For Microsoft, 2020 was a rollercoaster with incredible highs such as the launch of its two next generation consoles to disappointing lows like the Halo: Infinite reveal debacle. The company continued to make innovative strides with Game Pass and Project xCloud, offering even more ways to play for Xbox fans. With a global pandemic really gripping the globe last year, supply shortages and an incredible demand for the new consoles left many fans out in the cold and waiting for more inventory.
For 2021, Microsoft appears to be poised to really hit the ground running by delivering the next generation experience many early Xbox Series X/S adopters have been waiting for. Naturally, the biggest piece to this puzzle is finally launching highly anticipated exclusives and first party titles. The biggest of these is likely Halo: Infinite, famously delayed out of the Xbox Series X/S launch and is now expected later in 2021.
The Bethesda acquisition by Microsoft, which shocked the gaming industry and community in 2020, is also set to finalize in 2021, officially cementing the deal and bringing a ton of iconic franchises and characters under Microsoft’s control. Microsoft has been able to beef up their studios and with the Bethesda deal finally in place, that number jumps from 15 to 23. Rumors seem to indicate that at least a couple more could be joining soon as well.
While Microsoft still has a number of surprises left to share, the company has already detailed a lot of what Xbox fans can expect in 2021.
As exciting as a next generation console launch is, this year presented even more challenges than usual for getting one. With the pandemic pushing everyone home, retail stores also opted to sell their wares online. Unfortunately, console shortages and the presence of automated bots made acquiring these new systems more challenging than fans were hoping for.
From the Microsoft perspective, fans who were hoping to grab a Series S or Series X may continue to have trouble doing so well into the spring of 2021. Microsoft’s CFO Tim Stuart revealed the disappointing news late last year, confirming manufacturing and shipping difficulties Microsoft was not able to put the new consoles into production as soon as it had hoped meaning supply was more limited than intended. While consoles are constantly being built, Xbox Head Phil Spencer also went on to apologize for the current shortages fans are experiencing and reassured them that the company is working as fast as possible to manufacture more. Either way, it’s a good problem for Microsoft to have as console popularity and demand are extremely high.
One of the bigger criticisms levied at the Xbox Series X/S when it launched back in November were the lack of exclusive games, unlike the PlayStation 5 which launched with a number of them. Microsoft’s major holiday title was originally going to be Halo Infinite, but with the game falling behind, the company made the tough decision to delay it into 2021. While it was a tough decision to strip the new consoles of their flagship title at such a critical time, it ultimately appears to have been the correct call.
While Xbox owners may have been craving the next major first party exclusive, 2021 will be the year the system starts to really show what it can do. Naturally, the headliner this year is going to be the previously mentioned Halo: Infinite. While the game hasn’t been shown off since Microsoft’s July Showcase, 343 Industries has provided fans an update on the title, revealing new screenshots and detailing a few gameplay elements. Overall, the game is still largely a mystery, but that will start to change this year with plenty of opportunities to show how Halo: Infinite has evolved with the extra year of development time ultimately leading to its eventual launch later this year.
Outside of Halo, Microsoft also has a few exclusives lined up thanks to the studio shopping spree that the company has been going on the past couple of years. The Medium, after being delayed out of December to avoid Cyberpunk 2077, is set to finally launch on January 28, 2021. This is a psychological horror title putting players in the shoes of a medium called Marianne who is able to see the world for what it is and what it appears to be inside the realm of spirits. Switching between the two worlds will likely be a key element for players to solve puzzles as well as deal with hostile enemies.
Scorn, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, and Bright Memory: Infinite are also expected sometime in 2021. Scorn is a horror-adventure game that puts players inside of a grotesque and nightmarish world. Microsoft originally showed the game off at its July event in 2020. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, on the other hand, is the long-awaited follow-up to the 2007 classic. The sequel is centered around a bounty hunter in the Chernobyl wasteland and is set to have one of the biggest in-game worlds ever made with a non-linear narrative. Finally, Bright Memory: Infinite is a lightning fast sci-fi shooter that combines swords, guns, and powers into a first person viewpoint.
Microsoft also has a number of other first party titles cooking at some of their development studios that currently don’t have a solid release date as of yet. Titles like Everwild and Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 have been in development for a while and could see a release later in 2021. The next Forza Motorsport title from Turn 10 Studios is also in development without a solid release date. Considering that Forza Motorsport 7 launched in 2017, many fans assume that the Xbox Series X/S entry will finally be ready in 2021.
Microsoft’s Game Pass remains one of the greatest deals in gaming, featuring a staggering amount of games to play on the service as well as other bonuses like EA Play. Engagement numbers have also continued to increase, with Microsoft confirming that the monthly numbers more than doubled in the month of November. Last month, rumors began to swirl that Ubisoft+ would be the next company to join up with Game Pass, but that has yet to come to fruition.
While Microsoft hasn’t officially revealed its Game Pass plans for 2021, Xbox head Phil Spencer teased that the team has some very exciting long term plans and specifically mentioned that 2021 is going to be an “incredible year” for the subscription service. Unfortunately, Spencer didn’t elaborate on any of those plans, leaving fans to speculate as to what exactly he could be planning. Still, with Game Pass, fans already have a number of things to look forward to as every first party release will be available on the service at launch. This means that instead of spending $60 for Halo: Infinite, having Game Pass will give them immediate access once it becomes available.
In 2020, Microsoft finally launched Project xCloud, giving fans a new way to play Xbox on various devices outside of the normal Xbox consoles. Using cloud services, players could now have their Xbox experience on Android mobile devices and PCs at no additional charge through the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate service.
Starting in the Spring of 2021, Microsoft is expanding that coverage to include Windows PCs through the Xbox app and browser. While there has been some controversy getting xCloud on Apple products, Microsoft aims to bring the experience to iOS devices in the Spring as well. In addition to more platforms, Microsoft will be adding support to additional countries of the world as well including Australia, Brazil, Japan, and Mexico.
Xbox Series X/S are available now.
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