

Inside 3on3 Freestyle’s New Career Mode: A New Way to Learn, Play, and Progress

Posted on April 11, 2026 by faz_business

Summary

3on3 Freestyle’s new Career Mode is a PvE experience with its own, character-based progression and resources.
Incorporating roguelike elements for replayability, Career Mode serves as a great way to master the game’s core mechanics and get ready for competitive PvP play.
3on3 Freestyle is free to play and available now on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Xbox on PC, and Xbox Play Anywhere.

3on3 Freestyle continues to evolve with the introduction of Career Mode, a new solo experience designed to help players learn the game, build confidence, and grow their skills at their own pace.

Built as a stage-based PvE experience, Career Mode lets players take control of their chosen character and progress through a structured journey, where difficulty gradually increases over time. Through hands-on play, players naturally learn core systems, positioning, and strategy, creating a more approachable experience for both new and returning players.

A Character-Driven Progression System with Scalable Challenge

Career Mode is built around character-focused progression. Each character features their own set of stages, and as players continue to develop their character, higher difficulty stages become available.

With increased difficulty comes more demanding challenges, along with access to Career Mode-exclusive resources that reward progression. In addition to scaling difficulty, players can further customize their experience by applying different conditions — such as strengthening opposing AI, applying limitations to their own character, or modifying match rules.

This flexible system allows players to shape their own challenge while steadily pushing toward higher levels of play.

Strategic Gameplay Built on Player Choice

Career Mode incorporates roguelike-inspired elements to ensure that each run feels fresh and dynamic.

At the start of each stage, players select from a set of randomized buffs that impact gameplay. These buffs persist across all stages within the current difficulty tier, meaning each decision plays a meaningful role in the overall run. Rather than serving as short-term boosts, these choices require players to think strategically about how they approach each stage.

Once all stages are cleared and players move to the next difficulty level, buffs reset, allowing for new combinations and strategies in the next run. This structure naturally encourages experimentation and replayability.

A Progression System That Connects Play, Rewards, and Growth

Career Mode is designed so that gameplay directly feeds into progression.

By clearing stages, players earn Career Mode-exclusive resources, which can be used to invest in progression systems that strengthen their characters. These include both character-specific growth trees and shared progression trees that benefit multiple characters.

Completing all stages within a difficulty tier grants additional rewards, providing further incentives to take on greater challenges. As players develop multiple characters, shared progression becomes more impactful, enhancing overall growth efficiency across their roster.

Built for Growth While Preserving Competitive Balance

Career Mode integrates naturally with existing progression systems, allowing players to bring in characters they’ve already developed through upgrades, ability cards, and P-Buff setups, while continuing to grow them further within the mode.

At the same time, all progression gained in Career Mode is limited to solo play and does not carry over into PvP modes. This ensures players can freely experiment and grow without affecting competitive balance.

Visual enhancements powered by Lumen also bring added depth to the experience, introducing more dynamic lighting and environmental detail that make on-court action feel more natural and readable, while maintaining the fast-paced gameplay players expect.

A Natural Path Toward Competitive Play

Career Mode serves as more than just a standalone experience — it acts as a bridge into the broader 3on3 Freestyle ecosystem.

By learning systems and mechanics in a controlled environment, players can build confidence and transition more smoothly into multiplayer and competitive gameplay, preparing them for higher-level play.

Step Onto the Court

With Career Mode, 3on3 Freestyle introduces a new way to experience the game — from learning the fundamentals to refining strategies and taking on greater challenges. It’s a space to experiment, grow, and prepare for what comes next.

3on3 FreeStyle

JOYCITY Corp.

☆☆☆☆☆
2872

★★★★★

3on3 FreeStyle!
Welcome to the world of 3on3 FreeStyle street basketball.

Choose from 57 unique characters, each with their own signature skills, and lead your team to victory in intense 3v3 matches.
Experience fast-paced, stylish street basketball action.

Master each character’s skills and strategic team play to dominate the court.

Enjoy both single-player and multiplayer modes:
Grow your character in My Career (PVE) or compete in real-time 3v3 matches.

Play solo or together—create your own style and become the best.

Probability Item Info: http://3on3.fsgames.com/newNews/drawRate/5583/view

Nomori’s Ghibli-Inspired Aesthetic Belies a Mind-Bending Portal Puzzler

Posted on March 21, 2026 by faz_business

If you love games that challenge your perception and reward thinking outside of the box, upcoming physics puzzler Nomori may be right up your alley. At the recent ID@Xbox event at GDC, I was able to play through the demo and chat with Studio Director Marnix Licht, who leads Enchanted Works’ small remote team distributed across the Netherlands.

In Nomori you play Kiko, a young girl who, in classic folktale form, gets sidetracked on the way to her grandmother’s house. Soon she finds herself lost in a whimsical spirit world of floating islands populated with friendly mushrooms, giant talking cats, and the like. It’s all drawn from Japanese folklore, particularly via the beloved work of animation legend Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli, like “Spirited Away” and “Princess Mononoke.”

That extremely cozy and inviting surface belies a much trickier puzzle design, however. Licht told me that one of their core observations at the start of development was that often a game with gentle vibes has similarly gentle puzzle mechanics. They supposed that many people might like a game with a cozy aesthetic, but far trickier and more nuanced underlying gameplay, akin to Portal, which is a comparison that will shortly become obvious.

Initially the challenge is simple navigation and platforming, making your way across a series of floating islands that are connected by fixed portals. The first twist comes when you find that portals maintain orientation, so the direction of gravity when you enter will be the same for you wherever you exit. So, for instance, you can step through a portal at the bottom of a cliff face and emerge through a perpendicularly oriented portal onto that cliff as your new ground.

“If Portal is all about conservation of momentum, Nomori is about conservation of orientation,” Licht told me. He also brought up the work of surrealist illustrator M.C. Escher as a big and obvious inspiration for this relativistic relationship to space.

