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I worked as Xbox support during the One launch. One of the biggest user problems was getting used to an entirely new UI and they begged for the 360 dash. I think this is a smart move on their part, tbh.

— Missy Quarry (@MSEdgeMissy) April 7, 2020

Remember this iconic trailer released 7 April 2000? It broke the internet with the most downloads of any video EVER surpassing Star Wars Episode 1 trailers! pic.twitter.com/KKE3PqD4oK

— TheOneRing.net (@theoneringnet) April 6, 2020

Expect Disney to shift more movies initially slated for theatrical release to streaming debuts on Disney+ instead due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Disney executive chairman Bob Iger revealed that consumers should expect to see the company push more content (and earlier) to their digital platforms like Disney+ in light of the current global crisis. Iger’s comments come just days after the studio announced it had scrapped plans to release Artemis Fowl theatrically, opting to debut the film on Disney+ instead.

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“There are some we’ve decided to put on Disney+. We already announced one, Artemis Fowl, that would have been released in theaters. Others we’ve simply delayed,” Iger informed Barron’s.

“In terms of movies going ahead after Artemis, there may be a few more that we end up putting directly onto Disney+, but for the most part, a lot of the big tentpole Disney films, we’ll simply wait for slots. In some cases, we’ve announced new ones already, but later on in the calendar.”

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Iger’s emphasis on non-tentpole films shifting to Disney+ probably doesn’t bode well for the likes of former Fox titles The New Mutants, The Personal History of David Copperfield, Antlers, and The Woman in the Window.

None of those films were given new theatrical release dates in Disney’s recent announcement, leading to speculation that they could end up on Disney-owned streaming platforms such as Disney+ or Hulu. All four films had initially been slated to open in theaters.

Gears Tactics has gone gold ahead of its release on PC later this month, Microsoft has announced. This means that the game is effectively finished, and is in a state where it can be released. Xbox Wire has announced that the team has “begun down the path for the Xbox console version,” which is due to release at an unspecified point later this year.

To celebrate, a new piece of art by Gears artist Luke Preece, featuring the skull of Tactics protagonist Gabe Diaz, has been released. You can see it below.

Gears Tactics was built with PC users in mind, and it’s the first game in the series to debut first on PC. Thanks to a partnership between The Coalition and Intel, anyone who purchases an Intel Core i5 or higher processor will receive a free copy of Gears Tactics. Although the exact terms and conditions of this deal are not clear, expect Gears Tactics to appear as a bonus included with processors following its release.

The game is also available on Xbox Game Pass, in both its PC and Ultimate forms. The eventual Xbox One version will appear on Xbox Game Pass for console, too–as will any eventual Xbox Series X version that might or might not release (nothing has been confirmed).

Unlike previous games in the series, Gears Tactics will be single-player only, with no multiplayer modes. Here’s everything else you need to know about it.

As part of the April Inside Xbox briefing, Microsoft announced the next free update for its swashbuckling adventure game Sea of Thieves, and it includes new job titles, cats, and more.

With the new Ships of Fortune update–due out on April 22 for Xbox One and PC–players can take on special roles and become Emissaries for the Gold Hoarders, Merchant Alliance, Order of Souls, or the Athena’s Fortune groups. Players can join one of the groups by visiting the Outposts and inspecting the table for the faction they want to join.

Once you’ve joined a group, there are five ranks, or “grades,” to achieve. The higher grade you achieve, the bigger rewards you can receive. At the same time, other players will see your Emissary status and might choose to attack to try to steal your loot. Microsoft also announced that you’ll be able to personalize your character and your ship with cosmetic items reflecting your group.

Additionally, the Ships of Fortune update introduces a “mysterious” company called The Reaper’s Bones. This new “glory-hungry” faction is after your loot, and Microsoft says they’ll send their own emissaries out to attack you. You can also choose to join The Reaper’s Bones to become a less-than-honorable pirate on the high seas.

Outside of the changes to the main Sea of Thieves game, the multiplayer Arena mode is being updated to become more competitive. “Old treasure maps have been replaced by a single chest marked by a Sea Dog Beacon, with just one cash-in location to ensure a furious battle for victory,” Microsoft said.

Additionally, the total match time is being reduced to 15 minutes, which should help pick up the pace of play. What’s more, players who are downed now have a “brief window” during which their teammates can revive them.

Finally, and most importantly, the new Sea of Thieves update is adding cats as a new pat, following on from parrots and monkeys that were added earlier. The Pirate Emporium store is now stocked with three different breeds of cat: Wildcat, Ragamuffin, and Mau. You can choose the color of your cat and you can dress it up with special clothing. The Emporium has also added a Night Wulf Ship Collection and “crabby” new emotes to buy.

The Ships of Fortune update arrives for Sea of Thieves on April 22 for Xbox One and PC.

Season 3 of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare kicks off tomorrow, April 8, and it introduces a slate of new content to the game, including three additional maps right on day one and a Quads mode for Warzone, among other things. A new season also means there will be a new battle pass, and Activision has detailed what that gets you, including two free weapons.

On its official blog, Activision reveals that you’ll receive two free weapons as part of the Season 3 battle pass: the Renetti handgun and SKS marksman rifle. The former is unlocked at Tier 15, while the latter becomes available at Tier 31.

