Gaming Influence: Thoughts - Xbox Partner Preview | March 2026

Hello everyone,

Welcome to Gaming Influence, a reboot of the same name I created in WrestleCorp. However, I will not only be giving my thoughts on certain video games and video game series but also on video game movies, video game anime, video game digital presentations, etc.

For this edition of Gaming Influence, I'll share my thoughts on the Xbox Partner Preview on March 26, 2026.

Before I begin, please note that not every game shown in this presentation will be discussed, as I will primarily focus on games that I am particularly interested in and care about. If the games you care about and are interested in don't show up here, don't take it personally. I have nothing against the games, but they're just not for me, or I don't have much to say about them except that they're cool. However, if you're happy with the games that you care about and are interested in, I have nothing to say about it; good for you, and I'm so glad for you.

Anyway, let's get started!

For those who are wondering, what is the Xbox Partner Preview? It's basically a video game presentation from Xbox that will showcase which third-party games will be coming to their system. In this presentation, they will showcase third-party games that'll be coming to Xbox later this year and beyond.

Anyway, let's get to it!

Hunter: The Reckoning - Deathwish is a first-person action game developed by Teyon and published by Nacon. The game is set to be released on Xbox Series X, PC, and PS5 in Summer 2027.

Oh wow, we didn't have a Hunter: The Reckoning game in a long time, but cool to see this here, as it looks to be pretty good from what we've seen from this trailer. It seems to have an intriguing story, and the gameplay looks to be fun as well. We'll see how the game turns out overall once it's released next year.

Wuthering Waves is a free-to-play open-world gacha action role-playing game developed and published by Kuro Games, which will be released on Xbox Series X and PC in July 2026.

Nice to see that this game is coming to Xbox, as it's already on PS5, so the more people who can play the game, the better. It's also coming a lot sooner than expected to Xbox as well, which is a great thing. Curious to see how this game will do on Xbox once it's released in four months.

The Expanse: Osiris Reborn is an action role-playing game developed and published by Owlcat Games and Alcon Interactive Group. The game is set to be released on Xbox Series X and PC in Spring 2027.

This looks to be a fun sci-fi game in terms of exploration and gameplay mechanics. The gameplay seems to have that Bethesda game type feel to it, which isn't a bad thing. Very curious to see how this game will turn out overall once it's released next year.

Grave Seasons is a narrative-led farming simulation game developed by Perfect Garbage and published by Blumhouse Games. The game is set to be released on Xbox Series X, PC, PS5, and Switch on August 14, 2026.

I remember the first time they showcased this game back at Summer Game Fest a few years ago, it caught my interest as I like the pixel art style of it. Not only that, but it's also a farming simulator with an interesting story that seems horrifying, so I'm curious to see how the game will turn out overall. Looking forward to playing this game once it's released in five months. 

STRANGER THAN HEAVEN is an action-adventure game developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and published by Sega. The game is set to be released on Xbox Series X, PC, and PS5 in the future.

This game was one of my favorite announcements back at the Game Awards in 2024, so great to see more of this game as it continues to look amazing. I mean, this game is similar to Yakuza/Like a Dragon, taking place in the early to mid-20th century, which I'm down for. The fact that this game has its own presentation in two months is awesome too. Can't wait to see more of this game as it'll be released down the line.

Super Meat Boy 3D is a platformer developed by Team Meat and Sluggerfly and published by Headup Games. The game is set to be released on Xbox Series X, PC, PS5, and Switch 2 on March 31, 2026.

We've been seeing this game for quite a while, but now, we finally got a release date for the game as it's coming out a lot sooner than expected. This looks to be frustrating, knowing the Meat Boy games, but it should be fun regardless, despite the challenges. Curious to see how the game will turn out overall once it's released next week.

Forever Ago is an adventure game developed by Third Shift and published by Annapurna Interactive. The game is set to be released on Xbox Series X, PC, PS5, and Switch 2 in Fall 2026.

It's been a long time since we've seen anything from this game, but we finally got a release date for this game, which is great to see. The first time this game was shown, it looked to have an interesting art style, and it also has an interesting story following behind it as well. Very curious to see how the game will turn out overall once it's released later this fall.

Ascend to ZERO is an action roguelike game developed and published by Flyway Games Inc. The game will be released on Xbox Series X and PC on July 13, 2026.

