By Ben Kerry
Publication Date: 2026-03-25 13:30:00
Metacritic has today revealed its list of top game publishers for 2026 (based on their 2025 output), and this year, Microsoft has made the top five – beating out the likes of Sony and Nintendo in terms of average Metascores.
Based on its 2025 releases, Microsoft managed a Metacritic average rating of 80 – with Forza Horizon 5‘s PS5 port being the team’s best game with a score of 92. In fact, Xbox’s PS5 ports have massively boosted the overall output from last year, with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on PS5 being Microsoft’s second best-rated game.
“Microsoft’s very solid numbers listed above include games released by its subsidiary labels, including Bethesda Softworks, Activision, and Blizzard, in addition to its flagship Xbox Game Studios. Weirdly, Microsoft’s two highest-scoring 2025 games were actually PlayStation products— Forza Horizon 5 and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle —both ports of previous Xbox console exclusives.
Its best Xbox game? That would be…