Xbox fans have long been told “next year is our year”, but as release dates slip and Microsoft begins to move its franchises to other systems, does that argument hold water anymore?
2024 was a year of mixed fortunes for Team Green, with the added pressure of the Activision-Blizzard purchase adding additional scrutiny to what already feels like a muddled strategy.
Still, there are bright spots, with Blizzard already starting to return to form and the Bethesda deal showing promise thanks to Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (plus the excellent Fallout TV show).
About last year…
With no new hardware outside of subtle revisions (more on those shortly), Microsoft was able to let its software do the talking - and without its big-money purchases of Activision-Blizzard and Bethesda, may have been a little too quiet.
We really liked Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, but that was arguably the biggest title Xbox had for the first half of the year. Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl was also a big coup for Game Pass (and is an Xbox console exclusive), albeit not being first-party. The strategy duo of Age of Mythology Retold and Ara History Untold are great and all, but it was the company’s latest purchase that did the heavy lifting.
World of Warcraft’s The War Within expansion is one of its best in years, while the Vessel of Hatred expansion for Diablo 4 helped give the game additional legs - particularly when the base game arrived on Xbox Game Pass earlier this year.
Bethesda put out a great expansion for Starfield with Shattered Space and continued patching it throughout the year, while Indiana Jones and the Great Circle could end up being one of the year’s best games when the dust settles after its December release.
Still, it remains a question of “next year is our year”, with Avowed, Fable, Doom: The Dark Ages, and South of Midnight all slated for 2025 after being shown off at arguably Xbox’s best showcase in its history. At some point, Microsoft will have to show and not tell, and that could be the moment that’s make or break for its gaming division, especially given the sheer volume of its layoffs from 2024 alone.
Considering Microsoft shuttered multiple studios in 2024, including the team behind the excellent Hi-Fi Rush, the stakes have never been higher for it to show it can manage its huge portfolio of studios.
Still, it appears releasing its games on other platforms is helping ease some of the financial burden. Grounded, Sea of Thieves, Pentiment, and Hi-Fi Rush all hopped the fence to PS5 and Switch, and by all accounts have sold well.
With Doom: The Dark Ages and Indiana Jones also both confirmed to be coming to Sony’s console, Microsoft is seemingly banking on being the only place you can play them without actually buying them - or having to wait - bringing us nicely to Game Pass.
Game Pass is the big winner, but only just
Xbox Game Pass has really come into its own in 2024, to the point where extolling its virtues feels like an ad.
If you picked up a membership to avoid paying full price for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (and who could blame you) - despite the suspicious removal of the $1 / £1 trial just before the game’s release - you’ve no doubt seen just how strong the lineup is.
Stalker 2, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Hellblade 2, and last year’s Diablo 4, Modern Warfare 3, and Octopath Traveler 2 have been added, and you’ll still find Halo, Gears, Hollow Knight, Monster Hunter Rise, and plenty more on there.
It really feels like the Activision-Blizzard acquisition has seen Microsoft kick on with its Game Pass plans, and that’s great, but the new membership tiers leave a lot to be desired. Microsoft made big changes this year, removing the Game Pass for Console tier in favor of Xbox Game Pass Core which removes access to day-one additions. That means that saying “play Black Ops 6 Day One with Game Pass” now feels like it needs to be asterisked depending on which subscription you have.
What could’ve been a slam dunk for Microsoft no doubt led to plenty of confusion for users, and that’s a shame. Here’s hoping Microsoft can improve its messaging ahead of what could be a colossal year for the service in 2025.
Avowed, Atomfall, South of Midnight, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 are all tipped to debut on Xbox Game Pass, and there could be much more announced soon, but telling players they can play something like Fable on day one with Game Pass only for them to need to upgrade their subscription feels like a rake waiting to be stepped on.
Do you need an Xbox anymore?
Microsoft closed out this year with its “This is an Xbox” campaign, and it’s certainly got people talking. The thing is, does anyone need an Xbox anymore? Is Microsoft just as happy for you to play Doom: The Dark Ages on PS5 next year, or Call of Duty 2026 on your phone via streaming?
I’m dubious that a company of Microsoft’s means is genuinely comfortable ceding ground to the likes of Sony and Nintendo, but in the bigger picture, it’s clear Microsoft is making money from putting games on other platforms - perhaps because it hasn’t been able to grow its own console base as much as it hoped.
Outside of Xbox game reviews, I’ve barely switched mine on this year, and that’s a shame, but I also acknowledge that I’ve played a lot of games that fall under Microsoft’s banner between Call of Duty, Starfield, and Diablo 4 - I’ve just been playing them on PC or PS5.
Then again, anyone who does want to buy an Xbox console is now spoilt for choice. The Xbox Series S now comes with a much more spacious 1TB internal drive, while the Series X comes in a white all-digital edition as well as a new 2TB version. There was no mid-generation refresh this time around though, away from those new versions.
It’s also clear that Microsoft sees a future in its console business, with its bizarre Xbox podcast earlier this year featuring comments about the next generation, and Phil Spencer confirming an interest in developing a handheld console. Still, whether it expects users to buy them when just about anything can be played elsewhere remains the question.
2025 is likely to be pivotal for Microsoft’s gaming business. As it stands, South of Midnight, Fable, Avowed, and Doom: The Dark Ages could make Game Pass the big winner of the year, but Microsoft has fumbled winning hands before - and Avowed is the only one of that selection with an actual release date right now.
Anyway, here’s hoping it can show it can be a more responsible custodian of the huge number of studios now under its banner.
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