What you need to know
- Ara: History Untold is a grand strategy game being developed by Oxide Games and published by Xbox Game Studios.
- During an episode of the Official Xbox Podcast, Oxide Games and Xbox confirmed that Ara: History Untold is slated to launch on Sep. 24, 2024.
- Ara: History Untold is coming to Windows PC via Steam and PC Game Pass at launch, with the team discussing plans for Xbox consoles at some point post-launch.
Another Xbox Game Studios game is on the way this year.
Ara: History Untold, a grand strategy game being developed by Oxide Games and published by Xbox Game Studios, now has a release date of Sep. 24, 2024, where it will be available on Windows PC across PC Game Pass and Steam. This news was shared on the Official Xbox Podcast (thanks, Xbox Wire) which is following up on a number of Xbox titles in the wake of the Xbox Games Showcase 2024.
As a grand strategy title, Ara: History Untold allows players to guide a civilization through the years, building trade, conquering new lands, and changing the ways the world might have unfolded based on key choices.
Is Ara: History Untold coming to Xbox consoles?
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Ara: History Untold is being published by Xbox Game Studios, but at launch, the game is only coming to Windows PCs, being available through Steam and PC Game Pass. The team at Oxide Games previously explained that it is focused on delivering a quality experience for PC players at launch, but the studio will be discussing plans for Xbox consoles post-launch.
Analysis: Contributing to a packed lineup
Ara: History Untold isn't a game I'd say I'm hyped for, but I'm definitely interested in checking it out. A Civilization-type experience with some big improvements to how multiplayer functions is something I'm definitely down to check out, especially if the team at Oxide Games manages to get that "just one more turn" feeling hooked into the game design.
I know some console players are disappointed this will be PC-only at launch, but this has been the case with some other titles in the past, such as Gears Tactics and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020. As a result, I'd expect that Xbox Series X|S players can probably look forward to this game getting a console port at some point in 2025.
If you'd like to learn more in the leadup to Ara: History Untold, be sure to check out this interview between the development team and my managing editor Jez Corden, who discuss a number of topics, including the technology that's gone into making this game a leap forward for the grand strategy genre.
With Age of Mythology: Retold launching at the start of September, Ara: History Untold at the end, and Avowed, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and Towerborne all scheduled to arrive before 2024 is up, the lineup of Xbox first-party games over the next few months looks absolutely solid.
