2025 has not been the most effective yr for Xbox. Microsoft’s latest large firm-large layoff impacted as much as 9,000 staff, practically half of whom labored at Xbox. A number of video games have been cancelled, “AAAA” studio The Initiative was shut down, and numerous gifted employees misplaced.
It’s an odd and uneasy distinction, then, to see that Xbox has really had a fairly good yr on the subject of video games. Its largest first-occasion releases thus far this yr have been Obsidian Leisure’s Avowed, Compulsion Video games’ South of Midnight, Bethesda’s Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, and id Software program’s Doom: The Darkish Ages. The firm has additionally pushed ahead its multiplatform plans with a number of ports for the PlayStation 5, together with the beforehand Xbox and PC exclusives Forza Horizon 5 and Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2.
That good chain of video games appears to be like set to proceed as many builders and studios at Xbox proceed their arduous work. There are quite a few video video games in growth at Xbox throughout a number of divisions right now, from Bethesda, Activision Blizzard, and Xbox Recreation Studios. To assist maintain monitor of all of them, we’ve collected all the pieces we learn about each Xbox studio and their present tasks under.
Arkane Studios
Arkane Studios, the developer behind the Dishonored sequence, was beforehand unfold throughout two places: one studio in Austin, Texas, which developed Prey, and one other in Lyon, France, which most not too long ago launched Deathloop.
On Could 7, 2024, Xbox closed Arkane’s Austin department following the tepid launch of its horror co-op shooter, Redfall. Nonetheless, Arkane Lyon stays open and continues work on the studio’s subsequent sport, Marvel’s Blade.
Introduced on the 2023 Recreation Awards, Marvel’s Blade is an upcoming motion-journey sport starring the enduring vampire hunter who’s on a mission to guard Paris from an oncoming vampire invasion. And in a giant departure from the primary-particular person video games Arkane is often identified for, Blade might be playable within the third-particular person perspective. Deathloop director and studio head Dinga Bakaba will co-direct Blade alongside Arkane’s lengthy-serving artwork director, Sebastien Mitton, and Bakaba has mentioned he’s excited to carry Arkane’s distinctive tackle Blade to life.
In response to Arkane’s monetary statements for 2024, Blade entered full production on the finish of final yr.
Bethesda Recreation Studios
Formally, Bethesda Recreation Studios has one massive sport on the horizon: The Elder Scrolls 6. The subsequent mainline sport within the beloved fantasy RPG sequence was introduced approach again in 2018 at a protracted-forgotten occasion known as E3. Crucially, the announcement got here concurrently with the reveal of Starfield, and Bethesda was arduous at work creating the house-faring RPG. The builders reiterated to the general public many instances that The Elder Scrolls 6 wouldn’t enter full manufacturing till after Starfield was launched.
Now, following the launch of Starfield in 2023 and the growth DLC Shattered Area in 2024, Bethesda is lastly all-in on The Elder Scrolls 6. As half of The Elder Scrolls’ thirtieth anniversary on March 25, 2024, Bethesda introduced that the following Elder Scrolls was totally in growth, and that there are even early builds of the sport up and working.
Whereas The Elder Scrolls 6 is formally Bethesda’s solely venture, Home windows Central’s Jez Corden reports that the following Fallout sport has additionally been greenlit. If that’s true, it comes with many questions, together with if the brand new Fallout is being developed by Bethesda Recreation Studios or dealt with by one other developer, very like how Obsidian Leisure developed Fallout: New Vegas.
Blizzard Leisure
Blizzard Leisure stays centered on three core franchises: Diablo 4, Overwatch 2, and World of Warcraft. Following the cancellation of an unannounced fantasy survival sport codenamed Odyssey again in 2024, Blizzard has narrowed its focus to focus on bettering its hottest video games.
Overwatch 2 continues to be receiving common updates. After Blizzard cancelled the deliberate PvE story mode again in 2023, a lot of the main focus has been on bettering the PvP aggressive modes. For the reason that launch of Overwatch 2, Blizzard has launched a mean of three new playable heroes per yr. The subsequent hero coming to Overwatch 2 is a brand new help character named Wuyang, who’s scheduled to be launched as half of Season 18. And earlier this yr, Blizzard launched a brand new aggressive multiplayer format known as Stadium, the place groups of 5 combat in a best-of-seven sequence, and in every new spherical gamers should buy new upgrades for his or her heroes, just like Riot’s Valorant.