The next major element introduced is a large, friendly gelatinous cube with bunny ears called a Slimebun. You can pick it up and telekinetically move it around with your Wind Grasp ability to use as a mobile platform and as a key to open the door to the next island. Invoking Portal again, Licht called it “the ultimate companion cube.” Eventually, you can also reverse its direction in time, scrubbing it back and forth along its previous path like with Link’s Recall ability in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, creating a moving platform for your traversal.

The moment that really made me lean forward and recognize what this game has cooking was when Kiko could start rotating the portals in 90-degree increments, changing the orientation at which you came out (and thus the direction of gravity when you did). I’d been breezing through the introductory puzzles to this point, but suddenly I had to start rotating the space in my mind like a Rubik’s Cube and just ended up doing a lot more experimentation.

The Slimebun has a sloshing layer of liquid on its bottom and bunny ears on top, which are important cues for making its orientation obvious. This is crucial because Wind Grasp lets you send it through portals without you, bringing it out nearby with a different direction of gravity than you, for instance turning it falling down into your elevator ride up. This gets even more complicated with moving it back and forth in time, since its path (helpfully represented in the world with a dotted line) retains orientation to the Slimebun and not the environment, so you can use that in conjunction with rotating portals to do some tricky things.

By grounding the world in consistent (but interesting) physics and giving you a growing array of open-ended tools, Nomori increasingly allows for multiple solutions to its problems as it goes on and grows in complexity, which can give you that delicious feeling that you’ve outsmarted the game for coming up with something that doesn’t seem intended. Licht and team have rewarded this directly by placing Kodamas (collectible spirits) based on spots their playtesters have managed to reach that they hadn’t initially intended to be accessible.

Nomori is charming and thoughtful, and I’m now very excited to see all the directions its relativistic portal puzzling goes across the whole game when it comes to Xbox Series X|S and Xbox on PC later this year, with support for Xbox Play Anywhere.

A New Glimpse at Dave the Diver’s Upcoming DLC, Launching June 18

Posted on March 13, 2026 by faz_business

Summary

Dave The Diver: In the Jungle DLC is scheduled to launch June 18 on Xbox on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and handheld.
The newly released trailer teases details about Dave’s next adventure.
With a new village, new NPCs, and unique underwater experiences, the DLC aims to offer something fresh and distinct from the Dave the Diver experience you know.

It’s been a long time coming, and we’re thrilled to finally share the launch date for our upcoming Dave the Diver DLC called In the Jungle. Dave takes on this whole new adventure as of June 18, 2026!

The news about this expansion has been out for a little while now, so the time for being koi… (ahem, fish pun) is over! Today, we’re excited to share more about what to expect in this new DLC that gives Dave a whole new flavor while remaining true to its roots.

Let’s start with today’s new trailer. We saw a lot this time, and perhaps most notably the giant freshwater dinosaur washed ashore in the village. Fans of Dave know that there’s a whole story waiting to be uncovered there, and frankly, there are many surprises in store that we can’t wait to tease more of later. Oh, and you probably noticed one of the characters in that scene is not like the others…that’s Muna, Dr. Bacon’s assistant. We’ll learn more about her, too.

There’s also lots of sneak peeks into other new elements in this DLC, ranging from the new locations, puzzles, minigames, boss fights, and jungle creatures you’ll meet. But the true star of the show this time is the new campaign and the way our players will interact with new characters and the environment, as well as the implications a jungle setting has on Bancho’s choice of cuisine.

The new trailer showcases Dave and his friends’ next big adventure featuring an all-new jungle eco-system to explore, a fantastic new restaurant for Bancho to demonstrate his culinary skills and lots of surprises! Check out the trailer below:

[TRAILER EMBED]

A New Campaign, A New Jungle, Same Old Dave (Mostly)

When we started building In the Jungle, one thing was non-negotiable: it still had to feel like Dave the Diver, full of the same humor, wit, and orchestrated chaos that our fans know and love.

This time, Dave trades the Blue Hole for an entirely new biome, a lush jungle packed with new opportunities, exotic ingredients, loads of wildlife, and a bustling lakeside village called Utara. It’s alive, it’s vibrant, and it’s filled with new characters to meet, along with a few familiar faces who couldn’t resist tagging along for the adventure.

But make no mistake. This is no simple change of scenery for the gang. There’s a robust new life to be lived here, complete with danger, mystery, and lots of amazing food.

And of course, Dave is still Dave. Slightly overwhelmed, surprisingly capable, and somehow at the center of it all.

Jungle Gameplay: New Waters

Even in a whole new biome and trading the wetsuit for stained khakis, we’ve preserved Dave’s signature offbeat humor, stylised pixelated cutscenes, and the fulfilling blend of exploration and management that makes Dave tick. But of course, the jungle changes things.

This time around, Dave is traversing not only the surrounding jungle and village, but the massive lake in Utara where he meets many new fish species, discovers new ingredients, and other ecosystem-specific surprises, including the way the fish and other underwater animals interact with Dave. Freshwater fish have new movement patterns, new attack behaviors, and new environmental interactions that shift the rhythm of dives in ways that should feel both familiar and refreshingly different.

There’s also the villagers. As much as the ecosystem in the jungle lake beats with life, the village of Utara operates within its own unique system, one that Dave will need to learn and master. With some earned trust, a stroke of luck, and that undeniable Dave charm, the villagers can be welcomed to Bancho’s restaurant as guests. This new dynamic propels much of the storyline in this DLC, and it of course means new friends along the way.

Beyond the bird-hunting sequence from the trailer, we’re introducing several additional minigames that build on what players loved in the base game. As ever, they’re woven naturally into the story and the world, adding even more variety to Dave’s routine.

Bancho’s Grill: No Sushi, No Problem

Another area where In the Jungle departs from the base game is the introduction of Bancho Grill. This freshwater twist on Bancho’s restaurant features a fully-cooked jungle-themed menu – time to grill and chill!

