Microsoft

Microsoft Celebrates 20 Years of Xbox and Halo

2021 marks 20 years of Xbox and Halo, as the original Xbox and Halo: Combat Evolved launched in North America on November 15, 2001. Microsoft is celebrating the 20th anniversary of Xbox and Halo starting today and through November 15, 2021. The company wants fans to use #Xbox20 on social media to share their favorite…

Published 4 years ago in
Microsoft Celebrates 20 Years of Xbox and Halo

2021 marks 20 years of Xbox and Halo, as the original Xbox and Halo: Combat Evolved launched in North America on November 15, 2001.
Microsoft is celebrating the 20th anniversary of Xbox and Halo starting today and through November 15, 2021. The company wants fans to use #Xbox20 on social media to share their favorite Xbox moments, stories, friendships, prized possessions, achievements, and more. 
The first wave of 20th anniversary Xbox merchandise is available on the Xbox Gear Shop, as well as free anniversary-themed wallpapers. You can register for  Xbox FanFest to participate in 20th anniversary FanFest activities. Xbox Series X|S owners can use a new dynamic theme based on the original Xbox main menu.

Read the Xbox Wire post below:
Do you remember where you were when you played your first Xbox game?
It may be hard to believe, but this year will mark the 20th anniversary of Xbox. I’m proud to have been a member of Team Xbox for 17 of those 20 years!  The original Xbox console was released in North America on November 15, 2001, followed by many more launches all around the world including Japan, Australia, Europe, Latin America, China, and more! 
Twenty years ago, playing on Xbox meant hooking up your console with three (or more!) cables to a standard definition CRT TV.  You had to pre-order the hottest new games and stand in line at your favorite retail shop to pick them up. Games were played in 640×480 resolution, and you only had 8GB of storage and 64MB of memory to enjoy them with. And you either played alone or with a friend sitting next to you on the couch.
Two Decades of Gaming
The Xbox experience today, as shaped by you, is wildly different. You can now jump into your favorite games on your Xbox Series X|S console (imagine showing your past self a 4K HDR game!), on PC, or on mobile*. You and your friends can play with and against the more than 100 million players who log into Xbox every month from around the world. And there’s no more convincing every person in the group to go out and buy a big game. If you all have Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, you can pick the destination from a variety of games in the catalog and just start playing. We love this gaming future.
Thanks to game creators and players like you, we have a greater variety of games and diverse characters  – with more worlds to explore, stories to tell, heroes and villains to meet, and achievements to unlock – in the 7 thousand games that have been released across the Xbox platform. Do you remember unlocking your first Xbox achievement? To-date, you and the Xbox community together have racked up nearly 1 trillion total Gamerscore. Most importantly, you’ve worked together to change the face of gaming by welcoming players from all walks of life, everywhere in the world. 

The Game That Started It All
This year not only commemorates 20 years of Xbox, but it also marks the 20th anniversary of the Halo franchise. That magical moment when the Master Chief first stepped on to a mysterious ringworld has long been a hallmark of the Xbox experience, and over the last 20 years, Halo has become deeply embedded into the Xbox DNA. We’re thrilled to celebrate this milestone, as well as the launch of Halo Infinite, with our players this Fall.
Celebrating Together
As we approach the 20-Year mark, it has never been clearer that the heart of Xbox is you. And we are excited to celebrate this milestone together. 

The celebration starts today and continues through November 15, 2021. 

#Xbox20: This celebration is all about you, and we want to hear what Xbox means to you. Use #Xbox20 on social media to share your favorite Xbox moments, stories, friendships, prized possessions, achievements… anything! We’ll be asking loads of questions on Xbox social channels and spotlighting your answers through November 15, so keep an eye out.
Check out the Xbox Gear Shop for the first wave of Xbox 20th Anniversary official gear.
Show off your Xbox and Halo love with free anniversary-themed wallpapers.
Register today for Xbox FanFest to participate in 20th Anniversary FanFest activities including exclusive sweepstakes, FanFest gear, and digital experiences.
Personalize your Xbox experience: check out the new 20-Year gamerpic and “The Original” profile theme in your “Customize Profile” menu.  For Xbox Series X|S owners, “The Original” dynamic background is available in the Personalization menu. 
Looking for something new to play? Check out this collection featuring some of the greatest games that have marked Xbox history. You can also find the game collection on your Xbox console by searching for “Xbox Anniversary” in the Store.
Join us today at Twitch.tv/Xbox at 11am PT / 2pm ET to kick off the celebration with our livestreaming hosts as they reminisce about two decades of gaming while playing the game that started it all – Halo: Combat Evolved via the Halo: Master Chief Collection.
We’ll keep the fun going through November with more announcements, activities, and ways to celebrate.  Visit xbox.com/20Years for up-to-date details on anniversary activities throughout the year.