Diablo 4 operates on a seasonal replace schedule, with bigger DLC expansions that add extra vital upgrades and story content material. The first growth, titled Vessel of Hatred, launched on October 7, 2024, added an enormous new jungle area known as Nahantu in addition to a brand new Spiritborn character class that controls the traditional powers of the jungle to wield each lengthy-vary and melee talents. The newest season, Sins of the Horadrim, launched simply final month and provides Nightmare Dungeon upgrades and Horadric Spells, amongst quite a few different new additions.
As for World of Warcraft, Blizzard did one thing unprecedented at BlizzCon 2023 and introduced not one, however three expansions for the favored MMORPG. Beginning with The Conflict Inside, launched on August 26, 2024, Blizzard kicked off the Worldsoul Saga, an overarching story that may unite the three expansions. The subsequent expansions within the Saga are titled Midnight and The Final Titan, however thus far, we don’t know when these entries will launch.
Moreover, Blizzard has dedicated to supporting World of Warcraft Basic, which recreates World of Warcraft at earlier launch states. WoW Basic is at present on Cataclysm Basic, the fourth growth ever launched for WoW.
Compulsion Video games
Following We Blissful Few in 2018, Canadian-based mostly Compulsion Video games launched its latest sport, South of Midnight, on April 8, 2025.
South of Midnight is an motion-journey sport set in a fantastical model of the Deep South. The sport follows a younger mystic named Hazel Flood on her journey to change into a Weaver, a magical mender of damaged spirits. Alongside the best way, Hazel encounters quite a few legendary creatures and enemies based mostly on Southern Gothic folklore. IGN gave South of Midnight an 8 in our evaluate, calling it “an easy however properly-executed motion-journey sport on the floor, with a easy however satisfying combine of fight and platforming.”
There’s been no phrase but on what Compulsion Video games is engaged on subsequent.
The Coalition
Xbox’s devoted Gears of Conflict studio has fairly the busy schedule forward of it. Canada-based mostly The Coalition is gearing up for the discharge of Gears of Conflict: Reloaded, a 4K remaster of the unique Gears of Conflict sport. Reloaded is ready to launch on Xbox Collection X and S, PC, and – for the primary time ever – PS5 on August 26, 2025.
However that is simply an appetizer for Gears of Conflict: E-Day, the following mainline Gears of Conflict sport set 14 years earlier than the occasions of the unique. Marcus Fenix (John DiMaggio) and Dom Santiago (Carlos Ferro) will return in a prequel that lastly tells the total story of Emergence Day, when monstrous creatures referred to as the Locust emerged from underground and destroyed the planet Sera.
Gears of Conflict: E-Day is at present scheduled to launch someday in 2026.
Double Nice Productions
Double Nice had been maintaining quiet following the discharge of Psychonauts 2 in 2021, however all that modified when the studio introduced its subsequent sport, Keeper.
Keeper was first revealed at this yr’s Xbox Summer Recreation Showcase and might be launched on October 17, 2025. Described as a “story instructed with out phrases,” Keeper is a puzzle journey sport starring a sentient lighthouse and a spirited seabird as they make their approach via a magical realm. In case you noticed the trailer for Keeper and thought it was breathtaking, it’s best to know that Double Nice’s Lee Petty, the artwork director on Brutal Legend and Damaged Age, is the inventive lead on Keeper.
Halo Studios
Halo Studios, previously referred to as 343 Industries, is at present engaged on a number of new Halo tasks, together with an unannounced sport made in Unreal Engine 5.
Regardless of engaged on maybe probably the most vital Xbox sequence of all, Endgadget reported that Halo Studios was impacted by the corporate-large layoffs at Microsoft and that, behind the scenes, there are tensions over the course of the studio.
Offered issues all stay regular, the present plan is for Halo Studios to disclose its new sport on the Halo World Championships in October 2025.
Id Software program
Texas-based mostly id Software program has already launched one of IGN’s favourite video games of 2025, Doom: The Darkish Ages.
Launched on Could 15, Doom: The Darkish Ages is a heavy metallic, darkish fantasy prequel to 2016’s Doom. Id Software program deliberately went for a slower, tankier method to fight with The Darkish Ages, taking away some of the Doom Slayer’s pace and agility. In trade, he has entry to heavier weapons like a flail and defend he can throw at enemies, a la Captain America. There’s additionally our new favourite weapon, the cranium-crushing Pulverizer, which makes use of enemy bones as ammo.
IGN gave the latest Doom sport a 9, calling it “a brand new taste of the legendary shooter sequence that’s heavier and extra grounded, however no much less energetic and exhilarating.” In case you haven’t performed Doom: The Darkish Ages but, it’s price testing for certain. Naturally, contemplating The Darkish Ages was solely launched this yr, there’s no phrase but on the studio’s subsequent sport.
