- Xbox has cancelled three out of five of its major games revealed for the Series S|X at the Xbox Games Showcase 2020.
- The other four games from the showcase that were released recently have also massively underperformed.
- Xbox’s third-party strategy makes a lot of sense when looking back at these titles.
Xbox recently cancelled multiple games and laid off thousands of employees. However, reports have confirmed that another big title from the studio has been cancelled.
Interestingly enough, all of these titles made their debut in 2020. Xbox’s showcase from 2020, which garnered praise for its first-party reveals, highlighted five major titles, but three of those have now been cancelled.
Why it matters: The Xbox Games Showcase 2020 preceded the launch of the Xbox Series S|X and set the stage for things to come. This showcase was designed to sell audiences on the new consoles and their exclusive offerings.
The following were Xbox’s headliners for its showcase in 2020:
- Fable
- State of Decay 3
- Contraband
- Everwild
- Perfect Dark
Among these, Perfect Dark, Contraband, and Everwild have already been cancelled. Fable is safe, and although there is nothing to suggest State of Decay 3 will be cancelled, the game is certainly not out of the woods yet.
For starters, the game was missing from Xbox’s latest showcase and has generally not shown too much promise. Since Xbox was recruiting for Contraband until last month and the game is now confirmed to be cancelled, there’s no telling what will happen to State of Decay 3.
Elsewhere, Xbox’s showcase for 2020 included games like Halo Infinite, Forza Motorsport, Avowed, and Hellblade 2. All of these have now been released, but neither game has made too big of a splash despite being solid overall.
In fact, it would not be far-fetched to say that all four games have been very underwhelming. Turn 10 has faced major layoffs following Forza Motorsport’s release, 343 Industries and Halo underwent a complete rebrand recently, and Hellblade 2 saw concerning statistics on platforms like Steam.
All in all, Microsoft’s explosive showcase from 2020 does not seem to have lived up to the excitement.
Reflecting on the Xbox Games Showcase 2020 also shows why Microsoft moved forward with a third-party approach starting last year.
Three major cancellations and four underwhelming releases back-to-back likely meant that leadership at Microsoft no longer felt confident in future exclusives. It likely didn’t help much that Game Pass growth stagnated over the last few years.
What do you think about Xbox’s state in 2025? Were you excited for the brand after the 2020 showcase? Let’s discuss in the comments and on the Tech4Gamers Forums.
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[Senior News Reporter]
Avinash is currently pursuing a Business degree in Australia. For more than 5 years, he has been working as a gaming journalist, utilizing his writing skills and love for gaming to report on the latest updates in the industry. Avinash loves to play action games like Devil May Cry and has also been mentioned on highly regarded websites, such as IGN, GamesRadar, GameRant, Dualshockers, CBR, and Gamespot.
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