According to a new article from IGN, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer will officially retire on February 23. Additionally, Xbox President Sarah Bond is also resigning from her position.
Phil Spencer states that the decision is due to a desire to “start the next chapter” of his life. The reason for Bond’s departure is currently unknown. Asha Sharma, the President of Microsoft CoreAI and former VP of Product and Engineering at Meta, will take Spencer’s place. Additionally, Matt Booty, the head of Xbox Game Studios, has been promoted to Chief Content Officer of Microsoft Gaming.
In an internal email, Sharma says the following about her goals as new CEO of Microsoft Gaming:
“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.”
Phil Spencer initially became head of Xbox in 2014, a year after the launch of the Xbox One. He resigns during the company’s 25th anniversary, which will feature games such as Forza Horizon 6, Fable, Halo: Campaign Evolved, and Gears of War: E-Day. Forza Horizon 6 is already confirmed to release on May 19 for Xbox Series X|S and PC via Windows and Steam, while Halo: Campaign Evolved is rumored to release in summer 2026, Fable will release in Fall 2026, and Gears of War: E-Day is targeting a late 2026 launch. Xbox will likely reveal more details about its future in the coming weeks and months.
