Brave the elements and enemies for the first time on console

Middlesbrough, United Kingdom – May 21, 2021 – Grab the nearest rock and hope for the best, developer and publisher Double Eleven today released Rust Console Edition for Xbox One and PS4. Today’s release marks the first time that the massively popular survival title Rust is available on any platform outside of PC.

Today’s launch was accompanied by a trailer that showcases the brutal action that console players will now get the chance to dive into, if they think they can handle it:

Based on the popular PC version, Rust Console Edition is designed as a separate experience from its PC counterpart, optimized specifically for console players but features crossplay between the Xbox and PlayStation platforms. 

In Rust, players will wake up alone on a mysterious post-apocalyptic island littered with dilapidated industrial monuments and probing scientists. Featuring up to 100 other players it’s up to you to figure out how to keep yourself alive in a world where everything wants you dead.

Conquer thirst and hunger, battle the elements, create clothing and stay safe against hostile forces including other players, scientists, bears, wolves or even succumb to fire, drowning or radiation poisoning. A game without rules, Rust doesn’t tell its inhabitants what to do. Players are free to be deceptive and aggressive with intense player vs. player combat, raiding and looting, but there is potentially even more to be earned with a team of friendly players by your side. In the struggle for survival and supremacy, players can build tiny cabins in the woods to huge scrap metal fortresses in an attempt to stay safe, as well as craft a variety of weapons, bombs and traps.

Rust is not for the faint of heart: the game boasts a steep learning curve and a huge, killer community of players. Befriend them, kill them – the choice is yours. Players will start out alone with nothing but a rock and a torch, finding and learning blueprints to make new and higher-tier weapons, armour and defenses, building a growing arsenal to give you and your friends chances of survival. Rust will throw a barrage of challenges at you but players can fight back with craftable weapons starting with a rock in your hands, to a spear or bow, through to heavier artillery like assault rifles and rocket launchers.

Buy the PlayStation 4 and Xbox versions of Rust Console Edition at https://rust.double11.com and follow the game on Twitter for updates at @playrustconsole

About Double Eleven
Double Eleven Limited is a full-service publisher and developer, with their head office located in Middlesbrough and a second studio in Kuala Lumpur. Current studio projects include Minecraft Dungeons (2020), Rust Console (2021) and Prison Architect (PC & Console). As an independent publisher, Double Eleven have focused on bringing great games to new platforms and audiences including titles from the PixelJunk series, Prison Architect, and Goat Simulator. Double Eleven has also developed a strong reputation for technical skill, working on external titles such as the Lego Harry Potter series (PS4/XB1/Switch) and Crackdown 3 (Windows 10).

Mega Man – The Wily Wars back in an awesome Collector’s Edition!

Strictly Limited Games Partner Store

Stuttgart, May 21st, 2021: Strictly Limited Games is happy to present a new but very classic Partner Store Release from RetroBit. Retro game fans can look forward to a really special collection coming from CAPCOM. Mega Man: The Wily Wars combines three awesome titles to play: Mega Man, Mega Man 2 and Mega Man 3 for Genesis/Mega Drive.

The Collector’s Editions featuring some very special and carefully selected items will be available for pre-order for one month – from today, 4pm (CEST) to June 21st at the Strictly Limited Games Partner Store.

Face Dr. Wily and his robots in an ultimate remastered collection of Mega Man! 

The remastered collection Mega Man: The Wily Wars tells the story of the villainous Dr. Wily who traveled back in time to change the past and stop Mega Man from defeating him. 

With the first three titles of the series, players can enjoy an ultimate retro experience. Get ready for the iconic battle to stop Dr. Wily and his Robot Masters once and for all! And for those who seek for a real challenge – complete all three titles on a single save file to enter the Wily Tower and fight your way through some awesome bonus stages! 

• Classic 16-bit graphics
• Three iconic adventures
• Awesome soundtrack
• Gameplay improvements

Collector’s Edition at Strictly Limited Games Partner Store

The Collector’s Edition is available for €69.99 and will include some awesome items from the game:

• Blue Bomber cartridge for Genesis/Mega Drive
• Double-sided Cartridge Sleeve
• Full-Color Instruction Manual
• Certificate of Authenticity
• Interchangeable Lenticular Cards to display your favorite Robot Master
• Sticker Book
• Double-Sided Poster
• Collectors Cards with stats of featured Robot Masters

About Strictly Limited Games 

Strictly Limited Games is a German publisher based near Stuttgart, specialized in releasing a curated selection of digital download-only games in exclusive collectable physical editions for PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita and Nintendo Switch. The company was founded in 2017 by Dennis Mendel, a former scholar for game studies and advisor at Fraunhofer Institute, and Benedict Braitsch. Both passionate collectors with a combined collection of over 7.000 digital and physical games for all console generations, their intention is to form an opposite pole to the current trend of digital-only releases. All collectors’ editions are available exclusively at Strictly Limited Games online store www.strictlylimitedgames.com

About RetroBit

Since 2007, Retro-Bit has been at the forefront of the retro gaming world, introducing innovative and exciting platforms to re-experience a classic gaming era. Continuing with that tradition, Retro-Bit aims to bring all the great aspects of old school gaming to the modern gamer, specializing in manufacturing third party accessories for all of your favorite Retro gaming consoles. With systems and hardware to support the NES, SNES, and Genesis entertainment system, Retro-Bit serves as a connection to the past.

