
Samuel Tolbert
Samuel Tolbert is a freelance writer covering gaming news, previews, reviews, interviews and different aspects of the gaming industry, specifically focusing on Xbox and PC gaming on Windows Central. You can find him on Twitter @SamuelTolbert.
Latest articles by Samuel Tolbert

South of Midnight reviews are in — Here's a roundup
By Samuel Tolbert published
Xbox Reviews are in for Xbox's South of Midnight, so here's what critics are saying about the dark folktale adventure.

Microsoft celebrates 50th anniversary with new Xbox Dynamic Background
By Samuel Tolbert published
Xbox To celebrate Microsoft's 50th anniversary, Xbox players can now customize their consoles with a unique Xbox Dynamic Background.

Marvel Rivals Season 2 introduces Emma Frost's thighs and Ultron
By Samuel Tolbert published
Gaming Marvel Rivals Season 2 is on the way, bringing Emma Frost, Ultron, and the Hellfire Gala into the fray.

South of Midnight review: A fantastical yet modern folk tale
By Samuel Tolbert published
Review South of Midnight is a love letter to Southern Gothic as a genre, delivering a stylized world and a story filled with pain and hope.

Xbox reminds us that Hollow Knight: Silksong is coming to Xbox Game Pass
By Samuel Tolbert published
Xbox After the game briefly reemerged during a Nintendo Switch 2 partner sizzle reel, Xbox confirms that Hollow Knight: Silksong is still coming to Xbox Game Pass.

GTA 5 is heading back to Xbox Game Pass soon
By Richard Devine published
Gaming Rockstar is about to fully embrace Xbox Game Pass with GTA 5, and we won't have to wait long for it.

Xbox Game Pass gets South of Midnight, another Blizzard game, and more
By Samuel Tolbert published
Xbox More games are coming to Xbox Game Pass soon, including Blue Prince, Diablo 3, and South of Midnight.

Nintendo Switch 2's Mario Kart World just set the tone for $80 games
By Samuel Tolbert published
Gaming Mario Kart World is $80 for a physical copy on Nintendo Switch 2, possibly heralding a storm of price increases for future games from Xbox and others.

Xbox Cloud Gaming supports early access, starts with South of Midnight
By Samuel Tolbert published
Xbox An upgrade to Xbox Cloud Gaming seems to now enable support for early access titles, starting with South of Midnight.

Bethesda QA union authorizes strike against Microsoft
By Samuel Tolbert published
ZeniMax Workers United, a union representing QA workers on Bethesda Softworks games, has authorized a strike as negotiations with Microsoft continue.

Rebellion's Atomfall has already reached 1.5 million players
By Samuel Tolbert published
Gaming Rebellion Development's Atomfall has already reached 1.5 million players over its first weekend since launch.

DOOM: The Dark Ages is coming to Blizzard's Battle.net store
By Samuel Tolbert published
Xbox DOOM: The Dark Ages is the first Bethesda Softworks game to launch on Blizzard Entertainment's Battle.net storefront, with Xbox cross-purchase support.

Playing Age of Empires 2 instilled my lifelong love of RTS
By Samuel Tolbert published
Microsoft @ 50 As Microsoft is turning 50, I'm reflecting on how playing Age of Empires 2 at a young age set me up for a life of appreciating strategy games.

These are the new Xbox games launching this week until April 6
By Samuel Tolbert last updated
Xbox Here is what you need to know about all the new Xbox games launching this week, from March 31 through April 6.

Report: Xbox games on PlayStation sales data suggests a mixed picture
By Samuel Tolbert published
Xbox New sales data suggests a mixed picture for Xbxo games on PlayStation, with Sea of Thieves a clear winner so far.

Hogwarts Legacy DLC reportedly canceled by WB Games
By Samuel Tolbert published
Gaming Unnannounced Hogwarts Legacy DLC reportedly canceled by WB Games, according to a new report.

All PC and Xbox games shown off during Nintendo Direct March 2025
By Samuel Tolbert published
Gaming Here are all the games from the Nintendo Direct March 2025 presentation that are also coming to Xbox and PC.

Assassin's Creed Shadows crosses 3 million players
By Samuel Tolbert published
Gaming Assassin's Creed Shadows crosses 3 million players since launch, cementing its place as the second most-played game in the franchise so far.

The Thing comes to Xbox Cloud Gaming's "Stream Your Own Game" library
By Samuel Tolbert published
Xbox The Thing: Remastered and more games are joining Xbox Cloud Gaming's "Stream Your Own Game" library, while other features roll out.

Xbox Game Pass will soon give you more free-to-play game benefits
By Samuel Tolbert published
Xbox Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass will soon be offering more benefits for free-to-play games like Call of Duty: Warzone.

Grab must-play games at killer prices during CDKeys Spring Festival
By Samuel Tolbert published
Deal Several fantastic must-play games are on sale thanks to the CDKeys Spring Festival, so take advantage of the discounts.

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 is now launching in October
By Samuel Tolbert published
Gaming Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 has been delayed once more, with the game now slated to launch in October 2025.

Activision user research workers form union under Microsoft
By Samuel Tolbert published
Xbox The Activision user research team has unionized, with Microsoft voluntarily recognizing the union.
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