With Microsoft now having Activision Blizzard, Bethesda, and Xbox Game Studios under its umbrella, it has cemented its position as a major powerhouse in game publishing. This expansion comes with a host of projects brewing, many of which have been on the back burner for some time, like Rare’s Everwild and Undead Labs’ State of Decay 3.
Phil Spencer, the head of Microsoft Gaming, recently addressed concerns about these games being stuck in development limbo during a chat with Xbox Era. He shrugged off worries, suggesting that being such a large publisher allows them to afford studios the luxury of time to polish their creations.
When pressed about which of these unreleased first-party titles he was most eager to see coming to life, Spencer didn’t hesitate to mention State of Decay 3, Everwild, and a new venture from Double Fine Productions, led by Tim Schafer.
“State of Decay has been close to my heart since the first installment,” Spencer admitted. “I’m really excited about what Double Fine is crafting. Tim Schafer actively gathers team feedback, which is fantastic. I also recently visited Rare and am thrilled with how Everwild is shaping up.”
Spencer did acknowledge the extended radio silence about these projects. “Yeah, it’s been a while,” he confessed. “However, we’ve let these teams take their time, which is a blessing, especially when we have such a robust portfolio. It’s a vision Matt [Booty] and I have nurtured for years, and it’s gratifying to see it come to fruition as we support these teams with time.”
Indeed, Microsoft isn’t feeling the heat to rush anything out the door. Their 2025 lineup is already overflowing with titles like Obsidian’s Avowed and The Outer Worlds 2, Doom: The Dark Ages from id Software, South of Midnight from Compulsion Games, Fable by Playground Games, the collaborative Ninja Gaiden 4 from Team Ninja and PlatinumGames, and presumably another Call of Duty.
Spencer also hinted at a forthcoming visit to The Coalition, the developers behind Gears of War, where he’ll check in on Gears of War: E-Day, another project taking its time in development since the last installment hit in 2019. “I’ll be visiting next week,” he revealed. “I feel like a kid in a candy store every time they let me in.”
