Bold shift ahead: Microsoft Gaming is reshaping leadership as Phil Spencer steps back from the CEO role after nearly four decades with the Xbox family and 12 years at the helm. He’ll remain as an advisor through mid-year while the transition unfolds.
Asha Sharma, formerly president of product development for Microsoft’s CoreAI division, will take over as Chief Executive Officer and Executive Vice President of Microsoft Gaming. Before joining Microsoft in 2024, Sharma was Instacart’s chief operating officer and, earlier, a vice president of product at Meta.
This leadership realignment also includes notable changes: Xbox president Sarah Bond will depart Microsoft, and Matt Booty will be elevated to Chief Content Officer.
Microsoft Gaming oversees almost 40 studios, including Activision, Bethesda, Blizzard, King, Mojang, and Xbox Game Studios. These groups are behind beloved franchises like Call of Duty, Candy Crush, Diablo, The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Halo, Minecraft, and World of Warcraft, and they support gaming across console, PC, cloud, and mobile platforms.
In a memo to staff, Spencer reflected on his long journey: entering Microsoft as an intern in June 1988, he never anticipated the products he’d help build or the communities he’d serve. He revealed that last fall he discussed stepping back to begin a new chapter, and that the company aligned on a plan that emphasizes stability and a strong foundation for the road ahead. He emphasized that Xbox is more than a business—it’s a thriving community of players, creators, and teams, deserving a thoughtful, deliberate path forward.
Spencer expressed confidence in Sharma’s leadership, noting her curiosity, clarity, and commitment to understanding players and creators. He will stay available in an advisory capacity through the summer to support a smooth handoff.
Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s CEO, shared similar optimism in an internal note. He highlighted Sharma’s track record of scaling services that reach billions and her experience in aligning business models with long-term value. Nadella underscored that her global experience will be crucial as the gaming business enters its next growth phase.
In Sharma’s first message to the Xbox team, she conveyed a sense of both humility and urgency. She praised the decades of work behind the team’s achievements while acknowledging the rapid changes reshaping the gaming industry. She stressed that she is stepping into work shaped by generations of artists, engineers, designers, writers, musicians, operators, and more who have crafted worlds that bring joy and meaning to hundreds of millions. She credited Xbox’s founding belief that games unite people and push the industry forward, thanking Phil Spencer for his leadership and the studios, platforms, and operations teams for building the foundation. She affirmed the group’s role as stewards of treasured stories and communities in new, expansive ways.
Nadella’s internal note and Sharma’s message together signal a broader realignment: Asha Sharma will steer Microsoft Gaming into a new era, Matt Booty will lead as Chief Content Officer, and Sarah Bond will pursue fresh opportunities beyond Microsoft. The overarching theme remains the same—Xbox’s mission to connect players and creators through compelling experiences—while inviting thoughtful scrutiny and conversation about the direction, priorities, and potential trade-offs of this transition. What do you think this leadership shift means for gaming in the coming years, and do you agree with the emphasis on stability paired with ambitious growth?
