In a recent interview with Famitsu, Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming and head of Xbox, shared some of his favorite games, including Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Death Stranding 2: On The Beach. Although some fans question his choice of Death Stranding 2 considering his position, it’s often mentioned as a contender for Game of the Year.
With the end of the year approaching, expect lots of talk about which games deserve the title of Game of the Year. The Game Awards, happening on December 11th, usually kick these discussions into high gear. While nominations haven’t been announced yet, popular contenders already include titles like Hollow Knight: Silksong, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Death Stranding 2, Hades 2, and Split Fiction.
While Spencer isn’t directly involved in these discussions, his picks seem to align with what many gamers are thinking. Despite ongoing debates, he considers Expedition 33 a strong contender for Game of the Year. Famitsu reports that Spencer, when asked, named Hollow Knight: Silksong, Expedition 33, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, and Death Stranding 2 as potential winners, and singled out Expedition 33 as his personal Game of the Year from that list. He also mentioned Oblivion Remastered and DOOM: The Dark Ages as being among his favorite games this year.
Best Games of 2025 (According to Phil Spencer)
- Expedition 33
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound
- Death Stranding 2: On The Beach
- Oblivion Remastered
- DOOM: The Dark Ages
Spencer’s comments, though seemingly harmless, point to a shift in the gaming industry. Over the past year, several games previously exclusive to Xbox have been released on PlayStation 5, and there’s even talk of Halo: Combat Evolved coming to PS5. This aligns with recent statements from Xbox President Sarah Bond, who suggested that exclusive games aren’t as important to most players anymore. While some fans disagree and the situation is complex, these words are backed up by actions.
SCOOP: For the last two years, Microsoft has pushed Xbox to hit profit margins of 30%, an ambitious target that’s far higher than the industry average. This chase for profit has led Xbox to raise prices, cut thousands of jobs, and rethink everything. Story: www.bloomberg.com/news/article… — Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier.bsky.social) 2025-10-23T11:02:14.614Z
According to Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, Microsoft has been focused on achieving a 30% profit margin for Xbox over the last two years. This pressure likely explains why they’ve been moving away from making games exclusive to their platform, and contributes to other recent changes in the gaming industry. Separately, Death Stranding 2 is a truly excellent game and deserves to be considered for Game of the Year awards.
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2025-10-24 16:04