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Microsoft Names Asha Sharma to Lead Xbox as Phil Spencer Retires

Sharma signals a course reset that prioritizes console loyalists.

Overview

  • Phil Spencer will step down as Microsoft Gaming CEO with a handoff starting February 23 and will advise through the summer.
  • Asha Sharma, formerly president of Microsoft’s CoreAI and an executive at Instacart and Meta, is appointed Executive Vice President and CEO, Microsoft Gaming.
  • Xbox president Sarah Bond is leaving Microsoft, ending speculation that she would succeed Spencer.
  • Matt Booty is promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Content Officer and will report to Sharma.
  • In her first message, Sharma outlined three commitments—great games, a renewed “return of Xbox” beginning with console, and the future of play—while rejecting any move to flood the ecosystem with low‑quality generative AI.