Next Week on Xbox (Jan 26–30): Highguard, Code Vein II, Front Mission 3 Remake, and a Quieter but Wilder Lineup

Next Week on Xbox is closing out January with a quieter but more eclectic slate than last week’s stacked lineup, trading big-name headliners like 2XKO and Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade for a mix of indies, remakes, and one very eye‑catching free‑to‑play shooter in Highguard. Where January 19–23 leaned into fighting games, prestige RPGs, and multiple Game Pass drops, January 26–30 looks more like a sampler platter of niche genres, experimental ideas, and a couple of “circle the date” releases in Code Vein II and Front Mission 3: Remake.

From 2XKO and FF7R to Highguard and Code Vein II

Last week’s Next Week on Xbox post for January 19–23 was built around a pair of marquee releases: Riot’s tag‑based fighter 2XKO and long‑awaited port Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, with Pathologic 3 and Mio: Memories in Orbit adding serious core‑gamer weight. That lineup had a clear “event week” feel, combining a huge free‑to‑play launch, a fan‑favorite RPG finally hitting Xbox, and multiple high‑profile indies landing on Game Pass.

By comparison, January 26–30 spreads its appeal across more, smaller‑scale titles, anchored by three standouts: Highguard, Code Vein II, and Front Mission 3: Remake. It is still a busy release window, but the energy shifts from “you absolutely know these games already” to “you probably have not heard of half of these, but at least a few will hook you.”

• Last week’s standouts:

  • 2XKO, a free‑to‑play 2v2 fighter from the League of Legends and Valorant team.

  • Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, bringing the modern FF7 remake and Yuffie’s episode to Xbox Series X|S with Xbox Play Anywhere support.

• This week’s standouts:

  • Highguard, a free‑to‑play PvP raid shooter from ex‑Titanfall and Apex developers launching January 26.

  • Code Vein II, Bandai Namco’s time‑twisting action RPG sequel arriving January 30 on Xbox Series X|S. (Pre-order | Deluxe Edition Pre-order | Ultimate Edition Pre-order)

  • Front Mission 3: Remake, a modernized tactical RPG classic hitting Xbox on January 30.

In other words, last week was about finally getting big‑name games on Xbox, whereas this week is about new IP, sequels, and revivals that could quietly become 2026’s cult favorites.

Spotlight: Highguard, Code Vein II, and Front Mission 3 Remake

Highguard is arguably this week’s biggest wildcard and the closest analogue to last week’s 2XKO moment. Developed by Wildlight Studio, a new team formed by veterans of Titanfall, Apex Legends, and Call of Duty, it is a free‑to‑play PvP “raid shooter” where Warden crews ride, fight, and raid across a mythical continent to seize the Shieldbreaker and crack enemy bases. Launching January 26 with cross‑play and cross‑progression on Xbox Series X|S, PC, and PS5, Highguard gives Xbox players a fresh live‑service shooter to watch right as the year starts. Please note that the download link for Highguard is not available, but this article will be updated

Code Vein II, hitting Xbox Series X|S on January 30, takes the cult 2019 “anime soulslike” and pushes deeper into time‑bending storytelling and partner‑focused combat. Set in a future where humans and Revenants coexist and a phenomenon called Luna Rapacis has turned many Revenants into Horrors, you play a Revenant hunter traveling to the past alongside Lou, a girl who can manipulate time. Bandai Namco is emphasizing an expanded Partner System, richer combat options, and a new standalone story rather than a simple retread of the original’s world.

For strategy fans, Front Mission 3: Remake arrives January 30 on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and other platforms at a $34.99 digital price point, after debuting on Nintendo Switch in mid‑2025. The remake preserves the dual storylines of the classic PS1 tactical RPG while modernizing visuals, animations, and music and adding features like quick combat and expanded Wanzer customization. That gives this week a strong anchor for players who might have bounced off last week’s more action‑heavy slate.

The Deep Bench: Indies, Puzzlers, and Oddities

Beyond the headliners, January 26–30 is packed with smaller titles that help fill gaps left by last week’s focus on fighters and blockbuster RPGs.

• Drop Duchy – Complete Edition (January 28)
  A Game Pass, Xbox Series X|S‑optimized, Xbox Play Anywhere release that twists classic falling‑block puzzle gameplay into a realm‑building roguelite with deckbuilding elements, where optimizing piece placement fuels your castle, army, and resources across repeated runs.
  
• Our Adventurer Guild (January 27)
  A management sim where you take over a declining Adventurer Guild, juggle quests, party composition, relationships, and turn‑based tactical battles as you try to restore its reputation.
  
• Rightfully, Beary Arms (January 27)
  A cute‑looking but punishing bullet‑hell roguelite where you augment weapons, tweak mechanics to your benefit or risk, and repeatedly die your way into stronger builds.
  
