It’s no secret that Microsoft and Xbox had a rough go at it this generation. Starting off on the wrong foot with a focus on TV production and the Kinect, Microsoft never really had the chance to fully right the ship. Games like Fable: Legends, Scalebound, and the new Phantom Dust saw a swift cancellation. Some other titles, like Crackdown 3 and Sea of Thieves, just ended up as disappointments. With Microsoft prepping to announce more about project xCloud and its next generation of hardware, it could stage a comeback. After all the company’s recent acquisitions, here are all of its internal developers and where they stand in 2019.
Yes, this year’s E3 conference should be a good show from Xbox Studios. We already know we’ll see more Halo and Gears, but we can’t help but hope for more. More than anyone, Microsoft really needs some fresh franchises to change up their first-party lineup. Players who have been around the block aren’t going to be impressed with the same old faces, especially considering the amazing experiences both Sony and Nintendo are putting out currently.
Of course, it’s also possible that Microsoft is playing the long game now. As we’ve seen with Google’s streaming service Stadia, there’s a whole new type of gaming platform out there. Microsoft’s Azure data centers set them up to be a part of that world in a way that Sony and Nintendo aren’t.
Will Microsoft have all its new studios chasing after the trends of AAA gaming? Will it try to fill out their catalog for Game Pass to sell a more complete subscription to streaming customers? Maybe Microsoft will try a hybrid approach to appeal to both the casual phone user and the hardcore Xbox One X owner? There are a lot of questions, ones that we’ll hopefully see answered this June in Los Angeles at E3.
Xbox Game Studios
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The Power of X | The Future of Xbox Studios
Microsoft did not have a great go at it this generation. It announced plenty of games that never materialized and have only now gotten back into the upswing. Thankfully, next-gen looks to be a rebound for the green team. What can we expect from Xbox Studios in the coming years? -
343 Industries
The Halo team has been the most publicly busy, especially recently. Not only is Halo Infinite confirmed for the E3 stage in 2019, but the studio has also recently announced a PC port of The Master Chief Collection. Between those two projects and sidesteps like Outpost Discovery and Fireteam Raven, 343 has its future pretty set in stone. -
The Coalition
Microsoft's Gears of War studio also has plenty of projects out in the open. Gears 5 is a 2019 release and should be hitting Game Pass this holiday season. The Coalition also has two side projects in the works, the PC-centric Gears Tactics and the mobile phone project Gears Pop! -
Turn 10 Studios
One of the only constants in the Xbox One years has been the presence of Forza every holiday. Turn 10 has been involved with seven mainline entries in the series, and there's no reason to suspect that we won't see a Forza Motorsport 8 hit the console this holiday. -
Playground Games
Playground Games produce Forza Horizon games during the off years for Forza proper, including Horizon 4 in 2018. There is also a second studio working on an unannounced game. If rumors are to be believed, this game is likely a new entry in the long-dormant Fable franchise for the next Xbox. -
Mojang
The team behind Minecraft is sometimes a forgotten part of the Xbox family, but there are always new things popping off in the brick-headed worlds. After an announcement at last year's Minecon, it is currently planning on releasing dungeon crawler Minecraft: Dungeons at some point this year. -
Rare
Rare continues to expand Sea of Thieves, a project with a midsize dedicated fan base. A success on Microsoft's Game Pass service, the pirate simulator saw four free expansions in 2018 and looks to get even more content in the future. Rare is also overseeing a new Battletoads which should see release in 2019. -
Undead Labs
Undead Labs has been releasing and working on State of Decay games since 2013. The second game in the franchise hit last year alongside some DLC support that's still ongoing. One has to wonder if a third entry is coming for the next Xbox or if the studio have something else up its sleeves. -
Compulsion Games
One of Microsoft's newest acquisitions, Compulsion has a spotty track record. After releasing Contrast early in the generation, the team got to work on We Happy Few. While it made a big splash at E3, the game released to less than stellar reviews last year. As for the future, any new games will have to wait, as three DLCs for the game's season pass are still due. -
Ninja Theory
Ninja Theory has always been known for ambitious games that stretch beyond its means. Most recently releasing Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice in 2017, the team has several projects in the works. Outside of some VR efforts, we'll probably see something new from them at E3. -
Obsidian Entertainment
Obsidian Entertainment is a powerhouse in the RPG world, pumping out plenty of critically acclaimed hits. Set to release The Outer Worlds later this year, there has been talk that their next project is something that Microsoft just couldn't pass up on. A possible tease for an E3 reveal? You decide. -
InXile Entertainment
The creators of The Bard's Tale and recent Wasteland games, InXile is finishing up work on Wasteland 3 in 2019. This game is still slated to see release on PlayStation 4, but things could change. The studio has also released several games over the course of the last few years, so we could see something new very soon. -
The Initative
Microsoft's brand new studio is pretty much a black box to the general public, but we know a few things. Microsoft is pitching this as a "AAAA studio" to potential hires, so whatever the budding studio working on should be rather big. Therefore, we might not see anything soon, but it could be a stab at another much-needed Gears or Halo-style tentpole.
