You Should Pay Attention to This Massive Xbox Data Leak
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The future of gaming is here, folks—and it was stolen right from under Microsoft's nose. This past weekend, thanks to the FTC v. Microsoft case, we just saw one of the largest data leaks in Xbox's history. Unredacted images revealed important email communications between executives, including conversations about new consoles, controllers, and plans for 2028. If you thought leaking the Nintendo Direct schedule was something, get ready for this news.
The leak includes a plan for a new, disc-free Xbox Series X console, said to have a massive 2TB storage system. Codenamed "Brooklin," the unannounced revamp features an "all-new, more immersive controller." It also comes with gyro support, a swappable battery, and "quieter buttons." Seemingly planned for a November 2025 release, the mid-gen refresh may cost around $299 for the 1TB version and $499 for the full 2TB. After the leak, there's no telling when—or if—these projects will still be released.
The leaked emails also revealed plans for Bethesda's Fallout 3 remake, a remaster of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, an Indiana Jones game, and an entirely new Doom title. But the biggest surprise from the leaks may come fromMicrosoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer himself. In an August 2020 email, Spencer wrote, "Nintendo is THE prime asset for us in Gaming," adding, "getting Nintendo would be a career moment and I honestly believe a good move for both companies." He also stressed that moves such as a "hostile takeover" would not be beneficial to a "mutually agreeable merger," due to Nintendo's "big pile of cash."
"We are playing the long game," he continued. Keep in mind: the email's subject line was "random thought," so I wouldn't bet on Microsoft and Nintendo living under the same umbrella any time soon.
What we can say, however, is that—if we're to believe the information in the leaks—Microsoft is planning their Series X|S successor for a 2028 release. By then, the gaming company hopes that it can achieve "a next generation hybrid game platform capable of leveraging the combined power of the client and cloud to deliver deeper immersion and entirely new classes of game experiences."
What does that mean, you may ask? Well, the Xbox of the future won't have to do so much work that it feels like it'll light on fire. That would be a welcome addition to the console wars, at least more than fancy controllers and dreams of a Nintendo acquisition. The leak also means that a handheld model—one that looks similar to the Steam Deck and the Nintendo Switch— ay support next-gen graphics in the next five to six years. Exciting! Now, I hope that Xbox makes it real.
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