• Speedball (January 27)
  A new entry in the classic Bitmap Brothers series, delivering top‑down arena sports mixed with violence, optimized for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Play Anywhere, and handheld play.
  
• Heroes Battle Awakening (January 28)
  The former brings tower defense tactics to King Arthur’s realm, with story and Endless modes plus troop training and unit unlocks.
  
• Neon Vault Rush (January 28)
  Neon Vault Rush is a neon cyberpunk parkour racer built around speedrunning, wall runs, and precision platforming in synthwave‑drenched circuits.
  
• Stable Stories – Forest and Meadow Ride (January 28)
  Stable Stories – Forest and Meadow Ride targets younger players and families with a cartoony open‑world horse‑riding adventure where you rebuild a farm, explore, and even unlock a unicorn.
  
• Celestial Ascend (January 29)
  Celestial Ascend offers meditative platforming and exploration in a dreamlike, gravity‑shifting sky world about loss, resolve, and a second chance for humanity.
• Countless Army (January 29)
  Countless Army flips tower defense by making you the villain spawning waves of troops to overwhelm defenses.
  
• Gas Ratio (January 29)
  Gas Ratio channels retro top‑down racing with a survival twist and pixel‑art tracks.
  
• I Hate This Place (January 29)
  I Hate This Place is an isometric craft‑driven survival horror game about enduring a cursed land filled with monsters and reality‑bending threats.
  
• Majotori (January 29)
  Majotori blends interactive narrative with trivia, letting a witch grant wishes if you win quizzes—or twist outcomes if you fail.
  
• Sudoku Champions (January 29)
  Sudoku Champions offers a feature‑rich Sudoku package with multiple color themes and Xbox Play Anywhere support.
  
• American Theft 80s (January 30)
  American Theft 80s, from the creators of Thief Simulator, is an 80s‑set open‑world theft sandbox where you rob everything from homes to museums.
  
• Fred & Jeff: The Atomic Sulfate (January 30)
  Fred & Jeff: The Atomic Sulfate is a point‑and‑click quest to recover a stolen experimental spray that turns insects into giants.
  
• Heavy Duty (January 30)
  Heavy Duty is a “hard‑jobs” vehicle sim about hauling impossible cargo through mountains, seas, and construction sites, with a focus on physics, teamwork, and persistence.
  
• Lara Returns to the Castle (January 30)
  Lara Returns to the Castle is a charming platformer about Princess Lara fighting through traps and collecting magical flowers to unlock portals back to her home.
  
• Running Fable Petite Party (January 30)
  Running Fable Petite Party reimagines the Running Fable universe as a chaotic tabletop party game with 16 competitive mini‑games and “anything goes” board play.
  

Last week had its own quirky deep cuts—Hextreme Void’s brick‑breaking twist, prison‑break sim Prison Escape Simulator, the Bed‑Time‑Vania Desvelado, and meta‑titled I’m in Love With Your Dead Grandmother—but many of them felt like side stories to 2XKO and FF7R Intergrade. This week’s slate, without a single dominant IP, gives those smaller projects more room to breathe.

What This Means for Xbox Players (and Coverage)

Taken together, the back‑to‑back Next Week on Xbox posts show Microsoft kicking off 2026 with a deliberate one‑two punch: deliver a headline‑driven week to energize the broader fanbase, then follow it with a variety‑heavy week that caters to niches and discovery‑driven players.

If you already circled last week for can’t‑miss blockbusters, Next week on Xbox, January 26–30 is the week to widen your backlog with Highguard’s live‑service PvP, Code Vein II’s anime‑soulslike depth, and the tactical comfort food of Front Mission 3: Remake, plus a long list of indies and family‑friendly experiments that are far easier to discover when no single IP is sucking all the oxygen out of the room.

Xbox Series X|S optimization and Xbox Play Anywhere support remain consistent priorities across the lineups, showing up in everything from FF7 Remake Intergrade and Mio last week to Drop Duchy, Speedball, Neon Vault Rush, Stable Stories, Sudoku Champions, and more this week.

Related Posts You Might Like

• Big Xbox Developer_Direct 2026 recap: Fable, Forza Horizon 6, Beast of Reincarnation, and Double Fine’s surprise Kiln dated for 2026
• Next Week on Xbox (Jan 26–30): Highguard, Code Vein II, Front Mission 3 Remake, and a Quieter but Wilder Lineup
• Highguard Lands on Xbox January 26: Titanfall Veterans Launch a Bold New Free‑to‑Play PvP Raid Shooter
• Code Vein II Brings a Richer “Anime Soulslike” Experience to Xbox Series X|S on January 29
• Front Mission 3: Remake Brings a Reliable Mech Tactics Classic to Xbox on January 30