But what are they up to, and are their offerings going to be enough to either go toe to toe with the PS5, or, at the very least, gather enough momentum to attempt reversing the two consoles’ fading fortunes? We’re here to help answer those questions.

Join us as we take a look at what Xbox Game Studios is cooking up for a year that’s shaping up to be just as good as the one before it on the gaming front. It’s also a big year as the Xbox turns 25, and as such, there’s going to be a lot to be excited about if you’ve been a fan over the years. Let’s get started.

The Coalition

The studio behind the Gears of War franchise is all set to take the meta-narrative it has established over the years back to its roots, bringing back Marcus and Dom to the stage for a prequel that has fans excited to learn more about the gruff soldier’s turbulent relationship with his superiors and the events that led to the Locusts rising as a threat to his world in Gears of War: E-Day.

In a look back at the year it had at 2025, which featured studio heads discussing future projects, Mike Crump (who heads The Coalition) was pretty excited to assert that E-Day is the franchise’s “most ambitious title yet”, and confirmed that it was on track to release later this year with Polish studio People Can Fly joining the studio to lend a helping hand.

We’re going to be watching out with very sharp eyes for a release date announcement, and we’re sure that those among you who love Gears of War share our enthusiasm.

Compulsion Games

The South of Midnight developer has been basking in the success of the title, expressing gratitude for its excellent reception and confirming that a new project is already in the works. It has been stated that the lessons it picked up from developing South of Midnight have allowed it to grow and mature as a studio, and that this new project is going to reflect those learnings to be a game that is made to impress.

However, the studio is likely to focus on the multiplatform release for South of Midnight over this year, and its new project is likely not going to surface in 2026.

Double Fine

The studio has been relatively silent since the release of Keeper last year, and with little to no news about its next project surfacing in the months that followed, we can only guess that the team behind a very unique game is getting some well-deserved rest while they put down ideas for their next big thing on the drawing board.

That’s not to say we may not hear from the studio over the course of the year, though, and we’re hoping for more unique ideas, given its last project was a game with no dialogue that still managed to keep us glued to our screens.

Halo Studios

It looks like Halo is taking the Gears of War route this year, with Halo Studios all set to release Halo: Campaign Evolved sometime this year for the PS5, PC, and Xbox. A remake of a timeless classic, the new game is slated to bring several improvements to the original’s gameplay loop, such as the ability to hijack vehicles, weapon zooming, a redesign for the Warthog, up to 4-player online coop and 2-player couch coop, and so much more.

The visuals are also getting a leg up with Unreal Engine 5 powering the experience. The game’s iconic multiplayer being given a pass is a bummer, though. However, getting to see the campaign in a whole new light is something we’re definitely excited about. The bonus missions that act as a prequel are another nice touch that we’re curious about.

InXile Entertainment

We’ve been looking forward to Clockwork Revolution ever since this title was announced by inXile back in 2023. With a solid look into how the game works last year, and rumors that it could be slated for release this year, which must be taken with a pinch of salt, this is definitely one to watch out for.

If you’re unfamiliar with the game, it brings a very interesting premise with some time-travel shenanigans that pits you against a manipulative antagonist and her quest to consolidate power with a customizable protagonist. It’s quite impressive, and we hope the rumors that it’s making its way to our screens later this year are true, although we’re only carefully optimistic on that front.

Mojang Studios

There’s a lot to be excited about if you’re into Minecraft, as Mojang is bringing eight new baby farm mobs to the game, replete with visual changes that make them quite adorable indeed. However, the drop is still in its testing phase, and you might have to wait a while for an official release announcement, depending on how things progress.

However, that’s still good news, and we’ll be sure to have an update for you as soon as we can confirm any changes to the status quo.

Ninja Theory

The studio behind Hellblade is reportedly working on a new title that’s focused on being more interactive and action-oriented than its past offerings while sustaining the cinematic quality that it is now known for, as per Windows Central’s Jez Corden.

