Is it likely? Probably not, but as a Killer Instinct fan, one can hope.

Despite backlash to some aspects of the console, the Xbox One had arguably one of the strongest launch line-ups in the platform's history, with titles like RYSE and Titanfall from first-party, and games like Battlefield 4 and Assassin's Creed: Black Flag from third. For me, the best launch title was Killer Instinct, however, which revived Rare's classic fighting game for a new era.

Killer Instinct is a combo-heavy fighting game that is easy to play, and difficult to master. Breaking enemy combos with a satisying "C-C-C-C-COMBO BREAKER" announcer effect elevated the game to its legendary status, atop its violence and creative character line-up.

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PlayStation cornered the fighting game audience pretty hard in the years to follow, landing exclusivity for Street Fighter for a time, alongside other major fighting games.

Killer Instinct struggled to maintain pace, and ultimately fell into maintenance mode not long after, although it had strong post-launch support bringing in fan-favorite fighters alongside various new ones. It even picked up combatants from other Xbox franchises, such as RAAM from Gears of War and the Arbiter from Halo.

Aside from the occasional update and balance change, Killer Instinct has remained largely dormant over the last few years. There is a small team at Xbox who works on maintaining the game, but the player base is miniscule, likely in the dozens rather than hundreds going from Steam stats.

Could it be revived, though? Mortal Kombat creator Ed Boon has once again polled users on the state of the fighting game industry, and it's not the first time Boon has spoken about interest in picking up Killer Instinct.

He asked users to vote on which recent fighting game should grab a second chance, including Riot's ill-fated 2XKO, Rumbleverse, Warner Bros' cancelled Smash-clone MultiVersus, and Xbox's dormant Killer Instinct.

As of writing, Killer Instinct leads by a sizeable margin with over 50% of the vote.

Microsoft's gaming portfolio is currently undergoing a lot of upheaval, with Obsidian moved to Bethesda to work on Fallout, and Halo Studios practically shuttered, with the franchise handed off to Call of Duty producers at Activision.

There's probably not a ton of bandwidth at Microsoft right now to explore what a new Killer Instinct might look like ... but what if Warner Bros' studio NetherRealm and Ed Boon's Mortal Kombat team picked up the flag?

Killer Instinct always had huge potential in my view, it was always my personal preferred fighting game. There are major influencers who often advocate for its revival, like Maximilian_Dood.

As a Spinal enjoyer, I still had a ton of fun playing it despite how invariably poor I was at PvP. It would be intriguing to see a Mortal Kombat-style cinematic take on Killer Instinct's lore and universe — which is undeniably intriguing. It's unclear whether or not Warner Bros. would have appetite for involvement here too, given its attempts to turn Mortal Kombat into a viable movie franchise.

There's probably a universe where Killer Instinct could be revived as a high-quality fighting game, with a cinematic single player experience, with franchising potential into TV and movies. You could draft characters from Blizzard games, or Fallout, and beyond too ... alas, it's probably unlikely.

Still, it's fun to dream, no? What IF?

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Rumors about Xbox's deal with Hideo Kojima's upcoming "Action Espionage" title have been swirling recently.

Xbox is undergoing "restructuring" over the past few weeks, leading to thousands of layoffs and staff reductions in the form of divestitures. Microsoft's new gaming CEO Asha Sharma has made no secret of the intent to focus on big-name franchises like Fallout and The Elder Scrolls, and less time on smaller projects like those produced by Double Fine or Compulsion — both of whom are now fully independent teams. Existing studios like Obsidian have been moved to be closer to the Fallout franchise for example, and Halo Studios itself was recently shuttered (in essence) with the franchise handed off to Call of Duty publisher Activision.

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There have been some questions about the timing of Xbox's announcement in partnership with Hideo Kojima's "PHYSINT," as a result. With some (erroneously) speculating that the closures have been designed to fund Kojima's long-awaited return to the espionage genre. Metal Gear Solid is arguably among the top 5 (or maybe even top 3) most legendary franchises of all time. To get the spiritual successor to that on Xbox is a pretty huge coup, considering it was originally announced by PlayStation.

But uh, is this project going to cost almost half a billion dollars? And did it lay off thousands in order to do it? The answer is "no," trusted and verified sources tell me.

Speaking on his podcast, Chris Dring of The Game Business reported that Xbox's budget for PHYSINT is at $400 million. He has since walked back the claim after Bloomberg's Jason Schreier poured cold water on the figure.

I was told similarly by first-hand sources with direct knowledge of the contracts that the figure for PHYSINT is far lower than what is being reported here. It has been suggested to me that the "$400 million" figure is potentially what Sony and PlayStation might've been on the hook for until they cancelled the deal. Xbox and Kojima are building towards their Xbox projects on a "fraction" of this reported figure.

I'm told Xbox negotiated a deal with Kojima Productions that includes both movie and TV licenses for PHYSINT, and it also included enhanced terms for OD — Kojima's anticipated atmospheric horror game for Xbox.

We're seeing a more thrifty Xbox, and a more thrifty AAA industry in general

There has been a lot of discussion about budgets in recent years. Some estimates suggest Grand Theft Auto 6 has had a budget upwards of a billion dollars, for example. Developers from the likes of Saber Interactive, Remedy, and Bloober Team have all commented on building AAA-grade experiences on budgets in the tens of millions, rather than hundreds of millions.

Game development in the United States has become incredibly expensive. I'm told part of this revolves around salary competition for AI-adjacent software engineering disciplines, that often share cross-over hiring processes and salary scales with gaming companies. The closer you are to an AI development hub (like Microsoft HQ in Redmond, WA), the greater the competition for salaries becomes ... making game development potentially unviable from a purely fiscal perspective in some regions.

