Sony is reportedly angry at Microsoft after a trailer for Halo was pulled from the most recent State of Play, according to insider Michael Beckwith. The incident stems from Microsoft's decision to pivot back to Xbox console exclusives, abandoning its multiplatform plans.
Microsoft's Shift to Exclusives
The biggest news from the recent Xbox showcase was that Microsoft intends to release new Xbox console exclusives again, starting with Gears Of War: E-Day this year. This shocked many, as it was widely assumed E-Day would see a PlayStation 5 release, especially since it is a prequel to the original Gears Of War, which received a PlayStation 5 remaster last year.
Although E-Day was never formally confirmed for Sony's console, a new report from Bloomberg's Jason Schreier claims that a PlayStation 5 version was originally in development. The decision to cut it was made by Asha Sharma, the new head of Xbox who took over in February, and was shared with only a limited number of people.
Internal Surprise and Denials
Bloomberg's sources say even many Xbox employees were surprised by the exclusivity announcement. This aligns with comments from Aaron Greenberg, Xbox's vice president of games marketing, who denied the change happened at the last minute. However, a PlayStation 5 logo was spotted in a piece of Gears Of War: E-Day promo artwork on a now-private Xbox podcast video. Additionally, ratings board PEGI had the PlayStation 5 version listed on its website until after the showcase, and multiple retailers had prepared to open pre-orders for PlayStation 5 copies.
This contradicts a statement from Matt Searcy, studio creative director at The Coalition, who insisted a PlayStation 5 version was never discussed. 'Well, we never talked about it. It was never changed,' Searcy said, adding that 'Gears as an exclusive makes a ton of sense.'
Impact on Sony-Microsoft Relations
As for the Halo trailer, it was presumably the story trailer uploaded to the PlayStation YouTube channel a few days ago. Sony is unlikely to be happy about having its showcase schedule disrupted. Bloomberg's sources suggest the decision has potentially damaged Sony and Microsoft's working relationship, with Sony no longer trusting that Microsoft won't change its plans at short notice.
Combined with Sharma apologizing for including other platforms' logos in Xbox showcases, it seems Microsoft is embarrassed about releasing games on PlayStation 5 and is trying to downplay it in marketing.
Forza Horizon 6 Omission
There was no trailer for the still-undated PlayStation 5 port of Forza Horizon 6 at the State of Play, despite it being a guaranteed hit. Forza Horizon 5 was tremendously popular on PlayStation 5 and, along with Indiana Jones And The Great Circle, made Microsoft the biggest publisher on the PlayStation Store—a statistic Microsoft boasted about last year before Sharma took over.
A return to Xbox exclusives may please a subset of the fanbase, but the PlayStation 5 is far more popular. Forza Horizon 6 is expected to be a big hit on Sony's system, so not talking about it only hurts Microsoft's bottom line. The embarrassment over being a multiformat publisher has been evident since Phil Spencer was in charge, and the constant policy U-turns are damaging Microsoft's reputation as an industry leader.
