This second full week of November has been an emotional rollercoaster for many members of the pop culture industry. Although Microsoft’s X018 press conference featured a large variety of exciting announcements, the passing of Stan Lee overshadowed them all. Despite the heartbreaking news, Stan Lee would say that the show must go on.
During Microsoft’s 2-hour press conference at X018, some big name announcements were made including the announcement of two studios. Although the announcement came at the end of the show, Matt Booty, the Head of Microsoft Studios, announced the acquisition of two notable RPG making studios, Obsidian Entertainment and inXile Entertainment. Obsidian Entertainment has become a household name due to Pillars of Eternity II, Fallout: New Vegas, and South Park The Stick of Truth. inXile Entertainment has brought gamers Wasteland 2 which Obsidian Entertainment also contributed to.
For the last two years, Xbox Gamers have waited for the release of Crackdown 3. Crackdown 3 was originally promoted to release in February of 2018 but due to complications, the game was pushed back to a mid-summer release. The seasons changed and E3 come and went with little to no word regarding Crackdown 3. Many, suspected the franchise might fall into limbo or be canceled entirely. The newest announcement at X018 revealed that Crackdown 3 is set to release on February 15th, 2019. Xbox gamers can also pick up the original Crackdown for free from the Microsoft Store until November 30th.
During the Special Event, Microsoft announced a variety of games coming to Xbox Game Pass. As of yesterday afternoon, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds joined the Xbox Game Pass. Although PUBG, is one of the most notable titles that is now a part of Xbox Game Pass, sixteen additional titles were announced to be coming to the Xbox Game Pass within the next few months. The sixteen titles are: Ori and the Blind Forest, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Thief of Thieves Season 1, Void Bastards, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, The Good Life, Kingdom: Two Crowns, Aftercharge, Supermarket Shriek, Mutant Year Zero, Pathologic 2, Secret Neighbor, The Good Life, Agents of Mayhem, MXGP 3, and Thomas Was Alone.
The X018 featured a fair share of Square Enix announcements including new reveals for Kingdom Hearts 3, Final Fantasy, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and Just Cause 4. During the special, a new trailer fpr Kingdom Hearts 3 was shown featuring Winnie the Pooh, new mini-games (Marbles/ Balloon Blaster), and a dark Bayamax. Shadow of the Tomb Raider will be getting a new challenge tomb that will take place in a big lava forge. Square Enix brought Just Cause 4 to the Xbox One to show off its graphical power and rich environment. Finally, it was announced that the Final Fantasy 13 Trilogy and other Final Fantasy HD remasterings will be coming to Xbox One and will be Xbox One X enhanced.
Some key titles on Xbox One will be receiving updates, DLC, and an expand way to play them. Within the next months, Sea of Thieves, State of Decay 2, and Minecraft will be receiving updates that will add new content to revitalize the games. Sea of Thieves will be receiving a new game mode called The Arena that will pit pirate crews against one another in a challenge to collect and surround by enormous piles of money. Minecraft will be welcoming two new animals to the Minecraft farm; soon players will to breed and play with Cats and Pandas in their habitats. State of Decay 2 will be adding new weapons, gear, and enemies. The Development team also hinted at a possible return to the original State of Decay area, Trumbull Valley.
Last, but certainly not least is the announcement that mouse and keyboard are coming to Bomber Crew, Warface, Children of Morta, Minion Master, DayZ, Warframe, Strange Brigade, Deep Rock Galactic, Warhammer Vermintide 2, Moonlighter, Wargroove, Vigor, War Thunder, X-Morph: Defense, and Fortnite. These 14 titles will have access to the new arrangements starting November 14th.
