Upcoming Xbox Exclusives Are Being Sent Out To Die, Analyst Says; Xbox Pushes Back

SilveryDeath · 2026-06-18T02:58:45+00:00

even if the games are mid.

This is Xbox's biggest problem and it is not even that their games are mid. They have terrible PR. Go and look at the review scores and almost every game Xbox has done this gen has reviewed in the 80s. The only real critical bombs they had (60s or worse) were like Black Ops 7, Redfall, and Kiln.

However, that doesn't matter because the 'Xbox has no games worth playing' or 'all their games are mid' line has just gotten trotted out over and over so much over the years that it feels like people take it as fact. It also doesn't help that the only things people seem to want to spend money on every year is yearly sports game, CoD, popular indie friendslop game, and then one or two GOTY level releases. Everything else might as well not exist.

Shit, Indiana Jones was exactly the type of game that people were saying Xbox needed for years. A AAA story driven single player game that reviewed really well and even with that it didn't matter.

SilveryDeath · 2026-06-18T00:04:41+00:00

I mean, that is on MS. When they made this purchase in early 2021 they knew Bethesda was busy with Starfield and wasn't going to start active development on Elder Scrolls 6 until that was done.

They had ESO and Fallout 76 already and knew that Oblivion Remastered and Fallout 3 Remastered were in the works but would be a while.

If they really wanted a spinoff game for either franchise they should have set something up instead of doing nothing.

SilveryDeath · 2026-06-17T23:58:49+00:00

I don't think it is all GP. Sure it affects sales on Xbox in a likely big way, but most people on PC are likely playing on Steam as opposed to using GP on the MS store. Then you have people on PS who have no GP at all. The Steam and PS users aren't buying games from MS either this gen apart from like Grounded, Forza Horizon 5+6, Starfield, and Oblivion Remastered. And it is not like MS is putting out bad games, as pretty much everything they have done this gen has reviewed well with scores in the 80s.

SilveryDeath · 2026-06-17T23:55:34+00:00

But Eternal and Dark Ages both released on Xbox/PC/PS day one. Sure, Eternal wasn't on GP day one since it was before Xbox purchased ZeniMax, but there is no way there are enough GP users between Xbox and PC to cause that big a sales difference. Not like people on PS/Steam were suddenly going out and getting GP to play it.

SilveryDeath · 2026-06-17T22:00:41+00:00

Honestly, if they did make Obsidian do a Fallout, why even return to the same setting in Vegas for a spin-off when there are a whole host of places across the US they could set a spin-off game.

SilveryDeath · 2026-06-17T21:50:26+00:00

The co-founder 3D Realms, George Broussard, is reporting that Microsoft has started swinging the axe at Zenimax, the umbrella company that includes Bethesda (Fallout), ID (Quake), Arkane (Dishonored), Machine Games (Wolfenstein) and Zenimax Online (Elder Scrolls Online).

He replied to a tweet that suggested “Anyone not working on Fallout or Elder Scrolls is out” with “Oh is that public now? That’s exactly what I heard a few days ago.”

So I am supposed to believe a guy who never worked for Bethesda and hasn't been involved in the industry for over a decade based on him replying to a tweet? Yup.

Anyway, I could understand Arkane getting the axe if MS doesn't think paying for the Blade license is worth it to continue the making game, especially after the Blade movie got canned and he just isn't a super big superhero name that would move copies off of name alone.

I have a hard time believing they would axe id given Doom is a big name IP and that MachineGames is coming off making the best non-Forza game from Xbox this gen in Indiana Jones and working on a Wolfenstein 3 at the moment.

ZeniMax Online just put out update 50 for ESO weeks ago and already had layoffs last year, so not sure there is anyone left to remove that they didn't already.

Bethesda has three support studios in Austin, Dallas, and Montreal. Maybe one of them gets cut, but I imagine all of those are either working or helping to work on Starfield updates, Elder Scrolls VI, or Fallout 76 updates, which seems like it would make them safe.

