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The Xbox Winter Demo Fest for 2025 (otherwise known as the Indie Selects Demo Fest) has now kicked off, allowing you to play over 20 games for free. It's not officially being promoted at the time of writing, but we've done some sleuthing and discovered these 20+ titles that are part of it — with 30+ set to be announced in total. With that in mind, we'll be updating this list as more demos become available over the next 24 hours. As of December 9th, you'll see a tab for the Xbox Demo Fest on your console's dashboard. Before then, you can use the links below, navigate to the "demos" section of the Xbox Store, or search for the ones you want to try manually. Let's take a look at more details on all of the available demos in the Xbox Winter Demo Fest 2025 so far: Aikyam Demo: "It’s up to Vishva, Ramli, and Guruji to dazzle the hearts of disgruntled villagers with extravagant turn-based battles and rally them against the demons in this Bollywood-inspired fantasy RPG!" AWAYSIS Demo: "A cutting edge blend of reactive and emergent physics, backed up by arcade-tight controls. It’s all about momentum and mayhem as you bounce off walls and bonk your enemies into the abyss." Biped 2 Demo: "Biped 2 is the sequel to the exciting game about two charming bipedal robots, Aku and Sila, who have each other’s backs and embark on incredible adventures side by side. Dive into this groovy co-op action-adventure game, full of puzzles, friendship, support, and fun!" Boxes: Lost Fragments Demo: "As a legendary thief, your next assignment lures you into a grand and lavish mansion. There you find a series of puzzle boxes, designed for an unknown purpose." Cash Cleaner Simulator: Piggy Bank Demo: "Cash Cleaner Simulator welcomes you into the life of a low-level criminal with a particular specialty. When your underworld contacts need dirty money to come back squeaky clean, they call you." CASSETTE BOY Demo: "At first glance Cassette Boy looks like a charming pixel-style adventure, but beneath the surface lies something far more complex. What seems like a flat 2D pixel world is in fact a three-dimensional space. By rotating the environment, the boundaries of existence shift. What comes into view becomes real, and what slips away from sight fades into nothingness." ColorBlend FX: Desaturation Demo: "Help Splatians blend the stolen colors back with the world and get rid of the evil Lord Ashen in this 2.5D puzzle-platformer metroidvania. Splat'n'stomp juicy enemies, swim in paint pools, solve physics and color puzzles and of course survive the death while figuring out the evil plans of the Lord." Contraband Police Demo: "The year is 1981, and as a young officer trainee, you are assigned to work at a border post in the mountainous region of Karikatka. Entry into the Acarist People's Republic is strictly regulated by the party and your every move is monitored! The situation at the border escalates when your comrade is killed during one of the interventions..." Empire in Decay Demo: "Empire in Decay is a roguelike deckbuilding turn-based tactical game, loosely based on chess. Its gameplay has been broadened with the use of cards and the progression of units. In the game, you'll proceed through procedurally generated routes across the districts of Daandria, the capital of the Empire." Froggy Hates Snow Demo: "In this demo, you are Froggy — a determined survivor in a hostile, snowy desert. Dig paths through the snow to discover treasure, battle eerie creatures, and adapt in a world where warmth is survival and the freezing temperatures aren’t the only thing that can kill!" Go North - Demo: "Go North is a cozy and immersive maze adventure. With the help of numerous magical and technological items, navigate beautifully unique mazes and explore expansive worlds in a story-driven adventure like no other." Incantation Demo: "Immerse yourself in the chilling tale of the Chen Family Village, where a mother searching for her missing daughter accidentally stumbles into a haunted place filled with mysterious cults." Knuckle Jet Demo: "Knuckle Jet is an off-the-wall, jetpunk, fast-paced, ricochet action platformer, where you use the titular Knuckle Jet to propel yourself through the air, bounce off walls and smash enemies." Kristala Demo: "Kristala is a dark fantasy Action RPG that invites you into the role of a magically gifted feline warrior on a quest to master the ancient magics of the Sacred Kristals." Limbot Demo: "Welcome to Limbot, the ultimate physics-based city stomping experience where up to 4 players must attempt to pilot a person dressed as a giant cardboard robot! Embrace the chaos in a paper-craft metropolis designed to be crushed, smashed, and destroyed!" Megabattle Demo: "Build your DECK and your ROBOT. Fight with STRATEGY and don’t die — roguelike style. A unique and FUN game where you’ll create your own character and develop a one-of-a-kind way to FIGHT." Pathologic 3 Demo: "You have only 12 days to stop the lethal plague. But in your hands lies the most valuable resource—time. Travel into the future to witness the worst outcomes. Correct mistakes in the past to change them. Bend the fates of people around you to save or condemn you—in search of answers." Reef Defense Demo: "Reef Defense is a fast-paced, intense strategy game where relentless waves of crustaceans are coming for your precious eggs! Arm your reef with strategically positioned defenses and hold the line. Can you outlast the swarm, or will your eggs become crab food?" Relooted Demo: "A crew. A job. A plan. Toss those ingredients together, and you’ve got yourself a classic heist — but with a few twists. Your crew members are everyday citizens (from different countries in Africa) with pretty normal careers. The job is to liberate African artifacts from Western museums. And the plan? Well, that’s up to you to create." Showgunners Demo: "In a dystopian future where corporations rule, a brutal reality show is the hottest entertainment property in town! You play as Scarlett Martillo, a contestant out for revenge. To win, you must navigate dangerous urban arenas packed with lethal traps and face off against hordes of heavily-armed psychopaths." Worshippers of Cthulhu Demo: "Worshippers of Cthulhu Demo is a game that combines city-building, resource management, and strategic decision-making within a world inspired by H.P. Lovecraft." Under Par Golf Architect Demo: "Design world-class golf courses by terraforming rough wasteland into lush fairways for smooth drives and pristine greens to ensure a true roll for every putt." Will you be trying any of these free Xbox demos during the 2025 Winter Demo Fest? Let us know down below. View full article