Microsoft has been exploring outsourcing in Eastern Europe, the United Kingdom, and other regions where game development is more "affordable" to that end. PHYSINT might have spendy Hollywood actors tied to the project, but Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has quite loudly stated goals around cost-saving and cost-cutting.

Movies and TV shows are also becoming an increasingly crucial tool for both marketing and offsetting costs for gaming projects. Selling the rights to streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime can feed back into game development budgets, and creates a symbiotic marketing beat (if indeed, the content is actually good). Given Kojima's penchant for cinematic games, PHYSINT should be at least one project that pays dividends if everything is executed well.

... I suspect Xbox will have to give Kojima more flexibility than they may want to if they do want the game to hit that coveted quality bar.

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Xbox players have long wanted an answer to PlayStation's Platinum Trophy, something to chase that rewards achievement hunters for getting them all.

We're finally getting that, and thanks to some poking around in the latest version of the Xbox app on Windows 11, we've got some new information to go on.

For one, the badge and the sound that plays when it unlocks have now been seen (and heard) for the first time.

I think it looks pretty good. I mean, it's just a little icon, after all, but I think the design is certainly a little fancier than PlayStation's equivalent, which is just a trophy.

Xbox hasn't publicly detailed anything as yet around the Mythic Achievement and its requirements, but it was always assumed we'd be getting something that rewards for completing all the achievements attached to a game.

The folks at XCT.live have been poking around inside the bits of the app we mere mortals never see and appear to have extracted some key bits of information on how the new Mythic Achievement will work. Crucially, it doesn't look to be a fully 100% requirement, isolating any achievements linked to DLC outside of the Mythic unlock process:

"The Xbox app works out Mythic from a group of achievements that it calls BaseGame. The unlock toast says “Unlocked all N achievements in the original game”. The game page has a “Required for Mythic achievement” filter, and it labels every achievement outside the group as “Add-on”. DLC achievements are not in the BaseGame group, so they do not count. The app counts achievements, not Gamerscore. It is not a “100% Gamerscore” reward."

Code in the app indicates that it is not a 100% Gamerscore requirement, either. It counts achievements within the BaseGame group, not the associated Gamerscore. So it sounds like if you start a game that had more achievements added over time, you'll still be able to get the Mythic Achievement by hitting all the original ones, not having to get all of the new ones as well.

Hopefully it's also retroactively applied to games that you've already completed the requirements for. Either way, it looks like it's beginning to gather steam, and hopefully we'll see it for ourselves sooner rather than later.

What's the first game you'll be trying to get the Mythic Achievement for? It's got to be here in time for GTA 6, hasn't it?

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Microsoft just revealed another round of "restructures" for Xbox and its game studios, with Ninja Theory, Obsidian, Turn 10, Halo Studios, and others impacted in various ways.

Last July, Microsoft announced it would be looking to reduce its gaming workforce by around 3,200 staffers. Sources suggest that the total figure will fall short of that previous estimate, as Microsoft opts for restructuring and moving employees around to other departments as much as possible.

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One way Microsoft has sought to achieve some of this is via divestitures. Double Fine and Compulsion have both returned to being independent game studios, for example, with the former starting a Kickstarter to fund its next title. Undead Labs of State of Decay fame is also moving to another publisher, although it has not been revealed exactly who this is just yet. Discussions around the future of Arkane are still ongoing.

Unfortunately, Microsoft revealed today that two previous attempts to divest Ninja Theory of Hellblade fame have fallen through. Microsoft has entered into redundancy consultations with the UK government as a result, per local law. Sources say Microsoft is still trying to find a buyer for Ninja Theory and the Hellblade franchise, but it's still looking a bit bleak.

Furthermore, Halo Studios is also looking at major layoffs in the 100s, as Microsoft seeks a major restructure to the way Halo is run.

In its heyday, Halo was a cultural phenomenon. It turbo-charged the Xbox platform, giving Microsoft's incumbent console a strong basis for growth in a market dominated by Nintendo and PlayStation. Halo 2 and 3 sent the platform even higher, and defined a new era of console-oriented first-person shooters. Those times are well and truly behind it, though.

Through years of mismanagement, Halo is now a shadow of its former self. A disastrous TV show, and two previous games that arguably missed the mark in different ways, Halo Studios' most recent outing (yet another remaster of Halo Combat Evolved) also received mixed reviews from fans and critics for various reasons.

Microsoft announced that it is effectively downsizing Halo Studios into the franchise's production and administration arm, and will place stewardship of the franchise under Activision — confirming some vague industry rumors I'd heard over the summer. Microsoft says around 230 roles will be lost as a result.

Exactly which Activision studio will handle Halo going forward remains to be seen, but it's certainly true that Activision's Call of Duty teams have had far more success than Halo Studios has at building broadly appealing live service shooters.

Furthermore, Microsoft is also placing Rare and Sea of Thieves under Activision too, with Obsidian and Grounded moving under ZeniMax to work more closely with Bethesda Softworks on Fallout. World's Edge and the Age of Empires franchise will also move under Activision. Xbox Game Studios will remain as Playground (which is absorbing Turn 10), The Coalition, InXile, and Xbox's publishing arm, handling games like Hideo Kojima's PHYSINT.

A new dawn for Halo?

The job losses at Xbox have been regrettable over the summer, but it's hard to overlook the fact that in order to have a sustainable business ... games need to actually sell. Whether it's small and quirky projects like Keeper or mismanaged live service ops like Halo Infinite, Microsoft hasn't exactly handled its portfolio effectively in recent years. There's less free time and money for gaming among consumers, and more competition than ever, making the stakes higher than they likely were previously.

