Windows Central Insider
It has been months of radio silence for Xbox fans looking to represent their favorite franchises. After the original Xbox Gear Shop went offline with no explanation, leaving us with a vague “coming soon” placeholder and no official word on its return.
But the wait is finally over. Microsoft has officially launched its successor: the Xbox Game Studios Shop
Return to Xbox (sorry, I mean XBOX of course)
With a post on Xbox Wire to confirm, this new rebranded storefront aims to be the ultimate destination for first-party merch.
According to Xbox, they are starting with an initial collection that will expand and roll out alongside major game releases throughout the year, allowing them to adjust the inventory based on real-world player feedback.
So finally we can grab some new gear direct from the source. The initial lineup is a massive treat for fans of the current first-party slate. The store explicitly covers the current Xbox Studio roster of titles, including Age of Empires, Avowed, Grounded, Hellblade, Sea of Thieves, Outer Worlds and Forza Motorsport.
If you're a racing fan, there are already new Forza Horizon 6 items up for grabs alongside some cozy-looking Halo hoodies.
However, looking through the initial wave of inventory, there is a glaring omission: I’m not seeing any official Xbox logo gear. Not a single classic green-and-black sphere. This absence leads me to believe Microsoft is holding back for a massive, dedicated drop aligned with the brand's upcoming 25th anniversary.
Interestingly, the press release mentions that the Xbox Game Studios Shop will live alongside existing separate storefronts like the Blizzard Gear Store, Bethesda Gear Store and Minecraft Shop. While it makes sense that they want to keep this specific shop strictly focused on Xbox Game Studios titles, I can't help but think that it would be incredibly convenient to see Blizzard and Bethesda items eventually consolidated here. Having a single, unified storefront for all things Xbox would mean I wouldn't have to pay multiple postage costs, but hey that's just wishful thinking.
If you can't wait for the official store to drop its anniversary items, you don't necessarily have to. As I noted when Xbox dropped a bunch of 25th-anniversary merch recently, Microsoft has already signaled a major "Return to Xbox" vibe shift by partnering with third-party sites like Culture Kings and 73Studio.
That collection, featuring heavyweight zip hoodies and retro 2001 console tees, is already available right now if you want to celebrate early. I've linked my two favorite pieces below.
This might be my favorite of the bunch that just dropped. It features the original 2001 Xbox console emblazoned across the back paired with that wonderfully chonky Duke controller. It’s a heavy-duty, oversized tee that comes in XS to 3XL.
If you prefer a cleaner, high-contrast look, the "Play Together" tee is the one. It leans into the social revolution that Xbox Live brought to the living room. You'll want to see this from the back too with the clean Xbox 'patent' style drawing.
It's a bit bare bones at the moment, but I'm happy to see the return of the official Xbox store for first-party game merch. The Xbox Game Studios Shop will likely grow over the coming months and even shows a coming soon page for Fable already.
Go check out the new lineup and grab yourself a hoodie; it’s good to have the shop back.
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