Xbox head Phil Spencer has weighed in on the massive leak of documents from June’s Microsoft vs. FTC trial, which accidentally exposed tons of plans for both Xbox’s hardware future and slate of games.
“We’ve seen the conversation around old emails and documents,” Spencer said in a statement on X/Twitter about this week’s leaks. “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.”
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
It marks Xbox’s first major acknowledgement hours after additional documents hit the website for June’s trial, for which the FTC has thoroughly put the blame on Microsoft. In regards to what Spencer’s referring to, there was a lot potentially revealed about Xbox’s future in the latest leak today.
Among the hardware revelations, the leaked documents revealed that Microsoft sees the “expected starting period” of next-gen consoles to be 2028, and unveiled huge plans for a “cloud hybrid” Xbox that year. Before that, though, it’s apparently planning a mid-generation refresh of the Xbox Series X and S during August and October 2024, respectively. The leaks also revealed potential plans for a gaming mouse and keyboard, a one-hand controller, and a mobile controller that clips on a phone.
The leaks extended to the games side as well, with one of the biggest revelations being Bethesda’s possible upcoming slate, which included plans for remasters of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion and Fallout 3. They also teased a next-gen update to Red Dead Redemption 2, something fans have been asking for for years.
But aside from that, they gave a little more insights into Spencer’s own ambitions and internal communications. Among the revelations where Spencer’s desire to acquire Nintendo, an email chain about a “huge hole” in Xbox’s 2022 game lineup, and Spencer’s honest thoughts about the PlayStation 5.
And before more documents came out today, earlier leaks from this week revealed that The Elder Scrolls 6 apparently won’t come out for the PS5 (and isn’t due until at least 2026), and that Nintendo briefed Activision on a next-gen Switch last year.
So, yeah, it was a lot, and the documents have since been taken down from the FTC website, but not before circulating online. IGN has reached out to Microsoft for additional comment on the various leaks, but for now, it looks like Spencer’s post is the company’s current stance.
Thumbnail credit: Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she’s not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.