Microsoft has seen some big success stories. Minecraft is bigger than ever, as is Forza Horizon, Flight Simulator, Age of Empires, and Blizzard has well and truly thrived in its post-Activision era. Microsoft wants to double down on the bigger opportunities like Fallout and The Elder Scrolls, building TV and movie adaptations for its bigger properties like Diablo and Overwatch.

There's also a corporate structural issue here that Microsoft is looking to address. Moving some of its game teams out from the Microsoft umbrella also moves employees out from under Microsoft's bureaucracy and corporate structure, potentially reducing overheads and costs.

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Halo Studios' proximity to Microsoft HQ, I've heard, has long been a source of corporate inertia and cost bloating — which is absolutely no fault of the employees working there. Those employees and projects also have to deal with A.I. money inflating wages of software engineering-adjacent professions, making some game projects unsustainable purely on the basis of the A.I. bubble. It's a weird economy right now.

As for Halo and other games, it remains to be seen if the restructure will actually lead to higher quality products. Halo fans have been long-suffering, waiting years upon years for a truly consistent delivery schedule for the franchise. I've often wondered myself what an Infinity Ward-led Halo might look like ... perhaps we'll find out exactly what that'll be like in the coming years.

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Over the weekend, legendary game designer Hideo Kojima was interviewed by The Washington Post and IGN regarding behind-the-scenes details of one of his studio's upcoming Xbox Series X|S titles, Physint.

The first interview at The Washington Post revealed that Sony tried to cancel Physint during a Zoom call with Hideo Kojima. The man was shockingly surprised at Sony's decision; Hideo Kojima then commented, "I didn’t have any anger or sadness. I was just thinking, ‘What should I do?’ It’s a big problem for us, and I couldn’t tell staff at the time."

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Additionally, Kojima took this time to release a statement (which has also been released on Kojima Productions' official X account) regarding speculation people are making about Sony trying to pull the plug on Physint:

He then reassures worried fans that Kojima Productions is in a healthy, profitable state, that development for Physint is progressing with Xbox's backing, and that its relationship with PlayStation remains strong.

In an interview with IGN, he revealed that ever since partnering with Xbox on Physint, Microsoft has given Kojima Productions access to so much new technology and tech support that he jokingly remarked: “There are so many Doc Browns from Back to the Future here!”

He's clearly very excited to get to grips with this new tech, work with Xbox, and figure out what engine he'll decide to use for Physint, something he apparently hasn't chosen yet. Whatever engine Hideo Kojima's new stealth-action game will use, you can be sure we'll report on it as we keep a close eye on Physint's development, as well as Kojima Productions' other upcoming Xbox title, OD, which has survived Xbox's 'big reset'.

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The Xbox Tokyo Game Show 2026 showcase has just wrapped up, and it showed off a mountain's worth of trailers for some highly anticipated Xbox games like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 and Persona 4 Revival.

It also debuted some original and artistically creative Xbox titles coming soon with Xbox Play Anywhere support.

Here are all the announcements made during the show.

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Gachiakuta: Breakout

The first new game revealed is Gachiakuta: Breakout, an action-RPG with survival elements set in the world of the popular anime series Gachiakuta.

This game will be released in 2027 for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC.

Crazy Taxi: World Tour

Next up, we have a new gameplay trailer for Crazy Taxi: World Tour, which showcases a level set in Japan.

This upcoming revival of SEGA's classic Crazy Taxi series is set to release in 2027 for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 showed up with a new cinematic trailer for its single-player campaign mode, which will involve a brutal war on the Korean Peninsula.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is set to release on October 23, 2026, for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Cloud Gaming, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC.

Persona 4 Revival

Persona 4 Revival gives players a glimpse of Naoto, one of the most popular characters from the original Persona 4. She is a private detective seeking to uncover the murder mysteries of Inaba, and eventually gains the power of Persona to aid the player in battle.

Persona 4 Revival is set to launch on February 18, 2027, for Xbox Series X|S (with Xbox Play Anywhere), Xbox Cloud Gaming, Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation 5, and PC.

It will also release for Nintendo Switch 2 on May 20, 2027.

Shape of Dreams

Shape of Dreams was an action-roguelike released in 2025 on PC, but it's available right now on Xbox Series X|S (with Xbox Play Anywhere), Xbox Cloud Gaming, and Xbox Game Pass.

Play as one of eight travelers and fight your way through a nightmare world filled with never-ending monsters, each wave more deadly than the last. You can take on these foes alone or with friends in 4-player co-op.

Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember

Koei Tecmo and Team Ninja revealed a short gameplay deep dive into the upcoming action-Soulslike, Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember. It featured a look at a massive, humanoid boar/monkey boss named Zuochi and a brief description of the new Insight Skills mechanic.

Insight Skills enhance the player's actions if they perfectly parry or dodge an enemy's attack at the last second. For example, using Insight Skills to deflect an enemy's attack will knock them back into the environment for extra damage while briefly stunning them.

Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember is set to launch on March 4, 2027, for Xbox Series X|S (with Xbox Play Anywhere), Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC.

Hope in the City

Hope in the City is a new narrative-adventure game where you play as a young teenager looking for her missing parents after their apartment was ransacked.

Hope in the City is set to release on November 10, 2026, for Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Xbox Game Pass with Xbox Play Anywhere.

Bloomwalker

Bloomwalker is an upcoming crafting adventure game where you play as the titular Bloomwalker on a journey to bring nature back to life in a world ravaged by pollution.

Bloomwalker is coming soon to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC.

Faraday Blues

Faraday Blues is a visual novel/strategy card game where you determine people's fates through the cards you play, with 64 endings to unlock across three dramatic storylines.

Faraday Blues is set to release in 2027 for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation 5, and PC.

