Microsoft announced today the launch of the [email protected] Developer Acceleration program, a new initiative to help more indie developers bring their games to Xbox. The Redmond giant says that it has already helped 100 emerging indie studios to release their games on Xbox consoles, and the company hopes to help even more developers to succeed with their game projects in the future.

The announcement comes right ahead of the Game Developers 2023 conference, where Microsoft plans to highlight the growth of its [email protected] digital self-publishing program. Since its launch in 2013, the [email protected] has welcomed over 5,000 developers and contributed to the release of over 3,000 games on Xbox consoles.

With the [email protected] Developer Acceleration Program, Microsoft wants to improve diversity in the gaming industry and help indie studios that may struggle to get the support they need to accomplish their vision. Microsoft will offer these developers technical support and funding that is non-recoupable.

“The types of developers that we seek to support includes but is not limited to developers who are led by those from Black, Indigenous, Latino or LGBTQIA+ communities, women, developers with disabilities, developers from emerging markets or teams with unique perspectives. This also includes independent developers working on a game that responsibly centers the experience around diverse characters or that prioritizes accessibility,” explained James Lewis, Head of Developer Acceleration Program.

Microsoft will also promote games from developers in the [email protected] Developer Acceleration Program on Xbox consoles. A new Emerging Creators section is available on the Microsoft Store on Xbox, and you may also see these games being promoted on the Xbox dashboard with a new Emerging Creators section.