Xbox prioritizes Elder Scrolls VI, Fallout, and Halo in new strategy shift

Xbox's new CEO Asha Sharma wants to speed up The Elder Scrolls VI's development and plans to invest in other big franchises as part of a company reset.

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Following a string of sales duds, Xbox needs more hit software at the ready. The group's new CEO Asha Sharma plans to make that a reality by advancing the production of games in key franchises, including The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, and Halo, sources tell The Information.

Focusing on these key properties is said to be part of Sharma's plan to revive Xbox. Right now, the Xbox brand has ownership of 20 video game franchises that have each made at least $1 billion in gross revenue--oftentimes much more.

Even when excluding its most recent acquisition, Activision, Microsoft has been somewhat lax in fully tapping the potential of these properties over the years, leading to spaces in between big releases.

Originally revealed in 2018, The Elder Scrolls VI has been markedly absent from the public eye for years and fans are buzzing for more.

The Halo brand itself was disrupted by turbulence within the group, as well as the loss of studio founder Bonnie Ross in 2022. Layoffs and major restructuring afflicted the studio and some projects were cancelled, leaving holes in the product slate. There have been reports of at least two new Halo games in the works--remakes of both Halo 2 and Halo 3--alongside a potential mainline sequel.

As for Fallout, it's been 10 years since the last mainline game in the series, and Bethesda mostly expands the franchise through Fallout 76 while also releasing well-timed remasters that take advantage of 5-year and 10-year anniversaries. Todd Howard has also asserted that new Fallout projects in development.

These are potent franchises that are integral and core to Xbox as a whole, however some of these games may be unlikely to become Xbox exclusive.

Halo was always owned by Microsoft, but Fallout and Elder Scrolls game from the Bethesda acquisition, and Microsoft was already heavily scrutinized for conducting exclusivity tests before it bought Bethesda (under the Neutrino Model). It may be unlikely that Xbox tries to take Fallout and Elder Scrolls exclusive for this reason, as it could lead to an anti-trust lawsuit that the group doesn't need right now.