Grumblevolcano

@Fiendish-Beaver Sony didn't want it for FTP games either and their strategy was going well until Fortnite got announced for Switch and had crossplay with XB1. Sony effectively got bullied into making their platform a bit more open.

I don't see Nintendo wanting Xbox Play Anywhere on their systems as it would reduce software sales so the only I see it happening on Nintendo or Sony hardware is if the EU forces it.

I think #14 could be Mina the Hollower judging by the length of the spaces provided for 007: First Light (#1) and Reanimal (#10).

I messed up the poll picks but I think it's going to be something like:

• February - Fable
• March - Halo Campaign Evolved
• April - Gears of War E-Day
• May - Forza Horizon 6

Maybe it's because Microsoft's fiscal year ends in June but during the multiplatform era of Xbox, they've been cramming lots of releases into February - May. There aren't many feasible legacy PS ports left from the current generation (Starfield, Avowed, South of Midnight, Grounded 2, Keeper) so I think they'll lean more into day 1 on PS5 stuff this time.

As for the Xbox 25th anniversary celebrations, I think it'll be a tone deaf focus on CoD much like how they hyped up "one more thing" in the June showcase this year just for it to turn out to be Black Ops 7.

@Cakefish It's about trust. The common trend since the infamous "4 games" business update has been:

• Step 1 - Rumours/leaks swirl about the state of Xbox
• Step 2 - Microsoft sends out a message refuting said rumours/leaks
• Step 3 - Rumours/leaks turn out to be true

Was a bit surprising that it wasn't same day but considering the news timeline (announce in September 2025, next news in 2026), I get the feeling the game releases on PC and Series X|S in May/June 2026.

Then the PS5 version comes in Fall/Holiday 2026 to avoid GTA6.

That sounds like a scam, maybe someone hacked the Microsoft Store?

I'm hoping that the holiday season is filled out more, it feels as though Microsoft withholding the Black Ops 7 release date is preventing studios from announcing their holiday season lineups.

@Fiendish-Beaver I could see Sony's strategy be that because of the next gen Xbox having Steam, any damage done by putting PS exclusives on Xbox is already done because of the PC strategy so porting games to Series X|S becomes solely a question of whether it can make Sony more money.

I don't see ES6 being shown off until after Starfield's PS5 release has gotten time in the spotlight.

I think they’ll show off Black Ops 7 campaign gameplay (CoD campaign gameplay happens every Gamescom) and the PS5 reveal of Fable (early 2026) at Opening Night Live. Considering Gears of War Reloaded releases the week after Gamescom, I think Microsoft’s going to be careful of what they show off to not overshadow that.

The message I’ve taken especially from the past 1.5 years is that generally if you wait long enough, you’ll get to play the games you want to play on your hardware of choice. That theme continues like FF7 Remake and FF16 no longer being PS console exclusive, the vast majority of the Xbox showcase coming to PS5 and the teases about next gen Xbox having Steam.

So I think in the end regarding the next batch of consoles (Switch 2, PS6, next gen Xbox), I’ll only need a Switch 2.

Windows 10 came out 2015 and Windows 11 came out in 2021 so my guess is the next gen Xbox hardware coincides with Windows 12 launch in 2027 considering the talk was all about making Windows (PC) the place to play, not Xbox.

@Juanalf Might be about AMD wanting to reassure investors about commitment to gaming?

@TapeLoader @Cakefish My guess is that they remove the Game Pass requirement for online but that backwards compatibility is a mess due to licensing. Play Anywhere games are fine, games which aren’t but are part of the “stream your own game” program requires Ultimate and those not part of either can’t be played on the new system.

Is it possible that Halo CE remake is a 2025 release and the 2026 surprise game tease is about ES6 because of Morrowind’s role for the original Xbox?

I rank it C. The ESO and Fallout 76 segments killed the pacing. Also ending the showcase with CoD while to be expected was still very disappointing. But there were some cool announcements like the FF releases and the Indiana Jones DLC.

