Xbox Network kicks off by testing free game access


Looking for the latest daily news for Xbox? We've got you covered.

Below, we're covering Xbox Series X stock updates, upcoming releases and game announcements, and upcoming changes to core Xbox services.

Xbox Stock Updates

There are a few places you can get an Xbox Series X if you're still looking for one.

GAME UK has a series of Xbox Series X bundles going live on March 26th on their site here. They vary in price, including additional controllers and games. Be sure to check which one you're after before they go live!

READ MORE: Xbox & Bethesda Finally Close Their Muli-Billion Dollar Deal

However, a lot of retailers seem to be currently out of Xbox Series X stock.

Xbox Series X Daily News
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WHAT WE WANT - Have you had any luck getting an Xbox Series X yet?

Smyths is currently out of stock, but there is a note that states they expect more in March 2021. With us being on March 25th, this leaves only about a week left. So, we could potentially see more stock on Monday.

Argos, Amazon, and Very are all currently Out of Stock but expecting more units soon. Rumours are these could all be as early as next week.

You should have better luck getting an Xbox Series S from all of these retailers, though. They are more likely to be in stock.

Xbox Live Rebrand

In the last couple of days, you might have seen the phrase "Xbox Network" popping up on social media platforms more and more.

Well, that's because Xbox Live is officially being rebranded as Xbox Network!

READ MORE: Xbox Free Games April 2021: What's Coming To Xbox?

This isn't going to change the way Xbox Live (Network) will operate, but reportedly this update to the terminology is "intended to distinguish the underlying service from Xbox Live Gold memberships".

There was talk about this name change for a little while now, but it's finally here and we're frankly not sure what to think. It doesn't seem to have changed anything for now, so it won't really affect many people but it'll be interesting to see how Xbox Network evolves after over 18 years as Xbox Live.

Testing Free to Play Games

In addition to this Xbox Live rebrand, Xbox has finally started testing free access to Free to Play titles on Xbox.

For a while now, Free to Play games like Fortnite and Warzone have been truly free to play, no matter what platform you're on. Well, that was except Xbox.

READ MORE: Xbox Game Pass Adds EA Play To Service

For some reason, you've needed Xbox Live Gold to play anything labelled as "Free to Play" online all this time. We can't imagine it is hugely impactful to a lot of you, but it is a little unusual

Now, though, Xbox is testing removing this feature. There's no word as to when these changes will go live for the general public but it is still promising news for Xbox owners.

Upcoming Releases & Game News

Following this, we have all the latest Xbox Game News and information on any upcoming releases you might have missed.

Upcoming Releases

  • It Takes Two - March 26th
  • Outriders (Free on Game Pass) - April 1st
  • Judgement - April 21st
  • MOTOGP 21 - April 22nd
  • Nier Replicant Ver.1.2247... - April 23rd

Xbox Series X|S Optimisation

There are a few titles that have recently received next-gen optimisation, according to Xbox Wire.

Tennis World Tour 2, Hunting Simulator 2, and Monster Truck Championship are the latest titles that have been added to the growing library of optimised games.

READ MORE: First Look At New Xbox Wireless Headset

Watch Dogs: Legion

Ubisoft's popular hacker-shooter title is going to be free to play on both Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S for a few days this weekend.

This comes just after the long-awaited online mode launched for the game, so it's the perfect time to try it out!

Knight Squad 2

The hotly anticipated Knight Squad 2 has just revealed its' release date via Xbox Wire.

This medieval party game is the perfect couch co-op experience and offers a great amount of online play. It's due to release on April 14th.

On top of all this, FUT Birthday is due to start on March 26th. You can check out the latest on the new card design below.

Black Ops Cold War Season 2 Reloaded also looks to be starting on April 1st, instead of today, after a distinct lack of news from Treyarch on what content is on the way.

For more articles like this, take a look at our Xbox page.