Xbox Partner Preview 2024 revealed a staggering set of fresh updates and new information from its third party studios. Find out more information about the games' updates and previews in our article here!
Xbox Partner Preview October 2024 Announcements at a Glance
Biggest Announcements
Alan Wake 2: The Lake House Opens Its Doors October 22
Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii Sailing In Earlier On February 21st
New Game Reveals
Cronos: The New Dawn is a New Day for Bloober Team
BLINDFIRE Early Access Available Today!
MOUSE P.I. For Hire Coming 2025!
Edens Zero Action Game Coming In 2025
Mistfall Hunter Closed Beta Applications Open
The Legend of Baboo Slated For 2025 Release
Coming to Game Pass
Subnautica 2 Early Access In 2025
Eternal Strands Coming Early 2025
Wheel World is Riding Into Early 2025
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers Showcases Its Story and Bosses!
FBC: Firebreak is Available to Wishlist Now on Xbox!
Other Announcements
Animal Well Available Today on Xbox!
Phasmophobia is Coming October 29 to Xbox!
Biggest Announcements
Alan Wake 2: The Lake House Opens Its Doors October 22
Taking on the shoes of a Federal Bureau of Control agent tasked with exploring an Overlap in the titular Lake House, players are in for a dark adventure full of mystery around a peculiar living painting and the horrors that it births. Alan Wake 2: The Lake House will be opening its doors soon to Xbox Series X|S and PC this October 22, 2024.
Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii Sailing In Earlier On February 21st
Get ready to set sail and live your best pirate life in the new Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii! Ex-yakuza Goro Majima finds himself wrapped up in a seafaring adventure, manning ships in exhilarating naval battles by day, then taking on rivals with the power of your fist by night. The release date has been moved up to February 21, 2025.
New Game Reveals
Cronos: The New Dawn is a New Day for Bloober Team
Bloober Team takes center stage as they announce their newest game, Cronos: The New Dawn! It will be a third-person survival horror game that will take place simultaneously between two time periods: 1980s Communist Poland, and a future, post-apocalyptic wasteland caused by the aftermath of a worldwide pandemic known as The Change.
Cronos: The New Dawn is set to be released for the Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and the PC via Steam around 2025! Learn more about the game in our separate article below!
BLINDFIRE Early Access Available Today!
BLINDFIRE is a unique shooter that removes light where the arena is set in an entirely black arena with neon lights to guide your aim. The game is developed by Double Eleven, and is available on early access today on Xbox Series XIS and PC! This fast-paced FPS focuses on players using their tools, traps, and echolocation to seek out their opponents and win the game!
MOUSE P.I. For Hire Coming 2025!
Mouse P.I. For Hire is coming to Xbox Series XIS and PC next year! This one-of-a-kind FPS combines classic shooter gameplay with a retro black-and-white cartoon aesthetic. Step into a noir-inspired, jazz-filled world where you’ll investigate crimes and interrogate talking cartoon animals. Don’t worry, you’ll have your trust kit of quirky weapons to help you take down the criminals.
Edens Zero Action Game Coming In 2025
Based on the manga and anime of the same name by Hiro Mashima, Edens Zero is a third-person action game where you will play as hero Shiki Granbell across the vast universe on a mission to search for the cosmic entity, Mother, while meeting allies and gaining new abilities on the way. Edens Zero is coming this 2025 to Xbox and PC!
Mistfall Hunter Closed Beta Applications Open
Soulslike and extraction-action mechanic blend together in this upcoming title, coming soon in 2025 to Xbox Series X|S and PC. Be a beefy warrior or a spell-hurling mage, battling men and beast alike in this mysterious fantasy world. However, Mistfall Hunter is available to be wishlisted now, and you can even apply for the upcoming closed beta!
The Legend of Baboo Slated For 2025 Release
Save your magical island and the world from darkness and demons as child hero Sepehr and his trusty canine sidekick Baboo in action-adventure game The Legend of Baboo, coming to you this 2025 on Xbox consoles and PC.
Coming to Game Pass
Subnautica 2 Early Access In 2025
Dive into uncharted waters in an all-new and mysterious alien planet in Subnautica 2! The sequel to the acclaimed underwater survival game is slated for an Early Access release in 2025 on Xbox Series X|S and PC through the Game Preview program. The trailer showcased a sneak peek into this brand new planet to explore, as well as confirming that a much-requested feature will also be available—co-op!
Eternal Strands Coming Early 2025
Eternal Strands is coming to Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Series XIS, and PC early next year! This new tactical ARPG features a unique magic system that lets you combine spells to create devastating effects such as freezing and burning enemies like dragons and colossal beasts. You can continue to hone your magic and skills with its in-depth crafting system!
Wheel World is Riding Into Early 2025
Next up announced is Wheel World, previously known as Ghost Bike. It’s a charming cell-shaded bike-riding open-world racing game with an atmospheric soundtrack by various artists from the ‘Italians Do It Better’ music label! It will be a single-player adventure game where you play as Kat, a bicycle rider chosen by ancient cycling spirits to save the Wheel World universe from destruction! Venture the world, race against other bikers, customize your bike with an endless combination of parts, and recover the stolen Legendary parts to perform ‘The Great Shift Ritual’ to save the world!
Wheel World will be coming to the Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam in early 2025.
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers Showcases Its Story and Bosses!
