“We don't land in the shadow of someone else's big release."

In the recent Xbox Game Showcase, several exciting trailers were released, with games like the Fable reboot, Doom: The Dark Ages, and South of Midnight all set to launch next year. However, these titles were given an open-ended release window. This has been said to be a strategic decision made by Xbox, as explained by the company's head of content and studios, Matt Booty.

The majority of the gaming industry, if not the whole, is looking forward to the release of Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6), which is expected to drop in the fall of 2025. As one of the most highly anticipated games, there's no doubt that GTA 6's release will likely overshadow other game launches happening around the same time. This is a sentiment that Booty also agrees with, as he stated in a recent interview with Variety's Strictly Business podcast:

"I think many across the industry are of course going to plan around GTA 6, and we're all looking forward to that game, which should be amazing. Everybody in the industry wants to make sure that we don't land in the shadow of someone else's big release, but we just need to keep options open." (thanks, Games Radar)

Apart from dodging the GTA 6, Booty also pointed to another challenge within Xbox — the potential for internal rivalry. As the owner of numerous studios, Xbox wants to ensure every game gets its chance to shine.

"I think the issue is we don't step on ourselves," said Booty. "We have a pretty big portfolio. We have a pretty big lineup through the fall and through the spring... So, when we leave actual months and days of the month open-ended, that has as much to do with the fact that we're looking ahead and making sure we do the right planning so we're not getting in our own way."

You can check Variety's Strictly Business podcast here and the original report from Games Radar can be found here. Also, don't forget to join our 80 Level Talent platform and our Telegram channel, follow us on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Reddit, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.