Xbox says it will honour PS5 exclusivity agreements for Deathloop and Ghostwire

Microsoft will honour PlayStation 5 exclusivity agreements following its acquisition of Bethesda parent ZeniMax Media, it’s said.

The publisher – which the Xbox firm has agreed to purchase in a $7.5bn deal – had recently agreed timed PS5 console exclusivity deals for new IP titles Deathloop (Arkane) and Ghostwire: Tokyo (Tango Gameworks).

Head of Xbox Phil Spencer reportedly told Bloomberg that he will honour the timed exclusivity agreement, but future Bethesda titles such as Todd Howard’s sci-fi RPG Starfield will be available for Xbox, PC and Game Pass.

“We’ll take other consoles on a case-by-case basis,” Spencer said.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella echoed Spencer’s comments: “When we think about strategy whether it’s in gaming or any other part of Microsoft, each layer has to stand on its own for what it brings. When we talk about our content we want our content to be broadly available.”

Announced at E3 2019, Deathloop is an FPS with a central mechanic that has players able to replay sequences in order to approach situations in different ways.

Players take on the role of assassin Colt, who’s stuck in a time loop which sees him wake up on the same beach each day to find he’s the subject of an island-wide manhunt.

Ghostwire Tokyo is the next game from Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami. According to Bethesda, the game will involve facing the occult, unravelling conspiracy theories and experiencing urban legends.

Microsoft’s acquisition talks started this summer, Phil Spencer told Bloomberg, and leveraged its existing relationship with Bethesda which started with the release of its first console game, Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind for the original Xbox in 2002.

“Bethesda’s games have always had a special place on Xbox and in the hearts of millions of gamers around the world,” Spencer wrote in a blog post. “Our teams have a close and storied history working together.”