Summary
The narrative director ofLEGO Horizon Adventureshas sidestepped the prospect of the game making its way to Xbox platforms. Developed by Guerrilla Games,LEGO Horizon Adventurescame as a shock to many when it confirmed a simultaneous launch across PlayStation 5, PC, and Nintendo Switch for fall 2024, with Xbox fans seemingly missing out on the action.
LEGO Horizon Adventuresis a bit of a departure compared to PlayStation’s usual first-party titles. Not only do its lighthearted tones and family-friendly appeal somewhat harken back to the brand’s old platformer franchises, but it’s also the first game jointly developed between PlayStation and LEGO. However, what makesLEGO Horizon Adventurestruly unique is that it’s one of the first PlayStation-owned IPs tomake their way to the Nintendo Switch. Guerrilla clarified that it wants the game to be accessible to a broad audience, but the announcement was still shocking considering how much PlayStation values exclusivity.
While it’s more likely thatLEGO Horizon Adventures' Switch release is a one-offrather than a hint towards PlayStation changing up its strategy towards exclusive games, many have questioned why the company didn’t go all-out and confirm an Xbox release as well. In a recentinterview with Game File, Guerrilla narrative director James Windeler was asked the same question, to which he replied, “Right now, we’re just very much focused on pushing this hardware to its limits and making this game look as amazing as it can possibly be on this hardware,” referring to the PS5 version ofLEGO Horizon Adventures.
LEGO Horizon Adventure Dev Has No Comments Regarding an Xbox Release
Windeler concluded his quote by stating that he doesn’t have “anything to announce about Xbox right now,” definitively ruling out an Xbox release forLEGO Horizon Adventureslater this year. The added mention of “right now” spares some leeway, but it still appears highly improbable thatLEGO Horizon Adventurescould make its way to Xbox in the future. PlayStation doesn’t publish games on its direct competing platform unless there’s a contractual obligation involved in some way, like withMLB The Show’s licensing complicationsand Bungie’s stipulation to release its games wherever the studio wants.
The Nintendo Switch’s 141 million-strong user base is one of the largest in console history, and players on the handheld platform generally show an affinity towards smaller, family-friendly games. Therefore, it’s understandable why Sony wants to capitalize on it withLEGO Horizon Adventures. Moreover, the game’s potential success mightlead to even more LEGO PlayStation spinoffs.LEGO Bloodbornemay sound like a ridiculous proposition right now, but the future could hold anything.
