Highlights
- Xbox Game Studios plans to be consistent with its releases across consoles with his upcoming schedule.
- Craig Duncan warns that not all games will get simultaneous release due to development reasons.
- Fable reboot reflects the aim for same day release across Xbox Series X|S, PC, and PlayStation 5.
Xbox Game Studios is officially looking to clear the air regarding its confusing release schedule for rival consoles. In a candid admission, Xbox Game Studios head Craig Duncan acknowledged that the company’s approach to bringing its biggest games to PlayStation 5 has been irregular, leaving fans guessing whether titles would arrive on day-one or months later. Moving forward, the gaming giant is pledging to be "more consistent," aiming to streamline the process so players aren't left in the dark, though they caution that "development realities" mean not every game will follow the exact same path.
Speaking to GamesRadar, Duncan addressed the criticism surrounding Xbox's 2025 slate, which saw six first-party games land on PS5 with widely varied timings. "Sometimes we are inconsistent. You see some games in one place, some games in multiple places," Duncan admitted. "Just know that we're going to work on that, and we're going to try and be more consistent with what we do."
Xbox aims to standardize multiplatform releases so its games reach players on Xbox, PC, PlayStation 5, and potentially other platforms like Switch 2, moving beyond past variability. However, Duncan noted that games that started development long before this strategy shift are harder to align than newer projects. "There's always development realities about when these projects start," he explained. "When a strategy changes, maybe you've got a plan that exists with a game, and maybe you can adopt that, maybe you can't."
Simultaneous Launches: Fable vs. Forza Horizon 6
This new push for consistency is already taking shape for the upcoming release calendar. Duncan confirmed that the highly anticipated Fable reboot is on track for a simultaneous release, hitting Xbox Series X|S, PC, and PlayStation 5 on the same day. However, not every title will enjoy a universal launch immediately.
Forza Horizon 6 is set to launch first on Xbox and PC, with a PlayStation 5 version arriving at a later, unspecified date. Similarly, Grounded 2 will prioritize a PC and Game Preview launch first, maintaining what Duncan calls "optionality." Duncan attributed these staggered releases to finite resources rather than gatekeeping. "Not everything is limitless," he noted. "So we just want to do the best job, by each platform, by each game."
Steam
The drive to put Xbox games on more screens is backed by undeniable financial success. According to market reports from Alinea Analytics, Forza Horizon 5 has been a massive commercial hit since migrating to Sony's hardware, selling approximately 5 million copies on PlayStation 5 since its April 2025 launch. This underscores why Microsoft is eager to smooth out its pipeline; bringing established franchises to a broader audience is a business imperative that significantly expands the community.
Despite the logistical challenges, excitement remains high for Fable, which Duncan views as a testament to Playground Games' talent. He addressed the "risk" of the Forza Horizon developers taking on a fantasy RPG, describing it instead as a "relentless pursuit of excellence,” as reported by Gamesindustrybiz. Having played early builds, Duncan teased that the game's "Living Population" and combat are "mind-blowing."
He emphasized that Playground has taken special ideas from the original Fable trilogy and modernized them, predicting that the result will be "massively shareable" and incredible for RPG fans. During the conversation, Duncan also touched on the harsher side of portfolio management, specifically the closure of The Initiative (canceling the Perfect Dark reboot) and the shutdown of Rare's Everwild.
Duncan explained that these painful decisions were the result of wider layoffs and a need to ensure the remaining portfolio had the right resources to succeed. "Sometimes business decisions have to be made, which have wide reach and impact. We don't like doing that," Duncan added, acknowledging the talented people affected by the closures. The ultimate goal, he insisted, is to learn from these moments to ensure they don't have to happen again.
