Xbox Marks 25 Years With Community Designs, Global FanFest Tour, and New Official Gear

Xbox is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a slate of community-focused initiatives, including officially published fan designs, a worldwide FanFest tour, curated Game Pass collections, and a new merchandise hub. The anniversary badge rolls out today to players signing in across console, PC, and mobile, available through the end of 2026.

What’s Actually Launching

Xbox is partnering with community creators Klobrille and Ben Kenobi to publish a collection of gamerpics, backgrounds, and a dynamic theme for consoles, available now. Players can access these designs through their console settings or Xbox app on PC by navigating to profile customization options.

Game Pass is getting curated anniversary collections featuring games across Xbox’s four generations: original Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. The lineup includes titles like Fable Anniversary, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Fallout 4, and Psychonauts 2.

The FanFest Tour is a multi-city event series with confirmed stops in Cologne, Germany (August 26 at gamescom); Tokyo, Japan (September 17 during Tokyo Game Show); London, U.K. (September 26); Mexico City, Mexico (October 17); Sydney, Australia (October 17); and Toronto, Canada (November 6). Seattle has an additional stop with details coming soon. Tickets for each city will be awarded through local sweepstakes entries on Xbox.com’s FanFest page.

Xbox Gear, a new official merchandise hub now live at gear.xbox.com, launches with three collections: Gloss, Est.01, and Blood Gulch. The company has signaled additional drops are planned throughout the anniversary period.

Why This Matters

Xbox’s 25-year milestone represents a quarter-century of console gaming history, spanning from the original system’s 2001 launch through the current generation. The company’s emphasis on community-created content and fan engagement reflects how gaming culture has shifted from passive consumption to participatory creativity over those decades.

Game Pass has become central to Xbox’s strategy, and bundling classic titles into themed collections reinforces the platform’s catalog depth while introducing newer players to franchise histories. The inclusion of titles from every Xbox generation underscores how the service bridges legacy hardware with current systems.

The global FanFest tour structure—hitting major gaming regions and markets across three continents—signals Xbox’s commitment to offline, in-person community building alongside digital experiences. This approach contrasts with pandemic-era remote-only celebrations and reflects the gaming industry’s return to physical events.

The new merchandise arm expands Xbox’s direct-to-consumer revenue beyond software and hardware into lifestyle goods, a move that major publishers increasingly pursue to deepen fan engagement and brand loyalty.

What Comes Next

Xbox has indicated the 25th anniversary celebration will extend through 2026, with the core anniversary date landing November 15. The company has committed to announcing additional announcements, experiences, and products as the year progresses, so players should expect the FanFest tour and merchandise offerings to expand beyond currently announced stops and collections.