4 Xbox first party games will be released annually & gamers are thrilled

Four Xbox first party games are coming to the green console annually, starting this year, as Microsoft announces in a blog post. 

Amid the excitement surrounding the highly anticipated Starfield game, Redmond officials setting an ambitious target. This announcement brings a ray of hope for Xbox gamers, who have been longing for more exclusive titles, especially in comparison to their competitor, Sony, and the PlayStation console.

On the other hand, God of War Ragnarök, one of PlayStation’s exclusives, just gained 14 nominations at the 2023 Games Awards. 

Microsoft’s Xbox Game Showcase 2023 event itself was a blast: Starfield is getting a new trailer, Avowed will see a 2024 release date, and Phantom Liberty, Cyberpunk 2077’s story expansion, will be released in September this year. 

With a simultaneous release on Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Steam, and available on Game Pass from day one on Xbox, PC, and Cloud, Bethesda’s Starfield is poised to become the most-played title ever from the studio.

Additionally, Matt Booty, head of Xbox Game Studios, speaks during Giant Bomb’s recent stream that “likely maybe another event earlier this year” is coming up beside the Showcase, Gamescom, and the Games Award. He hinted that Xbox’s first-party titles will have a significant impact in 2024, as the lineup for the following year gains momentum. He also disclosed that the intensified emphasis on exclusive titles aligns with their objective of releasing a minimum of four games annually.

In addition to the commitment to new releases of Xbox first party games, Xbox Game Studios and Bethesda are also focused on nurturing and expanding their existing communities. Popular titles like The Elder Scrolls Online, Sea of Thieves, Minecraft, and Forza will continue to receive attention and support from the development teams. 

Over the past five years, these studios have shipped 10 games, each surpassing 10 million players, showcasing the widespread appeal of their diverse offerings, from new IPs such as Sea of Thieves and Grounded to beloved franchise entries like Minecraft Legends and Elder Scrolls Online.