Xbox pulls Gears video featuring a PS5 logo, 24 hours after announcing it as an exclusive

June 9, 2026 - 14:58

Microsoft has quietly removed a promotional video for the upcoming "Gears of War" collection just one day after announcing the game as an Xbox exclusive. The footage, which was briefly live on the official Xbox YouTube channel, showed a split-screen comparison of the remastered title running on both an Xbox Series X and a PlayStation 5. The PS5 logo was clearly visible in the corner of the screen during the segment.

The removal comes roughly 24 hours after Xbox marketing proudly declared the "Gears of War: Marcus Fenix Collection" would be exclusive to Xbox and PC. Industry insiders suggest the video was likely prepared before the final exclusivity decision was made, and someone in the approvals process failed to catch the PlayStation branding before it went live. Others speculate the video may have been a test asset that was accidentally published.

Neither Microsoft nor The Coalition, the studio behind Gears, have issued a statement explaining the pull. The incident has reignited debate about Xbox's shifting strategy on exclusivity. In recent years, the company has brought several former exclusives to PlayStation and Nintendo platforms, including "Sea of Thieves" and "Hi-Fi Rush." The Gears collection, which bundles the first three mainline games with enhanced visuals and performance modes, was originally expected to launch on multiple platforms before the sudden exclusivity announcement.

Fans are now questioning whether the PS5 version was scrapped at the last minute, or if the exclusive window is temporary. Given the video's existence, it seems clear that development for a PlayStation build was at least underway. For now, the official word remains that Gears stays on Xbox and PC, but the pulled video tells a different story.