Grumblevolcano

Halo 5 for MCC. The game had some very fun multiplayer modes like Warzone, Castle Wars and Breakout but the game's population dropped massively during Infinite's lifespan. By adding the game to MCC, those modes can be revived considering all the rumours surrounding MCC for PS5/Switch 2.

@Titntin I think Microsoft are going to heavy on remastering/remaking 360 games. Looking from a multiplatform perspective, you have that the current Sony and Nintendo hardware can't play PS3 and Wii/Wii U games respectively via backwards compatibility.

Taking that into account alongside that there were 360 exclusives back then, you'd have a situation where by remastering/remaking games (e.g. Oblivion, the Gears of War games, MW3 2011) you'd be filling in gaps in the PS5/Switch 2's 7th gen lineup.

I think it releases in August/September to avoid GTA6.

@IOI I could see if a game is getting new content that they use that to announce a port. So like for example "Starfield 2nd expansion launching on [insert date], complete edition launching for PC/Series X|S/PS5/Switch 2 on the same day".

@Fiendish-Beaver I think earlier in the year like March/April 2026 makes more sense for E-Day as having E-Day in September 2026 would mean the entire Fall/Holiday season from Microsoft is shooter games (Gears, CoD, Halo).

Having September be a completely different genre like FH6 or ES6 feels like a better fit to guarantee that the Fall/Holiday season has some variety.

@Kaloudz No but my guess in the case of Rare Replay would be that it's something to do with how they integrated the backwards compatibility program into the collection.

Selecting the 3 Banjo games, 2 Perfect Dark games, 2 Viva Pinata games, Jetpac Refuelled and Kameo in Rare Replay loads up the 360 backwards compatible versions.

@Kaloudz There were a few XB1 1st party games that didn't get a PC port like Rare Replay and Halo 5.

The Switch era showed me that for the most part if you wait long enough for games to come to your preferred system of choice, it'll happen eventually. So I think regarding Switch 2/PS6/Next Xbox, I'll only get Switch 2.

I think Microsoft will do what Activision did with MW2 (2009) where the old multiplayer maps end up in the new game (2023's MW3 for CoD, E-Day for Gears).

@Millionski Regarding Starfield, I think it's going to be brought over to PS5 when the 2nd expansion releases. That appears to be Microsoft's strategy for games that have post-launch updates or DLC, PS5 release to coincide with PC/Xbox getting the update/DLC. Grounded, Sea of Thieves, AoM, FH5 and AoE2 have all followed this pattern.

So like I wouldn't be surprised if Indiana Jones PS5 releases the same day as the Order of Giants DLC releases for all platforms.

I think June onwards for 2025 would be something like:

• June - THPS 3+4
• July - GoW Marcus Fenix Collection
• August - Outer Worlds 2
• September - Ninja Gaiden 4
• October - CoD 2025

I figure November and December will be left empty because of GTA6.

Not surprising considering GTA6 is still scheduled for Fall 2025.

@BacklogBrad @Fiendish-Beaver We can tell a Gears collection would be made because of other platforms based on how Microsoft has approached ports/remasters/remakes of Xbox and Xbox 360 games for XB1/Series X|S. After 2015 (the year that the backwards compatibility program started), the only ones that happened for backwards compatible games were:

• Halo Wars Definitive Edition (December 2016)
• Halo Reach being added to MCC (December 2019)

Both of which were part of Microsoft's big PC push. So we can tell that Microsoft use ports/remasters/remakes as a way to bring old games to systems that can't play them.

I don't think PS5 was part of the original plans though, rather an addition last year when Microsoft changed to multiplatform.

@K1LLEGAL It might be they're throwing everything at a wall and seeing what sticks, much like what Square Enix did in 2022.

@Friendly It's year on year so FY25Q2 is being compared to FY24Q2 (October - December 2023).

@themightyant I very much think next gen will be expensive, something like:

• Switch 2 - $499
• Xbox and PS handheld - $599
• Next gen Xbox and PS6 - $799 (no disc drive)

I think E-Day would be Spring 2026 so it can avoid clashing with Halo and CoD. That said, I also think GTA6 will be delayed to 2026 so they'd want to avoid that as well.

