More Windows Game Exclusives Coming in 2017

While Microsoft has released a handful of exclusive games for Windows 10 and Xbox as an offshoot of its UWP (Universal Windows Platform) initiative – the most notable being Quantum Break, Gears of Wars 4, and ReCore – since 2016, 2017 is set to be the year of the Windows game exclusive, according to Xbox head Phil Spencer. In a blog post celebrating the early access release of Halo Wars 2, Spencer says that the year ahead – set to culminate with the release of Project Scorpio, Microsoft’s 4K, 6 TFLOPS hardware refresh of the Xbox One – will be packed full of Windows exclusives, including the likes of Sea of Thieves, State of Decay 2, and Crackdown 3, plus as-yet-unannounced titles from studio partners Rare, Undead Labs, and Sumo Digital/Reagent Games.

“2017 is shaping up to be one of the most exciting years ever for Xbox gamers,” Spencer says. “We are preparing to launch the most powerful console ever made this holiday – Project Scorpio – along with a diverse lineup of games. In fact, we are committed to delivering even more exclusive games for both Xbox One and Windows 10 this year than we launched in 2016.  I was very proud of our first-party lineup in 2016 and I am encouraged by an even bigger and more differentiated first-party lineup in 2017, starting with today’s launch of Halo Wars 2.”

Spencer also promises an expansion of titles in the Xbox One Backward Compatibility library, which already boasts hundreds of Xbox 360 games.

“We are focused on building the largest games library in Xbox console history, which means our Xbox One Backward Compatibility lineup will continue growing this year.  We’ve delivered top fan favorites like Grand Theft Auto IV, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, and the BioShock and Mass Effect trilogies to our catalog in recent months, and we’ll continue adding more games throughout the year.”

Project Scorpio is set for release during the this year’s US Holiday season (i.e. somewhere between Thanksgiving and New Year).