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The best Xbox One games
The Xbox One has come a long way since its 2013 debut. Microsoft has fixed the console's hardware flaws with the One S and the recently released One X, but now it has a different problem to address: a dearth of compelling games you can't play anywhere else. In recent years the company has relied on timed third-party exclusives that eventually make their way to other platforms or are also available on Windows and Steam. It happens on PS4 as well, but the difference there is that Sony has a wide assortment of games that you can only play on its console. That's not to say there aren't exclusive games worth playing on Xbox; it's just that they're buried among annual Forza racing games, middling modern Halo releases and the testosterone-fueled Gears of War franchise. Microsoft has promised to break out of that predictable release cadence, though, so the future could be brighter than you may have come to expect. As it stands, these are the best Xbox One games you can play right now.
‘Killer Instinct’ on Steam supports Xbox One and Windows 10 cross-play
More and more games are supporting cross-play between Xbox One and Windows 10 as part of Microsoft's big "Better Together" summer push. But the newest Killer Instinct is opening the doors between those systems and Steam, allowing players on all three platforms to jam together.
'Killer Instinct' will be available through Steam
Ever since the revived Killer Instinct launched in 2013, you've had to download it through one of Microsoft's online shops, whether it's on your Xbox One or your Windows 10 PC. However, you won't have to go that route in the next few months. Iron Galaxy has confirmed that KI will be available through Steam sometime later in 2017. More details are forthcoming, so it's not clear if there will be anything new or any incentives for existing owners to make the leap. The very fact that it's happening at all is important, though, and it hints at an emerging trend.
Microsoft's existing games will play in 4K on your Xbox One X
You won't have to spring for new games to take advantage of the Xbox One X's 4K prowess. Microsoft is updating several of its own games to play in 4K on the newer console. In addition to the already-announced Minecraft upgrade, you can expect to see the higher resolution in Gears of War 4, Forza Horizon 3, Killer Instinct and Halo Wars 2 (what, no Halo 5?), among others. Unsurprisingly, all of the updates will be free -- Microsoft wants there to be as many One X-ready titles as possible.
Find your next 'Destiny' raid group with latest Xbox One patch
Next time you need to find a group to help you through Destiny's latest raid, you won't have to venture outside your Xbox One. That's because the Looking For Group feature teased at E3 is starting to roll out to Dashboard Preview Program members at the moment. Those posts can be made up to a week in advance of when you're ready to play. The update also includes Arena, Xbox Live's take on daily tournaments, starting with fighting game Killer Instinct according to a post on Xbox Wire.
PlayStation's Adam Boyes now runs the 'Killer Instinct' studio
Key PlayStation exec Adam Boyes already said he was leaving Sony to return to game development, but it's now clear that he's making this switch in style. Iron Galaxy Studios has confirmed that Boyes will become its CEO as of August 8th. That's right -- one of the PlayStation world's best-known figures is now working for a developer whose best-known work involves the Microsoft-exclusive Killer Instinct reboot. It also created Wreckateer, an early showcase for Kinect, and played a big role in producing the hilariously simple fighting game Divekick.
Watch the Evo 2016 fighting game championships right here!
Need a place to watch this weekend's Evo fighting game championships? Look no further. The event runs through Sunday, with finals for Street Fighter V starting that night at 10 p.m. Eastern live from the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Other games this year include Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, the GameCube's fan-favorite Super Smash Bros. Melee, Killer Instinct, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Mortal Kombat XL and Pokken Tournament.
Play Anywhere puts the same games on Xbox and PC
Microsoft's been talking about bridging the gap between it's PC and console gamers for awhile now -- and at E3 today, it announced just how it's going to do it. Xbox Play Anywhere: a new cross buy program that automatically gives you the PC version a game when you buy it on Xbox... or the Xbox version when you buy it on PC. The first game to take advantage of the program? Gears of War 4, of course -- and yes, Xbox One and PC players will be able to play together online.
