In an interview, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma and CCO Matt Booty clarify previous statements made by the CEO, saying the company wants to bring back its spirit, and it starts with the console.

In case you haven’t heard, Xbox has a new CEO, and fans haven’t exactly been all too pleased about it. With the surprise retirement of Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond out at Xbox, former CoreAI CEO Asha Sharma has taken over the reins at Microsoft Gaming, with Matt Booty serving as CCO. Today, the new heads of Microsoft Gaming sat down with Windows Central for an interview to shed light on their future plans for Xbox and discuss their efforts to return the gaming juggernaut to form.

In her opening letter, signing on as CEO, Asha Sharma explained she wanted to bring about a “return” to Xbox. She clarifies what she meant by that statement, saying it’s “about returning to the spirit that the team was founded on,” adding, “It’s that spirit of surprise, it’s the spirit of building something nobody else was willing to try — I’ve heard ‘renegade,’ ‘rebellion,’ and ‘fun’ used. That’s what I was thinking about when I wrote that.”

She explained that she knows how long the dedicated fans have been on their platform, and she’s committed to meeting them where they are, starting with the console. This is far different from the previous “Every screen is an Xbox” strategy touted in February 2024. Sharma explains the company wants to reduce this friction (and the “artificial divide” fans have had between devices touted as the console) since then. They’re committed to breaking this divide and starting with the fans; the company plans to go from there. With regards to 25 years of gaming history, Sharma is looking towards “lifetime value, not just what happened in a previous moment.”

She continues, “players have thousands of dollars invested, in money and time too — it’s incredibly important for me to understand that and protect that,” adding, “I am committed to ‘returning to Xbox,’ and that starts with console, that starts with hardware. You will hear more about that soon,” confirming the company’s commitment to the home platform it started as. New hardware is still in the works.

On the topic of AI, CCO Matt Booty confirmed, “We’ve got no pressure from Microsoft; there are no directives on AI coming down. Our teams are free to use any technologies that might be beneficial, whether it’s helping write code, checking for bugs, or working on more production pipeline tasks. At the end of the day, as Asha said, we’re committed to art made by people,” saying the usage of AI in Microsoft’s ecosystem is for AI to be additive and supportive and not replace people. Sharma also said in the interview, “I will not flood our ecosystem with slop,” in regard to her previous role as a CoreAI executive.

Ultimately, the Xbox executives say they mainly want what the fans want: the next 25 years at Xbox to be incredible. With a sign off, Sharma says, “This team has brought it back before, and I’m here to help us do it again.”

Xbox fans will have to wait and see if the team behind the console will meet them “where they are.”

Fans have already stormed social media to complain about the new Microsoft Gaming (Xbox also) CEO, Asha Sharma, and she has been replying without using AI.

It has been only four days since the executive shake-up at Microsoft, and fans have really let their feelings be known online. Asha Sharma revealed herself on X (formerly Twitter), announced her official Gamer Tag on the platform, wrote a few posts to start a conversation about “Top 3 greatest games ever? Why? GO,” and then went silent after those conversations (not before agreeing to play Borderlands 2).

Xbox fans took this opportunity to pile on the Microsoft hire, citing her prior status as a CoreAI CEO and her lack of experience with the platform as reasons she isn’t fit for the role. Today, the CEO returned to the platform to respond to IGN‘s Ryan McCaffrey.

I agree. Faking would be a terrible idea and wouldn’t work. I also didn't expect my gamertag to blowup and the reality is more boring. I created it recently to learn and understand this world. I’ve played with my family, and it’s a shared home account across devices (which you…

— Asha (@asha_shar) February 24, 2026

On the notion of ‘faking it’ as a gamer, Sharma wrote, “I created it recently to learn and understand this world. I’ve played with my family, and it’s a shared home account across devices (which you can see in the range of games /achievements). Fixed that this weekend, and everyone is only playing on their own GTs. But I get where this is coming from. I don’t pretend to be the best gamer, and even though I’m playing, that’s still not my goal. My focus is to make Xbox the best place to play, return to our roots, ship great things, and become stronger for the future,” signing off with “yes, I’m writing my own posts :)”.

Previously, Sharma’s conversational replies were meant to test the waters and try to find common ground with Xbox gamers, even including her own Gamer Tag in one of them. Her original post asked what everyone’s favourite games were, and when someone replied that Crackdown 3 was a favourite, Sharma blasted the whole community with, “I’m listening!” Sharma also shared her own favourite titles, saying, “For me it’s Halo, Valheim, Goldeneye,” which fans responded to in kind. Fans in the replies are still very cautious due to Sharma’s previous work as CEO of CoreAI, a generative AI company focused on developing applications through generative AI.

While it appears the new Xbox CEO (or Microsoft Gaming CEO) has her work already cut out for her, she is trying to embrace the community fostered at Microsoft, for better or worse. Oh, and she’s also letting everyone know she’s writing her own replies, even if they read like “Beep Boop Beep Boop.”

Ah, it's a Friday night, time to rela-

Wait a minute, long-time Microsoft gaming CEO Phil Spencer's retiring, his assumed replacement and Xbox president Sarah Bond has resigned, and the suit now being tapped to take over Spenny's gig currently has the following job title: president of Microsoft’s CoreAI product. Right, guess I'm writing a news.

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A major shakeup is taking place at the top of Microsoft’s gaming business, as long-time Xbox and Microsoft Gaming boss Phil Spencer is retiring, effective from Monday 23rd February, with current President of Microsoft’s CoreAI, Asha Sharma is set to take over as the new CEO of Microsoft Gaming.

Xbox President Sarah Bond, who was easy to view as Spencer’s eventual successor, has resigned, while Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty is being promoted to Chief Content Officer.

Messages from all (except Bond) have been published by Microsoft. Spencer said that he had been thinking about retiring for a little while, and that this handover has seen him work with his successor for several months now.

“Last fall, I shared with Satya that I was thinking about stepping back and starting the next chapter of my life. From that moment, we aligned on approaching this transition with intention, ensuring stability, and strengthening the foundation we’ve built. Xbox has always been more than a business. It’s a vibrant community of players, creators, and teams who care deeply about what we build and how we build it. And it deserves a thoughtful, deliberate plan for the road ahead.

“Today marks an exciting new chapter for Microsoft Gaming as Asha Sharma steps into the role of CEO, and I want to be the first to welcome her to this incredible team. Working with her over the past several months has given me tremendous confidence. She brings genuine curiosity, clarity and a deep commitment to understanding players, creators, and the decisions that shape our future. We know this is an important moment for our fans, partners, and team, and we’re committed to getting it right. I’ll remain in an advisory role through the summer to support a smooth handoff.”

Sharma might not have been the most obvious choice from the outside, and coming from an AI background will certainly be a cause for concern to many gamers, where generative AI is viewed very negatively.