Infinity Ward
Activision maintains a steady growth cycle to uphold an annual Name of Responsibility launch cadence. Which means the franchise’s key studios – Infinity Ward, Treyarch, Raven Software program, and Sledgehammer Video games – every commerce off lead growth duties on the latest Name of Responsibility sport. The studios not engaged on this yr’s installment might be engaged on both subsequent yr’s sport or the yr after.
The final Name of Responsibility title Infinity Ward led growth on was 2022’s Name of Responsibility: Fashionable Warfare 2. The studio then assisted Sledgehammer Video games on 2023’s Name of Responsibility: Fashionable Warfare 3, and Treyarch with final yr’s Name of Responsibility: Black Ops 6. This yr’s entry, Name of Responsibility: Black Ops 7, is co-developed by Treyarch and Raven Software program, which means the studios can have been lead builders two years in a row. It’s unknown whether or not Infinity Ward is aiding on Black Ops 7 or engaged on one other Name of Responsibility venture.
Inxile Leisure
After being acquired by Xbox in 2018, the RPG specialists at InXile Leisure are lastly on the brink of launch their first sport underneath the Xbox Recreation Studios banner, Clockwork Revolution.
The first-particular person RPG is ready in a vibrant, steampunk model of the nineteenth century the place crime and violence thrive. Amid an escalating turf conflict between native gangs, prison kingpins, and the native authorities, you achieve the flexibility to govern time, which can absolutely come in useful through the ensuing battle.
Clockwork Revolution was first introduced in 2023, and InXile says it’s the studio’s largest sport up to now in phrases of scope and finances. Based mostly on the latest gameplay trailer from Xbox’s Summer Video games Showcase, it actually seems to be a deep RPG with a number of dialogue choices that have an effect on the result of sure conditions, a deeply customizable character creator, and quite a few weapon modifications. Nonetheless, Clockwork Revolution nonetheless doesn’t have a agency launch window.
King
Sweden-based mostly cell sport developer King stays in cost of one of probably the most profitable cell video games of all time, Sweet Crush. Whereas King has taken transient detours away from the sequence, engaged on cell video games like 2021’s Crash Bandicoot: On the Run and 2020’s Knighthood, King continues to launch new Sweet Crush video games, most not too long ago Sweet Crush Solitaire in 2025.
Regardless of its flagship sequence’ continued success, King was affected by the Microsoft layoffs, with 10% of its complete workforce minimize.
MachineGames
Swedish developer MachineGames blew everybody away with its stellar reboot of Wolfenstein again in 2014, and most not too long ago stunned everybody with the announcement that it was making a brand new Indiana Jones online game – a very totally different fashion of expertise, apart from all of the Nazis, of course.
Starring the well-known archaeologist in a brand new, globe-trotting journey, Indiana Jones and the Nice Circle was critically acclaimed because of its implausible combine of first- and third-particular person gameplay, an uncanny efficiency by Troy Baker that sounds nearly precisely like Harisson Ford circa-1980, and in the end its capacity to seize the precise tone of the higher Indiana Jones films in online game type.
MachineGames is following up its hit launch with the primary story DLC, The Order of Giants, which was introduced at this yr’s Xbox Summer Video games Showcase and might be launched on September 4, 2025.
Mojang Studios
The Sweden-based mostly studio behind Minecraft continues to launch common updates for its massively fashionable crafting sport.
The most up-to-date replace for Minecraft, titled “Chase the Skies,” was launched on June 17, 2025, and provides 60+ biomes, new buildable buildings, and the flexibility to discover the overworld from the skies with a brand new mount known as Blissful Ghast.
As well as, Mojang produced a reside-motion Minecraft movie, which was launched earlier this yr. Starring Jack Black and Jason Mamoa, A Minecraft Film is at present the third-highest-grossing movie of 2025 and the second-highest-grossing online game movie of all time after 2023’s The Tremendous Mario Bros. Film.
Ninja Idea
UK-based mostly Ninja Idea launched Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 on Could 21, 2024, the lengthy-awaited sequel to 2017’s Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice. With Senua’s story wrapped up, Ninja Idea might be shifting focus to Mission: Mara, a horror sport the studio first teased again in January 2020.
