Hello again, Xbox Insiders!  Whenever we announce a System Update Preview with new features, one of the more common questions we see is “When will [this feature] be available for Preview?” We know you’re excited to try out everything an update has to offer, but in some situations we announce an upcoming feature for Preview that won’t necessarily be in the very first build we release. This is especially true for our Alpha members, who get the updates earlier than other members of the Xbox Insider Program. Another thing to keep in mind when reviewing early System Update Preview Announcements is that there are also instances when a feature is only released to a specific Preview group for testing, and sometimes doesn’t leave a particular ring when the update is released to the public.

So, how can you be sure a feature is actually available for testing when we release an update? The best way to know what features are immediately available in a particular build is by checking the Xbox Insider Hub app. We put all of the latest Preview update information directly in the app so you can see what’s new in each build, along with information about fixes we’ve made and even known issues with a specific Preview update.  You can also find that information here on the Xbox Insider Blog, as well as the Preview Announcements section of the Xbox Forums.

So what should you do if you don’t see a particular feature that you believe should be available to your current Preview ring? Let us know by reporting it through the “Report a Problem” tool on your console. When you do submit feedback, make sure to include what specific feature you are expecting to see in your description. These brief details really help us narrow down what might be going on.

We continue to look forward to your input on upcoming features and updates and want to thank you again for all your valuable feedback!

-Jon

Nintendo has waved goodbye to one of its most influential – and longest serving – voices with the news that producer and developer Takehiro Izushi has officially retired at the age of 65. 

The legendary figurehead joined Nintendo in 1975, where he was involved in the mechanical design of the Beam Gun Custom, a series of wooden, beam-rifle toys. He went on to play an influential role on the Game & Watch line, including programming Donkey Kong for the Multi Screen series in 1982.

He continued to make a significant impact in both Nintendo’s hardware and software development, working on Game Boy Colour in the mid to late ’90s and several Pokémon titles. He’s worked on plenty of entries in the Fire Emblem series (including Fire Emblem: Thracia 776 on Super Famicom and The Binding Blade/The Blazing Blade for Game Boy Advance), and even worked on Star Wars Episode I: Racer. Izushi-san stepped away from development in 2014 to serve on the General Affairs team. It’s staggering to think the man spent 43 years helping shape many of Nintendo’s most important consoles and games.

Let us know what you make of the news of Izushi-san’s departure.It’s sad news to hear, but incredible to know how storied his career has been.

Planetoid Pioneers is Now Available on Steam and is up to 25% off!*

Welcome to Planetoid Pioneers, a cooperative sci-fi Physicsvania where kooky old astronauts fall over themselves with QWOP-like action to explore the Asteroid Belt beyond Mars. It’s been built on the unique Crush2D physics engine and can be played on your couch with or against your friends in seamless pick-up-and-play Co-Op and PvP action.

To celebrate the launch from Steam Early Access, the Contributor Edition is 25% off*. Owners of Cortex Command receive an additional 25% off the Contributor Edition.*

*Offers end February 15 at 9AM Pacific Time

We just moved into a new office this week, so we don’t have very much to show you in a new snapshot. That said, have a new snapshot anyway! It has some bug fixes so that’s always fun.

Following the news last week that the Update Aquatic has been merged into Minecraft 1.13, Dinnerbone tweets:

Don’t expect any Update Aquatic features this week. We want to get all the technical changes out before we start snapshotting new content again.

A full changelog can be found on Minecraft.net:

• Added new command /bossbar
• Added really basic entity selector suggestions in the command UI (@eetc)
• Updated translations from crowdin
• Fixed bug MC-4923 – Flint and steel and fire charges can place fire at invalid positions
• Fixed bug MC-5037 – Riding a pig / horse with a cape causes it to not behave as expected
• Fixed bug [………….] x 9

This command allows you to create a custom boss bar, change how it looks, and choose who to show it to.

To create a bossbar called foo:bar, use /bossbar create foo:bar "Name of my boss bar".

[…]

Bossbars persist across restarts and leaving/rejoining the world. If a player is added to a boss bar and reconnects, they will be re-added to the bossbar unless a new set .. players is ran without them in it.

To get snapshots, open your launcher and go to the “launch options” tab. Check the box saying “Enable snapshots” and save. To switch between the snapshot and normal version, you can find a new dropdown menu next to the “Play” button. Back up your world first or run the game on in a different folder (In the “launch options” page).

Please report any and all bugs you find in Minecraft to bugs.mojang.com.

Snapshots can corrupt your world, please backup and/or run them in a different folder from your main worlds. 1.13 will have a lot of experimental snapshots that may break everything and smell funny. This may be one of those snapshots. This is what happens when Mojang are changing all the things! 

Share your thoughts on how 1.13 is shaping up in the comments below!

