Phil Spencer steps in to save the Xbox release of Enotria: The Last Song

Around this time last year, Phil Spencer also stepped in to help launch Baldur’s Gate 3 on Xbox.

It looks like Microsoft’s size has gotten the best of them, as it now takes a call on social media to get them to listen and take action.

Enotria: The Last Songa game that most of us had probably never heard of, and probably wouldn’t have if it wasn’t for the recent situation, went viral after Jyamma Games CEO Giacomo Greco denounced Microsoft and Xbox for their lack of response to this game. the studio’s filing and certification requests ahead of its September 19 release.

This silence from Xbox forced the developer to announce an indefinite delay for the Xbox version of Enotria, despite the game being ready to launch alongside its PC and PlayStation 5 counterparts.

This incident quickly drew comparisons to other recent instances where third-party titles have faced challenges in launching on Xbox. Especially the critically acclaimed ones Baldur’s Gate 3 suffered a several-month delay on Xbox due to technical issues with the Series S version. Similarly, Black Myth: Wukong released on PS5 and PC, with a delayed Xbox release still planned for the future – with an ongoing debate over whether Sony paid to make the game a timed PS5 exclusive.

Shortly after adding to Xbox’s growing pile of problems, the situation took an unexpected turn when Xbox boss Phil Spencer personally intervened.

Following Greco’s public statement, Spencer and his team reached out to Jyamma Games, apologizing for the breakdown in communication and offering to work closely with the studio to expedite Enotria’s Xbox release. Then Jyamma Games announced through social networks that they are now working closely with Microsoft to bring Enotria: The Last Song to Xbox “as soon as possible.”

While the exact release date for the Xbox version remains uncertain, the fact that the Xbox version of the game is already complete suggests that the delay may not be as prolonged as initially feared.

Given the indie nature of the developers, it wouldn’t be surprising if Phil Spencer offered Jyamma Games to make Enotria: The Last Song available on Game Pass when it comes to Xbox.

That being said, this is no longer an isolated incident. Microsoft’s inability to respond to submissions and certification requests in a timely manner, especially for smaller studios, is well known. While Spencer’s quick response to Enotria deserves praise, it demonstrates the need for more streamlined communication channels between Xbox and developers.

Unless things change, we’re bound to hear more developers telling everyone about their lack of communication with Xbox.

If it’s any consolation, the whole fiasco gave Enotria: The Last Song an insane amount of publicity it wouldn’t have enjoyed otherwise. It’s a sad reality that publicly contacting companies that ignore your emails is still the most effective way to get customer support, especially if you’re lucky and go viral.

Funnily enough, Enotria: The Last Song has faced numerous delays this year. We can only assume he wants to avoid clashing with his launch Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree in June and Black Myth: Wukong in August.

Now that Xbox is helping them out, though, Enotria: The Last Song’s September 16th release date could finally stick, which is close to the release of the PC ports of Final Fantasy 16 and God of War: Ragnarok.