Employees Reportedly Told by Phil Spencer that Xbox Console Production Will Continue

Last week, Xbox head Phil Spencer announced a “Future of Xbox” event, which we now know is taking place on Thursday, February 15. Speculation has run rampant about what the event entails amid rumors that several first-party Xbox title are making their way to other platforms, with some believing this event will confirm those reports. On the extreme end, others believe Spencer may announce the end of Xbox as a console platform altogether. According to one report, that may not be the case.

Inverse journalist Shannon Liao reported in her weekly gaming newsletter that Spencer held a company town hall last Tuesday and told employees there are no plans to stop making Xbox consoles. Furthermore, it was stated that “Xboxes would continue to be part of a strategy that involves multiple kinds of devices.” Microsoft did not respond to Liao’s request for comment.

Over the last several weeks, reports have emerged that Microsoft has either considered or is outright planning to bring titles such as Hi-Fi Rush and Sea of Thieves to PlayStation and/or Switch. Starfield has also been rumored for a PS5 launch. Most recently, The Verge reported that Microsoft has considered bringing Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, slated to launch this year for Xbox and PC, to PS5 after a short exclusivity window. 

These reports have led some to believe that Xbox is considering a major change in first-party and platform strategy, with some even suggesting it may abandon console development and focus solely on software. This speculation is seemingly what led Spencer to post his response on X announcing the Future of Xbox event. The internal town hall would then have taken place the next day after his tweet, likely to clear the air with concerned employees. 

Whatever the case, all should, hopefully, be made clear when the Future of Xbox event, which takes the form of the Official Xbox Podcast, airs this Thursday at 12 p.m. PT/3 p.m. ET. The event will be streamed on YouTube and other networks. 

[Source: Shannon Liao]