Planetoid Pioneers is Now Available on Steam and is up to 25% off!*

Welcome to Planetoid Pioneers, a cooperative sci-fi Physicsvania where kooky old astronauts fall over themselves with QWOP-like action to explore the Asteroid Belt beyond Mars. It’s been built on the unique Crush2D physics engine and can be played on your couch with or against your friends in seamless pick-up-and-play Co-Op and PvP action.

To celebrate the launch from Steam Early Access, the Contributor Edition is 25% off*. Owners of Cortex Command receive an additional 25% off the Contributor Edition.*

*Offers end February 15 at 9AM Pacific Time

The game accessibility guidelines is a collaborative effort between a group of studios, academics and specialists who released a living document used by creators as reference for implementing accessible features to their projects. 

Even the inclusion of an assist mode similar to Celeste’s and could prove useful for developers seeking to make their games more accessible for a wider range of players. 

As well as including a full list of considerations (which contain the basic/intermediate/advanced guides), each guideline explores a facet of the most commonly requested accessibility features. For example, the basic guideline includes how to provide subtitles for important speech for any players who might be hard of hearing. 

More information about how the resources can be used are listed on the game accessibility guideline’s website here. 

Following an exciting Year 2, more people are playing Rainbow Six Siege than ever before! If you’ve decided to pull the trigger on picking it up for Xbox One, here are a few tips and tricks to help you succeed in your first few missions as a Rainbow Operator.

Jumping into a game with a high skill ceiling and an experienced playerbase can be intimidating, but if you take the following six Siege Rules to heart, you will thrive in the heart-pounding action and suspense that only a tactical FPS like Siege can bring. Rainbow Six Siege is a unique spin on the first-person shooter (FPS) genre, and you will need to approach it differently than you would any other game. To put you in the right mindset, we advise you to think of it more as chess with guns.

Prepare for Close-Quarters Combat

Combat in Rainbow Six Siege is in your face. With an average kill distance of roughly nine meters — you’re going to see the whites of your enemy’s eyes before you pull the trigger. There could be an enemy around any corner, and there usually is. Our maps have a mix of small rooms, long hallways, and always-changing sightlines. Keep in mind that some Operators, like Mira, can open up chunks of reinforced walls to create a protected line of sight, and use it to keep an entire room clear. Knowing where and who your enemy is will help you figure out how to close with and eliminate them.

Know Your Strengths

Will you focus on gathering intel? Are you more interested in denying your enemies the use of their gadgets? Perhaps carrying a mountain of a shield is more up your alley. Every role matters in Rainbow Six Siege. Communicate with your team to ensure that your Operators can work together effectively, and use your loadout accordingly. Rainbow Six Siege is a team game in every sense of the word, and our Operators’ unique skill sets play to that. If your teammate picked Ying, maybe you should look at selecting Glaz and working together. Thermite and Thatcher are a great pair as well. On Defense, you can run with a killer intel-denying combo like Bandit and Mute, or an extra-durable Doc-and-Rook pair. Don’t forget about countering the enemy’s gadgets! Twitch is Mira’s arch nemesis, and a couple of Jager’s Magpies can really ruin Fuze’s day.

Use Destruction as a Tool

We built the maps, but it is up to you to destroy them. For example, destroying a section of wall that separates the two bomb sites you’re defending allows you to rotate quickly when your enemy decides to rush point B. Try breaking a hatch or two to step up your vertical game and create a quick escape route if you’re getting pushed by a couple of Attackers. Utilize breachers to make holes in the other team’s defenses. Nothing in Rainbow Six is permanent, except for death.

Utilize Your Team

Communication with your teammates is another essential resource in Rainbow Six Siege. Working with them to overcome the enemy’s strategies can turn the tide of battle. The Defenders may have set up a series of Magpie anti-grenade defenses and electronics jammers. You can coordinate with your team to throw in flash/smoke grenades to get rid of the Magpie charges, and if you have Thatcher on your team, he can follow up with his EMP grenade to get rid of these electronic devices.

Don’t Expect a Respawn

You only get one life; use it wisely. When you die, though, that doesn’t mean it’s time to get up and grab a drink. You can still help your team out! When you’re dead, you have access to your team’s cameras and/or drones, as well as the ability to spectate among your teammates. Even in death, being able to call out an enemy’s position to help your teammate land a headshot through a wall is integral to the success of the mission.

Always Communicate

Speaking of calling out enemy positions, make sure you play Rainbow Six Siege with a headset. Hearing your enemy’s footsteps through the hole you made in the wall could win the day, but so will communicating with your teammates! Utilizing teamwork to force the enemy right where you want them is integral to taking home more wins than losses, and for that, you need to use your microphone. Figuring out exactly where your teammate needs a Hibana X-KAIROS charge placed so they can lock down an entire side of the map while playing as Blackbeard is an advantage you can’t ignore.

To learn more about Siege Rules, click here. If you are looking to catch a few tips from the best players to touch the game, tune into the Six Invitational on February 16 to February 18. We will be streaming this world championship on our Twitch channel, here, and our Mixer channel, here.