Mr Viral
At this stage, Microsoft has lots of in-house development studios making Xbox games, including all those teams across Xbox Game Studios, Bethesda and Activision Blizzard. So, as we close in on another year of Xbox, we thought we’d gather up every Microsoft first-party developer and what they’re working on right now.
Here, we’ve focused on the Xbox studios that are leading projects – with many Xbox, Bethesda and Activision Blizzard support teams also contributing to these titles.
Xbox Game Studios
The Coalition
Previous Project: Gears 5
Current Project: Gears of War: E-Day
The Coalition has been focused on making Gears of War titles since 2015’s Gears of War: Ultimate Edition.
The studio is currently developing Gears of War: E-Day, which is yet to receive a formal release date.
Compulsion Games
Previous Project: We Happy Few
Current Project: South of Midnight
Compulsion Games was picked up by Microsoft after impressing with its public debut of We Happy Few.
The team is hard at work right now making South of Midnight, due to launch in 2025.
Double Fine Productions
Previous Project: Psychonauts 2
Current Project: TBA
Legendary studio Double Fine was acquired by Microsoft in 2019, going on to release Psychonauts 2 in 2021.
At this stage we don’t know what exactly Double Fine is cooking up, but as of June 2023, studio head Tim Schafer confirmed that ‘Psychonauts 3’ is currently not in development.
inXile Entertainment
Previous Project: Wasteland 3
Current Project: Clockwork Revolution
The team behind the Wasteland series was picked up by Microsoft in 2018, shortly before releasing Wasteland 3 in 2020.
The studio is currently crafting Clockwork Revolution, which according to the team, will release “in due time” – with no launch window attached just yet.
Halo Studios
Previous Project: Halo Infinite
Current Project: Halo Reboot
The recently-rebranded Halo Studios was unveiled to the world earlier this year, as 343 Industries transitions out of the Halo Infinite era.
All we know right now is that the team has moved over to Unreal Engine 5, and will develop “multiple” Halo projects in the coming years.
The Initiative
Previous Project: N/A
Current Project: Perfect Dark
Microsoft established The Initiative in 2018, to “build groundbreaking, high-quality games” for Xbox. For its first project, the team has been tasked with rebooting Rare’s legendary Perfect Dark series – as announced back in 2020.
The Initiative is working with Tomb Raider developer Crystal Dynamics to bring Perfect Dark to life. The former Square Enix studio is fully on-board as a co-developer, with development duties being split between both teams.
Mojang Studios
Previous Project: Minecraft
Current Project: Minecraft
Swedish developer Mojang has shepherded the Minecraft IP since Microsoft purchased it in 2014.
Since then, the team has continued to update the original title, while also collaborating on multiple Minecraft spin-offs with other studios.
Ninja Theory
Previous Project: Hellblade 2
Current Project: Project: Mara
British developer Ninja Theory released Hellblade 2 in May 2024, so they’re in the midst of coming off a big project right now.
We do know that the team is also working on Project: Mara, which has no planned release date at this time.
Obsidian Entertainment
Previous Project: Pentiment / Grounded
Current Project: Avowed / The Outer Worlds 2
Obsidian is a prolific studio, releasing multiple big games since Xbox acquired the developer back in 2018.
The team currently has two major titles planned for 2025 – Avowed and The Outer Worlds 2.
Playground Games
Previous Project: Forza Horizon 5
Current Project: Fable
Playground Games has been making Forza Horizon games since the birth of the open-world racing series, up to and including 2021’s Forza Horizon 5.
The studio has been tasked with making Xbox’s big Fable reboot, which is currently targeting a 2025 release date. We don’t have confirmation of ‘Forza Horizon 6’ just yet, but we know the studio has multiple teams, and is presumably also working on the next FH title.
Rare
Previous Project: Sea Of Thieves
Current Project: Everwild
Aside from providing incredibly strong support for Sea Of Thieves since launch back in 2018, Rare is also working on Everwild.
Everwild was first unveiled back in 2019, and currently has no public release window for Xbox.
Turn 10 Studios
Previous Project: Forza Motorsport
Current Project: TBA
Turn 10 Studios has been Microsoft’s big racing game developer since the dawn of Xbox; launching the first Forza Motorsport in 2005.
It has recently released the new Forza Motorsport reboot in 2023, and is working on post-launch support for that game right now.
Undead Labs
Previous Project: State of Decay 2
Current Project: State of Decay 3
As the name suggests, Undead Labs is known for one thing and one thing only – the State of Decay series.