While there is speculation that the new title could be Hellblade 3, it could very well be a new IP. Either way, it’s likely that 2026 might be a quiet year for Ninja Theory, but that could very well change in the coming months.

Obsidian Entertainment

There are reportedly four new projects in development, along with speculations that a remake of Fallout: New Vegas in the vein of last year’s Oblivion is likely coming this year. However, that remains currently unconfirmed, so hopefully this month’s Xbox Direct may bring news on that front.

But if you happen to miss it, fret not, since we’re definitely going to have your back on that one!

Playground Games

The long-standing staple of Xbox Game Studios is going to be front and center at the Developer_Direct event, with both Fable and Forza Horizon 6 slated to make an appearance in what is shaping up to be a big year for the studio.

With no gameplay currently available for both titles, we’re quite certain that we’ll be getting quite a close look at what each of them is bringing to the table. While Fable is poised to be a reboot of the franchise, aimed at modernizing it for a new generation of players, Forza Horizon 6 is going to take you to Japan this time around, with a map that’s touted to be the biggest one yet in the franchise and a lot to look forward to in it.

We expect a release date announcement later this month, although that could take a little longer. Both games are currently slated for a 2026 release, though.

Rare

While the cancellation of Everwild is sure to have been a blow to the Sea of Thieves developer, the appointment of Lousie O’ Connor as the Chief of Staff for Xbox Game Studios might help with dealing with that loss and the layoffs that affected the studio.

It’s looking like a quiet year that’s going to be spent figuring out a way forward for the studio; however, we’re hopeful that we at least get a hint at what it aims to do next.

Turn 10 Studios

The studio behind Forza Motorsport is going to stop updates to its flagship title in order to help Playground Games with Forza Horizon 6. While that news is bittersweet, we’re still happy that the studio has managed to survive the turbulence of last year and come out on top.

Who knows, we might even get news of a new project a little later down the line. But for now, it’s looking like a relatively quiet year for this one.

Undead Labs

We’re still waiting on news about State of Decay 3 after Undead Labs posted that very cryptic teaser ahead of the 2025 edition of Summer Games Fest. However, things have been very quiet on that front, and the studio’s layoffs from last year have us a tad worried about the title’s current status.

We’re still holding out hope, however, and would be delighted to hear some good news at Developer_Direct later this month. Fingers crossed, we’d say.

World’s Edge

The studio’s job postings from last year fuelled a lot of speculation that it was taking a more hands-on approach to Age of Empires, and that an Unreal Engine-powered new addition to the franchise was in the works. And while nothing is confirmed at this moment, that could very well change later this year.

It would make sense for the studio to bring out a new title in its flagship franchise, and you can bet that we’d be very happy to hear about it over the course of this year. Once again, we’re going to advise cautious optimism, but one can always hope, right?

And that’s a wrap on all of the big releases and potential announcements from Xbox Game Studios as it gears up for a year that’s quite the landmark for the iconic console. We can’t wait to get our hands on all of the titles that are coming our way, and hope to join you as we enjoy a year of great games from these talented studios.

That’s not quite the case in Keeper, thankfully, and even if it isn’t exactly breaking the mold as far as titles in the genre go, there’s still an incredibly vibrant and mysterious world to explore with some fun and unorthodox puzzles. And that’s without factoring in the visuals and music, with art direction channelling that signature Double Fine feel while still feeling unique.

The story starts out in a straightforward enough fashion. A flock of seabirds is pursued by a mysterious swarm, and one of them is separated, dropping down to the island and settling on a dilapidated lighthouse. Just when it seems the end is near, the latter springs to life, flashing its light and dispersing the swarm, or at least causing it to retreat. From that moment on, the two travel together, and really, things only get weirder from there.

"It’s to Double Fine’s credit that each of these entities is brimming with personality, and even if you don’t directly interact with many of them, they still play a part in the puzzles."

