Microsoft to Host Grand Celebration for Xbox and Halo’s 25th Anniversary

Microsoft is actively planning to celebrate a significant milestone for its Xbox brand— the 25th anniversary of Xbox. In an interview with License Global, John Friend, the head of Xbox consumer products, announced that the company is organizing celebrations not just for the 25th anniversary of Xbox, but also for the iconic Halo franchise.

The original Xbox console made its debut on November 15, 2001, marking Microsoft’s entry into the competitive home console market. Over the past two decades, the Xbox platform has experienced remarkable growth, evolving to include Windows PC and mobile gaming. Today, Xbox boasts one of the largest gaming communities globally across its diverse platforms.

In honor of this momentous occasion, Friend mentioned that Xbox is “building plans”to adequately celebrate its 25-year legacy. Both the Xbox and Halo franchises have cultivated strong, active communities that have been engaged for the majority of their histories.

We have these enormous and vibrant franchises ranging from ‘World of Warcraft’—which is also celebrating its 20th anniversary this year—to ‘Halo,’ ‘Call of Duty,’ ‘StarCraft,’ and many others. We’re creating plans for the 25th anniversary of ‘Halo’ and Xbox—our heritage and history are rich, and these communities have been passionate for so long, making this celebration essential.

Halo has been a flagship franchise for Xbox since its launch alongside the first Xbox console in 2001. Friend highlighted the significant commercial success of Halo, noting that the franchise has generated over $1.8 billion in merchandise and licensing revenue, beyond just video game sales.

Following its recent acquisitions of Activision-Blizzard and Bethesda, Microsoft’s Xbox division has broadened its portfolio of intellectual properties. Popular franchises such as Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Fallout, Elder Scrolls, and more are now part of the Xbox ecosystem.

However, Microsoft has not yet provided any clues regarding the specific plans for the upcoming celebrations.

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