A new insider report suggests that Xbox could put itself in a position to pull out of Steam as part of greater changes to the company’s PC strategy. The Microsoft gaming brand has been pushing its intent to make significant changes to Xbox in recent months.
The new leadership at Xbox is looking to bring sweeping overhauls to the popular Microsoft gaming brand. Xbox officially named Asha Sharma as its new CEO in early 2026 after two years as president of Microsoft’s CoreAI division, following the departure of longtime Xbox head Phil Spencer. Sharma has already addressed fervent fan feedback about Xbox’s shift to multiplatform releases, suggesting that the company may be returning to more console exclusives and putting a bigger focus on the Xbox community. Now, Xbox may have a strategy in place for the company to make an exit from Steam.
Xbox Could Potentially Have Plans in Place to Leave Steam
In a recent episode of the Xbox Two podcast, insider Jez Corden recently shared that Microsoft could be working on a move to leave Steam. According to Corden, Microsoft is planning to make significant changes to Xbox’s presence on PC, considering options that would give the company an opportunity to leave Steam. Corden was quick to stress that Microsoft’s plans are not certain, and the company has not shared any direct intentions to stop bringing games to Steam, saying that Microsoft “could go either way” on the move. The interview also could not confirm whether Microsoft would simply stop bringing new games to Steam, or remove its older games as well.
Put the consoles in the correct order.
Microsoft leaving Steam would see one of gaming’s biggest brands shedding its support for PC’s biggest platform. Many of Microsoft’s most notable new releases have come to Steam either alongside their Xbox launch or shortly after, including games like Halo: Campaign Evolved and Forza Horizon 6. The 2019 release of Halo: The Master Chief Collection also brought many of the older, previously Xbox-exclusive games to the PC for the first time, including classics like Halo 3 and Halo: Reach. Microsoft has not made a public statement about any intent to leave Steam in the future.
A potential shift away from Steam follows Microsoft taking a step back from its recent multi-platform approach. The upcoming Gears of War: E-Day was confirmed to be an Xbox exclusive at launch during the 2026 Xbox Games Showcase, despite ratings previously appearing for a PS5 version. Forza Horizon 6 was also revealed not to be coming to the PS5 at launch, planned to release on the Sony platform at a later date in 2026. Halo: Campaign Evolved did release on PS5 as originally advertised alongside the Xbox version, with many fans even claiming the game runs best on PS5 Pro.
Xbox has plenty of exciting first-party games planned throughout the rest of 2026 and into 2027. The previously mentioned Gears of War: E-Day will be one of Microsoft’s highlight titles for the holiday season, with the new prequel scheduled to launch in early October. Xbox is also set to kick 2027 off with a bang with the return of another beloved franchise, debuting the highly-anticipated Fable reboot on February 23. Xbox could have some bold moves planned for the future to help revitalize the iconic Microsoft gaming brand, with several major first-party games on the way.
