One of the biggest surprises of 2025 was Microsoft's push to bring even more of its games to PlayStation, its longtime rival in the console gaming space. Not only have those ports been well received, but they've also been best-sellers, and next year will see the arrival of Halo and Forza Horizon on PlayStation. In a new interview, Microsoft's president of game content and studios, Matt Booty, spoke about the success of Xbox games on PS5 and the reaction to Halo's announcement for PS5.

"We had a bit of a moment earlier in the summer from end of April to end of June, where we had six of the top 10 games on PlayStation were our Xbox games," Booty said to Variety. "I look at that as validation for the teams, but most importantly, it's an opportunity for more players to engage with our content, to come into our worlds."

Halo has long been considered the crown jewel of Xbox, and the next game in the franchise, a campaign-only remake of the original titled Halo: Campaign Evolved, will launch simultaneously on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5 in 2026. Booty said the announcement was well received and that Microsoft was really pleased with its efforts to bring its content to more people.

One of the biggest pieces of news in gaming this year was EA's announcement that it was selling itself for $55 billion to investors including Saudi Arabia. The announcement of the deal has sent shockwaves through the gaming world, and now Head of Xbox Game Studios Matt Booty has commented on the deal, saying the price tag reflects how big video games have come in the global media landscape.

"Games have really become a foundational part of entertainment," Booty told Variety. "And as such, I think we're seeing these valuations and transactions that really reflect their place in modern entertainment."

The price of the sale "reflects the value that exists in all of" the gaming IP that EA owns, including Madden, FC, and The Sims, Booty said.

Microsoft has announced that the next Xbox Developer Direct broadcast is coming up in January 2026, but it won't have everything Microsoft plans to show next year for Xbox's 25th anniversary.

Speaking to Variety, Head of Xbox Game Studios Matt Booty said, "We've got a lot of stuff that we're shipping" in 2026.

As for the January 2026 Developer Direct, Booty confirmed that fans can expect to see the new Fable and Forza Horizon 6. "But we'll have more stuff next year to ship than we can fit into one Dev Direct show in January, which is a good place to be," he said.

A movie based on Activision's Call of Duty series is in the works now at Paramount, which is now led by billionaire and Call of Duty superfan David Ellison. Prolific writer and director Taylor Sheridan is writing the script for the film, with Lone Survivor director Peter Berg attached to direct.

Activision had been trying to make Call of Duty movies for years, so why is it finally happening now? Xbox boss Matt Booty told Variety that "a relationship came about" between people at Paramount and senior executives working on Call of Duty. "They felt like they found a partner who understands the game, people who play the game, and shared a vision of what it could be to bring that forward," Booty said.

Activision originally announced it would make Call of Duty movies through its Activision Blizzard Studios label that was formed in 2015, led by Hollywood producers Stacey Sher and Nick van Dyk, and charged with adapting Activision Blizzard's franchises for film and TV. A Call of Duty movie universe was planned at one point, but, as often happens in Hollywood, nothing ever happened.

As announced at The Game Awards, Mega Man is officially making his comeback in a new game, Mega Man: Dual Overdrive. Since the franchise began in 1987, the evil Dr. Wiley has been creating robot bosses to challenge Mega Man and keep him from foiling whatever nefarious plans he had. Now, it's your turn to design a robot boss for Mega Man to fight in Dual Overdrive.

The Mega Man: Dual Overdrive Robot Design Contest has already begun, but there are some restrictions. Capcom already has a base design in mind for this boss, and it's looking for a Robot Master with a right arm that has "immense suction powers." Starting from the template shared by Capcom, players aged 13 and up are encouraged to put their own spin on this villain.

The full details are available on Capcom's site, and entries will be accepted from Japan, North America, South America, Europe, and Asia through January 1, 2026 at 11:59 PM PST. Contestants will have to follow the @Megaman account on X to submit their creations. Capcom's staff will narrow the designs down until they pick the six best entries, and the final winner will be chosen from that group.