Xbox Chief Phil Spencer has addressed the huge Xbox leaks that happened recently.
A new internal memo that The Verge acquired revealed that Spencer officially confirmed that Microsoft unintentionally disclosed Xbox plans as part of the FTC vs. Microsoft trial. This was also confirmed by Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley that the company inadvertently provided the court with a link to the unredacted documents in question. It was then uploaded to the internet page established for the case, which led to the massive leak.
Spencer does hint that Microsoft’s plans might have changed slightly since some of the documents are from last year and others were years before. “I know this is disappointing, even if many of the documents are well over a year old and our plans have evolved,” said Spencer.
In a post on Twitter, Spencer also shared a statement. “We’ve seen the conversation around old emails and documents. It is hard to see our team’s work shared in this way because so much has changed and there’s so much to be excited about right now, and in the future. We will share the real plans when we are ready.”
Here is the full version of the internal memo:
Team,
Today, several documents submitted in the court proceedings related to our proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard were unintentionally disclosed. I know this is disappointing, even if many of the documents are well over a year old and our plans have evolved.
I also know we all take the confidentiality of our plans and our partners’ information very seriously. This leak obviously is not us living up to that expectation. We will learn from what happened and be better going forward. We all put incredible amounts of passion and energy into our work, and this is never how we want that hard work to be shared with the community. That said, there’s so much more to be excited about, and when we’re ready, we’ll share the real plans with our players.
In closing, I appreciate all of the work that you pour into Team Xbox to surprise and delight our players. In the days and weeks ahead, let’s stay focused on what we can control: continuing the amazing success of Starfield, the upcoming launch of the incredible and accessible Forza Motorsport, and continuing to build games, services and devices that millions of players can enjoy.
Phil