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Microsoft aims to release at least one new first-party game into Xbox Game Pass every quarter

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Wesley Yin-Poole avatar
News by Wesley Yin-Poole Former Editor-in-Chief
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Microsoft aims to release at least one new first-party game into Xbox Game Pass every quarter, it's said.

"In terms of the overall lineup, we want to get to a point of releasing a new game every quarter," Matt Booty, head of Xbox Game Studios, said in a recent video briefing shown to press.

"We know that a thriving entertainment service needs a consistent and exciting flow of new content. So our portfolio will continue to grow as our service grows."

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Xbox Game Pass, which has 18 million subscribers, contains a library of over 100 games. Microsoft had already committed to releasing all its first-party games day-and-date on Game Pass (a policy that's in stark contrast to Sony's for rival subscription service PlayStation Now), and it has recently snapped up a number of day-and-date launches from third-party publishers, such as Outriders and MLB The Show 21.

But to reach that one new first-party game launch each quarter target, Microsoft needs developers. To that end, its studio lineup has grown from five to 23 teams over the last several years, including the $7.5bn purchase of Bethesda.

"Role playing games, shooters, strategy titles, adventure games, and more are all being built by our first-party teams to ensure that there is a steady stream of compelling exclusive content to explore," Microsoft said.

Xbox Game Studios currently includes:

  • 343 Industries (Halo)
  • World's Edge (Age of Empires)
  • The Coalition (Gears of War)
  • Compulsion Games (We Happy Few)
  • Double Fine (Psychonauts)
  • The Initiative (Perfect Dark)
  • inXile Entertainment (Wasteland 3)
  • Mojang Studios (Minecraft)
  • Ninja Theory (Hellblade)
  • Obsidian Entertainment (The Outer Worlds, Grounded, Avowed)
  • Playground Games (Forza Horizon, Fable)
  • Rare (Sea of Thieves, Everwild)
  • Turn 10 (Forza Motorsport)
  • Undead Labs (State of Decay)
  • Xbox Game Studios Publishing (external development support)

Bethesda Softworks currently includes:

  • Bethesda Game Studios (Fallout, The Elder Scrolls, Starfield)
  • iD (Doom, Quake, Rage)
  • ZeniMax Online (The Elder Scrolls Online)
  • Arkane Studios (Prey, Dishonored, Deathloop)
  • MachineGames (Wolfenstein, Untitled Indiana Jones game)
  • Tango Gameworks (The Evil Within, Ghostwire: Tokyo)
  • Alpha Dog Games (Mighty Doom)
  • Roundhouse Studios (formerly Human Head Studios)

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