This time, Dave isn’t stuck serving along a single horizontal plane. He can now move freely throughout the Grill, serving customers across multiple areas. And as I mentioned before, one of the most exciting aspects of the new restaurant is the interaction with the villagers themselves. As Dave interacts with local inhabitants, his bonds with them grow, and they’ll begin visiting Bancho’s Grill as diners, making the restaurant a key hub between Dave and the village community.

You’ll also be able to customize Bancho’s Grill, giving it a personality that fits your jungle journey. Meanwhile, Bancho will be hard at work transforming newly caught freshwater fish and locally gathered ingredients into entirely new dishes. After all, the jungle might be unfamiliar territory, but great food is universal!

The Jungle Calls

We have lots more to share about Dave the Diver: In the Jungle before launch on June 18. If you haven’t already, we welcome everyone to begin their underwater adventures in Dave the Diver today on Xbox, and check out all of the other DLC options — there’s something there for everyone! For more news about Dave the Diver and In The Jungle as it approaches launch, be sure to join the official Dave the Diver Discord channel.

DAVE THE DIVER

MINTROCKET

☆☆☆☆☆
240

★★★★★

$19.99

・An adventure, RPG, management hybrid
Explore and unravel the mysteries in the depths of the Blue Hole by day and run a successful exotic sushi restaurant by night.
It’s easy to get hooked on the satisfying gameplay loop!

・Casual combat and gathering gameplay with rogue-like elements
Dive into the ever-changing Blue Hole and use a harpoon and other weapons to catch fish and various creatures.
Upgrade and forge equipment with collected resources and sushi restaurant profits to prepare for the dangers that lurk in the unknown.
Running out of oxygen means leaving collected items and fish behind!

・Eccentric characters with a lighthearted narrative
Quirky but lovable characters and a story full of in-jokes, spoofs, and other humorous scenes provide an approachable and enjoyable gameplay experience.

・A beautiful sea environment with attractive 2D/3D Art
A combination of pixel and 3D graphics provides a stunning art style that showcases breathtaking underwater scenery. This oceanic adventure is set in the real marine environment of a Blue Hole filled with over 200 kinds of sea creatures.

・Ample additional content to complement the main gameplay loop
Minigames, side quests, and multiple storylines provide many hours of entertainment and varied gameplay.

Lords of the Fallen II: Introducing the Bosses Revealed in the First Ever Gameplay Trailer

Posted on December 12, 2025 by faz_business

Summary

Lords of the Fallen II revealed its first gameplay trailer at The Game Awards 2025.
Find out more about three new bosses included in the trailer in our article.
The final major patch for Lords of the Fallen (2023) is also now live, bringing major updates – including a new Veteran Mode.

The next chapter in this dark fantasy saga is gathering strength. Revealed today at The Game Awards, we unveiled the first ever gameplay trailer for Lords of the Fallen II, the long-awaited new soulslike RPG, arriving in 2026.

The trailer offers a first glimpse at three colossal bosses, a host of new foes, refined combat, and story-driven moments that pull players deeper into the battle-scarred land of Axiom. Cinematic glimpses of torment are woven with brutal combat, giving a glimpse of the merciless journey ahead, in a world sharpened by suffering, shaped by ruin, and ready to strike back.

Bosses are a huge part of Lords of the Fallen II so, once you’ve watched the trailer, join us as we break down the Heartroot Warden, Koydreth, and Lingao, the Souring Storm, as well as some of the smaller enemies you’ll meet in between.

Strange New Foes

The trailer opens with the Dark Crusader stepping toward a four-armed horror with a hollowed head and a chest glowing with an eternal flame. This creature is the Ashen Skin Stealer, a new Rhogar foe born for dueling. These inhuman hunters carve and collect human skin as treasured trophies, though none know where this grotesque ritual began. They fight with single minded ferocity and take pleasure in the slaughter of their enemies.

Moments later, a knight in horned armour hurls himself across the arena with crushing force. This is a Heartroot Warden, the first of the three bosses revealed. His attacks are relentless and heavy, driven by a chain-wrapped great sword that punishes hesitation. Only the most honoured Trelisi warriors were chosen for the sacred rite that twisted them into these undying guardians, their bodies fused within enchanted armour and stripped of humanity.

Through trickery and evasion, a winged figure slips through a rune etched mirror. This is Koydreth, once the respected leader of the Crescent Host. He is the second boss introduced. Cursed for a sin so grave it reshaped him in body and spirit, he now rules the skies with a monstrous elegance. He moves like a predator, both majestic and savage.

The Dark Crusader then stands before a vast draconic head. Lightning splits the air as its jaws descend. This is Lingao, the Souring Storm, the third and final boss revealed. Lingao commands the fury of the skies, wielding wind and lightning with terrifying speed. His massive frame sweeps across the battlefield, attacking from every direction.

Elsewhere we witness the player fire a crossbow bolt into a frenzied attacker. This is the Man of Letters, once a scholar, now a feral shell consumed by Umbral corruption. They charge with no thought for survival, driven only by blind hostility.

Then emerges the Hysteric, wearing a wicked grin and carrying twin axes in elongated arms. Wild, erratic, and constantly shifting their style, they keep players guessing with every strike.

These foes are only the beginning. Each is bound to the histories, cultures, and tragedies that have shaped Axiom. With Lords of the Fallen II, the team at CI Games has pushed enemy design further than ever before.

Lords of the Fallen: New Veteran Mode

Today, Lords of the Fallen also receives its final major update, Version 2.5. This patch introduces extensive behavior upgrades to bosses, mini bosses, and enemies throughout Mournstead across both Normal and the new Veteran Mode. Veteran Mode heightens the challenge further, granting bosses new attack patterns, swifter transitions, and far more unpredictable assault chains. Several boss weapons have also been reforged with new signature animations.

Coming Next Year

Launching in 2026, Lords of the Fallen II aims to deliver a darker, more demanding experience than anything we’ve made before. With evolved combat, fearsome new bosses, and a world swallowed by ruin, the sequel promises to test the resolve of every player.

For Xbox fans, this marks a powerful evolution of the franchise. Greater threats, deadlier encounters, and more strategic combat await those willing to brave the horrors rising within Axiom.

