At an October 6, 2026, internal Xbox town hall, CEO Asha Sharma reportedly said the business was beginning to stabilize, reaffirmed Xbox Series X|S and console as priorities, described next-generation Xbox Helix as a family of devices, and suggested Game Pass could become more flexible. The account comes from Windows Central, which said it reviewed a shared transcript and verified it with trusted sources; Xbox has not published a transcript of the remarks in the sources cited here.
What Sharma reportedly said about Xbox’s performance
Windows Central reported that Sharma described Xbox as having declined in hours spent, players, and revenue at the start of the year, with hours spent subsequently stabilizing. The outlet later clarified that her chart about a return to growth referred specifically to first-party games Xbox owns and publishes—not to all Xbox revenue, players, or business lines. Windows Central’s October 6 town hall report does not fully explain the metric behind Sharma’s description of growth as more than two to three times its earlier level, so that figure should be understood as her reported characterization, not a defined company-wide measure.
Sharma reportedly highlighted strong starts for Gears of War: E-Day, Minecraft Dungeons 2, and World of Warcraft Forever. Those examples were part of the discussion of first-party games, not evidence that every part of Xbox had returned to growth.
What she said about Xbox consoles and Helix
Sharma reportedly said Xbox should strengthen Gen-9 Xbox Series X|S and put console back at the center of the business. For Gen-10, she described Xbox Helix as “a family of devices” and said, “We will certainly have a great console first,” according to Windows Central’s transcript-based account.
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The report says Sharma envisioned a console alongside devices for players who want to play on the go. Some devices would be made by Xbox and others with partners, but the account names no partners and gives no specifications, launch date, or pricing. It therefore describes a broad direction for Helix, not a confirmed hardware lineup.
What may change with Game Pass
Sharma reportedly said Game Pass would become “more flexible for more players,” with subscribers potentially able to tailor the content they access. The town hall account does not announce specific tiers, prices, availability, or timing. Treat this as a stated direction rather than a finalized subscription change.
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Windows Central also described Xbox’s strategic focus using the terms “core, content, creation, and connection.” The report’s other PC-distribution discussion is not needed to establish what was announced about Helix or Game Pass, and it does not provide a confirmed new consumer offering.
How the town hall fits the layoffs and restructuring
The meeting followed a difficult stretch for Xbox. In a July 6 employee memo, Sharma wrote, “Our business today is not healthy,” and said Xbox operated at margins “3-10x lower than comparable platform and publishing businesses.” Those are company statements in an employee memo; the memo did not name the peers or provide calculations. It also said Xbox intended to return to growth in 2027. The July 6 Xbox Wire memo, “Resetting XBOX”, framed the changes as a reset across content, platform, and operations.
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On September 22, Xbox announced the elimination of 268 roles across Halo Studios, other first-party studios, and Xbox Game Studios management and central functions. The memo said actions completed since July, including studio divestitures, had taken the restructuring roughly three-quarters of the way through and named October 6 for an all-Xbox town hall. The September 22 Xbox Wire memo, “Continuing Our Reset,” is the company’s source for the role count and restructuring status.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the reported remarks do—and do not—establish
- First-party growth: Sharma’s reported growth chart was clarified as applying to Xbox-owned and published games, not the whole business.
- Hardware direction: Series X|S remains part of the stated strategy; Helix is described as a device family, with no confirmed specifications or named partners in the report.
- Game Pass: More flexible access was raised as an intention, without announced plan details.
- Brand sentiment: Sharma reportedly cited a 30% rise in positive brand sentiment over the past year. Windows Central did not identify the survey, methodology, baseline, or measurement organization, so this is an attributed town hall claim rather than an independently verifiable statistic.
Microsoft announced Sharma as EVP and CEO of Microsoft Gaming on February 20, 2026. An editor’s note on that announcement says Microsoft Gaming became known as XBOX on April 23, 2026, and her title became CEO XBOX; “Xbox CEO” is used here for readability. Microsoft’s leadership announcement provides that title history.
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