It seems Microsoft Studios' efforts to bolster their first part video game lineup will finally start to pay off in 2019, as they have a number of Xbox One exclusive games on the docket to hit store shelves next year. In 2017, the company's console manufacturing arm released the Xbox One X, and while the hardware division was performing well, the software division - the video game publishing arm - has been playing catch-up.

It's no secret that Microsoft Studios struggled to release Xbox One exclusive games in 2018, but that's something that they're hoping to change in the near future, as they have multiple games reaching the end of their development as well as several video game developers joining the studio (including Fallout: New Vegas developer Obsidian Entertainment). For Xbox One and PC fans, there's clearly quite a bit to look forward to.

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In addition to releasing new indie titles, Microsoft Studios has plans to put out multiple triple-A video games in 2019. While they don't all have confirmed release dates yet, there's a good chance that the following games will all see the light of day at some point next year.

Crackdown 3

Crackdown 3 Wrecking Zone

It's been a long and arduous journey getting Crackdown 3 to move out of development and onto store shelves, but it looks like it's finally going to happen on February 15, 2019. Developed by Sumo Digital, Crackdown 3 continues the Xbox-exclusive franchise that saw its previous installment, Crackdown 2, release on the Xbox 360 in 2010. While it's releasing nine years after the last game, Crackdown 3 actually takes place, narratively, 10 years later.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps

Australian video game developer Moon Studios is back with Ori and the Will of the Wisps, an excitingly beautiful platformer that incorporates Metroidvania elements to deliver gamers a rather unique gaming experience in the modern age. It's releasing four years after the first installment, Ori and the Blind Forest, and it will take the series to all-new heights (literally, in some cases). Since the first game released in early 2015, it stands to reason that Ori and the Will of the Wisps will also receive a spring release date, but we'll just have to wait and see what happens on that front.

Gears 5

Gears of War has been one of the cornerstones of the Xbox brand, and that's precisely why Microsoft Studios acquired the franchise from Epic Games and tasked The Coalition with continuing its development. The studio's first release was Gears of War 4 in 2016, and now they're taking the franchise in a new direction with Gears 5 (including dropping the second half of the series' title). A sequel to Gears of War 4, Gears 5 will follow Kait Diaz as she uncovers the hidden secrets behind her family as well as the Locust.

Battletoads

Battletoads Reveal

In a surprising development, Microsoft Studios announced plans to release Battletoads on the Xbox One with "body-morphing genre mashups, three-player couch co-op, 4K hand-drawn 2.5D graphics, and broad non-specific feature declaration." Announced at E3 2018, the studio's Battletoads game is being developed by Dlala Studios, though it's unclear if it's going to be a 4K port of the original 1991 side-scroller or a brand-new game. Regardless of what it ends up being, we're certainly excited to get our hands on it.

Forza Motorsport 8

Even though it hasn't been announced yet, it seems like a foregone conclusion that Microsoft Studios will release another Forza game, specifically Forza Motorsport 8, in late summer/early fall in 2019. There's been an annual Forza game ever since Forza Motorsport 4 released in 2011, with Playground Games' Forza Horizon 4 being 2018's installment. What goes into Forza Motorsport 8 and what racetracks it includes remains to be seen, but it seems safe to assume that it will be one of Xbox One's exclusive games in 2019.

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While Forza Motorsport 8 is the only game from the aforementioned five titles that hasn't been confirmed, it's - again - a foregone conclusion. However, Halo Infinite, as well as other major titles, isn't expected to release in 2019, which is why it hasn't been included on this list of Xbox One exclusive games coming in 2019. If that changes, though, we'll be sure to update this article, so stay tuned.