“My first job is simple: understand what makes this work and protect it. That starts with three commitments. First, great games. Everything begins here. We must have great games beloved by players before we do anything. Unforgettable characters, stories that make us feel, innovative game play, and creative excellence. We will empower our studios, invest in iconic franchises, and back bold new ideas. We will take risks. We will enter new categories and markets where we can add real value, grounded in what players care about most. I promoted Matt Booty in honor of this commitment. He understands the craft and the challenges of building great games, has led teams that deliver award-winning work, and has earned the trust of game developers across the industry.

“Second, the return of Xbox. We will recommit to our core Xbox fans and players, those who have invested with us for the past 25 years, and to the developers who build the expansive universes and experiences that are embraced by players across the world. We will celebrate our roots with a renewed commitment to Xbox starting with console which has shaped who we are. It connects us to the players and fans who invest in Xbox, and to the developers who build ambitious experiences for it.

“Gaming now lives across devices, not within the limits of any single piece of hardware. As we expand across PC, mobile, and cloud, Xbox should feel seamless, instant, and worthy of the communities we serve. We will break down barriers so developers can build once and reach players everywhere without compromise.

“Third, future of play. We are witnessing the reinvention of play. To meet the moment, we will invent new business models and new ways to play by leaning into what we already have: iconic teams, characters, and worlds that people love. But we will not treat those worlds as static IP to milk and monetize. We will build a shared platform and tools that empower developers and players to create and share their own stories.

“As monetization and AI evolve and influence this future, we will not chase short-term efficiency or flood our ecosystem with soulless AI slop. Games are and always will be art, crafted by humans, and created with the most innovative technology provided by us.”

There’s definitely some reassuring sentiments within that, though I would argue that saying your first job is to understand what’s going on makes this sound more of a hurried appointment. We will have to see how much institutional change follows.

Phil Spencer had been at the helm of Microsoft’s gaming efforts for over a decade, taking over in 2014 and setting about steading the suddenly floundering console gaming business. He moved quickly to cut the price of the Xbox One by removing the Kinect from the bundle, made gamer-positive moves like championing backwards compatibility, and enacted major changes to the Xbox business model by promising day-and-date PC releases for Xbox games (and releasing them on Steam), as well as introducing Xbox Game Pass. He also saw Xbox exclusives start to come to PlayStation, breaking down traditional barriers.

However, he’s also been at the helm more recent difficult times for the brand. The Xbox Series X|S launch did not go as successfully as planned, not least with significant game delays for the likes of Halo Infinite, studio acquisitions took a long time to bear fruit, Xbox Game Pass started to see market saturation, and then successive price increases to both consoles and services.

With an eye to the future, now might be the best time for him to step aside, but Xbox as a brand feels somewhat nebulous right now. There’s a lot of rumours about what their next console might be like, whether it’s more PC-like than console and with rival storefronts, or traditional. Microsoft will inevitably be very keen to see AI used in some fashion, having demoed AI helpers with Minecraft in recent years (and that was before the current madness). But with a new CEO all of that could change. We’ll have to wait and see.

Source: Microsoft

Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer will retire effective February 23, and Xbox president and chief …

Source

Microsoft has announced that Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer will retire on February 23. Additionally, Xbox President and Chief Operating Officer Sarah Bond has resigned. Spencer will be replaced by the current president of Microsoft’s CoreAI product as Microsoft Gaming CEO. Current Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty will be promoted to executive vice president and chief content officer. “Last fall, I shared with Satya that I was thinking about stepping back and starting the next chapter of my life,” Spencer said in his official departure memo. “From that moment, we aligned on approaching this transition with intention, ensuring stability, and strengthening the foundation we’ve built.”

 

 

The full memo from each member follows from Microsoft:

SATYA NADELLA MESSAGE
Gaming has been part of Microsoft from the start. Flight Simulator shipped before Windows, and you can practically ray‑trace a line from DirectX in the ’90s to the accelerated‑compute era we’re in today.

As we celebrate Xbox’s 25th year, the opportunity and innovation agenda in front of us is expansive. Today we reach over 500 million monthly active users, are a top publisher across all platforms, and continue to innovate across gaming hardware, content, and community, in service of creators and players everywhere.

I am long on gaming and its role at the center of our consumer ambition, and as we look ahead, 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.

Matt Booty will become Executive Vice President and Chief Content Officer, reporting to Asha. Matt’s career reflects a lifelong commitment to games and to the people who make them. Under his leadership, Microsoft Gaming has grown to span nearly 40 studios across Xbox, Bethesda, Activision Blizzard, and King, which are home to beloved franchises including Halo, The Elder Scrolls, Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Diablo, Candy Crush, and Fallout.

Together, Asha and Matt have the right combination of consumer product leadership and gaming depth to push our platform innovation and content pipeline forward. Last year, Phil Spencer made the decision to retire from the company, and since then we’ve been talking about succession planning. I want to thank Phil for his extraordinary leadership and partnership. Over 38 years at Microsoft, including 12 years leading Gaming, Phil helped transform what we do and how we do it. He expanded our reach across PC, mobile, and cloud; nearly tripled the size of the business; helped shape our strategy through the acquisitions of Activision Blizzard, ZeniMax, and Minecraft; and strengthened our culture across our studios and platforms. I’ve long admired Phil’s unwavering commitment to players, creators, and his team, and I am personally grateful for his leadership and counsel. He will continue working closely with Asha to ensure a smooth transition.

We have extraordinary creative talent across our studios and a global platform that is second to none. I’m excited for how we will capture the opportunity ahead and define what comes next, while staying grounded in what players and creators value.

Please join me in congratulating Asha and Matt on their new roles, and in thanking Phil for everything he has done for Microsoft and for our industry.

 

 

 

PHIL SPENCER MESSAGE
When I walked through Microsoft’s doors as an intern in June of 1988, I could never have imagined the products I’d help build, the players and customers we’d serve, or the extraordinary teams I’d be lucky enough to join. It’s been an epic ride and truly the privilege of a lifetime.

Last fall, I shared with Satya that I was thinking about stepping back and starting the next chapter of my life. From that moment, we aligned on approaching this transition with intention, ensuring stability, and strengthening the foundation we’ve built. Xbox has always been more than a business. It’s a vibrant community of players, creators, and teams who care deeply about what we build and how we build it. And it deserves a thoughtful, deliberate plan for the road ahead.

Today marks an exciting new chapter for Microsoft Gaming as Asha Sharma steps into the role of CEO, and I want to be the first to welcome her to this incredible team. Working with her over the past several months has given me tremendous confidence. She brings genuine curiosity, clarity and a deep commitment to understanding players, creators, and the decisions that shape our future. We know this is an important moment for our fans, partners, and team, and we’re committed to getting it right. I’ll remain in an advisory role through the summer to support a smooth handoff.

