In a surprising move, several exclusive Xbox games will soon be available on rival consoles, as announced by the video gaming brand and its parent company, Microsoft, on Thursday. The revelation came during a special edition of the Official Xbox Podcast, where Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer confirmed that four Xbox games would no longer remain exclusive to Xbox consoles. This means that players will have the opportunity to access these games on other platforms.

Although Spencer did not provide a specific timeline or reveal the names of the four games, he mentioned that two of them would be “community-driven” games, while the other two would be smaller titles. He did, however, clarify that the highly anticipated Microsoft-owned Bethesda titles, Starfield and Indiana Jones, were not included in this announcement. Spencer hinted that the development teams behind these games have already announced their plans, suggesting that the release dates are not too far away. He expressed confidence that when these games are unveiled, it will all make sense.

The decision to make Xbox games available on other platforms signifies a potential shift in Microsoft's strategy. While the company maintained that there was no fundamental change to its exclusivity approach, Spencer emphasized that he believes exclusive games will become a diminishing part of the gaming industry within the next five to ten years. Microsoft has already been moving away from exclusivity through its “Game Pass” subscription service, which functions similarly to Netflix for video games. The recent acquisition of video game maker Activision Blizzard further expands the reach of this service.

Xbox President Sarah Bond also made an exciting announcement during the podcast. She revealed that the first Activision Blizzard game to be included in Xbox Game Pass would be Diablo IV, starting on March 28. Bond stated that this move is part of their commitment to making the Xbox experience and their games as widely available as possible. The addition of Activision Blizzard's popular games, such as Call of Duty and Overwatch, is expected to significantly boost Xbox's sales. In the fourth quarter of 2023, Microsoft's Windows-led personal computing business, including Xbox games and services, experienced a 19% revenue growth, reaching $16.89 billion. This growth was largely attributed to the impact of Activision Blizzard.

Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard was completed in October, following nearly two years of global opposition from antitrust regulators and rivals. Sony, in particular, expressed concerns to regulators, fearing that Microsoft would withhold popular Activision games from its dominant PlayStation console or offer inferior versions. However, Microsoft consistently defended its approach, asserting that its goal was to make Activision games more accessible to a wider audience across multiple platforms, rather than restricting them from rival console-makers.

The inclusion of Xbox games on rival consoles marks a significant development in the gaming industry. As Microsoft continues to expand its reach and offerings, it aims to reshape the landscape of exclusivity and provide gamers with greater access to a diverse range of titles.