Title: Unveiling Xbox Recreation Studios: A Glimpse Into Microsoft’s First-Party Development Landscape
At this point, Microsoft boasts a substantial array of in-house studios developing Xbox titles, including all the teams within Xbox Game Studios, Bethesda, and Activision Blizzard. As we approach another year with Xbox, we thought it would be beneficial to summarize each Microsoft first-party developer and their current projects.
In this overview, we have focused on the Xbox studios that are working on major initiatives, with many teams from Xbox, Bethesda, and Activision Blizzard also contributing to these games.
Xbox Game Studios
The Coalition
- Previous Project: Gears 5
- Current Project: Gears of War: E-Day
The Coalition has been engaged in the creation of Gears of War series since the launch of Gears of War: Ultimate Edition in 2015.
Currently, the studio is preparing Gears of War: E-Day, which has yet to receive an official release date.
Compulsion Games
- Previous Project: We Happy Few
- Current Project: South of Midnight
Compulsion Games was acquired by Microsoft after their impressive reveal of We Happy Few.
The team is currently focused on developing South of Midnight, scheduled for release in 2025.
Double Fine Productions
- Previous Project: Psychonauts 2
- Current Project: TBA
Renowned studio Double Fine was acquired by Microsoft in 2019 and subsequently launched Psychonauts 2 in 2021.
At this time, we do not know what Double Fine is currently developing; however, as of June 2023, studio head Tim Schafer confirmed that ‘Psychonauts 3’ is definitively not in the works.
inXile Entertainment
- Previous Project: Wasteland 3
- Current Project: Clockwork Revolution
The team responsible for the Wasteland series was acquired by Microsoft in 2018, shortly before releasing Wasteland 3 in 2020.
The studio is currently developing Clockwork Revolution, which, according to the team, will release “at a later date” – with no specific launch window provided yet.
Halo Studios
- Previous Project: Halo Infinite
- Current Project: Halo Reboot
The recently rebranded Halo Studios was introduced to the public earlier this year, as 343 Industries phases out the Halo Infinite era.
For now, all we can say is that the team has transitioned to Unreal Engine 5 and will be working on “multiple” Halo projects over the coming years.
The Initiative
- Previous Project: N/A
- Current Project: Perfect Dark
Microsoft founded The Initiative in 2018, aiming to “develop innovative, high-quality games” for Xbox. For their inaugural project, the team has been assigned the task of revamping Rare’s iconic Perfect Dark series – first announced back in 2020.
The Initiative is collaborating with Tomb Raider developer Crystal Dynamics to bring Perfect Dark to life. The former Square Enix studio is fully aboard as a co-developer, with development responsibilities shared between both teams.
Mojang Studios
The Swedish developer Mojang has been at the helm of theMinecraft IP since Microsoft’s acquisition in 2014.
Since that time, the development team has continued to evolve the traditional title, while also collaborating on a couple of Minecraft spin-offs with various studios.
Ninja Theory
- Previous Project: Hellblade 2
- Current Project: Mission: Mara
The British developer, Ninja Theory, launched Hellblade 2 in May 2024, placing them in the midst of finishing a significant project at the moment.
We also know that the team is hard at work on Mission: Mara, which currently does not have a scheduled release date.
Obsidian Entertainment
- Previous Project: Pentiment / Grounded
- Current Project: Avowed / The Outer Worlds 2
Obsidian is a prolific studio, having released a number of notable titles since Xbox acquired the developer back in 2018.
The team has two major projects slated for 2025 – Avowed and The Outer Worlds 2.
Playground Games
- Previous Project: Forza Horizon 5
- Current Project: Fable
Playground Games has been responsible for the Forza Horizon series since its inception, including 2021’s Forza Horizon 5.
The studio has been assigned to develop Xbox’s highly anticipated Fable reboot, which is currently targeting a 2025 release. While there is no confirmation regarding ‘Forza Horizon 6’ just yet, it’s believed that the studio is likely working on the next installment of the FH series.
Rare
- Previous Project: Sea of Thieves
- Current Project: Everwild
In addition to providing extensive support for Sea of Thieves since its launch in 2018, Rare is also working on Everwild.
Everwild was first announced back in 2019 and currently lacks a public release timeline for Xbox.
Turn 10 Studios
- Previous Project: Forza Motorsport
- Current Project: TBA
Turn 10 Studios has been Microsoft’s premier racing game developer since the dawn of Xbox, launching the original Forza Motorsport in 2005.
Recently, they released the latest Forza Motorsport reboot in 2023 and are currently focused on post-launch support for that title.
Undead Labs
- Previous Project: State of Decay 2
- Current Project: State of Decay 3
As the name implies, Undead Labs is recognized for one thing and one thing only – the State of Decay franchise.