Whereas Ninja Idea hasn’t shared an excessive amount of details about the upcoming horror sport, the studio defined in a video diary that Mission: Mara might be a “actual-world and grounded illustration of psychological terror.” That is an space that’s of nice curiosity to Ninja Idea, as each Hellblade and Senua’s Saga additionally examined psychological well being in nice element by combining binaural audio results for the psychosis-inflicted voices in Senua’s head with actress Melina Juergens’ highly effective efficiency.
Moreover, Windows Central studies that Xbox has greenlit one other sport from Ninja Idea alongside Mission: Mara, however nothing else is thought about that sport.
Obsidian Leisure
Obsidian Leisure is having itself a really busy 2025. Earlier this yr, the studio launched Avowed, a fantasy RPG set within the Pillars of Eternity universe. In IGN’s evaluate, we gave Avowed a 7, calling it a reminder of why we fell in love with Obsidian’s RPG however in the end a sport that performs it “fairly protected” total.
Up subsequent is Grounded 2, a sequel to the 2022 on-line co-op sport a few group of children who’re shrunk all the way down to miniature measurement by a science experiment gone improper and should survive the risks of their suburban yard. Grounded 2 will hit Early Entry on July 29, 2025.
Lastly, the most important sport on Obsidian’s calendar is The Outer Worlds 2. The first Outer Worlds sport was a sci-fi RPG co-directed by Leonard Boyarsky and Tim Cain, the creators of the unique Fallout sequence, and shares a lot of Fallout’s morbid humor and world-constructing sensibilities. The Outer Worlds depicts a retro-futuristic model of outer house that’s been poisoned by unchecked capitalism. All that will sound a bit of an excessive amount of like VaultTech, nevertheless it’s actually obtained its personal distinct flavour.
The first Outer Worlds grew to become a sleeper hit, promoting over 4 million models and receiving quite a few Recreation of the 12 months award nominations, and the sequel appears to be like to increase on that success. Based mostly on our IGN First previews, The Outer Worlds 2 maintains the irreverent tone of the unique sport, whereas tremendously increasing upon the sport’s fight and exploration. It’s set to launch on October 29, 2025.
Playground Video games
The UK-based mostly Playground Video games is greatest identified for its work on Forza Horizon, an open-world arcade racer spinoff of Xbox’s extra critical racing-sim, Forza Motorsport.
Nonetheless, in 2020, Playground Video games was formally introduced because the developer behind the upcoming Fable reboot. Within the years since, we’ve sadly realized little or no about it, regardless of a handful of trailers showcasing the comedic tone, semi-lifelike artwork fashion, pre-alpha gameplay, and celeb cameos from well-known UK comedians like Matt King and Richard Ayoade. Initially deliberate to launch this yr, Fable was not too long ago delayed right into a 2026 launch window. We hope to see far more of the sport within the coming months.
Uncommon
Uncommon was deeply impacted by the latest firm-large layoffs at Microsoft. The famed developer behind video games like Goldeneye 007 and Banjo-Kazooie has spent the higher half of the previous decade releasing common updates for its fashionable on-line pirate sport, Sea of Thieves. Nonetheless, Uncommon was additionally engaged on Everwild, a 3rd-particular person fantasy journey sport that was first introduced in 2019.
In some unspecified time in the future in 2021, it was reported that Everwild was experiencing growth difficulties and underwent an entire reboot. Nonetheless, following the layoffs at Microsoft, Xbox introduced internally that Everwild could be canceled. As well as, longtime Uncommon director Gregg Mayles, who had reportedly been lead on Everwild following its reboot, resigned from the studio he first joined in 1989.
Whereas work on Sea of Thieves will seemingly proceed, it’s unclear what the following steps are for the venerable British studio.
Raven Software program
Raven Software program is a component of Activision’s steady of devoted Name of Responsibility builders and is the co-developer of the upcoming Name of Responsibility: Black Ops 7, which it’s engaged on alongside Treyarch.
The two studios beforehand led growth on 2024’s Name of Responsibility: Black Ops 6, with Raven creating the one-participant marketing campaign. In our evaluate, IGN gave Black Ops 6 a 9, calling it “the most effective Name of Responsibility marketing campaign in lots of, a few years.” Will Raven and Treyarch be capable of comply with up on their prior sport’s success when Black Ops 7 is launched later in 2025? We’re excited to seek out out.
Sledgehammer Video games
California-based mostly Sledgehammer Video games is one other Name of Responsibility studio working underneath the Activision umbrella. It beforehand led growth on 2023’s Name of Responsibility: Fashionable Warfare 3, and earlier than it, Name of Responsibility: Vanguard.
