Microsoft announced on February 20, 2026, that Phil Spencer would retire and Sarah Bond had decided to leave the company. Asha Sharma was named CEO of Microsoft Gaming, with Matt Booty appointed EVP and Chief Content Officer, reporting to Sharma. The announcement did not give a specific reason for Bond’s departure.
What happened to Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond?
Microsoft said Spencer had decided to retire and Bond had decided to leave Microsoft. Spencer said he told Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella the previous fall that he was thinking about stepping back. He was to remain in an advisory role through the summer to help with the handoff.
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Spencer’s message described Bond’s departure this way: “As part of this transition, Sarah Bond has decided to leave Microsoft to begin a new chapter.” The company did not provide a reason for her decision. Its announcement also did not say Bond was fired or forced out.
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Nadella said Spencer had spent 38 years at Microsoft, including 12 years leading Gaming, and credited him with helping transform the business. Spencer’s message credited Bond with helping shape Xbox platform strategy, expand Game Pass and cloud gaming, and support hardware launches. Those are the company’s descriptions of their work.
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Who took over Xbox?
Microsoft named Asha Sharma EVP and CEO of Microsoft Gaming, with Matt Booty as EVP and Chief Content Officer, reporting to Sharma. The February announcement used the name Microsoft Gaming. An editor’s note added to the announcement on April 23, 2026, says Microsoft Gaming became known as XBOX and Sharma’s title became CEO XBOX. The title change was recorded in that dated update.
What changed after the February transition?
July: a company-wide reset
On July 6, Sharma described a planned reduction of approximately 3,200 roles throughout fiscal year 2027, including about 1,600 role eliminations announced that day. She also said four studios were departing to new management and set a company target of returning XBOX to growth in 2027. These were plans and targets in Sharma’s company statement, not independently verified outcomes. The announcement did not establish that Spencer’s retirement or Bond’s departure caused the reset. Read Sharma’s July 6 reset statement.
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September: further studio changes
In a September 22 update, Booty said two proposed agreements involving Ninja Theory had fallen through. XBOX would begin consulting employees about a proposed closure while continuing to explore other options. Consultation concerning Arkane was still underway at that point; the update did not report a final outcome. These developments were presented as part of the reset, not as consequences of the February leadership changes. See Booty’s September 22 update.
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On October 8, Sharma named Kayleen Walters president of the newly formed XP division and Maria Angelidou-Smith CEO of Mojang and Minecraft, with both reporting to Sharma. Angelidou-Smith’s stated start date was October 19. These appointments added leaders to the organization; neither announcement described them as a successor to Bond specifically. XBOX’s October 8 announcement also described Walters’ work at Minecraft, including more than 250 licensees and a multibillion-dollar consumer-products business.
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Who is in charge of XBOX now?
As of October 8, 2026, Sharma was CEO XBOX. Booty was EVP and Chief Content Officer, reporting to her. Walters led XP, and Angelidou-Smith was named to lead Mojang and Minecraft, with her start date set for October 19. The sequence matters: Sharma and Booty were appointed in February, the XBOX name and Sharma’s title were recorded in an April editor’s note, and the XP and Mojang appointments came in October.
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