@Kaloudz If Square Enix are serious about their multiplatform comments, I think the most likely announcement time for Series X|S ports for the rest of PS exclusive FF is April 2nd. Announce the games for Switch 2 in the Switch 2 Direct and announce Xbox versions at the same time outside the Direct.

I think it'll be:

• March - South of Midnight
• April - Expedition 33 (making room for the Xbox 1st party April release being Indiana Jones for PS5)
• May - DOOM The Dark Ages
• June - Surprise 4th game

If the case, I think it's going to be an Xbox studio making a game for a non-gaming IP so like if Bethesda were to make a Godzilla game. There's already a 3rd party game in the event (Expedition 33) so it would be odd if half the Direct was 3rd party games.

While it does seem pretty much guaranteed they'd come at some point considering Square Enix's updated multiplatform strategy. I don't believe they'll be announced here, it doesn't fit the nature of what Developer Direct is about.

I think it's more likely what happened for FF in September 2018 with Switch 1 is repeated. They'll be announced for Switch 2 in a Nintendo video (Switch 2 reveal or Nintendo Direct) and then get confirmation of Xbox port afterwards.

Surprise location makes me think Forza Horizon 6 (they do the reveal in the country where the game takes place) but surely Microsoft would save Forza Horizon 6 for next gen if there is actually a next gen.

Considering how many XGS games that were announced in 2019 - 2021 ended up reappearing for the first time in 2024, it feels a safe guess that Everwild and Contraband reappear in 2025.

I could see it appearing as a result of the new 3rd party mindset. As a 3rd party publisher, Microsoft would see that Oblivion (a game previously playable on PS) isn't playable on PS5 because there's no PS3 backwards compatibility and so a remake has an opportunity for huge sales. Also Nintendo hardware has never had the game and Skyrim did well on Switch.

It's probably on about stuff like FFXVI, Silent Hill 2 Remake, MGS4, etc.

My guess is Fable (swapping an RPG for another RPG).

@Fiendish-Beaver @BacklogBrad While I think a Playstation PC launcher is believable and likely considering how fast Sony are porting their games to PC, I don't believe that cross-purchase would apply to every 3rd party game. Xbox Play Anywhere has been around for 8 years now and 3rd party support for it is still limited.

Considering this is the first big event since the "no red lines" comment and "This is an Xbox" campaign, I think Xbox's big presence here will be PS5 ports and "This is an Xbox" ads.

Then they do a Developer Direct in January to cover Avowed, DOOM The Dark Ages, Fable, South of Midnight and 1-2 other games.

I wonder what happens with the PS5 ports (and Switch 2 ports whenever that console arrives). Like we know the Xbox version of Indiana Jones is code in box but will the PS5 version be a proper disc version because it fits more with PS user habits?

The wording of the announcement makes it seem like they have to get permission from 3rd parties (like they did with the Xbox/Xbox 360 backwards compatibility program) to allow games to be streamable.

@somnambulance Looking back it turns out that Game Awards 2019 nominees were announced on November 19th (the show aired December 12th).

Taking into considering that 2020 onwards had the deadline be the Friday after the nominees are announced, it seems like they're waiting for some sort of shadow drop or they're waiting for Flight Sim 2024/Stalker 2.

@somnambulance @Decimateh It would explain why the Game Awards nominees haven't been announced yet. If Silksong was to shadow drop this week, it would likely be nominated for several awards.

May be about Ubisoft, they own the cloud streaming rights for Activision and there's been plenty of articles posted about the recent state of Ubisoft.

Microsoft seems to want parity between console and cloud when it comes to 1st party releases which means Ubisoft problems are also Microsoft problems.

