In a surprising turn of events, Bethesda’s highly anticipated Indiana Jones game, ‘Indiana Jones and the Great Circle’, will be making its way to PlayStation 5 in Spring 2025. This news, announced at Opening Night Live, breaks the initial exclusivity agreement Microsoft had with Disney for the game.
The game will still launch first on Xbox Series X/S and PC via Steam on December 9, 2024. However, the PS5 release in 2025 confirms earlier reports from The Verge’s Tom Warren and Nate The Hate, who predicted the game’s arrival on PlayStation platforms.
This decision marks a significant shift for Microsoft, which is actively trying to expand its gaming market share. Just over a year ago, the company acquired Activision Blizzard King and three years ago it purchased ZeniMax, the parent company of Bethesda. During FTC v Microsoft hearings in 2023, it was initially stated that all future Bethesda games could be exclusive to Xbox.
However, Microsoft has since altered its approach, breaking exclusivity for several first-party titles in an attempt to sell more copies and increase revenue through post-release monetization. The new deal with Disney for ‘Indiana Jones and the Great Circle’ suggests that both companies recognize the potential for greater profit through wider accessibility. This move is likely to be beneficial for both Microsoft and Sony, as well as Disney, by expanding the game’s audience and potentially increasing overall sales.
The decision to release ‘Indiana Jones and the Great Circle’ on PlayStation 5 is a testament to the changing landscape of the gaming industry. Microsoft’s move towards greater platform flexibility suggests a shift in strategy as the company aims to become a market leader by 2030. The future of game exclusivity is becoming increasingly uncertain, and the arrival of ‘Indiana Jones and the Great Circle’ on PlayStation is a sign that the industry is moving towards a more open and collaborative approach.
