Xbox Insider Program Community Update – December 2024

Twas the night before the update and everything was right, 

gamers stayed up late playing Xbox well into the night. 

When all of a sudden, a popup on their console did arise 

A new system update available, what a nice surprise. 

It contained many fixes and several new features, 

And soon after downloading, players got back to fighting in-game creatures.  

Ho-ho-hold onto your hats Insiders, we have a quick but festive community update for you! 

First, the team wants to wish everyone the happiest of holidays and a safe new year! While I am personally not a fan of the cold and dark weather, that didn’t stop it from happening this year. The early sunsets and chilly temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere do bring some cute sweater weather and a great reason to cuddle up inside and play some Xbox!  

Like previous years, the team has paused releases of preview builds on both console and PC to ensure maximum stability for everyone enjoying Xbox over the holidays.  The team is working hard on future releases though! We are still reviewing feedback as well, and the team is here to resolve any issues that may arise.  

Don’t forget to keep checking the Insider Hub for new content throughout December and January!  

From Our Team to You  

We want to thank each and every one of you for making this community so special. I cannot tell you how proud I am to be a part of the Xbox Insider Program. I want everyone to know that we appreciate you and the support you’ve shown the Xbox Insider program.   

Before I sign off, I asked a few members of our team what they’re up to when they’re not busy this month, whether it’s gaming, relaxing, or any other random thing they want to share! Here’s what they had to say: 

Jon: Goal is to finish Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and the Ode to Castlevania DLC for Vampire Survivors. 

Joshua: I’m looking forward to watching all the classic holiday films (again) and really getting into Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. 

Tim: I tend to be a glutton for punishment and playing through Nine Sols. Also looking forward to spending time with family as I have a few flying in from out of town for the holidays. 

Donovan: I’m very much looking forward to spending this month playing Path of Exile 2, cherishing quality time with my family, and, like many others, indulging in nostalgic Christmas films to boost my Holiday spirit.  

Sally: Eating lots of cookies, playing cozy games, and hoping for new PowerWash Simulator DLC. And of course time with family and friends.  

Leland:   All year long, every year, when I start a story-game (“story-games and CoD/BLOPs” precisely describes my favorite genre) and realize I’m getting invested, I stop playing it and it goes on my list. Only two games are allowed on my list. If I come across a game that needs to go on the list and there are already two games on it, those games must decide between themselves, through collaboration or violence, which two stay. Then I set aside one week in mid-December and fully disconnect (the kind of absolute isolation that has great wifi) and play those two story-games cover to cover. Generally, I have a really hard time suspending disbelief, and it takes longer than I wished to sink into real immersion, but for this one week in December I spend the literal majority of my time spellbound. It’s my favorite and it’s only days away, I can’t wait. 

As for me, I’ve finished the Black Ops 6 camo grind so it feels like I can finally play the game! I am also planning to finish the achievements for Aliens: Dark Descent, and do battle with Jack Frost to keep my geese’s pond from freezing over as it has many times in the past. 

What about you? We would love to hear about what you’re doing this month like games you’ve been playing or plans for the holiday season. You can join the discussion on our subreddit under the December Community update post stickied at the top. I’ll be popping in all month as ScantilyCloud to chat and answer any questions you might have. Feel free to share any game recommendations from 2024 with us too—our backlogs can never be too full.