Xbox Makes Publishing Easier for Developers With New Game Package Manager - News
by William D'Angelo , posted on 29 April 2026 / 1,154 Views
Xbox has announced it is rolling out a new Game Package Manager for all Xbox developers currently configuring or adding new products to publish to Xbox. This replaces the current Microsoft Partner Center module for "Packages."
This makes it easier for developer to publish games on Xbox consoles as it provides a "cleaner way to upload packages, review certification and validation status, manage branches, and track your publishing history — all in one place." Existing packages, certification pipeline, and publishing history are not affected by this.
The team at Xbox plans to continue to add new features to the Game Package Manager to improve publishing workflows.
The complete rollout of Game Package Manager is expected to take a few weeks.
Read an FAQ on Game Package Manager below:
Where in the publishing flow does the Game Package Manager show up?
Every time you need to upload or distribute a package, you do so through the Packages module; this entire flow has been redesigned.
What does the new Game Package Manager module do differently than the previous “Packages” module?
The Game Package Manager documentation covers the full details, but here are some highlights built directly to respond to partner requests:
- Branch gallery: draft and live. This is probably my producer-favorite feature. It makes it clear which packages are in Draft (only available to your Partner Center users) vs. Live (available to players in an external-facing sandbox).
- Better information organization. Package details are grouped neatly and with clear borders to facilitate visual scanning when you have multiple packages listed on the screen; much of the screen clutter and walls of text have been reduced/collapsed.
- Package validation. Many package errors can be detected and resolved before you submit to Certification, saving you a LOT of wasted time.
- Room for new features. As hinted above, we have some new features coming very soon that live in this interface that will move Xbox publishing, into the next generation.
Do I have to use the new interface?
For the new features that are coming soon, yes, but at any time you can toggle back to the old interface to access the previous user experience. This may be particularly useful for someone who was in the middle of a publish when the Game Package Manager released to the service
Have Feedback?
This is just one of many parts of the Xbox Publishing process the Xbox Consumer and Commerce Platform team is improving to save developer’s time and improve efficiency. We cannot wait to see and celebrate what you publish next!
Please share any comments, happy thoughts, or concerns with your Xbox Partner Manager.
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can follow the author on Bluesky.