Join the Celebration from May 21-June 1

Who:

Cloud Imperium Games (CIG), developers of Star Citizen, are a new kind of independent studio dedicated to delivering AAA games outside the established publisher system. CIG was founded in 2012 by renowned visionary game developer Chris Roberts and continues to shift the paradigm of the game development process. The Star Citizen development team continues to offer its community an unprecedented level of visibility on production timelines and input on product development. Find out more on the Star Citizen development tracker.

What:

Following the recent launch of the Star Citizen – Alpha 3.13 Underground Infamy update, developer CIG is excited to welcome pilots from across the galaxy to Invictus Launch Week 2951. This annual event is both a time to honor those in the Navy and other armed forces for their tireless service to the UEE, and a celebration of aerospace and defense manufacturers across the galaxy who gather to showcase their latest vehicles designed for (or influenced by) the military. This year, the Invictus Launch Week organizers have outdone themselves and assembled the Navy’s most fearsome destroyers, corvettes, and carriers in a fleet that will amaze even longtime Star Citizen players. Be sure to look up and keep your eyes on the sky for the biggest and best high-flying demonstrations in the Stanton system. Whether you are a seasoned pilot or brand-new player, there has never been a better time to step into the cockpit and explore what Star Citizen has to offer.

When:

The Star Citizen Invictus Launch Week 2951 event is scheduled to begin on May 21 at approximately 9:00am (PDT) and will run through June 1 until approximately 5:00pm (PDT).

The Star Citizen Free Fly Event, which allows players to download and experience the game for free begins May 22 and concludes on June 3. 

Where: Head to New Babbage on microTech to join the celebrations for Invictus Launch Week 2951 and be sure to visit Invictus2951.com for full details on in-game events and schedules for manufacturer event halls.

Highlights for this year’s upcoming Invictus Launch Week 2951 include:

• Enlist for Free: Download the Star Citizen client and play for free during the Invictus Launch Week 2951 event. Find out more and start your journey today by visiting the official website.
• Test-Fly Every Vehicle for Free: A total of 59 vehicles will be available for players to test fly for free, including the latest from the galaxy’s most respected manufacturers on show for the first time during the Invictus Launch Week 2951 event.
• Explore a Navy Javelin: Designed for use by the UEE military, the UEES War Hammer Javelin destroyer is one of the most powerful warships in the ‘verse. For the first time ever, players can explore the interior of an in-service UEE Javelin and join ship tour groups led by NPCs who will share the history of the War Hammer and UEE.The Javelin is scheduled to dock at major hubs throughout Invictus Launch Week 2951. Head to Everus Harbor above Hurston, Baijini Point above ArcCorp, and Port Tressler above microTech to join.
• Witness the Largest Warship in Bengal Fleet Tour: Event organizers have a special never-before-seen surprise that is sure to delight attendees. Be sure to keep your eyes on the sky in the Stanton area for the most impressive display of the UEE Navy’s might to-date with a fleet tour led by the behemoth Bengal-class warship. Often referred to as the “tip of the sword,” the iconic Bengal is the largest and most powerful warship available to the UEE Navy, eclipsing the size of the next biggest Warship, the Javelin, by over four times. Bengals carry multiple squadrons of fighters, bombers, and support craft. Their massive armaments and extremely heavy shielding make it nearly impossible for any individual craft to threaten them. Only a combined effort could ever hope to destroy or capture one.
• Crusader Hercules Starlifter C2/M2: For players who need more room, nothing beats out the Crusader Hercules Starlifter. A behemoth of the skies and one of the largest flyable ships in-game, the Starlifter features both strong defensive weaponry and massive cargo capacity. The M2 Variant can transport all ground vehicles and select ships, making it a versatile choice to use as a dropship or troop carrier. The C2 variant boasts the largest cargo capacity in-game, perfect for racing teams, ship dealers, and those aspiring to make their riches amongst the stars.
• Tumbril Nova Tank: As the first full-combat tank introduced to Star Citizen, the Tumbril Nova Tank comes armed with anti-vehicle, anti-aircraft, and anti-personnel weaponry and can be manned by multiple crew members.
• The RSI Scorpius Revealed: Armed with a remote turret that offers greater fire arc coverage than the Vanguard Warden, the RSI Scorpius is the best two-person fighter for dogfighting. Its unique X-shape design comes with wings that can be adjusted between a landed state and flight state. This powerful new concept ship will be revealed for the first time during Invictus Launch Week 2951.

Throughout Invictus Launch Week 2951, new players can also take advantage of the Avenger Titan and Aurora MR Starter Packs with a $5 discount on the Pledge Store. As an added bonus, all Avenger Titan and Aurora MR Starter Packs come with an exclusive blue and gold paint job commemorating the historic Invictus Launch Week 2951.

To take full advantage of this year’s Star Citizen Invictus Launch Week 2951 event, veteran pilots planning to crew up with friends are encouraged to share their referral code for a bonus 5,000 UEC. New pilots ready to begin their journey in Star Citizen are also encouraged to visit the Welcome Hub for helpful resources.

Follow the Star Citizen team on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitch — and visit Invictus2951.com for full details and schedules on the Invictus Launch Week 2951 event.