Whereas Sledgehammer was listed as an help studio on 2024’s Name of Responsibility: Black Ops 6, it was additionally reported that the studio lost 30% of its staff in a spherical of layoffs again in 2024, and it’s unknown whether or not Sledgehammer will be capable of lead growth on a brand new Name of Responsibility sport going ahead.
Treyarch
Alongside Raven Software program, Treyarch is the co-developer of the upcoming Name of Responsibility: Black Ops 7.
As one of the longest-working builders at Activision, Treyarch has labored on Name of Responsibility video games since as early as 2005’s Name of Responsibility 2: Massive Purple One. Treyarch is answerable for founding the very talked-about Black Ops sub-sequence, and can be answerable for creating Name of Responsibility’s Zombies – most not too long ago for 2021’s Vanguard, 2023’s Fashionable Warfare 3, and final yr’s Black Ops 6.
Flip 10 Studios
Washington-based mostly Flip 10 Studios was as soon as the house of Xbox’s racing sim Forza Motorsport, however all that seems to have modified following the latest layoffs at Microsoft. In response to Bloomberg’s Jason Schrier, Turn10 reportedly misplaced practically 50% of its employees on this yr’s layoffs, and the studio is successfully “shuttered.”
Additional studies recommend that the Forza Motorsport sequence will not be supported, and remaining Flip 10 employees will function an help group on the spinoff sequence, Forza Horizon.
Undead Labs
Seattle-based mostly studio Undead Labs has been engaged on State of Decay 3 for the previous a number of years. The third sport within the fashionable zombie survival sim sequence, it was formally introduced in 2020. Nonetheless, there have been a number of studies of behind-the-scenes hassle on the studio resulting in its sluggish growth.
First, studio founder Jeff Pressure left Undead Labs in 2021 to begin up a brand new studio, Chance Area (which confronted its own internal struggles). This was adopted by a 2022 investigation by Kotaku right into a poisonous work surroundings on the studio, which resulted in an inside Microsoft investigation and the departure of studio HR boss, Anne Schlosser. These points have reportedly contributed to the delay of State of Decay 3, which nonetheless doesn’t have a launch window.
World’s Edge
World’s Edge was established by Xbox Recreation Studios in 2019 to be the stewards of the Age of Empires actual-time technique sequence. Since its inception, World’s Edge has launched a quantity of remasters, beginning with Age of Empires 2: Definitive Version in 2019, and the latest being Age of Mythology: Retold. A remaster of the unique Age of Mythology, it focuses on historical civilizations and the gods they worshipped. It was launched on September 4, 2024.
World’s Edge isn’t solely devoted to remasters, although; it additionally launched a brand new entry into the sequence, Age of Empires 4, again in 2021 to optimistic opinions. It’s unclear if its subsequent step might be to proceed engaged on its remasters (AoE2: Definitive Version continues to obtain growth packs) or develop a completely new venture.
ZeniMax On-line Studios
The Maryland-based mostly ZeniMax On-line Studios has been releasing steady updates to The Elder Scrolls On-line for the reason that sport’s launch in 2014. The MMORPG spinoff of Bethesda’s fashionable Elder Scrolls RPG sequence has quietly grown to change into one of the most important MMOs on this planet, alongside video games like World of Warcraft and Last Fantasy 14.
Behind the scenes, it was reported that ZeniMax On-line Studios was additionally impacted by the latest Microsoft layoffs. Not solely has veteran studio boss Matt Firor stepped down from the corporate, however an unannounced sport identified solely as Mission Blackbird was additionally canceled.
Whereas Bloomberg reported that Xbox executives have been “blown away” by Mission Blackbird, Xbox nonetheless introduced internally that it was cancelling the sport. Stories have since come out with extra particulars about Mission Blackbird. The sport was set to be a brand new sci-fi MMO the place gamers would navigate the politics of warring gangster factions on an alien planet the place one aspect of the planet is engulfed in fireplace and the opposite coated in ice.
ZeniMax On-line Studios was reportedly staffing as much as start full manufacturing on Mission Blackbird earlier than it was canceled. And whereas work will proceed on The Elder Scrolls On-line, builders have shared on-line how devastating the information of Mission Blackbird’s cancellation has been.
The fallout of the Microsoft layoffs continues to be being felt all through the trade and can seemingly form Xbox because it heads into the following era. Not solely have video games been canceled, however complete studios, like The Initiative, have been shut down, and video games just like the Excellent Darkish reboot have gone with them. Whereas there are nonetheless Xbox video games to sit up for on the horizon, the long run of Xbox stays an open query.
Matt Kim is IGN’s Senior Options Editor.