Phil Spencer and Xbox head Sarah Bond left Microsoft, and the games division is now led by an artificial intelligence expert.

Microsoft is changing the leadership of its gaming division

In the company’s official blog, CEO Satya Nadella announced sweeping personnel changes in the management of Microsoft Gaming.

- Phil Spencer – chief executive of Microsoft Gaming since 2014 and a Microsoft employee for more than 38 years – will leave the company on February 23.

- At the same time, Sara Bond announced her resignation as president and COO of Xbox. She joined the company in October 2023 and became part of Microsoft in 2017.

New leaders

Position | New leader
Executive Vice President & Chief Content Officer | Matt Buttery (formerly head of Xbox Game Studios)
Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft Gaming | Asha Sharma

Sharma, who joined Microsoft two years ago and worked on AI services, will now focus on creating outstanding games, “bringing back” Xbox to the spotlight, and shaping the future of gaming through new business models and ways of engagement.

> “We won’t aim for short‑term productivity or fill our ecosystem with meaningless AI content. Games are art created by humans using the most advanced technology,” Sharma emphasized.

It is still unknown what Spencer and Bond will do after leaving Microsoft. In his message, the former CEO noted that a new chapter of life begins for him.