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BANDAI NAMCO ENTERTAINMENT AMERICA INC. ANNOUNCES NEW INITIATIVES TO COMMEMORATE PAC-MAN’S 41st ANNIVERSARY AND GET PAC-TIVE!

In 2021, BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. celebrates PAC-MAN’s 41^st anniversary with a myriad of activities and partnerships to help commemorate this milestone for one of the world’s most beloved and recognizable video game characters. 

PAC-MAN™ invites fans from around the world to get #PAC-TIVE throughout 2021 in mind, body, and within their communities. Watch the official music video directed and produced by WEiRDCORE for PAC-MAN’s PAC-TIVE initiative theme song, written, produced, and performed by musical artist Yaeji featuring DiAN:

In keeping with this year’s PAC-TIVE theme, BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. has partnered with both Giants Enterprises (the entrepreneurial arm of the San Francisco Giants Major League Baseball team), and National Basketball Association (NBA) for exciting activities and collaborations that encourage fans to get up and get PAC-TIVE! 

Avid runners can register for the Giant Race’s 2021RUN series, a year-long San Francisco Giants baseball-focused fitness program that includes monthly virtual challenges alongside four races traditionally held in Scottsdale, Sacramento, San Jose, and San Francisco. Completing monthly challenges will reward participants with one of 12 exclusive pins including a special “Join the PAC” PAC-MAN pin for the month of May. Register at the following link to start the challenge today! giantrace.com/2021RUN

PAC-MAN’s partnership with the NBA for the 2020-21 season continues with a new NBA Playoffs Adventure for PAC-MAN Mobile as well as new NBA-inspired merchandise. Fans will have one last chance to play the NBA All-Star Event within PAC-MAN Mobile before the NBA Playoffs Event begins later this month. In the NBA Playoffs Event, fans will be able to play through 20 levels representing the 20 teams in the State Farm NBA Play-In Tournament and the NBA Playoffs, featuring fun basketball-inspired power-ups while collecting cards to fill out their PAC-MAN NBA Playoffs album. New NBA-inspired PAC-MAN gear is coming soon, including a PAC-MAN x NBA by Junk Food collection available on NBAStore.com featuring apparel for all 30 NBA teams, a line of ISlide PAC-MAN x NBA slide sandals, and much more to come. 

Bringing PAC-MAN back to his original gaming roots, we encourage all PAC-MAN fans to celebrate his 41^st anniversary by playing some of his most recent releases; PAC-MAN™ Mega Tunnel Battle exclusively available on Stadia and playable for free with Stadia Pro, PAC-MAN™ WAKA WAKA available for select Amazon Alexa devices (including Echo Show devices, Fire TV Cube, and screen-based devices like Samsung TVs with Alexa Built-in), and PAC-MAN™ 99 available for the Nintendo Switch* system. All three titles offer exciting gameplay centered around PAC-MAN’s classic maze gameplay, showing how PAC-MAN continues to evolve within an ever-changing industry while still holding on to what makes his game unique.

*Nintendo Switch Online membership (sold separately) and Nintendo Account required for online features. Not available in all countries. Internet access required for online features. Terms apply. nintendo.com/switch-online

Start your evil adventure on June 1st with the closed beta

Lesquin, France, May 20, 2021 – NACON, Cyanide and Leikir Studio are pleased to announce that Rogue Lords will be playable as part of a closed beta on June 1st for those who register. To accompany this news, Rogue Lords is unveiling a new video that introduces the evil Disciples: legendary characters that possess unique skills and a deliciously macabre art style.

Check below for a detailed presentation of the 9 evil Disciples

At the start of each run, you create a team of three Disciples. The characters have unique attacking and defensive skills, and none of them are limited to a single role. Choose your team based on your play style and adapt your Disciples’ arsenal of skills to in-game events to defeat the most powerful enemies. Each Disciple has their own special skills. You will need to choose different combinations of spells and curses to create diabolical team synergies.

You will love exploring your dark side and playing iconic evil geniuses, such as the White Lady, Dr Frankenstein and his creature, and Dracula.

Want to participate in the closed beta? Follow closely our social networks to be informed of the opening date of the registration.

The game will be available in 2021 on PC, PlayStation®4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch^TM..

About NACON
NACON is a company of the BIGBEN Group founded in 2019 to optimize its know-how through strong synergies in the video game market. By bringing together its 8 development studios, the publishing of AA video games, the design and distribution of premium gaming devices, NACON focuses 20 years of expertise at the service of players. This new unified business unit strengthens NACON’s position in the market, enables it to innovate by creating new unique competitive advantages and achieve its ambition to become one of the world’s leading players in gaming. https://www.nacongaming.com/

About Cyanide
Cyanide is a French video game development studio created in 2000 and based in Nanterre. It has two subsidiaries located in Montreal and Bordeaux. The studio is known for its sports games, such as the popular PC series Cycling Manager and its console version, Tour de France. Cyanide is also the author of Blood Bowl (Sport/Fantasy, 2009), the adaptation of the famous Games Workshop board game; Game of Thrones (RPG, 2012); Styx: Master of Shadows and the sequel Styx: Shards of Darkness (Infiltration, 2014/2017); and Call of Cthulhu, a game adapted from the tormented world of HP Lovecraft (investigative RPG, 2018). More information can be found at www.cyanide-studio.com

About Leikir Studio
Leikir Studio is a cross-media company. Its objective is to deploy original worlds on all media platforms. Today, the studio is made up of a web team and a video game development team, creators of the brawler Wondershot and the platformer/bullet hell Isbarah.

