Phil Spencer Is Retiring, Xbox President Sarah Bond Is Leaving, And Microsoft's AI Head Is New CEO Of Microsoft Gaming

Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer is retiring, and Xbox president Sarah Bond, long considered the person to one day hold Spencer's job, has resigned from the company, as reported by IGN. Microsoft's AI lead, the president of the company's CoreAI product, Asha Sharma, will now also work in Spencer's former position as the new Microsoft Gaming CEO. As part of this massive shake-up, Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty has been promoted to Chief Content Officer and will work closely with Sharma within Microsoft Gaming. 

Sharma joined Microsoft in 2024 as part of the company's AI development, and worked as Chief Operating Officer of Instacart and Vice President of Product at Meta prior to that. As the new Microsoft Gaming CEO, Sharma will oversee a vast array of studios and games ranging from Activision's Call of Duty umbrella, Blizzard Entertainment's Overwatch and Diablo teams, King's mobile Candy Crush empire, Mojang and that team's ongoing work on Minecraft, and of course, the core Xbox Game Studios, which includes Fable and Forza Horizon developer Playground Games, Halo: Campaign Evolved's Halo Studios, and more. 

Spencer's departure comes after serving as the Head of Xbox (and later Microsoft Gaming CEO) for more than a decade, joining the team in 2014, though he had worked at Microsoft since 1988, beginning his career there as an intern. Spencer joined at a tense time for Xbox in 2014, roughly five months after Microsoft released the Xbox One, which by all accounts, roughed in a rough state due to the non-optional inclusion of a refreshed Kinect, an emphasis on home and TV entertainment (over gaming, in some instances), and DRM-related controversies before the console's release; Xbox reversed course on its DRM requirements prior to the launch of the Xbox One. 

As Head of Xbox, Spencer quickly got to work garnering good will for the once-favorite console of many gamers with moves like backward compatibility, an emphasis on Xbox Game Pass with its steady stream of day one releases, explosive E3 conferences that featured the likes of Keanu Reeves, various acquisitions such as Microsoft's $69 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard and the company's acquisition of Fallout and Elder Scrolls maker Bethesda for $7.5 billion, amongst others (though arguably, these acquisitions didn't exactly provide good will for the brand), and the Xbox Play Anywhere initiative as part of its Xbox Series X/S console generation, which integrated Microsoft's gaming business more closely with PC. Under Spencer's leadership as Microsoft Gaming CEO, we also saw Xbox-exclusive titles launch on PlayStation 5, like Sea of Thieves, Indiana Jones and The Great Circle, Forza Horizon 5, and even the upcoming Halo: Campaign Evolved. 

Bond, who was promoted to President of Xbox in 2022 alongside Spencer's promotion to Microsoft Gaming CEO, has worked in Xbox since 2017. She began her career at Xbox as the corporate vice president of business development and partnerships, was then promoted to corporate vice president of game creator experience and ecosystem, and finally, became President of Xbox.  

In 2022, when Bond was promoted to President of Xbox and Spencer to Microsoft Gaming CEO, Booty was named President of Game Content and Studios, a position that put him in close communication with the more than 40 studios under the Xbox Game Studios umbrella. That's likely the reason his new position as Chief Content Officer will reportedly have him working closely with Sharma, who likely does not have as wide-ranging or as informed an approach to Xbox's stable of studios and games comparatively. 

Xbox has had a busy 2026 so far, even outside of this leadership shake-up. The company held a Developer Direct showcase last month, where it revealed release dates and gameplay for upcoming first-party titles like Fable and Forza Horizon 6, along with the debut of Double Fine Productions' Kiln and the launch window for Game Freak's Beast of Reincarnation. Earlier this week, on February 17, Xbox's first-person fantasy RPG Avowed launched on PS5 after roughly a year of Xbox and PC exclusivity. Looking ahead to the rest of 2026, Xbox is launching Forza Horizon on Xbox Series X/S and PC on May 19 (and PS5 later this year), Kiln this Spring, its highly anticipated Fable reboot in Autumn, and Halo: Campaign Evolved sometime this year. Plus, Xbox, like PlayStation 5 and PC, will act as a third-party console for massive releases like Grand Theft Auto VI in November and more. 

Notably, Microsoft is celebrating 25 years of Xbox; this shake-up is an interesting wrinkle in what was supposed to be a banner year for the company. 

Transcriptions of the emails Spencer, Booty, Sharma, and Nadella sent to staff can be read below, courtesy of IGN's report. 

Phil Spencer's Email To Microsoft Staff

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.

Matt Booty's Email To Microsoft Staff

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.

Asha Sharma's Email To Microsoft Staff

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 connect people and push 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.

Satya Nadella's Email To Microsoft Staff

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.

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[Source: IGN]