Lords of the Fallen II

CI Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Realm by realm, nation after nation, the Umbral darkness consumed all in Her path. Now, over 1,000 years later, only one Kingdom remains; a sacred land, shrouded by an ancient force. Or so it was…

Stolen by the Gods themselves, mankind is left forsaken, defenceless against the darkness. Unless this force is restored, the shadow of death will devour all. But how do you kill… an immortal?

A hero must rise, for a God to fall.

Explore a Broken World
Journey across a vast, war-torn kingdom crumbling from within, as the realms of living and dead begin to bleed into one. From moonlit citadels to time-ravaged temples, tread carefully, for each step forward may well be your last.

Master Tactical Combat
Engage in intense, soulslike battles where every strike counts thanks to a fast, fluid and aggressive combat system. Whether steel or sorcery, melee or ranged, experiment with countless builds to overcome each unique enemy encounter before delivering an arena-drenching execution.

Battle Monstrous Bosses
Confront colossal abominations forged in a world without hope and void of mercy. Each distinct showdown will prove a brutal test of skill, grit, and unyielding will. Though aid is at hand, should you seek it…

Harness the Umbral
As bearer of the Umbral lamp, you have the ability to pass between the realms of the living and the dead, each with its own pathways, treasures, and of course, nightmarish creatures. But even greater, darker powers await you on this journey…

Next Week on Xbox: New Games for December 1 to 5

Posted on November 30, 2025 by faz_business

Welcome to Next Week on Xbox! In this weekly feature we cover all the games coming soon to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Xbox on PC, and Game Pass! Get more details on these upcoming games below and click their profiles for further info (release dates subject to change). Let’s jump in!

MARVEL Cosmic Invasion

Dotemu

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Marvel Cosmic Invasion – December 1
Game Pass / Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Xbox Play Anywhere

Tribute Games and Dotemu are teaming up again, in collaboration with Marvel Games, to craft an original, fresh beat ’em up. Featuring dynamic combat combos and dazzling pixel art, this planet-hopping adventure stands as a love letter to the Marvel Universe. Whether you’re teaming up with friends or family, Marvel Cosmic Invasion has you covered with local/online play and a drop-in/drop-out adaptive system. A cosmic battle awaits!

OCTOPATH TRAVELER 0 Digital Deluxe Edition

SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.

☆☆☆☆☆
5

★★★★★

$59.99

OCTOPATH TRAVELER 0

SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.

☆☆☆☆☆
5

★★★★★

Octopath Traveler 0 – December 3
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Xbox Play Anywhere

Start from zero and discover the newest entry in the Octopath Traveler series. Experience a story of restoration and retribution over the divine rings — an epic saga that unfolds across the realm of Orsterra. Enjoy familiar features such as the series’ HD-2D graphics, a fusion of retro pixel art and 3DCG; the player’s ability to roleplay using Path Actions of their choice; and the Break and Boost system that can turn the tide of battle. Additionally, brand-new features such as character creation and town building allow you to create your own character and restore your hometown.

Blood: Refreshed Supply

Warner Bros. Games, Atari, Nightdive Studios

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Blood: Refreshed Supply – December 4
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Blood: Refreshed Supply follows Caleb, an undead gunslinger on a quest for revenge against his former demonic master, Tchernobog. Despite his once powerful position as a fearsome Cabal commander and one of Tchernobog’s “Chosen” few, Caleb and his fellow Chosen are betrayed by the dark god and slain for reasons unknown. Seeking answers and vengeance, Caleb rises from the grave to put a stop to Tchernobog and his murderous lieutenants once and for all.

ROUTINE

Raw Fury

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Routine – December 4
Game Pass / Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Optimized for Handheld / Xbox Play Anywhere / Smart Delivery

Routine is a first-person sci-fi horror title set on an abandoned lunar base designed around an 80s vision of the future. Curious exploration turns into a need for survival when a lunar base goes completely quiet. Searching for answers puts you face to face with an enemy who is certain the main threat is you. Discoveries lead to deeper unknowns and the only way to go is forward.

I’m on Observation Duty 8

Dreamloop Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

I’m on Observation Duty 8 – December 5
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

Observe. Report. Survive the night. Monitor the surveillance system for anomalies and report them to survive the night. Use your sharp eyes and keen attention to detail to detect supernatural anomalies ranging from subtle environmental changes to eerie and unsettling otherworldly intruders. Can you survive the night shift, or will you succumb to paranoia…? I’m on Observation Duty 8 is the most ambitious title yet in the original viral franchise that ignited a trend in spot-the-difference horror games that have been loved by players and streamed for millions by legendary content creators.

Crime Simulator

Ultimate Games S.A.

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$19.99

$15.99

Crime Simulator – December 1
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

You’re out of jail, but the debt isn’t gone. Sneak, steal, and break into houses solo or in 4-player co-op. Use lockpicks, sleeping gas, and brute force to complete jobs, outsmart security, and make enough money before time runs out. Will you pay back what you owe, or lose everything?

Seven Days Until Morning

Dishsoap Studios

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Seven Days Until Morning – December 1
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

Seven centuries in the future, humanity is collapsing. In an attempt to spare yourself the same fate as the rest of the system, you flee to the furthest away place you can feasibly survive: Pluto. Survive the downfall of humanity in a centuries old survival bunker, or at least the first week. You crash land on Pluto, it’s the furthest away place you could reach that was apart of the CCOT’s emergency shelter program. It had been centuries since it was last used, which has left it needing maintenance. Ride out the Plutonian night while hiding from the end.

BROK: The Brawl Bar

COWCAT

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$9.99

Brok: The Bar Brawl – December 2
Xbox Play Anywhere

Brok, a former boxer turned detective, stumbles upon an underground bar hidden deep in the Slums. Old instincts kick in, and he jumps headfirst to prove he’s still top dog! (or…gator.) Solo or with a friend in co-op, take on creative challenges inspired by “Event matches” of platform fighters, taken to the next level with original addictive mechanics and variety. In this gritty-yet-humorous bar, meet unforgettable characters and uncover surprises around every corner as the story unfolds.

