The post is a the latest iteration of the Xbox Excellence Awards, which was created last year to celebrate how players engaged with various releases on Xbox. The Store Rating category lists 2025 games with the best ratings on the Microsoft Store, with an added requirement of the title having at least 500 ratings. Player Engagements is about the average number of hours spent on a game by each player within the first six weeks of a game’s release. Daily Active Users celebrates titles, expansions or updates with the highest single-day active users throughout the year. And finally Units Sold is fairly self-explanatory.

Going down the lists, you’ll find many of the biggest releases of the year, from ARC Raiders and Battlefield 6, as well as award-winning RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Indie titles have also been well-represented, with games like Crime Scene Cleaner and Satisfactory making it into the lists. There also doesn’t seem to have been a singular genre to dominate the lists, since everything from sports games like EA Sports Madden NFL 26, to fantasy adventure life sims like Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time, and even fighting games like Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics are well represented.

Curiously, none of the games was present in all four of the categories. At most, we got to see titles like Borderlands 4 being able to make it on to three of them: Player Engagement, Daily Active Users and Units Sold. Even ARC Raiders, which has seen quite a bit of success, is only on the Units Sold and Daily Active Users lists.

Microsoft has also emphasized that the lists represent a diverse collection of games developed by studios of varying sizes. All in all, it represents 48 unique developers based out of 13 countries, with 24 publishers having had a hand in their release. 19 of the games were self-published. “Taken as a whole, it’s an encapsulation of development on Xbox – we want gaming to reach you wherever you are, and for the teams making those games to find you from wherever they are,” wrote the company.

Full list of games:

Store Rating:

• Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Crime Scene Cleaner
• Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles 2
• Digimon Story: Time Stranger
• Dreamcore
• Dynasty Warriors: Origins
• Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time
• Final Fantasy XVI
• Lies of P: Overture
• Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
• Little Nightmares III
• Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics
• Minami Lane
• Mullet MadJack
• Poppy Playtime Chapter 4
• Satisfactory
• Silent Hill 2
• Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds
• The First Berserker: Khazan

Player Engagement:

• Borderlands 4
• Digimon Story: Time Stranger
• Dynasty Warriors: Origins
• EA Sports College Football 26
• EA Sports FC 26
• Elden Ring Nightreign
• Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time
• Farm Together 2
• Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles
• Helldivers 2
• Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
• Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
• MLB The Show 25
• Monster Hunter Wilds
• NBA 2K26
• NHL 26
• Rust
• Satisfactory
• The First Berserker: Khazan

Daily Active Users:

• Arc Raiders
• Avowed
• Battlefield 6
• Borderlands 4
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
• DOOM: The Dark Ages
• Elden Ring Nightreign
• Fortnite
• Forza Horizon 5
• Grand Theft Auto V
• Grounded 2
• Helldivers 2
• Marvel Rivals
• Minecraft
• NBA 2K26
• Rematch
• Roblox
• Rocket League
• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
• Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege

Units Sold:

• Arc Raiders
• Assassin’s Creed Shadows
• Battlefield 6
• Borderlands 4
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
• EA Sports Madden NFL 26
• EA Sports College Football 26
• EA Sports FC 26
• Elden Ring Nightreign
• Grand Theft Auto V
• Helldivers 2
• Hollow Knight: Silksong
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
• MLB The Show 25
• Monster Hunter Wilds
• NBA 2K26
• PGA Tour 2K25
• Ready or Not
• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
• WWE 2K25

This NHL 26 guide will detail everything you can do to unlock more X-Factors for your pro.

Be A Pro Conversation Response

The Trait: Confidence response plays a critical role in future dialogue options, as it gives you extra points towards unlocking both X-Factors, as well as Traits.

Interview Question Responses

In subsequent interviews, always select the Confident response option. The first question will grant you +2 Trait Points, and the second will gain you +2 X-Factor Points.

Activities

As each day advances, expend energy towards X-Factor Training via the Activities menu. This will slowly earn you the additional X-Factor Points you will need to unlock the remaining X-Factors. Once you have exhausted all of your Energy for the day, switch to the Health sub-menu, and spend as much of your pro’s Health as you can afford in exchange for additional Energy, up to the point he becomes Exhausted.