But the lighthouse is about as baffled by its sudden sentience as we are. It groans and creaks from its stationary position, crumbing in a heap before inevitably gaining legs and the gift of movement…before unceremoniously tipping over again due to its sheer heft. Even as it learns balance, that heft is always apparent throughout, whether it’s dashing quickly or skulking through dark caverns. In a sense, it’s almost representative of the lighthouse’s mood. It can take a bit of getting used to, especially while moving around and orienting the light, but it feels natural after a point.

Nevertheless, it’s the mysteries of Keeper that will push you to progress forward. Why did the lighthouse suddenly awaken? What is this mysterious power that allows it to manipulate the environment? What is this island, and who are its denizens? How influential was the seabird in its awakening, and just what is that giant beacon on the mountaintop that the lighthouse is seemingly compelling towards? What exactly is the swarm, and why are they so incessantly chasing after the seabird? What happened to the rest of the flock? Those are only a handful of questions that come to mind, and Double Fine is more than happy to throw a few more while keeping you guessing.

Because it’s a wordless narrative, you’ll have to piece things together on your own…or not, if simply barreling through environments and taking in the world is more to your liking. Keeper is as much of a vibe as it is a narrative, thanks to its surreal environment. There’s a post-apocalyptic element to the island, almost as if its prior civilisation was long since wiped out, but then you encounter some of the stranger beings that inhabit it. The rocks that are also wandering around on four legs. The sentient tree that really needs those three blue orbs to let you through. The door looks just absolutely depressed because its symbols are misaligned, and it’s represented by a single eye.

It’s to Double Fine’s credit that each of these entities is brimming with personality, and even if you don’t directly interact with many of them, they still play a part in the puzzles. Your primary functions as a lighthouse, at least initially, include walking around, dashing through obstacles and shining a light (which can be focused to occasionally burn through certain parts of the environment, among other things). The seabird also helps out, whether it’s clasping onto levers and turning them, retrieving items, shaking fruit from trees or pulling objects. It’s all simple enough and easy to grasp, especially from the outset, until you remember that shining a light on those sentient rocks causes them to suddenly drop down, breaking anything beneath them, which comes in handy for retrieving an object in the environment.

"That variety is obvious in the environments as well, which range from extensive lush greenery to shadowy catacombs where a dark presence resides in the island’s underbelly for some unknown purpose."

Eventually, you’ll manipulate other searchlights to clear a path for the lighthouse and even shift between the realms of the dead and living (at least as I understand it) to turn the seabird into a spirit that phases through walls, restoring its corporeal state to actually manipulate the switches. It’s only a teaser for some of the truly bizarre mechanics to come, but it also highlights Keeper’s confidence in its gameplay variety. Even as simple as it can feel at times with all the mulling about from one point to the next, and even if these puzzles aren’t especially difficult, they still feel unique and, more importantly, don’t overstay their welcome.

That variety is obvious in the environments as well, which range from extensive lush greenery to shadowy catacombs where a dark presence resides in the island’s underbelly for some unknown purpose. Even if some elements will creep certain players out (caution to those suffering from arachnophobia, if it wasn’t obvious by now why), Keeper is simply awash in incredible details and surreal findings. This is further aided by the music, which alternates between upbeat and whimsical to dire and foreboding depending on the location. And even with the lack of spoken dialogue, the animation work is strong enough that you can actually feel the camaraderie between the lighthouse and the seabird developing in real time.

Of course, it’s worth bringing up performance and optimisation on PC. An Intel Core i5-11400, 32 GB RAM and an RTX 4060 – well above the minimum requirements, but well below the recommended. Despite this, I still managed to run it in 1080p with all graphics settings at High and with DLAA enabled. Frame Generation is responsible for ensuring the frame rate stays at a relatively consistent 60 frames per second throughout, with minimal drops. And that’s saying something, given the sheer amount of detail, lighting, shadows, and effects present throughout, even with this animated art style.

