Microsoft’s multiplatform experiment seems to be bearing fruit as Sea of Thieves continues to dominate PS5 downloads. The game made a rare (no pun intended) appearance in Circana’s U.S. sales report — where Xbox games are typically nowhere to be found — thanks to its PS5 release. Now, Sony has revealed that Sea of Thieves was the most downloaded game on the PS Store in both Europe and North America during the month of May 2024.

Sea of Thieves sits atop PS5 download charts as Helldivers 2 slips

After dominating charts for several months, multiplayer game Helldivers 2 has finally started to make its way down the rankings. In the U.S., Helldivers 2 took the fourth spot and in Europe, it grabbed fifth position.

The rest of the games in the top ten are all your typical appearances, like Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto V. Stellar Blade managed to stay in the top ten in both regions, settling for no. 8 in North America and no. 10 in Europe.

Microsoft’s leadership will certainly be pleased with Sea of Thieves’ performance on the PS5. The company has repeatedly said that its first four games on PlayStation will determine its future approach, and more PlayStation releases are pretty much certain at this point.

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Former Microsoft executive Mike Ybarra has said that the sheer size of Microsoft Gaming now warrants having some Xbox games on PlayStation and Nintendo platforms. Ybarra’s comments follow confirmation by Xbox boss Phil Spencer that more of the company’s first-party games will go multiplatform in the future.

Microsoft to become the world’s largest publisher with Xbox games on PlayStation and Nintendo

Ybarra, who spent two decades at Microsoft, acknowledged concerns about the future of Xbox hardware by fans once more first-party games go multiplatform. However, he’s of the view that Microsoft Gaming is beyond the point of hardware sales, and needs to focus on its ambition to be the world’s largest publisher.

“You have to put emotion aside and focus on the teams, players, and business – and make hard decisions,” Ybarra said. “Given the size of Microsoft Gaming now, it’s just not sustainable to not be embracing all platforms. They are taking their players in this journey, and that is not easy, but this is the right plan for their teams and players.”

Microsoft hasn’t said which games it plans to release on PlayStation and Nintendo going forward, but rumor has it that Halo is one of the first-party franchises going multiplatform.

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Xbox boss Phil Spencer has pretty much confirmed that more Microsoft first-party games are headed to PlayStation platforms. This news is neither surprising nor a revelation, but there continues to be debate over how far Microsoft plans to go with its multiplatform pivot.

Microsoft sees Xbox games on PlayStation as a ‘benefit’

During an interview with IGN yesterday, Spencer was quizzed about releasing games like Doom: The Dark Ages on PS5 after spending billions of dollars acquiring ZeniMax. Spencer said that he is often asked what the benefit of buying an Xbox console is if Microsoft will release its games on multiple platforms. He is of the view that Xbox first-party games launching day-one on Game Pass and being cross-compatible with PC is the biggest advantage of investing in Microsoft’s hardware.

“Our commitment to our Xbox customers is that you are going to get the opportunity to buy or subscribe to the game — we are going to support the game on other screens,” Spencer said. “You are going to see more of our games on more platforms, and we just see that as a benefit to the franchises that we are building.” Spencer added that players simply “love to be able to play.”

So, there you have it… straight from the horse’s mouth!

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A number of fans have been left discontent with Microsoft’s communication strategy surrounding Xbox games heading to PS5. Yesterday, a report from The Verge revealed that the company was mulling over a remaster of Halo: Combat Evolved for the PS5, following which more reputable insiders claimed that a number of major Xbox exclusives are on their way to the rival platform.

Microsoft quiet about its strategy for Xbox games on PS5

When reports of Xbox games going multiplatform first cropped up earlier this year, they were dismissed by a large number of fans until reputable sources starting backing up those claims. Microsoft was forced to conduct a “business update” as a result, during which it confirmed that four of its titles were headed to PS5, to start with. There’s been no update from Team Xbox since, but the rumors are showing no signs of dying down.

Yesterday, known insider NateTheHate claimed that “significant, major” Xbox games are heading to PlayStation. ResetEra user Shinobi602 — who is known to have some connections within the industry — confirmed the same. This, along with The Verge’s report, prompted Xbox fans to take to sites like Reddit and X to demand clarity from Microsoft.