'Killer Instinct' arrives on PCs
The PC hasn't exactly had a wealth of top-tier fighting games (Street Fighter V is more the exception than the rule), but that's changing today. As promised way back in June 2015, Iron Galaxy has released Killer Instinct for Windows 10 gamers alongside Season 3 of the Xbox One title. Both versions share the same combo-laden fighting game mechanics and characters (including new additions like Halo's Arbiter), and players on one platform can duke it out with rivals on another. Like you might expect, though, the PC version can look as good as your system allows -- it'll run at 4K if you have both the display and graphics hardware to match.
Xbox's Phil Spencer still coy about a 'Battletoads' sequel
When Xbox head Phil Spencer takes the stage at a gaming event, eagle-eyed fans pay close attention to what's on his chest -- his choice of attire is usually a subtle hint of games to come. Last January when he introduced Windows 10's Xbox app and its features, he was wearing a T-shirt sporting the cult classic Battletoads' logo. Of course, that lead to rampant speculation that a proper, 20-plus years-in-the-making sequel was under way.
Halo's Arbiter is picking a fight in 'Killer Instinct'
If it's not Akuma in Tekken 7 or Cloud Strife in Smash Bros., now it's Halo's Arbiter who's coming to Killer Instinct. The addition was teased earlier this year at PAX South, but we finally get to see how the (once) Halo protagonist will look and fight. According to the teaser video, the Arbiter is bringing his rifle and glowey knife... thing to KI's rogues gallery on Xbox One and Windows 10 this March. Naturally, there's a Halo-themed staged coming too, as well as another character, Kim Wu. The third season will, naturally, include a bunch of balancing tweaks and adjustments to ensure that everyone gets a fair fight. Or at least close to one.
Watch the world's biggest fighting game tournament right here
This weekend over 6,000 folks from 47 countries will descend into Las Vegas to kick the (virtual) snot out of each other. That's because the 13th annual Evolution fighting game tournament, otherwise known as Evo 2015, starts today with world warriors competing across nine games including Killer Instinct, Mortal Kombat X, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Ultra Street Fighter IV. They're battling for over $300,000 in prize money and in case you couldn't make it to Sin City for the show, we've got you covered. The competition starts at 12 pm Eastern / 9 am Pacific today and goes until the final street fighting man or woman is defeated Sunday night. As you might expect, the entire event's being broadcast via Twitch and you can park it right here on Engadget to watch the whole thing!
'Gears of War: Ultimate Edition' and 'Killer Instinct' will come to PC
Microsoft hasn't offered a whole lot of affection to PC gamers in recent years, but it's making some reparations for that today: the company's Phil Spencer has revealed at the PC Gaming Show that both Gears of War: Ultimate Edition and the 2013 version of Killer Instinct will come to Windows 10. He didn't have much to say about when these ports will show up, or whether or not they'll have any new tricks up their sleeves. However, Iron Galaxy Studios' Dave Lang has confirmed Spencer's hint that KI will have Fable Legends-style cross-platform play that lets you brawl with your Xbox One-toting friends.
Christmas brings 'Madden 15' demo to Xbox One and snow to 'GTA Online'
You know what goes really well together? Christmas and video games. This year we've noticed a bit of a trend: games giving away free stuff in light of the holiday. Weather, err, whether it's snow covering Los Santos in GTA Online, a six-hour trial of Madden or online multiplayer for Killer Instinct Classic, there's no shortage of goodies to keep your console (maybe you recently unwrapped a PlayStation 4 or Xbox One?) busy for the next few days. Let's recap, shall we? In addition to the aforementioned inclement weather southern San Andreas is experiencing, for a limited time you can don a gingerbread mask in GTA Online and start lethal snowball fights in addition to getting a few unspecified gifts for your inventory tomorrow.
Amazon acquires Double Helix, the games studio behind the latest Killer Instinct
Leaked through a joint recruiting event between Amazon and Double Helix, Amazon has acquired the games studio, reportedly in a bid to grab both talent and IP. The studio is best known for its Killer Instinct remake, although it also includes less luminary titles like G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. (It's worth noting that Killer Instinct will be published by Microsoft Studios as an Xbox One exclusive.) Incoming games include a remake of Strider -- a series that first made its debut back in 1989. Amazon released a statement confirming the deal: "Amazon has acquired Double Helix as part of our ongoing commitment to build innovative games for customers." The announcement adds extra weight to recent rumors that Amazon might even get into the games console business -- it certainly doesn't hurt them.
