Yesterday was quite eventful for Xbox as several unredacted documents from Microsoft’s court case with the Federal Trade Commission leaked. Not only did they confirm the existence of several unannounced projects, like a sequel to Ghostwire: Tokyo and Dishonored 3, but a mid-gen refresh for the Xbox Series X/S and its next-gen console being a hybrid cloud platform.
Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer responded to these leaks on Twitter: “We’ve seen the conversation around old emails and documents. It is hard to see our team’s work shared in this way because so much has changed, and there’s so much to be excited about right now, and in the future. We will share the real plans when we are ready.”
He also sent an internal memo (obtained by The Verge) addressing the same, noting that the documents were “unintentionally disclosed.” “I know this is disappointing, even if many documents are well over a year old and our plans have evolved. I also know we all take the confidentiality of our plans and our partners’ information very seriously. This leak obviously is not us living up to that expectation.
“We will learn from what happened and be better going forward. We all put incredible amounts of passion and energy into our work, and this is never how we want that hard work to be shared with the community. That said, there’s so much more to be excited about, and when we’re ready, we’ll share the real plans with our players.
“In closing, I appreciate all of the work that you pour into Team Xbox to surprise and delight our players. In the days and weeks ahead, let’s stay focused on what we can control: continuing the amazing success of Starfield, the upcoming launch of the incredible and accessible Forza Motorsport, and continuing to build games, services and devices that millions of players can enjoy.”
How much these plans have changed remains to be seen. The documents’ age is apparent since Starfield, Redfall and Indiana Jones were delayed from the listed release windows (Hi-Fi Rush was also still referred to as Project Hibiki). Whether upcoming console plans have also changed remains to be seen.
Some other revelations include a current-gen version of Red Dead Redemption 2 that was seemingly in the works, a considered acquisition of Nintendo and Fallout 4 having shipped 25 million units as of 2020.
We’ve seen the conversation around old emails and documents. It is hard to see our team’s work shared in this way because so much has changed and there’s so much to be excited about right now, and in the future. We will share the real plans when we are ready.
— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) September 19, 2023
