By Michael Kan
Publication Date: 2026-04-24 20:19:00
Microsoft is indicating it could revive Xbox-exclusive games after a period of phasing them out.
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma and Chief Content Officer Matt Booty mentioned the possibility in a message sent to the company’s gaming staff on Thursday, focused on establishing a “master plan” for Xbox to compete in a new era of gaming.
“Along the way, we will reevaluate our approach to exclusivity, windowing, and AI, and share more as we learn and decide,” they wrote.
Microsoft’s 2024 push to shift away from Xbox exclusives has been controversial; the company’s former gaming head, Phil Spencer, defended the change as a way to expand the user base for Xbox games and keep them viable. But chipping away at exclusivity also undermines the incentive to buy an Xbox console, since franchises like Gears of War and Halo are also being released on the PlayStation 5.
Sharma and Booty’s memo concedes that “Players are frustrated. New feature drops on console have…