Cute Bonfire (Xbox Series)

Afil Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Cute Bonfire – December 2
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

Step into the warm world of Cute Bonfire, a charming pixel-art puzzle game set inside a fireplace. Take control of a little fire spirit that moves tile by tile, pushing charcoal pieces to light up the bonfires. With 30 levels of gradually increasing difficulty, delightful visuals, and a cozy, relaxing atmosphere, Cute Bonfire is perfect for casual players who love the satisfaction of solving puzzles.

Elon and Friends: Winter Pack – 13 Games (Xbox+XPA+PC)

DERIK D.F

☆☆☆☆☆
23

★★★★★

$8.99

$7.19

Elon and Friends: Winter Pack – December 2
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

This winter celebration pack contains the following games: Elon and the Divine Proof, Green Soldiers Heroes, Extreme Bikers, Prison of Illusion, Super Snake Block DX, and SHMUP Mania. Windows (PC) versions are optimized for handheld PCs.

SLEEP AWAKE

Blumhouse Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Sleep Awake – December 2
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

Sleep Awake is an immersive first-person psychedelic horror narrative experience that explores the realm between sleep and death.  Submitted to perpetual insomnia, the denizens of the last known city on Earth are reaching a panic crisis of reckless experiments in an effort to avoid The Hush, the inexplicable disappearance of those who sleep. Playing as Katja, you must survive the devotees of various depraved death cults and desperately try to stay awake. Solve the puzzles of this mysterious world while avoiding the grasp of the death cults in an attempt to shatter the horrors of the past. 

Slimeboo

Zakym s. r. o.

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Slimeboo – December 2 – Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Optimized for Handheld / Xbox Play Anywhere / Smart Delivery

Slimeboo is a simple and fun platformer game that is perfect for children of all ages. The game is controlled with a single button, making it accessible to even the youngest players. Boo, a small and adorable slime, has gotten lost on a tropical island. To find his way home, he must leap over all the obstacles in his path. Help him overcome them! Good luck!

Caput Mortum

INDIE GAMES STARTER

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Caput Mortum – December 3
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

Caput Mortum is a short first-person horror experience inspired by retro 3D dungeon crawlers and survival horror games. Delve into a tower of forgotten nightmares, where every step could be your last. Overcome horrors from beyond death and unlock the secrets of forbidden knowledge.

Dungeons and Ducklings

Silesia Games Sp. z o.o.

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Dungeons and Ducklings – December 3

An evil Lich has tainted Mama Duck’s beloved pond and kidnapped her ducklings! Arm up and beat him once and for all in this QuackMan roguelite – storm through dungeon mazes to rescue her family! With classic arcade controls and a twist – an attack button that lets you smash walls and enemies – you’ll fight back against the Lich and his army in no time!

Malachite: Temple of the Sun

Ocean Media

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Malachite: Temple of the Sun – December 3

Embark on a journey through the depths of a lost ancient jungle temple. Start your journey through the depths of a forgotten jungle temple. Match colorful balls, unlock powerful power-ups, and construct your own temple as you progress. Choose between adventure and endless modes, immersing yourself in classic match-3 gameplay!

Octo Curse

Ocean Media

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Octo Curse – December 3

A pirate turned into octopus. Can you break the curse? OctoCurse is an action platformer following the story of a pirate captain who has been turned into an octopus by an evil spirit. The little octopus embarks on the quest to save the rest of his crew and reverse the curse. Experience epic pirate adventure. Explore levels, collect coins, unlock doors and climb the mysterious tower as you get closer and closer to the final showdown. Make your way through the tropical jungle, brave the harsh winter, weather the storm and endure other exciting environs. Save your friends and meet new ones along the way.

RoboHero

Xitilon

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

RoboHero – December 3
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

Classic sokoban with a twist and a sci-fi theme! A scientific organization sends a robot-expeditor developed on artificial intelligence to the newly discovered exoplanet Xeran, on which, most likely, there are very valuable resources for humanity.

Winterlight – Where silence says it all

Eastasiasoft Limited

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Winterlight – Where Silence Says it All – December 3
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Explore a heartfelt and thought-provoking tale of bittersweet homecoming! As Elias returns to the coastal town that once sheltered him, he’s pulled into a slow winter of connection, memory and quiet decisions. Take the role of this young man and guide the choices he makes, surrounded by the warmth of townspeople young and old, often holding conversations in a bookstore over shared coffee.

YAKUZA: Shadows of New York

Porting.guru

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Yakuza: Shadows of New York – December 3
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Xbox Play Anywhere / Smart Delivery

Step into the shadows of New York City in Yakuza: Shadows of New York, a gripping action-adventure where the old codes of honor clash against the forces of modern corruption. Become Kaito Nakamura, a skilled enforcer on a mission to find his missing mentor while navigating the city’s dark and treacherous underbelly.

Baseless

First Break Labs

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Baseless – December 4
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

Baseless is a challenging planet-jumping shooter. Blast from planet to planet with 360° gravity, creatively demolishing every enemy in your path. Fire powerful weapons, rescue cute friends, and discover a galaxy worth fighting for!

DETECTIVE – Rainy Night

JanduSoft

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$10.49

$9.44

Detective – Rainy Night – December 4
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Xbox Play Anywhere

Detective – Rainy Night puts you in the shoes of Iker Carmona, a police officer investigating a string of strange disappearances. After a long drive, Iker decides to spend the night at a small roadside motel called the Holiday. What begins as a quiet stop quickly spirals into something far more sinister.

Finding America: The Heartland Collector’s Edition

Ocean Media

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Finding America: The Heartland Collector’s Edition – December 4

Strap on your seatbelts for a trip to America’s Heartland! From South Dakota’s monumental Mount Rushmore to the humble farmhouses of Kansas, this lovely slice of American pie will have something just for you. Visit jazz bars in Illinois, Wisconsin’s cheese shops, and stunning national parks, all as lovingly crafted Hidden Object Scenes and challenging Minigames! Complete each chapter, unlock tons of trivia, and enjoy everything the Heartland has to offer in this all-American Hidden Object game!

