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To celebrate how gaming impacted this past year, Microsoft unleashed an Xbox "Year in Review" video, complete with highlights centered around some of 2020's biggest games, news, and more. In general, 2020 proved incredibly difficult for many around the globe. Folks from all walks of life were forced to adapt to a new way of going about everyday activities. It wasn't an easy task by any means. For some people, however, video games alleviated a bit of the stress and opened the door to escapism.

Akin to several other gaming companies, Xbox played an integral role in said escapism. In fact, the industry at-large experienced exponential growth in many respects. Thanks in no small part to the global pandemic, digital game sales have reached all-time highs. The industry's profits across the board steadily climbed throughout 2020 as well, bolstered by the release of next-gen consoles from both Microsoft and Sony.

While the last 12 months were replete with universal struggles, there are a few 2020 highlights worthy of celebration. Microsoft recounted a select number of them in an Xbox "Year in Review" video. Notably, it opens with a clip of Xbox boss Phil Spencer from April, wherein he addressed the "important" role games were playing in people's lives at the time. Such a role never subsided as the year wore on. Xbox in particular had a rather momentous 12 months, from the release of Ori and the Will of the Wisps to the continued expansion of Xbox Game Pass. In addition to taking a look back, the two-plus minute video ended by thanking fans for being a part of the platform's community.

Beyond new game releases and Game Pass's impressive increase in value, the brand's continued growth manifested in other ways, too. Of course, the recent release of the Xbox Series X|S serves as the most noteworthy example. And the community flocked to the new machine in droves, making this particular console launch the best in Xbox history.

Further evidence of the brand's expansion lies in Microsoft's acquisition of Bethesda Softworks' parent company, Zenimax Media. The $7.5 billion deal should be finalized in the early part of 2021 to ensure ZeniMax and its subsidiaries become an official part of the Xbox Game Studios family. With so many Bethesda-published projects already in development, it's hard to say when exactly these teams will begin crafting new ideas under Microsoft's stewardship. But 2021 should still prove a promising year for both Xbox and gaming regardless.