Update: Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer commented casting doubt on the leak, mentioning that the documents are old and much has changed since, also promising to share the real plans in due time.
The original article can be found below.
Attachments found on FTC court documents have revealed a number of upcoming Microsoft projects, including a mid-gen Xbox Series X refresh and more.
The document in question is publicly available, and information regarding Xbox's plans for the near future was found within attachments that someone apparently forgot to scrub.
Said attachments, which were spotted by ResetEra user LightKiosk, contain tons of internal Microsoft documents, including presentations about ZeniMax business, conversations between staffers, and more.
Some of these conversations pertain to a potential Microsoft acquisition of Nintendo, with Xbox head Phil Spencer calling the Japanese gaming giant "THE prime asset for us in gaming" back in 2020.
That acquisition is not official, of course, but the leak also says Microsoft's board was "fully supportive" of a Nintendo acquisition and that Spencer "honestly" thought a merger would be "a good move for both companies".
The leaks also contain slideshows and presentations regarding upcoming Microsoft hardware, including one about "Brooklin", a mid-generation Xbox Series X refresh that is apparently targeting a 2024 release.
Brooklin will feature a new cylindrical design, faster Wi-Fi, and 2TB of internal storage, and what's more, it'll be all-digital, much like its Xbox Series S cousin.
The Xbox Series S will also be receiving a refresh, although it'll mostly concern sustainability and efficiency and won't be as seemingly drastic as Brooklin. That refresh will be codenamed Ellewood and is scheduled for August next year, apparently.
As well as Brooklin, the attachments also reveal a new controller for the console. It has modular thumbsticks, a rechargeable battery, and an accelerometer.
Of course, it doesn't stop there. The attachments making up this Xbox leak also include information about Microsoft's next-gen console after the Series, uh, series, albeit not a huge amount.
According to the attachments, this time highlighted by ResetEra user Lant_War, Microsoft is targeting a 2028 release for whatever the next-gen Xbox ends up being called, and it will aim to be an "immersive game and app platform".
The system will focus on "cloud hybrid games" and will also aim to incorporate AI in some way, although Microsoft does say that these explorations are "early thoughts" on the next generation of gaming.
We also seemingly get a first look at what appears to be an Xbox handheld, which is included alongside a list of other Xbox hardware, with the Series S and new refreshed Series X also present in that lineup.
Yet another attachment, highlighted by Madjoki on ResetEra, points to what appears to be an upcoming release slate for Bethesda.
It's important to note that this schedule appears to be a few years old; it lists the upcoming Indiana Jones game with a 2022 financial year release window and also includes games like Doom Eternal and Deathloop, which came out back in 2020 and 2021 respectively.
However, the slide's upcoming games include something called Doom Year Zero, as well as remasters for Oblivion and Fallout 3, a new Dishonored game, and a sequel to Ghostwire: Tokyo.
DLC for Starfield also appears to be planned. The game is already scheduled to receive full mod support next year, so Starfield fans will find plenty to keep them around for a while yet.
It's important to note here that these are all internal documents (many of which fairly dated) and that nothing here has technically been publicly announced, so all of this could be subject to change.
It also remains to be seen whether this leak itself will change Microsoft and Bethesda's plans.
If the information contained within is true, though, it looks like Dishonored and Doom fans will be eating well next year, and it also looks like Xbox is moving further towards a discless future.
