Mojang Studios began reporting directly to Xbox CEO Asha Sharma on July 6, 2026, as part of a wider Xbox restructuring. The announcement confirmed that reductions would affect Mojang, but gave no studio-specific job-loss number. It did not name a new Mojang president: Xbox’s current leadership roster lists Kayleen Walters in that role.
What changed at Mojang?
On July 6, 2026, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma announced that Mojang Studios and King would report directly to her. Sharma described the studios as increasingly platform-like and among Xbox’s largest by monthly active players. The announcement provided no player counts, measurement method, comparison group, or reporting period, so that characterization is Xbox’s stated rationale rather than independently verifiable audience data. Xbox’s July 6 announcement
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The change establishes a direct reporting line to Sharma; it does not explain what reporting arrangements remain below her or say that Mojang’s day-to-day decision-making changed.
Did Xbox lay off Mojang employees?
Xbox said reductions would affect multiple business units, including Mojang, and that their size would vary. It did not disclose how many Mojang employees were affected. The company-level figures should not be mistaken for Mojang headcounts: Sharma announced approximately 3,200 planned Xbox role eliminations during FY27, including approximately 1,600 on July 6. Xbox’s July 6 announcement
#1 Best Overall
- Minecraft is a game about placing blocks and going on adventures
- Explore randomly generated worlds and build amazing things from the simplest of homes to the grandest of castles
- Play in creative mode with unlimited resources or mine deep into the world in survival mode, crafting weapons and armor to fend off the dangerous mobs
- Play on the go in handheld or tabletop modes
- Includes Super Mario Mash-Up, Natural Texture Pack, Biome Settlers Skin Pack, Battle & Beasts Skin Pack, Campfire Tales Skin Pack; Compatible with Nintendo Switch only
In a September 22 follow-up, Xbox Chief Content Officer Matt Booty said completed actions since July, including studio divestitures, brought the company roughly three-quarters of the way through its previously announced restructuring. That was an overall restructuring update, not a Mojang-specific completion figure or announcement of a new change at the studio. Xbox’s September 22 update
Was Minecraft cancelled or is its roadmap changing?
Sharma said no publicly announced first-party games or projects were being cancelled as part of the July reductions. That statement addresses cancellations as part of those cuts; it does not guarantee future release dates or rule out later project changes. The official announcements do not establish whether specific Minecraft teams or projects were affected, or whether the reporting change altered the game’s roadmap. Xbox’s July 6 announcement
Rank #2
- Explore randomly-generated worlds and build amazing things from the simplest of homes to the grandest of castles
- Play in Creative Mode with unlimited resources or mine deep into the world in survival mode, crafting weapons and armour to fend off the dangerous mobs
Who is Mojang’s head now?
Helen Chiang was promoted to Xbox COO, with end-to-end profit-and-loss responsibility across content, hardware, platform, and services. Xbox cited her past leadership of Mojang and Minecraft as relevant experience; it did not announce her as Mojang’s new head. Microsoft’s leadership announcement
Xbox’s leadership roster, checked October 8, 2026, lists Kayleen Walters as president of Mojang. The president listing and the studio’s direct reporting line to Sharma describe separate organizational roles. Xbox leadership roster
Rank #3
- Minecraft is a game about placing blocks and going on adventures
- Explore randomly generated worlds and build amazing things from the simplest of homes to the grandest of castles
- Play in creative mode with unlimited resources or mine deep into the world in survival mode, crafting weapons and armor to fend off the dangerous mobs
- Play on the go in handheld or tabletop modes
- Includes Super Mario Mash-Up, Natural Texture Pack, Biome Settlers Skin Pack, Battle & Beasts Skin Pack, Campfire Tales Skin Pack; Compatible with Nintendo Switch only
How the change fits Xbox’s wider reset
The reporting shift followed a broader leadership transition. Microsoft announced Sharma as CEO of Microsoft Gaming and Matt Booty as chief content officer on February 20, 2026. The announcement also said Phil Spencer planned to retire and Sarah Bond had decided to leave; its editor’s note later updated the organization’s name to Xbox and Sharma’s title to CEO Xbox. Microsoft’s February 20 announcement
On April 23, Xbox described a strategy to become a global platform for play and creation, named Minecraft among the creator-centric platforms it intended to elevate, and identified daily active players as its new north star. That provides strategic context for the July language about platforms, but Xbox did not say the strategy alone caused Mojang’s reporting change. Xbox’s April 23 strategy statement
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Sharma also described company-wide organizational measures: as many as 14 management layers in some parts of Xbox, platform teams 40% larger than at the start of the generation, and a planned 50% reduction in vendor spend. These figures describe Xbox broadly, not Mojang, and the vendor figure was an objective rather than a reported result. Xbox’s July 6 announcement
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is confirmed—and what remains unknown?
| Confirmed | Not established by the official announcements |
|---|---|
| Mojang would report directly to Xbox CEO Asha Sharma, announced July 6, 2026. | How many Mojang employees were affected by reductions. |
| Reductions included Mojang, varied in size by business unit, and were part of a wider Xbox reset. | Whether particular Minecraft teams or projects were affected. |
| Xbox said publicly announced first-party games and projects were not cancelled as part of those reductions. | Whether day-to-day studio decisions or Minecraft’s roadmap changed. |
| Xbox’s roster lists Kayleen Walters as Mojang president; Helen Chiang is Xbox COO. | Whether the reporting change led to further changes below Sharma. |
The September update does not announce a Mojang-specific reversal or additional leadership change. Conclusions about unreported staffing effects or future Minecraft plans would be speculation.
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