Atelier Karia: The Night Kingdom & the Guide of Memories

Atelier Karia showed off a new trailer showcasing the personalities and abilities of Rutger & Lenja, two playable party members originally from Atelier Yumia.

Atelier Karia: The Night Kingdom & the Guide of Memories is set to release on February 25, 2027, for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC.

Raji: Kaliyuga

Next, we have a developer commentary trailer for Raji: Kaliyuga. This is an action-adventure title where two sibling warriors, Raji and Darsh, are on a quest to stop the evil warlord Mahabalasura from unsealing the heavens and waging war throughout the cosmos.

Raji: Kaliyuga is set to release sometime in the future for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation 5, and PC.

Once Human: Isles of Abyss

The free-to-play survival game, Once Human, has announced a new expansion called "Isles of Abyss," which will let players explore the seas to uncover the riddles of a mysterious journal. But beware, foul sea monsters will be lurking around every corner of the sea, waiting to sink your ship.

The Once Human: Isles of Abyss expansion will launch on October 22, 2026, for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation 5, and PC.

Edge of Memories

Edge of Memories has at last revealed its release date with a new gameplay and cinematic montage trailer.

This upcoming action-RPG, where you fight to save the world from corruption while risking turning into a monster, will be released on November 5, 2026, for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC.

Genigods Nezha 

Next, we have a developer behind-the-scenes look at an upcoming action-RPG called Genigods Nezha. This game has you play as a powerful demigod known as the Spirit Pearl and embark on a journey to save the world from reality-warping spacetime rifts while battling colossal beasts and gods inspired by Chinese mythology.

Genigods Nezha is set to be released sometime in the future for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation 5, and PC.

Fallout 76

Fallout 76, the open-world, MMO-like spin-off of Fallout, has just received a Halloween-themed update called "The Slasher". It will have players explore a crooked home and struggle to survive while fighting the update's titular serial killer.

Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement 

From the creators of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night comes a new trailer for Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement, the long-awaited sequel to the beloved 2019 indie Metroidvania game, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night.

This game tasks you with tearing through armies of demons, vampires, and more to free 16th-century England from the tyrannical reign of the Demon Lord, Elias.

Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement is set to be released in 2027 for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Cloud Gaming, PlayStation 5, and PC.

OD and Physint

The Xbox Tokyo Game Show 2026 showcase closes with a video of Hideo Kojima announcing that development for his upcoming horror game, OD, is progressing smoothly.

Plus, Hideo Kojima has revealed that Swedish actor Bill Skarsgård will be voicing the main character in his upcoming stealth-action game, Physint.

Both OD and Physint will be released on Xbox and PC at a later date.

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Xbox Game Pass has been through a somewhat controversial year, with its price hike in 2025 before being reversed by current Xbox CEO Asha Sharma later on.

Microsoft has been on the defensive somewhat with the service, removing Call of Duty earlier this year on rumors that it's simply "too generous" and potentially unsustainable.

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Furthermore, even more rumors have been circulating online that Xbox Game Pass may be undergoing a massive restructuring in 2027, with changes that purportedly include:

• The inclusion of "ads" in Xbox Game Pass with different versions. One version of Xbox Game Pass with ads will cost $12.99 per month, and one without ads will cost $19.99 per month or $239.99 annually.
• New Xbox games will no longer release day one" for Xbox Game Pass "starting somewhere between February and April 2027," in exchange for reducing the cost of Xbox Game Pass by $3.
• The claim "cloud streaming will no longer be a part of Xbox Game Pass."
• Cloud Streaming will be "an add-on bundle" that costs $5.99 for 25 hours.
• Here's one I would actually like: "Xbox Game Pass' Family plan will be included, as a $5.99 addon."
• And more bits and bobs.

However, the truth is perhaps not so clear.

Forbes journalist Paul Tassi recently interviewed an Xbox spokesperson about what they thought of these rumors, and they had this to say:

"We regularly test different Game Pass offerings and look at what works best for players in different markets. We don’t have any changes to announce today or plans that have been finalized. There are no changes to previously announced games coming to Game Pass Ultimate on day one.”

Additionally, we've been doing some digging of our own and can confirm that the list of "changes" outlined by the above forum aren't based on any current plans within Microsoft and amount to "speculation or guesswork," trusted sources suggest.

However, it's no secret that Microsoft is actively exploring "changes" to Xbox Game Pass, which could include some of the guessed ideas outlined in the forum post.

Our sources say that there's no current plan to remove "day one" games as a feature of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate in totality, but like the statement to Paul Tassi says, changes are coming. But, 100% speculatively and analytically: I think it's probably worth expecting that more franchises like Call of Duty may be pulled from day one access even on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

Perhaps bigger franchises might be moved onto an even more expensive tier, or come with some kind of "addon" bundle like a cable TV package.

In short, Xbox is effectively denying these specific rumors, while acknowledging that changes are coming. Like Paul Tassi spotted, the mention of "previously announced games" in Xbox's quote is interesting, as the wording increases the likelihood that future Xbox Game Pass game additions could be altered or paired back.

Anonymous forum rumors should be always be taken with a huge grain of salt. However, with the recent changes to Xbox Cloud Gaming getting monthly restrictions, I have a feeling some of the suggestions in the thread could materialize in a worst case scenario.

Xbox Game Pass is a huge revenue stream for Microsoft today, but balancing that against retail sales and cash flow back to studios (particularly first-party studios) has been a subject of debate for some time.

However, we will have to wait until 2027 to find out if these rumors of Xbox Game Pass changing are true or false.

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A few days ago, Microsoft shocked the gaming world by revealing that it has acquired Xbox exclusivity for Hideo Kojima's 'Physint', an upcoming stealth-action game that's billed as a successor to the legendary Metal Gear Solid franchise.

