Speaking after the recent Xbox Games Showcase, Xbox Chief Content Officer Matt Booty explained that the company will no longer reveal platform availability early in a game’s development cycle.

In other words, Xbox plans to announce supported platforms at the same time it confirms a release date. The goal is to give the company more flexibility when deciding where games should launch. According to Booty, future decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis rather than following a single rule for every project.

That means multiplayer and live-service games will often continue launching across multiple platforms, including PlayStation and Nintendo hardware when it makes sense.

However, some flagship single-player titles could remain Xbox console exclusives as a way of rewarding longtime fans and strengthening the Xbox ecosystem. Here’s the word:

“We want a reason for people to get on board with Xbox, we want them to have a reason to buy an Xbox, we want them to have a reason to be an Xbox fan. At the same time, we want to reward all our players that have been with us for a long time – we know that exclusives are important, and that’s why we’ve got Gears coming in 2026 and Clockwork [Revolution] coming in 2027.”

“We also want to be clear that our big multiplayer games and live service games are going to continue to be multiplatform. If we’ve promised something to players already, we’re going to honour that promise. And then, we’re going to make the right decision and not the fastest decision – we’re going to keep thinking about this going forward… and our principle is, when we announce the date, we announce the platforms. So, it’s going to be case-by-case, but we’re going to be clear.”

Recent showcase announcements confirmed that titles such as Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution are currently planned as Xbox console exclusives rather than day-one releases on competing platforms.

Booty also stressed that any previous platform commitments will still be honored. The new policy is focused on future projects and giving Xbox more room to make thoughtful decisions closer to launch rather than locking plans in years ahead of release.