Phantom Blade Zero Devs Clarify Xbox Comments

S-GAME has finally addressed the contentious statement made by an anonymous source at ChinaJoy 2024. Discover the details of the commotion and the Phantom Blade developers’ response.

S-GAME Responds to the ControversyNobody Needs Xbox, Media Outlets Say

S-GAME, the developers behind Phantom Blade Zero and Black Myth: Wukong, finally issued a statement on Twitter(X) addressing claims made by an anonymous source. Multiple media outlets in attendance at the ChinaJoy 2024 event last week reported on the alleged Phantom Blade Zero developer who made contentious statements regarding Xbox.

The studio issued a statement on Twitter(x), reaffirming their dedication to making the game widely available.

"These claimed statements do not represent S-GAME’s values or culture," the statement reads. "We believe in making our game accessible to everyone and have not ruled out any platforms for Phantom Blade Zero. We are hard at work on both the development and publishing fronts to ensure that as many players as possible can enjoy our game at release and in the future."

The dispute started with a statement from an unattributed source—allegedly a developer on Phantom Blade Zero—published in a Chinese media outlet. Fan translations read "no one shows any interest in Xbox." This news spread, with sites like Aroged reporting that Xbox is "a platform lacking demand, particularly in Asia." However, the situation worsened when Brazilian outlet Gameplay Cassi misrepresented the statement as "nobody needs this platform" while referencing Aroged.

In their reply, S-GAME neither confirmed nor refuted the anonymous source's credibility. However, their assertion holds some merit. Xbox's popularity in Asia significantly trails PlayStation and Nintendo. In Japan, for example, Xbox Series X|S sales barely reached half a million units in over four years. By contrast, the PS5 sold a million units in 2021 alone.

The platform's accessibility in most Asian nations is also problematic. For instance, in 2021, Southeast Asia lacked retail support for Xbox, with Singapore as the sole distributor of consoles, games, and accessories. This compelled retailers in other Southeast Asian countries to depend on international suppliers for their Xbox stock.

The dispute intensified with conjecture of an exclusive agreement between S-GAME and Sony. While the studio previously admitted receiving development and marketing assistance from Sony in a June 8 interview with a Chinese content creator, they have since refuted claims of an exclusive arrangement. In their Summer 2024 Developer Update, S-GAME emphasized that "in addition to PlayStation 5, we’re planning to release it to PC as well."

Although the studio has not confirmed an Xbox release, their recent reply to the dispute leaves the door ajar for the possibility of the game arriving on the said platform.