Xbox Finally Has Big Exclusives Again, But Gamers Are Still Confused

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Mike Tyson famously said that everyone has a plan until they face their first real challenge, highlighting how quickly things can change. This idea is similar to the saying, “No plan survives first contact with the enemy,” and is often used as a warning. However, Xbox seems to be interpreting this differently. According to CEO Asha Sharma, their plan remains the plan until new information or feedback from players suggests it needs to change.

This could involve simple changes like capitalizing “Xbox,” avoiding the display of competitor logos like PlayStation’s, and, crucially, focusing on exclusive games. While the first two points might seem minor, the most prominent request on the recent Xbox Play Voice forum is a clear demand: bring back exclusive titles.

So for XBOX’s 25th anniversary and the 20th anniversary of Gears of War, Sharma announced that Gears of War: E-Day would be an Xbox console exclusive (along with Clockwork Revolution, but we’ll get to that). It’s still coming to PC and launching day one on Game Pass, but if you picked up Reloaded on PS5 last year and wanted more Gears, well, you’ll need either of those or to wait.

Xbox has confirmed that both E-Day and Clockwork Revolution will not be exclusive to Xbox for a limited time. Any game already announced for multiple platforms, like Halo: Campaign Evolved and Forza Horizon 6, will remain on that track. This also applies to Grounded 2, which was recently confirmed for PlayStation 5, and Fable, which you can already pre-order on the PlayStation Store. So, as long as these plans stay in place, fans won’t have to wait for those games to come to other platforms.

But also Senua, the third game in the Hellblade series, and State of Decay 3? Sharma’s tweet on Twitter talked about wanting people to choose Xbox because “of great games and experiences. That also means giving you something that was made for Xbox.” Hence why E-Day and Clockwork are Xbox console exclusives. So does that mean other titles weren’t made for Xbox, even though they’re from Xbox first-party studios? And in the case of State of Decay 3, it wasn’t even announced for PS5 until recently.

Matt Booty, head of content at Xbox, recently explained their approach to exclusive games on a podcast. He suggested announcing exclusives is a way of thanking loyal fans – essentially giving them a reason to play on Xbox. However, popular multiplayer games and ongoing “live service” games will still be available on multiple platforms. This is similar to PlayStation’s strategy. It makes sense, especially if State of Decay 3 is designed to be supported for years, like the previous game. But given that E-Day also has a planned schedule of multiplayer content updates, isn’t that a live service too? And doesn’t that multiplayer content qualify as one of their ‘big’ offerings?

To add to everything else, Microsoft’s new chief strategy officer, Matthew Ball, explained to The Game Business that announcing two console exclusives wasn’t a single event or just a celebration, but the beginning of a long-term plan. He also confirmed that games with ongoing live services, like Call of Duty, will still be available on multiple platforms. Essentially, when Microsoft talks about its major multiplayer games, Call of Duty is usually the primary example they have in mind.

He admitted the company is aiming for a strategy that’s easy for typical Xbox players to grasp, but they aren’t quite there yet. When questioned about why the game Senua was released on multiple platforms and if this was due to previous agreements, Ball declined to comment, and offered a brief laugh.

So with all that out of the way, I have to admit to being morbidly fascinated by all this.

Let me be clear: making Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution exclusive to Xbox isn’t a terrible move. Xbox hardware sales have been declining for a while, and even Game Pass lost subscribers after the recent price increase. They lowered prices not to stop losses, but to win back former subscribers. These exclusives could make the Series X/S consoles seem like a better value. And honestly, E-Day looks demanding – you’ll need a powerful PC to run it. It’s uncertain if this will actually convince people to buy an Xbox, especially since one exclusive title isn’t enough, even with another planned for next year, but I like that they’re not just relying on a single release.

It also makes sense considering the approach to Project Helix, which can play both Xbox and PC games. If Microsoft follows through on that rumored multi-kit approach to Helix, offering a range of different price options for entry, then I could see this approach having some merit. And while there’s always the risk of lost sales from other platforms, Ball said this strategy is about “making an investment” in Xbox, even if some exclusives end up selling less overall.

While the overall idea is good, the way this strategy was communicated was a mess. It’s understandable to want to make a splash at the showcase, but failing to clearly explain why some games are exclusive and others aren’t made things seem unprofessional. They came across as eager and bold, but ultimately unprepared.

Xbox invested a lot of time and money in making its games available on other platforms, but then reversed course. While it’s not my place to criticize their spending, it raises questions about future releases. For example, if remakes of Halo 2 and 3 are announced, will players of the original Halo: Combat Evolved be left behind? It makes you wonder if this whole situation was a test to see how many players would switch to Xbox or PC to use Game Pass.

As a fan, it feels like Microsoft is asking for a lot of trust right now. It’s not just about being patient while they figure things out, but also about them essentially changing the rules after we’ve already gotten used to how things worked. People are saying this shift is more about the current team versus the previous one, but honestly, most of these games have been in development for ages. It’s like when you’re excited for your favorite restaurant to make your usual order, but then they get new owners who decide to take things off the menu, even though some of the original chefs are still there. It’s a little frustrating, to be honest!

And the worst part of all this is that XBOX’s efforts to insist this is the plan…when we already know it isn’t. “The plan is the plan until it isn’t the plan,” echoes Sharma’s words. How long before Microsoft throws its hands up in the air again and makes all these exclusives available on other consoles, whether fans like it or not? If it could change its stance so many times because there’s no overarching philosophy for the gaming division beyond the one charge, who’s to say it won’t do so again? Are we going to have a fresh generation with buyer’s remorse, who swear they’ll never trust XBOX again?

It’s unclear how things will turn out, and while that’s strangely interesting, it’s also tiring to watch, particularly as a fan. We’ll have to see if Xbox can achieve its goals, but perhaps they should scale back their aim to be the top gaming and entertainment company by 2030 until they can develop a clear and consistent plan for even just one aspect of their business.

Please be aware that the opinions shared in this article are the author’s own and don’t reflect the official stance of GamingBolt.

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2026-06-11 17:44