Xbox President Says the Idea of Console Exclusives Is 'Antiquated'

Xbox President Sarah Bond has said the gaming industry is evolving past console exclusives. Microsoft has seen some remarkable success from exclusives like Halo, Forza, and Gears of War throughout its history, but it has made a habit of releasing these titles on competitors’ platforms in recent years. Now, the head of Xbox has confirmed in no uncertain terms that the company largely sees exclusivity as a thing of the past.

There are some big changes shaking things up at Xbox lately, and it’s led to both ups and downs for the brand. Former Blizzard President Mike Ybarra has criticized Microsoft’s “This is an Xbox” strategy, saying “only a moron” would make hardware without exclusives, but Microsoft has also reaped considerable profits from releasing Xbox games on PlayStation. Price hikes, layoffs, and AI usage have also stirred up contention among the fanbase, but through it all, the gaming giant says it’s committed to accessibility.

Xbox President Sarah Bond Says Platform Exclusives Are an Outdated Concept

In an interview with Mashable, Bond said, “we’re really seeing people evolve way past” exclusives when asked about any blockbuster first-party software Xbox has in its future. She went on to highlight how many of the biggest successes in gaming are those like Minecraft, and Fortnite, which are available virtually everywhere. Bond says these more widely accessible games drive community, so the idea of going in the opposite direction and making a title exclusive to one store or device “is antiquated for most people.” Of course, there’s also a financial argument to be made for non-exclusivity, considering how Microsoft made $465 million in December 2024 through its game publishing alone.

Bond tied the move away from exclusives into the recently released ROG Xbox Ally, saying how both give gamers more options to play what they want the way they want to and with anyone. These strong statements about non-exclusivity and how it aids gaming accessibility make it sound like the company may be phasing out Xbox-only games entirely. While it’s still unclear if Microsoft will take the approach to those extremes, there aren’t many blockbuster franchises it has left that aren’t available on another platform. The persistent rumors that Halo is coming to PS5 would further cement that shift if they prove true.

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Microsoft is not the only company bringing their games to competitors’ systems. PlayStation released Helldivers 2 on Xbox the same day Gears of War: Reloaded came to PS5 and has brought several of its biggest titles, like the Last of Us franchise, to PC.