- Phil Spencer has announced his retirement as the head of Xbox after a 38-year tenure at Microsoft.
- He'll be succeeded by former AI exec Asha Sharma as Xbox CEO.
- Former President of Game Content and Studios Matt Booty has been promoted to EVP and CCO at Xbox.
In a major shakeup at Microsoft Gaming, Phil Spencer has announced his retirement as CEO of Xbox, with the company naming former AI exec Asha Sharma as his successor. Spencer had been at the helm of Xbox since 2014, overseeing the platform’s pivot towards Game Pass as well as the acquisitions of Bethesda and Activision Blizzard.
Spencer revealed that transition plans had been in the works since “last fall,” and that he’ll continue in an advisory role through the summer to ensure a smooth handoff. He departs Microsoft after a 38-year tenure, during which he guided the Xbox brand through the murky waters of the dismal Xbox One generation, rebuilding its identity around Game Pass and platform-agnostic gaming.
Asha Sharma Appointed Xbox Leader, Matt Booty Promoted to CCO
Asha Sharma’s appointment as Xbox CEO was announced via an official statement from Satya Nadella, which read: “I’m excited to share that Asha Sharma will become Executive Vice President and CEO, Microsoft Gaming, reporting to me. Over the last two years at Microsoft, and previously as Chief Operating Officer at Instacart and a Vice President at Meta, Asha has helped build and scale services that reach billions of people and support thriving consumer and developer ecosystems.”
“She brings deep experience building and growing platforms, aligning business models to long-term value, and operating at global scale, which will be critical in leading our gaming business into its next era of growth”, he added.
Matt Booty, previously the President of Game Content and Studios at Microsoft, has now been promoted to EVP and Chief Content Officer. He’ll now be overseeing the entirety of Microsoft’s first-party portfolio, including Xbox Game Studios, Bethesda, and Activision Blizzard. Curiously enough, Sarah Bond, who was billed as Spencer’s heir apparent, has resigned as President of Xbox in a surprising move.
In her first statement as Xbox CEO, Sharma laid out three commitments: great games, “the return of Xbox,” and the future of play. She also stated, “We will not chase short-term efficiency or flood our ecosystem with soulless AI slop.”
What do you make of the changes at Xbox? Let us know in the comments.