Lesquin, France, May 20, 2021 – NACON and KT Racing are pleased to unveil some new gameplay images for WRC 10, the official video game of the FIA World Rally Championship, which releases on 2 September 2021 on PlayStation®4, PlayStation®5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Steam.

Discover the Croatia Rally in WRC 10 with a new video:

As we celebrate the Croatia Rally’s very first appearance in the Championship calendar, it may already be regarded as one of the most exciting events in WRC history. Contested a few weeks ago, a WRC asphalt rally has never been so close with just six tenths of a second separating the winner, Sébastien Ogier, from Welshman Elfyn Evans.

And now these breathtaking performances can be recreated by virtual drivers in September in WRC 10. The Croatia Rally takes place entirely on asphalt on very varied surfaces that are often rutted and damaged from the region’s bad weather. These roads in the heart of the Croatian countryside are often extremely narrow and require immaculate handling to maintain speed. Thanks to the ultra-realistic physics developed by KT Racing, WRC 10 offers a unique driving experience in 4K and 60FPS that closely matches what real drivers feel. Follow in the tracks of the greatest drivers and become the next legend with WRC 10!

With WRC 10, the leading off-road racing simulator is reinventing itself once more! Finish the 2021 season atop the podium and relive the most intense moments at the wheel of iconic cars to celebrate 50 years of the competition.

• 6 historic rallies, including Acropolis, San Remo, Germany, Argentina…
• Over 20 legendary cars, including Alpine, Audi, Lancia, Subaru, Ford, Mitsubishi, Toyota…
• 4 brand-new rallies: Estonia, Croatia, Belgium and Spain
• 52 official teams of the 2021 season (WRC, WRC2, WRC3, Junior WRC)

WRC 10 will be available on September 2, 2021 on PlayStation®4, PlayStation®5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC and on Nintendo Switch™ at a later date.

Add WRC 10 to your Steam wishlist

About Nacon
NACON is a company of the BIGBEN Group founded in 2019 to optimize its know-how through strong synergies in the video game market. By bringing together its 10 development studios, the publishing of AA video games, the design and distribution of premium gaming devices, NACON focuses 20 years of expertise at the service of players. This new unified business unit strengthens NACON’s position in the market and enables it to innovate by creating new unique competitive advantages. https://corporate.nacongaming.com/

About Kylotonn
Created in 2006, Kylotonn is one the most important French video game development studios, also known under KT Racing label. Specialized in motorsports and official developer of the WRC FIA World Rally Championship series and Isle of Man Tourist Trophy, the company is internationally recognized for its know-how and for the passion of its teams. With more than 110 employees as of today in Paris and Lyon, Kylotonn has developed more than 25 titles distributed by major publishers. Kylotonn has forged itself a strong technological expertise thanks to the real-time 3D engine KT Engine that the company owns. At the forefront of the video game industry, this technology is also used within R&D partnerships on autonomous vehicle projects in the automotive industry. Since 2018, NACON, one of Europe’s leading video game publishers, holds a 100% stake in the company. Kylotonn is member of the French National Developers Federation (Syndicat National du Jeu Vidéo) and Capital Games. The company is supported by BPI, IFCIC and the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation.

About WRC Promoter GmbH
WRC Promoter GmbH is responsible for all commercial aspects of the FIA World Rally Championship, including TV production and the marketing of global media and sponsorship rights. The Promoter also has responsibility to increase the field of participants and to propose the venues that form the FIA WRC calendar.
The World Rally Championship is the FIA’s premium rally series. WRC showcases authentic motorsport, high performance cars and the world’s best drivers competing in dramatic surroundings ranging from the ice and snow of Scandinavia to the blistering heat of Italy in mid-summer. Established in its current format in 1973, WRC participants battle for the drivers’ and manufacturers’ world titles at 12 rallies spanning three continents.

New Hot Wheels Unleashed™ Gameplay Video Unveils College Campus Environment

School has never been so fun!

Mattel and Milestone released today a new Hot Wheels Unleashed™ gameplay trailer unveiling its third stunning environment, the College Campus.

Set in a typical American college, the College Campus is a complex environment with a main hallway connecting three different rooms: the library, the classroom and the chemistry lab. Players can create tracks that connect different rooms using the hallway or…the ventilation shaft up above!

Two other environments have already been revealed: the dark and rusty Garage, with its underground mood, and the Skyscraper, a construction site that will test players’ fear of heights.

The new gameplay video also unveiled six new vehicles out of the 60+ plus vehicles available on day 1. The new six revealed are: Street Wiener™, Total Disposal, Power Rocket™, Skull Crusher™, Tanknator™, Winning Formula™ and Exotique™.

More environments and cars will be revealed in the next months.

Hot Wheels Unleashed offers players the opportunity to drive the cars as if they were playing with the die-cast toys. The gameplay includes adrenaline-filled races, an extended choice of Hot Wheels vehicles with different attributes and rarity levels that players can customise with different skins, and jaw-dropping tracks set in everyday-life locations with special track pieces and interactive items. The game also features a revolutionary Track Editor enabling players to customise tracks in any game environment and share them with the game’s community.

