Are you able to consider it has been six years this week since Microsoft announced the Xbox Series S? We already knew of the Xbox Sequence X’s existence for ages previous to that time, however rumour was doing the rounds about a so-called “Lockhart” console that was within the works as nicely, and it was revealed in September of 2020 forward of a November launch.
The reveal definitely did not go to plan although. On the morning of September eighth that 12 months, a great deal of photos of the Xbox Sequence S immediately began showing on social media, and Microsoft hurriedly responded to it with an official reveal just a few hours later. That they had an entire press briefing ready to go that was seemingly by no means used in the long run.
Let’s not overlook the Xbox Sequence S launched at simply £249.99 / $299.99 as nicely!
Anyway, a number of Xbox staff ended up sharing their frustration on the Sequence S leak, with Xbox Insider Program Lead Brad Rossetti describing it as “so irritating” and highlighting that folks had tried arduous “to maintain it underneath wraps for therefore many causes”.
Xbox exec Cindy Walker went one step additional and denounced the leaks as “THEFT” , insisting that “OUR work, our time, our hearts – was STOLEN”. This is what she needed to say on the time:
As gutting as this example should have been for everybody at Crew Xbox on the time, we are able to look again six years later and be extremely grateful for all of the work they put into the Sequence S – actually a tremendous machine for such a low worth level (at the least earlier than the component crisis raised costs lately!).
And by the way in which, whereas this was absolutely the largest Xbox leak by 2020, you can argue that an even worse leak was suffered in 2023 as a part of the FTC investigation into Xbox’s Activision Blizzard takeover, though that one was primarily based on “outdated emails and paperwork” quite than a console that was imminently about to launch. For me personally, waking as much as the Xbox Sequence S being plastered throughout social media continues to be the #1 “woah” second!