Many have opined that Halo going multiplatform will spell the demise of Xbox hardware. However, the console already isn’t selling much as it is.

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Microsoft is reportedly considering releasing a Halo: Combat Evolved Remaster on PS5. Information in the Halo remake is limited, though it’s part of Microsoft’s larger project of bringing Xbox games to PlayStation.

Is a Halo: Combat Evolved Remaster PS5 version in development?

The Verge Editor Tom Warren discusses the reported Halo remake in his Notepad newsletter. Warren’s sources tell him that Microsoft is considering bringing its upcoming Halo: Combat Evolved Remaster to PS5. The remaster is reportedly still early in production, and Warren doesn’t expect Microsoft to present it at the Xbox Games Showcase on June 9. However, if Microsoft does follow through on bringing Halo to PS5, it would be a strong sign of the company’s commitment to bringing Xbox games to PlayStation.

Project Latitude is Microsoft’s internal name for bringing Xbox Games to other platforms. The first wave included Seas of Thieves, High-Fi Rush, Pentiment, and Grounded. Microsoft ported all four games to PS5, with Pentiment and Grounded also launching on PS4 and Switch. While a Starfield PS5 port isn’t in development, Phil Spencer didn’t rule one out. Neither did he rule out a PS5 version of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.

Warran’s sources also say that Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition, Age of Mythology: Retold, and Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II are candidates for Project Latitude. With so many games allegedly on the table, Halo: Combat Evolved Remaster on PS5 doesn’t seem that unlikely.

Notably, this Halo remake would be the second of its kind. Developer 343 Industries released Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary in 2011 and later included it in 2014’s Master Chief Collection. This means the remaster is now older than the original game when 343 remastered it. The remaster coming to PS5 might also help make Microsoft’s triple dipping feel slightly less gratuitous.

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Xbox is testing the waters of cross-platform games, porting a handful of games to the PlayStation 5, PS4, and Switch. The experiment seems to be going well so far, with Obsidian Entertainment’s Grounded and Rare’s Sea of Thieves seeing a massive spike in popularity.

Xbox games Grounded and Sea of Thieves climb PS5 sales chart

This information comes from Mat Piscatella from the market research company Circana. “Sea of Thieves was the 4th best-selling game of April, following its launch on PlayStation platforms during the month,” said Piscatella. “The title ranked 55th on the March best-selling titles chart. Sea of Thieves was the #3 best-selling game on PlayStation platforms in April.”

Grounded didn’t break the top ten but arguably saw an even more impressive jump. Xbox’s co-op survival game climbs from #167 in March to #12 in April. Circana reports it was the 9th best-selling game on PlayStation 4 and 5.

The success of Grounded and Sea of Thieves may bode well for more Xbox Game Studios games coming to PlayStation. It was one of four Xbox games ported to Sony consoles, alongside Grounded, Hi-Fi, Rush, and Pentiment. However, a report from early April suggests that Microsoft was looking particularly closely at Sea of Thieves to gauge whether it’s worth porting more games to PlayStation and Switch.

In February, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer didn’t rule out bringing Starfield and the New Indiana Jones game to PS5. The popularity of Bethesda’s sci-fi action RPG fell off quickly post-launch, but MachineGame’s Indiana Jones and the Great Circle still has a chance to impress. Halo Infinite is another Xbox game that’s not off the table for PS5.

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A new report claims that Hellblade developer Ninja Theory is safe from ongoing and upcoming Xbox layoffs and closures. After Microsoft shut down Arkane Austin and Tango Gameworks, there was some concern that Ninja Theory would eventually meet the same fate as the studio has not made a commercially successful game since its acquisition.

Will Hellblade 2 save Ninja Theory from impending Xbox cuts?

Prior reports have suggested that Microsoft is considering releasing Hellblade 2 on PS5 eventually as its games aren’t generating revenue from day-one launches on Xbox Game Pass. Given that Tango Gameworks released the critically-acclaimed Hi-Fi Rush across all platforms before it was unceremoniously shut down, many wondered if Ninja Theory was set to meet the same fate.

