With the March Update for Xbox One, Microsoft introduced a bunch of new features to each and every Xbox One owner out there. Some of the features were directly incorporated as a result of the feedback Microsoft received as part of the Xbox Insider Program, referred to as fan-inspired features. Fan-inspired features like Arena on Xbox Live, Looking for Group, Clubs, Activity Feed, New Xbox Guide and more.
This month, Insiders will get to see more refinements made to the above features along with a new Party overlay feature to help you see who’s speaking in your group.
Microsoft is launching the Killer Instinct tournaments for Insiders on Arena, including the ability for users to create their own tournaments in their Clubs and the World of Tanks tournaments on Arena in partnership with ESL, set for announcement at a later date.
What is new in Arena on Xbox Live
Microsoft is introducing Killer Instinct on Arena for select Xbox Insiders. With Clubs across Xbox One and Windows 10 PC, you can discover, register, and play in both official and user-generated tournaments. Some more features like receiving notifications when your match is ready, automatic results reporting, and updating your Activity Feed have also been added.
Creating your own Killer Instinct tournament
- Download the Xbox app (beta) on your Windows 10 PC.
- Go to your Club and click on the Tournaments tab.
- Select Create tournament.
- Fill out your tournament info and publish your event.
- Once published, other members of the Club on either PC or Xbox One can discover, join, and play in your tournament.
Want to earn some cash? Keep an eye on the first public Arena-powered prized tournament: The Killer Instinct Battle for New York, where eight top Killer Instinct players will win a trip to compete for over $10k in cash and prizes in our New York Microsoft Store studio.
Party Overlay
The new Party Overlay feature will tell you who’s speaking in your Party, without having to open the Guide. When you are in a Party, go to the Guide to enable the overlay. Choose the placement on the screen for the overlay and the transparency. Whenever someone speaks, the window will show the Gamertag of the player and be invisible, in case no one is talking.
Here are some other fan-requested feature updates:
- Share your Looking for Group post on the Activity Feed or through a message
- Unfollow a Club or Game Hub directly from your Activity Feed
- Your profile will display your Arena tournament history and upcoming tournaments.
- For Beam and Twitch broadcasts, you will now have an option in the Guide for your Kinect to locate you automatically.
- Captive Portal support for wireless internet is coming to Xbox One, which allows for Wi-Fi authentication through a browser. Great for colleges, hotels, or public Wi-Fi locations.
- Filter posts on your Activity Feed on the Xbox app for iOS and Android
- On the Xbox app for Windows 10, we’re adding the option to select the audio input and output sources for Party chat.
These updates will start to roll out today and in the coming weeks for Xbox Insiders.
