Phil Spencer, the head of Xbox, recently addressed the massive leak of Microsoft’s plans for both its upcoming hardware and slate of games.
The documents, originally intended for a US court as exhibits in Microsoft’s legal battle with the United States’ Federal Trade Commission concerning the proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard, became publicly available following their “accidental” upload to a court website. This release exposed several insights into Xbox’s future, creating quite a stir in the gaming community.
Responding to the leak, Spencer took to X/Twitter to comment on the leaked information, emphasizing that much of what was shared is outdated. He pointed out the disappointment of seeing the hard work of his team exposed in such a manner, especially as many of the details had evolved since the creation of the documents.
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
“We’ve seen the conversation around old emails and documents,” Spencer stated. “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.”
Among the details divulged in the leak, the hardware revelations are particularly notable. The documents suggest that the “expected starting period” for next-gen Xbox consoles is set for 2028. Before this launch, there’s reportedly a mid-generation refresh for the Xbox Series X and S scheduled for 2024. The leaks also shed light on the company’s potential hardware products, including a gaming mouse and keyboard, a one-handed controller, and a mobile controller designed to clip onto phones.
For most, however, the most gripping revelation was easily related to Bethesda’s future lineup, specifically, the planned remasters for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and Fallout 3.
Finally, the information leaked from the documents included an email chain where Spencer expressed his ambition to acquire Nintendo. This email, dating back to 2020, along with other content from the leak, has fed speculation online. Many argue that such leaks are intentional on Microsoft’s part as a form of indirect PR, while others anticipate that the unveiled details could indeed be part of Xbox’s upcoming announcements.
Furthermore, the presumably unintended public release of these documents brought responsibility debates to public consciousness. Initially, fingers pointed towards the FTC for the oversight, but the director of public affairs clarified that the FTC wasn’t responsible for the leaks. The oversight came to light when Microsoft provided a link to the documents on September 14. The documents have since been removed from the court’s website, with a mandate required the two companies to resubmit their exhibits via a secure cloud link.
Fingers crossed, the exchange of information won’t fall into everyone’s hands this time.
This isn’t the first time the gaming community has seen leaked details and speculations. However, the magnitude of this incident and, more importantly, its potential implications, stand out.