I’m also grateful for the strength of our studios organization. Matt Booty and our studios teams continue to build an incredible portfolio, and I have full confidence in the leadership and creative momentum across our global studios. I want to congratulate Matt on his promotion to EVP and Chief Content Officer.

As part of this transition, Sarah Bond has decided to leave Microsoft to begin a new chapter. Sarah has been instrumental during a defining period for Xbox, shaping our platform strategy, expanding Game Pass and cloud gaming, supporting new hardware launches, and guiding some of the most significant moments in our history. I’m grateful for her partnership and the impact she’s had, and I wish her the very best in what comes next.

Most of all, to everyone in Microsoft Gaming, I want to say “thank you.” I’ve learned so much from this team and community, grown alongside you, and been continually inspired by the creativity, courage, and care you bring to players, creators, and to one another every day.

I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built together over the last 25 years, and I have complete confidence in all of you and in the opportunities ahead. I’ll be cheering you on in this next chapter as Xbox’s proudest fan and player.

Phil

XBL: P3

 

 

ASHA SHARMA MESSAGE
Dear team,

Today I begin my role as CEO of Microsoft Gaming.

I feel two things at once: humility and urgency.

Humility because this team has built something extraordinary over decades. Urgency because gaming is in a period of rapid change, and we need to move with clarity and conviction.

I am stepping into work shaped by generations of artists, engineers, designers, writers, musicians, operators and more who create worlds that have brought joy and deep personal meaning to hundreds of millions of players. The level of craft here is exceptional, and it is amplified by Xbox, which was founded in the belief that the power of games connects people and pushes the industry forward.

Thank you to Phil for his leadership, and to every studio, platform, and operations team that built this foundation. We are stewards of some of the most loved stories and characters in entertainment and bring players and creators together around the fun and community of gaming in entirely new ways.

My first job is simple: understand what makes this work and protect it.

That starts with three commitments.

First, great games.

Everything begins here. We must have great games beloved by players before we do anything. Unforgettable characters, stories that make us feel, innovative game play, and creative excellence. We will empower our studios, invest in iconic franchises, and back bold new ideas. We will take risks. We will enter new categories and markets where we can add real value, grounded in what players care about most.

I promoted Matt Booty in honor of this commitment. He understands the craft and the challenges of building great games, has led teams that deliver award-winning work, and has earned the trust of game developers across the industry.

Second, the return of Xbox.

We will recommit to our core Xbox fans and players, those who have invested with us for the past 25 years, and to the developers who build the expansive universes and experiences that are embraced by players across the world.

We will celebrate our roots with a renewed commitment to Xbox starting with console which has shaped who we are. It connects us to the players and fans who invest in Xbox, and to the developers who build ambitious experiences for it.

Gaming now lives across devices, not within the limits of any single piece of hardware. As we expand across PC, mobile, and cloud, Xbox should feel seamless, instant, and worthy of the communities we serve. We will break down barriers so developers can build once and reach players everywhere without compromise.

Third, future of play.

We are witnessing the reinvention of play.

To meet the moment, we will invent new business models and new ways to play by leaning into what we already have: iconic teams, characters, and worlds that people love. But we will not treat those worlds as static IP to milk and monetize. We will build a shared platform and tools that empower developers and players to create and share their own stories.

As monetization and AI evolve and influence this future, we will not chase short-term efficiency or flood our ecosystem with soulless AI slop. Games are and always will be art, crafted by humans, and created with the most innovative technology provided by us.

The next 25 years belong to the teams who dare to build something surprising, something no one else is willing to try, and have the patience to see it through. We have done this before, and I am here to help us do it again. I want to return to the renegade spirit that built Xbox in the first place. It will require us to relentlessly question everything, revisit processes, protect what works, and be brave enough to change what does not.

Thank you for welcoming me into this journey.

Asha

 

MATT BOOTY MESSAGE
I read Phil’s note with much gratitude. He has been a steady champion for game creators and our studio teams, and I’ve learned so much from his leadership over the years. All our games have benefited from his foundational support. I’m also grateful to Satya for his ongoing commitment to gaming and holding a vision of how it can connect back to the larger company.

Looking forward, I’m excited to partner with Asha as our next CEO. Our first conversations centered on her commitment to making great games and the role that plays in our overall success. She asks questions, pushes for clarity, and wants our choices grounded in player and developer needs. That mindset matters as the industry around us is changing quickly: how players engage, how games are made, and how business models and platforms evolve.

We have good reasons to believe in what’s ahead. This organization and its franchises have navigated change for decades, and our strength comes from teams who know how to adapt and keep delivering. That confidence is grounded in a strong pipeline of established franchises, new bets we believe in, and clear player demand for what we are building.

My focus is on supporting the teams and leaders we have in place and creating the conditions for them to do their best work. To be clear, there are no organizational changes underway for our studios.

Thanks for everything you do for players and for each other.

Matt

 

 

Bond shared her full memo to her Xbox team on LinkedIn.

“Hi team,

I know there’s a lot of news to take in today.

I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built together over the past eight-plus years. PC and cloud gaming are growing faster than ever, our next console is well underway, and together we’ve helped lay the foundation for a more open gaming platform that spans devices and reaches players around the world.

When we announced our intention to acquire Activision Blizzard in 2022, I committed to helping lead Xbox through what would be a critical period of change. Over the past four years, we’ve navigated that moment together and positioned the business for what comes next. We took on some of the biggest challenges this organization has ever faced and did it as one team.

With that, I’ve decided this is the right time for me to take my next step, both personally and professionally. We’re living through a transformative technological era that will shape the next generation of our industry, and I’m energized by what’s ahead. This moment also presents a unique opportunity for fresh eyes and new leadership to guide the team into its next chapter. I’ve had the privilege of spending time with Asha over the last few weeks as we’ve planned for this transition, and I’ve seen firsthand her deep commitment to our players, developers, and brand. She brings deep technology and commerce experience, along with a strong track record of building and scaling platforms that the world uses. Xbox deserves this. I’m excited to see her lead this next chapter for our team. I’ll remain on as a Special Advisor to Asha to help ensure a smooth transition and set the organization up for continued success.

I want to thank Phil for his mentorship and friendship over the years. He’s been a consistent champion of this business and the people who make it what it is, and I’ve learned a great deal from the way he leads through both opportunity and challenge. I’m grateful for his trust and support throughout my time on the team. I also want to thank Satya for his sponsorship and support throughout my time at Microsoft.

As I prepare to sign off, I’ve been reflecting on three simple questions I’ve tried to use to guide my days:

Did I bring my best?
Did I help someone else succeed?
Did I do my best work?

I hope the answer has been yes for many of you. It’s been a privilege to work alongside this team.

Always,
Sarah”

The post Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer Has Retired, Xbox President Sarah Bond Resigns appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism.

