Dishonored developer Arkane's new game, Deathloop, is out tomorrow and it's getting great reviews (it received a rare 10/10 in GameSpot's review), with many saying it's a legitimate contender for overall Game of the Year. Its release is notable not only for its gameplay qualities and mastery of what it's setting out to do, but also for what is going on behind the scenes. Arkane is now owned by Microsoft as part of the Xbox company's $7.5 billion buyout of Bethesda/Zenimax.

Microsoft is honoring previously set publishing contracts, so Deathloop will be aPlayStation 5 console exclusive until at least September 2022 because Bethesda and Sony had a deal before Xbox swooped in. This makes for a strange situation, even if it's not completely unexpected--and it's not necessarily all bad news for Microsoft and Xbox.

While one of 2021's best games won't be available on Xbox, Microsoft isn't totally missing out. The fact that Deathloop is a very good game benefits Microsoft in the long run. It strengthens the prestige of developer Arkane, which was already regarded as a top-tier studio thanks to the Dishonored series. Future games from Arkane will come to Xbox--presumably as console exclusives--including the developer's exciting-sounding new shooter Redfall.