Xbox chief details new exclusives and Project Helix plan

At the Summer Game Fest, Microsoft’s newly appointed chief strategy officer Matthew Ball outlined Xbox’s upcoming strategy. He stressed that exclusives remain crucial, announcing two console‑only titles – Gears of War: E‑Day (expected October 2026) and Clockwork Revolution (2027) – while confirming that multiplayer and live‑service games will continue to launch on multiple platforms. Ball reaffirmed Microsoft’s commitment to the console business and described Project Helix, the next‑generation Xbox, as being redesigned to stay affordable amid rising component costs. He also noted that Xbox Game Pass has lost millions of subscribers since a recent price increase.

In a separate French interview, Chief Content Officer Matt Booty echoed the same points, saying Xbox needs to give players a clear reason to buy its hardware and that exclusivity decisions will be made case‑by‑case. He reiterated that major multiplayer titles will remain multiplatform and that existing agreements with other consoles, such as Halo and Fable on PlayStation, will be honoured.