Following a day that saw Microsoft’s plans leak for Xbox Series X|S revisions, updated Xbox controllers, and their next gen release in 2028, a full slate of upcoming projects at Bethesda, and intentions and aspirations for future company acquisitions, Xbox boss Phil Spencer has posted both a public and internal response.
In essence, he downplayed the leak a little by noting that the documents that were accidentally released unredacted as part of the Microsoft vs. FTC court case were relatively old. Certainly there will be plenty that is accurate within them, but simply by the way that, for example, Bethesda’s development roadmap came from early 2020, plans and timescales shift.
On the thing that used to be Twitter, Spencer said, “It is hard to see our team’s work shared in this way because so much has changed and there’s so much to be excited about right now, and in the future.” He noted that they “will share the real plans when we are ready.”
This was accompanied by an internal memo sent to the teams within Microsoft’s gaming division – and then immediately leaked to The Verge – in which Spencer said:
“Team,
“Today, several documents submitted in the court proceedings related to our proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard were unintentionally disclosed. I know this is disappointing, even if many of the documents are well over a year old and our plans have evolved.
“I also know we all take the confidentiality of our plans and our partners’ information very seriously. This leak obviously is not us living up to that expectation. We will learn from what happened and be better going forward. We all put incredible amounts of passion and energy into our work, and this is never how we want that hard work to be shared with the community. That said, there’s so much more to be excited about, and when we’re ready, we’ll share the real plans with our players.
“In closing, I appreciate all of the work that you pour into Team Xbox to surprise and delight our players. In the days and weeks ahead, let’s stay focused on what we can control: continuing the amazing success of Starfield, the upcoming launch of the incredible and accessible Forza Motorsport, and continuing to build games, services and devices that millions of players can enjoy.”
While this leak shatters whatever marketing plans that Microsoft had for these to be surprises, there’s also a fair bit of intrigue and growing anticipation from these. For example, the new ‘Sebile’ Xbox Ultimate Controller will be bringing in things like haptic feedback on par with the DualSense, direct-to-cloud capabilities as seen with Stadia and Luna, and a shift in design. Not to mention there’s a genuine excitement to hear that another Doom game and a new Dishonored are both in development.
