Xbox can’t wait to get out of 2025 and start talking about the next generation

Last year, when I ran the rule over Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony, there were a lot of reasons to be hopeful for Team Xbox.

The company finished 2024 with a flourish, with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, finally sealing the seemingly never-ending Activision Blizzard acquisition, and there was hope that its big games in 2025 would show that it’s still got much to offer.

This year, it’s been tough to see the positives. Doom: The Dark Ages was great, Avowed was another solid RPG from the ever-dependable team at Obsidian, and South of Midnight told a story that was unique, even if its gameplay offered little real freshness.