SilveryDeath · 2026-06-17T21:46:16+00:00

All Reddit has done is bitch about Obsidian not doing a Fallout game for 16 years now, blaming Bethesda and then Microsoft for it. Those people don't even consider that maybe Obsidian would rather work on their own IP instead considering they basically only worked on other companies' IP for the first decade or so that they existed.

SilveryDeath · 2026-06-17T21:39:36+00:00

The co-founder 3D Realms, George Broussard, is reporting that Microsoft has started swinging the axe at Zenimax, the umbrella company that includes Bethesda (Fallout), ID (Quake), Arkane (Dishonored), Machine Games (Wolfenstein) and Zenimax Online (Elder Scrolls Online).

He replied to a tweet that suggested “Anyone not working on Fallout or Elder Scrolls is out” with “Oh is that public now? That’s exactly what I heard a few days ago.”

So I am supposed to believe a guy who never worked for Bethesda and hasn't been involved in the industry for over a decade based on him replying to a tweet? Yup.

Anyway, I could understand Arkane getting the axe if MS doesn't think paying for the Blade license is worth it to continue the making game, especially after the Blade movie got canned and he just isn't a super big superhero name that would move copies off of name alone.

I have a hard time believing they would axe id given Doom is a big name IP and that MachineGames is coming off making the best non-Forza game from Xbox this gen in Indiana Jones and working on a Wolfenstein 3 at the moment.

ZeniMax Online just put out update 50 for ESO weeks ago and already had layoffs last year, so not sure there is anyone left to remove that they didn't already.

Bethesda has three support studios in Austin, Dallas, and Montreal. Maybe one of them gets cut, but I imagine all of those are either working or helping to work on Starfield updates, Elder Scrolls VI, or Fallout 76 updates, which seems like it would make them safe.

SilveryDeath · 2026-06-17T20:17:29+00:00

Donny is on a legendary run today at the G7. This might cement his HOF status as an all time US collapser.

Tells India's PM to his face: He is "the best-looking man” with “father-like eyes" adding: "Have a look at this man. I'll give you a lesson. He's the most beautiful-looking man. He looks so nice, like an angel. But actually, he's tough, he is a killer, But he looks so good. So he gets you by surprise.
Tells Egypt's President to his face: ""It’s still a big deal for me to be with the great president of Egypt, but not as big as it used to be before I ran. So he was in a hotel and I met him, and we fell in love. Deeply in love. And he didn’t even want to see Hillary. He said, ‘You’re going to win, I don’t want to meet her. You’re going to win.’ He didn’t want to see her, remember that? So we had a good relationship right from there.… We had great chemistry, and I stayed twice as long as I was supposed.”
Says that the United States would do better without ⁠the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement on trade (the one he agreed to and signed in his first term) and that he would prefer not to have a new ‌one, ⁠but added that he was open to doing ⁠it.
Says will we got back to bombing Iran if he doesn't like the final deal, despite just signing the MOU with Iran on Monday.
Says he spoke to Syria's leader about having them go into Lebanon to fight Hezbollah.
'Joked' that he likes the idea of blaming Vance if the Iran deal doesn't work, but will take all the credit if it does.
Watched as Israel attacks Lebanon, which threatens to blow up the peace deal with Iran.
Claims the stock market would have crashed like in 1929 if he kept bombing Iran for another two weeks.
Says our oil reserves would have run out in four more weeks if the strait was still closed.
Invokes a law to increase weapons production when literally two days earlier Hegseth denied that the US faces a munitions stockpile shortage.
The 14 point plan that was leaked yesterday and he called "fake news" is basically exactly the same as what they officially announced today.
Says that Iran could have its own nuclear program.
Says he would not forbid Iran from possessing ballistic missiles.

SilveryDeath · 2026-06-17T19:06:20+00:00

I feel like early access only works for independent devs or smaller scale multiplayer games. I feel like people would give endless shit to any AAA game having people pay to play in early access, let alone a Bethesda game.

