Microsoft denied removing games like Redfall from PS5 and PS4 to make them Xbox exclusives. The denial comes after reports surfaced a few days ago that Redfall was originally coming to PS5, but that version was canceled when Bethesda was acquired by Microsoft.
Microsoft Takes Steps To Allay Gamer Fears Over Xbox Exclusivity
Xbox CEO Phil Spencer has previously claimed that Microsoft doesn’t want to keep existing PlayStation games out of those consoles, and that’s been the main argument in its fight to acquire Activision Blizzard and the Call of Duty franchise. Redfall director Harvey Smith’s claim that Redfall has been canceled on PS5 goes directly against that claim, which is why a Microsoft spokesperson released a statement to GameSpot refuting the allegation according to which the game would have been removed from the platform:
We haven’t released any PlayStation games. In fact, we’ve expanded our footprint of games we’ve shipped on Sony’s PlayStation since our acquisition of ZeniMax, and the first two games we shipped after the shutdown were PlayStation 5 exclusives. We’ve done the same since. that we shut down Minecraft as we’ve expanded the reach of this franchise. All of the games that were available on PlayStation when we acquired ZeniMax in March 2021 are still available on PlayStation, and we continue to update content on PlayStation and PC. We have always said that future decisions regarding the distribution of ZeniMax games for other consoles will be made on a case-by-case basis.
Microsoft spokesperson
While the Bethesda deal still allowed Deathloop and Ghostwire: Tokyo to enjoy PS5 exclusivity for 12 months, once existing contracts were approved, things weren’t so rosy. Starfield and Redfall are Xbox exclusives, and there are rumors that The Elder Scrolls 6 will follow suit despite being an existing PlayStation franchise. Whether Microsoft or Harvey Smith are right, the future doesn’t look bright for future Bethesda games on PS4 and/or PS5.