GoKawiilTwo years ago, when Microsoft first revealed that it was bringing four Xbox-exclusive games to the PS5 and Nintendo Switch, it made the announcement far more complicated than necessary. That’s not likely to improve anytime soon. In fact, things now seem more confusing than ever as the company tries to appease both fans and the bottom line.
When making the experimental move away from exclusives in 2024, Microsoft initially refused to name the games — Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment, Sea of Thieves, and Grounded — going cross platform, but was happy to shoot down rumors of Starfield and Indiana Jones coming to the PS5. Some Xbox fans thought the announcement meant “just four games,” others worried it was more, setting the stage for two years of confusion over what other titles would or would not be released on rival platforms. Eventually, Starfield and Indiana Jones both arrived on the PS5, only adding to the uncertainty.
With a new Xbox CEO in charge, hardcore fans have been ramping up the pressure on Microsoft to bring back Xbox-exclusive games, and the company finally relented during the Xbox Games Showcase on Sunday. Both Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution are now Xbox console exclusive titles, meaning they won’t be released on rival consoles. Sources at Xbox tell me the decision not to bring Gears of War: E-Day to PS5 was made fairly recently, after Microsoft had already done most of the work to port the game to Sony’s console.
Microsoft characterized the decision as “the return of exclusives,” noting that these two games “are not timed exclusives” so they theoretically won’t ever appear on the PS5 or Nintendo Switch 2. But what about other Xbox games in the future? “Games already announced for multiplatform releases will stick to that plan — we’re committed to investing in and growing Xbox both on console and beyond,” says Microsoft.
Xbox chief content officer Matt Booty revealed more about the decision in an interview with Gamertag Radio. “We want people to have a reason to get on board with Xbox, we want them to have a reason to buy an Xbox, a reason to be an Xbox fan,” says Booty. “At the same time we want to reward all our players that have been with us for a long time. We know that exclusives are important, that’s why we’ve got Gears coming in 2026 and Clockwork in 2027. We also want to be clear, our big multiplayer games, live-service games, are going to be multiplatform. If we’ve promised something to players already, we’re going to honor that promise.”
That helps explain why Fable, which was announced for PS5 earlier this year, is still coming to Sony’s console, and why Gears of War: E-Day is not. Microsoft never previously announced the platforms for E-Day.
But what about the new Xbox games Microsoft announced at its showcase? Senua, set in the Hellblade universe, is coming to PS5, and Spyro: A Real Beyond is also releasing on PS5 and Switch 2. You could argue that both of these franchises have a fan base on PlayStation thanks to past releases, but you could also argue that Microsoft was trying to build up a similar Gears of War fan base by releasing a remaster of the original Gears on PlayStation last year. PlayStation fans who enjoyed Re-Loaded will have to buy a PC or Xbox to play E-Day.
“Our principle is when we announce a date we want to announce the platforms,” says Booty. “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 will be.”
That doesn’t make Microsoft’s choices any clearer, though. State of Decay 3 is also being released on PS5, despite previous installments only ever being available on Xbox and PC. It has an open world survival sandbox with co-op for up to four players, so perhaps that makes it part of Microsoft’s “live service games,” or maybe it’s just a “case-by-case” decision. Who knows.
Microsoft’s return to Xbox exclusives has also created a weird situation where three of its big “four horsemen” Xbox franchises are coming to PS5. Halo: Campaign Evolved, Forza Horizon 6, and Fable are launching on PS5, but Gears of War: E-Day is not. It’s not clear if E-Day is enough of a big title to sell more Xbox consoles, but it certainly feels like a response to demands for Xbox exclusives from some fans.
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