Xbox boss Phil Spencer addressed the massive leak of documents from June’s Microsoft vs. The FTC accidentally revealed a bunch of plans for both the Xbox’s hardware and gaming futures.
“We saw the conversation around old emails and documents,” Spencer said in a statement on X/Twitter about this week’s leaks. “It’s hard to see our team’s work shared in this way because so much has changed and there’s so much to look forward to now and in the future. The actual plans will be shared when we’re ready.”
We saw the conversation around old emails and documents. It’s hard to see our team’s work shared in this way because so much has changed and there’s so much to look forward to now and in the future. We will share the actual plans when we are ready.
— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) September 19, 2023
It’s the first major acknowledgment of Xbox hours after more documents hit the Web for a June lawsuit that the FTC thoroughly blamed on Microsoft. As for what Spencer is referring to, it was many potentially revealed about the future of Xbox in the latest leak today.
Among the hardware revelations, leaked documents revealed that Microsoft sees an “expected start period” for next-gen consoles in 2028, and revealed huge plans for a “cloud hybrid” Xbox that year. But before that, it’s apparently planning to update the mid-generation Xbox Series X and S during August and October 2024. The leaks also revealed potential plans for a gaming mouse and keyboard, a one-handed controller, and a mobile controller that clips onto a phone.
The leaks have also extended to the gaming side, with one of the biggest revelations possibly being Bethesda’s upcoming slate, which included plans for remasters of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion and Fallout 3. They also hinted at a next-gen update to Red Dead Redemption. 2, something fans have been asking for for years.
But beyond that, they provided a bit more insight into Spencer’s own ambitions and internal communications. Among the revelations where Spencer’s desire to acquire Nintendo, an email chain about the “huge hole” in the Xbox 2022 gaming lineup, and Spencer’s candid thoughts on the PlayStation 5.
And before more documents came out today, earlier leaks this week revealed that The Elder Scrolls 6 apparently won’t be coming to PS5 (and isn’t due until at least 2026), and that Nintendo informed Activision about the next-gen Switch last year. .
So yes, there was a lot, and the documents have since been pulled from the FTC website, but not before they began circulating online. IGN has reached out to Microsoft for further comment on the various leaks, but for now it looks like Spencer’s post is the company’s current position.
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Alex Stedman is IGN’s senior news editor, overseeing entertainment coverage. When she’s not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.