"Keeper doesn’t try to overwhelm you with its environments and storytelling so much as ease you in, offering some incredible environments, gorgeous visuals and fantastic music along the way."

With so many incredible games launching this season, not to mention the other two major offerings that Microsoft is publishing this month alone, Keeper is definitely at risk of being swept under the rug. The relatively modest $30 price belies an experience that isn’t too long, and which can sometimes feel a bit too linear at points (though you occasionally have some freedom).

However, for those who stick with it, there’s a sweeping narrative to explore, one that goes beyond your average quest to save the world, focusing on unlikely friendships against bizarre odds. Keeper doesn’t try to overwhelm you with its environments and storytelling so much as ease you in, offering some incredible environments, gorgeous visuals and fantastic music along the way. Again, it’s not exactly pushing the adventure puzzle genre forward, but in terms of execution, especially when it comes to Double Fine titles, it’s a success and then some.

This game was reviewed on PC.

Unlike the above names, it will retail for $29.99 (though this, of course, varies with region). Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers can play it on day one, as usual, but overall, it’s a much more budget-friendly release.

Available for Xbox Series X/S and PC at release and directed by Lee Petty (Headlander, RAD), Keeper is about a sentient lighthouse traveling with a mysterious seabird for some unknown purpose. Little is known about the gameplay, but players traverse the island, discovering all kinds of surreal creatures and environments while combating a mysterious threat.

The center of the island is the goal, but to what end? We’ll find out in just a few days, so stay tuned.

Schafer also noted that none of the new titles will be sequels to older Double Fine games, saying that working on Psychonauts 2 resulted in “keeping us fine for sequels for a while”. This also means that Brutal Legend will likely not be getting a sequel any time soon.

“Well, I’m here to announce right now…that we are making other games too,” Schafer said (transcription via Windows Central). “We have multiple games going on at the studio, and the thing I will say is that they’re all brand new. They’re all brand new IP, we did Psychonauts 2 and that’s keeping us fine for sequels for a while.”

Schafer also took the chance to talk about Keeper, and how the title serves as the singular vision of game director Lee Petty. Schafer spoke about Petty having “interesting tastes” which range from The Dark Crystal to films inspired by Cronenberg as well as surrealist painters. This, Schafer believes, will result in a game where players will experience strange things.

Keeper was first announced all the way back in June. The narrative adventure game will put players in control of a strange lighthouse that has found itself being able to walk. The game will largely revolve around exploring the world and solving environmental puzzles with the help of the lighthouse’s friend, a bird named Twig.

The puzzles in Keeper will revolve around the lighthouse and Twig each being able to do only specific things, and thus having to work together to make it through the world. Over the course of the title, this leads to the two fostering an unlikely friendship, all of this happening without a single word of spoken or written dialogue.

More details about Keeper were revealed earlier this week courtesy of an Xbox Wire interview of Petty. In this interview, Petty spoke about how Keeper has been designed to get players to “embrace the unexpected” as they spent time in the strange world.

“A key tenet of this game is the unexpected,” explained Petty. “We wanted players to be able to relax a bit, chill out a bit, and embrace the unexpected. So to that end, there’s some experimentation, but there’s nothing the player can do to die in this game. They can’t mess up the experience. We sort of get the player on board early so that, when something unexpected is thrown at them, it’s not a moment of panic that they don’t know how to get through.”

Petty also described Keeper as being an accessible title, with minimal obstacles in the way when it comes to things like complicated control schemes. The title will also feature accessibility features, including remappable controls.

Keeper is being developed for PC and Xbox Series X/S, and is slated for release on October 17 with a price tag of $29.99. The title will also be available on Game Pass on day one of its release.

In an interview on Xbox Wire, Petty mentions that one of the game’s key tenets is how it presents things that players wouldn’t expect. To achieve this, Keeper gives players the chance to relax and get in the right mindset to “embrace the unexpected”. Along with this, the game will also encourage heavy experimentations with various interactions in the world without any risk of the player-controlled lighthouse dying.