It was originally a PlayStation-exclusive, but Hideo Kojima cut ties with Sony after the company tried to cancel Physint without warning, as stated on his X account.

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Fast forward to today, and Bloomberg found a scoop from an anonymous source who was familiar with the project about why the company decided to axe Kojima Productions' latest IP.

According to Bloomberg's report, "[Physint] missed deadlines and was on track to be well over budget despite being years away from release".

It then stated, "Kojima’s previous two games, Death Stranding and its sequel, didn’t meet PlayStation’s revenue expectations," and "PlayStation was reluctant to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in another game that wouldn’t remain permanently exclusive to the company’s own hardware."

Window's Central's take

In short, it seems Sony was running out of patience with Hideo Kojima and wanted to cancel it for taking too long to make, going over budget, and to prevent it from being ported to other systems that aren't PlayStation.

While I'm personally ambivalent about this (my favorite Kojima game will always be Metal Gear Rising), it can't be denied that Xbox is reaping the benefits of this situation.

Microsoft now has Kojima Productions' full support for publishing Physint on Xbox and PC, and with them also working together on the upcoming horror game OD, this could be the start of a long, profitable friendship between the two studios.

With how quickly Kojima Productions' relationship with Sony has deteriorated over this situation, I wouldn't be surprised if we see an Xbox port of Death Stranding 2 with Xbox Play Anywhere in the future, as the original Death Stranding did.

But whether or not Physint and OD will turn out to be good games and make enough money to warrant Microsoft's investment, we will have to wait and see to find out.

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Tokyo Game Show is almost here, and it's ready to bring all kinds of exciting gaming news from the Land of the Rising Sun. Microsoft will be among the many publishers attending this year, and it's planning some big reveals to mark the Xbox brand's 25th anniversary.

Here's where and how you can watch Xbox's Tokyo Game Show 2026 showcase livestream and get a little taste of what to expect at the show.

Xbox Tokyo Game Show 2026: Watch times and platforms

The Xbox Tokyo Game Show 2026 showcase livestream will commence on Thursday, September 17, 2026, at 7:00 pm (JST) / 3:00 am (PT) / 6:00 am (ET) / 11:00 am (BST).

It will be available to watch on the following YouTube and Twitch platforms:

• youtube.com/@XBOXJapan
• youtube.com/XBOX
• twitch.tv/XBOX

Xbox Tokyo Game Show 2026: What to expect

Microsoft will be showing off many upcoming Xbox games during its Xbox Tokyo Game Show 2026 livestream.

Two of these games are confirmed to be Minecraft Dungeons 2 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, and they'll also be playable on the Tokyo Game Show's show floor for people attending the event in person.

Minecraft Dungeons 2 is an upcoming ARPG where you and your friends hack and slash your way through the Minecraft universe for glory and loot in a similar manner to Blizzard Entertainment's Diablo series.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is the latest upcoming entry in the Call of Duty Modern Warfare sub-series. Players will engage enemies in thrilling military shooter combat through an epic single-player campaign and chaotic 6v6 online multiplayer modes.

The community-driven Xbox FanFest will also be at the Tokyo Game Show to host a watch party for the Xbox Tokyo Game Show livestream, with special guests Misuzu Araki and Larry Hyrb.

What are you hoping to see at Xbox's Tokyo Game Show 2026 showcase?

As for what else will be at the Xbox Tokyo Game Show, your guess is as good as mine.

While I'm personally hoping to see gameplay footage of long-awaited titles like Spyro: A Realm Beyond and Persona 6, my colleagues are hoping to see footage of Physint.

Physint is an upcoming action-stealth game made by Kojima Productions that's meant to be a successor to the legendary Metal Gear Solid franchise. It was originally a PlayStation exclusive, but when Sony unexpectedly tried to cancel it, Hideo Kojima cut off ties with Sony and permitted Xbox to publish Physint instead.

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Will we see gameplay of Physint, Spyro: A Realm Beyond, and Persona 6 at the Xbox Tokyo Game Show livestream, or will we see some new games that haven't been announced yet?

Tune in next week to find out when the Xbox Tokyo Game Show 2026 livestream launches on Thursday, September 17, 2026.

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In a major coup for Xbox game publishing, Microsoft has landed the contract to publish Physint, Hideo Kojima's long-awaited follow up to Death Stranding.

Despite being announced by PlayStation, somehow, Xbox has managed to acquire the rights to publish Hideo Kojima's return to the "action-espionage" genre. It was all announced just now via Xbox Wire.

Physint in essence sounds like a spiritual successor to Kojima's classic Metal Gear Solid franchise. Metal Gear owner Konami and Hideo Kojima had a high-profile bust-up a few years ago, following the launch of MGSV: The Phantom Pain — which arguably remains unfinished to this day.

Since then, Kojima went independent, developed the award-winning Death Stranding franchise, and later landed a publishing deal with Xbox for horror title OD. Death Stranding 2 is presently a PlayStation exclusive, but the first Death Stranding since launched on Xbox with Xbox Play Anywhere. Later, Kojima re-acquired the rights to Death Stranding from PlayStation itself. It stands to reason Death Stranding 2 will eventually hit Xbox in the future as well.

During the previous announcement two years ago, PlayStation Studios' lead Herman Hulst said that Physint was "part of the PlayStation and Kojima Productions partnership," although that no longer seems to be the path Kojima chose.

“Creators have choices about where and how they bring their ideas to life," Xbox CEO Asha Sharma said in today's blog post. "We’re honored that Kojima-san has chosen XBOX to work with KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS on PHYSINT. His ambition to challenge conventions reflects the kind of creativity we want to support at XBOX."

"This expands our relationship with XBOX beyond OD," said Hideo Kojima. "As we move forward with the development of PHYSINT, we remain committed to redefining the action-espionage genre for players around the world."