Carefully Advance Day through the week until the next Energy replenishment, then rinse and repeat. Before you know it, you will have all the X-Factor Points you could possibly need to unlock the X-Factors you really want.

Those are all the ways to maximize your pro’s potential in order to unlock all 28 X-Factors in NHL 26.

A good slice of the on-ice gameplay improvements are difficult to explain. Everything just feels better than last year—more fluid and meaningful, but not by a significant amount. Much of this can probably be traced to all the NHL EDGE data being used. The real-life NHL has been utilizing EDGE data to track tendencies and hard-to-pin statistics for many years. EA decided they wanted some of that for their own game, and the results are a more nuanced AI system. The nuance is subtle, but it’s certainly there. I could go over every detail EDGE tracks in the game, but suffice it to say it covers two key areas in the rink: puck movement and player tendencies.

"Gameplay feels more authentic thanks to real-life NHL EDGE data."

In gameplay terms, it translates to players controlling ever so slightly differently from one another—and not just due to stats. Those imperceptible qualities can now be measured. In particular, contextual habits like suddenly being quicker when near the net or being more accurate with sneaky corner shots. You know, things that fall between the cracks of the actual stats. If you’re a casual player, you’ll hardly notice these little player quirks, but after dozens of hours with the game, it adds longevity and freshness when things would otherwise begin feeling stale and overly familiar. NHL fans are sure to enjoy the more data-driven player ratings this time around in general, even if the goalie ratings seem rather low across the board.

But hey, that’s hardly something to get worked up about considering the goalie overhaul that’s been made to this year’s title. The most noticeable change for me as I put on the pads and stood in front of the net was the ability to animation-cancel. You can make split-second saves and not have to watch the animations play out before engaging in another butterfly. Oh, and there’s a reported 80 or so new goalie animations from last year too. Goalies are much more adaptable and fluid, and that’s a great thing in terms of both the AI and player-controlled goaltenders.

"The goalie overhaul has rendered them much more adaptable and perceptive."

However, I do have a slight misgiving with the new goalie system: it’s far too automated. You can stand there as the goalie without your hand on the controller and he’ll automatically make a glove save or move his pad in front of a stray puck. Yes, the improved goalie AI is good, especially with preemptive anticipation, but it also takes agency away from the player when controlling them. I still had to position myself near the puck to avoid the stray goal, sure, but the AI is just too smart with its movements to make goaltending a satisfying position to main. Alas, goalies remain the most simplistic position to control, even with this year’s revamp.

On the other hand, Be A Pro mode has gone through some genuinely great updates. Press conferences and interviews are voice-acted, and for the first time in many years, they sound rather convincing in their delivery. It’s shocking to say that about a modern EA Sports game, but it’s true. Interviewers sound realistic and natural, pausing and hesitating as if they’re nervous or just thinking through a question. Although the player character and coaches aren’t voiced, this effort to enliven the media and press aspect of the game is admirable.

"Press conferences and interviews are voice-acted with convincing delivery"

Dialogue choices during these moments aren’t as meaningful as most role-playing games or anything, but it finally matches EA’s other sports games at the very least. Besides just influencing certain game-day tendencies, your answers have a small effect on your social media presence or locker-room dynamic. Most of the time, the outcome is telegraphed next to your answer options, but not always. I like the new abilities tied specifically to dialogue too. Simple as they are, they make it feel like you’re leveling up charisma or persuasion, providing something other than traditional stat boosts for your player.

Perhaps the biggest addition to this year’s Be A Pro is the non-NHL stuff. Your created player undergoes much more of a journey getting to the NHL than in previous titles. I enjoyed playing through a full minor league playoff while working to prove my worth to the NHL scouts. But I can’t rest on my laurels once in the NHL or I’ll be kicked back to the minor league. Play poorly in the big leagues and you’ll find yourself back in the AHL all over again. This year’s Be A Pro provides deeper development arcs for your created character and raises the stakes in a satisfying way.

