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After years of prioritising wide availability for its games, Microsoft is changing its strategy again. Xbox representatives have confirmed that console exclusives for the brand are returning and will play a far greater role than before. The first titles signalling the new direction are Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution. At the same time, the company does not intend to entirely stop releasing selected games on other platforms. Everything depends on prior commitments and the nature of the individual title. Microsoft also promises clearer communication about the availability of its games.
Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution open a new era of exclusives
Matthew Ball, director of strategy at Xbox, has confirmed that the return to exclusive titles is only just beginning. According to company representatives, Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution will be permanent exclusives for Xbox consoles and will not appear on competing platforms. Gears of War: E-Day is set to debut on 6 October, while Clockwork Revolution will arrive in 2027. Ball noted these will not be the only games developed under the new strategy, although he did not disclose further projects. Microsoft aims to boost the appeal of its ecosystem again through unique titles available only on Xbox. This marks a significant change compared with recent years, when most Xbox Game Studios games also launched on other platforms. According to the company, the current moves are just the start of a larger plan. The return of exclusives is intended to be one of the pillars of Xbox's future growth. For players, this means that in the coming years more titles may appear that are available exclusively on Microsoft's consoles.
Not all Xbox games will, however, remain exclusive to a single platform
Microsoft emphasises that not every title will be covered by the new strategy. Fable is still due to be released simultaneously on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X in February 2027. Halo Campaign Evolved will also come to PlayStation 5, which will be the first time a mainline Halo entry is released on a Sony console. Matthew Ball explained that these decisions stem from earlier commitments to partners and players that were made before the strategy changed. The same applies to the Call of Duty series and other games-as-a-service. Under the agreements made during the acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Microsoft committed to publishing Call of Duty on Nintendo platforms, PlayStation and Steam at least until 2033. Matt Booty also admitted that the previous publishing policy may have been unclear to players. For that reason the company says every future release-date announcement will be accompanied by precise information about the platforms on which a given game will appear. This should make it easier for players to decide which hardware to buy and dispel doubts about the availability of upcoming titles.
Microsoft is clearly signalling a return to a strategy built around exclusive games for Xbox consoles. Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution are to be the first permanent exclusives of the new generation, although some previously announced titles will still appear on competing platforms. The company says this is just the start of the changes and that players can expect more exclusive releases in future.
source: digitaltrends
