Xbox says more exclusives are coming after Gears E-Day

Xbox says Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution are only the start of a broader push for more console exclusives, even as large live-service titles remain multiplatform.

The shift follows Microsoft’s Xbox restructuring, including 3,200 layoffs, and what Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has described as a “reset” of the business. During the Xbox Games Showcase 2026 last month, Sharma said The Coalition’s next Gears of War game would be an Xbox console exclusive, ruling out a PlayStation 5 release. inXile Entertainment’s Clockwork Revolution is also set to skip PS5 and launch only on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC.

According to Xbox chief content officer Matt Booty, exclusives matter because “There has to be a reason for people to buy an Xbox,” and they can serve as “a reward” for players. Xbox chief strategy officer Matthew Ball told GamesRadar that Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution are not timed exclusives like Starfield, but permanent ones.

“I can assure you, Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution are not the only titles we’re planning. To grow a platform like ours, you have to have exclusive games and services. These are not going to be the only two titles.”

Ball also said this does not mean every single-player game will be locked to Xbox hardware. He said Fable will launch on PS5, Xbox, and PC on the same day, alongside Halo: Campaign Evolved, which he described as the first Halo game to release on PlayStation.

“I wouldn’t overly fixate on single-player. I think that’s a good rule of thumb, but it certainly isn’t something that’s carved in stone.”

Ball said Microsoft uses a framework to decide which games stay exclusive and which go multiplatform, and acknowledged that the approach has not been clear to players. He said the company is committed to explaining that strategy more clearly.

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