Image: Bethesda
Leaked Microsoft documents have revealed a refresh of the Xbox Series X|S console line and multiple unannounced games from Bethesda.
Several documents from Microsoft’s FTC court trial that contained confidential information meant to be redacted have leaked online, meaning that we now know a whole lot of things we’re not supposed to know. One of the biggest leaks includes a roadmap for Bethesda's upcoming release slate, giving away several unannounced games such as remasters for The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion and Fallout 3, along with new games like ‘Doom Year Zero’, Ghostwire: Tokyo 2 and Dishonored 3.
Here’s the roadmap:
First thing’s first: this roadmap was included in a leaked Microsoft presentation dated July 2020, right before the company acquired ZeniMax Media and its subsidiary Bethesda Game Studios. The now-outdated release schedule goes from fiscal year 2020 to 2024, with several games we already know about launching in 2020 such as Deathloop and Doom Eternal. The roadmap also reveals that Microsoft was expecting both Starfield and Redfall to launch as early as 2021, but both ended up coming out in 2023 instead.
From fiscal year 2022 to 2024, things get interesting as the roadmap reveals a whole list of games we didn’t know were in development at all. A remaster of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion was set to launch in the same year as MachineGames’ Indiana Jones game. In fiscal year 2023, a presumed Doom prequel game called ‘Doom Year Zero’ was meant to launch with DLC alongside two mystery games called ‘Project Kestrel’ and ‘Project Platinum’.
In fiscal year 2024, The Elder Scrolls 6, a ‘licensed IP’ game, Fallout 3 remaster, Ghostwire: Tokyo sequel, Dishonored 3 and more Doom Year Zero DLC were all planned for release. Both Arkane Studios and id Software have been silent on their follow-ups to Redfall and Doom Eternal respectively, but it makes sense that both studios would give popular franchises like Dishonored and Doom another go. The Dishonored franchise has been dormant since 2017’s Dishonored: Death of the Outsider, though Arkane’s latest singleplayer game Deathloop had ties to the franchise too. Doom Eternal seemed like id Software’s last word on the franchise for a while, so it’s interesting that it’s getting a sequel - or prequel - so soon.
Of course, this roadmap is outdated by four whole years and thus should be taken with a grain of salt. Games like Starfield and Redfall alone were delayed significantly from their planned launch dates, which goes to show how much plans might have changed for every other title on this list. Xbox head Phil Spencer himself took to Twitter/X to voice his disappointment in the leaks, but also affirm that, “so much has changed,” and, “the real plans,” will be shared, “when we are ready.”
According to these leaked documents, Microsoft also plans to launch a version of the Xbox Series X|S consoles without a disc drive in 2024, and a new generation of Xbox consoles in 2028.