The Xbox is struggling, yet a single executive is focused only on GTA 6 pre-orders.

Recently, there has been a lot of talk about the state of Xbox and its future. With thousands of layoffs and concerns over the highly-anticipated Halo game, it's no wonder people are worried. But one Xbox executive wants to make it clear that pre-orders for GTA 6 on the platform are "breaking records".

It's no secret that Xbox has faced its fair share of challenges in recent years. Poor sales of their latest console, Xbox Series X/S, and admissions from CEO Asha Sharma that things are not going well, have put the company in a dire situation. Their gamble on Xbox Game Pass has not met their expectations, leading to a renewed focus on exclusive games and their home console.

In fact, they are currently undergoing a "reset" which will result in 3,200 job cuts by 2027. This "reset" also includes studio mergers and a major shift for the Halo IP, with the next game in the series now being developed by Activision. According to a report from The Verge, most of the team at Halo Studios has been laid off, leaving only a small team to support existing titles like Halo Infinite and Halo: Campaign Evolved.

It's also been reported that a sequel to Halo Infinite was in the works, but Microsoft decided to cancel it, as it was still "years away" from being released. Amidst all the changes at Halo Studios, it's been revealed that other planned projects, such as remakes of Halo 2 and 3, have also been shelved. According to reports, the studio's boss, Pierre Hintze, has expressed interest in using AI technology for smaller Halo projects and outsourcing development for the remakes.

However, it's been said that Activision has no interest in working with Hintze. Despite all the turmoil surrounding Xbox's future, it's been reported that pre-orders for GTA 6 on Xbox are "ringing alarm bells" as they are heavily skewed towards the PlayStation 5. This shouldn't come as a surprise, considering the PS5 has sold over 95 million units worldwide, while the Xbox Series X/S has only sold around 35 million.

It's clear that GTA 6 will sell more copies on the PS5, especially since Rockstar has heavily marketed the game on that platform. In the midst of all this, Xbox's chief strategy officer, Matthew Ball, has gone on a defensive spree on Twitter, boasting about the volume of GTA 6 pre-orders on Xbox without providing any actual numbers. When asked about their share of the console market, Ball did not provide an answer.

It's concerning that Ball is more focused on refuting minor parts of a report rather than addressing the bigger issues at Xbox. It's hard to have faith in Xbox when they are laying off thousands of people and making changes to beloved studios, yet still finding money to fund projects for PR purposes. As the gaming industry eagerly awaits the release of GTA 6, it's unclear if Xbox will even be a part of the conversation with their upcoming console, Project Helix.

The future of Xbox is more uncertain than ever. If you have any thoughts on this, feel free to email us, leave a comment, or follow us on Twitter. And don't forget to add Metro as a preferred source on Google for more expert, exclusive gaming analysis.