Back in September, we learnt that Microsoft Flight Simulator was jetting off to PS5 this year - and now an interesting interview with an Xbox developer talks about the series' interesting journey to PlayStation platforms. Speaking with XDA, Microsoft's Flight Sim lead dev Jorg Neumann talked about the upcoming port and how it all started. Neumann says that he suggested moving the series over to PS5 after 2020's Microsoft Flight Simulator (an idea that MS shot down), before a Sony dev came back to him a little while later. Neumann says that shortly after this exchange, the team started to plan for PS5 - after finishing up the Xbox and PC versions of the 2024 release of course. The MSFS developer also says they "think that really kicked off a whole avalanche of Xbox titles coming to PlayStation", although we're not entirely sure on that one given that the multiplatform shift seems more related to the ActBlizz deal than anything else. Either way, it's pretty interesting that Sony itself suggested getting MSFS on PS5, and indeed that some internal Microsoft devs actually discussed it way before the company went full multiplatform. MSFS has ended up on PS5 in the end, then, with Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 making its debut today, December 8th. View full article

One of the most unique a beautiful games of the year — despelote — is all about the beautiful game itself and the communities it helps build, and it's coming to Switch on 11th December in North America for just $14.99. Japan will get it on 18th December, while the rest of the world will have to wait for kick-off on 13th January 2026. despelote isn't your typical soccer game where you're kicking about a ball to win matches; this is a slice-of-life narrative-driven experience which is all about the importance of soccer to Ecuador and, in particular to eight-year-old Julián, in the run up to the World Cup. In despelote, you'll dribble, pass, and shoot the ball around Quito, but not for victory — simply, to connect. How will people react? Will Ecuador qualify for the World Cup? And how does everyone feel about the beautiful game, of their city, their country? It's a short game too, clocking in at around 2 hours, but from looking at reviews back when the game launched on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox in May, it'll stick with you long after. Here's a rundown of what toe expect from the game: Images: Panic Have you been waiting to kick-off with despelote on Switch? Will you be scoring on 11th December? Let us know in the comments. View full article

