Xbox One launch title list includes Killer Instinct, Call of Duty

The Microsoft Xbox One is set to hit shelves sometime in November. 

Microsoft has announced the launch titles for its forthcoming Xbox One console. 

The list is more or less as expected. The big franchises – Call of Duty, Battlefield, and Madden – are represented, as are next-gen racing games such as Forza Motorsport 5 and the heavily-hyped hack-and-slash title Ryse: Son of Rome. In addition, FIFA 14 makes the list, alongside Watch Dogs, an open-world game that revolves around a hacker protagonist named Aiden Pearce. 

Perhaps the most intriguing launch title is Killer Instinct, a reboot of an old fighting game, which will get an innovative pricing structure – the game is free to download and play, but adding additional characters will set you back $5 a pop. 

"All in all, I think Microsoft has a pretty solid line-up here," writes Paul Tassi of Forbes. "Granted, most of their best titles are third party games that will be available cross-platform, but they have strong offerings with Forza, Killer Instinct and Dead Rising, and the promise of Fable, Halo and Titanfall to come. Keep in mind that PS4 won’t have many of its famed first party titles available on launch day either." 

By first party titles, he means the franchises, such as God of War and Uncharted, that are exclusive to the Sony ecosystem – and can thus serve as a lure for gamers otherwise tempted by the Xbox One. Of course, Microsoft has these kinds of franchises, too, the most popular of which are the Halo and Gears of War games. Microsoft does have a Halo Xbox One title in the works, but it doesn't appear as if it'll be ready for launch.

And no word yet on a Gears of War for the Xbox One.

In related news, this week Sony said its PlayStation 4 console will be released on Nov. 15. Microsoft has said the Xbox One will arrive in November, but it has not specified an exact date.