2026 as usual Xbox The Games Showcase was packed with interesting video games, Xbox Game Pass announcements, and a cool transparent Xbox console/controller that feels very early 2000. As fun as these reveals were, the biggest thing to come out of the event was the confirmation that Xbox exclusives are coming back. Confirming a rumor from industry insider Jeff Grubb and proving that Walmart's recent listing is outdated, this announcement directly addresses one of the Xbox community's biggest wishes. And one of two confirmed console exclusives — Gears of War: E-day — is of particular interest given the recent PlayStation release.
promising, BioShock: Infinite– like Mechanical revolution it will also only be available on Xbox consoles. Its launch is scheduled for 2027.
To be clear, not all Xbox Game Studios PlayStation ports were suddenly canceled. If a game has been announced for Sony's family of consoles, then it's still coming to PlayStation — Fablefor example, it's still scheduled to launch on PS5. However, this does not mean that future releases in the same series will do the same, and Gears of War it seems to prove. If anything, upcoming Gears of War: E-Day may be a perfect example of what will happen to most Xbox franchises in the future when Microsoft pulls the rug out from under Sony.
17 games confirmed for Xbox Game Pass at Xbox Games Showcase 2026
As usual with Microsoft's demos, Xbox Game Pass subscribers can now look forward to a whole new set of games.
How Gears of War: Reloaded on PS5 can force the hand of players
Clearly, the change in Xbox leadership has brought about a new plan to evaluate first-party games for multi-platform releases one at a time. That said, there was almost certainly no plan to let PlayStation fans get a taste of the Xbox franchises before telling them they'd need an Xbox to see the other games in the series. Yet this is exactly what has been happening ever since Gears of War: E-Day it's no longer coming out on the PlayStation 5. Coincidence or not, it's smart business Reloaded now it comes out as a Trojan horse of sorts.
GameRant Quiz
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When hell froze over and Gears of War: Reloaded came to the PlayStation 5 in August 2025, players assumed they would be able to enjoy it as well E-Day on their Sony consoles. As a result, they may have bought into the hype surrounding the franchise, picked up a remaster of the original game, and fallen in love with the characters and world. But to experience the latter Gears of War games, including upcoming ones E-Daynow they'll have to get an Xbox (or a gaming PC with some solid specs). Basically, Xbox just gave a new audience a piece Gears of War to pique their interest, and now tells that same audience that they need to get Series X or the upcoming Project Helix to see more. And it is safe to assume that this will not only apply to Gear wheels IP as well.
Xbox could pull the exact same trojan trick with Halo and Fable
New record in Fable franchise and a remaster of the original Halo the arrival of the PlayStation 5 is a given as these announcements were made prior to Microsoft's move away from the failed “everything is Xbox” campaign. However, as with Gears of War: Reloadedthese games could function as mere tasters of their broader franchises. The next Halo game has already been announced, so if PlayStation fans end up falling in love The campaign evolvedthey will have no choice but to get another console to play the new entry. And if Playground Games sticks the landing Fableearn on FableA promising Games Showcase trailer, then PlayStation fans might be enticed to pick up an Xbox again when the sequels aren't on PS5 and PS6.
Place the consoles in the correct order.
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Place the consoles in the correct order.
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Although there was a point in time when PlayStation players would have expected it Halo: The Master Chief Collection and the classics Fable that the trilogy will end up on PS5 is now highly unlikely. All PlayStation fans will probably end up with remasters of the first entries in the two legendary Xbox franchises and the initial entries in the hopefully long-running reboot. This allows Microsoft to paint what many fans saw as a mistake as a tactical business decision to lure fans away from the competition. The move back to console exclusives seems to have come at just the right time Gears of War will retain its association with the Xbox brand and similar franchises Halo and Fable he could only follow.