We’ll have more fun to share as we get closer to the November 15th anniversary date. Keep an eye out here on Xbox Wire or at xbox.com/20years for the latest updates.
Looking Ahead
Whether you have been an Xbox fan since day one or joined Xbox for the first time this week, we are humbled and excited to be a part of the Xbox community with you. As we reminisce together about the memories we’ve shared over 20 years, we also can’t help but be excited about what’s next for Xbox. Imagine what we will do together over the next 20 years! 

*Where available, requires Xbox Game Pass Ultimate

A life-long and avid gamer, William D’Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel dedicated to gaming Let’s Plays and tutorials. You can contact the author at wdangelo@vgchartz.com or on Twitter @TrunksWD.Full Article – https://www.vgchartz.com/article/448764/microsoft-celebrates-20-years-of-xbox-and-halo/
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Microsoft

The Outer Worlds 2 is now $10 cheaper, as Obsidian details how to get a refund on your pre-order

If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. The Outer Worlds 2 is now $10 cheaper, as Obsidian details how to get a refund on your pre-order Cash in hand. Image credit: Obsidian News by Connor Makar Staff Writer Published on July 23

Published 1 day ago in
The Outer Worlds 2 is now $10 cheaper, as Obsidian details how to get a refund on your pre-order

If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.

The Outer Worlds 2 is now $10 cheaper, as Obsidian details how to get a refund on your pre-order

Cash in hand.

A character in a leafy ghilli suit leaps over a platform towards the camera while being shot at from afar.
Image credit: Obsidian

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by Connor Makar
Staff Writer

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The Outer Worlds 2, the upcoming sci-fi FPS by Obsidian Entertainment will now be sold at $70 dollars, rather than the planned $80. This follows a statement by Microsoft confirming the U-turn earlier today.

Those who have already purchased the game at the $80 price point on Steam will have the purchase refunded and re-bought at the lower figure. On Battle.net, those who pre-ordered the game will have their orders cancelled and refunded, and will have to re-buy the game. Those on Xbox and PlayStation will have the difference refunded in the upcoming days.

This announcement was made on The Outer Worlds official social media accounts, with a cute in-universe statement and graphic. On the official Obsidian website, further explanation on how the price change will affect those who’ve already spent money has been provided.

Cover image for YouTube videoThe Outer Worlds 2 – Official Gameplay Trailer

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Microsoft

Microsoft reverses $80 first-party price hike to keep “full priced holiday releases in line with current conditions”

If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. Home News Microsoft reverses $80 first-party price hike to keep “full priced holiday releases in line with current conditions” Starting with The Outer Worlds 2 Image credit: Obsidian Entertainment News by Vikki Blake Contributor Published

Published 2 days ago in
Microsoft reverses $80 first-party price hike to keep “full priced holiday releases in line with current conditions”

If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.

Microsoft reverses $80 first-party price hike to keep “full priced holiday releases in line with current conditions”

Starting with The Outer Worlds 2

Image credit: Obsidian Entertainment

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by Vikki Blake
Contributor

Published on

Just weeks after confirming The Outer Worlds 2 will be the first Microsoft game to retail for $80, Microsoft has reversed the decision, revealing the highly-anticipated sequel will now launch for $69.99 in keeping with typical AAA pricing.

This will apply not just to The Outer Worlds 2, but indeed other “full priced holiday releases” launched across the period.

In a statement, a Microsoft spokesperson said Xbox was “focused on bringing players incredible worlds to explore, and will keep our full priced holiday releases, including The Outer Worlds 2, at $69.99, in line with current market conditions.”

On social media, developer Obsidian posted: “We have received your SOS via skip drone about the pricing. As an organization devoted to making sure that corporations do not go unfettered, we at the Earth Directorate have worked with [REDACTED] to revise the price of The Outer Worlds 2. While this will not bring peace to the galaxy, or even your local colony, we assure you all that we are here to fight for all colonies in every way that we can.”

Microsoft announced last month that The Outer Worlds 2 would be the first Xbox title to retail at $80 following Microsoft’s planned price rises in May.

