For months, fans of the cult classic Phantom Dust have waited with bated breath, wondering whether or not the remastered version of Microsoft’s Phantom Dust was still in development or had been canceled. This fear was put to rest when Head of Xbox, Phil Spencer, answered a fan’s question on Twitter regarding the progress of Phantom Dust; In his response, he stated that Phantom Dust was still in development and that it should be out before E3.
Earlier today, Aaron Greenberg, Head of Xbox Games Marketing, announced on Twitter that the remastered version of the Xbox classic will be heading to Xbox One and Windows 10 a lot sooner than the Xbox community expected. Starting tomorrow, Xbox Live members can download the remastered version of Phantom Dust for Free! Greenberg’s tweet read,
Excited to announce a fan favorite Phantom Dust will re-release exclusively tomorrow for free on @Xbox One & @Windows 10! pic.twitter.com/q8lmn4yeIh
— Aaron Greenberg (@aarongreenberg) May 15, 2017
Xbox Live Gold gamers are no stranger to receiving free games from Microsoft. For the last three years, Xbox Live Gold members could download at least two free games through the Games with Gold program. When the Furious 7 film released, Microsoft gave away a Fast and Furious themed Forza Horizon 2; Microsoft has also given away games for free like Spartacus, Fallout Shelter, and Ben- Hur.
Phantom Dust originally released back in 2004 on the original Xbox and became an instant cult classic; the game drew so much interest that Microsoft decided to remaster Phantom Dust and announced that the franchise would return a few years back during an E3 presentation. After little information was revealed about its development, rumors were swirling that it would never see the light of day and would fall into the video game graveyard. Luckily, some new gameplay footage confirmed that the cult classic was indeed making a comeback. Still, it’s amazing that it’s being released free of charge.
Although it is exciting to know that Phantom Dust is releasing tomorrow, it’s surprising that it will be released free of charge. At the moment it is uncertain whether or not Phantom Dust will be free for a limited time or will continue to be free as an offer to the community from Microsoft. The game will likely have an in-game exchange where players can buy cards or packs for money to help bolster their decks.
How will the game play out on the Xbox One and Project Scorpio? Fans and Xbox gamers should pick up the game while it is free and enjoy the hours worth of adventure and beautiful HD visuals. Who knows, Microsoft may release the game early, maybe even at midnight. We’ll definitely keep tabs on this one and let you know what we think of the remastered version of Phantom Dust.