Mist: Evolution

EpiXR Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$9.99

Mist: Evolution – December 4
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

Your daughter is missing. The world is gone. Only the Mist remains. In Mist, a devastating crash marks the beginning of your descent into a world lost to alien terror. As a father, you search desperately for your child—but what you find instead is a crumbling world buried in fog, crawling with monsters beyond comprehension. This is no ordinary RPG. Mist fuses idle progression, visceral real-time combat, and an evolving horror narrative into a genre-defying experience. As you explore the ruins of civilization, you’ll form a pact with a mysterious alien being that grants you strength—at a cost. Level up, mutate, and unlock terrifying new abilities as you battle grotesque creatures and uncover long-buried truths.

The Phantom

Art Of Play Interactive

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$26.99

The Phantom – December 4
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

The Phantom is an arcade-style beat-em-up coming to PC and consoles. Play as the Phantom or his partner, Diana Palmer, in this 14-level adventure. The feared pirates of the Singh Brotherhood are battling for power and threatening the Phantom’s legacy, and it’s up to you to stop them. Use your hand-to-hand fighting skills and trusty weapons to dispatch this evil, and call in assistance from your animal friends Fraka the falcon and Devil the wolf. The Phantom features a brand-new story approved by King Features. Experience this canon addition through full-screen cut scenes and captivating in-game visuals, hand-illustrated and animated frame-by-frame by seasoned comic book artists and Art Of Play’s dedicated in-house 2D creative team.

ReSetna

Ocean Media

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

ReSetna – December 4

A warrior on a mission to rescue last human remnants. What’s left of humanity are minds trapped in circuits. You are awaken as ReSetna, a warrior on a mission to rescue last human remnants. Explore seven hostile zones, face seven brutal bosses and evolve through a unique upgrade system. Uncover horrifying truth and decide if the future is worth saving.

Sacrifice For Sale (Xbox Series X|S)

Sometimes You

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$9.99

$7.99

Sacrifice For Sale – December 4
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

Experience interaction in a new and engaging way. Choose to respond to what the characters have to say… directly! Deal with your own hostage situation, negotiate for more than just your freedom. Learn about the people who hold you captive, deconstruct the cult, manipulate them- all to not end up as their next sacrifice.

Sophia’s Animal Clinic – Mission Wildlife Park

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Sophie’s Animal Clinic – Mission Wildlife Park – December 4
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Your veterinary adventure begins at the wildlife park! Help injured and sick animals such as horses, deer, ducks, donkeys, goats, rabbits, and many more. With a great deal of empathy, you examine symptoms, make diagnoses, and treat over 30 different diseases. Each animal has individual needs and is waiting for your expert help. Use modern instruments, accompany your patients’ recovery step by step, and experience a varied everyday life in the animal park. Intuitive controls, realistic treatments, and lovingly animated animals make this game a highlight for young animal lovers.

Connect It!

Gametry LLC

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Connect It! – December 5

Connect It is a clever, visually striking puzzle game that challenges you to link matching colors scattered across a grid. Your mission? Draw connections between all the pairs—without crossing paths. It sounds simple… until it’s not. With over 200 handcrafted levels, each one more intricate than the last, Connect It constantly surprises with new layouts and clever twists. The controls are intuitive, the gameplay is smooth, and every solved puzzle delivers that satisfying “aha!” moment.

M.A.U.S

Cascadia Games LLC

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$3.49

M.A.U.S – December 5
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

With his children away on the moon, there is no time to relax for Dr. Cavor. Once again, Victoria is under attack. The aging but brilliant scientist begins research on a new means of defense. After much work, he finds success with Mechanized Assault Unity 19 — M.A.U.S.

Pixapple Adventure

JM Neto Game Dev

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Pixapple Adventures – December 5

Pixapple Adventure is a colorful pixel-art platformer starring a brave little apple with arms and legs! Run, jump, and collect all the stars to open the portal and reach the next level. Across three vibrant worlds — Forest, Snow, and the Valley of Fear — the challenge increases as you progress. Simple, fast, and fun, Pixapple brings back the joy of classic platformers with a charming twist.

Santa´s World

EntwicklerX – GbR Thomas Claus und Frank Menzel

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Santa’s World – December 5

Santa’s World is a jump-‘n-run Christmas game inspired by classic platform games. The goal is to find the three lost Christmas gifts and go to the next level while collecting items. Traps, obstacles, and enemies make the quest very challenging. Find snowballs and throw them at enemies to remove them. 3D graphics packed in a nice graphics style, great 2.5D levels and proven gameplay gives you hours of fun.

Security Booth: Director’s Cut

Cloud Colony Games

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Security Booth: Director’s Cut – December 5
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

The year is 1996 and you’re employed by a science lab called Nova Nexus. You work as a security guard at the front gate to the lab, inside a guard booth. However, tonight it seems something important is happening inside of Nova Nexus and things are… well… a little strange. Your job is simple. you must make sure that only the right authorized personnel are getting into the facility. To do this, when a car arrives at the gates, it is your job to go and talk with the driver and check their license plate. Make sure that the person is on the employee register by finding the license plate on the register. If the person is not on the register you must tell them to leave. Make sure to only open the gates to employees and keep the gate closed at all times.

Speed Factor

Ratalaika Games S.L.

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Speed Factor – December 5
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery

Inspired by 80s and 90s classics, Speed Factor is an old-school racing game with pixelated graphics, arcade driving style, exhilarating punk rock music, and some awesome classic cars! Customize the difficulty level and traction assist level to your personal tastes to make the game as easy or challenging as you want. Cruise through 50 different tracks spread across 5 locations! Win races and earn money to level up and improve your ride!

Stacky Dash

QubicGames S.A.