“We understand that these changes are challenging, and th

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Microsoft

Coyote malware abuses Windows accessibility framework for data theft

A new variant of the banking trojan ‘Coyote’ has begun abusing a Windows accessibility feature, Microsoft’s UI Automation framework, to identify which banking and cryptocurrency exchange sites are accessed on the device for potential credential theft. …

Published 4 days ago in
Coyote malware abuses Windows accessibility framework for data theft

A new variant of the banking trojan ‘Coyote’ has begun abusing a Windows accessibility feature, Microsoft’s UI Automation framework, to identify which banking and cryptocurrency exchange sites are accessed on the device for potential credential theft. …
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Microsoft

Microsoft Server Software Comes Under Widespread Cyberattack

Breadcrumb Trail Links Home PMN Business Share this Story : Microsoft Rushes to Stop Hackers from Wreaking Global Havoc Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Microsoft Rushes to Stop Hackers from Wreaking Global Havoc Hackers exploited a security flaw in common Microsoft Corp. software to breach governments, businesses and other organizations across the

Published 3 weeks ago in
Microsoft Server Software Comes Under Widespread Cyberattack

Microsoft Rushes to Stop Hackers from Wreaking Global Havoc

Hackers exploited a security flaw in common Microsoft Corp. software to breach governments, businesses and other organizations across the globe and steal sensitive information, according to officials and cybersecurity researchers.

Bloomberg News
Jake Bleiberg, Jane Lanhee Lee and Ryan Gallagher
Published Jul 20, 2025

Last updated Jul 21, 2025

4 minute read
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A Microsoft signage in New York, US, on Friday, Oct. 25, 2src24. Microsoft Corp. is scheduled to release earnings figures on October 3src. Photographer: Jeenah Moon/Bloomberg
A Microsoft signage in New York, US, on Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. Microsoft Corp. is scheduled to release earnings figures on October 30. Photographer: Jeenah Moon/Bloomberg Photo by Jeenah Moon /Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) — Hackers exploited a security flaw in common Microsoft Corp. software to breach governments, businesses and other organizations across the globe and steal sensitive information, according to officials and cybersecurity researchers.

Microsoft over the weekend released a patch for the vulnerability in servers of the SharePoint document management software. The company said it was still working to roll out other fixes after warnings that hackers were targeting SharePoint clients, using the flaw to enter file systems and execute code.

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Multiple different hackers are launching attacks through the Microsoft vulnerability, according to representatives of two cybersecurity firms, CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. and Google’s Mandiant Consulting.

Hackers have already used the flaw to break into the systems of national governments in Europe and the Middle East, according to a person familiar with the matter. In the US, they’ve accessed government systems, including ones belonging to the US Department of Education, Florida’s Department of Revenue and the Rhode Island General Assembly, said the person, who spoke on condition that they not be identified discussing the sensitive information.

Representatives of the Department of Education and Rhode Island legislature didn’t respond to calls and emails seeking comment Monday. A Florida Department of Revenue spokesperson, Bethany Wester Cutillo, said in an email that the SharePoint vulnerability is being investigated “at multiple levels of government” but that the state agency “does not comment publicly on the software we use for operations.”

Story continues below

The hackers also breached the systems of a US-based health-care provider and targeted a public university in Southeast Asia, according to a report from a cybersecurity firm reviewed by Bloomberg News. The report doesn’t identify either entity by name, but says the hackers have attempted to breach SharePoint servers in countries including Brazil, Canada, Indonesia, Spain, South Africa, Switzerland, the UK and the US. The firm asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the information. 

In some systems they’ve broken into, the hackers have stolen sign-in credentials, including usernames, passwords, hash codes and tokens, according to a person familiar with the matter, who also spoke on condition that they not be identified discussing the sensitive information.

“This is a high-severity, high-urgency threat,” said Michael Sikorski, chief technology officer and head of threat intelligence for Unit 42 at Palo Alto Networks Inc. 

“What makes this especially concerning is SharePoint’s deep integration with Microsoft’s platform, including their services like Office, Teams, OneDrive and Outlook, which has all the information valuable to an attacker,” he said. “A compromise doesn’t stay contained—it opens the door to the entire network.” 

(Bloomberg) — Hackers exploited a security flaw in common Microsoft Corp. software to breach governments, businesses and other organizations across the globe and steal sensitive information, according to officials and cybersecurity researchers.

Microsoft over the weekend released a patch for the vulnerability in servers of the SharePoint document management software. The company said it was still working to roll out other fixes after warnings that hackers were targeting SharePoint clients, using the flaw to enter file systems and execute code.

Story continues below

Multiple different hackers are launching attacks through the Microsoft vulnerability, according to representatives of two cybersecurity firms, CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. and Google’s Mandiant Consulting.

