Microsoft have made heavy investments in several areas to make a compelling case for the value of Xbox as we move into next-gen, from several major studio acquisitions to bolstering Xbox Game Pass on a near-constant basis with major new additions and perks. And it seems they might be ready to spend even more money on another major new deal, which might not necessarily be a studio acquisition.
While Microsoft do seem to still be on the lookout for adding another studio to the Xbox Game Studios lineup, during the recent GamesBeat Decides podcast, reporter Jeff Grubb said that he’s heard Microsoft are spending a large amount of money on something new, and that it isn’t necessarily an acquisition.
“I have heard that Microsoft is spending a lot of money on something that isn’t an acquisition,” Grubb said. “That’s what I’ve heard. It’s not an acquisition, and the way it was raised to me, it seemed like it would be a big deal.”
Kinda Funny’s Imran Khan added that he had heard the same, which was followed by them guessing what it could be referring to. While the specifics remain unclear, it is interesting to know that Microsoft are continuing to make major investments as we head into next-gen. Recently, they announced that EA Play would be added to Game Pass Ultimate for free, so it’s possible Microsoft might have more Game Pass-related news up their sleeve.
Grubb went on to guess that perhaps they’re putting a deal in place for a major third party game or some expansion to come to Game Pass, which certainly seems like a possibility. If, however, you’re hoping that Cyberpunk 2077 will come to Game Pass at launch, CDPR have already said that that’s not going to happen, so you can put those hopes to bed.
Recent reports have suggested that Sony have approached most major thrid party studios in the industry for exclusivity deals for their games on the PS5, so perhaps Microsoft are responding with something similar. It’s all up in the air right now, but either way, stay tuned, and we’ll keep you updated should we learn anything more.