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is the upcoming Chinese action-RPG soulslike by 505 Games that’s soon to arrive for the PC and Xbox in 2025! Announced in a previous Xbox Partner Preview earlier in the year, Wuchang showcases new gameplay footage for the stunningly-beautiful and Chinese dark fantasy world set in the land of Shu during the Ming Dynasty.
The new trailer features a slew of new enemies and bosses, from various common foot soldiers, gigantic horrifying creatures resembling clams and centipedes, to bewitching shapeshifters with arctic fox ice powers. It also briefly teases an enemy with heavy resemblance to Elden Ring’s infamous Malenia.
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is set to release for the Xbox Series X|S and PC this coming 2025!
FBC: Firebreak is Available to Wishlist Now on Xbox!
Remedy is back with a brand-new spin-off to the Control FRANCHISE—FBC: Firebreak. This FPS, Multiplayer PvE game puts you in the shoes of the Federal Bureau of Control agents as you face the horrors of the Oldest House. Arm yourself with an array of strange but powerful weapons to combat these mysterious forces lurking within.
FBC: Firebreak is coming to Xbox Series XIS, PC, and Game Pass next year! Those excited can wishlist the game now!
Other Announcements
Animal Well Available Today on Xbox!
The beloved horror metroidvania, Animal Well, is now available to play on Xbox Series XIS! Experience an atmospheric horror game that plunges you into a dark cave teeming with terrifying animals as you unravel the haunting ruins you’ve stumbled upon.
Phasmophobia is Coming October 29 to Xbox!
The beloved co-op horror game, Phasmophobia is spooking its way to Xbox Series XIS this October 29, 2024! In this game, you and your friends are ghost hunters with the mission to locate and investigate haunted areas. You and your friends must draw out and survive ghost encounters by using multiple tools at your disposal. Communication is key, but be warned, the ghosts can hear you too.
Xbox Partner Preview October 2024 Went on Air at October 17, 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET
Xbox Partner Preview went live on August 20 at 11 AM PT, which was streamed on YouTube, Twitch, and Linkedin. The stream was expected to last for 25 minutes. Please refer to the table below for the streaming schedule using your local timezone:
| Region | Local Release Time |
|---|---|
| United States (EDT) | Oct 17, 1:00 p.m. |
| United States (PDT) | Oct 17, 10:00 a.m. |
| United Kingdom | Oct 17, 6:00 p.m. |
| New Zealand | Oct 18, 6:00 a.m. |
| Australian East Coast | Oct 18, 4:00 a.m. |
| Australian West Coast | Oct 18, 1:00 a.m. |
| Japan | Oct 18, 2:00 a.m. |
| Philippines | Oct 18, 1:00 a.m. |
| South Africa | Oct 17, 7:00 p.m. |
| Brazil | Oct 17, 2:00 p.m. |
Everything We Know So Far About Xbox Partner Preview 2024
Third Party Titles Confirmed Through The Main Account
According to a recent tweet from Xbox's official account, the upcoming Xbox Partner Preview will include exciting updates on Alan Wake 2: The Lake House, Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, and Wuchang: Fallen Brothers. The Lake House is the latest DLC for Alan Wake 2, which originally launched on October 27, 2023, across consoles and Epic Games. While the DLC doesn't have a confirmed release date yet, its inclusion in the showcase may provide the long-awaited update fans have been hoping for.
In addition to these updates, the showcase will feature multiple world premieres, bringing fresh titles to the lineup and promising new surprises for viewers during the 25-minute event!
First Party Titles Will Likely Not Appear
The upcoming Xbox Partner Preview will focus exclusively on third-party updates, meaning that major first-party titles like Clockwork Revolution are unlikely to be showcased. Fans of Halo should also temper their expectations, as Halo Studios (formerly 343 Industries) is not expected to make an appearance, despite the recent release of Project Foundry, a tech demo offering a glimpse into the future of the Halo franchise. Although several Halo titles have been confirmed to be in the pipeline, updates on these projects are unlikely to surface during this event.
Game Pass Updates for October and November
Microsoft recently revealed their updated Game Pass lineup for the spooky season of October, featuring several notable third-party titles. These include Ubisoft’s South Park: The Fractured but Whole, Ben Esposito’s quirky indie game Donut County, and Piranha Games’ highly anticipated MechWarrior 5: Clans. The biggest addition to the lineup is Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 by Treyarch and Raven Software, which will be available on both PC Game Pass and Game Pass Ultimate on launch day.
Interestingly, MechWarrior 5: Clans is slated for release on October 17, 2024, aligning with the Xbox Partner Preview showcase.
On the flip side, several titles are leaving the service, including Frog Detective: The Entire Mystery by Worm Club, Headbangers: Rhythm Royale by Team17, and Inkulinati by Yaza Games.
Tony Hawk Pro Skater Games Might Appear
In a recent episode of Mythical Kitchen on YouTube, legendary skateboarder Tony Hawk shared some exciting news about the 25th anniversary of the iconic Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater game franchise. Hawk revealed, “I've been talking to Activision again, which is insanely exciting. We're working on something—This is the first time I've said that publicly.”
With Activision Blizzard now owned by Microsoft, speculation is high that an announcement for a new Pro Skater title could be made during the upcoming Xbox Partner Preview showcase. Considering the milestone anniversary, it's a fitting time for the beloved franchise to make a big comeback.
What is Xbox Partner Preview?
The Xbox Partner Preview is a Microsoft-hosted digital event that highlights upcoming games from third-party developers. It showcases titles coming to Xbox platforms, including Xbox Series X|S and PC, with a focus on games from external partners rather than Microsoft's own studios.