For more information and where to pre-order, visithotwheelsunleashed.com. Drivers can also join the #HotWheelsUnleashed conversation online at Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter.

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About Milestone

Founded in Milan in 1996, Milestone S.r.l. is one of the leading and longest established racing game developers in the world.  The 200+ people team is responsible for hit series like MotoGP™, MXGP and Monster Energy Supercross – The Official Videogame, as well as RIDE and Gravel, Milestone’s own IPs.

For more information please visit  www.milestone.it

About Mattel

Mattel is a leading global toy company and owner of one of the strongest catalogs of children’s and family entertainment franchises in the world. We create innovative products and experiences that inspire, entertain and develop children through play. We engage consumers through our portfolio of iconic brands, including Barbie®, Hot Wheels®, Fisher-Price®, American Girl®, Thomas & Friends™, UNO® and MEGA®, as well as other popular intellectual properties that we own or license in partnership with global entertainment companies. Our offerings include film and television content, gaming, music and live events. We operate in 35 locations and our products are available in more than 150 countries in collaboration with the world’s leading retail and e-commerce companies. Since its founding in 1945, Mattel is proud to be a trusted partner in empowering children to explore the wonder of childhood and reach their full potential.

HOT WHEELS UNLEASHED™ © 2021. Published and Developed by Milestone S.r.l. All rights reserved. HOT WHEELS™ and associated trademarks and trade dress are owned by, and used under license from, Mattel. ©2021 Mattel. All manufacturers, accessory suppliers, names, tracks, sponsors, brands and associated imagery featured in this game are trademarks and/or copyrighted materials of their respective owners.

Nintendo Switch is a trademark of Nintendo.

Xbox Celebrates Global Accessibility Awareness Day

by Anita Mortaloni, Director, Xbox Accessibility

As part of Global Accessibility Awareness Day, I am honoured to share the work that team Xbox is doing in gaming accessibility. Accessibility options enable more people to play, and with an estimated over 400 million gamers with disabilities on the planet, we are committed to unlocking the potential for everyone to experience the joys and benefits of gaming. To achieve this, we focus on meeting the needs of our community in three areas:

• Fostering a welcoming community through listening and support channels: We want to create a welcoming community where everyone can participate, feel included and play as they are. This includes providing the opportunity to give us feedback, have access to support and listen to a fellow community member.
• Promoting Accessibility By Design: We believe that designing for the billions of people on this planet starts with designing for just one and extending to many, and that accessibility should be considered from the very start of product design.  We are committed to providing resources and support to make it easy to build accessibility into gaming.
• Enabling more gamers to play with expanded accessibility features: Play is a fundamental human need. Not for some, but for all. We strive to make life more fun for billions of people around the world by creating gaming experiences that everyone can enjoy. We will continue to add accessibility features to all of our evolving products, services and games. 

We know that gaming has the power to bring people together as part of a community and connect through shared experiences. Empowering gamers with disabilities to play where they want and with the people they want, is something we are passionate about.  It is about listening and meeting the needs of all of our players, knowing their needs may change throughout the day or their life.

In celebration of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) on May 20, we are thrilled to share new ways you can connect with the community, the latest resources to learn more about accessibility, and the ways Xbox Game Studios are making their games more accessible. Join us in celebrating GAAD and recognizing gamers with disabilities that are part of our community.    

Fostering a Welcoming Community with Listening and Support Channels

Announcing the Xbox Accessibility Insiders League (XAIL)

The Xbox Accessibility Insider League (XAIL) is a new program that gives you a simple, streamlined way to provide accessibility feedback directly to Xbox engineering or game development teams. Anyone who self-identifies as a person with disability can join. The refreshed Xbox Insider Hub has been redesigned with accessibility in mind, offering a central tool to find experiences and way to provide critical feedback that developers need.

XAIL is also now open to content developers, offering an easy way to share your content with the XAIL community through the Xbox Insider Program. Contact your account team for more details.

Updated Xbox Customer Support Page for Accessibility

We heard you and are proud to deliver a refreshed accessibility support landing page at Accessible Gaming for All | Xbox Support. The revised site is restructured, making it easier for players to customize their gaming experience to meet their needs and find additional avenues for support including the disability answer desk.  New content will continue to be added to the site based off your feedback.

Xbox Plays – Accessibility in Gaming Talk!

In celebration of GAAD, join the Xbox Plays team as they invite Tara Voelker and blind gamer extraordinaire Steve Saylor onto the Xbox Twitch channel to talk about accessibility in gaming. You won’t want to miss it – tune in at 11am PT, Thursday May 20 on Twitch.tv/Xbox!

Promoting Accessibility By Design

Announcing the new Gaming and Disability Player Experience Guide

The Xbox Gaming Accessibility team has created a Gaming and Disability Player Experience Guide that outlines common game accessibility barriers experienced by players across a wide spectrum of disabilities, including situational disabilities. This guide, built on the framework and intended to be used in conjunction with the Xbox Accessibility Guidelines (XAGs), provides a holistic understanding of the barriers that players with certain types of disabilities may experience across game mechanics, display, content, and other aspects. It can also be used as an introductory resource in preparation for collaboration with members of the gaming and disability community for feedback on their specific games.