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Stacky Dash – December 5
Xbox Play Anywhere

Get ready for non-stop fun in Stacky Dash! Slide to collect tiles, build paths, and race through colorful levels full of exciting surprises. Dodge blasting cannons, and zip through portals as you conquer each tricky stage! Save adorable animals to grow your own zoo and take on timed challenges to test your speed. With tons of cool skins to unlock, every level is packed with energy and fun!

Tank Mechanic Simulator – Reinforced

PlayWay S.A.

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Tank Mechanic Simulator – Reinforced – December 5
Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

Fix, build and renovate highly detailed and fully interactive tanks (German, USA or Soviet), armored cars or self-propelled guns. Experience a realistic simulator game of being a Tank Mechanic. Find abandoned and destroyed tanks from battlefields of Second World War. Use special tools to find each tank, and extract it from the ground. Grow your repair service business and start your own tank museum.

Halo: Campaign Evolved – Answering the Big Questions About This Ambitious Remake

Posted on October 26, 2025 by faz_business

Summary

Halo: Campaign Evolved is a full remake of the Halo: Combat Evolved campaign, coming in 2026 to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, Steam, PlayStation 5, supports Xbox Cloud Gaming and Xbox Play Anywhere and arrives day one with Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
This fully-rebuilt campaign will introduce remastered 4K visuals, beloved Halo weapons and vehicles, plus brand-new story content.
We spoke to key leads at Halo Studios about how the team is utilizing 25 years of community feedback and technology to build on what makes Halo timeless.

It’s official; Halo marks the next chapter for the franchise with Halo: Campaign Evolved, a complete Unreal Engine 5 remake of the original campaign from Halo: Combat Evolved, including some brand-new surprises.

The original Halo: Combat Evolved is a stalwart of gaming history, a cultural icon that helped define the first-person shooter experience. For Halo Studios, bottling the impact of that original campaign and all of its special moments is the ultimate goal – for new players and long-time fans alike.

Halo: Campaign Evolved is a modern evolution of that iconic story, thoughtfully brought to life in Unreal Engine 5 with stunning new 4K visuals, updated animations, remastered music, and re-recorded voice lines. Halo Studios is also bringing in a roster of beloved weapons and vehicles from later Halo titles, and adding three new bonus campaign missions, all designed to expand and celebrate the adventure that started it all.

Halo’s legacy of cooperative play continues here, supporting the original two-player local split screen experience on console, and, for the first time, up to four players in online co-op across Xbox, PC, and PlayStation 5.

Ahead of announce, I was able to speak to several key leads at Halo Studios, and gathered up some unique insight on how the team seeks to capture the tone and feel of the original game for a new generation, all the new lore and gameplay additions, and ultimately, while staying true to what has always made Halo special at its core.

Back to Where It All Began

Halo: Combat Evolved is where it all began, and for the team at Halo Studios – who have gone through an evolution of their own – there was no better place to start building this new generation of Halo. As Executive Producer Damon Conn puts it, remaking the very first campaign from the ground up was a perfect opportunity to craft an ideal entry point for new players and modernize areas that could better match today’s expectations for pacing and clarity (yes, we mean The Library, and we’ll get to that shortly).

“We wanted to start where it all began, with the original campaign that defined Halo,” Conn explains. “Starting here means people that have never played the game before will be able to understand the story from the very beginning, and that can help us chart a course forward with new Halo stories.”

“Focusing on the campaign experience means we can concentrate fully on really capturing the atmosphere, tone – the emotional impact of what made the first campaign so special and iconic.”

How Will Campaign Evolved Preserve the ‘Halo Spirit’?

Keeping that classic Halo “feel” is of course of prime importance, and capturing that took the team all the way back to the source material – the original Combat Evolved campaign as it was first presented in 2001. TThe goal was to understand how modern updates to systems and environments could complement, not replace, the essence of the original experience – to make it feel just as players remember, only smoother and more seamless than ever before.

“The campaign has been rebuilt to feel handcrafted and immersive, true to what players remember, not just visually, but emotionally,” adds Conn.

How Will Campaign Evolved Update Existing Missions?

Preserving the Halo spirit means the team has taken great care to not modernize for the sake of modernization. It’s not about rebuilding Halo: Combat Evolved’s story and spaces to ‘fit in’ with a roster of today’s games, but to ensure that its original feel has evolved to suit modern players. Every change has been shaped by the same question: Does this still feel like Halo?

“Because this is a remake, we’ve been able to carefully rebuild almost every level and every encounter with more fidelity,” says Max Szlagor, Creative Director. “As we’re building the technology for this game, we’ve had to do it piece by piece, which included reevaluating all of the individual elements as we’re revisiting them in the original game.”

“And now the campaign supports up to four-player co-op, we had to think about how all of the original encounters and spaces can scale to accommodate that many players.”

The Library is a perfect example to demonstrate how the team is thoughtfully enhancing existing spaces in an authentic way. Halo: Combat Evolved’s seventh campaign mission is a key example of where it felt right to make tweaks to several areas to create a new experience that balances nostalgia with the expectations of today’s gamers.

“We learned from Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary that there was still an appetite for things like better wayfinding, navigation, and diversity in enemy encounters,” Szlagor says. “In The Library specifically, which features several Flood encounters, we wanted to reevaluate the pacing and enhance the environmental storytelling. We’ve added new lines to Guilty Spark, which guide players through the level, and there’s new dialogue that gives more insight into the narrative as it plays out.”

“We’re not changing the stories, it’s about refining and adding context to this moment, and other levels like it, so players can stay on track.”

What New Elements are Halo Studios Adding to the Original?

In Halo: Campaign Evolved, you’ll be able to wield nine additional iconic weapons from across the Halo series inside the Halo: Combat Evolved campaign, including the Energy Sword, Battle Rifle and Needle Rifle, giving you more ways to approach every encounter.

“Some of the weapons we’re bringing in could be used against you in Halo: Combat Evolved by the enemy, but you weren’t able to pick them up yourself.” Szlagor says. “Now, you can, and it feels natural because of how you can do that in other Halo games, it reflects the evolution of the series.”