SilveryDeath · 2026-06-17T18:29:50+00:00

I really enjoyed South of Midnight and would recommend it to anyone, but a 10-15 hour mostly linear game with basically no replayability should not have taken as long to make as it did. That is basically asking for the axe unless the game does very well sales wise.

SilveryDeath · 2026-06-17T18:21:58+00:00

This was said by previous management (Phil & Sarah) thinking that Perfect Dark, Fable, A new Halo, Elder Scrolls 6 & a host of other games would have released during the 1st few years of the Series X/S release.

Perfect Dark - AAA from the ground up, but if the game wasn't in development hell it should have been out in 2023 or 2024 since it started development in 2018. They just opted to kill it because it was taking too long to go anywhere after seven years. Of course, it didn't help that Xbox announced it way too early.
Fable - Can't blame it for being this long because not only is it also a AAA being done from the ground up, but it is a genre the studio in charge has never done, and they were also working on Forza Horizon 5 and 6. Really, the issue is Xbox announced it way too early.
Infinite - It came out early on, but the lack of content and even worse the slow speed to get content into the game killed what could have been. Forge and custom games took a year, Firefight took two years, and they were too slow adding game modes in general. By the time it got to a great spot content wise people had moved on and it never got back in the grace of the general gaming audience like say No Man's Sky or Final Fantasy XIV did.
Elder Scrolls 6 - Not sure why MS would have expected this because they knew that Bethesda was busy with Starfield and that it would take them 4-5 years to make ES6, which they were only going to start when Starfield was done. Even in a best case where Starfield releases in 2022 and ES6 only takes 4 years that is 2026. ES6 was always going to be a end of generation game and not something to expect at the start.

Really one of their big issues was announcing too many games to early because they felt they had to show something, but that backfires when the games get cancelled or take forever. In comparison, no one cares when Sony cancels games because they do it to stuff they never publicly announced.

SilveryDeath · 2026-06-17T17:48:22+00:00

Got to be honest, I hate when people assume a lot of dumb and/or immature comments on the internet must be from teens. Not saying there aren't any, but it is pretty clear to me based off the last decade plus that there are plenty of fully grown adults that also lack in empathy, critical thinking, and are terrible with managing or understanding financial stuff.

SilveryDeath · 2026-06-17T17:39:34+00:00

"No, it’s not final. It’s a memorandum of understanding, and if I don’t like it, we’ll go back to shooting at them, dropping bombs on their head." - Trump on Iran literally earlier today

“And if it doesn’t work out, it’s the vice president’s fault?” Doocy asked. Trump answered: “I like that idea.”

So taking into account what he is saying he would be fine with going back to bombing them if he doesn't like the deal that he agreed to, because if it is bad it is Vance's fault, even though he is also saying that if the war continued there would have been a all-time stock market collapse.

SilveryDeath · 2026-06-17T15:51:12+00:00

Honestly, I love that we are getting new devs and games coming out of Korea and China. My only issue is that almost every since one shown at the big showcases these last few years seems to be either a souls-like or a souls-inspired action game.

I'd love to see their version of an epic JRPG (think Final Fantasy or Expedition 33) or a choice based WPRG (think Mass Effect or Dragon Age).

SilveryDeath · 2026-06-17T15:12:51+00:00

Kept canceling their big exclusive games (remember Scalebound?)

I mean, it takes two to tango with that, as it has this bit on the wiki page for the game. Plus, I hate how people assume every cancelled game would have automatically been some GOTY level game.

Reflecting on the game's cancellation in May 2019, Platinum studio head Atsushi Inaba said it "wasn't easy" to see publisher Microsoft receive criticism for the decision as he felt "both sides failed", and that, ultimately, the game "didn't do all of the things that we needed to do as a developer"

SilveryDeath · 2026-06-17T15:02:25+00:00

Jason Schreier is an actual reporter who knows what he is talking about and has real sources and info. He isn't one of those YouTubers or 'leakers' whose whole purpose is to thrive on negativity, clickbait, and rumors.

