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Microsoft Pulls ‘This Is an Xbox’ Campaign as New Hardware Strategy Takes Shape

The quiet scrub of Xbox Wire pages tracks with CEO Asha Sharma’s shift toward a console‑first roadmap centered on Project Helix.

Overview

  • The original Xbox Wire announcement and related tag pages for “This is an Xbox” now return 404 errors, effectively retiring the campaign online.
  • The rollback follows leadership changes as Phil Spencer retired and Sarah Bond, widely reported to have championed the slogan, departed the company.
  • Asha Sharma has reiterated a focus on native hardware and introduced next‑generation plans under Project Helix, which Microsoft says will play Xbox and PC games.
  • Campaign remnants remain public, including YouTube ads and social posts, even as official web references are removed and Xbox merch tied to the slogan has been phased out.
  • The broader platform push struggled with execution, with the long‑promised Xbox mobile storefront still not launched despite earlier announcements.