“A key tenet of this game is the unexpected,” explained Petty. “We wanted players to be able to relax a bit, chill out a bit, and embrace the unexpected. So to that end, there’s some experimentation, but there’s nothing the player can do to die in this game. They can’t mess up the experience. We sort of get the player on board early so that, when something unexpected is thrown at them, it’s not a moment of panic that they don’t know how to get through.”

Petty also talks about the gameplay of Keeper, and how the adventure game slowly unveils more and more gameplay mechanics that build on top of previous ones. Things start out simple, with the player only being able to move around and aim the lighthouse beam to help out the bird companion, named Twig. However, there are also obstacles that require both the lighthouse and Twig to work together, since they’re both capable of accomplishing different things.

“The lighthouse beam has two main modes,” he said. “It has an unfocused and a focused mode. The unfocused mode is for exploring – as you shine it around, you might see little subtle shimmers or reactions in the world. Bigger transformations occur when the player focuses that bigger, brighter beam on things, and that’s often used to solve puzzles as well.”

“Twig rides along on the lighthouse and can do things that the lighthouse can’t. The lighthouse doesn’t have arms, only legs. Twig however, can directly manipulate things in the world. So what the player can do, for example, to solve a puzzle is use a combination of that light ability and Twig’s ability to pick up and collect things.”

The gameplay also will be quite dense, with the interviewer noting that there were 11 different puzzles, along with several more smaller interactions in the 15 minute demo that was showcased at Gamescom. Petty said that a lot of the gameplay will depend on the player’s own sense of exploration and how they interact with the world.

“There’s a lot of stuff for the player to discover along the experience,” he explained. “Some of those come in the form of environmental storytelling, some of those things are in the form of hidden interactions with the various creatures, and a lot of it is also just about the players’ interpretation of the games events, and finding meaning in the experience.”

Keeper is also designed with simplicity in mind, with few obstacles in the way of controls and accessibility being a major aspect of the title’s game design. Petty described the game as not being one about mastery over controls, but rather a fun experience to enjoy.

“We wanted Keeper to be an experience that wasn’t especially difficult to play,” he said. “It’s not a game about control, mastery or incredibly hard challenges, because we wanted this sort of unique, weird-but-chill experience for players to go on. We don’t have a need for all those buttons on the controller.

“And we also just have a really big set of accessibility features where people can map the controls to what they want. If they prefer to play with keyboard and mouse, or they play on a controller, we support both of them.”

Keeper is coming to PC and Xbox Series X/S on October 17, and is priced at $29.99. Along with being an Xbox Play Anywhere title, it will also be available on Game Pass on day one.

In Keeper, a story is going to be told without the use of any words whatsoever. Players will get to explore a world that has been described by Double Fine as being “post-human”, with humanity having long since died off.

One of the last signs of humanity’s existence, a decrepit lighthouse, unexpectedly starts moving. After ultimately collapsing, its rubble reassembles itself and the lighthouse grows a set of legs. Players take on the role of this lighthouse, and start things off with only a single objective: get to the center of the island.

The lighthouse will also be accompanied by a bird that can interact with ancient mechanism. Keeper is ultimately a game about an unlikely friendship, and the duo of protagonists set off to explore the world and find new meaning in their lives.

At Double Fine, the creative lead behind Keeper is Lee Petty, who originally joined the studio as art director on Brutal Legend. Since then, Petty has worked on several of the studio’s projects, including Psychonauts 2 and Broken Age. Petty’s previous works as creative lead include Headlander, Stacking, and RAD.

Keeper is coming to PC and Xbox Series X/S on October 17.

Players deciphered the grid by rearranging its letters, noticing that the end result formed “PSYCHO XXX”. While this is by no means a confirmation that we’re getting a third Psychonauts game, the three Xs alongside the word psycho could indicate that Psychonauts 3 might be on the way.

