Xbox first-party game exclusives are no more, says industry insider

Xbox first-party studio Obsidian Entertainment has two big single-player first-person RPGs coming in 2025: the fantasy-themed Avowed and the highly anticipated sci-fi sequel The Outer Worlds 2. Over the weekend, we got a new trailer for The Outer Worlds 2, showcasing some impressive visuals and action while confirming that the game will simultaneously debut on Xbox Series X|S, PC, and PlayStation 5.

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There has been much confusion surrounding Microsoft's strategy for releasing games under its first-party Xbox Game Studios banner, which now includes games from Activision, Blizzard, and Bethesda. While titles like Starfield were exclusive to Xbox consoles and PC, others were not. Microsoft's gaming chief, Phil Spencer, recently said there were no "red lines" when it comes to bringing Xbox games to PlayStation.

This was in direct response to the new Halo teaser we recently got, where he was asked if the next Halo game would also launch on PlayStation. According to industry insider Jez Corden, the days of Xbox Game Studios exclusives for Xbox consoles and PC are effectively over.

"Xbox won't have exclusives going forward," Jez Corden wrote on X. "Everything is timed exclusive at most." There might be a few outliers, but it seems that one of the reasons for the current confusion comes down to Xbox teams being staffed and ready to release simultaneously across Xbox, PC, and PlayStation platforms. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is only available on Xbox Series X|S and PC but is coming to PS5 in early 2025. With PlayStation 5 reportedly outselling Xbox by a factor of 3 to 1, it makes sense that Xbox would be looking at increasing its revenue by bringing more games to more platforms.

That said, it's still a little confusing. DOOM: The Dark Ages is coming to PS5 in 2025, while Avowed and South of Midnight are currently not. "If some games are exclusive, it's going to be incidental at best," Jez Corden adds. "The "case by case" argument is, by and large, going to be multiplatform, timed, and with maybe a few (very few) outliers."

Naturally, time will tell if this is true - and most significant releases get a PS5 port. It's also worth pointing out that depending on your perspective, this isn't bad news, as Xbox Game Pass still offers all Xbox Game Studios titles as part of its subscription tiers. And if that means Xbox Series X owners with Game Pass get Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Avowed, DOOM: The Dark Ages, and The Outer Worlds 2 in 2025 - that represents better value than shelling out upwards of $70 for each of these games on PS5.

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