Xbox's Spotify Wrapped is canceled this year, but expect big things for 2026

(Credit: Microsoft)

• 🤔 There isn’t going to be an Xbox Wrapped this year, but we have a good reason why

• 📆 2026 is a big year for celebrations for Xbox and its subsidiaries, with the 25th anniversary of Xbox and Halo, plus 35 years of Blizzard and 40 years of Bethesda

• 🥳 We’ve seen a lot more brands join the fun of stat-tracking since Spotify Wrapped launched, including Sony and Nintendo

• 🎶 Even YouTube and Nintendo Music offered a recap for users to enjoy

Microsoft isn’t following suit with an Xbox Wrapped in 2025, as some expected, but we’re expecting big things for 2026.

That’s according to Windows Central, which was told to expect big things next year to celebrate a myriad of important Xbox anniversaries that seem to line up perfectly.

2026 marks the 25th anniversary of Xbox and Halo, plus Blizzard turns 35, and Bethesda turns 40. For reference, Xbox was launched as a brand in November 2001, Blizzard in February 1991, and Bethesda in June 1986.

With this in mind, it’s been said that a lot of the “marketing budget” that would have been allocated to an “Xbox Wrapped”-style end-of-year roundup has been put into efforts to celebrate the converging anniversaries of Microsoft’s console business and the subsidiary properties it’s acquired over the years.

This has been a long-term play for Microsoft, as it’s reportedly the reason we saw a downscale in Xbox community events in 2025, as more money is being ploughed into 2026.

For instance, next year sees the first public Blizzcon for many years, with potentially new content for Diablo, World of Warcraft and even StarCraft.

Bethesda also plans to launch new Starfield content in 2026, including a reported PS5 and Nintendo Switch 2 port, plus there’s also set to be a new Halo: Combat Evolved remake and new entries in Xbox’s longstanding series. This includes new Fable and Gears of War games, and the hotly anticipated Forza Horizon 6.

It has also been suspected that Microsoft will offer a bigger “Xbox Wrapped” experience in 2026 to match the scale of its celebrations. The last big stat-tracking event occurred in 2021 with the Xbox Museum, which marked the console marque’s 20th anniversary.

If you’re desperate to check on your Xbox progress in 2025, then Windows Central has pointed to the Xbox Year in Review from True Achievements. This system has access to the Xbox API, and its systems can catalog and collect your data and achievements via an Xbox login.

Ever since Spotify Wrapped launched back in 2016, it has become a cultural phenomenon, and lots of other brands have been quick to offer their own annualized stats roundups. 2025 has seen some new options join the fun, such as YouTube Recap and a Nintendo Music app roundup. We’ve also seen new versions of existing gaming ones, such as the annual PlayStation Wrap-Up.

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Reece Bithrey is a journalist with credits in Trusted Reviews, Digital Foundry, PC Gamer, TechRadar and more. He also has his own blog, UNTITLED and graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in International History and Politics in 2023.