Phil Spencer announced that February 23rd, 2026, was his last day at Xbox. Shortly after, we hear that Sarah Bond will also be leaving Xbox. While this was completely unexpected for so many, it seems like rumors were starting to spread of an upcoming announcement. Sarah’s departure seems very spur-of-the-moment. The new head of Xbox will be Asha Sharma, who comes from Microsoft’s CoreAi group. It doesn’t look like she has a gaming background, but that may not really matter. Will Asha’s success with companies like Instacart be valuable in a gaming space?
What does this mean for the future of the brand? Xbox is a brand loved by many, and I would hate to see it go. People outside of the industry have led many gaming companies in the past. Reggie Fils-Aime may be the most famous example of this. We wish Asha and Xbox the best of luck. Check out the video below, and let’s talk about it.