Having spent decades at the company, working his way up the ranks to become CEO of Microsoft Gaming, Phil Spencer’s time has officially ended. Having announced his retirement, handing the reins over to Asha Sharma as Sarah Bond resigns from her role as Xbox president, one can’t help but wonder at the timing.

After all, this year is the 25th anniversary of Xbox, and it has four major titles coming up, so why now? According to Kinda Funny Games’ Greg Miller, who was recently “passed something,” Spencer’s retirement was allegedly not planned. “If you trust us, what I’m saying is this was not planned,” he added.

If true, what would motivate Spencer and Bond to bow out? It probably isn’t a coincidence that Sharma, former President of CoreAI at Microsoft, is his replacement, given the company’s growing investment in AI over the years. However, as noted by Tim Gettys, the farewell to Spencer could have been at something major like Summer Game Fest or even Halo’s anniversary.

It would have also made more sense if he announced that this would be his final year and then left before 2027 began. Instead, it’s this abrupt announcement that no one really saw coming.

If there’s any silver lining, it’s that the recent organizational changes at Microsoft won’t affect its game studios, according to Matt Booty, recently promoted to Chief Content Officer. And with games like Forza Horizon 6, Fable, Halo: Campaign Evolved and Gears of War: E-Day, Xbox could be looking at its best year to date. Ironic then, that it’s going to be without the man who brought them to the dance.

As shocking as it is sudden, Phil Spencer has announced his retirement from Microsoft. Serving as Microsoft Gaming CEO, he worked at the company for 38 years – a journey that began with an internship.

In a new tweet, Spencer said, “It’s rare in life to know when a chapter is closing, but after 38 years at Microsoft, that moment has arrived for me. I’ve made the decision to retire and begin the next chapter of my life. It’s a milestone that’s given me a chance to reflect on the incredible journey I’ve been fortunate enough to share with so many of you.”

Spencer expressed excitement at Asha Sharma, former President of CoreAI at Microsoft, taking over his role. “She’s joining an incredible group of people; teams full of talent, heart, and a deep commitment to the players they serve. Watching her lean in with curiosity and a real desire to strengthen the foundation we’ve built gives me confidence that our Xbox communities will be well supported in the years ahead.

“Thinking back to my start as an intern in 1988, I never could have imagined the path ahead. I’ve been lucky to work with so many passionate creators, partners, colleagues, and players across the industry; people who challenged me, taught me, and made this work full of joy and wonder.

“Thank you to everyone who’s been part of this chapter. This community has meant more to me than I can say. From here, I’ll keep doing what’s always mattered so much to me: cheering on the teams pushing this industry forward and playing alongside this incredible community. I’ll see you online.”

While Spencer has been at the company for decades, he rose to prominence as head of Xbox Game Studios in 2014. He would lead Xbox’s strategy, which involved regaining much of the goodwill lost after the botched reveal of the Xbox One by Interactive Entertainment Business president Don Mattrick.

He would also be known for spearheading studio acquisitions, including Obsidian Entertainment, inXile, Playground Games, Double Fine Productions, Ninja Theory, and more, eventually moving on to publishers such as Bethesda and Activision. There’s also Game Pass and the release of first-party titles on other platforms, with Avowed on PS5 being the most recent. He also pushed for backwards compatibility of OG Xbox and Xbox 360 titles, to say nothing of Xbox Cloud Gaming as we know it.

Of course, Spencer has earned his fair share of criticism, especially following studio closures, numerous layoffs, horrible game releases (like Redfall), rising prices for Game Pass, declining hardware revenue, and more. Nevertheless, it’s been an impressive legacy, and we’re keen to see where Xbox goes from here.

It’s rare in life to know when a chapter is closing, but after 38 years at Microsoft, that moment has arrived for me. I’ve made the decision to retire and begin the next chapter of my life. It’s a milestone that’s given me a chance to reflect on the incredible journey I’ve been…

— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) February 20, 2026

The future has come early for Microsoft with some major changes to Xbox leadership. Phil Spencer is retiring, to be replaced by Asha Sharma as Microsoft Gaming CEO. Meanwhile, Matt Booty is now Chief Content Officer. However, the most surprising development is that Sarah Bond resigned from the company.

Given her role as Xbox President, she was earmarked to succeed Spencer when the time was right. So what made her suddenly leave? In a new post on LinkedIn, Bond said she believed it was “the right time for me to take my next step, both personally and professionally.”

“I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built together over the past eight-plus years. PC and cloud gaming are growing faster than ever, our next console is well underway, and together we’ve helped lay the foundation for a more open gaming platform that spans devices and reaches players around the world.

“When we announced our intention to acquire Activision Blizzard in 2022, I committed to helping lead Xbox through what would be a critical period of change. Over the past four years, we’ve navigated that moment together and positioned the business for what comes next. We took on some of the biggest challenges this organization has ever faced and did it as one team.

“With that, I’ve decided this is the right time for me to take my next step, both personally and professionally. We’re living through a transformative technological era that will shape the next generation of our industry, and I’m energized by what’s ahead.”

Aside from talking about “fresh eyes and new leadership” for the company’s “next chapter,” Bond also regarded Sharma highly. “I’ve had the privilege of spending time with Asha over the last few weeks as we’ve planned for this transition, and I’ve seen firsthand her deep commitment to our players, developers, and brand. She brings deep technology and commerce experience, along with a strong track record of building and scaling platforms that the world uses. Xbox deserves this. I’m excited to see her lead this next chapter for our team.” It’s worth noting that she presently remains as a Special Advisor to ensure a “smooth transition and set the organization up for continued success.”

Bond went on to thank Spencer “for his mentorship and friendship over the years. He’s been a consistent champion of this business and the people who make it what it is, and I’ve learned a great deal from the way he leads through both opportunity and challenge. I’m grateful for his trust and support throughout my time on the team.” Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s CEO, also received a nod for “his sponsorship and support throughout my time.”

She reflected on her legacy, boiling it down to “three simple questions I’ve tried to use to guide my days: Did I bring my best? Did I help someone else succeed? Did I do my best work? I hope the answer has been yes for many of you. It’s been a privilege to work alongside this team.”

Joining Microsoft in 2017, Bond began as a corporate VP at Xbox, in charge of gaming business development and partnerships. She would then work on the game creator experience and ecosystem before being promoted in 2023 to president of Xbox. Previous experience includes McKinsey and Company and T-Mobile, and she’s also currently part of the Entertainment Software Association’s board.

Despite the massive shift in leadership, Booty assured that there wouldn’t be changes to the organizational structure of Xbox’s studios. As for what’s next for Bond, time will tell, so stay tuned.

Following the shocking retirement of Phil Spencer and Asha Sharma becoming the new CEO of Microsoft Gaming, Chief Content Officer Matt Booty revealed his own thoughts on all the changes. Alongside excitement at working with Sharma and “good reasons to believe in what’s ahead,” he would focus on “supporting the teams and leaders we have in place and creating the conditions for them to do their best work.”

