Starting today, Microsoft Gaming will be no more, and Xbox will return as the brand’s central identity. The company has evolved in many ways in recent years, but new leadership is aiming to bring Xbox back to its roots.
Early 2026 saw several major shake-ups when it came to the Xbox leadership. Longtime Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer retired after being in the position for over a decade, and his expected successor, Sarah Bond, left the company alongside him. Bond’s departure was one of the most surprising of all, but this opened the door for newcomer Asha Sharma to step in as a fresh CEO. Ever since starting her role, many of the changes Asha Sharma has made to Xbox have been well-received by many Xbox fans, and her next order of business is to scrap the Microsoft Gaming name for good.
28-Year Xbox Veteran is Officially Leaving Microsoft
A long-time leader from the Xbox gaming division moves on to a new career path after spending almost three full decades with the company.
The Age of Microsoft Gaming is Over, and the New Era of Xbox Has Begun
This news comes from a Verge report that details Asha Sharma’s decision to leave the Microsoft Gaming brand in the past. According to the report from Tom Warren, Sharma stated in a meeting that “Xbox needs to be our identity.” She claimed that operating under Microsoft Gaming was too far removed from the company’s original personality. The brand was changed to Microsoft Gaming around the same time that Microsoft’s controversial Activision Blizzard deal was announced, showing a major shift in direction. However, Asha Sharma is aiming to undo some of these decisions.
Bringing back the Xbox brand comes shortly after Sharma announced that Call of Duty is leaving Game Pass as a day one release. New entries in the popular FPS shooter franchise will now be added to Game Pass around a year after their initial launch. The reason this was done was to lower the price of Game Pass Ultimate. Xbox found itself in hot water last year after hiking up the price of the Ultimate tier to $30 a month, but Asha Sharma just recently decreased the subscription to $22.99 a month.
There are also rumors that a customizable Xbox Game Pass plan might be in the works. Claims as bold as these should definitely be taken with a grain of salt, but it would be another huge change to Game Pass if true. Xbox’s reputation with its audience has been rocky for a while, and Sharma’s decisions are clear attempts to try and win back longtime customers. According to the Verge report, the Xbox headquarters have even been revamped with messages on the wall that read “return of Xbox.”
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Sharma has only been the new Xbox CEO for a few months at this point, but that hasn’t stopped her from making surprising changes to the company. It’s far too early to say how effective her leadership is for Xbox, but these attempts to go back to the company’s roots are really intriguing.
Source: The Verge
