All the First-Party Microsoft Game Studios Games Coming to Xbox, PlayStation and PC in 2025 and Beyond

The lifeblood of any console is the first-party exclusive titles. For most people, they are the primary motivating factor when it comes to choosing which of the big three console brands to get into bed with. For a long time, both Sony and Nintendo have clearly led the pack when it comes to consistently outputting quality first-party software, but Microsoft are making big moves to finally address the Xbox’s biggest weakness; a lack of kick-ass games. Now though, with Zenimax and Activision as part of their in-house development pipeline, Xbox is aiming to release a new first-party game every quarter, meaning in 2025 we should be expecting to see a new exclusive game every 3 months. That also means that, as I’m writing this, one should be coming along just about….now. Ish.

The good news is that we know of quite a few of the first-party titles currently being worked on. The bad news is that most of them have vague release windows, while some of them don’t even have that.

Advertisements

And remember, this list is for first-party Microsoft games only. That means only games being made by studios Microsoft owns will be included, not second-party titles. Nor does it include third-party games that will be exclusive to Microsoft’s platform, of which there are quite a few.

So if you want to know what you can look forward to this year from Microsoft, look no further.

Already Released In 2025

Avowed (Obsidian Entertainment) – February 18 – Xbox, PC

The team of Obsidian Entertainment are returning to the world of Pillars of Eternity this year with Avowed, a first-person fantasy RPG. Some form of mysterious plague is ravaging the land, so it’s going to be up to you to save the day.

Obsidian are a team with a deep history, so the hype for this one is massive. Surprisingly, most of what we’ve seen so far has focused on the action side of the equation, which is odd because Obsidian is known for its rich RPG mechanics.

Early previews for Avowed have been promising, so let’s keep our fingers crossed, shall we?

South of Midnight (Compulsion Games) – April 8 – Xbox, PC

“South of Midnight is a spellbinding third-person action-adventure game set in the American Deep South. Learn an ancient weaving power, explore the Deep South mythos and confront mysterious creatures in this folktale for modern times.”

It certainly has an intriguing blurb, doesn’t it? South of Midnight is Compulsion Games latest project and its a doozy. From the catchy music to the beautiful art-style, South of Midnight grabs your attention.

Check out my review.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (Machine Games) – April 17 – PlayStation

The most charismatic archaeologist ever raided the PlayStation tomb this year! Initially launching on Xbox back in December of 2024, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a spectacular adventure that captures the spirit of the original Indiana Jones trilogy.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Virtous, Bethesda) – April 22 – Xbox, PlayStation, PC

Bethesda blew minds around the globe by announcing and releasing a tremendous remaster/remake of their iconic 2006 RPG in the same day! Sadly, heaps of leaks prior to the launch ruined the surprise, but if you weren’t terminally online then April 22 was a massive moment!

The remaster/remake boasts gameplay changes, a whole new graphical engine and all of the previously released DLC.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered review.

Forza Horizon 5 (Playground Games, Panic Button) – April 29 – PlayStation

Microsoft has radically altered its trajectory, moving away from being the maker of the Xbox to being the biggest game publisher in the world. As a direct result, arguably the best racing game of the generation skidded onto PlayStation 5 this year.

DOOM: The Dark Ages (id Software) – May 15 – Xbox, PC

DOOM: The Dark Ages took the Doom Slayer in a more fantasy-inspired direction, dropping him into a world with cybernetic dragons, kings and guns. New gameplay gimmicks like a chainsaw shield and an emphasis on melee combat means this latest DOOM game kept up the trend of feeling quite different to play.

Was it all successful? Well, no. The story was mid, and despite how awesome they are initially, the dragon-riding and mech sequences got old quickly. But the gameplay is excellent, and probably less divisive than DOOM: Eternal was, although because of that it’s also inherently a little less…interesting.

Read my review here.

Advertisements

Games Still To Come In 2025

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 (Iron Galaxy) – July 11 – PC, PlayStation, Xbox

Following the fantastic first game which rebuilt the original two Tony Hawk Pro Skater series, the third and fourth games are now getting the same treatment. The bad news is that it isn’t the same developer handling it. The good news is that the trailer suggests it’ll still be sick AF, bro! Sorry. I’ll stop now.

There has been some controversy, though. Namely, the 2-minute time limit from the earlier games has been added to Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4’s levels, which were never designed with a timer in mind.

Gears of War Reloaded (The Coalition, Sumo Digital) – August 26 – Xbox, PC, PlayStation

For the second time in history, the original Gears of War is getting remastered! More importantly, Gears of War Reloaded marks the end of an era as one of Xbox’s two most iconic franchises roadie runs onto PlayStation. Yes, Marcus Fenix’s first stand against the Locust will be on PlayStation.

The remaster will contain updated graphics, multiplayer, cross-platforming support and much more.

The Outer Worlds 2 (Obsidian Entertainment) – Oct 29, 2025 – Xbox, PlayStation, PC

We got treated to a lengthy The Outer Worlds 2 deep-dive, giving us a far better look at what to expect from this bigger, better RPG. Along with confirmation that it will be the first Xbox game retailing at $80, which is slightly ironic given how heavily the features capitalism run rampant.

Regardless, The Outer Worlds 2 is shaping up very nicely.

2026 And Beyond

Gears of War: E-Day (The Coalition) – 2026

Most of us were expecting the announcement of Gears 6 at the Xbox Games Showcase, or even remasters of the first three games. Instead, the Coalition hit us with a true surprise: a prequel.

Gears of War: E-Day takes place long before the first game. It follows a young Marcus Fenix during the events of Emergence Day, when the Locus horde first rise from the depths of the planet and unleash horror on the world.