Hackers have already used the flaw to break into the systems of national governments in Europe and the Middle East, according to a person familiar with the matter. In the US, they’ve accessed government systems, including ones belonging to the US Department of Education, Florida’s Department of Revenue and the Rhode Island General Assembly, said the person, who spoke on condition that they not be identified discussing the sensitive information.

Representatives of the Department of Education and Rhode Island legislature didn’t respond to calls and emails seeking comment Monday. A Florida Department of Revenue spokesperson, Bethany Wester Cutillo, said in an email that the SharePoint vulnerability is being investigated “at multiple levels of government” but that the state agency “does not comment publicly on the software we use for operations.”

Story continues below

The hackers also breached the systems of a US-based health-care provider and targeted a public university in Southeast Asia, according to a report from a cybersecurity firm reviewed by Bloomberg News. The report doesn’t identify either entity by name, but says the hackers have attempted to breach SharePoint servers in countries including Brazil, Canada, Indonesia, Spain, South Africa, Switzerland, the UK and the US. The firm asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the information. 

In some systems they’ve broken into, the hackers have stolen sign-in credentials, including usernames, passwords, hash codes and tokens, according to a person familiar with the matter, who also spoke on condition that they not be identified discussing the sensitive information.

“This is a high-severity, high-urgency threat,” said Michael Sikorski, chief technology officer and head of threat intelligence for Unit 42 at Palo Alto Networks Inc. 

“What makes this especially concerning is SharePoint’s deep integration with Microsoft’s platform, including their services like Office, Teams, OneDrive and Outlook, which has all the information valuable to an attacker,” he said. “A compromise doesn’t stay contained—it opens the door to the entire network.” 

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Tens of thousands — if not hundreds of thousands — of businesses and institutions worldwide use SharePoint in some fashion to store and collaborate on documents. Microsoft said that attackers are specifically targeting clients running SharePoint servers from their own on-premise networks, as opposed to being hosted and managed by the tech firm. That could limit the impact to a subsection of customers.

A Microsoft spokesperson declined to comment beyond an earlier statement.

“It’s a dream for ransomware operators,” said Silas Cutler, a researcher at Michigan-based cybersecurity firm Censys. He estimated that more than 10,000 companies with SharePoint servers were at risk. The US had the largest number of such firms, followed by the Netherlands, the UK and Canada, he said. 

The breaches have drawn new scrutiny to Microsoft’s efforts to shore up its cybersecurity after a series of high-profile failures. The firm has hired executives from places like the US government and holds weekly meetings with senior executives to make its software more resilient. The company’s tech has been subject to several widespread and damaging hacks in recent years, and a 2024 US government report described the company’s security culture as in need of urgent reforms.

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The Center for Internet Security, which operates a cybersecurity information sharing system for state and local governments in the US, found more than 1,100 servers that are at risk from the SharePoint vulnerability, said Randy Rose, the organization’s vice president of security operations and intelligence. Rose said more than 100 were likely hacked.

The Washington Post reported that the breach had affected US federal and state agencies, universities, energy companies and an Asian telecommunications company, citing state officials and private researchers.

Eye Security was the first to identify that attackers were actively exploiting the vulnerabilities in a wave of cyberattacks that began on Friday, said Vaisha Bernard, the company’s chief hacker and co-owner.

Eye Security said the vulnerability allows hackers to access SharePoint servers and steal keys that can let them impersonate users or services even after the server is patched. It said hackers can maintain access through backdoors or modified components that can survive updates and reboots of systems.

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The SharePoint vulnerabilities, known as “ToolShell,” were first identified in May by researchers at a Berlin cybersecurity conference. In early July, Microsoft issued patches to fix the security holes, but hackers found another way in.

“There were ways around the patches,” which enabled hackers to break into SharePoint servers by tapping into similar vulnerabilities, said Bernard. “That allowed these attacks to happen.” The intrusions, he said, were not targeted and instead were aimed at compromising as many victims as possible. After scanning about 8,000 SharePoint servers, Bernard said he has so far identified at least 50 that were successfully compromised.

He declined to identify the identity of organizations that had been targeted, but said they included government agencies and private companies, including “bigger multinationals.” The victims were located in countries in North and South America, the EU, South Africa, and Australia, he added.

—With assistance from Lynn Doan, Cameron Fozi, Daniel Cancel, Aashna Shah, Jane Lanhee Lee and Patrick Howell O’Neill.

(Updates with additional information beginning in third paragraph.)

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