Black Ops 6 was the PS5 bundle deal so I think Microsoft very well knew that a sale was going on. I could see it being that Microsoft wants people to move away from Xbox hardware so they have a justifiable reason to discontinue it.

It would fit in with that recent talk about them cancelling the handheld.

@Cakefish I think it's simply that the next gen Xbox is just a PC so considering Steam and other stores are expectations in the PC market, it would naturally come to the next gen Xbox as well.

This showcase feels like the last chance of Square Enix actually announcing FFVII Remake and FFXVI for Xbox considering the former already got announced for Switch 2. If they're not present here, it seems the message is "PC is an Xbox so technically they're already on Xbox".

Regarding exclusives, probably Hellblade 2 or Flight Sim over the summer. If you're looking at games owned by Microsoft in general though, I think they'll shadow drop Modern Warfare 3 (2011) in the June showcase.

@AverageGamer Only the THPS 3+4 remake is confirmed for Switch 2 at current from Microsoft. I think Nintendo's embargoing 3rd parties considering barely anything has been announced for Switch 2 after the April 2nd Direct.

Forza Horizon 4 got delisted 6 years after launch which would put FH5's delisting year at 2027 so 2027 sounds about right for FH6.

Halo 5 for MCC. The game had some very fun multiplayer modes like Warzone, Castle Wars and Breakout but the game's population dropped massively during Infinite's lifespan. By adding the game to MCC, those modes can be revived considering all the rumours surrounding MCC for PS5/Switch 2.

@Titntin I think Microsoft are going to heavy on remastering/remaking 360 games. Looking from a multiplatform perspective, you have that the current Sony and Nintendo hardware can't play PS3 and Wii/Wii U games respectively via backwards compatibility.

Taking that into account alongside that there were 360 exclusives back then, you'd have a situation where by remastering/remaking games (e.g. Oblivion, the Gears of War games, MW3 2011) you'd be filling in gaps in the PS5/Switch 2's 7th gen lineup.

I think it releases in August/September to avoid GTA6.

@IOI I could see if a game is getting new content that they use that to announce a port. So like for example "Starfield 2nd expansion launching on [insert date], complete edition launching for PC/Series X|S/PS5/Switch 2 on the same day".

@Fiendish-Beaver I think earlier in the year like March/April 2026 makes more sense for E-Day as having E-Day in September 2026 would mean the entire Fall/Holiday season from Microsoft is shooter games (Gears, CoD, Halo).

Having September be a completely different genre like FH6 or ES6 feels like a better fit to guarantee that the Fall/Holiday season has some variety.

@Kaloudz No but my guess in the case of Rare Replay would be that it's something to do with how they integrated the backwards compatibility program into the collection.

Selecting the 3 Banjo games, 2 Perfect Dark games, 2 Viva Pinata games, Jetpac Refuelled and Kameo in Rare Replay loads up the 360 backwards compatible versions.

@Kaloudz There were a few XB1 1st party games that didn't get a PC port like Rare Replay and Halo 5.

The Switch era showed me that for the most part if you wait long enough for games to come to your preferred system of choice, it'll happen eventually. So I think regarding Switch 2/PS6/Next Xbox, I'll only get Switch 2.

I think Microsoft will do what Activision did with MW2 (2009) where the old multiplayer maps end up in the new game (2023's MW3 for CoD, E-Day for Gears).

@Millionski Regarding Starfield, I think it's going to be brought over to PS5 when the 2nd expansion releases. That appears to be Microsoft's strategy for games that have post-launch updates or DLC, PS5 release to coincide with PC/Xbox getting the update/DLC. Grounded, Sea of Thieves, AoM, FH5 and AoE2 have all followed this pattern.

So like I wouldn't be surprised if Indiana Jones PS5 releases the same day as the Order of Giants DLC releases for all platforms.

I think June onwards for 2025 would be something like:

• June - THPS 3+4
• July - GoW Marcus Fenix Collection
• August - Outer Worlds 2
• September - Ninja Gaiden 4
• October - CoD 2025

I figure November and December will be left empty because of GTA6.

