Xbox's new chief content officer is stressing the importance of first-party games to Microsoft, suggesting the gaming titan isn't just looking to move into publishing. Microsoft has seen some big changes to its core gaming brand in recent weeks, with several executive positions changing hands and a longtime face of the company saying goodbye. Microsoft Gaming boss Phil Spencer officially announced his retirement, effective February 23, with Xbox president Sarah Bond also stepping down from her position at the same time. However, Xbox's leadership change has seen mixed reactions from the community.
Microsoft's big leadership shakeup has brought a lot of new faces to the fore for the Xbox division. Asha Sharma has taken over as the new CEO of Microsoft Gaming following Phil Spencer's departure, while Xbox recently hired Matt Booty as chief content officer. The change in Xbox's higher-ups has already seen some uneasy speculation from former Xbox figureheads, with Xbox co-founder Seamus Blackley suggesting that Sharma's role will be to “slide Xbox slowly into the night”. Now, a recent interview with Matt Booty suggests that Blakely's fears may be unfounded.
Microsoft releases statement on potential layoffs following major Xbox leadership change
A key figure in Microsoft leadership shares an official comment on the possibility of layoffs following Xbox executive changes.
Xbox is fully committed to first-party games, says new CCO
In an interview with Windows Central, Xbox's new CCO, Matt Booty, made some bold statements about the future of the Microsoft gaming brand. Booty suggests that Xbox's studios are “completely built around first-party,” stressing that the company is “not built” to function solely as a publisher without first-party development of its own. Booty emphasized that Xbox is “not backing down” from being a first-party publisher, following a recent shift toward Xbox releasing its biggest franchises on other consoles. Both Matt Booty and CEO Asha Sharma stressed that while fans shouldn't expect to see drastic changes right away, Xbox executives are working on the right path for the Xbox brand.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
get started
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Easy (5) Medium (7) Hard (10)
This interview was accompanied by Asha Sharma's recent personal statements about Xbox Gaming Company. Sharma spoke in simple terms about recent concerns from fans about Xbox pushing former first-party games onto competing platforms, telling a fan on Twitter to “listen to you.” Sharma also responded to fans worried that Xbox might be making heavy use of AI in games, saying she wants to keep “frustrating AI slop” away from the platform. Sharma also talked about Microsoft's gaming division's intention to “return to Xbox” and refocus on improving its console brand.
While Sharma sought to ease fan concerns, recent years have seen some of Xbox's biggest names go multi-platform. 2025 saw both Forza Horizon 5 and Gears of War: Reloaded Also, jump on the PlayStation 5 Hello: Campaign Evolved Bringing the franchise to PS5 for the first time in 2026. Xbox has also drawn criticism from some employees for its shift towards other consoles and the PC, with Microsoft's “This is an Xbox” advertising campaign said to be unpopular internally. Xbox has yet to confirm any immediate changes to its strategy following Microsoft Gaming's executive shake-up.
Xbox's big changes come as the gaming brand is set to release some high-profile games throughout the year. Along with the aforementioned Hello: Campaign EvolvedMicrosoft will make its long-awaited return fable A full reboot of the franchise, developed by Playground Games, is planned to launch in 2026. Forza Horizon 6 It's also expected to launch on May 19, giving players a plethora of stunning locations to explore in a stylized version of Japan. As Microsoft's new gaming leadership settles into his new role, Xbox fans will have a lot to look forward to from the company.
