What you need to know
- Xbox and Halo both hit 20 years old this November.
- To celebrate, Microsoft is planning a broadcast to look back at Xbox's two-decade history on November 15.
This year, Xbox is hitting the grand old age of 20, and Microsoft is gearing up to celebrate.
I think it's fair to say Microsoft has had one of its best years ever for gaming. Huge drops into Xbox Game Pass, massive audience milestones with Minecraft, and continued success with the Xbox Series X and S consoles, where supplies can't meet demand. Going into 2022, Microsoft is capping off the year with some major game launches across its platform portfolio, and Xbox Game Studios lead Matt Booty took to the Xbox Wire blog to give us an update.
"This has been a remarkable year for Team Xbox and for you, our fans. We welcomed Bethesda to the family, announced a new slate of games together in June, and launched Psychonauts 2 and Microsoft Flight Simulator, two of the highest-rated games of the year, into Xbox Game Pass. Twenty-five million players have now joined us in Sea of Thieves and your passion for Series X-shaped appliances has made the "Mini Fridge" a real thing. Our players are at the heart of everything we do and we couldn't be more thankful for your incredible support."
Booty lauded the imminent launches of Age Of Empires IV, Minecraft hitting Xbox Game Pass for PC, and Minecraft Dungeons' big new Seasonal Adventures update. He also reminded us that Forza Horizon 5 will drop on November 9, alongside Microsoft Flight Simulator's Game of the Year Edition, which includes a range of free updates that include new airports, planes, and much more.
Source: Xbox Game Studios and Microsoft
Grounded will also get its biggest update yet, called Hot and Hazy, and Halo's Master Chief Collection gets its final season ahead of Halo Infinite itself, which drops on December 8.
Microsoft also revealed that on November 15, 2021, there will be a special broadcast event that looks back on the past 20 years of Xbox and Halo. Booty emphasized that there won't be any new game announcements at the show, but I think there's a good chance we could see updates on some of the best upcoming games heading to Xbox and PC in 2022 and beyond. Crazy idea: maybe we'll even see some Halo Infinite campaign gameplay, who knows?
Matt Booty didn't note exactly where the broadcasts will take place or the timing, but it's a pretty safe bet that you can expect it on Xbox's Twitch and YouTube pages on November 15. You can expect more details will follow in the coming weeks.