Of course, major changes tend to precede lay-offs (just ask Ubisoft). However, Booty clarified that, “there are no organizational changes underway for our studios.” Then again, as always, things could change down the line.

Last Summer, Xbox Game Studios canceled three major projects – Perfect Dark, Everwild and Blackbird (a new IP from ZeniMax). It also closed The Initiative and laid off employees across almost all studios. Turn 10 Studios, for example, was essentially reduced to a support studio, wrapping up development on Forza Motorsport. It’s currently working on the PS5 port of Forza Horizon 6.

There’s no denying that the 2026 line-up is looking very strong, though. Beyond Playground Games’ Forza Horizon 6 and Fable, launching in May and Fall respectively, there’s Gears of War: E-Day (allegedly set for the second half of the year) and Halo: Campaign Evolved (reportedly launching before September). Grounded 2 has also proven a strong success in early access, though Obsidian’s Avowed and The Outer Worlds 2 failed to meet sales expectations.

Still, there’s a lot to come, and that’s not even getting into the next Xbox, which is reportedly targeting 2027 (assuming the RAM shortages don’t prove too disruptive). Stay tuned for more details, and check out the rumors about Microsoft’s vision for the next generation of consoles.

A major shake-up is happening at Xbox with core leadership – longtime Xbox boss Phil Spencer is retiring amidst news that president Sarah Bond has resigned. Spencer, who started at Microsoft as an intern back in 1988 and has been with Xbox since its launch in 2001, is retiring effective February 23rd. Sarah Bond has […]

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How much memory do you actually need to play games in 2026? It’s a question that pops up every time we hit a new hardware cycle. Microsoft seems to have a very specific answer this time around. According to their latest marketing materials, 16GB of RAM is plenty for the average person playing most games.…

The post Is 16GB Enough? Microsoft Says Serious Gamers Need 32GB and Copilot+ PCs appeared first on VGamerz.

Time flows exactly how you think it does in Fallout 4, and while it's normally a non-issue, you may need to be in certain in-game time windows if you want to make progress with certain quests (or if you just want to skip the days/nights away). Thankfully, like in Bethesda's other RPGs, players can skip time in Fallout 4 whenever they want, provided they aren't getting mauled or shot at, and that there's an actual resting place nearby.

Phil Spencer is officially exiting his role at Xbox after spending over a decade at the helm. He's been with Microsoft for nearly 40 years, having joined as an intern all the way back in 1988. His replacement is a former president of one of Microsoft's AI divisions, and though she staunchly denied AI's involvement in the future of Microsoft Gaming, not everyone is convinced.

The new CEO of Xbox will be Asha Sharma, the recent president of Microsoft's CoreAI division. She joined the company in 2024 and doesn't really have much gaming background to speak of. What she does have is experience in leadership positions, having been a COO at Intercart and the president of Meta's product and engineering department before eventually hopping into Microsoft's AI side.

Sharma is a firm supporter of artificial intelligence and its real-world applications. In fact, she thinks AI solutions in medicine and healthcare could potentially reverse the effects of declining global fertility rates, saying in one podcast that AI solutions in the UK improved pregnancy rates while "cutting costs at the same time." She also praised GPT-5 for its role in improving healthcare, as well as how AI is being used at Stanford to amplify tumor reviews.

To put it simply: Sharma is quite supportive of artificial intelligence solutions, but, for whatever reason, wants us to believe it's out of the question at Xbox.

In an internal email shared with Microsoft staff amid her appointment as Xbox head, Sharma said the following: "As monetization and AI evolve and influence this future, we will not chase short-term efficiency or flood our ecosystem with soulless AI slop. Games are and always will be art, crafted by humans, and created with the most innovative technology provided by us."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9UWaltU-7Q&t=2582s

This bit, while encouraging, could be taken as a string of recognizable buzzwords strung together for immediate effect, rather than to reflect long-term strategies. I'm not the only one smelling a rat: most of the people responding to Sharma's new position are having a hard time believing such a staunch AI supporter would declare the technology verboten at her new job.

"I don't want to be a doomer, but this doesn't look good," one Reddit user wrote in response to Sharma's prior tenure as Core AI president. "Having an AI exec in charge does not breed confidence," said another. "Something's really fucking terrifying to me about someone from AI taking over as head of the agency," wrote another still.

The sentiments among gamers are very gloomy, with many thinking this could spell the end of Xbox as we know it.

Spencer's tenure as Xbox president wasn't the best, but his role in turning the tide for Xbox One, as well as in introducing the Game Pass service and multiplatformity as a default for publishers, will be remembered quite fondly. A lot of bad has happened in between, however, but I don't think we've seen the worst of it yet.

Sharma could have been quite sincere in her email, and she does seem to want to engage with gaming in a different way, but her career doesn't inspire hope that Xbox will once again become the beacon of the industry. AI, no matter what, is a fundamental stain on art.

The post Phil Spencer’s replacement by an AI evangelist at Xbox has players fearing for the future of the company: ‘I don’t want to be a doomer, but this doesn’t look good’ appeared first on Destructoid.

Phil Spencer is exiting Xbox as chief executive after spending 25 years at Xbox and over a decade at the helm. Hewill be replaced by the president of Microsoft's CoreAI division, Asha Sharma, who joined the company in 2024.

This major shakeup was confirmed to IGN by anonymous sources, as the information hasn't yet been cleared for the public. Spencer's retirement from Xbox's top position is going into effect on Feb. 23, next Monday. However, he is to remain in an advisory role to the new Xbox chief, Asha Sharma, until at least the summer so as to assure a "smooth handoff."

Sharma is to be named as CEO of Microsoft Gaming, while Xbox Game Studios chief Matt Booty will be promoted to CCO, a position from which he will closely cooperate with Sharma.

Spencer said in an internal email that he had been considering retirement for a while now, communicating the idea to Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella. "From that moment, we aligned on approaching this transition with intention, ensuring stability, and strengthening the foundation we’ve built," he wrote.

He is firm in his belief that Sharma is the right choice to lead the company following his departure.

"Working with her over the past several months has given me tremendous confidence. She brings genuine curiosity, clarity, and a deep commitment to understanding players, creators, and the decisions that shape our future. We know this is an important moment for our fans, partners, and team, and we’re committed to getting it right," he said.

He added that he'll advise Sharma during this transitory period until the summer.

Sharma also wrote an internal email to Microsoft staff, promising to reassess what makes Xbox tick, what works, and what does not, emphasizing "great games" as a core tenet. She does have a lot of experience in high leadership positions, with backgrounds at Meta, where she was the VP of Product and Engineering, as well as Intercart, where she held a COO position.

"My first job is simple: understand what makes this work and protect it. That starts with three commitments. First, great games. Everything begins here. We must have great games beloved by players before we do anything. Unforgettable characters, stories that make us feel, innovative game play, and creative excellence. We will empower our studios, invest in iconic franchises, and back bold new ideas. We will take risks. We will enter new categories and markets where we can add real value, grounded in what players care about most," she said.