However, according to Windows Central’s Jez Corden, “There are no plans whatsoever to close the studio any time soon.” Additionally, he claims that Microsoft has greenlit the studio’s next game (other than Project: Mara).

Following a second round of mass layoffs across Xbox, which saw Bethesda gutted, reports emerged that Microsoft’s gaming division is set to go through a third round of cuts in the near future. Whether that happens or not, Ninja Theory seems safe… at least for the foreseeable future.

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A known leaker has teased that some Xbox exclusive games will be making the jump to PS5 as soon as Holiday 2024. Microsoft hasn’t officially detailed its plans for the future, but its leadership continues to suggest that more games are on their way to other platforms.

Microsoft reportedly has no “red line” when it comes to releasing Xbox games on PS5

The leaker in question is ResetEra user NateDrake, who is considered fairly reliable. In response to a recent report that Microsoft executives don’t have any “red line” in terms of which Xbox games release on PlayStation, NateDrake said that some of those games could be coming to PS5 as soon as Holiday 2024.

There have been rumblings of Starfield being the next game to release on the PS5, and although it’s lilkely that we’ll see that happen, NateDrake suggested that it won’t be one of the games coming this year. “I’ve heard of other games coming to PS5 and they could be during holiday season this year,” NateDrake wrote. “But working to confirm the games and the release windows.”

WindowsCentral’s Jez Corden seems convinced that Halo is one of the franchises making the jump to PlayStation. He specifically mentioned Halo Infinite as one of the games that Microsoft might bring to PS5 after seeing Sea of Thieves’ success on the platform.

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Summer Game Fest has revealed the publishers and studios appearing at the June 7 event. 55 partners are participating, including big names like Sony and Xbox and smaller players like Devolver Digital and Anapurna Interactive.

Summer Game Fest 2024 confirms 55 partners

Summer Game Fest revealed the list of Round 1 2024 partners on Thursday. In addition to Xbox and PlayStation, major publishers include Ubisoft, EA, Sega, Epic, Bandai Namco, Capcom, 2K, and WB Games. Amazon Games and Nefilx Games will also make a showing, as will companies including Focus Entertainment, Funcom, Plaion, Deep Silver, and Niantic. Other parties include Steam, Meta, and Samsung, though it’s unclear to what extent they will directly participate in the events.

A complete list of all 55 confirmed Summer Game Fest 2024 partners is below:

Launched as a digital-only event in 2021, Summer Game Fest has filled the gap left behind by E3’s shutdown. The main 2024 event goes live from YouTube Theater in LA at 2:00 PM Pacific/5:00 PM Eastern on June 7. It’s followed by the Wholesome Direct indie game showcase, Latin American Games Showcase, and Women-Led Games showcase on June 8. Finally, the Xbox Games Showcase and PC Gaming Show air on June 9.

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Hi-Fi Rush dev Tango Gameworks’ closure isn’t going down too well with fans, who are now positively review bombing the game on Steam to make a statement. There has been an influx of reviews on the platform that have boosted Hi-Fi Rush to an “overwhelmingly positive” rating.

Hi-Fi Rush dev planned a sequel before it was shut down

First spotted by Circana’s Mat Piscatella (via ResetEra), Steam users aren’t letting up and are continuing to review bomb Hi-Fi Rush in reverse. It is now one of Bethesda’s as well as Xbox Game Studios’ highest-rated games ever. While this won’t change the fate of Tango Gameworks, players have often used review bombing campaigns to make a statement, and they are certainly noticed.

Yesterday, reports emerged that Tango Gameworks was planning a sequel to the critically-acclaimed Hi-Fi Rush when it was unceremoniously shut down by Microsoft. Its founder — Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami — expressed his disappointment over the news. Acclaimed video game artist and former Tango Gameworks employee Ikumi Nakamura also shared some thoughts on X.

Earlier today, we reported that former Microsoft employees have blamed Xbox’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard and Game Pass for its recent woes. Xbox boss Phil Spencer has also been under fire as reports have emerged that more layoffs are on the way.

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