Originally published on ColdCaseTech.
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Then vs. Now (Open case, no verdict yet, due November 16): Then: Xbox announced on its 25th anniversary that Slaughter Mode comes to DOOM: The Dark Ages on November 16 at no additional cost to owners of the Revelations DLC, the Premium Edition or the Premium Upgrade. Now: Xbox lists Slaughter Mode as coming on November 16, and its Candy Crush Saga Game On! Season, which runs through December 6, 2026, is already out.
Xbox announced at the close of its eight-city FanFest tour in Seattle that Slaughter Mode arrives in DOOM: The Dark Ages on November 16 (Xbox (Microsoft)). The mode is available at no additional cost to anyone who owns the Revelations DLC, the Premium Edition, or the Premium Upgrade (Xbox (Microsoft)). The announcement was part of a recap marking 25 years of XBOX, which also listed several in-game items with their own dates (Xbox (Microsoft)).
Promised vs. Status Now
| Item | Promised | Status now | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| DOOM: The Dark Ages Slaughter Mode | Arrives November 16 | Announced, not yet released | Xbox (Microsoft) |
| Gears of War: E-Day anniversary weapon skin set | Free in the in-game shop until it rotates Tuesday, November 17 | Announced | Xbox (Microsoft) |
| Minecraft OG Green Character Creator item | Free to claim from November 10 to December 10 | Claim window open per the announcement | Xbox (Microsoft) |
| Candy Crush Saga Game On! Season | Runs through December 6, 2026 | Out now | Xbox (Microsoft) |
Timeline
- 2026-11-10: The Minecraft claim window for the OG Green Character Creator item opens at 10 AM PT (Xbox (Microsoft)).
- Season is out now in Candy Crush Saga (Xbox (Microsoft)).
- 2026-11-13: Xbox publishes its recap of everything announced at the Seattle FanFest (Xbox (Microsoft)).
- 2026-11-16: Slaughter Mode is scheduled to arrive in DOOM: The Dark Ages (Xbox (Microsoft)).
- 2026-11-17: The Gears of War: E-Day shop rotates, moving the anniversary weapon skin set to the player barracks (Xbox (Microsoft)).
- Season is scheduled to end (Xbox (Microsoft)).
- 2026-12-10: The Minecraft claim window closes at 10 AM PT (Xbox (Microsoft)).
Details (as Reported)
Xbox described Slaughter Mode as escalating rounds of randomized enemies, bosses and arenas, with rewards that stack and grow the more a player plays (Xbox (Microsoft)). Once the Gears of War: E-Day shop rotates on November 17, the weapon skin set can be acquired with the free-to-earn currency called Coins or bought with premium currency (Xbox (Microsoft)).
The Minecraft item requires Minecraft: Bedrock Edition, which is sold separately, and allows one item per person or account, redeemable by December 10, 2026 at 10 AM PT (Xbox (Microsoft)). The recap also listed a Forza Horizon 6 livery, a Halo: Campaign Evolved armor style, a Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 livery set and a Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 blueprint for digital pre-orders on XBOX Series X|S (Xbox (Microsoft)).
In Candy Crush Saga, players earn pins as they progress through levels, with characters and moments from Halo, Fallout, Sea of Thieves, Forza, DOOM, Banjo-Kazooie, Crash Bandicoot and Spyro (Xbox (Microsoft)). The season is available on iOS and Android, and VIP players in the US can enter a contest at candycrush.com for one of 1,000 limited-edition physical pin packs (Xbox (Microsoft)).
Xbox also announced a free Winter Update bringing Firefight to Halo: Campaign Evolved and said 25 original XBOX games are now on PC through XBOX Backward Compatibility (Xbox (Microsoft)).
Gear for the games in this story. SteelSeries makes the Arctis headsets, plus gaming mice and keyboards for PC and consoles. See SteelSeries gear (affiliate link)
What Is Not Yet Confirmed
- XBOX CEO Asha Sharma confirmed that id Software's next project is in development, and the recap gives no further detail (Xbox (Microsoft)).
- Wolfenstein 3 is officially in production at MachineGames, and the recap gives no release date (Xbox (Microsoft)).
- Xbox plans to break down the new Fable gameplay on the Official XBOX Podcast the day after the announcement (Xbox (Microsoft)).
Sources
Tools related to this case
- Routing optimizer for unstable or high-latency connections: GearUP
- Fast, pocket-sized storage for laptops, consoles and phones: Portable SSDs
- Keeps your router and PC running through short power cuts: UPS battery backups
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