Phil Spencer responds to Microsoft leak, “real plans” coming soon

Xbox boss Phil Spencer has inadvertently shared his opinion on the issues modern AAA games are dealing with - revealing he thinks publishers are "milking" their successful IPs and "struggling" to find new ones. 

A whole lot of interesting (and occasionally awkward) secrets were revealed by the big Microsoft document leak that occurred last week. One of the most notable bits was a brutally frank analysis by Xbox boss Phil Spencer on the current state of major videogame publishers like Activision and Electronic Arts, who Spencer said are struggling to find relevance in an industry that just doesn't need them like it used to.

There’s been a lot of talk about Phil Spencer and Xbox lately due to the leaked email issue that flooded the news channels last week. The brand and Microsoft were put under the spotlight in the worst way because of past statements that were made public by accident because of the FTC court battle they won. But even with those issues, Spencer is still taking time to build up the Xbox brand and assure gamers that big things are coming. For example, you might know that the Xbox line has never done well in Japan sales-wise.

Xbox boss Phil Spencer has revealed the one game we would love to see revived: MechAssault.

Microsoft has been working incredibly hard to acquire Activision Blizzard. This has caused the team to go through several battles between regulators to ensure they can finalize the purchase. However, one particular regulator has been firm on not allowing this merger to happen. That is the UK regulator CMA. However, upon winning some additional regulators and filing an appeal process, the CMA has since expressed their desire to discuss this deal again, which prompted the appeal process to be put on hold. 

has officially addressed the massive leak of confidential Xbox files that occurred earlier this week, and has claimed they will reveal the “real plans when we are ready.” Apparently, a lot has changed since those old emails and documents about future console plans, Bethesda’s game lineup, Game Pass, and cloud gaming were written.

Phil Spencer has made a surprising statement in the course of the Microsoft FTC trial.

Microsoft has recently suffered perhaps its biggest ever leak in the games industry, having accidentally uploaded unredacted documents as part of its legal proceedings with the FTC. In the process, several new details have emerged, including the company’s plans to release a cloud hybrid next-gen Xbox console in 2028, a mid-gen Xbox Series X refresh that’s apparently in the works, a new Xbox controller that will have haptic feedback, Bethesda’s whole slate of upcoming titles, and more.

Among the chunkier morsels from yesterday's leak of Microsoft documents is an extended email from Xbox CEO Phil Spencer, dating from 2020, in which he argues that today's largest AAA videogame publishers remain dogged by their "failure" to adapt to the shift from physical to digital videogame distribution, and especially, subscription models such as Microsoft's own Game Pass. This inability to move with the times, Spencer suggests, has created a situation whereby the largest publishers rely on sheer "production scale" to attract and retain customers.

Following a day that saw Microsoft’s plans leak for Xbox Series X|S revisions, updated Xbox controllers, and their next gen release in 2028, a full slate of upcoming projects at Bethesda, and intentions and aspirations for future company acquisitions, Xbox boss Phil Spencer has posted both a public and internal response.

Xbox head Phil Spencer has made a statement regarding the recent FTC v Microsoft court case leaks, addressing employees in an internal email and giving a shorter, public statement on social media.

Xbox boss Phil Spencer has responded to the leaks that saw a swathe of information about Microsoft's future games plans, which were intended for a US court, made available to the public.