Xbox started off its latest showcase with Gears of War: E-Day, a prequel to a series synonymous with the console. That was intentional, as the announcement of a release date was accompanied by the news that E-Day will be a true Xbox exclusive.
In recent years Xbox and PlayStation have both sought to bring their first-party games to as wide an audience as possible. For Xbox, that has meant releasing titles like Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Avowed, and Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 on PS5. That era seems to be over now under new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma, who took over the role from Phil Spencer in February 2026.
As noted in an Xbox Wire blog, Gears of War: E-Day will be an Xbox console exclusive, "as part of our focus on the return of Xbox." That also goes for time-bending action RPG Clockwork Revolution. "These are not timed exclusives," continues the blog, referencing the practice of releasing first-party Xbox titles on other consoles after the game's initial release.
Halo: Campaign Evolved, on the other hand, will still release on PS5 as well as Xbox and PC. According to Xbox Wire, "games already announced for multiplatform releases will stick to that plan – we're committed to investing in and growing Xbox both on console and beyond." While that may be true for previously announced titles, it seems that E-Day marks a new direction.
"The return of exclusives," as Xbox calls it in the headline of the blog post, follows a similar move made by PlayStation just a few months ago. In March, Bloomberg's Jason Schreier reported that going forward, "the company's narrative single-player games will now be PlayStation exclusive." The notable exception to that rule are PlayStation's multiplayer titles, such as Marathon. The move to console exclusivity may be a little easier for Xbox as the company will still release games on Microsoft computers.
Gears of War: E-Day – Everything we know about the upcoming shooter
