Remember that whole mess with Microsoft and the FTC about the Activision-Blizzard acquisition? Well, a bunch of documents that weren't meant for public eyes are now available to public eyes. They include upcoming titles, new models for the Series consoles, and some very "Don't show this to the public!" emails from Phil Spencer. Let's get digging!

Software

Let's start with the games. The below table shows released and upcoming Bethesda titles up to the Fiscal Year 2024. For the uninitiated, a Fiscal Year starts in October of the previous calendaristic year and ends in September of the current one, give or take a few days. So FY24 lasts between October 2023 and September 2024. It can vary depending on the country and company (and a later screenshot shows it might be June/July for Microsoft), but that's the gist of it.

Unfortunately the table, courtesy of Reset Era, seems to outdated, with delays likely due to the 2020 pandemic. Red Fall, Ghostwire: Tokyo and Hi-Fi Rush (Project Hibiki) all released one or two years after the date presented, the Indiana Jones Game is nowhere to be seen, and I'm fairly certain Starfield only came out a few weeks ago. Still, there's a number of titles on that table that could be announced in the near future and release sometime afterwards.

First up, it seems like Microsoft is looking to remaster Fallout 3 and The Elder Scrolls Oblivion. Whether these titles deserve an update over far older games in the franchise is up for debate, but they're beloved titles and make sense to be on the radar for a new coat of paint.

A number of new titles to existing titles are also present for Doom, Dishonoured and Ghostwire Tokyo. The latter two look to be getting direct sequels, but DOOM Year Zero sounds like the kind of title you'd give a prequel or a reboot.

Microsoft also seems to be looking into expanding into the mobile market with up to 9 projects, of which we know 2 are out, Fallout Shelter Online and Mighty Doom, the latter of which is likely one of the "Project" bullet points.

Last thing of note is "Licensed IP Game". No clue what this is, but Xbox's studios haven't really done any licensed games before, so that's exciting. If we were to speculate, the safest bet is a Star Wars game, as EA's exclusivity expired this year and it's a very big franchise. This document was likely made before that deal expired, but Ubisoft's Outlaws game was likely in development at the time, so an Xbox Star Wars game might've been as well.

Hardware

Now this is where things are getting juicy! A PDF document, courtesy of The Verge, details plans for new Series consoles and a brand new standard Xbox controller to be bundled with the new models as well as sold separately.

Let's start with the controller. Nicknamed Sebile, this new controller is quite an upgrade over the standard one we have now. It adds haptic feedback, an accelerometer, quieter buttons, modular thumbsticks, and a rechargeable AND replaceable battery (though hopefully with standard connectors so you still use regular AAs). It also makes connecting to multiple devices easier, allowing you to switch between devices using the mobile app.

In terms of consoles, we start with a refresh of the Series S, codenamed Ellewood. It looks pretty much the same as the current white model, but will come with 1TB of storage, faster wi-fi and bluetooth, 80% lower power draw while idle, and the aforementioned controller while retaining the price of 299 USD.

The more interesting console is the new Series X, codenamed Brooklin. This one will ditch the disk completely and be digital-only, has the same connectivity and controller as the new S, and replaces the USB-A in the front with a USB-C, at 499 USD. The most striking difference, though, is the new design, which diches the rectangle and becomes a cylinder, not unlike the 2013 Mac Pro.

Both the new controller and the updated Series X are planned to be compatible with Xbox Design Lab. This means that you'll be able to customize your Xbox console to your hearth's content. Both consoles will also come with variants that are half storage for those who want a cheaper option.

The timeline below shows the desired launch dates, assuming those haven't changed. Translating to calendar years, all the new hardware should launch next year, with the new controller in June, the Series S in August, and the new Series X in October. The graph also shows end of life (aka they won't sell them anymore) for Edith and Starkville, with the former getting a final 199 reduction on Black Friday. Edith is most likely the current Series S, with Starkville being either the black Series S or the current Series X.

The last graph we'll focus on in terms of hardware gives us an insight on a number of projects that may or may not happen. These include a new Elite Controller, a Luxury Controller (whatever that means, earbuds, mobile controller, and a handheld (likely for cloud gaming, nothing dedicated).

Miscellaneous

Xbox seems to want to focus more on cloud and mobile gaming, and that's quite obvious with the controller. Aside from all the new connectivity, if we go back to the the table showing all the specs for the new consoles (second to last in the previous section), you'll notice the controllers will come with "Bonnie" in the box. That could be the rechargeable battery, but the fact that there's a Pro model might hint at a phone clip so you can attach your phone. This would make cloud and mobile gaming much easier.

Another document (screenshot taken from Tom Warren, senior editor at The Verge) also brought to light that the next generation of Xbox is planned to launch in 2028. This lines up with the schedule of the previous 2 generations, as it will have been about 8 years since the release of the Series series of console. Quite a bit of time until then, though, enough for Xbox to work on their naming conventions.

Lastly, let's talk about Phill Spencer. Along with all the leaks above, there's one of an internal e-mail (also from Tom Warren) where he talks about various acquisition Microsoft could make. It's before the Zenimax buyout, since he talks about it like it's an opportunity and not something that already happened. He also mentions Warner Bros. Games (though, interestingly, without any of the IPs), Valve and Nintendo.

Valve was only mentioned in passing, but Nintendo seems to be some sort of a career dream for him and he believes it's a good move for both companies, as well as the fact that Nintendo future is off of their consoles. Whether that's true is... debatable, but, given the Switch's recent success, it's safe to say they won't be bought by Microsoft in the near future.

What do you think of these leaks? Are you excited for the future of Xbox? Let us know in the comments below!