Xbox’s latest decision to make some of its games exclusive again will not extend to multiplayer or live service titles.
That’s according to Xbox chief content officer Matt Booty, who told GamerTag Radio that while the company will now be ensuring some of its games will be Xbox console exclusives, those with a multiplayer focus will still be released on other platforms (most likely including PlayStation 5).
During its Xbox Games Showcase on Sunday, Xbox announced that Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution will be console exclusives. It was later clarified that these aren’t timed exclusives, meaning there are no plans to ever release them on PlayStation.
Booty was therefore asked how Xbox players will known in the future which games will be console exclusives and which won’t be, without getting confused.
“[We] want people to have a reason to get on board with Xbox, we want them to have a reason to buy an Xbox, [and] to be an Xbox fan,” Booty replied.
“[At the] same time, we want to reward the players who have been with us for a long time. We know that exclusives are important, that’s why we’ve got Gears [of War: E-Day] coming in 2026, Clockwork [Revolution] in 2027.
“[But] we also want to be clear that our big multiplayer games, live-service games, are going to continue to be multiplatform.”
Booty added that all games already confirmed for a PS5 release (which includes the upcoming Halo: Campaign Evolved, Fable and the PS5 port of Forza Horizon 6) will still be released on Sony‘s platform, but that all future games will either be Xbox console exclusive or multiplatform depending on the game.
“If we’ve promised something to players already, we’re going to honour that promise, right?” he explained. “And then we’re going to really – I think Asha [Sharma] said it – we’re going to make the right decision, not the fast decision. We’re going to keep thinking about this going forward.
“And I think you guys know as well as anybody that our principle is when we announce a date, we want to announce the platforms. So, it’s going to be case-by-case, but we’re going to be clear that when it’s got a date, it’s got a platform, and you’ll know what the choice is going to be.”
The announcement of new Xbox console exclusives follows Xbox CEO Asha Sharma stating that the Xbox platform “must have exclusive content and services”. Following the Xbox Games Showcase, Sharma wrote on social media: “We want people to choose Xbox because of great games and experiences. That also means giving you something that was made for Xbox.”
