With Microsoft heading into the launch of its next-gen consoles,the Xbox Series X and Series S, the company is putting the full power of its lineup of first-party development studios towards new exclusive titles. Alongside its long-time franchises likeHalo,Gears of War, andForza, Microsoft has brought numerous new studios into the fold of its first-party development house,Xbox Game Studios. Most recently, Microsoft made the surprise announcement thatit would be bringing in Bethesda Softworks as part of an acquisition deal with ZeniMax Media, making its first-party development roster even more expansive than before.
Coming off the heels of its other recent acquisitions over the past few years like Ninja Theory, Obsidian, Double Fine, and more, Xbox Game Studios now has 23 studios under its belt to bring fan favorite franchises and new IP to Xbox consoles over the coming years. Whilewe previously looked at Microsoft’s studio acquisitions in 2018, here is a more expansive look at all of the first-party studios currently at Xbox Game Studios, and what they have coming in the future.
Turn 10 Studios (founded in 2001)
One of Microsoft’s earliest first-party studios is Turn 10 Studios, the venerable house of theForza Motorsportseries. Founded in 2001, Turn 10 has created all of the mainlineForzaMotorsporttitles for 15 years, back since the days of the original Xbox and all the way through to the Xbox One.
With that being the case, it’s not exactly a huge surprise that Turn 10 is at work on the next iteration of their flagship racing series, for now titledForza Motorsport(though likelyForza Motorsport 8). Confirmed for the Xbox Series X and Series S, Turn 10’s next title will be the series' introduction to next-gen. While it doesn’t have a release date yet, it seems likely that we can probably expect the nextForza Motorsportto arrive sometime in 2021, with their last project beingForza Motorsport 7in 2017.
Rare (acquired in 2002)
While initially known for its iconic N64-era titles likePerfect Dark,GoldenEye007, andBanjo-Kazooie, Rare became one of Microsoft’s earliest acquisitions to develop new titles under Xbox. In the Xbox 360 era, it brought early titles to the platform likePerfect Dark Zero,Kameo: Elements of Power, andViva Pinata, and later on would develop experiences tailored for Xbox Kinect such asKinect Sports. In the Xbox One era, Rare released the nostalgia packedRare Replaycollection with 30 of its most iconic games, andSea of Thieves, its nautical pirate multiplayer game that has amassed success on Xbox One and PC.
Most recently, Rare assisted with the development ofBattletoadsby Dlala Studios, which debuted last month on Xbox One and PC. While the studio is continuing to supportSea of Thieveswith new updates and content, looking ahead Rare’s next project isEverwild, a visually-stunning new title that is coming to Xbox Series X/S and PC sometime in the future.
343 Industries (founded in 2007)
After Bungie went its own way from Microsoft to seek independence, 343 Industries was created in 2007 to take up the mantle of Xbox’s flagship franchise,Halo. Following the release ofHalo: Reachin 2010, which would mark the final Bungie-developed installment in the series, 343 Industries took up the next chapter of the franchise withHalo 4in 2012, after starting out withHalo: Combat Evolved Anniversarythe year before.
Since then, 343 has led the charge on developing newHaloprojects themselves–likeHalo 4andHalo 5: Guardians–or collaborated with other studios on spin-offs, such asHalo Wars 2. The studio was also at the helm ofThe Master Chief Collection, which had a notably rocky launch on Xbox One in 2014, but has since evolved into the definitive home for theHaloseries, including its recent release on PC.
343 Industries' key project right now isHalo Infinite, which was originally intended to launch in fall 2020 as the marquee title for the Xbox Series X and Series S. However, in light of behind-the-scenes development hurdles and notable backlash during its gameplay reveal this summer (including the infamousCraig the Brute),Halo Infinitehada surprise delay pushing it back sometime into 2021.
The Coalition (founded in 2010)
Much like 343 Industries, Microsoft established The Coalition in 2010 to be the future home of theGears of Warfranchise. Since the studio’s foundation, The Coalition has been at the helm of the past two mainline entries in the series–Gears of War 4andGears 5–and also assisted with development on the franchise’s strategy game spin-offGears Tacticswith Splash Damage.
In terms of what the future has in store for the studio, the easiest guess is that the studio is most likely working on the next mainline installment in theGearsseries for Microsoft’s next-gen consoles, while (in the meantime) supporting bothGears 5andGears Tacticswith new updates and content.
Mojang (acquired in 2014)
The acquisition of Mojang by Microsoft in 2014was (at the time) one of the biggest shakeups in the games industry and a major deal for the company. Purchased for $2.5 billion, the acquisition gave Microsoft one of the best-selling and most profitable games of all-time,Minecraft, and the opportunity to build on the immensely-popular title into a full-fledged franchise.
Following the acquisition, Mojang has still been able to support and updateMinecraftacross its several multi-platform releases, but has also developed several new projects under Microsoft’s wing. Aside from new updates and content for the base game, earlier this year Mojang releasedMinecraft Dungeonson consoles and PC, and last year debuted its mobile AR experienceMinecraftEarth. While Mojang has had some smaller projects release over the past few years, presumably we’ll see moreMinecraftprojects down the line, including (most likely) bringing the original game to Xbox Series X and Series S.
Compulsion Games (acquired in 2018)
Part of Microsoft’s group of new acquisitions at E3 2018, Compulsion Games is a developer with only a few titles under its belt but a lot of promise. Founded in 2009, the Canadian studio made its debut withContrast, an artistic puzzle platformer that released in late 2013. After that, the studio began work on its next big projectWe Happy Few, a trippy survival title that drew comparisons toBioShockwith its initial reveal. AfterWe Happy Few’s early access debut in 2016, Compulsion gradually updated and worked on the title heading into its full launch in 2018, followed by several DLC expansions that released up into last year.
At the moment, it’s unknown what Compulsion Games is working on next afterWe Happy Few. Presumably the studio will be working on a new title for Xbox’s next-gen platforms, but for now we’ll have to wait and see what that turns out to be.
The Initiative (founded in 2018)
Of all of Microsoft’s first-party teams at Xbox Game Studios, The Initiative is still the most mysterious. Founded in 2018, the California-based team was established to create new exclusive titles for Xbox, but there hasn’t been any official word or announcements yet on what the studio is actually working on.
Rumors throughout the past year or so suggest that The Initiative may be working ona new installment or reboot of thePerfect Darkseries, with Phil Spencer suggesting that the studio may be working on a project tied to an older IP. However, we’ll have to wait and see what The Initiative is actually working on, but it’s safe to assume that it will be a next-gen project.
inXile Entertainment (acquired in 2018)
Acquired alongside developer Obsidian Entertainment in late 2018, inXile Entertainment has long been known for its roster of RPGs, including 2014’sWasteland 2. Bringing a studio known for its deep, complex RPGs is likely an enticing offer for Microsoft, especially for the PC gaming crowd and CRPG lovers.
inXile’s most recent project wasWasteland 3, which debuted on consoles and PC last month and garnered critical acclaim for its deep RPG gameplay and emphasis on player choice. At the moment it’s not known yet what inXile might be working on, but recent reports suggest thatthe studio is working on a next-gen RPG experience.