The Seattle studio is making State of Decay 3 right now, which despite its long development time, still doesn’t have a confirmed release date.
World’s Edge
Previous Project: Age of Mythology: Retold
Current Project: TBA
World’s Edge is a team set up internally at Microsoft to oversee the Age of Empires series for Xbox and PC.
The studio helped put together Age of Mythology: Retold as its most recent project; released in August 2024.
Bethesda
Arkane Lyon
Previous Project: Deathloop
Current Project: Marvel’s Blade
Arkane Lyon’s most recent release was Deathloop; the critically acclaimed shooter that was in development before Microsoft acquired Bethesda.
As revealed last year, the team is now working on a Marvel’s Blade game, which isn’t expected to launch for a few years yet.
Bethesda Game Studios
Previous Project: Starfield
Current Project: The Elder Scrolls 6
Bethesda’s premiere studio released the long-awaited Starfield for Xbox back in September 2023, and is continuing to bring new updates to the sci-fi RPG.
It’s been confirmed that the BGS team is now making The Elder Scrolls 6; one of the most anticipated titles within Xbox’s portfolio.
id Software
Previous Project: DOOM Eternal
Current Project: DOOM: The Dark Ages
DOOM is the name of the game with id Software – the team has been making the famous FPS series ever since its initial inception.
And, as you’d expect, the studio is working on another entry right now – DOOM: The Dark Ages is set to launch in 2025.
MachineGames
Previous Project: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Current Project: TBA
Swedish studio MachineGames just released Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, so it’s safe to say this title has very much been their focus as of late.
The team has also been well-known for rebooting Wolfenstein with Bethesda since 2014, and despite no official announcement just yet, we’d expect them to be making another Wolf game next.
ZeniMax Online Studios
Previous Project: The Elder Scrolls Online
Current Project: TBA
ZeniMax Online has been laser-focused on The Elder Scrolls Online since 2014 – updating and evolving the Bethesda MMO for over a decade.
We’ve heard reports that the team is now working on a new IP too, but no confirmation on that just yet.
Activision Blizzard King
Elsewhere Entertainment
Previous Project: N/A
Current Project: TBA
Activision’s latest studio, Elsewhere Entertainment, was formally unveiled by Microsoft in May 2024.
The team hasn’t announced its first project yet, but it’s confirmed that the new ActiBlizz developer won’t be working on Call of Duty. The studio is spinning up “a state-of-the-art and next generation gaming experience”.
Infinity Ward
Previous Project: Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Current Project: TBA
Infinity Ward is the OG Call of Duty studio. The team has been with the franchise since the very first COD game – right up to 2022’s Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2; the studio’s last full release.
It’s expected that the developer is now making its next COD game – rumoured to launch in 2026.
Raven Software
Previous Project: Call of Duty:Black Ops 6 (Campaign)
Current Project: Call of Duty: Warzone
Famous developer Raven Software is now the main team working on Call of Duty: Warzone; COD’s free-to-play battle royale spin-off.
The developer has also worked on some Call of Duty campaigns lately, including this year’s Black Ops 6 single-player mode.
Sledgehammer Games
Previous Project: Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Current Project: TBA
Sledgehammer Games is the most recent lead Call of Duty development studio, having made its own COD titles for a decade – since 2014’s Advanced Warfare.
The team launched Modern Warfare 3 last year, and will now be cracking on with its next Call of Duty project.
Treyarch
Previous Project: Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Current Project: TBA
With Raven’s help on campaign mode, Treyarch has been responsible for 2024’s well-received Call of Duty title; Black Ops 6.
The studio will soon begin work on more COD, as well as providing post-launch support for BO6.
Blizzard Entertainment
Previous Project: Diablo 4
Current Project: TBA
Blizzard has lots of ongoing projects under its wing at Microsoft, including World of Warcraft, Diablo, Overwatch and more – which are all still heavily supported by the team.
Following the cancellation of its long-in-development survival game in early 2024, what Blizzard has up its sleeve next remains a mystery.
King
Previous Project: Candy Crush Saga
Current Project: Candy Crush Saga
King is very much the mobile arm of Activision Blizzard King; with the team developing and publishing the Candy Crush Saga series these days.
As far as we know right now, the studio will continue to work on Candy Crush for the foreseeable future.
There are plenty of other support studios working with Xbox these days, including the stack of teams that help make Call of Duty each year, but this is all we know right now regarding Xbox and its main first-party developers. That’s a lot of teams and a lot of games to come from Microsoft in the future!
Talk to us about which team/game combo you’re most excited for in the comments down below.
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