The dangerous information retains rolling in for Xbox avid gamers. A brand new report means that Microsoft might be abandoning its subsequent console.
A really dependable insider claims that Microsoft is planning some very “intense” adjustments for the Xbox model, and we might see them come to fruition within the coming months.
The primary change, sadly, will come within the type of one other spherical of layoffs heading into Q1 2026, and the corporate’s subsequent console era might by no means see the sunshine of day.
The insider continues by stating that Xbox’s future will focus solely on sport publishing and can altogether ditch the {hardware} element, highlighting the top-performing IPs in its portfolio whereas now not contemplating the event of recent consoles.
Whereas that is solely a rumor and ought to be met with skepticism, The Verge’s Tom Warren added gas to the fireplace when he stated throughout a current episode of the XboxEra podcast that the supply “is aware of numerous what goes on internally.”
In one other submit on NeoGAF, the dependable supply, who goes by SneakersSO and likewise occurred to trace at Microsoft’s shift to third-party growth earlier than it occurred, broke down the whole rumor relating to the way forward for Xbox’s {hardware} and the way the corporate shall be shifting ahead.
Per NeoGAF:
With out going into an excessive amount of element, not lengthy after the final spherical of layoffs (subsequent one ought to be coming in Q1 26 btw – and its going to be simply as huge because the final one), some rumblings out of Xbox beginning popping out that had been a little bit arduous to consider.
The ramifications of the CoD GP gambit not understanding had been simply beginning to get correctly measured, however the factor that actually caught out to me was that all of a sudden, actually concrete plans for precise MS Xbox HW went from being definitive, to up within the air, which was actually startling provided that this factor was meant to be out comparatively quickly. It was a type of conditions the place, regardless of of us being instructed ‘hey, we wanna pull the set off on this in 2026’, the steps you would wish to soak up the lead as much as delivering a brand new console gen weren’t being met. A number of issues that had been ‘certain issues’ began getting pushed. The Costco retailer pulling Xbox, and apparently they’re certainly one of many who we’ll find out about quickly, instructed me all I wanted to know.
To sum it up: the way forward for Xbox is software program publishing, with a considerably honed-in concentrate on worthwhile IPs (CoD, WoW, Minecraft, Sweet Crush, Forza Horizon), Cloud gaming being the house of the ‘Xbox platform’, transititioning GamePass into principally changing into the purpose of entry subscription for xCloud entry (which can proceed to drive its price ticket larger btw, they aren’t performed there simply but both), and releasing their software program on any system that has a market and customers keen to purchase their titles.
Perhaps some OEM factor will take up the Xbox identify, however given what’s clearly a collapse in favorable mindshare and religion in stated model, i’m not even certain a third occasion OEM is gonna wish to have an Xbox console by the point MS is finished with their reorienting of the division.
We Can Solely Hope This Information Isn’t True
We genuinely hope the information concerning the layoffs doesn’t come to move, as a result of the online game trade has been taking a major hit, and many individuals have misplaced their jobs over the previous a number of years.
Nevertheless it simply looks like that information is inevitable. As for Xbox’s shift to third-party, it seems to be a performed deal, and following the newest information concerning the Xbox Sport Go Final value hike, dropping cash on COD after bringing it to Sport Go, and the way the Black Ops 7 beta is underperforming in comparison with Battlefield 6, it’s not sounding too good for Microsoft proper now.
You’ll be able to see reactions to the rumor under.