"The new Form Score tracker is a chart that tracks player improvements and declines on a game-by-game basis"

And tracking your development is easier than ever with the new chapter structure. Want to immediately be in the midst of an NHL season and just focus on the “important” stuff? No problem—just skip to the next chapter and you’re there in the NHL regular season. For busier gamers, the option to skip weeks and entire months to reach your next chapter milestone is a very convenient feature. I also like the new Form Score tracker. It’s a chart that tracks player improvements and declines on a game-by-game basis, relaying player development in real time. Though, there was a constant ticking sound from the Form Score tracker that never ceased; hopefully such a glitch is patched because it becomes distracting and unnecessarily grating.

But one thing that’s not grating on the ears is the soundtrack. The licensed music is a nice mix of popular rock and alternative bands, but it’s the separate Be A Pro soundtrack that especially impressed me. Enjoy mellow lounge music? Well, it’s that with a bit of rich lo-fi butter spread across, resulting in one of the most original sports mode atmospheres I’ve encountered recently. That’s a rare thing in the age of consolidated EA Sports titles where originality can often suffer for trends that yield reliable yearly profits. To put it in the words of the modern zoomer: the Be A Pro mode menus are a vibe. They generally load faster than last year too, so that’s cool.

The menus in general load a little quicker and they look prettier too. Though there’s still slowdown when browsing player ratings or doing most things in the online modes. What doesn’t feel slow and groggy is the game-day presentation. The IQ statistics during games look sleek and seamless. Various useful percentages and statistics pop up dynamically on the ice during transitions without being distracting. This overlay of contextual info provides something useful to glance at in between all the action.
The commentary booth is the same Cybulski/Pounder duo from recent years, but I’ve noticed more seamless conversations this time around.

"Useful percentages and statistics pop up dynamically on the ice during transitions without being distracting."

I’ve reviewed three sports games this year, and one commentary moment from this very game beats them all. My Be A Pro center got the game-winning overtime goal in the previous game, and lo and behold the broadcast booth acknowledges it games later. And it gets mentioned so casually too—a remark on how careful the opposing team should be of me due to my recent overtime goal. It was a little referential moment that made the game feel immersive and reactive. This referential commentary extends to seasonal stats, player tendencies, and game highlights in general, and it’s all done in a surprisingly organic and seamless way.

But it’s not just the commentary that feels authentic—the crowds and broadcast presentation are improved from last year too. The crowd swells up to a roar during intense moments, eventually reaching a fever pitch when tied late in the 3rd period or during overtime. There were times I had to lower the volume due to thunderous crowd noise (that’s a good thing).

"The presentation is far more cinematic and interesting than prior years."

Legacy achievements finally get time to shine this time around. Winning the AHL Calder Cup or the monolithic Stanley Cup in the NHL actually feels significant. Your team takes time to pass around the trophy as the crowd cheers them on. Some teams actually have unique walkouts and mascots this year, and I’m hoping every team eventually gets their own sooner rather than later. Add to this a bunch of unique cinematics throughout Be A Pro career and presentation has been a success for this year’s NHL title.

HUT has been streamlined and iterated upon a bit too. Offline players finally have something to dig into with the new Cup Chase mode. Cup Chase provides players opportunities to test their team-building skills through multiple seasons. There are even exclusive rewards unique to this mode, making it worth doing for HUT aficionados who prefer online matches. Speaking of online, HUT adds a new ranked infrastructure, providing the kind of competitive content that was lacking last year. Another interesting addition to HUT is player combinations, which add bonuses to team lineups. Conceptually, boosting lines that share similar traits, such as player nationality or real-life team, sounds like a cool wrinkle, but it can easily result in some lopsided min/maxing. Now players are incentivized to match players a specific way on their line or risk losing out on the bonuses, which can hurt the freedom of team-building. One addition I do like is the hero and icon players that can be added to a team. Having legacy players like Sergei Fedorov on a team of contemporaries just adds a bit of personality and nostalgia to team-building.

"Line Combinations add bonuses to teams based on shared features among the players."

