Announcing the arrival of Grand Theft Auto VI on XBOX Cloud Gaming, Asha Sharma had also revealed a new ten-year strategic agreement with Take-Two; now the document outlining this agreement has been filed with the SEC, the American federal body that regulates publicly traded companies, although many parts are blacked out.

From the 29 pages published, a clear setting emerges. XBOX's relationship with the publisher of Rockstar Games, 2K and Zynga is not just about consoles, but about an entire ecosystem, with the cloud in the foreground and space already planned for hardware we don't know yet.

It all starts with the definition of XBOX. In the text, Microsoft does not talk about a line of consoles, but about a platform and an ecosystem. It also specifies that this definition will remain valid regardless of whether the company decides in the future to "name or propose" the brand. The concept of device also expands: by "XBOX Devices" we mean any hardware from which games can be accessed. Two types are clearly indicated: XBOX consoles and devices from Cloud Gaming, Microsoft or other manufacturers. Three others are blacked out. It's the same logic as the "This is an XBOX" campaign, which considers PCs, laptops, televisions and clouds part of the ecosystem, withdrawn from XBOX as a public campaign, but apparently still rooted in Microsoft's strategies.

The glossary of the contract follows the alphabetical order and also includes the entries dedicated to consoles: XBOX 360, XBOX One and XBOX Series. The latter includes XBOX Series S, XBOX Series X and "all future variants", leaving the door open to future XBOX Series, despite the fact that we are practically at the end of the generation. The next entry, 1.41, however, is completely obscured, including the title. Due to its position, it could be another term that begins with XBOX, but it is not enough to talk about Helix, a next-generation console or another device. In fact, in the 2020 agreement, at that same point there was "XBOX Services", an equally plausible explanation. It is not the only item censored. One between "GDK License" and "IPR" is also missing, and the definitions of Cloud Gaming, Cloud Gaming Devices and Competitive Platforms are hidden.

The clause on parity with competing platforms has also changed. In 2020, the publisher had to bring functions such as HDR and spatial audio to XBOX before or alongside other versions. Today, in an almost entirely obscured section, there is only talk of a commitment to collaborate with Microsoft to maintain a certain alignment when these functions arrive elsewhere, within the limits of the hardware and tools available.

Other parts of the contract relate to the management of games after release. Microsoft must approve every mandatory free update. It can also ask Take-Two for a fix if a title creates problems for the ecosystem and, in more serious cases such as widespread crashes, retract a patch or revert to the previous version. Take-Two must keep all versions of its content, including object code, source code, and symbols. The obligation applies as long as the content is on the Microsoft Store and for at least two years after removal. Microsoft can in turn keep the latest version of a product no longer for sale, so those who have already purchased it can always download it again.

On a commercial level, the contract also regulates the "Code-in-a-Box" program, i.e. physical packaging with a code instead of the disc. Take-Two can use it with Microsoft's approval and paying a fee, but the amount is obscured. The document also explains how Microsoft pays the publisher for digital sales, but the royalty percentages and thresholds are not public.

The agreement is effective from September 17, 2026 and replaces the previous one. It covers all stages of a game's life: development, certification, marketing, updates and digital or physical distribution. However, it should not be confused with the ten-year partnership announced by Asha Sharma. The renewal conditions are obscured and it is not known if this document alone covers the whole agreement. According to the head of XBOX, the first step in this partnership is the arrival of GTA 6 on XBOX Cloud Gaming. From November 19 we will be able to play GTA 6 in streaming on XBOX Series X|S and also on XBOX One. GTA 5, Red Dead Redemption 2 and other Rockstar titles will also arrive in the coming months.

Those who hoped to find concrete clues about the next XBOX will be disappointed. However, the contract shows that Microsoft binds one of the main publishers on the market thinking about the cloud, devices of all kinds and hardware not yet announced.