It is worth noting that, since there has been no official word from Microsoft or developer Double Fine, all of this should be taken with a grain of salt. Late in 2021, the developer confirmed that it had started working on multiple new projects.

Earlier this year, Double Fine released an in-depth documentary that documented the development of Psychonauts 2. The documentary series, titled PsychOdyssey, is available for free on YouTube. It tackles topics like developers having to deal with poor morale, overly-ambitious designs, technical challenges, and financial troubles.

Psychonauts 2 was released back in 2021. Available on PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, the game went on to become the best-selling game Double Fine has released.

https://twitter.com/XboxANZ/status/1663052516249026562?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1663053243566665728%7Ctwgr%5E637266e3c16e39d89785f5a0e1be1884a3224e59%7Ctwcon%5Es2_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.eurogamer.net%2Ffans-think-microsoft-teasing-psychonauts-3

How do you go about increasing Raz’s Mental Energy/HP? You’ll need to locate Half-A-Minds, little creatures which look, quite literally, like half of a brain but with eyes, a mouth and small legs. Half-A-Minds can be found throughout the different levels and finding two will provide a whole new Mental Energy brain, thus increasing your hit points.

If you’re having trouble locating health, then it may be a good idea to keep some PSI Pops handy. These can be found or purchased from the Otto-Matic and provide a bit of health when consumed. Don’t worry if your health runs out though as Raz will respawn at the nearest checkpoint.

How to Increase Psitanium Capacity

Of course, to purchase those PSI Pops – and other things, like pins and upgrades – you’ll need Psitanium. As you explore the game, you’ll collect Psitanium but ultimately bemoan the lack of space to store it all. Psitanium capacity is increased by purchasing wallets from the Otto-Mattic and thankfully, there’s a very easy way to get the first upgrade. When inside the Motherlobe (right after finishing the first mission), explore the Atrium and keep an eye out on shiny purple spots. Interact with them to get Psitanium.

Once you’ve gathered 75 Psitanium, purchase the Psifold Wallet from the Otto-Matic. This increases the maximum carrying capacity to 1,000 Psitanium. The next big upgrade is the Astral Wallet, which costs 750 Psitanium and can hold up to 5,000. However, the first wallet will go a ways towards purchasing upgrades and additional pins.

For more details on Psychonauts 2, check out our official review here. It’s currently available for Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5 and PC along with Xbox Game Pass.

The post reads, “We would love to add more languages to Psychonauts 2, and we are investigating to see if that could be possible at some future time. Script wise this is the largest game we’ve ever made and adding even one extra language would take a lot of work and a lot of extra budget that we currently do not have. To add languages that use entirely different alphabets and have other considerations is an even bigger job still. We may get that chance, and we really really hope we do, but we can’t make any promises, and we also would not be able to do so in time for launch.”

The recent launch of Psychonauts 2 was received extremely well by critics and fans, with many pointing out the litany of accessibility options Double Fine included in the game – most notably an assist mode. Coupling this with the fact that Double Fine now has the financial backing of Microsoft, many have criticized the game for lacking on this front.

Another fan was quick to point out that a budget would have been announced prior to release, which probably prohibited multi-language support. Of course, it remains to be seen how this pans out post-launch but it’d certainly be great if these fan-requested features get added in a future update.

https://twitter.com/Or1onSLi/status/1431650772337442816

Thankfully, they’re not too difficult. It’s important to acquire more health and upgrade your abilities whenever possible. Otherwise, skills like Psi Blast and Levitation will be your best friends for a number of these fights. If you’re still struggling, then it’s worth checking out the different accessibility options to tone things down.

Here are all of the boss battles in the game. Beware of spoilers:

• Heavy Censor
• Lady Luctopus
• Judge
• Gluttonous Goats
• Panic Attack (1st Battle)
• Panic Attack (2nd Battle)
• Die Brarian
• Bad Mood
• Memonstria
• Maligula

To find out how to beat all of them, check out the video below by Jaba Play on YouTube.