"Second, the return of Xbox. We will recommit to our core Xbox fans and players, those who have invested with us for the past 25 years, and to the developers who build the expansive universes and experiences that are embraced by players across the world. We will celebrate our roots with a renewed commitment to Xbox starting with console which has shaped who we are. It connects us to the players and fans who invest in Xbox, and to the developers who build ambitious experiences for it," Sharma added.

Finally, Sharma concluded that Xbox will not approach the future of gaming and its franchises as "static IP to milk and monetize," but rather focus on "build[ing] a shared platform and tools that empower developers and players to create and share their own stories."

"As monetization and AI evolve and influence this future, we will not chase short-term efficiency or flood our ecosystem with soulless AI slop. Games are and always will be art, crafted by humans, and created with the most innovative technology provided by us."

Those are some strong words and encouraging ideas, if clashing with Sharma's background as Microsoft's AI executive.

The post Phil Spencer retiring as head of Xbox, to be replaced by one of Microsoft’s AI presidents: ‘We know this is an important moment’ appeared first on Destructoid.

The Monday letters page continues to celebrate the 40th anniversary of The Legend Of Zelda, as one reader wonders if Far Cry has fans.

Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Turn and face the strain
Just seen the news about Phil Spencer leaving Xbox and I don’t know what to say really. He should’ve left at least five years ago, as far as I’m concerned, but the person coming in sounds much worse. If it was some boring accountant type I wouldn’t worry so much, but someone whose last big thing was AI? And they’re at Microsoft? It’s going to be slop around the clock.

The best case scenario is that she admits she doesn’t know anything about games, just business, and gets in a bunch of new people to handle the details. But the fact that she promoted Matt Booty sounds like the worst possible first move, as I’d say he was even worse than Spencer.

We’ll see what happens – it’s not like any of us can influence any of this – but this is long overdue and I really don’t know if the Xbox brand can be saved now.
Gaston

Welcome competition
Somehow I doubt Sony is going to be quaking in its boots right now, at the news of Xbox’s new boss. Sounds like Microsoft decided that they’d gone with a gamer as the boss before so now let’s go with the exact opposite. I can kind of see the logic but at the same time… that’s not going to work out is it?

How’s someone that knows nothing about gaming going to make sensible decisions about Halo or funding some new game or whatever? I don’t know, maybe it is better they know nothing, since they could hardly have done worse than Spencer in recent years, but it doesn’t seem a good starting point.

I’ll admit I haven’t played an Xbox game since the Xbox 360 so I don’t really have any skin in this game but I don’t think anyone would argue that PlayStation 5 couldn’t do with some more serious competition, to wake them up too.
Focus

Touring circuit
So Phil Spencer has finally left Xbox and, of course, the news comes out in the most skeevy way possible, at the weekend when most people will miss it and the guy is leaving on Monday? That doesn’t sound like a respected veteran finally hanging up his spurs. That sounds like someone getting frogmarched out the building by security, the second the boss reads him his rights.

Normally I’d say we’ll never find out what actually happened but maybe we will with Microsoft, since most everything else usually leaks out from them. My guess is that the head of Microsoft had had enough and Spencer had too.

The guy must be a multi-millionaire by now. If I was him I’d leave it all behind me too and buy a brewery somewhere. Can’t wait for him to start doing the interview rounds in a few years, where everyone has to treat him like some business genius and not the guy that killed Xbox.
Wotan

Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk

No rush
I played Red Dead Redemption 2 this weekend. It’s a game I go back to every so often but not because I love it more than the rest of my games. Not because I’ve beaten it and love the story and gameplay. It’s due to the fact I’ve been playing it since 2018 and still haven’t got round to finishing it. I did manage to complete a new mission and have reached 36% on the story.

I just think this game is like a mood. It’s so chilled out when not in gunfights. The hunting and fishing keeps me occupied. I don’t feel pushed to finish it. There is no urgency. Red Dead Redemption 2 might be the game I’ve owned the longest and not finished. I’ve beaten Minecraft and not Red Redemption 2?

Anyone else have a long-term project like this?
Bobwallett

GC: If it took you this long to get a third of a way through it then you should finish it sometime around 2042.

Far Cry fan club
Far Cry 6 feels like such a long time ago now, I was bit surprised to find out it wasn’t much more than four years. I think that was when Ubisoft lost their way, when that flopped they seemed to give up on everything except Assassin’s Creed… and live service games, of course.

I don’t know what they’re going to do for the next game, to try and make it special, but I don’t think being away for a while is going to be a big enough draw. Games like Far Cry are popular but they’re not the sort of thing people are fans of, I wouldn’t have thought. I mean, we’re not talking Zelda or Resident Evil here.

Or maybe I’m wrong and there’s a big following for Far Cry 6 and… whatever it was about and whoever the characters were. (It was set in Cuba, wasn’t it?)
Cuit

GC: It was a fictional country inspired by Cuba.

Seeing red
I bought the cardboard Virtual Boy ‘headset’ and I’ve been playing the games over the weekend and all I can say is… why is it all red?

That sounds a bad idea before you even try it and when you do it’s just as bad as you think. Like you said in your review, it’s like it’s been raining blood or everything is set on Mars or something.

Even so, I did enjoy trying out all these weird games I’d never heard of before and would certainly never have played any other way. I can’t say I particularly liked any of them, but Wario Land was okay, even though it was a bit slow. It was fun to see the ‘other platforms in the background’ gimmick though, which Nintendo has used in a bunch of games since.

I look forward to playing the other games, especially the cancelled F-Zero one, in the future and even if they’re terrible, I like that it feels that you’re getting this glimpse into a secret world.

Star Fox 2 was good like that too. You could absolutely see why they canned it, but it was interesting getting to play it all the same.
Austin

GC: Red LEDs are cheaper than other colours is the simplest answer.

Marketing decision
I’ve just seen the banned ad for Call Of Duty and I can’t believe anyone would of thought that was a good idea.

I’d like to know if Activision or Xbox gave the greenlight and said, ‘Yes, that’s a good ad, let’s show it.’ I never thought either of them would of made an ad like that and I’m not surprised it got banned.’
David

GC: It would’ve been someone at Activision.

Lucky accident
That was a great Reader’s Feature at the weekend about Zelda’s 40th anniversary, kudos to Rhion for writing it.

My journey with the Zelda franchise is a little odd. I was about 14 years old and ordered The Legend Of Zelda 2: The Adventure Of Link from my mum’s catalogue, on the promise I would pay her back £2 a week from my paper round money until it was paid off.

After all, number 2 is always going to be better than number 1 right? At least that’s what my 14-year-old brain was telling me.

The game arrived.

I got home from school only to find that the catalogue had sent me a substitute game. The original Legend Of Zelda.

