Cuphead arrives on the Nintendo Switch with Xbox Live integration to follow

Kareem Anderson

Microsoft and Nintendo are becoming a bit cozier these days as they walk hand in hand advocating cross platfom gaming and are now ready to start sharing exclusive titles.

Nintendo just announced an Xbox exclusive headed to its wildly popular Switch platform. According to Xbox Wire, the details of the exchange are as such:

Growing out of these recent discussions, we are partnering with StudioMDHR to investigate bringing Xbox Live features beyond Xbox and PC to Nintendo Switch. Yes, this means that fans will now have the opportunity to experience StudioMDHR’s award-winning debut game on Nintendo Switch with Xbox Live! We’ll be working with StudioMDHR to implement Xbox Live features into Cuphead on the Nintendo Switch in the coming months. Given the early stage of our work with StudioMDHR, the Xbox Live features will appear in a post-launch update to Cuphead on Nintendo Switch. We’d like to thank Studio MDHR and Nintendo for their help in this investigation!

Seems as though Microsoft’s gambit with expanding Xbox Live beyond the Xbox console could be paying off for game developers soon. While the release date for Cuphead on the Switch is slated for April 18, 2019, Microsoft’s Xbox Live integration may be a ways off from that date and come via an additional update to the game.

Microsoft and Cuphead studio MDHR have obvious incentives to work deligently on getting the Xbox Live integration pushed out as quickly as possible as both a proof of concept but also keep players engaged with the game as the move across a growing list of potential gaming devices in the near future.