Xbox Tells Fans Not to Expect Single-Player Games to Always Be Console Exclusives as It’s Not “Carved in Stone”
Many fans believed Microsoft had changed its strategy after Xbox CEO Asha Sharma announced two Xbox Series X|S exclusives during the Xbox Games Showcase 2026.
The announcement led some players to think the company’s multiplatform plans for PS5 and Nintendo Switch 2 were over.
However, Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty has once again explained that not every single-player game will automatically remain exclusive to Xbox consoles.
Xbox Says Single-Player Games Will Not Always Be Console Exclusives
Speaking with GamesRadar+, Matt Booty said fans should not assume that single-player games will always remain console exclusives. “I wouldn’t overly fixate on single-player. I think that’s a good rule of thumb, but it certainly isn’t something that’s carved in stone.”
The interview comes just weeks before the launch of Gears of War: E-Day and ahead of Clockwork Revolution, which is expected to arrive in 2027.
In addition, Microsoft has already shown that not every game from Xbox Game Studios, Bethesda, and Activision Blizzard will be limited to Xbox consoles. Minecraft Dungeons 2 and Grounded 2 are both coming to other platforms later this year.
Xbox strategy director Matthew Ball said this is because large live-service games are designed to reach players across multiple platforms. Some fans believed this would mean that single-player games would stay exclusive, but Booty said the decision is made on a game-by-game basis.
He said, “There are a lot of different games in our portfolio, and we have to think about how different games serve different purposes within it.” Ball also admitted that the company’s strategy may not be easy for players to understand, saying, “I recognize that this approach is not obvious to all of our players, and we are committed to making this clearer.”
While franchises like Call of Duty will continue to release on multiple platforms, it is still unclear whether games such as OD or The Elder Scrolls VI will follow the same path.
In short, Xbox will keep evaluating each game on its own. Multiplayer games will launch on multiple platforms, while single-player games may or may not remain Xbox exclusives depending on the title.
Stay connected to MP1st and the latest news by following us on Bluesky, X, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and Google News.
