Xbox Game Studios Head Says Xbox Has ‘Turned the Corner’ on First-Party Releases

Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty told an audience of media and content creators today that he believes Xbox has “turned the corner” on first-party releases, stating that the company is moving closer to a goal of four first-party releases per year.

In an Xbox panel entitled “What’s Next for Gaming?”, Booty was questioned about the company’s first-party slate, which has been under criticism throughout the last year due to a perceived dearth of major releases and weaker showings from major pillars such as Redfall.

Booty replied by acknowledging that Xbox “had some gaps last year,” but added, “I think we’ve turned the corner.”

He called out Hi-Fi Rush, Minecraft Legends, Age of Empires, and the coming releases of Forza Motorsport and Starfield later this year as examples of recent benchmarks. And he pointed out that in the last five years, Xbox has shipped ten games with over 10 million players life to date apiece.

But then, Booty noted that in 2024, Xbox’s first-party slate “really kicks into gear.”

I think we’ve turned the corner.

He mentioned Towerborne, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, Avowed, Microsoft Flight Simulator, and “some other things we haven’t really talked about so far” planned for next year. Booty also called out Obsidian’s Avowed, inXile’s Clockwork Revolution, and Compulsion’s South by Midnight as the first games each studio has shown that “are beginning, middle, and end under the Xbox banner.”

“All of that is really part of our goal to get to at least four games a year,” Booty concluded.

Xbox’s showcase today featured a number of new announcements included, besides what Booty mentioned, the first look at Fable and a deep dive into Starfield gameplay and features. You can check out a full roundup of everything we saw right here.

Photo credit: Rebekah Valentine / IGN.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.