The current outbreak of coronavirus, a.k.a. COVID-19, has affected many across the globe as safety concerns have effectively halted much of the entertainment industry in its tracks. Gaming has been no different, with several big releases and a number of special events being indefinitely delayed until this pandemic gets under control. With so much uncertainty in the air, Xbox has now issued a statement regarding the future of its planned exclusives and how the coronavirus may have an impact on development.

As reported by Prima Games, Xbox’s Matt Booty addressed the concerns related to COVID-19 and what the pandemic may mean for the green brand in the future. “We know that gaming connects people during times of social distancing, and we are committed to delivering the highest quality Xbox Game Studios games for our global community of players,” Booty said via GameSpot. “At the same time, the health and safety of our XGS development teams is our top priority. Each studio is facing unique challenges and constraints depending on its particular location, and many of our external development partners around the world are similarly affected.”

We are supporting our studio leaders to make the right decisions for their teams and their individual games during this challenging time.”

With the next generation of consoles on the way, Microsoft’s upcoming Xbox Series X is in for a big few months as it makes its way to release in Holiday 2020. However, in the wake of the ever-present dangers present with COVID-19, delays may prove to be inevitable and it’s pretty cool to see Xbox not only acknowledge the need for action and also express support for a delay should one be necessary. With any luck, here’s hoping the world continues to show support for each other through adequate cleanliness and social distancing, ensuring the outbreak has the best chance to run its course quickly.

What do you think? Are you skeptical that any Xbox exclusives will make their release date during the CONID-19 crisis, or do you feel that delays are an inevitability at this point? How do you think this might affect the next-gen console release of Xbox Series X? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow Don’t Feed the Gamers on Twitter and Facebook to be informed of the latest gaming and entertainment news 24 hours a day! For more headlines recently featured on DFTG, check out these next few news stories:

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