At Double Fine Productions, an idea that emerged almost a decade ago during an internal game jam became Kiln, a pottery party brawler. (Say that fast five times!) To better understand the craft behind the concept, members of the team got hands-on experience with in-person classes. They learned techniques and gained an appreciation for the complexity of working with clay before translating those lessons into a game infused with cathartic creation and destruction. The result blends hands‑on creativity with social play, shaped by a studio culture that encourages experimentation, kindness, collaboration and respect. It's available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, Xbox Cloud, PlayStation 5, Steam and with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. It will be an Xbox Play Anywhere title, and arrive Handheld Optimized. Find out more about Double Fine and Kiln on Source. Head over to Xbox Wire to get a roadmap to the game and to read their launch day tips.

In Diablo IV, the Skill Tree system gives players the ability to pick a skill and choose an upgrade to get stronger. Now, that tree has evolved to support more player choices. These new branches don’t just make skills stronger – they make them different. “If you’re newer to Diablo IV, the system is more approachable than it looks. Click a node, try it out, and see how it grows. For the more veteran adventurers, theorycrafting just got deeper,” writes Blizzard’s Chelsea Leah. Find out more about this at Xbox Wire.

Fans of the Metro series from 4A Games can check out a recap of a recent broadcast from Xbox First Look on the latest title in that storyline: Metro 2039, due to be released this winter. “Like the previous games in the series, it will be a story-driven, single-player campaign, crafted with skill and passion by a global team founded and still majority-based in Ukraine,” writes Xbox Wire’s Will Fulton. In Metro 2039, you’ll step into the character of “The Stranger” and return to a post-apocalyptic Moscow overrun by a fascist regime. This will be the series’ first fully voiced lead protagonist. Head over to Xbox Wire to find out more about the game, its story and its creators.