Microsoft offering Killer Instinct free on Xbox One to some longtime fans (update)
Today is apparently the day where Microsoft turns into Oprah: You get a copy of Killer Instinct on Xbox One! And you get a copy of Killer Instinct on Xbox One! And just like Oprah, Microsoft's dispersal of said free game is seemingly at random. According to the official Xbox Twitter account, the company "considered a variety of things like Gamerscore, LIVE tenure, & other factors in markets where #XboxOne is available" in deciding who would receive free copies. Codes to unlock all the characters in Killer Instinct will arrive on launch day or thereabouts following today's email blast (seen above) alerting users. And KI isn't the only freebie MS is announcing today, as Xbox Live Gold users on Xbox One will get Xbox Music streaming for free as well (like web users). Sadly, that comes with adverts, which makes it distinctly less free and more "free." But hey, that new Eminem album is on there, so that's...something? We guess? Update: Apparently Albert Penello spoke too soon, as he's just updated his Twitter account saying, "was wrong about Music on XboxOne: You get 15 free song plays then need Music Pass for ad-free streaming. No ad-supported streaming. Sorry!" [Image credit: NeoGAF]
Microsoft Xbox One gaming roundup (hands-on)
It's a black set-top box. It's a media streamer. It's dependent on an internet connection. It's a living room hub. It wants to be your everything. But really, the Xbox One (or any new, next-gen console for that matter) is nothing without launch games. To get a real sense of that lean-in experience on the Xbox One, we spent some time in Microsoft's (very green) E3 booth playing the various available demos. So join us then, as we deliver some brief impressions of what to expect when you boot up that Day One edition console later this year.
Killer Instinct returns as an Xbox One-exclusive title (updated)
That's right, folks. Killer Instinct is making a return to consoles. When it arrives, the title will be exclusive to the Xbox One. "We listened, and Killer Instinct is back, only on Xbox One" said Microsoft Game Studios VP Phil Spencer. No word on an exact release date, though, so we'll bee keeping an eye out for those details. Update: IGN has learned that the Killer Instinct reboot will be free to play, and will be a download-only launch title. But what does free to play actually mean? You get one character, and have to pay an as-yet unspecified amount for any additional fighters. Bummer. Follow all of our E3 2013 coverage at our event hub.
Rumorang: Killer Instinct 3 comes back ... as sheet music!
(click image for full size) No matter how many times Rare tries to tamp them down, rumors about a continuation of the Killer Instinct franchise continue to surface periodically. This time the rumors come from fan site MundoRare, which received the above photo of purported Killer Instinct 3 sheet music from an anonymous "someone at Microsoft."Of course, this shot doesn't really prove anything -- that header at the top could just as easily read "ULTRA Punch Out!!" or "The MORE Fantastic Adventures of Dizzy" and work just as well. We're sure some photoshoppers out there will have their own ideas of what other big name sequels this photo could possibly confirm. What we're really interested in, though, is what this purported music actually sounds like. Anyone out there with some MIDI sequencer skillz want to help us out?[Update: The community comes through! Check out the alleged theme as either a MIDI (thanks Dan H.) or a violin synth MP3 (via Giant Bomb)][Update 2: Check out this awesome remixed version of the "theme" (via NerdiestKids)]
Rumorang: Killer Instinct making a return?
EGM rumor-monger Quartermann has once more turned the spotlight on speculation that we've been hearing for ages that Rare is keen on developing a third entry in its combo-heavy fighting game franchise Killer Instinct. Never mind that Rare itself has denied such rumors in the past, because honestly that's exactly what we'd say if we were working on a top secret project too.Going by the mouthful Killer Instinct 3D: Death, Destruction and Doom, the rumored Xbox 360 fighter is said to axe the previous titles' rendered graphics and button mashing in favor of 3D visuals and more robust gameplay. Still, it remains to be seen if this latest attempt rekindle interest in Killer Instinct will pan out, or if once again it will do an Ultra Combo to our heart.