Players can also look forward to two firsts for the campaign — you can now hijack vehicles and even pilot the Covenant Wraith tank for the first time in Halo: Combat Evolved.

For challenge seekers, Halo Studios is also featuring the most Skulls ever in a Halo campaign, for even more ways to modify the campaign experience.

And perhaps most exciting, the team has added three brand-new prequel missions set before the events of the Halo: Combat Evolved campaign, which introduce entirely new environments, characters and enemies, which we’ll find out more about very soon.

Oh – and you can sprint now, if you’d like, or disable it if you don’t.

How Are Halo Studios Using Unreal Engine 5?

The Halo spirit is not just about the debut’s impact – the studio is effectively incorporating 25 years of player feedback and technological advancement into Halo: Campaign Evolved. The latter is supported by the team’s pivot to Unreal Engine 5, which, with the foundation of Halo’s legacy code, will support the game’s development. It’s not an entirely new ecosystem for Halo Studios – they’ve dabbled quietly with Unreal projects in the past – and that has only reinforced that the tools on offer, combined with original resources, are what Halo needs to futureproof itself for the generations to come.

“Given that Halo: Campaign Evolved is a remake, it is critical that we deliver gameplay that is 100% authentically Halo at its core, ” says Greg Hermann, Game Director on Halo: Campaign Evolved.

All of the new content created in Unreal Engine 5 is layered on top of code and systems carried directly over from the original games. That legacy code is instrumental in maintaining that authentic “Halo feel” within gameplay. It means that Halo Studios can achieve the desired visual goal with Unreal’s photorealistic rendering capabilities, with the simulation systems of Halo living and breathing beneath it, Hermann adds.

“For future titles, we will continue to push the boundaries of technology while ensuring the core Halo gameplay for that game can be seen, felt, heard, and evolved where needed.”

How are Halo Studios Balancing Serving New and Core Players?

While the team knows its tools best, it’s the Halo community that plays a fundamental role in how Halo Studios moves forward.

“Our player-first approach has informed so many decisions for the better,” Szlagor adds. “When we introduce new features or make creative choices, we’re constantly checking in with players through our user research studies and our Halo Insider program. Their feedback helps us stay grounded in what feels authentic to Halo.

That commitment to player input also extends beyond the studio walls. Halo: Campaign Evolved will be playable for the first time at the Halo World Championships, giving our players an early hands-on look at how the game is coming along. Halo: Campaign Evolved doesn’t seek to replace the original game, but instead, offer a modern experience that can stand proudly beside it. When new players launch the game for the first time, it must recapture the indescribable feel of picking up Halo for the first time 25 years ago on the original Xbox. That’s the moment we all remember so fondly, a moment that the Halo team recalls as “transformative”, that it wants to share with as many players as possible.

“We’re so excited about bringing Halo to those who may not have had chance to play it in the past,” Conn adds. “At its heart, Halo is about connection, we’re thrilled to meet a new generation of players on their platforms of choice to fall in love with Halo the same way we did. We’re not trying to rewrite Halo’s legacy – we’re trying to immerse you in it like never before.”

“This is Halo for everyone.”

Halo: Campaign Evolved is coming in 2026 to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, Steam, PlayStation 5, supports Xbox Cloud Gaming and Xbox Play Anywhere and arrives day one with Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

Halo: Campaign Evolved

Xbox Game Studios

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Experience Where the Legend Begins

Halo: Campaign Evolved is a faithful yet modernized remake of Halo: Combat Evolved’s campaign. Experience the original story rebuilt with high-definition visuals, updated cinematics, and refined controls, plus three brand-new prequel missions featuring the Master Chief and Sgt. Johnson. A broader arsenal of weapons, vehicles, enemies, and gameplay-modifying “Skulls” – optional modifiers that change combat in fun and challenging ways – add fresh tactics and endless replayability.

Play it your way: solo, in 2-player split-screen co-op (console only), or up to 4-player online co-op with full crossplay and cross-progression support. Whether you’re discovering Halo for the first time or returning to the ring after 25 years, Halo: Campaign Evolved delivers an adventure that feels both timeless and brand new.

Discover the Ringworld

After crash landing on a mysterious ringworld known as Halo, the Master Chief is tasked with helping the remaining humans survive against overwhelming Covenant forces. Alongside his AI companion Cortana, he uncovers Halo’s dark secrets and fights to avert the annihilation of all life in the galaxy.

Key Features

The Complete Campaign, Rebuilt
Battle through the original missions, newly rebuilt with enhanced level design, updated cinematics, and improved wayfinding, refined to keep the pace moving without losing the wonder, tension, or heroism of the original.

Cinematics and Audio Overhauled
Iconic vistas, alien architecture, and sci-fi wonders are reborn with all-new visuals, cinematics, and animations. The soundtrack has been remastered, the sound design updated for greater immersion, and new voice performances recorded with the primary cast.

Combat and Weapons Expanded
Classic Halo combat feels instantly familiar yet sharper than ever. Sprint, aim, and engage with refined precision. For the first time in Halo: CE, you can wield 9 additional iconic weapons from across the series, including the Energy Sword, Battle Rifle, and Needle Rifle, giving you more ways to approach every fight.

Three New Prequel Missions
Join the Master Chief and Sgt. Johnson in a brand-new arc set before the events of Halo: Combat Evolved, featuring new environments, gameplay, characters, and enemies.

Play Solo or with Friends
Experience the full campaign in 2-player split-screen co-op (console only) or 4-player online co-op, complete with crossplay and shared progression across console and PC.

Drive, Hijack, Wreak Havoc
Whether you’re racing across the map in a Warthog or flipping it over with friends, vehicles have always been at the heart of Halo’s fun. Now they go even further: for the first time in Halo: CE, you can hijack enemy rides and pilot a fully drivable Wraith, creating unforgettable chaos.

Remix Your Campaign for Endless Replayability
Use the campaign remix feature to return to any mission and remix the experience with the most gameplay-modifying “Skulls” ever in a Halo campaign. These optional modifiers add challenge and variety with randomized weapons, enemies, and environments.