This looks to be a very fun action roguelike with its unique art style, which I can totally get behind. The combat looks to be a lot of fun and smooth in terms of speed and pacing. I'm very curious to see more of this game and looking forward to seeing the final product once it's released in four months.

Dispatch is an episodic adventure game developed and published by Adhoc Studio, where the game is set to be released on Xbox Series X and PC in Summer 2026.

Very good to see that Dispatch will be coming to Xbox, even though I was very surprised that it hasn't come to Xbox already. Regardless, this is one of the better episodic adventure games out there, so I'm glad that more people will be able to play it. We'll see how the game does on Xbox this summer.

Alien Deathstorm is an action-adventure game developed and published by Rebellion Developments, where the game is set to be released on Xbox Series X, PC, and PS5 in 2027.

This looks to be a very interesting game with not enough gameplay, which is definitely a shame. Granted, there'll be a deep dive about the game in the future, but I kind of wish the show more. We'll see what this game is all about and hope to see more of it once it comes out next year.

Frog Sqwad is a cooperative platformer developed and published by Panic Stations, which will be released on Xbox Series X and PC in June 2026.

This looks to be a fun platformer involving friends as it's co-op, which should create a chaotic yet fun experience. I also enjoyed the art style as well as its wacky but has a certain charm to it at the same time. Very curious to see how the game will turn out overall once it's released in three months.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Cost of Hope is a major non-linear expansion for the first-person shooter survival horror game developed and published by GSC Game World, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl. The expansion is set to be released on Xbox Series X, PC, and PS5 in Summer 2026. 

Nice to see that the game will be getting an expansion, which seems to have an interesting story tied to it. The expansion looks to expand the world of S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2: Heart of Chornobyl, which isn't a bad thing at all. Very curious to see how this expansion will turn out once it's released this summer.

MOOSA: Dirty Fate is a dark action role-playing game developed and published by IGGYMOB, where the game is set to be released on Xbox Series X, PC, and PS5 in 2027.

This was one of the more interesting games that was showcased in this presentation, as this game has a lot of potential. The combat looks to be very smooth, and it seems to have an interesting story as well. Very curious to see how this game will turn out and hope to see more of it soon once it's released next year.

The Eternal Life of Goldman is an adventure platformer developed by Weappy Studio and published by THQ Nordic. The game is set to be released on Xbox Series X, PC, PS5, and Switch in 2026.

We've seen this game in past presentations, but great to see it again, as this game continues to have a lot of potential. The art style for this game still looks incredible, and the boss designs for this game look amazing. This looks to be one of those challenging platformers, but I'm here for it as I'm curious to see how the final product will be once it's released this year.

Vaunted is a tactical role-playing game developed by Lost Lake Games and published by Hooded Horse. The game is set to be released on PC in 2026.

This seems to be an interesting strategy game with a unique art style. The game looks to have a lot of customization, and I'm very curious to see how this game will turn out overall. I guess we'll find out once the game is released this year.

Hades II is a roguelike action role-playing game developed and published by Supergiant Games, which is set to be released on Xbox Series X, PC, and PS5 on April 14, 2026.

Nice to see that this game will be coming out on other consoles very soon, as it's definitely one of the best indie games from last year. If you're into roguelike action games, this is the game for you. Curious to see how this game will do on Xbox once it's released in a few weeks.

Artificial Detective is an action-adventure game developed and published by VIVIX Inc., which the game will be released on Xbox Series X, PC, and PS5 in 2027.

This looks to be a very interesting game where you get to play as a robot who is a detective while beating down other robots. The story seems quite interesting, and the combat looks to be a lot of fun as well. Very curious to see how this game will turn out once it's released next year.

Overall, this was a decent presentation from Xbox. Even though there were some nice surprises and good trailers for these games, there was nothing that screamed big here, which definitely felt underwhelming for sure. However, I did like how there are a lot of indie games coming to Xbox, and seeing more of STANGER THAN HEAVEN is always a treat for me. We'll see how Xbox will do throughout the rest of the year, as well as next year.

You can catch the whole presentation of the Xbox Partner Preview yourself with the link below:

What are your thoughts on the Xbox Partner Preview?

What were your highlights, and what games do you really want?

Let me know in the comments below, and thank you for reading.