For the past year or so, the word surrounding Xbox’s future was ‘multiplatform’. Under the previous leadership’s “Project Latitude” mindset, Microsoft made the shocking announcement that heavy console exclusive hitters like Gears of War, Sea of Thieves and Indiana Jones were heading over to the PlayStation 5. To many critics and fans, it looked like the first step toward Microsoft abandoning the console hardware race entirely to become a massive third-party publisher.
However, last night’s Xbox Games Showcase at the Summer Games Fest completely derailed that narrative.
Led by new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma and Chief Content Officer Matt Booty, Microsoft explicitly used the phrase “Return to Xbox” as the theme of the night, dropping a clear message that true, dedicated console exclusivity is back on the table.
The show didn’t just hint at this strategic 180; it based the entire presentation around it. The absolute highlight of the night was the gameplay reveal of Gears of War: E-Day, which was firmly announced as a Xbox console exclusive.
Industry insiders immediately reported that a PS5 version of E-Day had actually been in active planning stages until very recently, with retail placeholders pulled just before the show. By locking down its premier, gritty franchise prequel to Xbox Series X|S and PC, Microsoft is attempting to give consumers a definitive reason to buy Xbox hardware again.
Moments later, inXile Entertainment’s highly anticipated steampunk RPG Clockwork Revolution was also stamped with another Xbox console exclusivity label. Xbox Wire later explicitly clarified that these are not timed exclusives—if you want to play them, you need an Xbox.
The 180 isn’t entirely uniform though. While Gears of War and Clockwork are staying exclusive, other major first-party titles are still heading across the aisle. The long-awaited Fable reboot and the newly unveiled Halo: Campaign Evolved (built from the ground up in Unreal Engine 5) are both actively confirmed for PS5 launches.
It leaves Xbox’s strategy looking a bit like a case-by-case basis: protect the core legacy brands that sell consoles (Gears), while letting other big hitters like Halo, Fable, Call of Duty etc tap into Sony’s massive fan base. For the first time in years, Xbox hardware owners have genuine bragging rights again.
To end the Summer Games Fest, as well as celebrating the Xbox’s upcoming 25th anniversary, Microsoft sent a relentless barrage of game announcements. Here is the list of some of the games, expansions, and major updates shown last night.
- Gears of War: E-Day (6th Oct, 2026)
Xbox Console Exclusive / Day One Game Pass - Halo: Campaign Evolved (28th July, 2026)
Coming to PS5 / Day One Game Pass - Fable (23rd Feb, 2027)
Coming to PS5 / Day One Game Pass - Clockwork Revolution (2027)
Xbox Console Exclusive / Day One Game Pass. - Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 (23rd Oct, 2026)
Multiplatform - Minecraft Dungeons II (29th Sept, 2026)
Multiplatform / Day One Game Pass - Senua (2027)
Multiplatform / Day One Game Pass - State of Decay 3 (TBC)
Multiplatform - Spyro: A Realm Beyond (Spring 2027)
Multiplatform - Persona 6 (TBC)
Multiplatform - Persona 4 Revival (18th Feb 2027)
Multiplatform - Where Winds Meet (Available Now)
Out now on Game Pass - Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember (2027)
Multiplatform - Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy (27th Aug, 2026)
Day One Game Pass - METRO 2039 (2027)
Multiplatform - Crazy Taxi: World Tour (2027)
Multiplatform - Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse (15th Oct, 2026)
Multiplatform - Magicians: The Devil’s Deal (2027)
Day One Game Pass - DOOM: The Dark Ages – Revelations (7th July, 2026)
Day One Game Pass - Sea of Thieves: Custom Seas Update
Free Update - Age of Empires IV: Expansion (Fall 2026)
PC & Xbox - The Elder Scrolls Online: Thieves Guild Season (8th July, 2026)
Multiplatform - Fallout 76: Air America – Available Now
Multiplatform
Final Surprise
To close out the 25th-anniversary celebration, Microsoft also revealed the Xbox Series X25 Limited Edition console dropping this November. It sports a nostalgic, translucent “OG Green” shell directly inspired by the original 2001 Xbox console, alongside a matching special edition controller.
