Xbox Mythic Achievements: how to earn them, Insiders first
Xbox Mythic Achievements reward finishing every original achievement in a game, Xbox 360 completions included. Insiders only for now, with no public date.
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Xbox Mythic Achievements are a new badge you earn by unlocking every original achievement in a game, and as of September 30, 2026, only Xbox Insiders have them. Microsoft opened the test on September 29 and hasn't given a date for everyone else. Games you already finished count too, back to the Xbox 360. Here's how to earn one, what counts, how it compares with PlayStation's Platinum trophy, and how to get the feature now or when it reaches everyone.
Key takeaways
- Insiders only, as of September 30, 2026. Microsoft started the test on September 29 and has not announced a public release date.
- You earn a Mythic by unlocking all of a game's original achievements. Achievements added later through DLC or updates aren't required, according to Microsoft.
- It's retroactive: eligible games you completed in the past, Xbox 360 titles included, already have Mythic status, Microsoft says.
- A new Gaming tab on your profile shows your Mythics, your next Gamerscore milestone badge and your friends' completions.
- Microsoft's announcement attaches no Gamerscore to a Mythic. It marks a finished game, much like a Platinum trophy, but the two don't work the same way.
What is an Xbox Mythic Achievement?
Microsoft announced the feature in an Xbox Wire post on September 29, 2026, written by Senior Product Manager Alex Charters and Principal Software Engineering Lead Eden Marie. A Mythic Achievement is a status a game earns on your profile once you've unlocked all of its original achievements. It adds no new challenge of its own; it marks the game as done, with what Microsoft calls "a heroic frame" in your achievement history.
The post's headline calls it "one of our most player-requested features," and Microsoft adds that once you've earned Mythic status, "it's yours to keep." In other words, a later update that adds new achievements to a game shouldn't take a Mythic away from you.
Step 1: Know which achievements count toward Mythic
The rule is short, but the details matter if you're planning a completion run:
- Every original achievement counts. Microsoft's wording is "all original achievements for a game." There's no partial Mythic.
- Add-ons don't. "Achievements added later through DLC or updates aren't required," the post says.
- The list tells you which is which. Microsoft says achievements added later are "clearly tagged as 'add-on'," so you can see what counts before you start.
Microsoft's post doesn't cover edge cases, such as a game with an original achievement that can no longer be unlocked because its online servers shut down. If you're chasing an older game, check its list before you sink hours into it.
Step 2: Check whether your past completions already count
You don't have to replay anything. According to Microsoft, Mythic Achievements "have already been added to eligible games you completed in the past, including XBOX 360 titles." The next time you open your profile, some of your finished games may already show Mythic status.
One word to keep in mind: eligible. Microsoft doesn't define it in the announcement, so a game you remember finishing may not qualify. If a completion you expected is missing, compare the game's list against your unlocks, leaving out anything tagged "add-on."
Step 3: Track your progress in the Gaming tab and the Guide
Microsoft says your profile now has a Gaming tab. From it you can see your achievements, track your next Gamerscore milestone badge and revisit the games you've completed. Mythic games stand out there with their frame, and you can open a friend's Gaming tab to see which games they've taken to Mythic.
For a game you're still working on, Microsoft describes a new progress bar at the top of each game's achievement list that shows how close you are to Mythic, with an option to show only the original achievements you still need. Similar progress information appears across Xbox, including in the Guide and on achievement details, per the same post.
A note on these pictures: Microsoft's screenshots use Gears of War: E-Day, which the same post says is available to pre-order. Read them as illustrations of the design, not as a real player's profile.
Step 4: Get Mythic Achievements now through the Xbox Insider Program
Microsoft's post says the feature is "available for XBOX Insiders" but doesn't name which Insider rings have it. VGTimes reports that the first wave went to the Alpha and Alpha Skip-Ahead rings. Windows Central reports that it's rolling out on Xbox consoles and Windows PC. None of the sources we read mention the Xbox mobile app.
If you want to try for early access:
- Download the Xbox Insider Hub app. Microsoft says it's available for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and Windows PC.
- Join the Xbox Insider Program from the app.
- Watch your profile for the new Gaming tab.
Joining doesn't guarantee you'll see Mythics right away. Microsoft hasn't said whether new members get the feature, and if it's limited to the Alpha rings as reported, a new member may not land in one of them. That last point is our inference, not something Microsoft has stated.