The fact that the Pokémon Trading Card Game has created its own mini-economy isn't new news – back when it launched in the late '90s, there were accusations that it was encouraging gambling amongst kids, with many schools banning the cards from their playgrounds. In more recent years, however, the market for collectable cards has risen to hitherto unseen levels of insanity, driven by the fact that the children who grew up with Pokémon in the '90s and 2000s are now adults and can invest heavily in picking up the rarest examples – and the high prices have predictably encouraged in opportuniustic scalpers moving in, drawn by the promise of turning small purchases into hundreds of dollars. The end result, rather sadly, is that younger Pokémon fans are being denied the chance to grab cards for themselves. British news outlet The Guardian has been speaking to retailers and fans to get their take on the current state of the Pokémon Trading Card Game in the UK, and it's not particularly pleasant reading. Ben Thyer, the owner of the independent store BathTCG, says: Demand has consistently outstripped supply in the world of Pokémon TCG for a few years now, but Thyer thinks a correction is perhaps on the way – although it may not last for very long: View full article

Update [Mon 8th Dec 2025, 8:15am]: Paramount Skydance has launched a rival bid for "the entire company" of Warner Bros. Discovery — including streaming, TV networks and its gaming division — following Netflix's own agreement from last Friday (via BBC). Paramount is offering $30 per share directly to shareholders, stating that this is a "superior alternative" to Netflix's own. The mass media company values Warner Bros. Discovery at $108.4 billion. “We’re really here to finish what we started,” Paramount chief executive David Ellison told CNBC, telling the station that this offer was "anti-competitive" and that Netflix's is "a horrible deal for Hollywood." Both Netflix and Warner Bros. stated on Friday that they support the original deal, which is valued at $82.7 billion. As we mentioned in our original report below, this deal will include Warner Bros. own gaming division, where major IPs such as the Mortal Kombat and Batman: Arkham series are based. Sounds like this is going to be a fraught process... Original Story: In a staggering piece of news this Friday, streaming giant Netflix has announced that it has entered an agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery to acquire Warner Bros. in a deal that's valued at roughly $82.7 billion — an equity value of $72 billion. Netflix is specifically acquiring Warner Bros.' Streaming & Studios company, which it created in June 2025 and includes including Game of Thrones, the DC Universe, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and platforms such as HBO and HBO Max and Warner Bros. Games. The media company doesn't mention WB's gaming division at all in its press release. However, Game Developer has confirmed with a WB spokesperson that "the recently-restructured video game division... will be joining Netflix." Currently, Warner Bros. Games includes a number of studios such as Rocksteady (Batman: Arkham series), NetherRealm Studios (Mortal Kombat), TT Games (LEGO), Portkey Games, and Avalanche Studios (Harry Potter), along with WB's studios in Boston, Montréal, New York, and San Francisco. It's a huge deal that Netflix expect to take around 12-18 months, but that's if it goes through. We know how long other huge acquisitions have taken. Plus regulators are more than likely to get involved. Paramount had previously attempted to purchase the studio in October, which was rejected. Images: Warner Bros. If successful, Warner Bros. shareholders will receive $27.75 a share along with stock in Netflix and the company expects to make savings of around $2-$3 billion by the third year. The deal could have a huge impact on these studios, and is yet another example of consolidation in the video game industry at a time when layoffs, game studio sales, and closures are rampant. In fact, earlier this week, reports emerged that Netflix was selling Spry Fox, developer of Cozy Grove, back to the owners. View full article

