Xbox reveals slew of free gifts to users as 25 years celebration continues

This year, Xbox is celebrating its 25th anniversary - and it’s been a turbulent year to say the least.

Asha Sharma initially made a good impression as the company’s latest head, reversing Game Pass price hikes, bringing back exclusive first-party games, and committing to next-gen hardware.

Fan reception soon soured though in July when 3,200 layoffs were announced by Xbox, with the move including Compulsion Games, Ninja Theory, Double Fine, and Undead Labs all being dropped.

It looks as if Xbox is now attempting to course correct once again, distracting users with an array of freebies in celebration of that aforementioned 25th anniversary.

In a blog post, it was confirmed that Xbox has teamed up with fan creators Klobrille and Ben Kenobi to produce “a collection of gamerpics, backgrounds, and a dynamic theme for Xbox consoles”.

It doesn’t state specifically how many items are included in the collaborative collection which is said to be “by the community" and “for the community”, but we do know that all included free items are available from today.

To change your gamerpic, head to ‘settings’, then ‘profile’, then ‘customise profile’ and pick your favoured design.

If you want to change your dynamic background, select ‘settings’, ‘general’, ‘personalisation’, then ‘my background’ and ‘dynamic background’.

That’s not the only freebie as a 25th anniversary Xbox virtual badge has also been released.

The badge features the anniversary logo alongside the dates 2001 to 2026.

It’s available across console, PC, and the Xbox mobile app and players can grab it right up until the end of the year with the actual anniversary landing on 15 November; it can be displayed on your profile.

READ MORE: Xbox disc-to-digital program confirms retro 360 era catalog release window

Walk down memory lane with new classic game collections on Xbox Game Pass

Alongside these free offerings, Xbox confirmed that several new classic curated collections would be making their way to Xbox Game Pass.

It’s not entirely clear whether the collections will comprise existing titles on Game Pass or whether new games will be added, but each collection will be based upon a different era from across Xbox’s rich history.

Finally, Xbox detailed its upcoming FanFest Tour which is set to visit Germany, Japan, the UK, Mexico, Australia, Canada, and the US across 2026.

Fans are also invited to explore the 25th Anniversary Hub, a website set up especially for this celebration.

It does make you wonder what might be coming later in the year. Could Xbox unveil Project Helix in a special showcase on 15 November, for example?

A short curated showcase might not be out of the question, especially as this summer’s edition was somewhat light on new announcements.

Of course, it’s unfortunate that the anniversary falls a few days before Grand Theft Auto VI’s launch, but I shouldn’t imagine Xbox will let that thwart any plans.

It would be nice to see some free game offers as the celebrations continue but for now, we’ll have to settle for gamerpics, badges, and backgrounds.