Activision describes the Renetti as “a well-rounded semi-auto 9mm pistol” that “excels in close-range combat.” The SKS marksman rifle, on the other hand, is a “hard hitting and agile Soviet-style marksman rifle [that] focuses on utility over accuracy.” Both guns can be customized with a variety of Gunsmith configurations, the publisher says.

In addition to the aforementioned weapon, battle pass holders will unlock Season 3’s new Operator from the outset. You’ll be able to play as the new Operator right away when you purchase a battle pass or battle pass bundle, which includes 20 free tier skips. The battle pass also includes a new shirtless skin for Yegor.

As before, you’ll be able to level up the battle pass and unlock more rewards as you play throughout the season, including Call of Duty points, Operator skins, weapon blueprints, and more. The battle pass costs 1,000 Call of Duty points, while the bundle will set you back 2,400 points. You can read more about it on Activision’s website.

As part of the April Inside Xbox briefing, Microsoft announced the next batch of titles coming to Xbox Game Pass and also confirmed which games are headed out of the subscription service.

Starting with the newcomers on Xbox One, the retro-style RPG Alvastia Chronicles is headed to the program on April 9. Also debuting that day is Journey to the Savage Planet from Assassin’s Creed III and Far Cry 4 creative director Alex Hutchinson’s Typhoon Studios. Yakuza Kiwami was also said to be coming soon.

Xbox Game Pass for PC is also getting new titles, including Football Manager 2020, Alvastia Chronicles, and Mistover on April 9. Additionally, the program is adding the officially licensed Stranger Things 3: The Game on that day for subscribers.

Microsoft also announced all the titles that are leaving Xbox Game Pass in April. On April 15, The Book of Unwritten Tales 2, Guacamelee Super Turbo Championship Edition, MX vs ATV Reflex, Prey, and Samurai Showdown II are leaving. On PC, Fez, Into the Breach, Prey, and Valkyria Chronicles are exiting the catalog on that day.

Xbox Game Pass New Additions For April

Xbox One (April 9)

• Alvastia Chronicles
• Journey to the Savage Planet

PC

• Football Manager 2020
• Mistover
• Alvastia Chronicles
• Stranger Things 3: The Game

Xbox Game Pass Titles Leaving In April

Xbox One (April 15)

• The Book of Unwritten Tales 2
• Guacamelee Super Turbo Championship Edition
• MX vs ATV Reflex
• Prey
• Samurai Showdown II

PC (April 15)

• Fez
• Into the Breach
• Prey
• Valkyria Chronicles

Grounded, the next game from Obisidian–the developer of The Outer Worlds and Fallout: New Vegas–is basically Honey, I Shrunk the Kids meets Rust, and it’s set to launch quite soon. During the April Inside Xbox briefing, Microsoft announced that Grounded will launch on Xbox Game Preview and Steam Early Access on July 28.

Xbox Game Pass subscribers on Xbox One and PC can get the game for no extra cost. As with other Early Access releases, Grounded will launch as an in-development game, with gameplay bugs and other oddities to be expected. A release date for the full game has not been announced.

A new trailer for Grounded was also released during the livestream, featuring game director Adam Brennecke and social media manager Shyla Schofield sharing new insights on what to expect from the game where you play as a person the size of an ant.

“You wake up in a suburban backyard, shrunk to the size of an ant. You hear the voice of a mysterious robot named BURG.L. He seems to know what’s going on and lets you know that the machine to turn you back to normal size is currently out of order,” Microsoft said.

Everything in the yard is trying to kill you, not unlike the Rick Moranis movie, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. “The backyard is rife with different kinds of ants, flying insects, and spiders. You must gather, craft, and build bases from scavenged items found in the backyard, searching for life-saving resources such as the dew off grass to quench your thirst or transforming an acorn shell into body armor to defend against a host of unpredictable creatures,” Microsoft said about the game.

Grounded features solo play or multiplayer with up to three others.

GameSpot got to see an early build of Grounded back in 2019. Editor Phil Hornshaw noted that Grounded appears to be a “confident step in a new direction, and we’ll need to wait to see whether the things people like about the studio’s games, like storytelling, character development, and player choice, are compatible with the survival genre.”

Developer Obsidian is owned by Microsoft.

Grounded, the survival adventure game from Obsidian, will enter Xbox Game Preview and Steam Early Access on July 28.

Announced during today’s Inside Xbox broadcast, the game will be available as part of the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription.

Grounded is a survival game with a Honey I Shrunk the Kids set-up – you (and up to three others) play as teenagers shrunken to less than the size of ants. You’ll need to harvest materials and craft weapons and defenses, while fighting off waves of marauding bugs. It’s primary difference form other survival games of its ilk is that it will weave an evolving story into the game as you play.

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When IGN saw an early demo last year, we said, “There’s a lot of potential in its tiny world – it’s a unique take on a popular genre, and the world they’ve built is engaging and genuinely pretty.”

Made by only a small team of around 14, Grounded is the first Obsidian game since the traditionally RPG-focused developer was acquired by Microsoft (although it was already work on the project before the acquisition).

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Joe Skrebels is the executive news editor at IGN.