Xbox Accessibility Guidelines (XAGs) 2.1 Update

The Xbox Accessibility Guidelines (XAGs) update in February 2021 had an overwhelmingly positive response and sourced invaluable feedback from the developer and Gaming and Disability communities.  The Xbox Gaming Accessibility team has since incorporated this feedback and launched the 2.1 update which includes additional in-game examples for guidance around subtitles and captions, screen narration, game input, game difficulty options, and UI navigation.

Monthly MSFTEnable Videos

The MSFTEnable YouTube Channel houses Microsoft accessibility videos, in addition to content from Ability Summit, Learning Webinars and Gaming Accessibility.  The MSFTEnable Gaming Accessibility YouTube content is released about monthly on sharing best practices that cover topics like Haptic Feedback, Xbox Accessibility Guidelines, Visual Contrast in Games, and more.

Undead Labs: Inclusive Design

With a continued focus on players, Undead Labs is sharing the results of their Inclusive Design sprint on the Stateofdecay.com blog, including a developer diary by Media Lab, and a list of accessibility improvements the studio has made since that sprint

Enabling More Gamers to Play with Expanded Accessibility Features

Coming soon: Party Chat Speech Transcription and Synthesis

Xbox Party Chat is used by tens of millions of gamers for voice and text chat and will soon support transcribing speech into text and synthesis of speech from text.  Speech-to-Text will enable gamers to have all their words spoken by the people in the Party converted into text that will be displayed as an overlay on top of their gameplay session.  Text-to-Speech will allow gamers to type text into Xbox Party Chat and have that read by a synthetic voice to the rest of the people in the Party (with a choice of several voices per language).  We are testing these features with Xbox Insiders but they will be available for all players soon.

Either one of these features (or both working together) can be used to help gamers who are deaf or hard of hearing, and/or cannot or choose not to speak, to participate in Xbox Party Chat without any extra action from others in the party. These options can also help to detect microphone problems or distinguish game audio from people in the party. Both Speech-to-Text and Text-to-Speech functionality can be enabled in Settings under Ease of Access -> Game and Chat Transcription. When in a Party, you can also access this under Options > Configure Ease of Access Settings.  More details at Introducing Party Chat Speech Transcription and Synthesis – Xbox Wire.

How Gears 5 is Becoming More Accessible

Gears 5 is announcing two new accessibility features this month: Navigating Ping – Escape Mode and Assistive Features in Higher Difficulty settings.

1. Navigation Ping – Escape Mode.  Navigation Ping helps low, or no vision players navigate the complex environments in Escape Mode. Audio cues in the game world highlight the path towards the exit and unique audio cues are used if the player needs to interact with something or use cover.

There are two settings that support different levels of assistance: Next Doorway and Full Path. Next Doorway highlights the exit of the current room, and Full Path uses more frequent pings to help players navigate around walls and pieces of cover. Play testers with vision disabilities were key to honing this gameplay and creating an audio-focused experience.    

• Assistive Features in Higher Difficulty

Disable Camera Shake and Target Lock were implemented in the game for all player-types in player versus environment modes in Gears 5 to make it more accessible.  In acknowledging that the mechanics and action of the game should make it challenging, not the controls, the team partnered with the Gaming and Disability community to make the two features available:  

• Disable Camera Shake: Players that have difficulty playing during quick camera movement can now turn off all sources of camera shake in difficulties up to Advanced in Horde and Escape.
• Target Lock: Players who are new to shooters or need a little help with targeting enemies can now use Target Lock in difficulties up to Advanced. Turning target lock on will auto-aim your reticle while aiming down sights but and will be enabled up to Advanced difficulty in Horde and Escape

How Minecraft is Becoming More Accessible

Minecraft is announcing three new accessibility features this month: Achievement Screen, more granular audio control and updated ore patterns.

1. Achievements Screen.  The new Achievements Screen in Minecraft Bedrock is built on the new Gameface technology and Core UI Design System with accessibility in mind from the start, taking into consideration contrast, font sizes, narration, and easy navigation no matter what input type, platform, or screen size.

• More Granular Audio Control.  The developers recently split up the audio controllers in Minecraft Bedrock to give players more granularity when it comes to customizing their in-game audio experience. This provides flexibility to players who may find discomfort in certain sounds or may want to lower certain sounds to better focus on something else.
• Updated Ore Patterns.  With the upcoming Caves & Cliffs update for Minecraft, the team introduced several new blocks including the addition of copper ore. This is the first ore to be introduced to the Overworld in a very long time, and the team wanted to make it unique. In doing so, the team reviewed all the existing ores to realize the only difference was in the colour of the “ore specks” on the block itself.  There was no difference in the patterns. 

Making the pattern of the ores different may seem like a small change, but it can make quite a big difference for players that have a hard time reading colors. This change extends to other players, making it easier to recognize different ores more quickly when you’re out on your mining adventures in dim light.

Minecraft believes everyone should be empowered and enabled to play Minecraft, by continuing to offer new and inclusive ways to play Minecraft in partnership with our community. Learn more about our accessibility tools and features. 

