Xbox Earthquake: Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond leave

Phil Spencer is leaving Xbox: The long-time head of Microsoft's gaming division is retiring, he announced in a post on X. Former Xbox President Sarah Bond is also leaving Microsoft.

Asha Sharma, who previously managed Microsoft's CoreAI division, will succeed Spencer. "I feel two things at once: humility and urgency," Sharma wrote in an email to Xbox employees, which Microsoft published. "Humility, because this team has built something extraordinary over decades. Urgency, because the gaming industry is in a phase of rapid change, and we must act with clarity and determination."

Spencer speaks of "milestone"

Spencer has led Microsoft's Xbox division since 2014, and he looks back on 38 years with the tech giant. Spencer was always popular in the community and was considered credible, even if strategic decisions in recent years were not well received by all fans: Because Xbox could not keep up in the console duel with Sony's Playstation, Xbox increasingly focused on game development – and abandoned the former exclusivity of its in-house developments. Most Xbox titles can now also be played by Playstation owners. In recent years, Microsoft has also cut thousands of jobs at its Xbox teams.

"Thank you to everyone who has been part of this chapter. This community has meant more to me than I can put into words," Spencer continued. He will continue to cheer on the Xbox teams. In an email to Xbox employees, Spencer explained that he had already made the decision to retire last year and informed Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.

Matt Booty moves up

(dahe)