Xbox Chief Phil Spencer Is Leaving Microsoft

Xbox main Phil Spencer is leaving Microsoft aft astir 40 years astatine nan package giant. Xbox president Sarah Bond is besides leaving Microsoft, successful what is simply a awesome shakeup to nan guidance of Xbox and Microsoft’s gaming efforts. Asha Sharma, presently president of CoreAI product, is taking complete arsenic CEO of Microsoft Gaming.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced Phil Spencer’s status successful a memo to each Microsoft labor today. “Last year, Phil Spencer made nan determination to discontinue from nan company, and since past we’ve been talking astir succession planning,” says Nadella. “I want to convey Phil for his bonzer activity and partnership. Over 38 years astatine Microsoft, including 12 years starring Gaming, Phil helped toggle shape what we do and really we do it.”

Asha Sharma is taking complete from Phil Spencer, arsenic nan caller Microsoft Gaming CEO. Sharma is presently nan president of CoreAI merchandise astatine Microsoft, and has been moving intimately connected Microsoft’s AI level efforts since she rejoined Microsoft successful 2024. Spencer will stay successful an advisory domiciled done nan summertime to support nan transition.

While Sharma isn’t a gamer for illustration Spencer, she does person immoderate user acquisition that could surely thief pinch starring a section arsenic large arsenic Microsoft Gaming. Sharma near a trading domiciled astatine Microsoft successful 2013 and has worked astatine Meta arsenic VP of merchandise and engineering and Instacart arsenic main operating serviceman earlier heading backmost to Microsoft successful 2024.

Nadella says he’s “long connected gaming and its domiciled astatine nan halfway of our user ambition,” and believes Sharma has “deep acquisition building and increasing platforms, aligning business models to semipermanent value, and operating astatine world scale, which will beryllium captious successful starring our gaming business into its adjacent era of growth.”

Sharma now has a 3 commitments for nan early of gaming astatine Microsoft: awesome games, nan return of Xbox, and early of play. “We will recommit to our halfway Xbox fans and players, those who person invested pinch america for nan past 25 years, and to nan developers who build nan expansive universes and experiences that are embraced by players crossed nan world,” says Sharma successful an soul memo. “We will observe our roots pinch a renewed committedness to Xbox starting pinch console which has shaped who we are. It connects america to nan players and fans who put successful Xbox, and to nan developers who build eager experiences for it.”

In a memo to Xbox employees, Spencer reveals that he made nan determination to discontinue from Microsoft successful nan autumn of 2025, conscionable months aft rumors circulated online astir Spencer’s imaginable retirement. Microsoft said successful July that Spencer was “not retiring anytime soon.”

”Last fall, I shared pinch Satya that I was reasoning astir stepping backmost and starting nan adjacent section of my life,” says Spencer. “From that moment, we aligned connected approaching this modulation pinch intention, ensuring stability, and strengthening nan instauration we’ve built. Xbox has ever been much than a business. It’s a vibrant organization of players, creators, and teams who attraction profoundly astir what we build and really we build it. And it deserves a thoughtful, deliberate scheme for nan roadworthy ahead.“

As portion of nan roadworthy up for Xbox, president Sarah Bond is besides leaving Microsoft to “begin a caller chapter,” according to Spencer. “Sarah has been instrumental during a defining play for Xbox, shaping our level strategy, expanding Game Pass and unreality gaming, supporting caller hardware launches, and guiding immoderate of nan astir important moments successful our history,” says Spencer.

Microsoft is besides promoting Matt Booty to EVP and main contented officer, aft antecedently being promoted to an expanded president of crippled contented and studios position successful 2023. “I publication Phil’s statement pinch overmuch gratitude,” says Booty successful an soul memo to Microsoft’s gaming employees. “He has been a dependable champion for crippled creators and our workplace teams, and I’ve learned truthful overmuch from his activity complete nan years. All our games person benefited from his foundational support.”

Spencer has been astatine Microsoft since he first joined arsenic an intern successful 1988. In his early profession astatine Microsoft he worked connected Encarta, Microsoft Money, and Microsoft Works. Spencer joined nan Xbox section successful 2001, and became nan wide head of Microsoft Studios successful 2008. He past became nan leader of nan Xbox section successful 2014, overseeing nan motorboat of nan Xbox Series X / S and Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass push.

“When I walked done Microsoft’s doors arsenic an intern successful June of 1988, I could ne'er person imagined nan products I’d thief build, nan players and customers we’d serve, aliases nan bonzer teams I’d beryllium fortunate capable to join,” says Spencer. “It’s been an epic thrust and genuinely nan privilege of a lifetime.”