The Yakuza / Like a Dragon franchise is now officially 20 years old, and RGG Studio has produced a rather touching little video to celebrate. Said video shows the past 20 years of a man's life, as he goes from being an overwhelmed university student to a stressed out office worker. Granted, this doesn't sound very celebratory, but at each pivotal point in his life, he recalls words of wisdom from Kazuma Kiryu himself, and he finds the strength to push on. He's even got Kaz's chin scruff by the end of it. It may seem crazy to think that the series has been around for so long, but then we can't forget that it's only really caught on in the west over the last decade. It was Yakuza 0 (released in 2017 outside of Japan) that put the property on the map for many, but Kiryu's been kicking bad guys to bits since the PS2 era. Indeed, the very first Yakuza launched all the way back on the 8th December, 2005. Yakuza / Like a Dragon has come a long way since, as evidenced by the fact that three Yakuza re-releases are out today on PS5. Yakuza 0 Director's Cut, Yakuza Kiwami, and Yakuza Kiwami 2 are now available on Sony's current-gen system, while Yakuza Kiwami 3 is still locked in for a 12th February 2026 launch. How long have you been playing Yakuza / Like a Dragon games for? Did you ever think it'd become the franchise that it is today? Show us your favorite heat action in the comments section below. View full article

Although Capcom has remained tightlipped on the prospect of Leon Kennedy cropping up in the upcoming Resident Evil Requiem, a good number of fans are adamant that the veteran character will indeed appear. However, a new listing over on GameStop drops some new information regarding the Deluxe Edition of the game which, if accurate, seems to hint at a completely different playable character: Rosemary Winters (thanks, IGN). Rose Winters is, if you remember, the protagonist in the Shadows of Rose DLC for Resident Evil: Village, having previously appeared in the main game as, uh... a bunch of dismembered limbs. Look, it's a pretty wild story. The listing from GameStop specifically mentioned some cosmetic items for Rose, including the 'Morphic Visor' and 'Shadow Walker' costume pack. This is all very bizarre indeed, not least because of how old Rose would be in Requiem's story. The new game is said to take place in 2028, which would essentially make her seven or eight years old. The Shadows of Rose DLC shot the story forward to the year 2037 in which she was portrayed as a teenager. So if Rose does indeed appear as a child, would she really wear a visor of some sort? Would she wear a 'Shadow Walker' costume set? We're not so sure. Either way, the listing from GameStop is still up at the time of writing, so there seems to be at least some modicum of accuracy to it. The listing also seems to imply that the popular Mercenaries Mode will also make a return in Requiem, while two new story scenarios are also being planned for the future. View full article

It looks like Housemarque plans to open digital PS5 pre-orders for Saros in the very near future, as standard and Digital Deluxe editions of the game were rated in Taiwan earlier today. Of course, with The Game Awards set to take place later this week, it appears likely that the PS5 title will appear during the show with a new trailer and official pre-order details. It's already scheduled in for 20th March 2026, meaning that the release is only three months away now. In recent years, Digital Deluxe editions of games have moved away from the season pass model, and — Sony's special editions in particular — instead, they bundle the base game with additional outfits, weapons, and upgrade tokens. You can probably expect this one for Saros to be similar, with protagonist Arjun Devraj getting some extra costumes for the intense trek across Carcosa. For when you can likely tune in for the announcement, check out our When Is The Game Awards 2025 guide. Are you looking forward to Saros off the back of Returnal? Let us know in the comments below. View full article

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, Sony announced Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake, a timed PS5 exclusive modernisation of the classic RPG. We first heard about this project way back in September 2021, but reported difficulties with development have significantly delayed its production. Now, rumour has it that it may finally be time for the game to make a reappearance. This comes from a leaker known as Kurakasis, who says a "big Star Wars game announcement is coming very soon", later clarifying that the game's title ends with "The Old Republic": Knights of the Old Republic Remake was originally in development at Aspyr, but duties were reportedly handed over to Saber Interactive, delaying the game indefinitely. The only thing made public about the project is its CG teaser trailer, which isn't even on official channels anymore, apparently due to the music licence expiring. We've heard very little about the game over the years, but Saber Interactive insists that it's still alive and in development. It would be great to see this game come back, hopefully with more to show, and The Game Awards would be a great venue for it. It is possible that this rumour could be related to some other project within the Old Republic universe; some speculate it could be a Total War game, for example. What are your thoughts on this? Have you been waiting to see the KOTOR remake return? Tell us in the comments section below. View full article