I wonder if the 1st half of 2025 for Xbox multiplatform releases is something like this:

• February - Fallout 3 (PS4/PS5/Switch)
• March - Oblivion (PS4/PS5/Switch)
• April - Indiana Jones (PS5)
• May - DOOM The Dark Ages (PS5)
• June - Flight Sim 2024 (PS5)

It would be a way in which it would appear things are slowing regarding Xbox exclusives to PS (only 1 more game to announce that hasn't previously been on PS) but the reasoning being a lot more believable (that they're choosing to port some games that are currently trapped on PS3 if you're not a Xbox player) and it ramps back up again in the 2nd half of 2025.

The very small difference in price between the old 1TB disc Series X and the new 1TB digital Series X makes it seem like they're going to discontinue the old models such that the new 2TB model is the only disc one.

I think each multiplatform announcement this year has been presented in such a way to get people gradually used to that even bigger stuff is going multiplatform in the future.

They went from announcing 2 in a Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase to the initial 4 for PS5 in random trailers later that day.

Then DOOM day 1 on PS5 happened but the PS5 announcement wasn't in the Xbox showcase, it was a random trailer after the event.

Finally Indiana Jones on PS5 which not only was announced before the Xbox version released but also was treated as the "one more thing" gigantic announcement of the event it was in.

So yes, I do believe that Halo is coming to PS5. As for a fitting announcement timing, maybe the Game Awards as it's the 10th anniversary of the event?

I think this increases the possibility of that rumoured Halo 1 remake for PS5 being real.

@IOI Judging by how they handled MW3 (2023), I think Game Pass will see:

• September 30th - October 18th will be relatively normal for Game Pass
• After that, Black Ops 6 is the only release for PC/Ultimate until November 5th
• In the timespan where Black Ops 6 is the only addition for PC/Ultimate, maybe Standard gets some legacy titles that are already in PC/Ultimate

I wonder if this means Avowed will be delayed again considering it was delayed because the holiday season was so packed and now February's looking even more packed.

@themightyant I'm thinking Early 2026 or sometime in 2027 (leaning towards former). They didn't give a release year which I think rules out 2025. But Fall/Holiday 2026 is already taken up by annual CoD and Halo 25th anniversary.

I think Foamstars and Forspoken are pretty much guarantees. Former is going FTP in October so they'd release on Xbox to try and increase the playerbase. Meanwhile the latter's exclusivity ends in January 2025 and sounds like the kind of situation where Game Pass may give the game a second wind.

@SleeplessKnight I think it might be that they wanted day 1 on PS5 (like DOOM The Dark Ages) but the only way to achieve this would've been to delay the PC/Xbox version to Spring 2025, hence they settled for PC/Xbox timed exclusivity.

@x3King84 The Forza forums has this official post about a new game mode:

"FH5 at Gamescom 2024
See you at Gamescom!

Our booth will be showing a completely new, exciting game mode inspired by our community and their creations.

Plus, we will also be showing our latest in-game partnership!

Visit us at Gamescom and stay tuned to our official channels for more announcements happening at the event.

Tune in August 21 for FH5 on the Xbox @ gamescom Livestream"

https://forums.forza.net/t/fh5-at-gamescom-2024-new-game-mode-tba/727847

The game probably will come to PS5 at some point but unlikely to be announced this week.

It got delisted from the XB1/Series X|S store around the same time it got delisted from the 360 store.

@themightyant I figure things will change from parity clauses to the handheld just not running more demanding games well as that's what is expected on the PC side of things.

@InvaderFromSpace GTA6 is likely going to cause complete chaos with release schedules. I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if Game Pass gets another price increase in September 2025 but the only 1st party game for the rest of that year is CoD 2025.

Considering Activision always gave Geoff a long gameplay demo of CoD's campaign for Opening Night Live, I figure the tease is about Black Ops 6's campaign.

@somnambulance Shattered Space DLC, Avowed and Indiana Jones have stage presentations on the show floor. You just can't play it yourself much like Starfield couldn't be played last Gamescom.

@NEStalgia @HonestHick Microsoft's outdated controller decisions are also holding back PS. Like the gyro situation, gyro in shooters is expected by the Switch audience thanks to the gigantic success of the Splatoon franchise and 3rd parties usually deliver but gyro support rarely happens on PS because of parity with Xbox controllers.

@Markatron84 They wouldn't be consoles though.