Xbox's New Studios Will Be Focused On Making Exclusive Games

Microsoft says its new studios will "focus on making games for our platforms," with no further plans to release more Xbox exclusives on PlayStation 4 or Nintendo Switch.

The company has recently acquired a number of studios that either have or will release games on Nintendo Switch and PS4, including Double Fine, Ninja Theory, and Obsidian. However, it looks unlikely that this partnership will continue with Xbox's future releases.

In a statement to GamesIndustry.biz, Microsoft outlined its plans for upcoming first-party titles, saying, "The past year has been an exciting time for us as we have more than doubled the internal creative teams making up Xbox Game Studios. As these new studios transitioned in, we were aware of some existing commitments to other platforms and will honor them. However, going forward these new studios will focus on making games for our platforms. We have no plans to further expand our exclusive first-party games to other consoles."

This follows an announcement, via Nintendo, that previous Xbox One and PC exclusive Ori and the Blind Forest Definitive Edition, will be coming to Nintendo Switch with Microsoft handling the publishing duties.

Nintendo and Microsoft have been collaborating on multiple projects over the past 12 months. Banjo-Kazooie was revealed as a DLC character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate back at E3 2019, and Microsoft also helped support the Switch releases for both Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice and Cuphead. The company has plans to bring Xbox Live to Nintendo's machine in the future as well.

Meanwhile, games like Fortnite: Battle Royale, Rocket League, and Minecraft continue to support crossplay across multiple platforms, and Microsoft has no desire to halt these plans for current or upcoming titles. "We continue to believe deeply in crossplay and progression of games with the right flexibility for developers to ensure a fair and fun experience," the statement reads.

Microsoft also has plans to make its IP accessible via other devices by using the company's streaming service xCloud.