Phil Spencer verlaat Xbox

Dorian de la Fosse | Saturday 21 Feb 2026, 12:12

En Sarah Bond geeft haar positie als hoofd op.

Het rommelt in de gamewereld. Na meer dan 10 jaar aan het hoofd te staan bij de Xbox Gaming Division heeft Phil Spencer laten weten zich terug te trekken van zijn functie en zijn toekomst elders voort te zetten. In een interne e-mail iet hij het volgende weten: “Last fall, I shared with Satya [Nadella, Microsoft CEO] that I was thinking about stepping back and starting the next chapter of my life. From that moment, we aligned on approaching this transition with intention, ensuring stability, and strengthening the foundation we’ve built. Xbox has always been more than a business. It’s a vibrant community of players, creators, and teams who care deeply about what we build and how we build it. And it deserves a thoughtful, deliberate plan for the road ahead."

Niet alleen Phil Spencer, maar ook Sarah Bond heeft aangegeven Xbox te gaan verlaten. Om deze gaten te vullen heeft Microsoft laten weten dat ze worden opgevolgd door Asha Sharma, hoofd van XboxAI, en Matt Booty, hoofd van Xbox Game Studios, in respectievelijk de functies als CEO van Xbox Gaming en Chief Content Officer. Dit is wat Phil Spencer er over te zeggen had:“Today marks an exciting new chapter for Microsoft Gaming as Asha Sharma steps into the role of CEO, and I want to be the first to welcome her to this incredible team. Working with her over the past several months has given me tremendous confidence. She brings genuine curiosity, clarity and a deep commitment to understanding players, creators, and the decisions that shape our future. We know this is an important moment for our fans, partners, and team, and we’re committed to getting it right. I’ll remain in an advisory role through the summer to support a smooth handoff.”

Na de zomer eindigd het tijdperk van Phil Spencer dus officieel. Onze collega's van Kotaku hebben ook het eerste bericht van de nieuwe Xbox CEO Asha Sharma gedeeld: 

"My first job is simple: understand what makes this work and protect it. That starts with three commitments. First, great games. Everything begins here. We must have great games beloved by players before we do anything. Unforgettable characters, stories that make us feel, innovative game play, and creative excellence. We will empower our studios, invest in iconic franchises, and back bold new ideas. We will take risks. We will enter new categories and markets where we can add real value, grounded in what players care about most. I promoted Matt Booty in honor of this commitment. He understands the craft and the challenges of building great games, has led teams that deliver award-winning work, and has earned the trust of game developers across the industry."

"Second, the return of Xbox. We will recommit to our core Xbox fans and players, those who have invested with us for the past 25 years, and to the developers who build the expansive universes and experiences that are embraced by players across the world. We will celebrate our roots with a renewed commitment to Xbox starting with console which has shaped who we are. It connects us to the players and fans who invest in Xbox, and to the developers who build ambitious experiences for it."

"Third, future of play. We are witnessing the reinvention of play. To meet the moment, we will invent new business models and new ways to play by leaning into what we already have: iconic teams, characters, and worlds that people love. But we will not treat those worlds as static IP to milk and monetize. We will build a shared platform and tools that empower developers and players to create and share their own stories."

"As monetization and AI evolve and influence this future, we will not chase short-term efficiency or flood our ecosystem with soulless AI slop. Games are and always will be art, crafted by humans, and created with the most innovative technology provided by us."

Matt Booty heeft ook een interne email verzonden waarin hij aangeeft verheugd te zijn de functie van Chief Content Officer te bekleden: 

“Our first conversations centered on her commitment to making great games and the role that plays in our overall success. She asks questions, pushes for clarity, and wants our choices grounded in player and developer needs. That mindset matters as the industry around us is changing quickly: how players engage, how games are made, and how business models and platforms evolve."

“We have good reasons to believe in what’s ahead. This organization and its franchises have navigated change for decades, and our strength comes from teams who know how to adapt and keep delivering. That confidence is grounded in a strong pipeline of established franchises, new bets we believe in, and clear player demand for what we are building.”

Met het vertrek van Phil Spencer is de onzekere toekomst van Xbox nog een stuk onzekerder geworden. Het merk worstelt al een tijd met hun identiteit en hebben recent handelingen verricht die niet goed vielen bij de achterban, zoals het uitbrengen van populaire titels op andere platformen. Ondanks dat was het ook Phil Spencer die al sinds 2001 heeft gestreden om Xbox als merk te laten concurreren met de grote consoles van Sony en Nintendo. Wij van Xboxworld kijken met argusogen naar de toekomstige ontwikkeling van Xbox en blijven jullie hierover informeren en we willen Phil Spencer en Sarah Bond bedanken voor hun inzet in de afgelopen jaren. Dat jullie een mooie toekomst tegemoet mogen gaan.