Hideo Kojima and his team have only ever made great games, but even he is unsure about how OD, the title he's making with Xbox, will turn out. In an interview with Ananweb (via Automaton), Kojima is asked about his upcoming projects now that Death Stranding 2 is out. He says that while the latest trailer may make it look like a traditional horror game, it's actually "something completely different". He continues: "I can't say what it is yet, and I don't know if it will work. We've made games that haven't been done before, like games where you can't be found or games where you have to make deliveries, but the system is the same as other games." In the case of OD, Kojima says the developer is attempting to create "a different service format from the system", and it could be "quite challenging" to make. OD is thought to be the next project Kojima Productions will release, as Physint — which is being developed in partnership with PlayStation — is still incredibly early in development. Horror movie maker Jordan Peele is working with Kojima on the project, but it's only confirmed for Xbox Series X|S so far. Given the multi-platform moves Microsoft has made recently, however, there's a good chance OD releases for PS5 too. On Physint, Kojima jokingly says it could be made in his sleep since it's an espionage game. According to Kojima, the challenge with Physint comes from coming up with "new gimmicks" and crossing "the line between film and game". Kojima Productions is thinking of having filmmakers on board for Physint as staff, not just as part of the cast. It's so early in production, though, that the chances are we're realistically looking at a PS6 title. Do you want to play OD on PS5? Let us know in the comments below. View full article

Even though 2023's Dead Space remake was a hit both critically and commercially, publisher EA apparently has "no plans" to develop another instalment in the series. And perhaps even more revealing, there's now talk of the company selling the horror IP off, in a bid to correct the debt that'll inevitably envelop EA when its acquisition deal closes next year. This is according to anonymous sources from within the publisher, as per Insider Gaming. Said sources are "hoping" that EA will want to move Dead Space on to a new owner. Indeed, it sounds like Dead Space could be one of numerous properties to be leveraged; it's described as being put "on ice", suggesting that the publisher has no interest in continuing the franchise itself. Just to quickly recap, EA is set to be bought out by a consortium made up of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), alongside US-based investment firms Silver Lake and Affinity Partners. Recent reports have said that the PIF will own the vast majority (93.4%) of the company. The acquisition will cost the consortium a whopping $55 billion, but a huge part of that sum will be borrowed, dumping around $20 billion worth of debt on EA. In other words, there are going to be a lot of sales, closures, and layoffs throughout the company over the next few years. And so, onlookers — and EA employees — are currently weighing up the bits and pieces that its new owners could deem to be sellable assets. Again, Dead Space could be one such IP. Would you be okay with Dead Space jumping ship? Are you surprised there's no new game in the works? Stomp on some abominations in the comments section below. View full article

Just under two months since the ROG Xbox Ally first arrived, it's just received its first major discount! Xbox has officially reduced its price by $100 in the US until December 20th, although only at certain retailers. This brings the price of the standard ROG Xbox Ally down from $599 to $499 USD (or actually slightly lower in some cases) in time for Christmas, although keep in mind that supplies are limited and may not last until that Dec. 20 date. Here's a look at Xbox's marketing for this deal: A quick glance shows us that the ROG Xbox Ally is currently discounted at ASUS, Amazon, Best Buy and Walmart, but it's sold out on the Microsoft Store (and will likely disappear at Amazon soon too). The discount unfortunately doesn't apply here in the UK, where the lowest price we've found is at Harvey Norman for £479.00. In terms of whether it's worth it, we've only been hands on with the more powerful ROG Xbox Ally X version, but that system is fantastic and offers great ergonomics, cooling and access to a ridiculous number of games through the Xbox app, Steam, Epic Games Store and various other storefronts. The standard ROG Xbox Ally offers the same thing, but with reduced performance - similar to how the Xbox Series S stacks up against the more powerful Xbox Series X. Here's a look at those deals, and do let us know if you spot any other great offers beyond the US! View full article