Xbox’s 25th anniversary announcements include 25 original Xbox games in its PC backward compatibility catalog and a free winter update that will bring cooperative survival mode Firefight to Halo: Campaign Evolved.
In its anniversary recap, Xbox also announced a new mode for DOOM: The Dark Ages and commemorative liveries for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. The additions have different access conditions: the DOOM mode is included for owners of specific editions or a DLC.
Original Xbox games arrive in the PC catalog
The games Xbox names among its original-console titles on PC include Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. Their inclusion gives PC players another way to revisit games associated with the first Xbox generation.
Xbox has also added achievements to selected original Xbox games, including Knights of the Old Republic. That addition applies to a selection of games, so players should not assume every title in the catalog has received achievements.
Firefight comes to Halo, while DOOM gets Slaughter
Firefight will bring cooperative survival to Halo: Campaign Evolved as part of a free winter update.
For DOOM: The Dark Ages, Xbox has announced Slaughter for November 16. The mode features rounds of increasing difficulty, with randomized enemies, bosses and arenas. Xbox says rewards accumulate as players progress.
Slaughter comes at no additional cost to owners of the Revelations DLC, the Premium Edition or the Premium Upgrade. Its announced access conditions are therefore different from those of Halo’s free update.
Fable, Flight Simulator and Xbox Playback
Xbox says it showed a Fable quest sequence with magical combat against cursed creatures, along with new hints about the story.
In Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, owners automatically receive four commemorative liveries. They are available in the livery menus for the Boeing 737 MAX, XCub, Hot Air Balloon and Skyship 600, giving players a choice of aircraft on which to display them.
Xbox Playback offers a different kind of anniversary retrospective. It lets players look back at parts of their Xbox history, including their first game, total playtime and most-played title.
For players interested in the new modes, the immediate distinction is access: Firefight is part of a free Halo update, while Slaughter is tied to the listed DOOM purchases. The original Xbox catalog and its selected achievements offer a separate reason for PC players to revisit older games.
See also the 25 ans game page.