If you'd rather wait, the feature will reach everyone later. Windows Central says it "will be released to the general public at a later date," and Microsoft's post gives no date at all.
Mythic Achievements vs Platinum trophies: how they differ
The obvious comparison is Sony's Platinum trophy, and the idea is similar: one badge that says you finished a game. The details differ.
Sony's trophy help page lists four grades "starting from most difficult": Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze, and says the number and grades of trophies, and the conditions for earning them, "vary from game to game." The page doesn't spell out the Platinum's unlock rule; as trophy hunters know it, it's the trophy for earning the rest of a game's main list. A Platinum is also a trophy in its own right: when Naughty Dog patched trophies into Uncharted: Drake's Fortune in August 2008, it counted "a total of 48 Trophies, counting the Platinum Trophy," and called it the first game where you could get one. In 2020, Sony said Platinum trophies "will count more toward your level progression".
| Xbox Mythic Achievement | PlayStation Platinum trophy | |
|---|---|---|
| What it marks | All of a game's original achievements unlocked (Microsoft) | The top of four trophy grades (Sony) |
| DLC and update content | Not required (Microsoft) | Not addressed on Sony's help page |
| Which games | "Eligible games," not defined by Microsoft | Trophies and grades vary by game (Sony) |
| Past completions | Added retroactively, Xbox 360 games included (Microsoft) | Part of the trophy system since the PS3 era |
| Score | No Gamerscore mentioned by Microsoft | Counts more toward your trophy level (Sony) |
| Where you see it | Gaming tab and achievement history, with a frame | Your trophy list |
| Availability as of September 30, 2026 | Xbox Insiders only | PS5 and PS4 |
The practical difference, as we read the two companies' descriptions: a Platinum is an item in a game's trophy list, so it exists only where a developer put one. A Mythic is a status Xbox works out from achievements a game already has, which is how Microsoft could apply it to years of finished games at once.
Troubleshooting
- You don't see the Gaming tab. As of September 30, 2026, the feature is for Xbox Insiders only, and reportedly only some rings. Outside those, there's nothing to switch on yet.
- A game you finished isn't Mythic. Check its list for a base achievement you missed. Add-on achievements don't count, and Microsoft only promises Mythic status for "eligible" games.
- An achievement can't be unlocked anymore. Microsoft hasn't said how Mythic handles those games, so there's no official answer yet.
- You play on your phone. None of the sources we read mention the Xbox mobile app, so check your console or PC.
- You're an Insider with a problem. Microsoft points Insiders to the Xbox Insider subreddit for support and asks them to add to existing threads before starting new ones.
Bottom line
Xbox Mythic Achievements give a finished game a visible badge, with no Gamerscore attached and your old completions honored back to the Xbox 360. As of September 30, 2026, they're for Xbox Insiders only, and Microsoft hasn't set a date for everyone else. If you want them now, join the Insider Program, knowing that membership alone may not be enough; if not, keep playing, since Microsoft's retroactive approach suggests today's completions should be counted when the feature arrives. The announcement lands a week after Microsoft's latest round of Xbox layoffs; for more Xbox and PlayStation news, follow our video games section.
FAQ
How do you get a Mythic Achievement on Xbox?
Unlock every original achievement in a game. Achievements added later through DLC or updates aren't required, according to Microsoft. As of September 30, 2026, the feature is available only to Xbox Insiders.
Do DLC achievements count toward Mythic?
No. Microsoft says achievements added later through DLC or updates aren't required, and that the achievement list tags them as "add-on" so you can tell them apart.
Are Xbox Mythic Achievements retroactive?
Yes, according to Microsoft. Eligible games you completed in the past, including Xbox 360 titles, already have Mythic status. Microsoft doesn't define "eligible" in its announcement.
Do Mythic Achievements give Gamerscore?
Microsoft's announcement doesn't attach any Gamerscore to a Mythic Achievement. The new Gaming tab does track your progress toward your next Gamerscore milestone badge, which is a separate feature.
When will Mythic Achievements be available to everyone?
Microsoft hasn't announced a date. As of September 30, 2026, the feature is limited to Xbox Insiders, and Windows Central says the public release will come "at a later date."
Is a Mythic Achievement the same as a Platinum trophy?
It's similar in spirit: both mark a finished game. The difference is that a Platinum is a trophy in a game's own list, while a Mythic is a status Xbox applies on top of a game's existing achievements, retroactively and without add-on content.