Xbox Store winter sale is live with price drops for 'Final Fantasy XV' and more

By Danny Cowan Published December 22, 2016

Microsoft kicked off the first day of its catalog-spanning Xbox Store Countdown sale with price drops for many of this year’s biggest Xbox One releases, including Battlefield 1, Gears of War 4, and Final Fantasy XV.

The two-week-long promotion, which Microsoft claims is the Xbox Store’s “biggest sale ever,” will also host daily deals that deliver discounts of up to 75 percent off of featured games for Xbox Live Gold subscribers.

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Xbox Live members can grab all five episodes of Square Enix’s time-traveling adventure game Life is Strange for as little as $5. New deals will roll out on a daily basis between Thursday and when the sale ends in January.

Microsoft’s Countdown sale also hosts weekly deals for many featured digital games, with deeper discounts available for Xbox Live Gold subscribers. Currently, players with an active Gold subscription can pick up discounted copies of Xbox One games like Battlefield 1 ($39), Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare ($39), Final Fantasy XV ($45), Gears of War 4 ($33), NBA 2K17 ($42), Destiny: The Collection ($26), and Dishonored 2 ($40).

Other Xbox One Countdown sale highlights include Titanfall 2 ($30 with Gold), The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition ($40), Mafia III ($39), Grand Theft Auto V ($30), Forza Horizon 3 ($39), Deus Ex: Mankind Divided ($30), and Dark Souls III ($30).

Remastered compilations also share the spotlight in this week’s sale, bringing price drops for Batman: Return to Arkham ($30), BioShock: The Collection ($39), and Dead Island Definitive Collection ($20).

Thrifty gamers on the hunt for bargains may opt for deals on Deadlight: Director’s Cut ($10), Firewatch ($12), Grow Up ($5), Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition ($10), and Namco’s Arcade Game Series 3-in-1 Pack ($3), which includes digital copies of the retro-gaming mainstays Pac-Man, Galaga, and Dig Dug.

The Xbox Store Countdown sale will continue through January 9, with each week introducing a new series of price drops.

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