The Seattle-based studio is currently working on State of Decay 3, which, despite its lengthy development period, still does not have an announced release date.
World’s Edge
- Previous Project: Age of Mythology: Retold
- Current Project: TBA
World’s Edge is a team established internally at Microsoft to manage the Age of Empires series for both Xbox and PC.
The studio was instrumental in developing Age of Mythology: Retold, which is their latest project; set to launch in August 2024.
Bethesda
Arkane Lyon
- Previous Project:“`html
Deathloop - Latest Project: Wonder’s Blade
Arkane Lyon’s latest title debuted as Deathloop; the critically acclaimed shooter that gained popularity before Microsoft acquired Bethesda.
As disclosed last year, the team is now focused on a Wonder’s Blade game, which is not anticipated to be released for a few years yet.
Bethesda Game Studios
- Previous Project: Starfield
- Latest Project: The Elder Scrolls 6
Bethesda’s leading studio launched the long-anticipated Starfield for Xbox in September 2023 and is continuing to roll out new updates for the sci-fi RPG.
It has been confirmed that the BGS team is currently developing The Elder Scrolls 6; one of the most awaited titles in Xbox’s lineup.
id Software
- Previous Project: DOOM Eternal
- Latest Project: DOOM: The Dark Ages
DOOM is the title of the franchise developed by id Software – the team has been behind this iconic FPS series since its inception.
And, as you might expect, the studio is currently busy on another installment – DOOM: The Dark Ages is set to launch in 2025.
MachineGames
- Previous Project: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
- Latest Project: TBA
Swedish studio MachineGames recently released Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, indicating this title has been their primary focus lately.
The studio is also known for rebooting Wolfenstein in collaboration with Bethesda since 2014, and although there has been no official confirmation yet, we anticipate them to work on another Wolf game next.
ZeniMax Online Studios
- Previous Project: The Elder Scrolls Online
- Latest Project: TBA
ZeniMax Online has been intensely focused on The Elder Scrolls Online since 2014 – consistently updating and enhancing the Bethesda MMO for more than a decade.
We have heard reports suggesting that the team is currently working on a brand new IP as well, but there is no confirmation on that yet.
Activision Blizzard King
Elsewhere Entertainment
- Previous Project: N/A
- Latest Project: TBA
Activision’s newest studio, Elsewhere Entertainment, was officially announced by Microsoft in May 2024.
While the team has yet to reveal its first project, it has been confirmed that the new ActiBlizz developer will likely not be working on Call of Duty. The studio is aiming to create “a state-of-the-art and next-generation gaming experience”.
Infinity Ward
- Previous Project: Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
- Latest Project: TBA
Infinity Ward is the original Call of Duty studio. The team has been part of the franchise since the very first COD game, right up to 2022’s Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2; the studio’s most recent major release.
It is believed that the developer is currently crafting its next COD title – rumored to be released in 2026.
Raven Software
- Previous Project: Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (Campaign)
- Latest Project: Call of Duty: Warzone
Renowned developer Raven Software is currently
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The primary group involved with Call of Duty: Warzone; COD’s complimentary battle royale kickoff.
The developer has also participated in several Call of Duty narratives recently, including this year’s Black Ops 6 single-player segment.
Sledgehammer Games
- Previous Project: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
- Next Project: TBA
Sledgehammer Games is currently the most recent lead studio for the Call of Duty franchise, having developed its own COD titles for a decade – beginning with 2014’s Advanced Warfare.
The team released Modern Warfare 3 last year and will now focus on its upcoming Call of Duty project.
Treyarch
- Previous Project: Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
- Next Project: TBA
With Raven’s assistance on campaign mode, Treyarch has been responsible for the highly-praised Call of Duty title for 2024; Black Ops 6.
The studio will soon start working on additional COD content, as well as providing post-launch support for BO6.
Blizzard Entertainment
- Previous Project: Diablo 4
- Next Project: TBA
Blizzard has numerous ongoing initiatives under Microsoft, including World of Warcraft, Diablo, Overwatch, and more – all of which receive significant ongoing support from the studio.
After the cancellation of its long-anticipated survival game in early 2024, what Blizzard will unveil next remains uncertain.
King
- Previous Project: Candy Crush Saga
- Next Project: Candy Crush Saga
King is firmly the mobile division of Activision Blizzard, with the team developing and publishing the Candy Crush Saga series at present.
As far as we know at this point, the studio will persist with its work on Candy Crush for the foreseeable future.
Many other support studios are currently collaborating with Xbox, along with the multitude of teams that contribute to the creation of Call of Duty each year, but this is all we know for now regarding Xbox and its key first-party developers. That’s a lot of teams and numerous games to anticipate from Microsoft eventually!
Let us know which team/game combination you’re most enthusiastic about in the comments below.