Yesterday, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer announced that he would be stepping down from his leadership position and leaving the company altogether, and now Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has made an official statement regarding Xboxfuture. This statement from Nadella discusses the continued importance of Xbox to Microsoft, talks about Phil Spencer's legacy and sheds more light on who will take over.
Phil Spencer joined Microsoft as an intern in 1988 and became General Manager of Microsoft Game Studios EMEA following the launch of the Xbox in 2001. In 2008, Spencer was promoted to CEO of Microsoft Studios, and almost a decade later was given the title of Executive Vice President of Games, reporting directly to Satya Nadel. In 2022, Phil Spencer received his final promotion to become CEO of Microsoft Gaming, a title he held until yesterday's announcement.
BREAKING: Phil Spencer exits Xbox amid shuffle
Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer is retiring amid major changes at Xbox leadership, including more resignations and promotions.
Following the announcement of Phil Spencer's departure on February 20, an official statement from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella was published on the Microsoft blog. Nadel's statement opens with “Gaming has been a part of Microsoft from the beginning,” and the CEO goes on to confirm how important Xbox and the gaming medium are to Microsoft, stating that “gaming has a long history of being at the center of our consumer ambitions.”
The next and longest part of Nadel's statement introduces the new executive vice president and general manager of Microsoft Gaming, Asha Sharma. Sharma's past experience as vice president of Meta and chief operating officer of Instacart is briefly detailed, with Nadella saying she “brings deep experience building and scaling platforms, aligning business models with long-term value and operating at global scale.” Nadella then confirms that Matt Booty will step down from his former role as president of game content and Xbox Studios to become executive vice president and chief content officer, reporting directly to Asha Sharma.
Nadella then highlights Phil Spencer's history at Microsoft. Along with confirming that Spencer first decided to leave Xbox last year, Nadella praises Spencer's work over the past 38 years, highlighting his efforts across platforms, his acquisitions of Activision Blizzard, ZeniMax and Minecraftand his “unwavering commitment to players, creators and his team”. Nadella says he is “personally grateful” for Spencer's leadership and guidance, and says he will continue to work with Sharma to ensure a smooth transition. One of the closing sentences of Nadel's statement read: “I'm excited about how we'll seize the opportunity that lies ahead and define what comes next, while staying grounded in what players and creators value.”
Phil Spencer and Asha Sharma's statement on the future of Xbox
In the same Microsoft blog post, Phil Spencer and Asha Sharma also provide an official statement regarding this transition. Spencer's statement begins by reflecting on his time at Microsoft, calling it “an epic ride and truly the privilege of a lifetime.” Spencer then welcomes Sharma, stating that working with her over the last few months has given him “tremendous confidence” as she “brings a genuine curiosity, clarity and deep commitment to understanding the players, creators and decisions that shape our future”. Interestingly, Phil Spencer's statement is the only one to mention Sarah Bond's departure, with Spencer calling the former Xbox president “instrumental during a defining period for Xbox.”
Asha Sharma's official statement discusses three key “commitments”. The first is “great games,” with Sharma promising to “amplify [Xbox’s] studios, invest in iconic franchises and support bold new ideas.” The second commitment is “the return of Xbox,” with Sharma looking to celebrate the company's roots and continue to “break down barriers so developers can build once and reach gamers anywhere.” A third commitment is “the future of gaming,” with Sharma stating that Xbox “will not pursue short-term efficiency or flood our ecosystem with mindless AI flop.”
Source: Microsoft Blog