I was a little bit gutted and went on my paper round mulling over whether to send it back and wait another two weeks or not at all?

I got home and, as kids do, I had no capacity to wait for another game so I fired it up in my trusty old NES and the rest was history.

On the future of the Zelda games… I’m not completely enamoured by the open world template of Breath Of The Wild and Tears Of A Kingdom, yeah I said it.

I prefer the much more linear titles but if they do go open world again and it’s probably a dead certainty due to the money it brings in.

I would like to see them leave from the skies and head for the sea.

Sailing vast open oceans while learning to plunge new depths and discover new islands. Yes, I know very The Wind Waker-ish but it’s not really been done in a 3D Zelda title since then and that’s been a good 25 years now.

If they used the original Zelda as inspiration for Breath Of The Wild then there is no reason not to use another title as a platform to push off.
freeway 77

Inbox also-rans
In response to Biter and Mario Kart Arcade, where is he playing it for only £1? The arcades near me in Merry Hill and Birmingham are charging 3 quid a turn!
LeeDappa

So are we really expecting the next mainline Pokémon games to be announced this week? I guess that gets that out of the way, but it seems an awful lot of Pokémon games are already on Switch 2 and we still don’t have a Mario or Zelda. Priorities!
Ned

GC: It does seem quite possible.

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Phil Spencer has retired from Microsoft and Sarah Bond has resigned, as Xbox starts its biggest shake-up in 25 years – but the future seems more uncertain than ever.

The Xbox brand will be 25 years old this Christmas and for the entirety of that time Phil Spencer has been a major figure at Microsoft’s gaming division, influencing policy and then shaping it directly when he was put in charge in 2014, following the disastrous reveal of the Xbox One.

He’s credited with inventing the idea of Game Pass and for pushing for the acquisition of a swathe of developers and publishers, culminating in Bethesda and Activision Blizzard. We’ve interviewed him several times and consider his claims of being a passionate gamer to be genuine. But as has become obvious in recent years, his various plans and machinations have not worked out.

Xbox hardware sales have flatlined and while first party output has improved recently, in terms of both quantity and quality, the only major commerical success has been Forza Horizon 5 on PlayStation 5. Clearly change was needed but exactly what kind of change remains to be seen.

Who is in charge of Xbox now?

The news broke on Friday evening, but it’s now confirmed that Spencer will be replaced by Asha Sharma, who only joined Microsoft in 2024 but has made a named for herself as president of its CoreAI product.

She has no experience with video games, but on the Microsoft website she insisted that, ‘We will not chase short-term efficiency or flood our ecosystem with soulless AI slop. Games are and always will be art, crafted by humans, and created with the most innovative technology provided by us.’

‘We have done this before, and I am here to help us do it again. I want to return to the renegade spirit that built Xbox in the first place. It will require us to relentlessly question everything, revisit processes, protect what works, and be brave enough to change what does not.’

The question of how much hands-on experiences those in charge of video game firms need is an open issue, as there’s little consistency within any company. Former Nintendo president Satoru Iwata, for example, started out as a programmer, but the next two incumbents were both finance executives.

Former PlayStation boss Jim Ryan had, like Spencer, worked at Sony since the brand’s inception, before leaving under a cloud, while the current boss worked at a consulting firm, before co-founding developer Guerrilla Games – but not as a developer.

Although there have been whispers that Spencer may retire in the next few years it was assumed that Xbox president Sarah Bond was being groomed to take over his role when he left. It seems likely she was assuming that too, as she announced on the same day that she is resigning from the company. Not only that but no one has been announced as replacing her, implying her role may be phased out.

Matt Booty, the other prominent exec for modern day Xbox, isn’t leaving but is instead being promoted to chief content officer. Previously, Booty has been criticised for problems with Microsoft’s first party output, that has led to many delays and the closure of several studios, as well as projects such as the Perfect Dark reboot.

Spencer is 58, so it’s unclear whether he’ll take another role in the industry, but he will make himself available to Microsoft, in an advisory role, until the end of the summer.

‘I’ve made the decision to retire and begin the next chapter of my life. It’s a milestone that’s given me a chance to reflect on the incredible journey I’ve been fortunate enough to share with so many of you,’ he wrote on X.

How will Microsoft turn things around for Xbox?

What happens from here on is a mystery – probably for the execs themselves as much as anyone else – but Sharma has stated that she’s sticking to ‘three commitments’, starting with the promise of ‘great games’. According to her, ‘We will take risks. We will enter new categories and markets where we can add real value, grounded in what players care about most.’

Second on her list is the ‘return of Xbox’, which she says will, ‘Celebrate our roots with a renewed commitment to Xbox starting with console which has shaped who we are.’

That seems to be intended as assurance that she will not abandon console hardware, but she immediately followed that up by saying: ‘Gaming now lives across devices, not within the limits of any single piece of hardware. As we expand across PC, mobile, and cloud, Xbox should feel seamless, instant, and worthy of the communities we serve.’

The third, and vaguest, of the commitments is the ‘future of play’, which will apparently involve Microsoft inventing ‘new business models and new ways to play by leaning into what we already have: iconic teams, characters, and worlds that people love. But we will not treat those worlds as static IP to milk and monetise. We will build a shared platform and tools that empower developers and players to create and share their own stories.’

All of that is fine in theory but what it all means is very much open to interpretation, which is no doubt exactly as intended.

It certainly seems fitting that Microsoft made the announcements late on Friday, at a time that was only convenient for America. One of the key problems with the brand – and one that it has been loath to admit over the years – is its lack of appeal outside the US.

The Xbox has never been popular in continental Europe or Japan, and it’s rarely ever tried to appeal to those markets directly. In recent years local offices have complained at decreasing marketing budgets, as the failure of the Xbox Series X/S became obvious.

One of the many questions now, is whether Microsoft is prepared to increase its investment in gaming, to the point where it can compete as a console manufacturer and not just a third party publisher.

Microsoft is an incredibly wealthy company but the only time that’s ever really been obvious, when it comes to Xbox, is in the purchase of Activision Blizzard and other companies. The former was such a huge outlay – amounting to $75.4 billion by the end – that it was directly responsible for policy changes such as going multiformat, and put an uncomfortable spotlight on gaming in terms of senior Microsoft execs.

While the exit of Spencer does seem overdue it’d be wrong to say that things can only get better with new people in charge. Things can always get worse and given how much of the industry Microsoft currently controls, everyone should hope that the new boss can turn things around and that the Xbox brand can flourish again. Not least so it can once again provide meaningful competition to PlayStation.

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A reader puts the blame for Xbox’s current problems squarely on Microsoft, blaming management failures, a lack of vision, and unwillingness to take risks.