Discover Games that Have been Awarded or Nominated for Accessibility  

As another way to celebrate GAAD, explore gaming accessibility award nominees and winners from Can I Play That, The Game Awards, and DAGERSSystem. Check out the criteria for titles in the full games collection below. View the complete collections on the Microsoft Store on Xbox, the Microsoft Store on Windows, and the Xbox App on Windows in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia. After May 20, visitors to both the Xbox and Windows Stores can find accessibility award winners by searching for “GAAD” and related terms. 

• Overall Accessible Games
  • Winners: Gears 5, The Outer Worlds, Shadow of the Tomb Raider
  • Nominees: Hyperdot, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Grounded, Watch Dogs: Legion
• Deaf/Hard of Hearing Accessibility
  • Winners: Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
  • Nominees: Watch Dogs: Legion
• Blind/Low Vision Accessibility
  • Nominee: Hyperdot
• Physical/Motor Accessibility
  • Winners: Hyperdot, Gears 5
  • Nominees: Watch Dogs: Legion, Gears Tactics
• Cognitive Accessibility
  • Winner: Immortals: Fenyx Rising
  • Nominees: Moving Out, Grounded
• Most Therapeutic Game
  • Nominees: Ooblets, Spiritfarer

Play. Connect. Impact.

Xbox is proud to celebrate Global Accessibility Awareness Day and will continue to support the power of play and make gaming accessible and welcoming to everyone. We are excited to share a few examples today of how we are supporting the community and how you can too.

Donation to AbleGamers and Warfighter Engaged

Xbox is making a donation of accessible gaming peripherals to AbleGamers and Warfighter Engaged. We are thrilled to support these amazing gaming and accessibility non-profits who are dedicated to making gaming a reality for everyone and to empower those who are not able to game with the specialized gear and tools they need to experience the joys of gaming.

Microsoft Rewards on Xbox

Microsoft Rewards Members in all 20 markets can earn and donate points to Special Olympics through Xbox. All Microsoft Rewards donations made in the US, Australia, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy will be matched by Microsoft during the Month of May in honour of Global Accessibility Awareness Day.   Xbox gamers can earn Microsoft Rewards points in various ways, such as playing or purchasing games after downloading the Microsoft Rewards app on Xbox. Earn points and redeem them for real rewards. Join today and donate through Xbox.

Celebrate GAAD with a New Wallpaper

In celebration of Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Team Xbox is sharing a new wallpaper celebrating game accessibility! This symbol, developed by OneSwitch.org.uk, is designed to indicate game accessibility features, functionality, and information. Download the background at: https://www.xbox.com/wallpapers/.

Biomutant: unedited gameplay footage released for PS5 and XBS X

Sydney, Australia, May 21^st, 2021 –  Experiment 101 and THQ Nordic have released unedited gameplay footage for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.

This is an update to last week’s footage releases, now with PS5 and XBS X.

• PlayStation 5 on YouTube:

• Xbox Series X on YouTube:

Short comment on the videos:

• Xbox Series X runs native 4k @ 60 FPS with Dynamic Resolution
• PlayStation 5 runs at native 1080p @ 60 FPS, upscaled to 4k @ 60 FPS with Dynamic Resolution

DISCLAIMER on PlayStation 5 footage

The footage you are about to see has been captured on a retail PS5.

With this build, the option for native 4k on PlayStation has been deactivated due to stability- and performance-related reasons. What you see here is 1080p @60fps upscaled to 4k @60fps. It will remain deactivated for the release version, too. It will not be a native current-gen experience. More information on that will follow soon, though.

Biomutant is coming to PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on May 25th, 2021.

Digital Pre-order
The digital pre-order for Biomutant kicks off on PlayStation®4, Xbox One™ and PC. You can pre-order the game now at your favourite store for an SRP of $99.95. The game will offer the Mercenary Class Loadout as a pre-order bonus.

PC Pre-Order links:
Pre-order on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/597820/BIOMUTANT
Pre-order on Gog.com: https://www.gog.com/game/biomutant
Pre-order on Epic Game Store: https://www.epicgames.com/store/p/biomutant
Pre-order on Origin: https://www.origin.com/store/biomutant/biomutant

Pre-order on Xbox: https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/p/biomutant/bsn8bs8f8bbj
Pre-order on PlayStation: https://store.playstation.com/en-au/concept/229899

Pre-order via Biomutant’s website with all our trusted partners:
https://biomutant.com/order-biomutant/

Stay up to date with Biomutant and visit the game’s website or follow the social media channels.

Website: https://biomutant.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/biomutantgame/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/biomutant

About Biomutant

BIOMUTANT® is an open-world, post-apocalyptic Wung-Fu fable RPG, with unique martial art styled combat system allowing you to mix melee, shooting, and mutant ability action.

• A NEW TAKE ON 3rd PERSON COMBAT

The martial arts style combat system allows you maximum freedom of movement and agility while mixing shooting, melee, and powers from your mutations. Learning new Wung-Fu combat forms through progression and learning from masters you’ll meet, will constantly add to your choices and make sure combat never gets old.

• EVOLVE YOUR GAME-PLAY

You’ll be able to re-code your genetic structure to change the way you look and play. This will of course affect your attributes and in addition to this, exposure to bio-contamination in the world will lead to mutations like the Turtleform and Mucus Bubble, while exposure to radioactivity found in bunkers from the old world will affect your mind and unlock psi-mutations like telekinesis, levitation and more.