Microsoft and Hideo Kojima also said that the two are collaborating across film and television as well, beyond horror title OD. It sounds as though Microsoft is investing a ton into Kojima Productions to bring this partnership to life, although it sounds as though there's some drama that has taken place behind the scenes between Kojima Productions and PlayStation. Physint was announced on the PlayStation stage, so for it to swap hands in such a stark way suggests there's a bigger story at play here.

In response, Sony has released a statement confirming that it has "made the difficult decision to step away from collaborating with KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS on its project PHYSINT."

Either way, it's a fantastic win for Xbox, potentially. Working with such high-profile developers like Hideo Kojima boosts Xbox's visibility with audiences that Microsoft has typically struggled to access. It also feeds into Asha Sharma's strategy of targeting more ambitious AAA projects with trans-media opportunities for TV and movie treatments.

Whether it all lands remains to be seen, but man oh man, this is NOT one I saw coming.

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Microsoft dropped a surprisingly substantial batch of Xbox Insider features today, ranging from nostalgia-fueled startup animations to higher-quality Remote Play streaming.

While none of these additions are major enough to warrant their own showcase, they're all pulling Xbox in the same direction: making the platform feel more personal.

This latest update suggests Xbox sees that shift coming and wants to be the platform that adapts to the player rather than asking the player to adapt to it, and I like where that is going.

Looking through the feature list, it becomes clear that Microsoft's biggest focus is reducing friction, not just adding new features for the sake of it.

That philosophy appears in the new cloud gaming improvements. Xbox Insiders can now continue downloading games in the background while streaming, reducing one of the small but persistent friction points that come with digital gaming.

These updates may not be groundbreaking, but they represent the kind of quality-of-life improvements that users want, which contribute to making a platform feel more refined and complete.

The new personalization features tell a similar story.

Being able to select startup animations from different eras of Xbox history may sound like a cosmetic addition, but it reflects a growing recognition that players often have a deeper connection to gaming platforms than companies traditionally acknowledge.

Users can now pick from Xbox One, Xbox One X, Xbox Series X|S, or We Are Xbox, which is kinda cool.

Remote Play is also getting some new improvements.

The company is now testing support for up to 1440p streaming and higher video bitrates through Xbox Remote Play for Xbox Series X|S users in select Insider rings. The technical upgrade matters, but the broader implication matters more.

A few years ago, Remote Play felt like an extra feature. Today, it feels increasingly central to Microsoft's vision (though we're not thrilled with those new Cloud gaming caps).

Microsoft has spent years talking about making Xbox available wherever players want to play. At first, that messaging was often interpreted as a cloud gaming pitch. What we're seeing now is something more nuanced.

Microsoft now seems more interested in letting players decide which parts of Xbox's history they want to keep with them.

That trend extends to profile customization, where users can choose which achievements and badges are visible and which remain private. If Nintendo's strength is iconic franchises and PlayStation's strength is prestige gaming, Xbox's emerging niche may be flexibility.

Play your games where you want.

Show off your profile how you want.

Start your console how you want.

Access your library how you want.

That seems to be a definable pattern, at least for this update.

Finally, Microsoft is also testing a new Voice Clarity feature for Xbox Series X|S, designed to reduce background noise and improve voice communication in party chat and supported games. Clear communication remains one of the foundations of online gaming, particularly in co-op and competitive titles, so this is a nice nod.

The update also arrives alongside broader backend improvements aimed at making Xbox parties more reliable and secure.

You can get more details from Xbox Wire about today's update.

Windows Central's Take

Again, there's no single standout feature here (although you may disagree), but the bigger picture is that Microsoft is apparently focusing on letting users make Xbox reflect more of their personality and preferences. That's something PC fans are used to, but it's a bit new for console users, where you're more boxed in (pardon the pun).

Maybe this really is all laying the groundwork for the next-gen Xbox (Helix), which is supposed to be more PC-like.

Of course, you could always say this is what Xbox should have been like for years now, but I'm happy to see these changes and like this direction of giving users more choice.

At a time when hardware is becoming unaffordable, the Xbox user experience is becoming the real battleground to keep fans interested, and Microsoft seems to have gotten the message.

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It still feels like a dream that Spyro the Dragon, one of my childhood favorite platformer games, is finally getting a true successor to the classic PlayStation One trilogy with Spyro: A Realm Beyond.

Fortunately, Toys for Bob is here to remind me that it's indeed real by showing off a sneak preview of Arcadian Vale, one of the first locales you'll explore in the game, as part of a special event celebrating Spyro's 27th anniversary called Spyro Community Day.

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As you can see from the concept art, the Acadian Vale is a lush and colorful locale that perfectly captures the childlike wonder you'd normally associate with Spyro games, complete with cascading waterfalls, ancient buildings, and cutesy critters running around (which I totally won't roast alive to spawn butterflies that will replenish my health like in previous games).

The art also implies that the Arcadian Vale will feature a fair degree of verticality, most likely to help players practice the new free-roaming flight mechanic that will allow us to fly anytime, anywhere instead of specific levels and boss fights like in previous games.

It's going to be a long, painful wait until we get to play Spyro, but in the meantime, you can celebrate Spyro's legacy by showing off fan art, appreciation messages, and other content for Spyro Community Day on social media platforms like X with the hashtag #HappyBirthdaySpyro.

Spyro: A Realm Beyond is set to launch sometime in 2027 for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox on PC with Xbox Play Anywhere support, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, Steam, and the Epic Games Store.

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This web-based recreation of the iconic Xbox 360 avatar creator features tens of thousands of clothing and prop items from the original marketplace, and it's even more impressive when you learn that '360sona' was the project of a single person, Ezra Kruger. Shared across Reddit and YouTube, it also carefully denies any direct affiliation with Microsoft.