Not surprising considering GTA6 is still scheduled for Fall 2025.

@BacklogBrad @Fiendish-Beaver We can tell a Gears collection would be made because of other platforms based on how Microsoft has approached ports/remasters/remakes of Xbox and Xbox 360 games for XB1/Series X|S. After 2015 (the year that the backwards compatibility program started), the only ones that happened for backwards compatible games were:

• Halo Wars Definitive Edition (December 2016)
• Halo Reach being added to MCC (December 2019)

Both of which were part of Microsoft's big PC push. So we can tell that Microsoft use ports/remasters/remakes as a way to bring old games to systems that can't play them.

I don't think PS5 was part of the original plans though, rather an addition last year when Microsoft changed to multiplatform.

@K1LLEGAL It might be they're throwing everything at a wall and seeing what sticks, much like what Square Enix did in 2022.

@Friendly It's year on year so FY25Q2 is being compared to FY24Q2 (October - December 2023).

@themightyant I very much think next gen will be expensive, something like:

• Switch 2 - $499
• Xbox and PS handheld - $599
• Next gen Xbox and PS6 - $799 (no disc drive)

I think E-Day would be Spring 2026 so it can avoid clashing with Halo and CoD. That said, I also think GTA6 will be delayed to 2026 so they'd want to avoid that as well.

@Kaloudz If Square Enix are serious about their multiplatform comments, I think the most likely announcement time for Series X|S ports for the rest of PS exclusive FF is April 2nd. Announce the games for Switch 2 in the Switch 2 Direct and announce Xbox versions at the same time outside the Direct.

I think it'll be:

• March - South of Midnight
• April - Expedition 33 (making room for the Xbox 1st party April release being Indiana Jones for PS5)
• May - DOOM The Dark Ages
• June - Surprise 4th game

If the case, I think it's going to be an Xbox studio making a game for a non-gaming IP so like if Bethesda were to make a Godzilla game. There's already a 3rd party game in the event (Expedition 33) so it would be odd if half the Direct was 3rd party games.

While it does seem pretty much guaranteed they'd come at some point considering Square Enix's updated multiplatform strategy. I don't believe they'll be announced here, it doesn't fit the nature of what Developer Direct is about.

I think it's more likely what happened for FF in September 2018 with Switch 1 is repeated. They'll be announced for Switch 2 in a Nintendo video (Switch 2 reveal or Nintendo Direct) and then get confirmation of Xbox port afterwards.

Surprise location makes me think Forza Horizon 6 (they do the reveal in the country where the game takes place) but surely Microsoft would save Forza Horizon 6 for next gen if there is actually a next gen.

Considering how many XGS games that were announced in 2019 - 2021 ended up reappearing for the first time in 2024, it feels a safe guess that Everwild and Contraband reappear in 2025.

I could see it appearing as a result of the new 3rd party mindset. As a 3rd party publisher, Microsoft would see that Oblivion (a game previously playable on PS) isn't playable on PS5 because there's no PS3 backwards compatibility and so a remake has an opportunity for huge sales. Also Nintendo hardware has never had the game and Skyrim did well on Switch.

It's probably on about stuff like FFXVI, Silent Hill 2 Remake, MGS4, etc.

My guess is Fable (swapping an RPG for another RPG).

@Fiendish-Beaver @BacklogBrad While I think a Playstation PC launcher is believable and likely considering how fast Sony are porting their games to PC, I don't believe that cross-purchase would apply to every 3rd party game. Xbox Play Anywhere has been around for 8 years now and 3rd party support for it is still limited.

Considering this is the first big event since the "no red lines" comment and "This is an Xbox" campaign, I think Xbox's big presence here will be PS5 ports and "This is an Xbox" ads.

Then they do a Developer Direct in January to cover Avowed, DOOM The Dark Ages, Fable, South of Midnight and 1-2 other games.