That about sums up my time with NHL 26. My opinion on Franchise and the other modes remains unchanged from last year’s review, and that’s because they’re largely identical to last year’s game. But this year has added a lot of meaningful changes that overhaul the experience in ways I really appreciate. I personally didn’t feel the addition of NHL EDGE data all that much, but it does add authenticity that superfans of the sport will appreciate. Be A Pro is awesome now, which is a big surprise, and the presentation has been improved across the board. NHL 26 is a step up from last year and the first one worthy of just about everyone’s time in recent memory.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Remember when this was just supposed to be a second playable character and DLC for Hollow Knight? Over six years since its announcement, Silksong is indeed real, and based on Team Cherry’s own admission, it’s as big, perhaps even bigger than its predecessor. Because you weren’t planning on anything for the rest of the month? Over 200 enemy types, more than 40 bosses, numerous new abilities – and based on demo impressions from Gamescom, best-in-class movement. Hollow Knight: Silksong releases on September 4th for Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, and at this point, we’re beyond ready.

Hell is Us

If you’re in the mood for a different kind of action-adventure, one that very adamantly won’t hold your hand, there’s Rogue Factor’s Hell is Us. A dark horse of sorts, it’s semi-open-world-ish, focusing on peacekeeper Rémi, who explores Hadea in search of his parents. The country has seen better days – it’s devastated by war and Hollow Walkers emerging in the wake of the Calamity. With just the bare minimum, you have to gather clues and ultimately unravel the mystery behind Rémi’s parents while uncovering the mysteries of Hadea. With Souls-lite gameplay and a mysterious yet foreboding vibe, Hell is Us could very well make a name for itself when it launches on September 4th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC.

Cronos: The New Dawn

For a different flavor of horror – the sci-fi survival third-person shooter kind – there’s Bloober Team’s Cronos: The New Dawn, where players control a Traveller under the mysterious Collective, tasked with extracting the essence of key individuals. Or not – you don’t really have to, though that could affect the ending. Between these choices, you’re exploring run-down buildings and structures infested with monsters born from the mysterious Change, using shotguns, SMGs and flamethrowers to bat them back, while casually manipulating gravity and the environment to progress forward. It’s very Dead Space-esque on first appearance, but the mysterious narrative and time travel elements help set Cronos apart when it launches on September 4th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch.

Daemon x Machina: Titanic Scion

I’m not the biggest Daemon X Machina fan out there, but credit to Marvelous Inc. for doing something different with the sequel. You’re still in this world of Arsenals and Outer factions, destroying similarly armored foes and extracting their parts for your own usage, but Titanic Scion veers hard by turning Arsenals into power armor. The vast open world also facilitates new traversal methods, such as horseback riding, which is as hilarious as it looks, and even a larger Arsenal frame for dealing big damage in a limited window. Launching on September 5th for Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC, and PS5, Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion could very well be the standout mecha title of the year.

Borderlands 4

It’s funny to think we’ve gone from…whatever Borderlands 3 was meant to be to this epic tale of resistance against a dictatorial figure on an unknown planet that Gearbox promises is its biggest yet. And yet, from everything showcased thus far and against all odds, Borderlands 4 doesn’t look half-bad. The four new Vault Hunters – Vex, Rafa, Amon and Harlowe – all look great in their own ways; the prospect of Licensed Parts for combining different gun manufacturer pieces into one weapon is great; and the addition of grappling, dashing, double-jumping, and more feels just right. Whether the story will stick the landing remains to be seen (I still haven’t forgiven you for Maya, Gearbox), to say nothing of the endgame, but as a co-op looter shooter with slightly classier mayhem, Borderlands 4 could excel. It’s launching on September 12th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC.

Silent Hill f

As the newest mainline title in the Silent Hill franchise since 2012’s Downpour, Silent Hill f ventures into unknown territory. It’s the first title set in Japan, specifically the fictitious town of Ebisugaoka in the 1960s, and features Ryukishi07 as the writer (with artist kera behind the creature designs). As Hinako Shimizu, who finds herself swallowed up by the fog, players embark on a more action-packed journey, one with a heavier emphasis on melee combat. Don’t let that fool you, though, as it offers some of the most disturbing creatures and sights in the franchise yet. After the success of Silent Hill 2 remake, here’s hoping Konami can pull off another when Silent Hill f launches on September 25th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC.