Built primarily with JavaScript and WebGL, 360sona.com is a "pixel-for-pixel" representation that lets you accurately rebuild your old-school Xbox avatar and even embed it into your personal website via an iframe. The whole project includes "every animation, every camera the console had, drawn the way the console drew them", and each part looks exactly how you remember.

"Well, bam, there it is"

I was enamored with the idea before I even opened it, as the first images took me on an instant nostalgia trip, and I love nostalgia trips. 360sona has everything I remembered, and I rebuilt my original avatar in minutes, including the Max Payne outfit I never removed back in the day. Armor from Halo, Gears of War, and Mass Effect is also here, all authentically rendered.

If I wanted to, I could even export my finished avatar as a .glb model, rigged and ready for inspection in free 3D software like Blender, with baked textures included. It's all built around a basic account system and, importantly, 360sona never asks for your email address. You only need a simple username and password (and you're given a one-time-use recovery code).

The branded elephant in the room is the absolutely gigantic collection of licensed content, including logos of major sports franchises, movies, and real-world clothing icons. Again, Kruger explains in 360sona's terms that you shouldn't expect to reuse absolutely anything exported from the project, stressing the intention of personal, non-commercial use.

Still, I can't shake the feeling that a potential DMCA takedown request could be looming, even though 360sona doesn't feature any on-page ads or other money-making schemes. At face value, this is a purely fan-driven hobby project that exists only to let long-serving Xbox fans spend some time reminiscing about the Xbox 360's heyday. That hasn't stopped mega-corpos in the past, though.

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Microsoft's long-rumored disc-to-digital program for Xbox went live in testing last week, and it has grown to supporting hundreds upon hundreds of games since.

So far, there are well over 1,000 games available as part of Xbox's disc-to-digital testing program, which gives you digital rights for disc-based games.

Simply inserting a compatible disc into an Xbox One or Xbox Series X console gives you the ability to attach it digitally to your account, giving you the ability to play, download, stream from the cloud, and access Xbox Play Anywhere support without the disc. You can also console share the license as well to another player.

The disc doesn't become inert after licensing the digital version either. If you sell the disc or give it away, the next user can grab the digital license from your account. You won't lose your cloud save either, so if you re-acquire the disc or buy it outright digitally later on, you'll be able to continue on as normal.

Some users have been disappointed with the initial roll out, however, as some major publishers have so far not opted in.

Some outlets went with headlines today decrying Ubisoft and others for their apparent decision to boycott the system. Ubisoft has long been the target of game preservationists, given that Ubisoft's shuttering of The Crew and other games led to stronger calls for digital rights. Ubisoft denying access to digital versions from disc-based games already sold would seem a bit like their M.O. in that universe. It seems the anger was premature, though.

Microsoft has always stated that this initial testing phase doesn't represent the full scope of content coming to the disc-to-digital program. Indeed, many publishers are still likely going over the contracts and ensuring that the legalese all matches up before going ahead with it. SEGA, Square Enix, Bandai Namco, and Ubisoft were among those apparently not honoring the program.

Today, it seemed that Ubisoft games have now gone live in the system for Xbox Insider testers in the Alpha and Alpha Skip-Ahead, however.

As you can see in the X (Twitter) thread above, Ubisoft games are now fully available on the disc-to-digital program, with titles like Far Cry Primal, Far Cry 4, Trials Fusion, Assassin's Creed titles, and many more going live.

I received a DM about an hour ago informing me of the change, and it seems other titles are now following suit.

It remains to be seen when (or if) other publishers come on board. Given how aggressively Square Enix has supported forward-facing Xbox initiatives like Xbox Play Anywhere and Xbox Cloud Gaming, it's fairly obvious to me that Square Enix will jump on board pretty soon. I'm told other publishers are just going over the detailing before committing, which is standard practice for any big corporation.

Xbox's disc-to-digital program is one of the most impressive innovations we've seen from Microsoft's gaming efforts in recent years, although it was originally pitched in 2013 as part of the Xbox One. It was pretty poorly presented back then, though, and users in 2026 are far more knowledgeable about the potential benefits of digital gaming. Still, there's more Xbox could potentially do here to sweeten the deal. With PlayStation committing to the phase out of discs entirely by 2028, many are wondering (and hoping) on whether Xbox will continue the disc-based torch with the next-gen Xbox Helix.

What publishers are you hoping to see jump on board? Hit the comments, let us know.

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Grand Theft Auto 6 will finally launch on November 19, 2026, at midnight in your region. Technically, that means New Zealand gets it earliest, as 00:00 NZDT (New Zealand Daylight Time) aligns with 06:00 EST (Eastern Standard Time) on November 18, while the rest of us wait for our own clocks to tick over. Dedicated fans at GTAVice.net spotted the regional launch plans, but there's a catch.

The timestamps come from Sony's PlayStation Store listings, which is actually better news for Xbox fans. PS5 users can't change their console's region so easily to trick the system, while Xbox Series X|S gamers can still head to their Settings menu and change their Language & location settings to match New Zealand's kickoff of the rolling midnight launch.

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PlayStation 5 owners can put extra effort into making a new account, but that also means finding a way to buy the game in the local NZ$ currency. If you already pre-ordered on Xbox in your own country, switching to a region on the furthest edge of the time zones should be a relatively simple trick for eager Xbox gamers looking to play GTA 6 early.

How to change your region on Xbox Series X|S

1. From your Xbox dashboard, enter Settings (the cogwheel)
2. On the left menu, scroll to System
3. Move to the right side and select Language & location
4. Choose your new region, e.g., New Zealand
5. Select Restart now to apply the changes

Is this trick guaranteed to work for GTA6?