• NEXT LEVEL OF CRAFTING

You are totally free when crafting weapons. Mix and match parts to create your own unique 1H or 2H slash and crush weapons. Revolvers, rifles and shotguns and add modifications like cork-screws and battery-powered chainsaw modules to bio-contaminated sludge vials adding to your combat arsenal. There are even characters you’ll meet that’ll craft cool stuff for you, like bionic wings, a jump-pack and even let you modify your Automaton – the scrap-toy sidekick!

• GEAR UP FOR ADVENTURE

You have full freedom when equipping your character. Not only when it comes to choosing weapons you created, but what type of gear you wear. Equip a gas-mask and an oxygen tank for exploring the Dead Zones, thermos-resistant clothes for venturing into cryonic areas or protective gear for taking on bio-contaminated creatures, the choice is up to you.

• SURVIVE IN A VIBRANT OPEN WORLD

You are free to explore the world and what lies beneath its surface, by foot, mech, jet-ski, air-balloon or area unique mounts. Explore the dying wildland, the tunnels and bunker networks of the underworld, and find your way up the mountains or out in the archipelago. There are lots of discoveries to be made, mysteries to unravel, creatures to confront, and weird characters to meet in this vibrant and colourful world.

• AN UNUSUAL STORY WITH AN UNUSUAL END

Your actions play a major part in the unfolding of a story where End is coming to the New World. A plague is ruining the land and the Tree-of-Life is bleeding death from its roots. The Tribes stand divided, in need of someone strong enough to unite them or bring them all down…

You are guided through the world by a Storyteller that narrates every step of your journey, but it’s your actions and choices that’ll decide how your story of survival ends.

About THQ Nordic

The THQ Nordic official boiler plate can be found here: https://thqnordic.com/company/about

THQ Nordic Website

Valuable Panther Statue Spotted En Route to Cayo Perico

Plus Nightlife Rewards and Bonuses, 2X Rewards on Client Jobs, and More

If grainy CCTV footage and the testimony of a disgruntled customs officer is anything to go by, El Rubio has recently added a valuable Panther Statue to his fortified compound’s already-sizeable art collection. It is sure to be tightly guarded, but if you manage to escape from Cayo Perico alive, you’ll be handsomely rewarded.

All hosts of The Cayo Perico Heist this week will be able to scout the Panther Statue as a Primary Target on their first playthrough.

Nightclub Bonuses and Rewards

Whatever carnage is going on outside, dance floors across Los Santos are jam-packed, liquor flows freely, and the line just to get inside stretches around the corner. Completing Nightclub Management Missions will boost your popularity twofold, which will pay out nicely, considering all Nightclub Daily Income is tripled over the next seven days. Just remember to empty your Safe regularly.

Play to Unlock After Hours DJ Tees

Make sure to fix up and look sharp. Don’t get caught looking like a plebian in your own establishment — play GTA Online anytime this week to collect the Tale of Us Stacked Logo Tee, White Solomun Logo Tee, Dixon Glitch Logo Tee, and The Blessed Madonna We Believe Tee, all for free.

2X GTA$ and RP on Client Jobs

High-tech criminals whose fleet includes the Terrorbyte can use the spec-built vehicle’s touchscreen terminal to help Paige Harris complete Client Jobs, all of which are paying out double this week.

Triple Rewards on Motor Wars

Parachute to land, grab hold of something dangerous, and hold on for dear life — Motor Wars continues to dish out 3X GTA$ and RP to all competitors through June 2nd.

Orange Shade Camo Livery for Rank 100+ Players
Longtime players and determined upstarts Rank 100 and above can collect the Orange Shade Camo livery for the HVY Menacer armored SUV by playing GTA Online anytime this week (available within 72 hours of logging in after May 31st).

On the Podium this Week: the Canis Freecrawler

Swing by the lobby of The Diamond Casino & Resort and spin the Lucky Wheel to walk away with GTA$, RP, clothing, mystery rewards, and more. This week’s top prize on the podium is none other than the stout, boxy Canis Freecrawler — an off-road vehicle built for the whole family to enjoy.

Discounts:

If you’re tired of listening to the hum and thud of bass outside the club, buy your way in: Nightclubs are 40% off this week, while their Upgrades and Modifications are 30% off. There is also a range of vehicles on sale, should you need a new Festival Bus or Blimp to ferry your entourage around with. Read on below for the full list.

Vehicles:

• Dinka Jester Classic — 40% off
• Ocelot Pariah — 40% off
• Vapid Festival Bus — 40% off
• Blimp — 40% off
• Pfister Neon — 40% off
• Ocelot Lynx — 40% off
• HVY Menacer — 40% off
• Överflöd Entity XF — 40% off
• HVY Brickade — 40% off

Prime Gaming Bonuses and Benefits

GTA Online players who successfully connect their Rockstar Games Social Club account with Prime Gaming will receive the Kosatka submarine’s Sonar Station for free, along with GTA$200,000 just for playing anytime this week.

In addition, Prime Gaming members receive exclusive discounts, including 80% off both the Ocelot Jugular and Enus Stafford, plus 35% off the Veto Modern go-kart.

To ensure access to future benefits, make sure to visit Prime Gaming and sign up.

Check Rockstar Support for details and limitations.