It appears that Microsoft is pushing its Xbox division and its armada of studios, including Bethesda Game Studios, Saber Interactive and 343 Industries, to focus more on its flagship franchises while retaining structural options for the company.
According to recent reports, Microsoft is trying to accelerate the development of upcoming titles such as The Elder Scrolls VI, le très attendu Fallout 3 Remastered, un remake de Fallout : New VegasHalo: Campaign Evolved, as well as a rumored “live service” Halo multiplayer title. According to The Information, three people with direct knowledge told the outlet that Microsoft may consider turning Xbox into a standalone company and restructuring it into a separate subsidiary, similar to how it owns other companies. For the record, Microsoft owns GitHub and LinkedIn.
The company is also reportedly exploring the possibility of a joint venture with external partners to facilitate a possible future sale. However, there is no indication that a restructuring is imminent, and Microsoft is content for the moment to explore the options available to it.
Separately, new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has proposed an increase in budgets for flagship intellectual properties (IP), which was recently approved by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and the company’s CFO Amy Hood for the fiscal year beginning in July. However, no details regarding the exact budget or figures have been revealed to date.
The reason for this budget increase is clear. Xbox wants to release more games faster because many of its major franchises have been stagnant for more than a decade.
To put things into perspective, *Fallout 4* from Bethesda was released almost 11 years ago, while *The Elder Scrolls V : Skyrim* was released 15 years ago. The latest trailer for *The Elder Scrolls VI* was an announcement teaser revealed eight years ago. Currently, Asha Sharma is focusing on Fallout and The Elder Scrolls VI.
Halo a had its share of ups and downs, especially after the company slowed down online support from Halo Infinite in 2025. From son côté, Square Enix to réussi à sortir the trilogie Final Fantasy VII Remake in less than a decade.
The formula seems simple: create video games under the banner of the biggest successful franchises. However, simply throwing in money may not be enough to solve Microsoft’s quality problems; Developers always need time to breathe and avoid crunch in order to create quality games that are worth their time.