In theory, I can't think of any compelling reasons this shouldn't work on an Xbox Series X|S, as it has in the past for digital games with rolling midnight launches. However, that doesn't mean Rockstar Games and its publisher, Take-Two, don't have a trick up their sleeve to prevent GTA 6 from being playable a day earlier with the same region tweak we used on titles like Call of Duty.

Even though Grand Theft Auto VI doesn't have any multiplayer components planned for its launch, that doesn't mean it's a strictly offline experience. It's reasonable to assume that stat tracking will apply during the single-player campaign, presumably shared among players when their console is connected to the internet.

Otherwise, if the game verifies your previous purchase and confirms your new region is a valid location (and the game doesn't require a day-one patch to launch), we might be able to play the story of GTA 6 entirely offline. Personally, I'm not feeling the same level of excitement as many others, so I'm willing to wait, but I don't see why this wouldn't work for anyone who already pre-ordered in their local currency.

In XBOX's official messaging, the brand warns of regional caveats. For example, any local currency tied to your account will not transfer over, and Microsoft can't help with that. If you were planning to buy any GTA 6 "Ultimate Edition" add-ons, you'll need to do it before changing your region. Still, it's easy to revert your Xbox console to its original region, so it's certainly tempting.

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It was probably inevitable eventually, but Xbox Cloud Gaming is joining NVIDIA and other platforms in putting hourly limits on its streaming service.

Xbox Cloud Gaming is a platform tied to Xbox Game Pass right now, giving you unlimited access to stream games from Game Pass as well as hundreds upon hundreds of digital games you own. In fact, thanks to Xbox's disc-to-digital program, you can now even play disc-based Xbox games you own if they're included in Xbox Cloud Gaming.

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Many users use Xbox Cloud Gaming on Xbox One to play current-gen Xbox Series X|S games that aren't available natively on older systems. It's also great for running games on laptops, tablets, and other devices that aren't powerful enough to run said titles natively.

Up until now, Xbox Cloud Gaming was unlimited, but Microsoft just announced that it will begin introducing limits.

The new hourly cloud gaming limits via Xbox Game Pass

"We recognize that introducing limits is a meaningful change, particularly for players who regularly spend more time gaming through the cloud," Microsoft said on Xbox Wire. "We expect this upcoming change to impact 4% of Game Pass subscribers. Once subscribers use their included hours, they will be able to purchase additional cloud playtime through the XBOX Store."

I'm told that the "additional cloud playtime" bundles will not have a "use by" expiry window once purchased, although Microsoft hasn't listed exactly how much these passes will cost as of yet.

Indeed, you will not need an Xbox Game Pass subscription to use these cloud playtime hours, which will grant you access to your own library of compatible Xbox Play Anywhere cloud games even if you don't fancy owning the Game Pass subscription.

"We’re introducing this model because the cost of providing cloud gaming grows as more people use it and play for longer," Microsoft explained. "Moving to monthly limits allows us to keep offering the service while continuing to invest in its reliability and performance."

"We understand that for some players the practical result is a higher cost. In November, we’ll provide more information about pricing, purchasing additional hours, eligible games, market availability, and how players can check their remaining time. We’ll listen closely to player feedback before and after the change takes effect and share any adjustments we make."

The RAMpocalypse is coming for cloud gaming, too

Microsoft has been long-rumored to be exploring an ad-based tier for Xbox Cloud Gaming and Xbox Game Pass in general. It's also true that the video ads business is incredibly tough, making me wonder if Microsoft decided to opt for this approach instead of trying to compete with Google / YouTube for video ad slots.

Indeed, many recent reports suggest that Twitch, despite being absolutely rammed with ads, is nowhere near profitable. What prayer would an ad-based Xbox Cloud Gaming tier have, given the monstrous amount of bandwidth required for Xbox Cloud Gaming video encoding?

The RAMpocalypse is impacting consumer electronics prices, but also cloud server prices too. Microsoft has reportedly joined NVIDIA and Google in earmarking 70% of Samsung's total DRAM output through to 2031. Unfortunately, I don't think a significant chunk of that memory is going towards gaming.

One advantage Xbox Cloud Gaming probably does have (at least in terms of Microsoft corporate politics) is that it does help keep cloud inference up — which in turn helps Microsoft justify infrastructure capital expenditure to shareholders. Xbox Cloud Gaming servers, while idle (at night, for example), can be used for training AI models potentially, which helps anchor Xbox's future in a corporation dominated by AI hype.

I suspect that introducing these limits now revolves around a plan to begin marketing Xbox Cloud Gaming more aggressively. If Microsoft ever did manage to find some form of mainstream breakthrough with Xbox Cloud Gaming, creating huge server queues (which we've seen in the past) wouldn't exactly represent a positive first-time experience for new players.

If Microsoft's goal is to form habits around Xbox Cloud Gaming in regions where console availability and affordability are low, ensuring a stable experience is obviously within their interests.

It remains to be seen if Xbox Cloud Gaming will ever be anything more than a niche kind of thing. It's useful for testing out games without installing them, but in most scenarios where you might want to use it, i.e., on a plane, on hotel Wi-Fi, or on a long-distance commute ... you're probably not going to have good enough internet speeds.

The laws of physics and the speed of light preclude Xbox Cloud Gaming from seeing any significant improvements from here, probably, but the upcoming direct-to-Wi-Fi Xbox controllers should offer a meaningful latency boost — if they ever actually come out.

It's a hot topic right now. With Xbox Helix and the PS6 threatening to be the most expensive consoles ever, perhaps even cloud gaming will end up too expensive to be worth it.

I'm tired of this AI stuff, mannnnnnnn.

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