Xbox Marks 25 Years with Fable Gameplay and Wolfenstein 3
Microsoft marked the 25th anniversary of the original Xbox on November 13, 2026, with a set of announcements published on Xbox Wire.
3 sources 22m ago
Reporting from 3 sources: GAME Watch (Impress), Denfaminicogamer, Game Spark.
Why it matters
The anniversary slate is mostly catalog and service work, but the Wolfenstein 3 confirmation is the one item that commits a studio to a new numbered entry, and it arrived through a CEO post rather than a showcase.
Key Facts
- Microsoft published its Xbox 25th anniversary announcements on November 13, 2026, on Xbox Wire.
- Xbox CEO Asha Sharma announced that Wolfenstein 3 is in production at MachineGames.
- MachineGames released a script page labeled "Chapter 1 - Natztraz" that names B.J. Blazkowicz and Fergus.
- The anniversary slate included new Fable gameplay footage and a free winter Firefight update for Halo: Campaign Evolved.
- 25 original Xbox games are now available on PC with achievements for the first time.
CEO Asha Sharma posted a piece titled "25 Years of Xbox" that looks back at the platform's history, and the same day brought new gameplay footage of Fable. The anniversary slate also included details of a free winter update for Halo: Campaign Evolved called Firefight, a Slaughter Mode for DOOM: The Dark Ages, word that id Software is working on its next game, 25 original Xbox games made available on PC with achievements for the first time, and new personalization options for the Home, Library and Guide on console. Separately, Sharma announced on X that Wolfenstein 3 is in production at MachineGames, and the studio confirmed the project on its own account with an image of a script page and motion capture photos.
MachineGames posted its own confirmation on November 13 with the line "His name is already known," alongside a script page headed "Chapter 1 - Natztraz." The script names series protagonist B.J. Blazkowicz and a character called Fergus, and the motion capture photos show Brian Bloom, who plays B.J., and Debra Wilson.
Wolfenstein 3 is the first numbered entry since Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus in 2017. MachineGames has handled the series since 2014's The New Order, followed by the prequel The Old Blood in 2015, the VR spin-off Cyberpilot and the co-op title Youngblood in 2019, and most recently Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Studio director Jerk Gustafsson told GamesIndustry.biz in February 2026 that he "wanted to complete the trilogy," adding at the time that it was "not finished yet." Release date details are undecided.
The anniversary posts on Xbox Wire ran under these headings:
- Xbox Playback: 25 years of play history
- Halo: Campaign Evolved Firefight in free winter update
- New Fable gameplay revealed
- DOOM: The Dark Ages' Slaughter Mode and id Software working on its next game
- 25 original Xbox games now available on PC, plus achievements for the first time
- More ways to personalize your Home, Library and Guide on console
Written with AI by Yomimono from the 3 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited. See our editorial policy.
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Sources
- GAME Watch (Impress) 「ウルフェンシュタイン」久々の新作「Wolfenstein 3」制作スタートが告知
- Denfaminicogamer 現代FPSの始祖『Wolfenstein』シリーズ最新作『Wolfenstein 3』の開発が発表。台本には「B.J.」の名前も
- Game Spark 名作FPSシリーズ最新作『Wolfenstein 3』が正式に制作段階へ！XBOX CEOと開発元のMachineGamesが明言。BJ続投か