According to The Coalition, the aim is to make the Locus scary again, and to tell a story of an emerging brotherhood between Marcus Fenix and the returning Dominic Santiago, who is looking considerably less dead than the last time we saw him in Gears of War 3.

Advertisements

Fable (Playground Games) – 2026 – PC, Xbox

The Fable franchise was once a headlining act for Microsoft’s original Xbox and the Xbox 360, with developer Lionhead managing to put together three entries under the slightly insane supervision of Peter Molyneux. And yet, it kind of fell apart after the third game. A few spin-offs were made, but Fable faded away, becoming little more than a fairytale told to little children as they lay in bed.

This revival of the franchise is being headed up by PlayGround Games, a slightly surprising choice given that they primarily make the ongoing Forza Horizon series. Even more surprising is that Eidos-Montreal, currently owned by the quickly collapsing Embracer Group, is helping out.

The reveal trailer certainly looked promising. We then got another look at the Xbox Games Showcase in June, revealing that the player’s mentor is the greatest hero in all of Albion, a block called Humphrey. Oh, and Humphrey’s old protégé is the big bad villain of the game.

Unfortunately, Fable has been pushed back into 2026.

Perfect Dark (The Initiative) – CANCELLED

Project Dark was sadly cancelled as part of the closure of The Initiative.

The Initiative was formed in 2018 by Microsoft, a crack team composed of numerous industry veterans brought together in order to craft a singular vision: a new Perfect Dark.

The lid was finally lifted on Perfect Dark at the Xbox Games Showcase. Described as a “first-person secret agent thriller” the game is designed for new players but does slot into the existing Perfect Dark canon as well.

The emphasis is on completing missions in a variety of ways, from stealth and smart use of gadgets to using parkour and shooting everything that moves.

Reports have put Perfect Dark as releasing this year, but we have no official confirmation.

Blade (Arkane Lyon) – ?

Blade was a surprise reveal at the 2023 Game Awards that caught a lot of people, myself included, off-guard. The classic Marvel character has appeared in various games over the years, such as Marvel’s Midnight Suns, but this will be the first time the vampire hunter has been the star of the show.

Unfortunately, we don’t know much about this one. It’s going to be set in France, it’s going to be a 3rd person action game and…that’s kind of it. Arkane revealed this one quite early into its development, perhaps as a way to bounce back from the disappointing Redfall, and as such we don’t even have a vague release date. In fact, at no point has Microsoft or Arkane even confirmed that its an Xbox exclusive. Even the reveal trailer lacked any Xbox or Game Pass logos, and considering Xbox’s current direction, it’s probably a safe bet that Blade will be slicing his way onto PlayStation, too.

Regardless of all that, a game from Arkane Lyon, the team behind Dishonoured and Deathloop, where we get to play as the most badass vampire hunter to ever exist sounds amazing.

Clockwork Revolution (InXile) – ?

As InXile’s first game under the Microsoft banner, Clockwork Revolution is shaping up to be something rather special. A new look at the game gave us 5 minutes of action, which indicates that the developers are confident in their game. Sadly, not confident enough to provide a release date, or even a release window.

A first-person action game with some roleplaying flair, Clockwork Revolutiuon seems to draw inspiration from the likes of the BioShock series, more specifically BioShock Infinite. The Steampunk Victorian setting immediately grabs my attention, and when you throw time manipulation into the mix you officially have my interest.

Advertisements

Everwild (Rare) – CANCELLED

Everwild was cancelled as part of mass layoffs across Xbox.

Rare has been quietly toiling away in the background now. Since releasing the highly successful Sea of Thieves their only other output was Battletoads in 2022, begging the question of what the historic studio has been up to.

Everwild is the answer, and they’ve actually been working on it since 2014, though it was completely rebooted during that time due to creative director Simon Woodroffe leaving the project.

So what is it? Truthfully, we don’t really know. The game’s official page simply describes it as: “Unique and unforgettable experiences await in a natural and magical world.”

The trailer doesn’t give away too much, either, outside of its truly eye-catching visual style. We’ll just have to wait and see.

State of Decay 3 (Undead Labs) – ?

State of Decay finally emerged at the Xbox Games Showcase, but sadly no release date was forthcoming. We did get a nice new trailer though, so that’s something.

The fact that we’ve still not seen any gameplay is a little worrying, however. It has been four years since the game was announced, after all.

Project Mara ( Ninja Theory) – ?

You might be seeing a theme here when I say that we really don’t know much about Project Mara. It was announced back in 2020 and is described as an experimental project based on just one character and one location. Part of that experimental nature is an incredibly details and realistic recreation of a real-life apartment.

The trailer also seems to indicate a focus on the lead character’s mental state, which makes sense given Ninja Theory’s other game, Hellblade, has a main character suffering from psychosis.

The Elder Scrolls 6 (Bethesda Game Studios) – ?

Bethesda took the liberty of announcing the follow-up to Skyrim five freaking years ago, giving us nothing more than a logo and some music. And that’s it. Talk about a cock-tease, eh?

Now that Starfield is out, most of the team is presumably focused on the next Elder Scrolls, but even so, it looks like we’re at least a few years away from stomping around Tamriel. Leaked documents suggest a 2026 release date, although that must obviously be taken with a hefty pinch of salt.

In the meanwhile, Bethesda will probably launch Skyrim on at least a few more devices, including your nan’s pacemaker. They might even release a Special Edition trailer of the Elder Scrolls announcement teaser. Wouldn’t that be fun?

(That’s sarcasm Bethesda. Don’t take the idea seriously, for God’s sake.)