As the Game Developers Conference (GDC) gets underway, our team is in San Francisco, celebrating with independent developers who continually inspire us with their drive, creativity, and enthusiasm. Over the past year, ID@Xbox has witnessed the launch of over 1,000 games, including popular titles like Balatro, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, and Phasmophobia, which have introduced new experiences to both console and PC communities.

Since its inception in 2013, ID@Xbox has paid out more than $5 billion to independent developers worldwide. We are proud to provide developers with the opportunity to leverage our platform to reach a broader audience across multiple devices.

As announced last week, over 1,000 titles now support Xbox Play Anywhere (XPA). When players purchase an XPA game, they can play on both Xbox and Windows 10/11 PCs without incurring additional costs, allowing them to access their saves, progress, and achievements across devices. This has resulted in a 20% increase in playtime for these titles, as players can access their favorite games from more locations.

Today, Xbox offers a wide range of platforms for playing independent games, including Xbox consoles, gaming PCs and laptops, Windows handheld devices like the ASUS ROG Ally X or Legion Go, mobile phones, tablets, and Samsung and Amazon FireSticks enabled by Cloud – all of which are part of the Xbox ecosystem, providing potential homes for the next ID@Xbox title, such as Another Crab’s Treasure, Neva, and Animal Well.

In addition to providing more ways for players to access games, the Developer Acceleration Program (DAP) is dedicated to ensuring that our content caters to diverse audiences. The program fosters innovation among over 200 teams and creators from around the world. We support developers through information sessions with studios, provide funding for porting and prototyping, and help reduce the costs associated with bringing games to Xbox and developing new ideas. Recent DAP titles include the Xbox Excellence Award-winning Botany Manor and the newly released Mullet Madjack, both of which are available today with Xbox Game Pass.

Our mission at ID@Xbox has always been to empower teams to achieve more with Xbox. Over time, our program has evolved to bring ID@Xbox games to players on more screens and in new ways, through Game Pass and Stream Your Own Game. We are focused on helping independent teams enable Xbox Play Anywhere, allowing seamless play across console, PC, and cloud. Regardless of the device or screen players choose, we collaborate with developers to maximize the unique features of each. Looking ahead, our lineup is impressive, with upcoming games like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Descenders Next, and FBC: Firebreak to play across the entire Xbox universe, as well as Hollow Knight: Silksong.

Today, we are excited to host developers from 10 countries at our annual hands-on preview event for press and creators, showcasing 11 Xbox Play Anywhere and six Xbox Game Pass titles, including Winter Burrow from Pinecreek in Denmark, Detective Dotson from Masala Games in India, and Promises Mascot Academy from Kaizen Works in the UK.

Our team is delighted to work with numerous developers worldwide to bring unique and innovative experiences to players. Whether players purchase, stream, or discover their next favorite game through Xbox Game Pass, now is an ideal time to join the Xbox community.