It was November 2001 when Microsoft entered the gaming console arena. The green, cyberpunk style dashboard was dazzling, and it had one true game-changer: Halo: Combat Evolved. Players could battle grunting aliens across vast landscapes and drive amazing vehicles. Not only did this elevate the game to new heights, but it also drew huge crowds to the console.

In 2004, Microsoft dropped the price of the Xbox to an affordable £149. Sales increased, and Microsoft had established itself as a major player in the industry.

The Xbox 360 followed and held a firm grip on the market, even with the infamous Red Ring of Death incidents. It seemed Microsoft was poised to do for gaming what it had done for operating systems and office software – but that changed. You could blame Nintendo or PlayStation for focusing solely on consoles, rather than trying to turn them into all-singing, all-dancing media hubs.

In 2017, Microsoft launched Game Pass, positioning it as the ‘Netflix of gaming’. But Netflix does not release brand new, unproven films on the platform immediately after production. How can a studio make real profit that way?

Instead, Microsoft thought it clever to release major games like Starfield on Game Pass on day one, rather than waiting at least eight months to a year. With over 10 million players engaging with these titles but only an estimated 1 to 2 million Xbox users purchasing the actual product, out of a 34 million strong userbase, this represents a major shortfall.

Microsoft is not destroying its Xbox base through a lack of games, but through a lack of foresight. Day one releases should not exist on any gaming streaming service. Xbox titles should launch traditionally, for at least eight months to a year before being added to Game Pass.

Xbox is being suffocated by Microsoft, kept afloat only by PlayStation and PC purchases – and perhaps soon by the Nintendo Switch 2 platform. It is sad to see. Within five years, I believe the Xbox platform may cease to exist – not because of its fanbase, but because its owner has never truly learned how to compete in the gaming space.

Look at Sony and Nintendo: gaming consoles are not PCs. Streaming should give players choice, but it should not starve production studios of the glory – and profitability – of successful launches. You may disagree with this article, but you will likely agree that Microsoft is losing with Xbox; not because of the fanbase, but because Microsoft itself is no longer a fan of the Xbox.

Maybe I sound harsh, but I remember the original Xbox. Microsoft promised a multiplayer experience. One example was a game called Brute Force, a brilliant title where you control four characters on a mission. It had four-player local support, but everyone was waiting for the Xbox Live add-on. Microsoft again underdelivered, not realising that adding this component would have boosted sales and expanded its catalogue of exclusive titles. Instead, they prioritised the Halo explosion.

Look at Nintendo and Sony: they protect exclusives because good products sell consoles. Consider No Man’s Sky – not exclusive to any platform – but the studio persisted despite a rough launch. Their belief in the project created growth in a small but talented production team. I mention this because Microsoft has repeatedly given up on gaming projects, stifling the growth of Xbox exclusives.

Perfect Dark was cancelled – a perfect example of Microsoft destroying its own platform. With over a million units sold on the original Xbox, cancelling a sequel makes little sense. A return on DLC and season passes could have bolstered profits and helped sell the Xbox Series X in solid numbers.

Microsoft owns Activision, which promised exclusive games for Xbox, but instead the company cancelled titles as the new owner. Did you know Microsoft lost $300 million putting Call of Duty on Game Pass? Someone should have been held accountable for that decision.

Microsoft is destroying the Xbox – not because it can, but because it lacks vision. Leaders like Steve Jobs, Tim Cook, Elon Musk (yes, I said it), and Bill Gates understood customer needs and delivered great products that were also profitable. Xbox, unfortunately, will fade because no one at Microsoft is taking bold enough risks.

Goodbye, Xbox. It’s sad to see the Chief Master lose the fight.

By reader S.D.E Wilson

The reader’s features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.

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Bluepoint Games’ closure is another disastrous repercussion from Sony’s acquisition spree, which has led to multiple studio shutdowns, layoffs, and cancelled games.

This console generation has been defined by unfulfilled expectations, both in how few games actually capitalise on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S hardware, and the output from Sony and Microsoft’s studios.

But the groundwork for this failure was laid the prior generation, when Microsoft started a wave of acquisitions in order to bolster its limited first party slate. In 2018, it bought Compulsion Games, Ninja Theory, Obsidian, InXile Entertainment, Playground Games, and several others, which was followed by Double Fine, ZeniMax Media (including Bethesda), and eventually Activision Blizzard.

This rush of acquisitions, which was also mirrored by Embracer Group, sparked a rush for ownership at Sony. Since 2018, Sony has acquired Insomniac Games, Housemarque, Bungie, Firesprite, and others, many of which were set to serve in the company’s hunt for a live service hit.

As we now know, this chase has been disastrous. The Sony-published Helldivers 2 has been a hit, but developer Arrowhead is independent. When it comes to internally developed games Concord was shut down after two weeks, Fairgame$ and Marathon have suffered heavy delays, and others – such as a Twisted Metal live service game and The Last Of Us Online – have been canned entirely.

Bluepoint Games, who were working on a God Of War live service project before that was cancelled last year, has become the latest casualty from this acquisition-to-Sony mismanagement pipeline. It’s the third recently-acquired studio to be closed by the company over the past two years, following Neon Koi and Concord’s Firewalk Studios.

However, as the list below highlights, it’s emblematic of how Sony has mishandled a lot of its recent acquisitions. There are exceptions, most notably Insomniac Games, but several studios are still yet to launch a game (Firesprite, Valkyrie Entertainment, Haven Studios), while others, like Bungie, have been transformed by widespread layoffs.

Beyond its recent acquisitions, Sony has shut down several other studios over this console generation, including London Studio, the VR-focused Manchester Studio, Japan Studio, and PixelOpus, the team behind Concrete Genie and Entwined.

Additionally, many of its other studios – like Naughty Dog, Bend Studio, and Media Molecule – haven’t released a new game (i.e. not a remake or remaster) in the past five years. Naughty Dog is working on Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, but that doesn’t even have a release year yet.

The impact of this devastating pursuit for studio acquistions, and a live service hit, probably won’t slow down anytime soon either. Guerrilla Games is working on a Horizon multiplayer title, while the long-delayed Fairgame$ is still in development at Haven Studios – despite widespread gamer apathy.

Microsoft has been just as brutal when it comes to shutdowns and layoffs, and it hasn’t even got the excuse of chasing live service games. Over the past few years, Xbox has closed an abundance of studios, including The Initiative, Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks (before it was reconsituted by Krafton), Alpha Dog, Roundhouse Games.

It’s also cancelled multiple major projects, including Rare’s Everwild, ZeniMax’s Blackbird, Perfect Dark, Contraband, and more.

Beyond Sony and Microsoft, we’ve seen Embracer Group swallow up and shut down studios in rapid succession. Square Enix Montréal, Volition, Pieces Interactive, and Free Radical Design are just some of the studios we’ve lost in the last few years.

All of this combined has contributed to what feels like a stunted console generation, where corporate greed and failures of leadership have done irreparable damage to the games industry as a whole.

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