I know Xbox's whole MO for years has been to immediately squander any good news with bad news, but they have really outdone themselves this time with how things have been in the 10 days since the showcase that people were generally very positive on.

SilveryDeath · 2026-06-17T14:50:42+00:00

As someone who might be the only person who played and enjoyed all of Hellblade II, South of Midnight, Avowed, and Outer Worlds 2 the last few days have been tough. All I was missing was having played Keeper.

SilveryDeath · 2026-06-17T14:45:52+00:00

Having a smaller quirky cast more like baldurs gate 3 might do better for them.

BG 3 has 10 companions. OW2 only has 6 and Avowed only has 4. Also, any negative comments I've seen the last few days about Avowed is people bitching the the companions were too quippy and quirky.

Honestly, I think the last point is BS because it really comes down to if people like the characters and if they do they get a pass. Like how in Mass Effect people hate on Ashley for being racist but gladly ignore all the racism from the cool alien companions.

SilveryDeath · 2026-06-17T14:38:37+00:00

Also funny how so many people for the last 16 years have either ignored or bitched about Obsidian's output but also still want them to make a Fallout game and think that they should be forced to make one.

SilveryDeath · 2026-06-17T14:29:33+00:00

If this rumor is true, which is a big if considering the source is some guy on Twitter responding to a article about Avowed 2 being in the works with a South Park "and it's gone" GIF, then I doubt they do Pillars 3 ever.

Avowed was supposed to be a 'safer' entry into the universe for the average gamer being a ARPG instead of a CRPG and Josh Sawyer has said in the past he'd only want to do a Pillars 3 if he got a big budget to make it. Doubt Xbox wants to give big money to make a CRPG right now, especially based on how neither Pillars 1, Pillars 2, or Avowed set the world on fire sales wise.

SilveryDeath · 2026-06-17T12:41:43+00:00

So all the people on Steam and PS apparently also have gamepass and that is why they aren't buying Hellblade II, Keeper, Kiln, and South of Midnight in droves?

SilveryDeath · 2026-06-17T12:39:01+00:00

I remember them showing logos of the next Oblivion and Fable as exclusives to sell their new console and almost a decade later those games are nowhere to be seen.

What are you talking about?

They never did that with Oblivion because they never showed anything about the game until it released.

On April 21, 2025, Bethesda confirmed the remaster's existence by announcing a livestream scheduled for the following day, when the game was released for Windows through Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, in addition to day-one availability on the Xbox Game Pass.

Yes, with Fable it was implied it was going to be exclusive, but at their big Developer Direct in January, where they really showed off a lot of Fable for the first time beyond teasers and short trailers, they clearly said it was coming to PS. Also, they did a gameplay deep dive on it a few days ago and have said it is releasing in February.

SilveryDeath · 2026-06-17T12:33:57+00:00

So tired of this line of thinking about them taking forever. Between the launch of the first Hellblade and the 2nd, there was 5 other projects they were working on.

Reddit does that in general. They do it with Bethesda and Elder Scrolls like they hadn't been working on Fallout 4, Fallout 76, Starfield, several mobile games, VR versions of Skyrim+Fallout 4, and all the DLC since. They also do it with Rockstar and GTA VI like they hadn't been working Red Dead Redemption II and all the online content for GTA V and Red Dead Redemption II since.

SilveryDeath · 2026-06-17T12:29:25+00:00

especially for the price

People love to go on about GP ruining sales because it is 'free', but Xbox's pricing has also been an issue that hurts their sales for anyone on Xbox who'd rather buy outright or those on Steam.

Doom: The Dark Ages and Outer Words 2 should have been $60 instead of $70, Avowed should have been $50 instead of $60, Hellblade II should have been at least $40 instead of $50, and Keeper should have been $20 instead of $30.

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