• Microsoft’s Xbox One is playing big time in the Gaming Console hardware with its latest feature of Backwards Compatibility that enables users to play games on Xbox One, which were initially released f

Microsoft’s Xbox One is playing big time in the Gaming Console hardware with its latest feature of Backwards Compatibility that enables users to play games on Xbox One, which were initially released f (Photo : Reuters)

The Xbox One freebies in December for Xbox Live Gold subscribers are the free-to-download games "Thief" and "The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing," Microsoft announced on Tuesday.

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"Thief" is a stealth-action franchise reboot, while "Van Helsing" is an action-RPG. The download for these Games with Gold releases for service subscribers will start next month, reports Digitaltrends.

A first-person stealth game by Eidos Montreal, "Thief" would be available to Xbox One owners free of charge. It was released in 2014, and the reboot of the acclaimed PC series was developed by Looking Glass Studios, the creator of "Ultima Underworld" and "System Shock," considered landmark games.


"Van Helsing," developed by NeocoreGames, is an action-RPG with a gothic noir setting. The Gold promotion is the debut of "Van Helsing" in Xbox One.


 Besides the two games, another game slated to be released in December is the Xbox 360 edition of "Castle Storm," a medieval artillery-themed strategy game from Zen Studios. In May, Xbox users received as part of the Games with Gold program the Definitive Edition of "CastleStorm."

Xbox One players could enjoy all Xbox 360 games found in the Games with Gold program through a new firmware update that was introduced to enable backward compatibility for legacy Xbox 360 software. The update allows Xbox Live Gold subscribers to download and play the Xbox 360 games for December directly from the digital storefront of Xbox One.

There is a 31-day period for Xbox One owners to download for free "Van Hesling" from Dec. 1 to 31, while a 31-day download period covers "Thief," from Dec. 16, 2015 to Jan. 15, 2016.

Microsoft also offers as its holiday gift to Xbox One owners the download for free of "Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising" from Dec. 16 to 31, reports Express.