NBA 2K26

Another year, another NBA 2K and even if last year’s iteration sported solid gameplay, one has to wonder if NBA 2K6 is worth the upgrade. Outside of the improved player and arena visuals, you can embark on The Playoffs online; a new MyCareer mode sees you working up the ranks to the NBA, with The City returning; and all the usual modes, including MyTeam and The W, return with various improvements. Maybe it’ll be enough to hold one over till next year, but for now, NBA 2K26 launches on September 5th for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2.

Dying Light: The Beast

Techland has been on a venerable marketing overdrive for Dying Light: The Beast, promising its “most diverse world,” a fairly lengthy experience (about 40 to 50 hours for the story and side content), and much more. And based on the gameplay thus far, it seems like a return to everything that made the Dying Light franchise great while continuing the story of Kyle Crane, who now possesses powerful beast-like abilities. Whether it can redeem the series after the whelming second entry or not, the call of the night is hard to resist. Dying Light: The Beast arrives on September 19th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC.

EA Sports FC 26

With how underwhelming FC 25 turned out, EA is listening in a big way with the latest entry. Various gameplay improvements include faster overall gameplay and two experiences – Competitive and Authentic, each determining the style of play and pace. Archetypes are also debuting and will be added to Clubs to shake things up. There’s honestly a lot more, and it could be the most exciting sports offering from EA in years when it launches on September 26th for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 1 and 2, PC, PS4, and PS5.

Alien: Rogue Incursion Evolved Edition

If you thought the title was a mouthful already, this is actually Part 1 of Survios’ VR title-turned-regular-first-person shooter. It follows Colonial Marine Zula Hendricks as she investigates a Weyland-Yutani black site. Which, to no one’s surprise, is full of Xenomorphs. While it may seem like a running and gunning affair, Rogue Incursion also features classic tools like the Motion Tracker, creating a familiar wave of dread when a Xenomorph periodically shows up. Launching on September 30th for PS5 and PC, Alien: Rogue Incursion Evolved Edition will support 60 FPS and DualSense functionality.

EA Sports NHL 26

Not one, not two, but three sports games in September? What a deal! NHL 26 launches on September 12th for Xbox Series X/S and PS5, packing several changes, including reworked X-Factors (now with three tiers), goalie size and style now affecting how they play, a new Goalie Crease Control System with over 80 new animations, and more. EA Vancouver has its work cut out after last year’s release, but thus far, it’s looking decent.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: The Order of Giants

Everyone’s favorite archaeologist returns in a new story DLC, building on the stellar base experience by returning to Rome, as players venture deeper underground to learn more about the Cult of Mithras and the legendary giants. Based on the latest trailer, it seems the undead are also involved. In terms of puzzle-platforming goodness, The Order of Giants should be another compelling adventure for Indy when it launches on September 4th for PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X/S.

Metal Eden

Metal Eden launches on September 2nd for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, and sees ASKA, a Hyper Unit, venturing into Moebius to save humanity’s rapidly decaying cores. All the usual weaponry, from a pistol, shotgun, SMG and whatnot, awaits. However, Aska’s main calling card is ripping out enemy Cores and either consuming them for a boost (and rocket punch) or tossing them back to deal explosive damage. Paired with a Brutalist aesthetic, extensive mobility and an intriguing narrative, we’re keen to see how deep the cyber-punk rabbit hole goes.

Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter

Everyone has their dream remake, and for a subsection of role-playing game fans, Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter is pretty much it. A ground-up remake of the 2004 classic, it offers fully 3D environments and characters alongside Daybreak’s dual turn-based/real-time combat system. And while there are new voicovers and localization, the tale of Estelle and Joshua, who venture across Liberl, changing lives along the way, remains as timeless as ever. Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter launches on September 19th for Nintendo Switch, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2, with a free demo currently available.

Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac

This may or may not fall under “dream remake” – really, it depends on how much you love Pac-Man – but Pac-Man World Re-Pac wasn’t half-bad. Re-Pac 2, launching on September 26th for every platform, follows in the same vein, remaking Pac-Man World 2 with gorgeous new visuals. However, its latest comparison trailer highlights noticeable differences in levels (which have also been expanded) and Bandai Namco promises quality-of-life improvements, updated bosses, and even a two-player mode.