Phil Spencer Retiring, Sarah Bond Out, Matt Booty Promoted as Microsoft AI Exec Asha Sharma Named New Xbox Boss - EXCLUSIVE
IGN • • general
Key Points:
- Phil Spencer, Microsoft Gaming CEO since 2014 and a Microsoft veteran since 1988, is retiring effective February 23, 2026; Xbox President Sarah Bond has also resigned amid this leadership transition.
- Asha Sharma, formerly President of Microsoft’s CoreAI product and with prior executive roles at Meta and Instacart, will become the new CEO of Microsoft Gaming, focusing on great games, recommitting to Xbox's core audience, and innovating future play experiences.
- Matt Booty, head of Xbox Game Studios, is promoted to Chief Content Officer to work closely with Sharma, emphasizing support for game creators and maintaining a strong content pipeline without immediate organizational changes to studios.
- Spencer’s tenure included major acquisitions like Activ
