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Reports: Phil Spencer stepping down as head of Microsoft Gaming, new Xbox boss named

By Ashlee Winborne

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - After being with Microsoft since 1988 and a part of the Xbox team since 2001, Phil Spencer is retiring as the Microsoft Gaming CEO.

According to a report by IGN Friday, Xbox President Sarah Bond is also stepping down from her position in the company.

Asha Sharma, the President of Microsoft’s CoreAI, will become the new CEO of Microsoft Gaming while Xbox Game Studios’ Matt Booty is being promoted to Chief Content Officer.

IMAGE DISTRIBUTED FOR XBOX - Phil Spencer, Head of Xbox, opens the Xbox E3 2019 Briefing at the Microsoft Theater at L.A. Live, Sunday, June 9, 2019 in Los Angeles. (Photo by Dan Steinberg/Invision for Xbox/AP Images) (Dan Steinberg/Dan Steinberg/Invision/AP)

Spencer took over Xbox and Xbox Live, along with Groove Music, Movies & TV, and Microsoft Studios, in 2014 before being given the title of Executive Vice President of Gaming three years later.

He took over in the aftermath of the disastrous launch of the Xbox One, which sold over 58 million units by the end of its lifecycle compared to the nearly 114 million PlayStation 4 consoles sold.

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FILE - In this Aug. 28, 2013, file photo, the Microsoft Xbox One console is on display at the GameStop Expo in Las Vegas. Among the shows coming to Xbox this year are the street soccer docu-series "Every Street United," which will be first to debut in July 2014, and the six-part tech-centric documentary series "Signal to Noise." The first installment - "Atari: Game Over" - chronicles the search for copies of Atari's infamous "E.T." game that were supposedly buried in a landfill. (Photo by Al Powers/Invision/AP, File) (Powers Imagery/Powers Imagery/Invision/AP)

Since then, Xbox has acquired a number of major studios, including Activision Blizzard for $69 million, while building its Xbox Game Pass service and launching the Xbox Series X and S consoles.

“When I walked through Microsoft’s doors as an intern in June of 1988, I could never have imagined the products I’d help build, the players and customers we’d serve, or the extraordinary teams I’d be lucky enough to join,” Spencer said in an email to Microsoft employees. “It’s been an epic ride and truly the privilege of a lifetime.”

Asha Sharma is being named the new CEO of Microsoft Gaming, per reports from IGN. (Renata Steiner/Business Wire via AP)

Sharma, in an email to employees, emphasized her commitment to creating great games for players.

“We must have great games beloved by players before we do anything,” said Sharma, who joined Microsoft in 2024. “Unforgettable characters, stories that make us feel, innovative game play, and creative excellence. We will empower our studios, invest in iconic franchises, and back bold new ideas. We will take risks. We will enter new categories and markets where we can add real value, grounded in what players care about most.”

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