US EditionPhil Spencer Reflects on 38 Years at Microsoft: 'I Never Could Have Imagined the Path Ahead'
- Phil Spencer, the longtime head of Xbox, is retiring after 38 years, with retirement effective February 23, 2026, and Satya Nadella recently announced Asha Sharma as his successor.
- Performance strains such as declining player counts and strategic shifts prompted the change, as Xbox sales fell, concurrent players dropped since Modern Warfare II, and the $69 billion purchase shaped the Game Pass pivot.
- Sarah Bond's sudden departure coincided with the leadership shifts, Matt Booty was promoted to Chief Content Officer, and Asha Sharma promised not to flood the ecosystem with `AI slop`.
- Sharma frames her brief as supporting consoles while unifying devices, pledging tighter integration across consoles, PCs, mobile, and cloud alongside Microsoft AI initiatives including Copilot and the `agentic OS` concept.
- Some commentators declared Xbox 'dead' as Spencer's exit ends a chapter for a leader known for Game Pass and major studio acquisitions, with Sharma seen as an AI-first pivot.
31 Articles
31 Articles
Microsoft replaces Xbox heads Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond with AI exec
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella recently announced that the company's CoreAI Product president, Asha Sharma, has become the CEO of Xbox, replacing retiring Xbox boss Phil Spencer. Former Xbox president Sarah Bond Spencer was long thought to be the 38-year veteran's replacement as head. However, Bond has recently resigned from the...Read Entire Article
The father of Game Pass is out at Xbox — where does the service go from here?
Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer announced his retirement Friday, marking the end of a 25-year career at Xbox (and a nearly 40-year career at Microsoft more broadly). Spencer’s legacy covers a wide range, including a string of high-profile studio acquisitions and closures, though few measure up to the impact of Xbox Game Pass. As Xbox enters a regime change, with all the upheaval C-suite turnover traditionally tends to bring, what happens to Ga…
Artificial intelligence chief to replace Phil Spencer.
Under his leadership, a multi-billion dollar deal was closed to acquire game producer Activision Blizzard, known for Call of Duty and Candy Crush.
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