Yesterday, many reports crashed into the internet that suggested Xbox will bring their First-Party exclusive titles to competitive platforms such as the PlayStation 5, and today, their fans are NOT happy.
Bombshell reports took over the internet yesterday that suggested Xbox will no longer keep their first-party published titles exclusive to their platform and will likely release exclusives like Gears of War and Halo outside of the Microsoft ecosystem. The reports have even mentioned that recently released exclusives—like Starfield and unreleased exclusives like Indiana Jones and the Great Circle—will also be stepping outside of the Microsoft ecosystem. While the move would be unprecedented in the video game industry, fans of the green-and-black are irate with the reports.
Xbox Game Studios fan and longtime community member, Klobrille, took to X (formerly Twitter) to make statements about how he feels about the reports, while also writing on ResetEra yesterday that they plan to retire as Klobrille.
They write: “The baseline for being Klobrille has always been the trust & credibility of the brand I support and my excitement for the path ahead. All three are at an all-time low right now. I’ve made the decision, depending on what comes next or its magnitude, to take significant steps back and reduce or even retire the Klobrille persona.” Although he doesn’t mention the exclusivity concerns as fuel for this decision, the timing makes sense, as does the post below.
Other fans have gone scorched earth on the brand with thinly veiled threats. Under the search query ‘Xbox’ on social media platform X, user PeterOvo5 said, “Imagine spending $90 billion buying Bethesda and Activision only to turn the Xbox brand into a glorified Ubisoft. Rumors better be a lie” regarding the recent reports. Other users have taken the stance of making fun of the angered fans, therefore inciting more anger, like X user _Tom_Henderson_ sarcastically quipping, “We live in a time where 40-year-old men are selling their consoles because a 3 trillion dollar company is allegedly changing its business strategy to make even more money. Wild.”
Then there are those like user Dannyodwyer, who don’t understand the outrage at all, saying, “I couldn’t care less if Xbox or PlayStation allow their games on other systems, BUT it will make the identity of a console fanboy even more redundant. which has always been the most tired s***, and only gotten worse as these fans have grown into weird corporation-adoring adults.”
Despite all of the fan backlash, Microsoft’s Phil Spencer has also taken to the X platform since these reports have surfaced to say a business update event will be happening next week. So, while nothing has been confirmed or denied following the reports, fans should take everything they read regarding the situation with caution until the official announcement is made.
You can also check out our coverage of Geoff Keighley’s take on the situation during a Twitter Spaces conversation on February 5th, 2024, for an alternative take on the situation.
