Putting the “X” in Exclusive

Microsoft is bringing its own unique roster of exciting exclusives to the Xbox One in 2016. With games like the latest entry of the Gears of War series and the time traveling epic Quantum Break, there’s a lot to look forward to on Xbox One. Join as we run down every exclusive coming to Xbox One this year. Keep checking back as we’ll update you further on more exclusives as they get announced.

Note: Some of the games listed here are also coming to Windows 10.

Gears of War 4

Gears of War will return this year with its fourth entry, taking players through a new story set directly after the events of Gears of War 3. As the first sequel in the series made by new franchise developer The Coalition alongside series veteran Rod Fergusson, it has some big shoes to fill. While not much is known about it outside of the gameplay footage we saw at Microsoft’s E3 2015 press conference, we’re looking forward to what’s in store in the coming months.

Release Date: Fall 2016

Quantum Break

Quantum Break is the latest project by Remedy Entertainment, the developers behind the first two Max Payne games and Xbox 360 exclusive Alan Wake. It’s a third-person shooter that tells the story of protagonist Jack Joyce, a man who has gained the ability to stop and manipulate time. While early footage of its time manipulation-based gameplay mechanics appears exciting, it’s most fascinating quality is how it’ll be combined with a live-action digital show. It will depict events of the story from the perspective of its antagonists, and will play periodically as you progress through the campaign.

Release Date: April 5

Halo Wars 2

This sequel to 2009’s Halo Wars–a spin-off Halo series focused on real-time strategy gameplay–came off as a huge surprise when it was first announced at Gamescom 2015. Developed by Total War studio Creative Assembly, it’s launching on Xbox One and PC later this year. Little has been shown of the game outside its announcement trailer, but Microsoft promises it will blend the massive battles and complexities of RTS games with the fast-paced action that the Halo series is known for.

Release Date: Fall 2016

Crackdown 3

Crackdown 3 turned heads when its first in-game multiplayer footage was shown at Gamescom 2015. With its dynamic physics engine that allows for fully destructible environments, the promise of wreaking havoc upon its open world is an alluring concept that we can’t wait to try out. It’s worth noting that the environmental destruction is restricted to the game’s multiplayer component only, which is set to release in some form this summer. Details over whether it will be a beta or something else remain unclear. The full game is expected to launch sometime this year.

Release Date: TBA 2016

Cuphead

Cuphead merges classic 1930’s cartoon visuals with run-and-gun shooting mechanics in what looks to be one of the most surreal, over-the-top 2D action games coming out this year. It follows the adventures of its titular hero as he works to defeat countless boss creatures in order to repay a bet he made with none other than the devil himself.

Release Date: TBA 2016

ReCore

ReCore is the new project from Comcept, the studio run by veteran designer Keiji Inafune (Mega Man, Dead Rising). First revealed at E3 2015, the game stars a girl with a glowing blue orb that can posses robotic creatures. It was initially slated for a Spring release, but was recently delayed to Q4.

Release Date: Q4 2016

Sea of Thieves

The latest project by iconic development studio Rare is called Sea of Thieves, a pirate-themed multiplayer adventure. It aims to create a vast shared world where players can embark on epic adventures of piracy across the open seas. Announced during the Microsoft press conference at E3 2015, the game will be Rare’s first new IP in nearly eight years.

Release Date: TBA 2016

Killer Instinct: Season 3

Xbox One fighting game Killer Instinct returns for yet another round of additional content this year, giving players access to even more playable characters as well as added system tweaks and balances. It’s worth noting that Season 3’s launch in March will also mark the game’s debut on Window’s 10 PCs.

Release Date: March

Gigantic

Gigantic is a free-to-play MOBA-inspired third-person competitive shooter focusing on two teams of heroes that each fight alongside an enormous guardian. The game was initially scheduled to release late Fall 2015, but its release date was pushed to later this year so the development team could accommodate player feedback from its beta.

Release Date: TBA 2016

Tacoma

Gone Home developer Fullbright’s latest project–titled Tacoma–throws players into a new adventure taking place in an abandoned space station located 200,000 miles away from Earth. It puts you in control of protagonist Amy Ferrier as she explores the lonely station gathering details about its former inhabitants via interactive audio logs.

Release Date: TBA 2016

Cobalt

Mojang isn’t just releasing more versions of Minecraft this year. Rather, they’re publishing Cobalt, a new 2D shooter developed by indie studio Oxeye Game Studio. It features intense, fast-paced cooperative and competitive action focused on small cyborgs that must investigate the disappearance of a human colony on a mysterious alien world. The game first entered its alpha stages back in 2011.

Release Date: February 2

Oxenfree

Oxenfree is a supernatural adventure game created by Night School Studio, a development team composed of ex-Disney and ex-Telltale Games staff. It revolves around a young teenager named Alex and her friends partying on an island near their hometown. But when a chance encounter has them accidentally awaken a mysterious paranormal creature, she and her group must figure out how to exorcise it in order to save themselves.

Release Date: January 15

We Happy Few

We Happy Few is a surreal first person survival game that takes place in a dystopian version of 1960s England. You play as a “Downer,” someone that refuses to take a drug–known as Joy–that the government forces its citizens to take to control them. Gameplay has you navigating through procedurally generated areas as you evade hostile citizens and government officials that seek to forcibly inject you with Joy.

Release Date: June

Superhot

Superhot is a minimalistic first person shooter that uses a unique mechanic that slows down time when you stand still. While it sounds rudimentary, the mechanic is fairly complex and strategic, requiring you to constantly slow down time to gain better situational awareness. The game was originally released as a browser game in 2013, but its developer soon expanded it into a full release.

Release Date: Q1